by Dawn Morris
I looked down the pathway into the ancient forest. Lined on either side of the pathway were gigantic, towering trees. Eden was at the end of that path. Japheth had sternly warned me it was forbidden to go there.
“Methuselah, is the Garden still down the pathway there?” I asked, changing the subject for a moment. It intrigued me.
He sighed and shook his head at me. “It is forbidden to try and enter Eden, Ariana. The taste for the forbidden is one we must resist. Too many of my own children chased after the forbidden and joined the ranks of the Nephilim.” The older man’s eyes filled with tears.
We sat in silence for a while before Methuselah leaned back against the rough trunk of the fruit tree and closed his eyes for a moment. “The world was much different when my first son was born. Lamech was Noah’s father. In those days, Adam still walked the earth, and death was unfamiliar to us.”
Although my mother had taught me the Old Ways, she had many gaps in her knowledge. I wondered if what she’d told me was accurate.
“Once people began dying, they began to curse the Creator. Despite the fact that the first father, Adam, still walked the earth, many turned away from worshipping the Creator. Instead, they began following the desires of their own hearts. People began gathering together in cities and encouraged each other to follow evil desires. They gave a place in their hearts over to the enemy, and so the Nephilim came into existence. Part human and part Mal’akh, they are relentlessly evil and incredibly strong.”
His expression hardened as he continued. “Lamech refused to follow the Creator and went down a dark and evil path. He tried to get into Eden one day and met one of the fallen Mal’akh—a demon—along the way. That evil one deceived my son with visions of greatness and pleasures beyond human knowledge.”
“When did that happen?”
“Shortly after Noah’s birth. Lamech left one day in a fit of rage. Despite our many attempts to help him, to change his mind, he left his wife and Noah here.”
“You and your wife must have been devastated!”
“We were, but his wife more so. She died of grief months later. We were left with Noah and raised him ourselves, grateful to have the comfort of our grandchild.”
“Did you ever see Lamech again?” I asked.
“Yes, many decades later I heard that he had built a city, Sumeria, the one you visited. The city was much as it is now; you have seen it for yourself. He became its king. His arrogance knew no limits.” Methuselah shifted uneasily; the memory was obviously distressing for him.
“I made my way to his palace and asked to see my son. When I reached the throne room, I was led before my son and told to bow before his majesty. Of course, I refused.” Methuselah stood up and began pacing back and forth as he related his story.
“Lamech looked much different than the last time I had seen him. He sat on a golden throne, and the room was filled with people . . . and Nephilim.”
“When I refused to bow, the crowd exploded with mocking laughter. I could feel the presence of great evil in the room. It threatened to overwhelm me, but I stood fast, for I am a son of the Creator.
“Lamech stood up and walked over to where I stood. His countenance was more beautiful than before, but evil now twisted his expression. He boasted of his power and his god, Malumek, who fathered many of Lamech’s children.”
“Is Malumek one of the Fallen Ones?” I asked.
“Yes. The Nephilim are the offspring of human women who give themselves to the Fallen Ones; Malumek was one. Many women don’t survive the birth of the half human, half fallen angel. The children, the Nephilim, are often giants. Because they are the children of the Fallen Ones, they live very long lives.”
I slowly nodded my head. “So, what happened next?”
“Lamech paraded his children before me, boasting how each one of them had united with one of the evil spirits to make them even more fearsome. My stomach felt sick, and incredible sorrow welled up within me as my son bragged that all his human children were given to Malumek as blood sacrifice to assure his continued power and wealth.
“I began to call out aloud to the Creator and the room erupted in chaos. The guards tried to grab at me, but the Creator would not allow them to lay hands on me. I prayed boldly, calling for judgment upon them all. Then I left.”
I realized I’d been holding my breath and let out a long sigh. “Did you ever see him again?
“No.”
I thought about Methuselah’s story and looked at the path toward Eden again, thinking of how Lamech had been tempted.
“Is the Magistrate Lamech’s son?”
“In name only. He is one of the accursed Nephilim.”
The Magistrate, almost six hundred years old, appeared to be around the same age as Japheth. So, along with great strength and size, the Nephilim obviously did not grow older at the same rate as human men.
“No wonder so many gave themselves over to the evil ones,” I said, voicing my thoughts out loud. “Since death was uncommon for so long, many must have thought the curse was a lie. They probably thought Malumek could save them from death.”
Methuselah was watching me thoughtfully. “Yes, that is exactly what happened. The Nephilim grow in power and many are joining their ranks. Although my grandson, Noah, has preached righteously for many, many years, the depths of evil grow and the Nephilim’s boundaries expand.”
“How much longer do we have?” I exclaimed.
“Noah was told a hundred and twenty years, We’re almost to that mark. So the men must work to finish the ark.”
“Then what will happen?” I asked.
“The world will be covered with water. A great flood will come over the land, but those who take refuge in the ark will pass through the waters without harm.”
At that moment, the deer and fawn I had seen earlier emerged from the woods and crossed the path that led to Eden.
“What about the animals?”
