by Kurtz, Timna
The crater became silent again. The repulsing massaging hands stopped moving and left my body, pulling away in panic. As soon as the touch ceased— my senses started to reawaken.
Cole shook his startled head, shocked to see that he spilled his sperm on himself and on the ground. He tried to stand up and staggered towards me, still overwhelmed by the force of the knock.
“What have you done to me??? You whore!!” he screamed at me when his legs failed him again and again trying to stabilize his stride.
“I warned you not to haste!” The ridiculing voice of the black priestess was heard behind me again.
“I didn’t hurry, you fat stinky nigger!” he yelled at her, furious, as he turned and approached her.
I suddenly realized that she was “buying” me some recovery time, as my senses sharpened with each minute that had passed, and the blur in my head started to lift.
“There was something else there! Her body rejected me, threw me out as if there was an incomprehensible barrier there! I don’t understand— you told me she was ready! So what the hell went wrong?? Tell me you dirty black witch or your child will pay the price!!!” He reached and stood in front of her grabbing her throat in threat squeezing the answer out of her.
This time she did not lower her eyes, and did not hunch, but returned a defying glistening look and said without fear. “The high priestess is already pregnant!!! Her children will lead humanity and the new world with love and kindness. Her womb is closed to you, and she will never bear your son! Your seed will die with you!” she called out in might, but soon a gurgle was heard when a knife was pinned to her throat.
“Nothing is closed! Not even her womb! You will take out the fetus from her uterus and next month we will do the whole thing again—and this time, she will accept my seed!! Is that clear?!” he yelled at her in rage, shaking from his madness, pushing her in my direction to the spot where my legs were spread open.
“You will take out her baby now—or you will watch your son lose his life!” he threatened her savagely, and she hesitated with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Now!!!” he urged her again, pushing the knife more into her throat until a trickle of blood streamed down her dark skin. The Black priestess extended her hands to me and closed her eyes, praying silently, pleading for my forgiveness for what she was about to do.
A fighting roar came from somewhere, and someone charged towards them, knocking the black priestess over, just before she could place her hands on me…
* * *
Chapter 45
Chaos broke in the vicinity of the altar.
The young black girls scattered everywhere screaming. The agitated crowd ran for their lives when they saw the black priestess being knocked to the ground. Cole tripped too, brought down by the weight of the priestess, squashing him. A cry of pain came out when Cole pushed her off him trying to get up.
At the same time, someone cut Violet’s ropes and she leaped to me, releasing my legs from the restraints, acting as fast as she could considering she was bound and couldn’t move for many hours.
“Get up!!” the voice of our savior was heard, thundering at Cole in a thick Arabic accent. “Get up on legs and fight me! Fight real man not poor womans!” Chamid challenged him.
We had never heard Chamid’s voice before then, which is why Violet and I were so surprised that Violet stopped for a minute from untying me, and I lifted my head to see what’s going on.
Cole managed to free himself from under the black priestess, who was hardly moving. I was afraid for her life. He rolled her heavy body aside as if she was an insignificant sack of potatoes, and hurried to stand on his feet with his knife drawn in front of him.
“Do you really think you can beat me?” he asked in contempt, checking Chamid up and down, still overwhelmed by the sudden attack.
“You are not a man!” Chamid spoke quietly to Cole, primed and ready for every move Cole would make. “You snake. Bad snake. You poison make bad things for people and world, but I not let you hurt our womens!” He spoke bravely and with courage, and Violet and I exchanged looks of amazement. “You take my son, and now I bring him and womens back, but if you want to fight me, I kill you first then go back to our island.” He detailed his surprising plan to Cole very calmly.
“You? Kill me?” Cole stared at him for a moment, wearing the face of distrust, and then burst out laughing. “You kill me?” His wild and mocking laughter echoed loudly in the crater.
