Escaping the Cataclysm

by Keith Robinson

  “My family and I wish to thank you once again for all that you have done for us,” Noah said, bowing slightly.

  Rebecca shook her head and frowned slightly in dismissal. “Please, there is no need to thank us. Your generosity has far surpassed anything that we did.”

  Eema smiled broadly once Mack had finished translating Rebecca’s statement. Shifting the bundle to hold it in her left hand, she reached out with her right and placed it over Rebecca’s. “My dear, you don’t understand. You have done more than just help to chase off the brigands that threatened the ship. By coming here, you have given us hope.”

  When she saw the confusion on Rebecca’s face, Eema continued. “Although we have complete trust in the Lord of all creation, blessed be His name, there are times when our faith is weak. Especially as the day draws near for the Cataclysm to begin, we have begun to wonder if we will be ready for the task at hand.”

  Putting his arm around his wife, Noah finished her thought. “At times, we fear that mankind will not survive…and that maybe mankind is not worth saving. But when you arrived, having traveled here from the future, you showed us that we will make it, and that the Almighty, who is marvelous in work and deed, will fulfill the promise He made to my forefather Adam.”

  A single tear slid down Rebecca’s cheek as the realization struck her that, somehow, God had used this crazy journey through time to encourage His servant Noah and his family at this crucial moment, and He had used her and her friends to do it! Not only that, but her own peace and strength had been restored as well by Noah.

  Lord, you orchestrated all of this! You’re still in control, despite the coming darkness, she thought.

  “Since we know you will want to attract as little attention as possible,” Noah said, “we want you to take these clothes.” Immediately, Japheth and Shem stepped forward and gave each of them a plain, but well-made robe and belt. With an apologetic look on his face, Noah turned to Goliath. “We hope yours fits you. We didn’t have any your size, so my wife had to redo the stitching on one of ours.”

  Goliath nodded in acceptance of the gift, and for a brief moment, Rebecca saw a look of genuine thanks cross his features. Slipping the robes over their heads, Rebecca and the others each spoke their heartfelt thanks. Once they were finished donning their new outfits, Noah continued.

  “Please do us the honor of accepting these gifts as well. This bag contains the medicine and bandages that you need for your friend.” Taking the bundle from Eema’s hand, Noah held it out toward Rebecca.

  Gratefully accepting the brownish-colored cloth bag, Rebecca held it close, knowing that its contents could mean the difference between life and death for her friend.

  “The ointment is to be placed directly onto the wound itself,” Japheth’s wife instructed. “And if he is able, have him drink one cup of the elixir twice a day.”

  “Thank you,” Jeffrey said, his face reflecting his sincerity. “We are forever in your debt.”

  Reaching over to the shelf on which he had placed it earlier, Noah retrieved the map of the city. “Please take this. It should help you navigate the city. Remember what I said about which sections to avoid.”

  Nodding toward Ham’s wife, Noah continued. “We pray that your journey will be successful. And if our Maker, who alone is worthy of praise, deems it necessary to prolong your journey, then we want you to have enough food.” As he spoke, his daughters-in-law handed small sacks to Goliath, Jeffrey, and Jerome.

  Glancing briefly at their contents, Jerome’s eyes grew wide. “There’s enough bread, fruit, and nuts to last us for at least a week!”

  Honored and humbled by their gifts, Rebecca looked at Noah and his wife intently. “Thank you so much for the offer, but surely you have greater need of this food than we. You won’t have any other source of food for over a year except what you have stored. And once you leave the Ark…”

  Even before Mack had finished translating Rebecca’s reply, Noah held up a hand to stop her. “Although the Lord, our Provider, had not revealed to me the exact length of time we would spend on the Ark, we have prepared enough food to last us and the animals for nearly two years. So, it appears we will have more than enough.”