“The Creator will bring them to the ark. Hopefully, there will be many people not tainted by the Nephilim bloodlines who will choose to enter as well. There is room for many, many people.” Methuselah said. “Noah has managed to win some others to faith in the Creator.“
I looked up at the sky. The sun was almost overhead. It was getting late.
“I think we should probably go now; we must join the others tonight for the community celebration. I am excited for you to meet more people who follow the Old Ways.” Methuselah stood up and gave me his hand. My earlier questions had been answered, but there was clearly more to discover.
FIRE
Chapter 9
God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.
Genesis 45:7
I followed Mitch and Sierra through the destroyed city for about a mile. It was slow going navigating the ruble of destroyed buildings and fires that still dotted the city. We stayed low, avoiding people, most of whom were still writhing in pain from the stings of the creatures. The invaders seemed to have swept through the city and kept moving, but we stayed as hidden as possible, just in case.
After a while, we came across an empty army truck idling in the middle of the street. It was huge with six large wheels, making it even taller. There were narrow rectangular windows along the sides of the truck, with locked boxes under them on the sides.
We didn’t see the soldiers who’d been traveling in it anywhere, so Mitch bundled Sierra into one of the jump seats in the back; she was asleep within minutes. I climbed into the passenger seat where I had more options to escape, just in case.
We drove out of the city, wanting to get away from the smoke and the screaming. The roads were empty, except for the occasional crashed or burning car. Mitch looked grim as he drove, his knuckles white as he gripped the wheel. I noticed a bottle of water shoved into the space between my seat and the boxy barrier that separated the driver’s space from mine. Pulling it out, I saw it was unopened and offered it to Mitch.
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“No, I’m fine,” he muttered, his voice tight.
I opened the bottle and sipped on the water as we drove onto a highway and headed east.
“Ah, no,” Mitch muttered. He slowed the truck to a stop. The road ahead was filled with abandoned vehicles. Turning the truck to the left side of the road, he drove on the grassy area that separated the two sides of the highway.
“You seem familiar with driving this thing,” I remarked, glancing sideways at him.
“Two tours in Iraq when I was younger,” he answered. “I drove an MRAP much like this one. You can drive through any danger in one of these bad boys.” His voice dropped as he whispered, “Just another coincidence.”
I had no idea what MRAP meant; I guessed it was some kind of army truck, or whatever he was talking about. Reluctant to expose my ignorance, I latched onto his whispered comment.
“What coincidences do you mean?”
Mitch was silent for a moment.
“When the Global Union soldiers came to our town, they rounded up all of the women.”
“Yes, you said the younger ones were taken to Spokane.”
“There was nothing I could do to protect my wife or Sierra. It all happened so fast—they came in the middle of the night—broke down the front door. Before I knew what was happening, they took them away. We live in town, and I was able to make my way to the main street where they had gathered the women and were loading them onto trucks.”
He stopped talking to maneuver the truck off to the side of the highway to get around a snarl of abandoned cars. I scanned the area, fearful of an ambush from the creatures or the Global Union soldiers, but we drove on unchecked.
Mitch continued. “I overheard some of the soldiers talking about where the women were being taken. I guess that’s the first coincidence, that I would hear that conversation and know where they were going. Not really a coincidence, though.” He shook his head and laughed. “No, not really a coincidence. Cheryl has believed for a longer time than me. She kept telling me that He’s in control of it all.”
“Cheryl? Is that your wife?” I asked.
“Yeah. I’m stubborn. When all those people disappeared back fifteen years ago, I wouldn’t believe, but she did. She’s been a real believer ever since then.”
I wondered if he was talking about the Christians. According to Tomas, they were all killed . . . beheaded.
“I thought that was outlawed. Are you a ‘real believer,’ too?” I blurted out.
Mitch nodded. “It was . . . it is. I know it’s all true, but I’m not as into it as my wife. Cheryl showed me that the Bible has answers that will keep us safe. For me, it’s all about my family, really. We managed for the last decade to keep our heads down and stay off the radar, but that’s ended. The real bad judgments have begun.”
What did he mean? I was about to ask, but he kept talking. “Cheryl knows more about what’s supposed to happen than I do—she warned me about the demon army. That’s the next coincidence.”
Bile rose in my throat as I remembered the terror of last night. “Was that what those things were? Demons?”
“Yes, it’s one of the judgments,” Mitch asserted. “It couldn’t have happened at a better time. That’s another ‘coincidence.’ There’s no way I could have rescued Sierra without their help.”
“Help?” I shuddered remembering the reeking smell of death as I was gripped by one of the fearsome creatures.
“Yeah, they only sting those who aren’t sealed. Everyone who’s stung is going to suffer for the next few months. I didn’t know how much I really believed until the past few days. I guess I really am one of the sealed, a believer. Hard to see those things and not believe there is a God.”
Mitch stopped talking suddenly, awkwardly, then he spoke again in a strangled whisper, “Those demons attacking now is gonna give me the chance to rescue my whole family and find a good place to hunker down.” Mitch grimaced. “I had no hope or idea of how I was going to get them back, but now I do!”
