Story Time

by Linell Jeppsen

  Andy eyed the Remi and asked, “Michael, is it getting any better, now that the disease has run its course?”

  Michael nodded. “Yes, it seems to have settled down a bit. That’s one of the reasons I waited…didn’t make sense to have the hand looked at while the Remi was so active. It’s sleeping now, and I need to try and sleep too, but the pain has been keeping me awake.”

  Andy clucked and said, “I wish you would have come to me sooner, Michael. Pain in itself can destroy a healthy body and mind. This is a tough time for all of us…but some of us need to stay healthy, and as strong as possible. You are one of the ranch’s strongest members, and one of the few people here that Zack will listen to. Besides…” Andy’s voice faltered and his pale cheeks flushed red.

  Michael stared at Andy, and said, “What?”

  “Well, I’m sure it’s not my place to mention anything…here, take these.” Andy handed Michael two white, oblong pills. “It seems to me that—forgive me if I’m wrong—you have feelings for Naomi, right?” Andy’s eyes were infinitely kind.

  Michael looked away in embarrassment. It was clear to me that he was afraid of his feelings for Naomi. I thought that he was also afraid of what others on the ranch would do, or say, about an interracial relationship between him and the compound’s leader.

  Andy grinned and took my hand. “You realize, of course, that Steven and I are partners?”

  Michael nodded and shrugged.

  “So,” Andy continued. “You are preaching to the choir as far as love goes, okay? Love is love, Michael, and it’s precious, especially now. I think that our little Naomi feels the same way about you. You need to go to bed for a while and get some sleep. I just gave you two Vicodin. That ought to help you get the rest you need. Then, when you wake up, go to her, okay? Give her comfort and love. Try to tell her, if you can, that she’s not to blame for what happened.”

  I stared at Andy for a moment in amazement. He was usually the non-demonstrative one in our relationship…the strong one, who reacted coolly to untoward displays of affection. Yet, as he spoke to Michael Anderson, his hand never left mine, and his voice held a passion that was undeniably heart-felt.

  Michael smiled suddenly, and wiped a hand over his face. His hand was wrapped in gauze now, and I could see the Remi stir slightly in his palm. I shuddered, thanking God I wasn’t tasked to carry that thing. Then after receiving a few more pills and being told the directions on their use, Michael left the tent.

  Andy held my hand for a few more moments, and then let go, saying, “Well, let’s finish what we started, shall we?”

  Two hours later, we stood with the rest of the Harmony members as Mrs. Edgington read from the Bible and named the dead from a list in her hands.

  Andy murmured, “I thought that I told that man to get some sleep.”

  Michael walked slowly into the snowy pasture with Naomi at his side. She was a thin woman at the best of times, but now her bones poked at the flesh covering them in sharp angles, and deep hollows ringed her eyes. She was trembling with grief. Michael kept his arm around her and glared coldly at the few people who glanced their way with anything less than sorrow, or respect.

  Naomi wept, holding Michael’s arm, as Zack glared at the sullen, gray clouds overhead.

  I shivered by Andy’s side as Katie Edgington read, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

  “Yea, though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

  “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou annointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.”

  I watched as Michael removed the gauze from his hand. At the end of Mrs. Edgington’s recital of the 23rd Psalm, he lifted his palm; a concentrated beam of light shot from the Remi toward the pile of dead bodies.

  Within moments, as tears of agony ran down Michael’s cheeks and Naomi sagged with grief in his arms, the small mountain of dead human beings became a funeral pyre. The red flames and ashes mixed with the blackened soot that fell from the sky and covered all of us in a gray veil of sorrow.

  Chapter 28

  No wisdom, no understanding, and no advice can stand up against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord. 21:30-31 God’s Word

  Naomi – Love and Sorrow

  The old woman sighed, sitting back in her chair. The speak globe vibrated and inched forward. Naomi glared at the little creature that used echo-technology to amplify sound waves. Then she grinned, and sat up straight again.

