“Evangeline?” he started, turning onto his side to face her.
“Yes?” her lavender eyes glimmered with the bewitchment of the silver moonlight.
“Do...higher beings...kiss?” David asked with his confidence unfaltering.
Her lovely cheeks blushed lightly as the corners of her lips arched into a smile.
“Yes.” she answered, her voice a light whisper.
Bringing himself to a sitting position, he asked her as he reached out and caressed her hand. “May I?”
Looking into each other’s eyes, both leaned in to greet the kiss.
As their lips touched, both began to glow feverishly. The energy exchange between them was powerful, yet soft and natural. David felt an electrical energy surge from his head down to his toes. A sensation of light passed through his soul.
After the kiss, they moved away from one another slowly, still gazing into each other’s eyes.
Smiling at one another for what seemed like eternity, their ethereal courtship came to an abrupt halt. A sudden sensation of dread overcame David, and apparently Evangeline as well. A dense veil of fear swept across the hills of Heaven, everyone, including David, felt it wash through their soul. It was as though Heaven itself had shuddered like an earthquake within the dimension.
“What was that?” David asked, startled.
Fear shadowed Evangeline's eyes as she spoke, “It is time.”
Judgment Day
The cave smelled of old water and wet rock. Droplets of moisture could be heard dripping somewhere in the darkness. Gideon lit several candles perched upon protruding rock ledges, giving the cave an eerie hue. The flame flickered, courtesy of the howling wind outside, creating a panoramic fire dance upon the walls.
Lily shivered as she sat on a wooden bench shoved in one corner of the cave. Gideon paced slowly, his hands clasped behind his backing; waiting.
“What...is going on?” Lily asked, trembling from both the dankness of the cave and the fear welling in her soul.
“Hmmm...?” Gideon responded as though Lily had disrupted his thoughts, “Ah, yes, well, we are waiting for Judges to call on you.”
Swallowing hard as she remembered her horrifying dream, she repeated, “Judges?”
A sly smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he sauntered towards her. “Yes Lily, you have sinned, have you not?” His English accent, so eloquent, yet accusing.
Frowning, she thought back to her life, internally debating whether she'd done anything to deserve being punished for.
“Ah ha, well, let us refresh your memory, shall we?” He started, “Did you, or did you not tempt a priest out of priesthood?”
Lowering her head, Lily nodded, protesting in a quiet voice, “I didn't mean to.”
“Oh! Well, that makes all the difference, doesn't it?” His voice sarcastic and cruel.
“Well, while we're on the subject. Did you or did you not have premarital sex with the priest in question?”
“Yes.” Lily admitted as tears of shame glided down her face.
“Did you or did you not,” the volume of his voice increasing, “conceive a child, a bastard child, out of wedlock!!”
Cringing at his words, she nodded reluctantly.
Gideon strode quickly up to Lily, took her face in his hand and sharply pulled up her chin to force her eyes to his.
“Now seriously, princess, where in the bible does it condone that behaviour? Hmm?” Gideon asked calmly, “Did you really think that your crimes would go unpunished? Did you think God was just 'joking' when he gave you the rules?! You didn't really think you were exempt, did you?” His voice echoed harshly throughout the cave.
Sobbing, Lily now understood. It was clear; she had to accept the consequences of her actions.
A dark shadow appeared at the mouth of the cave, cloaked in a black shroud.
“It is time.” His baritone voice announced.
“Well, then, let's get this done with. Shall we?” Gideon said, his voice now chipper as he once again offered Lily to take his arm.
Walking out of the cave, like the last mile of death row, Lily entered into the blistering heat of the desert sun. She and Gideon marched slowly toward a gathering in the centre of the valley. The rocky cliffs snarled in the hot summer sky.
As they approached, Lily noticed the ground change from red to black in the distance, forming a huge circle. It resembled an enormous oil slick, coating the red sand like pitch molasses. Narrowing her eyes in effort to focus on the patch of darkness, she then saw that whatever was upon the ground—was moving.
Lily gasped as they arrived at the outer rim of the black ring. Hundreds—thousands—of shadow serpents slithered upon the ground.
The crowd of shadows parted like the Red Sea as Gideon led Lily through. The gathering taunted and laughed at her while Gideon paraded her past, a cocky grin upon his face.
With a sea of snakes ahead of her and the shadows closing the gap behind her, Lily knew she was trapped.
Even though she knew her and Gideon were not friends, she clutched at his arm in terror. Ahead, she could distinguish a familiar sight, the Judges' metallic bench. The Court of Shadows that had stalked her dreams and terrorized her being when she was alive, now loomed ahead of her.
High upon the metallic bench, in the centre of the writhing mass of shadows, the six cowled Judges once again looked down upon her.
“Bow!” Gideon roared at her as he let go of her arm and pushed her down by her neck. Landing hard on her knees, Lily began sobbing uncontrollably.
The crowd surrounding her laughed maniacally the harder she cried. They seemed to get a sick pleasure from her unhappiness.
“Lily Donovan!” The Judges voices boomed like thunder, “You have committed offences against the word of our Lord, how do you plead?”
Her head hung, she whispered without resistance, “Guilty.”