My mind raced as the truck rumbled down the highway. I glanced out of the passenger window and saw nothing but devastation. “What do you mean that the people who got stung are going to suffer for the next few months?” I asked numbly.
“This is one of God’s judgments,” Mitch replied. “These demons are going to be around tormenting people.”
I replayed the attack of the demon horde from last night in my mind. “That can happen again?” I knew panic only makes a bad situation worse, but I couldn’t help myself. My heart started racing, my head felt like it was going to explode, and I started hyperventilating.
“Hey, calm down! Listen, I know they’re terrifying!” Mitch spoke loudly but confidently. “But you don’t have to be afraid of them. Think about it! Did you get stung?”
I felt his hand on my shoulder, patting it in an attempt to comfort.
“Listen, you’re going to be okay. If they didn’t sting you, it means they can’t sting you.” He kept repeating that over and over, almost like he was talking to himself. “You must be sealed.”
“One of them grabbed me but flung me aside and muttered that word: ‘Sealed.’ What does it mean?”
Mitch looked over at me before turning his attention back to the highway. “All I know is what the Book says. The demons have the power to torment people for five months, but they’re not allowed to touch those who have the seal of God on their foreheads.”
“What does that even mean? I don’t have anything on my forehead.”
Mitch shook his head. “I’m really not sure. Do you believe?”
“Believe in what?” I asked.
“Do you know, like trust in Jesus?”
Jesus. It had been so long since I’d heard that Name. I closed my eyes wearily and saw Daphne’s smiling face as she taught me to read from her Bible. Thankfully, I’d found it with my clothes in the trash can back in Spokane. Now, it was tucked into the inner pocket of my jacket. For the first time in days, I knew what someone was talking about, sort of.
“I know about Him. Is that what you mean?”
Mitch laughed. “Not quite. I’ve known about Him for my whole life. My dad was a preacher. I rejected all of that stuff when I joined the Army. I never thought about it seriously again until after the disappearances. My parents, my brothers, and my sister all disappeared. Cheryl and I had gone home to visit with Sierra. She was just a toddler, so she doesn’t remember. We were eating dinner, and they all just vanished. Cheryl was hysterical for days. I had to take care of Sierra. The world fell apart.”
I thought about Dominic and what he had taught the Chosen at the Compound. “I thought the only ones who vanished were the ones who were deficient in some way.”
“No, the only ones who vanished were the Christians. There were many left behind who said they were Christians, but the ones who really believed in Jesus, like my family, those were the ones who vanished.”
I thought about that for a few minutes. “And those creatures, demons, are going to keep attacking people for five months?”
“I think so.”
We crossed the river, and Mitch drove the military truck around abandoned cars, up a ramp, and then to the right. I kept a lookout for the demon army. Mitch thought the Guard might be around.
“They like to ambush the unwary,” he said in a clipped, tone. “Hopefully the whole stinkin’ lot of them are rolling around in terrible pain from those demonic creatures.”
Mitch turned the MRAP down a residential street.
What are we doing?” I asked.
“Making a pit stop.” He drove slowly, looking around carefully before making a choice. Putting the vehicle into reverse, Mitch backed up into the driveway of a house and crashed the truck right through the garage doors. I screamed in surprise more than terror. I was beginning to trust this man.
“Give me a few minutes to make sure the house is clear. Lock the door, Dani.” Mitch pulled a gun out from the belt at the small of his back and got out of th
e truck.
Two minutes later, he reappeared. “All clear. Let’s go!” he ordered. I scrambled out of the truck, holding the door open as Mitch tenderly helped Sierra out.
“There’s a bathroom inside to the left. I’ll stay here with the truck while you girls do what you need to do. Then we’ll hit the road again.”
I went into the house, helping Sierra. She was feeling nauseous and groggy. She told me they had given her drugs to keep her in line. She didn’t look very good. I got her to the bathroom and left her there alone, while I explored the rest of the house.
The kitchen was easy to find. It was a mess. Someone had already been here scavenging, and stuff was piled up all over the floor and the counters. I turned on the tap at the sink. Unbelievably, there was water! Looking around, I found a big plastic bottle on one of the counters. I grabbed it and filled it with water.
“Hey, I’m done!” I heard Sierra call. Quickly, I made my way back to the bathroom. When I was done, I hurried back to the shattered garage, fearful they had left me behind, but they were still there waiting by the vehicle.
Sierra returned to her place in the back, and I pulled myself up into the passenger seat again, buckling the seatbelt just as Mitch pulled back out onto the street.
“Let’s go get Cheryl,” he said.
FLOOD
Chapter 10
And about these also Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment upon all” . . . So Enoch the prophet named his son, Methuselah, which means, “When he dies, it shall be sent.”
Jude 1:14–15, Genesis 5:21
When I arrived at the gathering, Japheth tenderly helped me out of the cart. He set me on the ground but kept his hands on my waist. I stared up at him.
“I’ve never seen such beautiful brown eyes, Ariana. They have just a hint of green.”
