Amber

by Dan-Dwayne Spencer

  The angel folded his hands, and the glaring light ceased to shine, leaving the Nymph’s faint features hovering over Jimmy’s. “Yours is the voice of treachery, the voice of deception. This is the guile that befell the children of God in the garden. Do you not know, free will is a gift for the children of Adam alone? Thy foul tongue desires to twist the truth, but in His light, all lies are revealed. Truly, your sins will find you out.” He paused. “Witch, look at your vessel.”

  Jimmy looked down at his hands and said, “What have you done. You dare deceive me by turning my words against me, and now, my masquerade is undone. Fortunately, I yet control this one you call Jimmy. His selfish desires are strong. I will take him as my prize.”

  Flower yelled, “Calypso, how did you escape the barrier? Are you not also bound by Phoenix’s curse?”

  Jimmy sneered at her “I do not answer to you, human fool.”

  Ignoring Calypso, Reuwel spoke to Jimmy. “Child of man, deliverer of justice, will you come to our aid? The lady Rose needs your strength.”

  Jimmy laughed. It grew in volume and emotion until it became a maniacal cackling. Suddenly, he stopped. The unmistakable look of sanity reclaimed his face, and he cried out, “Rose...Rose…Rose.” His face began undulating. It looked as if something on the inside of a bag was trying to press its way out.

  Standing and twisted from side to side, his entire body jerked and gyrated with amazing velocity. The faint projection of Calypso’s image vanished, and after an exhausted sigh, he collapsed. I ran to him. Not knowing what good it would do, I put one of the folded blankets under his head.

  I glared at the Angel. “What have you done to him?” I demanded.

  Reuwel stood and spread his six wings to their full size. They reached from one side of the large room to the other. A chime tinkled as he moved them. “I have done nothing. Jimmy, of the Dugan clan, found a reason to battle the entity called Calypso. His feelings for the woman Rose have broken the Nymph’s charm. She no longer has power over him. When I take my leave, he will revive.”

  Relief overwhelmed me, but my fifteen-year-old nervous system operating constantly at DEFCON two or higher crashed—or it felt like it. What should have relieved my anxiety, instead heightened my angst, and I maniacally yelled, “I’m sorry. All this is my fault. It’s my fault Jimmy went to the carnival in the first place.” I turned to Flower. “He should have never come with us. I’ve failed Jimmy, just like I failed Kelly, Dave, and Rose. I’ve failed, and this war hasn’t even started. After all the warnings, I couldn’t save Dave. Jimmy spoke the truth when he said, this is not his war any more than it’s Rose’s. I put them in harm’s way.”

  “Child prophet, you are mistaken. This is their war—it is everyone’s war. Ishtar is coming and has no mercy for the innocent. It is time to rise up and seize the day. Claim your victory.” Just as he did in the meadow, he lifted his hand above his head and made a fist, and a pulse of mystic power surged across the room. I tingled from head to toe while the potent sensation, both pleasing and peaceful, washed over me. “What makes you believe the truck driver is dead?”

  “I saw his memorial by the pond where the accident happened. People do that sort of thing to mark where a loved one died.”

  “Another lie of the enemy. A trap meant to bring self-doubt and darkness into your vision. The one you call Dave lives. Fear not Son of Norman. You have a purpose in this war. You have been winning battles without knowing you are in the throes of the fight. My time here comes to an end. I must return to my place as cupbearer to my King. Soon, if the tide of fate doesn’t turn, I will present His Son with the cup of remorse for He will weep for all humankind.”

  “You can’t leave us defenseless,” Flower said.

  “Use all the gifts He has given. You have everything you need. As for the lady Rose, her rescue is your choice. Saving her will not win this war. Your battle with the angel Ishtar will wage on until either angel or mortal obtains the talisman.” He flexed his wings and the fragrance of Lavender and sage filled the room. “Behold—the demon’s Page, messenger of evil, approaches.” He folded his wings around like a feathery cocoon. When the tips touched, the crash of a mighty cymbal reverberated in the Roundhouse. A light flashed, and he disappeared.

