by David Gallie
‘I’m not supposed to have a life,’ I mumble and Deliria pushes me back so she can get a good look at me.
‘I won’t lie to you Lynk, your very existence was pre-designed. You are the culmination of a millennia-long war between heaven and hell. Both realms need you as will earth in the coming months. I know you feel very alone right now, but if you’re willing to fight you will quickly find you have more friends and allies than you could dream of,’ she says, her eyes staring into mine, trying to convince me.
‘There was a war between heaven and hell?’
‘More like a running battle. A certain incident happened that I can’t go into, but the essence of it was that both Satan and God turned against each other causing a war that lasted for millennia. Then Gabriel approached Satan with an idea that could stop such wars from happening again.’
‘I thought Gabriel was an angel. Does he have the power to speak for god?’ I ask, genuinely curious.
Deliria shakes her head and her face looks grave as if I must not talk of such things.
‘God was not pleased with him, but when Gabriel explained his idea it softened him and he agreed to take part in a ceremony that would create a very special soul born of both worlds but inherently good.’
‘My soul?’ I think I know the answer.
‘Yes, honey. Your soul. You are the only soul with powers close to god himself, but you are very young and not all your abilities are ready to be manifested yet,’ a smile grows on her face and I can’t help but smile back.
‘How can I be this guardian if I have no abilities to save myself let alone anyone else?’
‘Again, this is by design. You were born with the ability to see, hear, taste and touch anything belonging to the other realms but Satan and God both agreed that you should discover your other strengths on our own time that way you won’t be overwhelmed by them,’ explains Deliria I can see the honesty in her eyes. I do not doubt her.
‘You do know that the shadows think I’m the key and that right now they’re probably taking me to the altar to be sacrificed,’ I say, remembering the mini-van I ran into before I landed here.
‘I know honey. They think you’re the key to freeing their ancestors. It’s a good thing there are few on earth who know you’re really the key to both kingdoms of hell and heaven. That’s a power that is beyond most humans’ imagination. I know you’ve been through hell on earth but you need to learn to trust humans. In time you will know who to trust and who is a foe,’ she lets go of my arms and takes a step back but not after she kisses me softly on the cheek. It feels lovely and warm, the way a mother’s kiss should feel.
There are no strings attached. It’s just a sign of affection. My body is already longing for her and she’s only taken a step back from me.
‘So I need to learn to trust the spirits around me,’ I say.
‘Not just the spirits, I know you have a couple of young helpers, but they’re just that; helpers. They can’t do the fighting for you although I know Artemis is pretty smitten with you. Ultimately you need to trust in humans, especially the Ascendite’s, they will be key to helping you,’ she says and I blush when she mentions Artemis affection for me, what is it with that boy?
‘Artemis just likes to try and make me feel good,’ I say, not really looking for a conversation on the subject of boys. I have bigger problems to deal with.
Deliria shakes her head at me and giggles.
‘You really have no idea how beautiful you are Lynk. Be prepared to deal with a lot of attention from boys, because Artemis won’t be the only one smitten by you,’ she says.
‘I need to survive the next twenty-four hours before I worry about boys,’ I say, still blushing. I was the geeky girl at school, I never slapped on make-up or wore the latest fashion like most of the other girls did. I did try to make myself look presentable, though, just in case.
‘Just remember, it’s never over until it’s over. You will find that it’s often when you feel all hope is lost that is when you have it the most,’ says Deliria and she blows me a kiss as she starts stepping back towards the light that surrounds us.
‘Will I ever see you again?’ I ask.
She turns to face me and offers me the sweetest smile.
‘That purely depends on you, Lynk. If you really want to see me again then you will find a way. I believe in my heart that you will,’ she says and then steps into the light.
I expected the light to vanish in the same way that it appeared. Instead, there is a bright flash which forces me to shield my eyes. The light is so blinding it’s all I can see and I am vaguely aware of the sensation of falling again.
CHAPTER 23
When I open my eyes my body is jiggling back and forth and I realize I’m staring up at the roof of the mini-van. I ache just about everywhere possible and I when I try to move my hands I find they are tied behind my back.
As I get my bearings I notice the four hooded figures taking up the remainder of the space, two on either side of me. I can’t see beyond the darkness of their hoods but I know they’re looking down at me.
‘Don’t suppose you could free my hands?’ I know fine well the answer will be no, which wouldn’t be so bad as long as it was an answer.
Instead, all I get is silence. I should have been panicking considering my predicament but for some reason, I felt quite serene. Maybe it was the meeting with my mother and her loving energy which was yet to wear off.
I’m about to ask for a drink, again knowing the answer will most likely be silence, when a puff of smoke heralds the arrival of Jerub and Artemis. There is something different about them this time, though. I can see them, but their bodies are slightly transparent because I can clearly see the back doors of the van behind them.
‘Aww, you’re all tied up for me,’ gushes Artemis and I can see the twinkle in his eye.
Shut up and help me get out of this mess, I say inwards, knowing they will hear me.
‘We can’t Lynk, we’re no allowed to mess with fate. She gets very upset when we touch things we’re not supposed to,’ says Jerub.
