Jack Staples and the Poet's Storm

by Mark Batterson

  “We will stay here and draw the enemy’s attention while you flee,” Mrs. Dumphry continued. “If our plan works”—she met Jack’s eyes—“the dark servants will not be able to follow where we go. Now there’s no time to dally. Off with you.”

  Mrs. Dumphry began talking quietly to Andreal. For a long moment, the gathered crowd stood unmoving as if unsure they’d been dismissed. Finally the small fellow shook his head and began shouting instructions.

  Jack studied Mrs. Dumphry. She had been his teacher back in Ballylesson and was the oldest woman he’d ever met. No, he remembered, she’s the oldest woman who ever lived. Mrs. Dumphry’s wiry gray hair was pulled back in a large bun, and her petite frame appeared far more brittle than it truly was.

  As the crowd dispersed, Jack tried to suppress his anxiety. Everything that was about to happen hinged on the shadow of a memory. He had no other way to explain it, but what he was going to try had not happened, though he still remembered it. At least he had the feeling of remembering it. His stomach churned as he walked toward a nearby tree. When he sat, he startled as the grass thickened beneath him.

  Mrs. Dumphry had told them about the Oases that were forming all throughout the world. Yet until he arrived, he hadn’t fully believed her. Just as the humans and Clear Eyes were gathering, so too was the rest of the world. The Oases were gathering places for followers of the Author. The trees and grass, the bugs and reptiles, the air itself would fight alongside the Awakened in the Last Battle. Inside the Oasis, every stone and blade of grass, every tree, rock, and grain of dirt stood defiant against the Assassin.

  Jack eyed the grass warily before leaning his head against the tree. He breathed in pure oxygen, and the wind danced along his skin, blowing the aches from his body. It was so peaceful, it was almost possible to forget the slithering darkness in the sky above. Jack closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. I need to think!

  When he opened his eyes again, Jack wanted to scream. He’d fallen asleep without meaning to, and in the short time he’d slept, the Oasis had changed. Not yet! The thought tore through him. I’m not ready! The grass beneath him had begun to brown, and a sickly sweet smell filled the air. Jack scrambled to his feet. None of the hundreds of people he’d seen were there, and only a few of the Clear Eyes remained.

  Mrs. Dumphry, Wild, and Andreal stood a short distance away, talking quietly. Jack sprinted over. “Why didn’t anyone wake me?” he gasped.

  “You were not needed,” Mrs. Dumphry said. “Did you sleep well?”

  Jack gaped.

  “I hope so, because your time has come, and we will soon put this plan of yours to the test.”

  Again Jack wanted to scream. “I don’t even know if I can take more than one! I’m not ready. It isn’t even a memory; it’s more like a dream I can barely remember!” The wind picked up, smelling of rot and decay.

  “If I threw an egg in the air and expected it to fly, who would be at fault when it crashed to the ground: me or the egg?” Mrs. Dumphry said happily.

  Jack blinked. His teacher rarely said anything that wasn’t confusing. “You,” he said irritably. “It would be your fault if the egg broke.”

  “You are correct! All things happen in their time. You are an egg no longer. You have become a bird, and it is time to fly.”

  Jack’s eyebrows climbed as he tried to make sense of it. “But I—”

  Mrs. Dumphry held up her hand. “It is time.” She turned to Wild. “Wake the others and have them form a circle in the center of the clearing. Young Jack will tell us what to do from there.”

  Wild nodded, then ran off to fetch the others.

  Jack tried to swallow his doubt. He glanced toward Mrs. Dumphry, but she and Andreal were already walking toward the clearing. The Oasis was fading quickly, changing into something dark and menacing. It’s going to be destroyed. Jack’s thoughts were frantic as the trees pitted with rot and decay and the air thinned. It was hard to breathe.

  He ran to the center of the clearing as little whirlwinds formed and spun wildly, tearing at the withering grass. Even as his friends joined him, trees began snapping like twigs, crashing to the ground.

  “The Oasis is turning much faster than I expected. I would suggest you do not dally, child.” Mrs. Dumphry winked at Jack.