Chamid did not need much more than that. He charged at Cole with his bare hands, aiming at his throat in the intention of choking him. He pounced on Cole, knocking him to the ground and falling after him. Both of them let out a cry of pain. They wrestled on the ground for a few moments more, rolling on top of each other with Chamid’s hands on Cole’s throat, and just as Chamid was on top of Cole and it seems like he had the upper hand—Cole’s knife penetrated Chamid’s side. A surprised cry of pain came from Chamid, and another tormented cry when Cole stabbed him over and over again as if he was possessed.
“Chamid!!!” Violet shouted and leaned to him, grabbing his leg dragging and pulling him away from Cole, who had jumped to his feet and fled back, with Chamid’s blood smeared all over his body.
“You filthy Arab! Look what you did to me!!” His eyes blackened in madness as he was getting ready to charge Chamid and Violet. When he practically stood on top of them, raising his knife-holding hand—I raised my arms, my hands holding a big rock, and stroked his head as hard as I could.
“He is not an Arab—he is a human being!!” I screamed at him, possessed myself, and struck again. At the first strike, he dropped the knife, after the second strike, his hands went limp and his knees shook and collapsed. After the third and fourth strikes, he dropped to the ground convulsing with his last twitches.
I closed my eyes and struck him one last time, stopping his seizures, making sure that this time I had finished my task.
Blood came flowing from his head, running rapidly on the ground creating a pool of blood that kept on growing. I stood above him for a while, the rock still in my hands, waiting to see if showed any signs of life.
“Grace!!! He’s dead!!” Violet’s broken voice woke me from the shock I was in. The rock dropped from my hand and landed in the pool of blood. I leaned to Violet and Chamid, who was nestled in her arms. Violet’s face was covered in tears.
“Chamid is dead, Grace. Cole killed him,” she sniffed and pinned him to her with love.
“Chamid did not die in vain, Violet. Chamid sacrificed himself for us, and gave his life for the sake of his son and a better future for all of us.” I stood up again, covering my naked body with the cape I ripped off Cole’s dead body and called out loud: “Dear people! The black bird is dead!!!” My voice echoed in the crater, carried up into the dark skies and throughout the island. “From this day forward you shall know fear no more, and you will not be forced to live under violence, evil and tyranny like you knew for the past few months. All of that died together with this man. All of our past is now washed away, gone—erased and dead. Anyone failing to understand this has no place in the new world. I am calling you to free yourselves from the restraints of the past and of Cole’s rule, and to live like human beings again. There are survivors amongst you, and there are tribesmen who are native to this place. Live in peace with one another, learn to respect each other and my tribe and I will help you to rehabilitate and rebuild. Come!! Join me and the New World, for a better world. Together we shall bring humanity back to life, healthier, wiser, and as it should be. From today you are human beings—you are free!” I concluded my speech and kneeled down next to Violet and lifeless Chamid.
The pain weighed heavily on our shoulders. I could sense it resting on the entire crater and on the people of the black island as well, who kept silent with respect to our loss. We mourned in silence for Chamid’s passing for a while. Now and again we raised our teary eyes to look at one another. Eventually, Violet asked in a sobbing quiet voice, “how will w
e take him back? We need to bring Jonathan back too,” she reminded me of the initial reason we came here.
“He is probably asleep in the cave. The black priestess watched him. She was protecting me and did not betray me as I assumed incorrectly. When she felt my stomach she already knew I was pregnant, and she didn’t tell Cole. My vibe wouldn’t let him invade the center of my being,” I smiled in between the tears, feeling how the shame and humiliation I had gone through started to fade, when it became clear to me that indeed I had performed my duty and defeated evil. “Wait here, I’ll go get Jonathan,” I got up and turned to the cave. The young women were huddled together trembling and scared, looking at me in terror as if they were afraid I would want to hurt them or seek revenge. “Just bring me the babies,” I requested. Some of them nodded without a sound and ran inside, and moments later came out carrying Jonathan and the priestess’s black baby. I led the girls to Violet. They were still shook up and didn’t dare open their mouths. This is how scared they were from my power now.