  After our eyes readjusted, and we could see again, the door of the Roundhouse opened. A blond girl, a child of no more than eight-years-old carrying a teddy bear, entered the room. She had dark circles under her eyes and when she smiled, jagged pointy teeth glinted from between her ruby lips.

  “This is for you, Arland, child prophet of things yet to come.” The girl’s voice sounded deep and raspy, like a man who smoked too many cigarettes.

  Suddenly, her eyes glared wide, and she jutted her head forward, hissing. We all froze as we watched the girl’s legs crunch backward. She fell forward. Belly to the ground, the child effortlessly crawled on hands and feet up and across the tabletops. Up the sides of the Roundhouse and onto the ceiling. Like a cockroach, she skittered. Turning our way again, she hissed and scurried down the sides of the tenting before she fled out the door.

  Still in his underpants, Roger admitted, “The angel said to prepare ourselves, but I wasn’t ready for that,” I picked up the teddy bear. The ribbon around its neck secured a note. The message was curt and to the point, it read: The girl for the talisman.

  Moments later, people wandered into the Roundhouse asking where the flashing light and the crashing sound came from. Flower told them not to worry about it. It wouldn’t be happening again.

  Jimmy didn’t remember any of his traitorous behavior. As confused and disoriented as he was, I could hardly believe it when he stood. He looked around and said, “Weren’t we at the carnival? Loveless, how did we get here?”

  Roger proclaimed, “He’s back. It’s the real Jimmy this time.”

  Jimmy gave me one of his intimidating JD stares and asked, “What’s numbnuts talking about? Is this more spooky shit?”

  I gave him an abbreviated version of the evening’s events and the message the angel delivered. I left out the fact I had met Reuwel for the first time last night.

  Flower took Jimmy’s hands and asked how he felt. I could see Jimmy instantly respond to her touch. He sat straighter, lifted his chin higher, the dark bags under his eyes faded away, and his brow furrowed in anger. “We’ve got to save Rose,” He demanded.

  Roger elbowed his way between Jimmy and Flower. “Rose is fine. Tomorrow morning Briggs and his cronies will come here looking for the talisman of Uriel. While he’s here, we’ll be one step ahead of him by getting to it first. The sheriff has no idea it’s all a scheme. The angel said they’ve kidnapped her, but in fact, I suspect he has arrested her on some trumped-up charge as a ruse. Rose will be safe because that demon with a badge will be busy here searching the commune. More importantly, I believe he won’t harm Rose because she’s his bargaining chip, his ace up his sleeve, his—”

  “Reynolds, get on with it. What’s your point?” Jimmy interrupted.

  “My point is, we need to get the talisman and use it to set her free,” Roger stated.

  “As long as we rescue her.” Jimmy paused. “How do we use the talisman to break her out of jail?”

  “We go to Blue Eye and find a book written by the angel Uriel telling us where to find this miracle-working talisman. Then we bring it back,” Roger announced.

  I wasn’t completely convinced, but I figured it was best to keep my reservations to myself for the time being.

  It only took us a few minutes to do all the things we had to do before loading up in the VW van and heading off to Blue Eye. Jimmy and Roger had worn their clothes for a couple of days already. It was time we all took a trip to Miss Tabitha’s clothing room. Jimmy got a new western shirt and Roger picked out a blue polo-style pullover. They headed on to the van as soon as they finished their selections.

  Mrs. Tabitha did my picking. She brought me some clothes from her special reserve. I spread them out across the shelves�
��a shiny, blue satin-like button-up with bell sleeves and a purple leather fringed vest. For the first time, I thought, maybe there was hope. I might fit in at the commune after all.

  Hurriedly, I slipped the fresh shirt over my Bruce Lee tee and covered that with the vest. I pulled the love beads Stoney gave me to the outside and tucked the strand under the collar. At the back of the storeroom, Tabitha had a full-length mirror. Standing back to look at myself, I grimaced. A twelve or thirteen-year-old hippie stood where my reflection should have been. The fact I was still chasing puberty glared back at me yet again.