‘Yeah, what he said,’ Artemis points to his angelic brother and I want to slap the pair of them on the back of the heads.
Fine, then at least tell me how I can help myself?
‘Just bide your time gorgeous, you’ve got more help than you realize. We’ll be back when you reach the school,’ says Artemis and he winks at me before he and his brother disappear again.
A sense of hopelessness fills my soul making me wish I was back in the dungeon where the only thing I had to fear was the prospect of shock therapy. A practice that I’m pretty sure is now illegal, although I could be wrong about that.
The mini-vans brakes squeal as the driver brings it to a stop. When the engine dies the four hooded figures get to their feet, shove open the back doors and turn their attention on me.
I can hear two more people climb out of the front as large, strong hands drag me from the rear and out into the open air. I quickly realize that the stars are high in the heavens so God only knows how long I was passed out for.
The same hands grab my arms as the other two hooded figures join them. I recognize the ring on the finger of one which I know is my Aunt June and the other I’m sure is Roland the nurse.
June motions for the others to follow her lead and soon I’m being dragged towards a set of fire doors at the rear of the building. It takes me a few seconds to notice that we’re at the rear of the school gymnasium. Normally the doors would be closed and only be able to open them from the inside but someone had jammed them open with a piece of wood shaped like a wedge.
The brightness of the gym lights makes my eyes sting and water as the hooded figures continue to drag me further inside. A few feet in front of me near the center court I can see the chalk outline of the ritual circle and inside that sits the charred but still functioning remains of the original altar used by Ezikal and his men.
‘This isn’t going to work,’ I protest, hoping
to the break the wall of silence.
But no one, not even my aunt, seems interested in acknowledging my existence.
‘Phew we made it back in time before we missed the show,’ I hear Artemis but it takes a few seconds before I can see him and his brother.
Where did you two go!? I demand inside my head.
‘Death needed our help,’ says Jerub, his body still transparent so no one else can see him.
Where is he anyway? I have been wondering where he goes during these periods of extended absence.
‘He’s Death remember, he has a job to do just like you,’ chimes Artemis.
Great! He should be here. I’m about to be put to my death for these idiots, I scream inside my head and I can see both brothers wince, which somehow made me feel better.
‘Don’t worry, he’ll be here soon, man this place is huge, my school was never this big,’ says Artemis.
‘You never went to school,’ Jerub is deadly serious.
‘I know, but if I did go to school I just know it wouldn’t be as big as this place,’ Artemis whistles at the end of his sentence, exaggerating his awe of the school gym.
Jerub rolls his eyes as June and Roland walk ahead and take their place at the altar. My heart is pounding in my chest as the other four eventually bring me to rest at the scarred lump of wood, my neck placed over the channel where my blood is expected to flow in honor of the dark lord.
If only they knew I was part of one of his original mashups with god. I wonder if they would be so quick to use me as their sacrifice.
‘Even when you’re about to be sacrificed you look beautiful,’ laments Artemis as if I’m already gone. Now I understand why Jerub feels the need to slap him so often. I planned to do the same once my hands were free.
The hooded figures step away from me as they chant ancient words I have no desire or need to understand. As they chant June steps forward with a knife in her hand. I know it’s her because of the ring on her finger.
‘You’re making a mistake Aunt June,’ I say, watching as she brings the knife closer to my throat.
As the blade touches the soft skin at my neck I hear her mumble something in what I’m sure is Latin or Hebrew. As the last word escapes from her mouth she draws the blade back, ready to cut me and send me back to the nothingness I was born from.
From the corner of my right eye, I detect a flurry of motion as one of the hooded figures darts forward and grabs June’s hand, blocking her from using the knife. The other three figures are all moving now I can hear them scuffling with Roland behind me.
‘Now would be a really good time for you to move,’ says Jerub.
Seizing my chance to get off the altar I rock myself back and forth, building up enough moment to roll right off it. I hear my own breath knocked out of my lungs as I hit the floor, but that’s not enough to stop me from moving. I keep rolling as far as I can until I’m out of the circle.
‘Derek, what the hell are you doing?’ I hear June scream as she fights with the hooded figure.
As I turn to take in the commotion I feel my jaw slacken as Derek’s hood is thrown back. He’s fighting to save me like he promised he would, and suddenly I realize who the other three figures are. One of them is Steven, while the other two had to be Bill and Joe.
My heart sings a little song of delight as I try to figure out how to free my hands. There was nothing laying around sharp enough to cut the rope they were bound with, so I keep my eye on the battle as I pull my legs up to my chest as far as they can go and then I bring my arms under and over them so at least they’re in front of me.
By the time I get to my feet Steven and the other Ascendite’s have managed to beat Roland to the floor where he lays unconscious. Derek uses every ounce of his strength to wrestle the knife from June’s hands but as he does so she falls towards the altar, taking him with her.
Horror strikes at my very core as I watch him fall on to my aunt. Her body twitching as he gets back on his feet. Breathless, I rush over to see how bad the damage is. It isn’t good. Derek’s body weight has forced the knife deep into June’s body and I can see a trickle of blood fill the small channel of the altar before dripping from either side on to the sacred circle.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for this to happen,’ says Derek, his eyes full of guilt as he steps back to watch June take her last breath.