  Distant howls, screeches, and roars sounded from every direction. The army of the Shadow Souled had come. Every living thing that refused to follow the Assassin was being utterly destroyed, or worse. Mrs. Dumphry had told him that parts of the Oasis might switch allegiances. In order to stay alive, trees, grass, animals, even the air itself might choose to become agents of evil.

  “You can do this,” Alexia said.

  Arthur was slightly paler than everyone else. “I’ve been meaning to ask …” Arthur said, “what happens if only some of us go back? You know? I don’t want to get left here. And if we all do go back, how long before we come back again? You know, back to now, but not here. And is it possible that some of us might get stuck back then and not make it back to now? If so, could you go back again and get the ones who’d been left in the past and bring them back, but to a different place, you know?”

  “Arthur!” Alexia shouted. “You’re not helping.”

  “Right,” Arthur said, quickly patting Jack on the shoulder. “Sorry. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

  Jack tried to ignore his friends. Keep your mind on what you’re doing! He breathed deep. “All right!” He yelled to be heard over the wind and snapping trees. “Everyone grab hands and hold on tight. No matter what happens, don’t let go of the hand next to you until we arrive.”

  “What happens if we let go?” Arthur asked.

  “I don’t know, but I think it’ll be bad,” Jack said.

  There were six in the circle—Mrs. Dumphry, Andreal, Wild, Alexia, Arthur, and Jack. He tried not to think about the Oasis as the smell of death thickened and a heavy rain began to fall.

  “Jack Staples”—Mrs. Dumphry’s voice cut through the chaos—“you are stronger than you can possibly comprehend.”

  Jack nodded, trying to ignore the crumbling landscape. Where is it? He listened with all his heart, desperate to hear his note, but there was nothing. Where are the bells? Where is the ring of Time?

  The wind whipped the rain, rocketing it in every direction, leaving Jack half blind. Arthur screamed as the ground began to soften. Jack would have screamed too if he hadn’t been so scared. All six Awakened sank downward in the newly forming quicksand.

  Come on! The trees that remained standing had become menacing things of thick thorns and spindly vines, and they were moving into the clearing! A spout of fire erupted from a sinkhole just behind Arthur.

  “I do no mean to be complaining,” Andreal boomed, “but if we do be leaving, it might be best if we be going now!” The giant’s fiery orange hair and black beard were slick with muddied rain.

  “The animals are turning!” Arthur screamed.

  Jack had already noticed a few. Throughout the forest, animals were stopping. Many of the beasts dropped and began thrashing about; a moment later they rose again with pink eyes and frothy snouts. Yet many of the Clear Eyes grew bolder as they began circling the Awakened protectively.

  Jack met Mrs. Dumphry’s eyes, but she merely watched him, a small smile parting her lips. He was beginning to think it would be impossible to hear anything. They were now thigh-deep in the muck and still sinking.

  “What are you waiting for?” Arthur shouted.

  Jack coughed as metallic vapor appeared in the center of the circle. Whatever the vapor was, it was thickening. “Come on!” he screamed. “Please? I need to hear it!” Suddenly, exploding from somewhere deep in his chest, Jack heard his note. Never before had it been so loud or so powerful.

  Jack let the sound fill every part of him. The melody wove around him, each beat matching the rhythm of his heart. It w
as a fantastical song that reverberated throughout the clearing, wrapping each member of the Awakened. Along with the cadence came a feeling of absolute peace. Even as the mist congealed in front of him, Jack fully embraced his note. And in a flash of light, Jack and his friends exploded from the clearing, flying backward through the air.

  Chapter 3

  A Memorable—Sort of—Beginning

  Jack and his friends dropped like stones. It had worked! He’d taken everyone with him. He hadn’t known it was possible to time travel with someone until he’d done it with the Assassin a few days earlier. This was too good to be true.

  Flying through time had changed for Jack. Until recently he’d always felt dizzy and confused when he arrived somewhere. But when he flew through time now, he had far more control. Now he arrived alert and energized. The group neared the ground, and Jack slowed their descent, landing them softly.