A roar burst throughout the crowd, cheering for her decision.
“For crimes committed, your punishment is to sacrifice one of the humans involved in the crime.” Their combined voices formed an audible hiss when the spoke, “You must choose. The sinful priest or the bastard child. Choose!!” The Judges bellowed at her.
Glancing up from her yielded position, she anticipated seeing the images of Gabe and Hope shimmering onto the Judges' metallic bench. Instead, to her horror, her eyes focused on Gabe and Hope being shoved in front her—in person.
“No!” Lily cried out when she saw them manhandled cruelly. God no! I can’t choose...to watch one die!
~
“Michael...” David said the angel's name nervously as they descended in the tunnel, leading them into the Sahara desert.
“It's okay David, just remember what you’ve learned and above all...have faith in yourself.”
Closing his eyes, David tried to centre himself as he prepared his heart and soul for the biggest challenge of his life. His thoughts flashed back to the days when he was an intern, to his first time in the emergency room.
The hustle and bustle, the blood and the crying, his emotions were overwhelmed, yet it was exciting. His adrenaline was pumping and his mind sharp as a tack. Running back and forth from a three person car accident to a woman crowning her baby's head, he loved the fast-paced stimulation. But above all, beyond the thrill, was compassion. The inner desire that never let David quit until that last patient was helped. The love that he felt for a perfect stranger, the need for them to survive and to hold their loved ones one more time, fulfilled his soul's purpose—to heal.
“Let's do this.” David said aloud.
Approaching the mouth of the tunnel, David asked. “Why are they in the Sahara desert?”
“From what we can tell, they want her to believe she is in Hell. The more believable they make the facade look; the easier it will be for the dark energies to convince her she is damned.”
Michael's head then abruptly turned toward the reaches of space, “It's almost here David, the Wave of Genesis will arr
ive in moments. You must hurry.”
Nerves fluttered in his stomach as he prepared to leave the safety of the tunnel. It was then David paused and looked at his friend, “Thank you, Michael...for everything.”
“See you soon, my friend.” The Archangel stated as he ushered David over the threshold.
I sure hope so. David thought, exiting the tunnel.
David made his way down the side of a steep cliff. Again he was surprised at the level of fatigue he felt while in Earth's dimension.
Settling himself behind a rocky bluff, he peered into the valley to witness a sight he couldn't believe.
Kneeling before the Council of Shadows, David could hear the ghost girl weeping. Her head bowed shamefully, he cringed as deep, ominous voices commanded her, “Choose!”
Held captive before her were a man and a girl, presumably the ones she loved most while she was alive. Again they ordered her to choose, “Who is to live...and who is to die?”
This is how the dark beings have always dominated their prey, David empathized with the girl; they inspire guilt and fear, and then feast upon the wounded spirit.
Watching cautiously from his vantage point high in the mountains, David crouched, hidden far from the glaring eyes of the beasts. The girl’s agonized cries reverberated off the steep walls of the mountains as she struggled with the impossible decision to end the life of one to spare the other.
Fear swept through David as he watched masses of shadow serpents slither at her feet like a sea of black leeches. Each beast snarled and salivated with cruel intention, undoubtedly hoping for the order to devour her.
She's the one. He lowered his eyes as hopelessness eclipsed his heart; she is the soul we need to save this world.
He yearned to rush to her, into the valley of death, to spare her this sorrow. There’s just too many of them. Hundreds...maybe thousands. If only she would remember who she really is. He thought nostalgically as he recalled the moment of his own awakening.
Raising his eyes to the heavens, his bore witness to the very sight he'd been dreading.
It's here, we're too late.
Defeated, David watched as the Wave poured into Earth's atmosphere, enshrouding the sky with darkness. Though beautiful, he knew it carried the power to consume an entire dimension. Earth's dimension.
Lifting the Veil
Hope was crying as she clutched Mr. Binx tightly. Gabe squinted as his awareness came back to him. He could tell he was somewhere very hot and dry, though he had no recollection how he got there. Shaking his head, he called out to Hope, only a few feet from him, “Honey, it's okay, Daddy's here.”
He yearned to go to her, to hold and protect his daughter, to tell her everything was okay. But he couldn't, his feet were held like a vice attached him to the ground. Hope, too, appeared to be stuck.
What is going on? He thought, bewildered. This was like something out of a nightmare. Am I dreaming?
The blistering wind whipped at his face as he surveyed his surroundings. The desert, this is a desert. How did we get here?
Looking at the ground, at the red earth, he was certain he'd seen movement. Shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun, he focused his sight on the ground. For just a split second, he saw something vaguely familiar—shadows. Like the shadow he'd seen around the girl's neck at the exorcism, he now saw them slithering upon the ground. Only now, there appeared to be far more of them.
His heart began pounding from the surge of adrenaline pumping through him. Something...evil is going on here. He thought, alarmed as he noticed a large, dark cloud emerging in the distant sky. The clouds rolled in quickly, supernaturally so. Thunder and lightning soon raged overhead as the dark cloud settled over the valley.
