Under the Blood Moon (The Stargazers Trilogy Book 1)

by Lee, Summer

  It continued to rain as the sky darkened and clouds rolled in to blanket the desert sky. It was as if he was in a movie. But there was no movie camera. Instead, mid-afternoon arrived. The sky changed as the clouds parted to reveal the moon, which was even bigger and brighter than seemed possible. Eric suddenly saw his sister fall off a cliff. He frowned as if her falling was a selfish act. He watched as she barely grabbed a clump of grass on the side of the cliff. When he stepped over to her, he saw that she was losing her grip and slipping. Clinging to the side, she called out, “Save my brother. Save my brother.”

  Eric screamed, waking himself up.

  Eric opened his eyes out of the dream. He felt startled and then remembered he was praying when sleep overcame him. He had another dream. One of a different kind. One of surrounding light. Angels surrounded him, their wings touching. He then lowered his head once again and continued his prayer.

  “God.” He looked up and continued to pray as he sniffled. “My sister is a good person. Please don’t let anything happen to her. I don’t want her to die. She has her whole life ahead of her. Heck! Even my birth parents did not want me, but she is loved by many. And she loves me more than anyone else could ever love me. She has a lot of reasons to live. Please. Just help her.”

  He clasped his hands together so tightly, he started to shake. Eric clenched his teeth as every bit of emotion he had poured out in the prayer.

  “Let me die,” he said, honestly. “But save Sybil. I beg of You. I accept Jesus as my savior and everything else that I just don’t know about. I want to thank You for not only listening, but thank You in advance for protecting Sybil. She’s one of the good ones.”

  Realizing that his salvation was part of his dream, he frowned. Bits and pieces of the dream were coming true, just like he knew they would. He had always had premonitions in his dreams, but nothing like what he experienced recently. They had always been concerned about where to go to get a cat out of a tree or things of that nature.

  Nothing so apocalyptic.

  He opened his eyes and blinked several times to try to get adjusted to the intense light coming from the direction of the door. The room had no windows, so he knew it wasn’t from outside. He turned his head toward the door and saw that it was wide open. “I want to be on your side, God. Please set me free and forgive all my sins.”

  He immediately felt a power beyond himself. He smiled as he looked up. “Thank you, Lord! If I had known that would happen, I would have asked for forgiveness sooner!”

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  April 4th

  Second Year, Third Tetrad

  A radio was playing just outside Sybil’s door.

  “Here is the latest on the Blood Moon phenomena: The most unique thing about the 2014-2015 Tetrad is that all of them are visible for all or parts of the U.S. Yet, people in Europe, Africa and the Middle East will not be able to see this red moon. The blood moon was first seen from Miami at the beginning of the total lunar eclipse, where it was observed more closely. This blood moon was most prominent in North and South America.”

  Someone clicked the radio off and walked away.

  * * *

  Eric stood in front of the now open door that was locked just moments before he gave his life to Christ. Or so he thought.

  He wondered whether he was dreaming again. Since his dreams felt more real than actual life sometimes, he was never sure. His gut told him to run through the open portal before it closed on him and sealed him in once again. Hesitation gripped him, as he realized he could trust his eyes again. The dreams were only known to him as dreams, when something so bizarre would happen, that he knew it could never be real life.

  Without conscious thought, his feet moved toward what he believed to be freedom. Staring, trance-like at the new possibility before him, he grimaced and his stomach tightened. They could shoot him on the spot if he stepped through.

  Pieces of his apocalyptic dream, shot through his mind and caused physical pain as they often did. He started to sweat and his body felt like it was burning up.

  Just like in the dream.

  Gritting his teeth gave him no more control over his body, than anything else he tried. Resorting to conscious commands was all he had left. “Stop it! I don’t want to go! Stop making me! It’s my body and I’ll go or leave when I decide it’s the best time to go!”

  Muscles tensed, as Eric fought off the demons. I’m not a puppet! Father in Heaven! I can’t…leave…yet! Help me.

  “No!” he cried, as he woke up covered in sweat. He felt cold and hot at the same time, which in his mind, meant he was ill. Along with a strong dose of nausea, he could have sworn he had the flu or something similar. He may have been in a trance.

  He glanced at the door and shook his head, while trying not to get angry. The door was now closed and he assumed that it was locked as well. “See, God? I can’t tell the difference between my dreams and being awake anymore. Boy, I’m really screwed up. Thanks for waking me up in time to save some face. That would have been embarrassing if I walked into a closed door.”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  April 6th

  As consciousness returned, the pain tore through Sybil’s body as if it had been carried through her bloodstream and deposited everywhere there was a nerve of some kind.

  She wanted to cry out, but the fatigue held her back. She was afraid to open her eyes for fear that it would all look worse than it felt.

  When she got the courage, she slowly opened one eye. She looked around and saw that she was in the hospital.

  I’m alive?

  Wishing she wasn’t was no longer an option for her. She knew that it would take more time than she had to heal properly. Wanting to move wasn’t an option either. She tried to move her fingers, only to be shot down by the pain again.

  “How long have I been here?”