  I did it. He sighed. He’d taken everyone safely away from the army of the Shadow Souled. At the moment he didn’t care if he’d picked the right time or place. All that mattered was that they were safe! He turned his gaze to the valley below. The sun touched the horizon, bathing the world in golden light. He closed his eyes, letting the warmth sink into him. They were in a time before the Assassin’s Shadow had swallowed the world.

  In the valley was a gathering of colorful covered wagons. At the center of the gathering stood an enormous tent and several smaller tents and cages. Jack felt his heart quicken as he eyed the hundreds of people walking among them. Is she really there? He could barely stand still, he was so excited. Now that they were safely in the past, the hard part was over. The rest of his plan would be nothing but magical.

  “You did it,” Alexia said. “I wasn’t sure I believed you until now. But we’re really here.” Her eyes were locked on the tents.

  “I think I picked the right night,” Jack said, feeling suddenly nervous. He glanced at the clear sky. “It’s supposed to rain soon, remember?”

  “I don’t remember much from that night. I woke up in a mud puddle with a raging headache.”

  “Well done!” Mrs. Dumphry clapped a hand on Jack’s back. “Well done, indeed.” She turned to address the others. “Yet I am afraid we may not be as safe as I had hoped.”

  “What do you mean?” Jack asked. “They couldn’t possibly follow us here, could they?”

  “No, the Shadow Army has been left safely in the present. But that mist you saw just before we left was the Odius that Elion told us about. The creature is nearly as deadly as the Assassin, and as far as we know, it’s impossible to kill.”

  “But we’re here. How are we not safe?” Arthur asked. “We’re in the past!”

  “Besides being a master of death, an Odius can read a Soulprint and imitate it. If the beast arrived in time, it may eventually figure out where and when we are. Given enough time, there is a chance it could follow. I doubt it could bring more than a handful of Shadow Souled with it, but an Odius is an army unto itself.”

  “So what now?” Jack asked.

  “Nothing changes. We do what we came here for. If the creature arrives, we flee and make sure it follows. This is not a battle we can win, especially here. And if it does come, we cannot afford to leave it in the past.” Mrs. Dumphry’s eyes locked on the tents below. “We must act quickly and get out. The fate of the world rests on what we accomplish today.”

  “You really don’t mind if I talk to her?” Jack thought Mrs. Dumphry would be against this part of his plan.

  “You must do exactly as you remember. Nothing more and nothing less.”

  Jack turned to Arthur. “Alexia and I will make sure you have enough time. Just be sure he doesn’t see you.”

  Arthur nodded.

  “Off with you,” Mrs. Dumphry said.

  Jack and Alexia broke into a run. As they neared the wagons, Alexia separated and ran toward the opposite end. She seemed to know where she could sneak in. This is it, Jack thought as he approached the entry.

  The colorful wagons had been circled round to act as a makeshift wall. Hundreds of people stood in a queue, entering through a gap between two wagons. Jack pulled his hood low and joined the queue, placing five pence in the hand of a large, rough-looking man. He walked past a number of cages and corrals filled with exotic animals, yet he ignored them all. The sun dipped below the horizon as his eyes hungrily scanned the crowd.

  There! Jack stopped, suddenly breathless. His mother stood just a few paces away. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Beside her was his older brother, Parker, and a younger Jack Staples. His mother’s hands rested on both boys’ shoulders as they gaped at a grizzly sleeping in a cage. My mother is here, and she’s alive! Jack didn’t bother trying to keep the tears from his eyes. He wanted to run to her, to wrap his arms around her, but he made himself wait.

  Where is she? He rocked on his heels as he waited for Alexia.

  Parker stepped away from the bear and walked over to another enclosure. “Mother, come look,” he called. “It’s a crocodile!”

  Parker leaned heavily against a wooden fence, staring wide-eyed into the pen.

  “Shall we go see it?” Jack’s mother asked the younger Jack.

  “Can I wait just a little while?”

  “Of course you can. It’s your birthday after all!” Megan Staples said as she ruffled his hair.

  Jack spotted Alexia approaching from the opposite side. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. She’d found a drab, brown cape from somewhere and wore it atop her crimson cloak. As Jack’s mother stepped away, Alexia sauntered over to the younger Jack and began talking.