“You will help us take the kids and the body to our boat,” I explained to them, talking gently. I spoke quietly, expressing my words as a request and not as an order, to show them my kindness and decency. One of the girls, named Ibisar, who had already learned our language answered me shivering, “If you go—who will be leader for us? If you go—who will help us? Our priestess is also dead. What we will do alone? Now you are the big priestess, and we will do what you want!” Tears streamed down her face when the turnover that had taken place in front of her and her friends’ eyes started to sink in.
“We will help you take him to the boat,” I heard a familiar voice, and one of the boys who had captured us that morning came towards us. “There is no need to go all the way to your boat, it must be quite far. There’s Cole’s boat, and there are bigger boats, the ones we came with to the island. He gave me a rundown of the possibilities.
“Thank you…?” I paused so he would say his name.
“Liam ma’am, my name is Liam,” he replied embarrassed.
“Liam, do you think you can be in charge of everything here until I come back to visit you again? For a real visit this time, not a holy war.” I smiled at him. “I am not sure I can take on this job on my own ma’am,” he looked down humbly.
“Liam, you don’t have to call me ma’am. I am Grace—nice to meet you.” I extended my hand for a handshake, and he extended his for a shy shake too. “Pick a few people that are able to assist you, and together gather the tribe members that escaped into the woods. Bring them back and restore their dignity, which was robbed from them. Let them show you the way. They were here before us and knew all about the coming of the flood. Don’t be afraid. They will not seek revenge. All they want is to resurrect the human race and the creation of the new world. They will teach you all you need to know about the customs of the ancient tribes and how they will pave your road to a better future. Together you can help each other and evolve to a new and wonderful level. I will come back as soon as I can, but first I need to bring back the little baby to his mother and bring this hero of a man to a proper and dignified burial.” I delegated authority while more people gathered around us, accepting my call for freedom, feeling the weight of tyranny being lifted.
We heard a faint moan, and the black priestess moved suddenly.
“She’s alive!” One of the girls shouted, and some of them bent down and started to hit her.
“Stop!! Stop it right now!” I called out to them. “What do you think you’re doing?” I approached and bent down to check on her status.
“She was his helper. She did horrible things for him!” said one of them. “And you didn’t cooperate with the oil and the drugs? What choice did she have that you didn’t?” I asked a trick question. “What would you have done if your children were held hostage?” I rebuked them for their actions.
“Grace…?” her faint whisper rose as she called my name. “Grace, help me,” she begged me. “Take me with you to your island and take my son too. Despite what you said, they will never forgive me, and kill me before you even reach your island. If I stay, the violence will resume, and all that you did will be for nothing,” she convinced me to take her with me, and I couldn’t refuse her. She was right.
“Help us take the priestess to the boat as well. She is injured and only on my island I can take proper care of her.” I asked Liam and his friends who had already put Chamid’s body on the stretcher I was carried to the altar on. Another stretcher was brought, and the heavy priestess was put on it. Before we turned to leave towards the beach, I addressed the island residents.
“I am reminding you that violence should no longer be tolerated in the world and on your island. Cole will not come back to abuse or humiliate any of you. No man deserves to live like this. Remember what I asked of you, and let the local tribesmen guide you. Do what you haven’t done in a long time—let your hearts guide you. I know that in this moment you all fear the unknown, but anything is better than Cole’s cruelty and tyranny. You can easily follow in his footsteps and what he instilled in you. But is that what you wish for yourselves? Always remember what he had done to you and do whatever you can to resist it. Find the love in your hearts again and bestow it on one another without fear. Believe me, good days are upon you, and we shall all meet again and sit in a great big circle celebrating life and the birth of the new world! Now we have to leave, farewell and take care of yourselves!” I waved at everyone and to my surprise, many people came over to shake my hand. Others hugged me warmly, thanking me for my bravery and courage.