  A nurse came in and without looking at her, she went to the end of her hospital bed and pulled up the chart. She remained silent while the nurse checked the chart for several minutes. She then looked at the woman lying in the bed next to her. She almost looked like Callista. She attempted to say something to the nurse. But the nurse’s eyes widened and she ran out of the room, yelling for the doctor.

  She wished she was strong enough to chuckle. Then she realized that if the nurse was in such a panic, her hospital stay might have been longer than she had originally thought. The nurse looked strong enough to handle any job. Her brown hair and brown skin showed her beauty. Her wrinkled hands showed she was a hard worker.

  Sybil’s breathing became erratic, as she thought of the consequences of her being bed-ridden for an extended period of time. Bedsores and bad food was among the pluses of her stay. She couldn’t afford to spend another day cooped up. No matter how bad she felt.

  Attempting to move her fingers was hard enough, but trying to move any other part of her body was pure torture. She tried to move her mouth to form her words, but for some reason she couldn’t even do that without being in tremendous pain. Even trying to turn her head was out of the question.

  The nurse returned with the doctor. He was an older man with a receding hairline and thick rimmed glasses. He wasn’t much to look at, but she needed a doctor, not a male model.

  The doctor grabbed the chart from the nurse, as they talked in whispers with their heads leaning toward one another. They kept looking at her, as if she was some kind of oddity and then they continued murmuring and looking at the chart.

  He then forced a smile and approached the side of the bed. “Good morning. I know you’re in a lot of pain, but healing is a process. I have to admit that we weren’t expecting you to be awake so soon after what happened to you. That is definitely a strong positive in your road to recovery. You’re in the best hospital in Portland. According to me, anyway.”

  He chuckled in a juvenile sort of way, while the nurse behind him did the same and then looked embarrassed. She excused herself and left the room.

  He cleared his throa
t, as he followed the nurse as far as the door and then closed it. “I’m sure you will agree that privacy is the best in this matter. You know, it’s a miracle that you’re even alive, after what you’ve been through. If believe in those things, of course.”

  He chuckled again, which was getting extremely irritating to the captive audience.

  His tone and expression became more serious, as he put his hands behind his back and clasped his hands together. He seemed nervous, which she knew was never good.

  Especially in a hospital.

  He cleared his throat again. “You have numerous broken bones. Too many to allow you to be mobile at this juncture. You may have noticed that your jaw is wired shut. Well, that’s because your jaw is broken, along with 27 other bones throughout your body. I would advise you not to try to move, because we made sure you couldn’t just in case you woke up. Sure enough, look at you! You’re bright eyed and bushy tailed. Aren’t you?”

  She attempted to mutter, “Not really.”

  He seemed to become more nervous, the more he talked. “While on the surface, you have more cuts and contusions. The good news is there are all mostly superficial wounds and will heal a lot quicker than the… more serious conditions.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him, which was all she could really do, considering the circumstance. She was getting impatient and he became more nervous. She knew that there was something wrong with her that he was trying to avoid telling her.

  She wished that just for a few seconds she could ask him what was wrong. All she could do was express her concern through her eyes. Her emotions were raw. She raised her eyebrows a bit and stared at him. There was no other way for her to tell him that he needed to say what was wrong with her.

  It looked to her like he was fighting with his decision internally, as he bit his lower lip. She needed to say something.

  “Uh…” was all that managed to escape her mouth. Something had to work to make him listen. She was calling him all kinds of names in her mind for teasing her like that.

  She tried to move her finger and found out once again, that was only hurting her. Not him.

  Her agitation caused him to be less worried about the excruciating pain she was in and more about what else was wrong with her.

  The doctor was about to open his mouth when a familiar face came storming in. To say he was upset would have been an understatement, which was a dramatic change of pace for Solomon Dancer. She assumed that with everything he went through recently, that was to be expected.

  He had a sling on his right arm and a large bandage over his left eye, with cuts and abrasions all over his face and arms. “You be leaving her alone, doc! Hasn’t this woman been through enough, without you playing some sadistic game! You’ve done enough damage for one day! Go see who else you can kill with frustration!”

  The doctor was completely put off and opened his mouth to say something.

  Solomon never let him get the chance. “Go, I said! Go now, before my words aren’t the only thing to tell you!” He stood his ground with his heavy breathing exaggerated on purpose and his hands doubled up in a fist.

  The doctor ran out through the door and out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Sybil was now alone with Solomon.

  He turned toward her and immediately replaced his angry look for one of sympathy and pity. His eyes welled up with tears. “I am so sorry. I had no idea this would happen to you. I’m sorry I could do nothing to help you when the earthquake hit. I was trying to reach you, and almost there, when everything collapsed around you. You are alive and that is the important ’ting. You must get better, because I believe that dere is a lot you have to do. You have unfinished business, young lady.”

  All she could do was smile in her eyes. He smiled back. It was the first time her smile was noticed since she woke up in the hospital bed. She had always detested hospitals. She always said that’s where people went to die.

  The sparkle in Solomon’s eyes when he looked at her spoke volumes. She had no idea he cared that much about her. It was something she had always hoped was true.