‘Hey,’ I hear Steven say and I turn to face him as he pulls the hood back from his smiling face, a smile that doesn’t last long once he sees June.
Death appears as June takes her final breath. He says nothing to me as I watch my aunts’ spirit leave her body. She looks dazed and confused at first until she spots Death. Then she tries to run from him, which will never work.
Slendy remains in his position and stretches out an arm towards my fleeing aunt. It’s like he’s lassoed her with an invisible rope and she stops dead in her tracks before hitting the floor. She lets out an enraged scream as Slendy pulls her towards him and once he has her in his clutches he nods and smiles at me before vanishing with his newly acquired soul.
‘Well, all’s well ends well, right?’ I hear Artemis chime.
I shake my head. My body is tingling all over, something is telling me that we’re not done here yet. I can’t see anything out of place but when I turn my attention back to the altar and watch the last droplet of my aunt’s blood hit the circle the whole building seems to shake.
An almighty roar erupts from the vastness of hell while flames erupt from the outline of the circle. My heart sinks when I realize is happening. The ring on my aunts’ finger belonged to Miriam Grey. When she died on the altar only moments ago she had acted as the key and now the shadows could be free again.
‘Run now!’ I shout at the others.
I put as much distance between myself and the circle as possible and just in time too, as a perfectly circular shaft of fire erupts from the ancient circle scorching the roof high above us.
‘This is where you learn to fight,’ says Jerub as he appears next to me. He’s not translucent anymore and neither is Artemis. I notice the smile has dropped from his face and he looks deadly serious, his body poised for a fight.
As the flames shoot upwards there is screech after screech as the shadows escape from their prison. Most of them are fairly small, roughly around my height and width, but the largest one, when it lands on the floor, takes notice of me straight away.
As it approaches me at lightning speed I notice these shadows now have eyes and the pair of blue ones staring at me belong to Ezikal.
‘Ezikal, I’m here to help you remember,’ I cry as it slams into me sending me flying across the room and crashing into the fire doors.
Dizzy, I push myself upright in time to see him coming at me again. He’s slower now, though. More determined.
‘Kill me,’ he growls.
‘I don’t want to, but it’s my job to put you back into hell one way or another,’ I say, finding strength from a hidden place deep inside me.
‘I will never go back there again,’ he keeps coming and behind him, I can see the other shadows attacking the Ascendite’s.
‘Artemis, Jerub, help the others. I can handle this,’ I say getting back on my feet.
The spirit brothers look at each other and then rush to help the others.
‘Ezikal, it doesn’t have to be like this. If you go back I can free Miriam. I’ve already spoken with Satan,’ I say, knowing I sound nuttier than a fruitcake.
‘You lie. An innocent cannot speak to the dark lord,’ he growls and he stops just a few feet away from me. Behind him, I can see Artemis and Jerub punching and kicking at the shadows who are attacking Derek and his men. They take a few hits back too, but for the most part, they seem to have the upper hand.
‘I’m not lying. I’m the guardian of the realms. It’s my job to make sure every soul stays in the realm it is meant to be in,’ I still can’t believe I’m saying this stuff but it’s starting to feel more natural now.
&nbs
p; At first, he seems to be confused, although it’s hard to tell if a shadow looks confused, and then he looks a little afraid. He can tell I’m certain about what I say but whether or not he will believe me, is another story.
‘You, are the fabled guardian?’ he sounds almost incredulous in that deep growling voice.
‘Yeah I know, it’s hard to picture a skinny seventeen year old girl as something godlike, but I’ll be more than happy to prove it to you if you want,’ I say, quietly praying he doesn’t want a demonstration because I have no idea what my other abilities are.
‘Very well then, prove you are the guardian,’ damn it, he called my bluff.
‘Step aside and watch the shadow fighting with Derek,’ I say, somehow I can feel a confidence rise in my body. Something in the back of my mind is telling me I have the power to end the shadows existence.
Ezikal in his smoky shadow form moves to the side giving me a good view of the action. Artemis is on the floor wrestling with a shadow while Jerub is fist fighting another. The remaining shadows are still attacking Derek and his men, the latter has one of them holding onto his back.
Stretching out my hands, I focus on the shadow on Derek’s back and then make a pulling motion towards my body. The shadow is wrenched from the old man’s back. I make a ripping motion with my hands and the shadow shrieks briefly before it’s torn in two.
Ezikal watches as his follower disappears into a small cloud of greasy smoke. He turns to look at me again, stunned. I smile at him, probably looking smug but inside I was truly amazed I could perform such a feat.
‘You are the guardian,’ he says, a low growl.
‘I told you I wouldn’t lie to you. I have the power to free Miriam from Hell, but I’m not going to do it unless you go back.’
He seems to study my face for a moment, mentally trying to decide what his next move should be. He turns like he’s about to move away only to take me by surprise as the back of his smoky hand meets the side of my face and I’m hurtling through the air again.