  “Who in their right minds would take you seriously? You’re the guy who is supposed to prophesy about the end of the world? Well, no one is going to believe a kid who looks as young as you do. Good luck trying to make anyone believe you. A few fashionable duds won’t make you more credible,” Mr. Dark whispered.

  “I look like a hippie wannabe,” I admitted.

  “There’s no way any adult will listen to a word you say.”

  I thought for a while and said, “It doesn’t matter if the people believe anything I say. According to Flower, my job is to say it. Whether I’m taken seriously is someone else’s bag.”

  Flower stepped up behind me. Gazing at my reflection, she met my eyes. “When you finally look twenty and everyone you went to school with is in a nursing home. You will be thankful.” With a melancholy expression, she paused, “And a little sad too. Right now—it’s hard to be thankful when you want to grow up, and more, when you are told to take charge and challenge something—something supernatural.”

  “How d’you know what was troubling me?” I asked.

  She smiled. “I know. I’ve been there.” She gave me an understanding nod. “We better load up and get going. Blue Eye is not getting any nearer with you standing here, admiring yourself in the mirror.”

  That disturbing feeling overtook me again. Were we doing the right thing by going to Blue Eye? When it actually came time to speak prophecy, would they take me seriously? My mind went back to the Roundhouse when Miss Tabitha got my breakfast for me. She was well respected at the commune and the people in line still had a hard time believing I could handle commune business of any kind. If they wouldn’t believe they could trust me to go buy supplies, then why would they believe I was a prophet? I felt doomed before we began.

  Thinking about the Roundhouse on that morning brought Kelly Carter to mind again. He told me we were going to see a phoenix, and I saw his excitement—so I asked him to come along. Doubt hovered over me like a storm cloud. I couldn’t shake off my guilt. Mr. Dark might have been totally pessimistic, but he made a point. I was just a kid. How could I save the world when I couldn’t save one commune member?

  Chapter Eighteen

  Rose

  With more than a little apprehension, I climbed into the van. Maybe Mr. Dark had been right all along. I had no right to think any adult would take what I said seriously. I already knew Flower would, but she had a gift herself and knew about this stuff.

  To my surprise, Stoney was there. He not only had on a tie-dye T-shirt covering those stone-hard abs of his, but he sat in the driver’s seat. Flower insisted she was too tired, and he was an excellent driver. Roger and I sat behind Stoney on the center bench seat, while Jimmy brooded in the far back of the van.

  I had no idea what a messenger’s bag was when I saw it, but Stoney had a rawhide satchel–he looked for all the world like he was carrying a big purse. I reached forward and slapped Stoney’s arm in a friendly gesture. Maybe he had some sage wisdom to relieve my anxiety over driving. “Have you ever won any racing awards?” Completely serious, he didn’t even smile when he nodded his head, indicating he had. “Oh, okay then,” I replied. Silence followed. He wasn’t in the mood for conversation.

  Flower had made it clear, she was the only one living at the commune with a spiritual gift, but from what I could tell, everyone at the commune had some kind of gift. The elder’s nagging indecision about my residency ate away at me, as I wondered if they would let me live there. It was where I belonged.

  Reflecting on where I belonged made me automatically think of home. No matter where I lived, home would always haunt me. Unresolved conflict and remorse were like angry ghosts haunting my consciousness. Even with everything that had happened in the last forty-eight hours, I couldn’t escape thinking about it. I enjoyed living at the commune, and Texas… Well, the Lone Star State was a place filled with painful memories.

  Jimmy’s backseat brooding erupted. “I can’t do it, I just can’t. I changed my mind,” he exclaimed. “I can’t leave Rose here and go traipsing off to find some dumb old book. Take me to town and drop me off. I’ll find a way to set her free myself.”

  “We talked about this,” Roger blurted. “The best way to save her is to get the talisman and use it to—”

  “I know what you said, and at the time, I thought it was a good idea. But… I can’t. You don’t understand. She needs me. I just can’t leave her there.” The expression in Jimmy’s eyes was sincere. “You guys go on and find the book and I’ll set Rose free.”

  Leaning forward, I made my declaration. “No. You’re right,” I agreed. “I changed my mind too. We stick together and work as a team. No more separating. If we had stuck together at the carnival things would have been different.”