  “How many of you remember my little brother, Josh?” she asked. There was a stir in the audience and a smattering of applause. Naomi nodded and continued. “God, he was a good kid….” Her voice faltered and she wiped a tear from her eye. “He was good and brave and smart! He was handsome too…he would have…would have grown into a real heartbreaker!” Naomi trembled with grief.

  Taking a deep breath and a sip of tea, she composed herself for a few moments. “Well,” she continued. “The Tox-flu carried him off despite Dr. Grossman’s best efforts…Josh and hundreds more, thanks to Engle and his crew.” Now, real anger showed in the old woman’s face. “There have been times in my life when I could hardly believe how good people can be…the sacrifices they make, the bravery they show…it’s astonishing…it’s God at work.” She shook her head. “It’s the evil in people that has made me truly believe in God though. Strange as it may seem, I really did not believe in God until I saw the devil at play. I have no way of knowing if Dwight Engle was possessed by the spirit of Satan, I only know what the Bible taught. It warned of the anti-Christ and his dominance during the end-days. And who had more power, more dominance than Dwight Engle?

  “I still can’t believe how foolish I was, and I want to take the time, right now, to apologize.” Naomi struggled to her feet while her son, Josh, looking shocked and frightened, flew to her side to help her stand.

  Naomi stood and clasped her hands together. Her eyes were huge, swimming in tears, as she said, “Please forgive me my sins, people. Forgive me my pride and arrogance. I meant no harm to you or your families!”

  The adults in the audience groaned. Murmurs of sympathy rippled over the gathered masses like a gusty breeze. The children stared at their parents in confusion.

  Gary was standing now as well. Tears streamed down his stern face as he watched his mother struggle with her guilt and grief. Then a strong voice pierced the air.

  “No guilt, Nay! We love you!” The old man was still as strong and fierce as ever. Steve Zakar was old now, bent and white with age, but his eyes glowed with fierce, uncompromising pride. The words echoed through the amphitheater, and were joined by voices young and old, large and small. “We love you! We love you!”

  Naomi met her old lieutenant’s eyes and smiled, while the shouts and whistles rose around her. Her son helped her back into her seat.

  After the noise died down Naomi said, “There was one good thing that happened to me after the Tox-flu infected the ranch, and that was Michael. I don’t think I would have made it without his help and support.

  “I lay in bed for days after everyone got so sick and started dying. I knew it was my fault…I had gone against orders and let my heart rule the day instead of my head. I should have known those poor kids were sent back for a reason. They were pawns in Engle’s chess game, and I almost lost the whole match…not just for myself, but for everyone on the Harmony ranch.

  “I gave real consideration to killing myself, then. I mean, what was there to live for? The weather was getting worse and worse. No matter how many fires we burned, an arctic chill pervaded every nook and cranny in the main house. Those who lived in tents and camp trailers had moved into the barn with the animals to stay warm. Steve was worried night and day about fi
re hazards.

  “We were all down to half rations. I didn’t care, but the kids were starting to complain about feeling hungry. The doctor was worried about the lack of medical supplies. He knew we would not survive another outbreak. Then there was always the threat of attack from Trumble, or the UFO’s overhead. For a while, after the caldera blew, there was little, if any, activity from the flying scavengers, but when the ash cleared they appeared again, with a vengeance. More than once the people on the ranch had to seek shelter under the Tats protective dome to keep from being incinerated.

  “To make matters worse, my brother Zack wasn’t talking to me. He hated me for what I had done, for going against his better judgment. He was filled with sorrow, fear, and most of all, wrath.

  “Throughout everything though, Michael stayed by my side. He guarded the door and brought me food, coaxing me to eat. He talked to Zack, and brought me messages from Steve and Doctor Grossman. He tried to make me laugh by playing with the Remi. Finally, he ordered me out of bed.

  “‘Get out of that bed, right now!’ he demanded.

  “‘No,’ I whined. ‘I don’t want to…everyone hates me, and I don’t blame them!’