The closer the cloud got, the easier he could see the snakes, writhing on the floor of the hot valley. Amidst the smothering mass of shadows, he could see a glimpse of white, something peeking out from within the darkness.
A girl, in a white dress.
Gabe put his head in his hands and squeezed. I've lost my mind! I'm seeing hallucinations!
“Daddy?” Hope screamed. “Snakes!”
“Hope!” Gabe yelled as he pulled on his legs in attempts to get to her.
Wait. She sees them too. Maybe I'm not crazy!
The storm raged angrily overhead, but Gabe noticed the clouds appeared to be moving downwards. Billowing clouds of grey, purple and black were descending onto their location. Now, just above the peaks of the jagged mountains surrounding them, the storm threatened to engulf them.
With the strange storm now so close, the scene that lay before Gabe became crystal clear. Whatever this cloud was, it appeared to be blending the normal with the paranormal. More than that, it opened his mind. He could remember things from childhood, long forgotten memories trapped in the recesses of his mind. The enchantment of imagination, the wonderment of life and the belief in magic that only dwelt within the minds of the innocent.
The most important thing he remembered was the angel that helped him bring Lily back to life—and what she said to him. The words the angel spoke sang in his mind like an enchanted melody.
As his eyes focused on the ghostly girl in the white dress, he gasped.
“Lily!”
The Chosen One
The wind blew the dry sand into her mouth. She rolled the grit around her tongue, appreciating the ability to taste again. It had been years since she'd experienced taste, well, since she’d left her body.
Lily lay upon the hard ground, staring at individual grains of sand. Most were dull, lifeless specks of dust, blending with rest of the arid landscape. Occasionally, though, there were some that sparkled with the rays of the sun. Like tiny gems lost in a sea of dust.
Sounds around her floated through her mind like in a dream. She paid no attention to the Judges' commanding voices any longer, the laughter of the shadows, nor the roar of the storm overhead. She'd made it all—just go away, until she heard his voice.
“Lily!”
Who was that? I know that voice. A part of her soul spoke up, though Lily still lay upon the ground.
“Lily! Please hear me!” he spoke again, his voice like a beautiful song playing in her mind.
Gabe? She wondered, But how can he be in my nightmare?
She glanced up toward the Judges' bench, her eyes focused on his face.
“Lily!” He called again.
Dazed, she asked, “Why are you here?” her voice sounded hollow.
“Lily, just listen to me. You need to hear me now.” he said urgently as a shadow guard approached him.
She tried hard to focus on him, to hear his words, to see his lips as he spoke to her.
“Remember...” he began but the guard punched him hard in the stomach, Gabe bent over and tried to catch his breath.
Remember? Lily repeated, Remember what?
Thunder and lightning ripped through the sky, the wind howled and tore through the air. A chill crept into the valley as the dark clouds shrouded the last ray of sun.
“Lily,” Gabe whispered, still clutching his stomach, “Remember who you are. Remember who you really are. You are the first mother...”
~
“Angels get to have wings, why can't I have some right now?” David muttered, frustrated as he watched the scene unfold in the valley. “I need to get down there! How can I get through the crowd?”
David wracked his brain, trying to come up with a plan. He could go running down there, weapon drawn and get taken down in a blaze of glory, but that doesn't help the girl at all if he can't heal her first. He could try to heal her from here, but the dark energies would sense him and attack him before he could complete it. Not to mention, he couldn’t be certain his power could reach that far.
“Ugh. This is so frustrating.” He thought as he plopped himself down onto the rock.
“The light...David...the light.” The ethereal voice from his dreams suddenly burst into his thoughts.
“Oh my God, I know what to do!�
��
David quietly approached the last of the rocks that shielded him.
Turning his attention to the scene below, he was puzzled to see the young girl now standing and approaching the Judges. Raising her hand to touch the reflective surface of the Council's judicial bench, she traced the outline of her face with her finger. With such agony painted upon her face only moments before, David was confused when she suddenly smiled at her mirror image.
“Choose!” the Judges' voices thundered like an avalanche. David winced as their evil energy, a vile and bitter wave of hate, resounded through the valley. The jagged cliffs echoed the Council's order like a deep snarl.
The girl continued to smile at her reflection, seemingly unconcerned with their demands and oblivious to the danger hurtling itself through space.
Looking again to the sky, the Wave only moments from arrival, dread washed over his ethereal body like a cold front had passed through his soul.
Everything depends on her decision.
“Choose!” The six Judges stood as they pounded their gavels with such force that tiny sparks ignited with every crash.
As the Wave growled overhead, she raised her head indignantly as though challenging the six tyrannical adjudicators. The young girl then spoke boldly, announcing her decision.
With the roar of the oncoming Wave, David did not hear her choice. Frantic, he peeked over the edge of the cliff, his heart stopping as chaos ensued within the ocean of evil beings. The furious beasts screeched as they charged the helpless phantom girl.
She had chosen.
~
“Choose! Choose a sacrifice or we will choose for you!” Their voices dripped with the essence of evil.
Kneeling before the Counsel of Shadows, panicked, Lily glanced back and forth from Gabe to Hope, knowing the beasts would attack if she didn't pick one of them.
Dimensions of Genesis Page 22