  She loved Solomon from the first day she laid eyes on him.

  “I have to go now,” he said, while looking nervously at the door. “I have unfinished business too… with Mama.”

  The woman in the bed next to her turned the TV on to Israel news. “Three out of the four lunar eclipses which have been taking place in this season, have not, nor will not be visible from Israel. The only eclipse that will be seen at all from Israel is the tail end of the September 28, 2015 eclipse, which may be observable for a short while before sunrise. We encourage all Israelis to go outside and enjoy the view. Celebrate the event. Plan a party.”

  Maybe I’ll go to Israel to see that one.

  Those were her last peaceful thoughts as she looked out the window and drew her last breath.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  June 5th

  It had been months since the last Blood Moon. Eric wouldn’t have known, because he was still a prisoner. A new bodyguard told him about it. Since he wasn’t needed, he was only fed small meals. His basic needs were met, and that was all. The guards paid him no more attention than they needed to. He figured he would make the most of it, until Sybil found a way to rescue him. He chuckled at the thought. My sister’s going to rescue me.

  Until he saw his sister again, he was going to do push-ups, sit-ups and everything else he could to get himself in better shape. Shape enough to escape. And strength enough to run like the dickens when he did get out.

  Those who held him hostage allowed him occasional showers. As time went by, he became better friends with the guard named Jalen. Jalen sneaked in healthier food in larger quantities for him, so Eric could keep his strength up. Eric asked him questions. But even his jailer didn’t know what was planned next for Eric. So he finally quit asking. For some reason, that he couldn’t understand as yet, he trusted Jalen. There was real concern in this guard’s eyes about having to keep Eric locked up for apparently no reason.

  Eric jumped in fear when the cell door, as Eric called it, opened with a squeak, as it showed its age. He held his breath, hoping it was Jalen with some more food. It wasn’t. Isabella entered his room without knocking.

  “Well, well, well,” Isabella started as she eyed Eric with a smirk. “I don’t know how I could have missed it before, but you look simply ravishing.”

  “Maybe it’s because I didn’t work out for you,” he said, without missing a beat, His face didn’t change expressions. He did that to throw her off.

  Whenever Isabella came to see him, he changed his personality. That helped him to pick out several signs of when her mood differed from her actions. When she was jumpy, it usually meant that it was time to go out and do whatever job she had to do, or there was something that she didn’t want Eric to find out about her tricks. Either way, it was a good early warning sign.

  He did not want her to be able to get a read on him, like he could with her.

  “What have you to say for yourself?”

  “Well, I’ve had my shower,” he said. “Thank Jalen for the change of clothes that you had him bring me.”

  “I most certainly will,” she replied, while narrowing her eyes. He knew she was trying to figure him out. She wouldn’t be able to, because he had practiced keeping his emotions in check for the last couple of months.

  He refused to make eye contact with her. Since he was taller than she was, it was somewhat intimidating to her. He could tell. “I don’t know why you’re still keeping me. I haven’t gotten any magical dreams for you since you kidnapped me. You know I’m not helping you with anything, so why don’t you just let me go?”

  She chuckled. “My, my. The young man has definitely grown up.” He knew she was trying to push him so that he would lose his cool. He didn’t. Ten minutes later, Isabella walked out without getting any information about the moon. “What do you know, kid? Anything at all?”

  “Nothing that interests you.”
<
br />   “I guessed as much.”

  Due to the fact that Isabella didn’t supply him with a barber, his hair had grown rapidly over the past few weeks. With a distinct definition in his muscles after working out, Jalen joked and said Eric looked like Sampson in the Bible.

  A Bible reference? Maybe Jalen was a Christian.

  Jalen gave Eric a chance to talk about anything he wanted, like sports. So they talked about baseball statistics. Sometimes Jalen would mention the Blood Moon. Instead of saying what he wanted to say about the moon, Eric just shook his head. Finally, Eric placed a meaty hand on Jalen’s shoulder and smiled. “Anything you need?” asked Jalen.

  “Were you the one who played the radio for me earlier?”

  Jalen winked.

  “I’d sure like to hear some news again.”

  “Consider it done.” Jalen clasped his hand. “You are a bright young man. I sense you are a New Born Christian. That is exactly what the Bible is talking about when it says to be born again. Expect to be persecuted. But it won’t last.”

  Chapter Thirty

  July 3rd, 2015, 6:18 p.m.

  Jalen slipped a small headset in for Eric to listen to. “You can hear the news for a couple of minutes on this. But I’ll have to put it back inside my coat and take it back to my car right away.”

  “Did you get caught the last time?”

  “Almost.” Jalen kept his voice low. “It is already set on a news station.”

  Eric put the headset on and listened.

  “Here is the latest news report about our present blood moon situation,” the announcer said. “A global sunset will be shining on the moon tonight. The brilliant hues of a blood moon come from the edges of the sun peeking around the periphery of the Earth, catching the atmosphere. It’s essentially a global sunset shining on the moon. The moon has to be in just the right position to catch those rays. This time it will do it.”