  Flower complained, “The angel said rescuing her wouldn’t change anything.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” I insisted. “We rescue Rose before we do anything else. Then we all go to Blue Eye. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

  It wasn’t yet daybreak when Stoney pulled away from the commune and headed into town, toward Cherokee County Jail. He didn’t pay attention to the posted speed limits, and my fear of being stopped by one of the Sheriff’s monster officers went to DEFCON two. I counted backward from ten to calm myself.

  He made a curve and passed a large building across from a grassy park.

  I yelled, “Stop, that’s where we’re going.”

  Stoney threw on his brakes and the tires screeched on the pavement. I pointed at a metal building with brick trim. The low porch led to double glass doors with a forest green canopy overhead trimmed in creamy beige.

  “That’s not the jail,” He exclaimed. “It’s the County Animal Shelter. You know where they take all the stray dogs and cats.”

  “Whatever it is, that’s where they’re holding Rose,” I replied.

  “A children’s playground is across the street,” Roger said. “Pull over and park there.” He pointed to a dark spot by the curb where the moonlight cast a shadow under a tree, and from there we could clearly see the front of the building. “Let’s not get the van too close to the door. This thing is like a rolling neon sign advertising our presence here. With any luck, they won’t see us parked in the darkness.”

  “What time is it, anyway?” Jimmy asked.

  Roger turned his wrist over to read his watch. “4:51 am.”

  “Roger, quick…give me your watch,” I demanded.

  “No. Why should I?” Roger pulled his wrist away from me like I was going to rip it off his arm.

  “Okay, come with me then… But Roger, only you come. Everyone else stays here in the van. Stoney, keep the motor running. We’ll need a quick getaway if things go sour inside,” I insisted.

  Jimmy scowled. “What happened to not separating ever again?”

  “All I know is that I have to go through that door at exactly 4:55. So, I don’t have time to argue. If you’re coming, you must be quiet and follow me. Do not at any time get ahead of where I am, and when I say be quiet, I mean it.”

  Roger was out of the van and heading toward the building. “What are we waiting for? Hurry up.”

  Jimmy and I followed. Stoney and Flower promised to stay in the van and keep it running. For the first time, we started working as a team. Too bad we didn’t realize it.

  We approached the door. I stopped and called Jimmy and Roger back. “We can’t go in until exac
tly 4:55. Stay behind me—remember.”

  “There’s no Hoochie Coochie Girls in there, I hope,” Jimmy said. Then he knitted up his eyebrows and his forehead knotted in stress “How do you know all this?”

  “No time to explain. Just go with it—please.” I said.

  We waited around the corner, peering out to see the door while Roger kept a check on the time. The minute hand moved to 4:55, and I started toward the door but jumped back when a Sheriff’s deputy walked through it. After putting a stob under the edge to keep it from closing, he dug in his shirt pocket for a package of cigarettes, pushed one out, and lit it. He then walked around to the far side of the building. We quietly slipped through the open door and into a lobby.

  I whispered, “One.”

  I pushed on a door marked, Exam Rooms, It didn’t budge. I moved over to another door marked, Filing Room, it wasn’t locked. I figured the deputy left it open for the same reason he put the stob under the outside door. We quietly passed through that one as easily as we did the first.

  I whispered, “Two.”

  Upon entering the next room, we froze. A deputy stood with his back to us. He had a file folder and was engrossed in its contents. He pressed on a square button alongside a set of double doors. They opened for him and he kept walking.

  We cautiously stepped through the room filled with rows of filing cabinets. Besides the double doors, another door led out of the room. The word, Kennel, was written on it.

  Deciding not to follow the deputy, I pointed to the kennel’s door. “This way.”

  Inside, that room were small cages built into the wall. Vacant niches upon niches with bars across each one pitted the wall like a dimpled checkerboard. A covered birdcage sat atop a stack of empty animal carrier crates marked with the outline of a cat on each one. It appeared the business had space to house about twenty-five pets per day and were prepared to add makeshift rooms for more small animals too.