A long convoy escorted us to the beach. Everyone helped carry the heavy stretchers. They all wanted to contribute their share for creating a new and better society. We lay Chamid’s body gently in the boat and covered it with cloth. We lay the injured black priestess in the boat next to Chamid and handed her baby boy to her. She embraced him and breastfed him with much difficulty for the last time, as we started rowing away from the island. The people stood on shore for another long hour, waving at us, wishing us Godspeed, calling us to come back soon.
The stars were already glowing in the sky, shiny and twinkling more than ever, pointing to the nautical route directing us back to the Island of peace. Violet held Jonathan in her arms, and I rowed the boat slowly. When the priestess’s baby fell asleep, she went to great lengths and breastfed Jonathan too, who fell asleep in the blink of an eye.
She embraced both babies on her sides, and as she breathed heavily she whispered what I was most afraid of: “Grace, this is not over yet…”
* * *
Chapter 46
I rowed slowly the whole night, listening to the words of the black priestess, hearing the secrets and the encrypted arts of the future that would be haunted by the past yet once more.
“You have to finish what you started,” she coughed, the air in her lungs was running out. I knew her time with us was nearing its end as well.
“Shshsh…Rest now. You can tell me all about it when we arrive,” I smiled at her with compassion, straitening the blanket on her shivering body.
“There’s no time! Grace! You have to listen to me!” More coughs tore at her chest, and she almost choked. Violet leaned to her and picked up the sleeping babies, and I gave her some water. She took a sip with much effort, and only wet her mouth a little.
“Grace! Listen to me my child—” she breathed heavily, each word was uttered with great difficulty. “The prophecy will come back to haunt you if you don’t finish your task.” A horrible grunt came out of her throat, and her eyes almost rolled in their sockets. “His children… you have to eliminate… don’t tell them—forbidden love! Brothers, twins…” she mumbled confusing and contradicting words. “As long as there will be on the island of peace… your children—Grace!!” She suddenly sat up, her dark eyes opened widely in astonishment, the white around her pupils glowed in contrast to her dark skin, and her hand reached and was placed on my stomach.
“Your baby girl,” she wh
ispered with a mysterious smile. “She is the heart of the world. There is only love in her heart. Don’t take it away from her!” Her voice stifled and stuck in her throat as her eyes turned completely white when they rolled back into her skull. She collapsed back, as she drew her last breath.
My tears choked me as I felt her neck had no more pulse. I closed her eyes and covered her face with the thin blanket. I burst out crying. All I went through in the past hours was now gushing out with the death of the dark woman. I cried for a while, releasing the baggage of the most horrible day of my life.
“I promise you priestess, whose name I never knew, that your son will grow in a new and better world, surrounded by an abundance of love, just like you wished to give him yourself. I will return to the black island, which from now on will be named the island of dawn, as a new dawn will rise on it today bringing a hopeful message for the future, and I will lead the people to peace and fellowship amongst them. I shall also rename your son Dawn.
Although he is black-skinned, his eyes will shine with light, wisdom and the love you had bestowed upon him. Go on your journey to the other world, and the wise women will welcome you with open arms, embracing you into the world of ancient knowledge. You shall remain in my heart forever!” I whispered a requiem in a stifled voice. I was well aware that without her valuable help I could not have won the battle with Cole.
With much effort we unloaded her body from the boat into the waters of the great sea, with the big rock that I used to kill Cole with, tied to her ankle to weigh her down. Violet and I said our farewell with mixed emotions and wiped a tear in the still of the night. We swore to each other that the details involving the rape and the murder that happened on this dark night, we would keep a secret. It will remain between us two.
At first light, we could see the shores of the island of peace, close and promising…
The first rays of sun illuminated the cave. Jamila raised her head, waking up abruptly. “They here!” Her lips whispered in a tremor. “They come!!” She repeated again and again, her voice grew louder waking others from their slumber wondering what this was all about.