  “All of the pent-up rage and sorrow burst out of me like water from a broken dam. It was over three weeks since the funeral. I was more afraid than ever of facing the survivors of the holocaust I myself had allowed into the Harmony compound. I was hollowed out from hunger, grief and guilt…an empty shell, incapable of leadership.

  “I shook my head, ‘No…you and Zack…and Steve. You guys can run the ranch, okay?’ I ran a shaking hand under my nose, and sniffed snot back into my throat. ‘Just…leave me alone, will ya?’ My words ended in a strangled scream.

  “Michael glared down at me with his hands on his hips. He was so big he should have looked scary, but I was too tired and weary to care. I started to turn away, to go back to bed, when he took two long strides and caught me up in his arms. Suddenly I was airborne, and being carried out into the hall and down the stairs. I was reminded of Uncle Allen and his stalwart strength, and bawled with renewed grief.

  “I beat at his arms and chest, but to no avail. He muttered, ‘Oh, shut up, Nay,’ and dumped me unceremoniously into a horse trough of warm water that served as a bathtub in the kitchen. In I went, dirty night gown, tears, and all. I gasped with shock and swallowed soapy water before I splashed upright, glaring.

  “They were all there, my friends and loved ones: My beloved Zack, Lori, Aunt Wendy and the twins, Lindsay and Levi, Steve, Dr. Grossman, and his friend Steven…Michael. My eyes filled with tears of shame. They had been doing all the work, carrying the burden while I languished upstairs wallowing in self-pity. They should have been angry with me…disgusted by what I had become, but their eyes were bright with love…hope.

  “There was a smell in the air…the familiar smell of home and hearth, family and love.

  “‘Is that turkey?’ I whispered, while my stomach rumbled ominously.

  “Wendy grinned, and said, ‘Wild turkey, honey, and mashed potatoes and yams, corn and beans, and apple pie!’ She looked excited and proud. ‘We’ve been saving up for this day, sweetie. Keeping back, so we could have a real holiday.’ She paused and murmured, ‘It’s Thanksgiving, Naomi.’

  “My heart started to pound in my chest, and tears threatened. What do we have to be thankful for? I thought. I knew it was important to my friends and family that I join them, that I stay strong and resume the role of leadership, but the only thing I wanted to do was slip down below the warm water and drown.

  “Then Zack crouched down by the tub. ‘Give me your hand, Nay,’ he demanded.

  “I was scared of him, really. He no longer looked like my kid brother, but an angry young warrior, with the fading bruises of a black eye and the lean and ferocious demeanor of a hungry lion. He hadn’t spoken to me since Josh died. I was afraid that I had not only lost one brother because of my rash decisions, but both of them. I held my hand out in fear, in supplication. He grasped my palm and kissed it. I watched tears run down his cheeks, into his beard.

  “‘I’m sorry, Nay,’ he whispered. ‘I was just so sad…so mad! Oh, Nay…we lost him, we lost Joshie!’ Sobs tore at Zack as he knelt on the floor beside my bath. We held each other and wept with shared loss. I don’t know how long we stayed like that, huddled together on the floor, but finally a voice spoke.

  “I looked up, and saw Lori standing in the doorway. Everyone else had left the kitchen, unnoticed. ‘Nay, honey…I put some clean clothes on the counter, okay? Why don’t you get cleaned up now and dressed? We’re all waiting for you to say grace.’ She turned around and departed.

  “I looked into my brother’s eyes. ‘Will you stand with me while I say the blessing, Zack?’

  “He nodded, wordlessly, and walked to the kitchen door. He turned around and whispered, ‘I love you, Sis.’ Then he walked away.

  “Aunt Wendy must have been hiding just around the doorway, because she bustled in with shampoo and towels the minute Zack left. She helped me scrub the dirt and grime off, and washed my hair with the harsh lye and vinegar soap she and Lori had concocted. She added some patchouli to the mix so when I emerged from the water, I felt clean for the first time in weeks… and pretty and feminine.