  Realizing that she may have given away a bit of information that she shouldn’t have, Rebecca remained silent. Next to her, Mack grinned. “Way to go, slick,” he teased. “I’m going to have to start monitoring what you say before I translate. Otherwise, you may end up creating a rift in the space/time continuum by revealing too much information about the future.”

  Before Rebecca could think of a way to recover from her gaffe, Noah motioned for Ham to offer her the three folded garments which he still carried. “These are for your other friends, if they should need them.”

  Tears of gratitude began spilling down Rebecca’s cheeks as she took the clothing from Ham. “Words are simply not enough to express our gratitude. We owe you so much. If you would permit me, I would like to pray for you and your family. In many ways, your journey will be much longer and more difficult than our own.”

  Although Noah and his family tried hard not to show it, Rebecca could see flickers of trepidation and anxiety about what the future would hold. For the first time, Rebecca found herself overcome with the knowledge of just how difficult this must be for Noah and his family. Just knowing that in only two short days, everyone and everything that they have ever known will cease to exist and they will be the sole survivors would be overwhelming.

  Eema took her husband’s hand and smiled weakly, the emotional pain reflected in her eyes. “Yes, please,” she said softly.

  Jeffrey, Jerome, and Goliath shifted uneasily as Rebecca began to pray. Uncomfortable with the open display of devotion, yet not wanting to offend their generous hosts, the three remained silent.

  Mack glanced hesitantly at the others, uncertain how to act. He had not divulged to them the fact that he was now a believer, and was thankful that his role as translator gave him an excuse to join in the prayer.

  When Rebecca had finished praying, Noah in turn began praying for his guests, causing Jeffrey and Goliath to look through the shaft above them at the ever-brightening sky impatiently. Once they had finished, Noah and Eema hugged each of them in turn and kissed them on the cheek.

  Alarmed, lest Noah accidently discover that his human features were merely a holographic projection, Goliath bowed deeply, then grasped Noah’s forearm before the man could move any closer. Offering a word of thanks, Goliath quickly broke his grip and turned toward the door. Although puzzled by the tall man’s odd behavior, Noah brushed it off, took his place at the head of the procession, and led the group back to the entrance of the Ark.

  The sun was just releasing its final hold on the eastern horizon when the group stepped out of the door of the giant ship and proceeded down the ramp onto dry land once more. Noah and his sons escorted Rebecca and the others through the gate and down the road toward the cluster of burned and collapsed buildings. Moving silently through the wreckage, the Patriarch led the group to the far side of one of the buildings. Set into the ground was the entrance to a cellar. The heavy, wooden doors that once guarded the opening were smashed into several pieces and burned. Jeffrey and Jerome immediately exchanged worried glances. If the vandals had plundered the cellar, they may have already taken the money.

  Apparently unconcerned, Noah stopped the group and instructed them to remain where they were while he went below. After a few minutes of waiting, he reappeared carrying two leather pouches that reminded Rebecca of marble bags. Stepping up to her, Noah handed one to her and the other to Jeffrey. “There should be more than enough to purchase the protection of some soldiers, pay the expected bribe to the gatekeepers, pay Arngrim for his services, and anyone else along the way who may hinder you. Keep the bags hidden inside your robes. Separate the money and reveal only what you must.”

  Jeffrey immediately lifted the bottom of his robe and transferred portions of the money into the pockets of his pants. See
ing the wisdom in his actions, Rebecca did the same. With the money safely tucked away, Noah turned his back on the ruins of his former home and led the group back to the road.

  When they neared the gate, Noah stopped and turned to face his guests. “This is where we must part. Remember, do not trust in anyone but the Lord your God—the Provider and Protector. May the Creator guide you and speed you on your way. Now go. Time is short, for tomorrow, the world ends.”

  With a final blessing, Noah, builder of the Ark of salvation, and his three sons—all forefathers of the human race—bid the travelers goodbye and closed the heavy wooden gate behind them.