  Eleven months and twenty-eight days earlier

  Jack Staples walked between his mother and his older brother, Parker. He’d never been more excited in his life. Today was his eleventh birthday, and his mother had taken them to the circus to celebrate. He’d never been to a circus before and couldn’t believe his luck. A sign strung between two of the tents read “A Menagerie of Marvels and Wonders.”

  A man riding a unicycle and juggling five sticks of fire wheeled past, followed by a clown walking on very tall stilts. When Jack spotted the grizzly bear, his jaw dropped. He let go of his mother and Parker’s hands and ran over to get a closer look. A moment later, Parker arrived beside him, and Jack felt his mother’s hand on his shoulder.

  “It’s pretty fearsome, isn’t it, my boy?” she said.

  “It’s huge!” Jack couldn’t keep from rocking on his heels.

  Parker darted away to look into the next enclosure, but Jack was far too interested in the bear to leave so soon. He’d wanted to see a bear for as long as he could remember.

  “Mother, come look!” Jack turned to see Parker leaning against a wooden fence and pointing. “It’s a crocodile!”

  “Shall we go see it?” Jack’s mother asked.

  “Can I wait just a little while?”

  “Of course you can. It’s your birthday after all!” She ruffled his hair, then went to join Parker at the crocodile enclosure.

  “Amazing, isn’t it?”

  Jack turned to see a girl standing next to him. She had bright-green eyes and was probably two or three years older. Her raven-black hair hung loose at her shoulders, and she wore a brown cloak. The girl was absolutely beautiful.

  “It is amazing!” Jack agreed, feeling his cheeks grow warm.

  “Do you want to see the elephant?” The girl moved in close and whispered in his ear. “I’ll let you pet him if you come with me now.”

  “Yes, please!” Jack jumped up and down. “Can I bring my mother and brother?”

  The girl put her fingers to her lips in a shushing motion. “No,” she whispered, “I can sneak only one person in, and I’ve picked you. But we need to go right away. We’ll be back in just a minute, I promise. Your mother won’t even know you’re gone!”

 
Jack glanced at his mother and Parker. “All right,” he said, barely able to contain his excitement. He’d always dreamed of embarking on an adventure!

  “You’ll need to leave your coat, though.” The girl thumbed his collar. “Elephants hate the color green. Hang it on this fence post, and you can get it when you come back.”

  Jack unbuttoned his coat and did as she asked. It’s sure good she told me, he thought. It could have been really bad if I’d kept it on!

  He took the girl’s hand as she led him past the ostrich pen and under a rope that had been strung up to block people from crossing.

  “I don’t think we’re meant to be back here,” he said as they passed a number of colorful wagons. Far fewer lanterns hung on this side of the rope, and there were no patrons except Jack and the girl.

  “Really? Whatever gave you that idea?”

  Jack couldn’t tell if she was making fun. “I think the rope was there to keep people out,” he whispered.

  “Oh, I doubt it.” The girl grinned. “I bet it’s just for decoration. I think it looked rather nice, don’t you?”

  Jack opened his mouth to disagree but still couldn’t tell if she was teasing, so he closed it again. The girl stopped beside a large red wagon and pulled out a stool from underneath a door in the side. She stepped up on the stool and yanked hard on the handle. The door opened as soft lantern light spilled out. She winked at Jack, then disappeared inside.

  Jack’s heart pounded as he followed her. He’d only seen pictures of elephants before and hadn’t believed they were this big. The beast’s head brushed the ceiling! It wrapped its trunk around the girl’s waist, and she leaned into it and whispered in the elephant’s ear. When she finally turned her attention to Jack, there were tears in her eyes.

  “His name is Ollie, and he was one of my very best friends,” she said as she rubbed Ollie’s trunk.

  “You work at the circus?”

  “I used to, but I quit after tonight.” The girl flashed a toothy smile. “I wanted to introduce you to Ollie as a birthday present. Happy birthday, Jack Staples.” She stepped past him and leaped from the wagon. “Now, we best be getting back to your mother before she starts to worry.”