  As the strange travelers headed off into the woods, a shadow detached itself from one of the nearby trees. Pulling the cowl of its hood over its head with a pale-skinned hand, the dark form crept along behind them, its blood-red eyes watching their every move with intense interest…

  14

  Return to the Pyramid

  The travelers moved cautiously through the forest, scrutinizing each shadow and hollow trunk intently, as if expecting something or someone to attack at any moment. Although none of them verbalized their feelings, they each felt an uneasiness and foreboding. The sense of peace that they had experienced with Noah was gone, replaced by a restlessness. The entire forest seemed like a cage that held some great predatory beast that awaited release.

  Shortly after moving off into the forest, Jeffrey took out his commlink and contacted Lisa to update her on their situation as well as to inquire about Dr. Eisenberg’s condition.

  “Doc’s doing amazingly well,” Lisa’s voice said excitedly through the communication device, “especially considering he should be dead. But, he’s not out of the woods yet. I worry that he’ll take a turn for the worse. Hopefully your medicine will help him, although I’m not real comfortable with giving him some unknown meds from some primitive culture. Didn’t the ancient Egyptians use fly dung and stuff in their ‘medicines’? How do we know this stuff is going to help him and not make him worse?”

  If Lisa had been there in person, Rebecca felt she may have lost control and punched her once best friend. As it was, it took all of her strength of will to keep from grabbing Jeffrey’s commlink and giving Lisa a piece of her mind. She is totally clueless! Rebecca vented inwardly. This is NOT a primitive culture! In many ways, they are way more advanced than our own. Noah and his family probably know a whole lot more about medicine than any of our doctors.

  The impatient look on Rebecca’s face that revealed her inward frustration went completely unnoticed by Jeffrey, who was concentrating on both their surroundings and on his conversation with Lisa. “It’ll be okay. This guy who claims to be Noah certainly knows a lot about animals and how to care for them, and his ‘boat-shaped zoo’ is well thought out. He may be crazy, but he’s definitely not stupid.”

  Rebecca felt her rage rise to the boiling point at his words. ‘This guy who CLAIMS to be Noah’?

  Lisa’s voice sounded relieved, but still worried. “I’ll take your word for it. Please hurry back, and be careful.”

  “We will. See ya soon.” Closing down his commlink, Jeffrey returned it to his belt beneath his robes.

  Behind him, Rebecca seethed as memories of her husband’s betrayal assaulted her. Biting her lip to keep from saying anything, she tried to turn her thoughts to other things.

  Driven by the urgency of the knowledge that time was short for both Dr. Eisenberg and this world, Jeffrey set the pace as quickly as prudence allowed. Whatever effect the strange atmosphere was having upon their bodies was still present, allowing them to jog for long stretches of time without becoming winded. As such, they moved quickly through the forest with weapons raised, their thoughts returning to the nearly successful attack on Rebecca by the cat-like animal on their previous journey.

  They traveled in relative silence, each lost in his or her own thoughts until they reached the edge of the forest just over two hours later. Once free of the dangers of the forest and the concealment it provided for predators, the group relaxed their vigilance and put away their weapons. Resettling their provisions and packs into more comfortable positions, they set off at a brisk run across the rolling hills and grasslands.

  As they settled into a rhythm, Mack moved up alongside Rebecca. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

  After glancing briefly in his direction, Rebecca returned her gaze to focusing on her running. “You just did.”

  Sensing that something was bothering her, Mack tried to lighten the mood. “Wow, look at you with the dry wit. Keep it up and I might consider letting you join me in my new standup routine I’m workin’ on.”

  Casting him a lopsided grin, Rebecca relaxed, thankful for the distraction from her disturbing thoughts. “Sure. Ask away. What’s on your mind?”

  Glad that his humor had the desired effect, Mack turned his attention toward figuring out how to phrase his question. “Well, this might sound a bit strange, but I…do you…do you feel something odd? I mean, like odd as in…”

  “…as in a heaviness?” Rebecca offered.

  “Yeah!” he said excitedly. “So, you feel it too? For a while, I thought that maybe I was just going crazy. But the more we travel, the more I feel it.”

  Still focused on her running, Rebecca didn’t look at him as she responded. “Let me guess, you started feeling it after we left Noah. Am I right?”

  “Yeah, I did,” he replied. “What is it? And what do you think’s causing it?”

  “I’ve been thinking about this for awhile,” she said. “I didn’t realize what it was though, until just a few hours ago when we left the Ark. Do you remember that when we first arrived here, we were constantly at each other’s throats?”

  Mack thought for a moment, trying to guess where the conversation was going. “Sure. But, I just figured it was due to all of the stress. It isn’t every day that you have to face the reality that the end of the world is coming in less than forty-eight hours.”

  “I’m sure that had something to do with it,” Rebecca agreed. “But, I think there’s more to it than that. When we first walked into the Ark, I felt a sudden sense of peace wash over me that I can only explain as coming from God. Surrounded by that peace, I suddenly saw my previous actions and attitudes in a new light. Then, as we left the Ark a few hours ago, the peace lifted and the heaviness returned. And when I heard Lisa’s voice on the commlink, the old anger, frustration, and bitterness returned as if those feelings had been locked up and someone had just opened the door, releasing them.”

  A troubled expression settled on Mack’s face as he considered her words. “Are you implying what I think you’re implying?”

  For the first time, Rebecca looked at Mack fully. “Yes. I believe that we are dealing with some kind of spiritual influence that feeds on our darker emotions. The reason we didn’t feel them in the Ark is that God’s presence was there, protecting Noah and his family. Once we left that covering, the evil forces were able to resume their attack.”

  Mack shivered violently as if a bucket of ice water had just been thrown on him. “Yeeeww. That gives me the willies. I used to watch a bunch of horror movies about demons and stuff, but it never really bothered me because I never thought they were real. I guess I didn’t realize that believing in God also means believing in a real devil and demons, doesn’t it?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. They’re real, and if what Noah says is true, we may even end up meeting one or two,” Rebecca said. Unbidden, the images from her vision on the Ark shoved their way back into her conscious mind. “We must focus on praying. Never stop praying.”

  “But, there’s one more thing I don’t understand,” Mack said. “How come I didn’t notice it before?”

  Rebecca regarded her friend with a warm expression. “Because, my dear friend, before, you didn’t have the Spirit of the Living God dwelling in you.”

  Mack blushed and immediately looked sheepish. “Oh, yeah. Well, I…I guess that would do it.”

  “H
owever, as much as I know there’s a spiritual component to it, I also think there’s something else.” she stated.

  “Something else?” Mack echoed in confusion. “Like what?”

  “Did you see Goliath turn to look behind us just a moment ago?”

  “Yeah. And I noticed that he stopped a couple of times and paused, looking around,” Mack commented. “I thought he was just getting his bearings or something.”

  Rebecca nodded. “That’s what I thought at first. But one time, I glanced over my shoulder and I could have sworn I saw something dark and shadowy about the size of a human moving among the grass far behind us. However, when I stopped to look more closely, it suddenly disappeared.”

  “Maybe all of this talk of demons and stuff has you a little jittery,” Mack suggested. “Maybe it was just your imagination.”

  “I would agree with you, except I can’t get it out of my head that we’re being watched, not to mention the fact that judging by Goliath’s actions, it appears that he feels something too. And, this grass is just long enough that it could easily hide someone if they lie flat upon the ground,” Rebecca said.

  “So, what do we do?” Mack asked, more disturbed than he let on. “Should we try to lose it?”

  “I don’t think we have the time,” she answered, fighting to control her own fear. “Besides, once the outer doors on the pyramid are closed, the pyramid is pretty impenetrable. I think the best thing we can do now is be on our guard, and pray. We have a few hours left before we arrive at the pyramid. Would you please join me in prayer?”