  “There was a dress and tights and lacy underwear set on the counter, along with cosmetics and some frilly hair-ties. I raised an eyebrow, but Wendy waved a hand at me.

  “‘Shush your talk, niece. I know just what you’re about to say, and I don’t care. This is a special day, and an important time for you…for us. You’ve been running around here like a rag-a-muffin, and, of course, that’s all right most of the time. Once in a while, though, it’s important that we observe the formalities, or we’ll become a band of heathens!’

  “I opened my eyes and realized, for the first time, that my Aunt Wendy looked like the successful business woman she used to be that morning. Her hair was done up in a French roll. She wore a long, black skirt and frilly gray blouse. She was a handsome woman, whom my uncle Allen had adored with a boyish passion. Looking at her now, I could understand why. She was close to fifty years old, but looked no older than thirty; a lean, sexy, vibrant woman, who now held a slip in her hands with a no-nonsense look in her eyes.

  “Knowing a lost cause when I saw one, I grabbed the slip and a bra and got dressed in one of my old dresses. It really was a pretty thing; autumn colored chintz and antique lace. The bronze in the fabric matched my hair, and made my eyes seem greener by comparison. I gazed at myself for a moment, wondering what Michael saw when he looked at me.

  “I added some blusher to my cheeks, and ringed my eyelids with kohl and mascara. In the meantime, Wendy was brushing my hair back and gathering the damp curls into a bun in back of my head. She moved in front of me, and pulled some tendrils loose so they framed my face.

  “She stepped back and studied me. Smiling, she said, ‘There’s my beautiful girl.’ Tears threatened, she sounded so much like my own mom. She said, ‘No, no more tears, honey, you’ll ruin your make-up!’

  “She seemed none too steady herself, and I gave her a fierce hug. ‘Thank you, Auntie. I love you!’ We held each other for a moment, and then walked out to eat Thanksgiving dinner.

  ***

  “Three days later, I was helping Zack and Michael load firewood into wheel-barrows and the utility trailer when I heard shouts and running feet in front of the house. I started to run to see what was going on, when Zack grabbed my arm. ‘Wait, Nay,’ he whispered.

  I had vowed never to disobey my brother, Steve, or Michael again…to stop and think before I acted. I waited and a few moments later, I heard the distinctive two-bell alarm that signaled a security threat.

  “Michael was studying the sky overhead. He turned to me and said, ‘Naomi, you wait inside the house. Zack and I are going to see what’s going on.’ He saw the look on my face, and added, ‘We’ll be in, in just a minute, okay? Nothing is going to happen without your say-so.’<
br />
  “I took a deep breath and ran across the back yard and up into the house. I sprinted into the kitchen, and saw that my Aunt Wendy, Lori, and Lindsay were all staring out through the window curtains. I joined them and heard Lori mutter, ‘Who is this now?’

  “I stared through the baleful afternoon light, and saw a great crowd of people walking through the trees and up the gravel drive. There were hundreds of them, and they all walked arm in arm. I saw a bright flash. Suddenly a huge, silver cross was lifted into the air.

  “I heard singing as well. I strained to hear, and realized that the people were singing, ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ as they marched toward me and my ranch. It was glorious…it was terrifying.

  “I heard the heavy tread of boots approach behind me, and turned around to see Zack and Steve enter the kitchen. Steve’s face was grave.

  “‘I’m thinking that that is Dwight Engle,’ he said with a snarl.

  “‘Who?’ I whispered.

  “‘Remember, Nay…when the kids came back on the ranch, the girl, Raven, was telling us about some guy named Dwight Engle being in charge. Steve thinks that’s who’s approaching.’ Zack ran a hand over his head. He was shaking with nerves.

  “I did remember then. I saw that poor girl; her fevered eyes and pale face, and recalled her words about some guy named Dwight Engle, and a sword. I looked around for a moment, and blurted, ‘Where’s Michael?’

  “Zack looked me and I saw the fear and sorrow in his eyes. ‘He went out to meet with them, Nay.’

  “I gasped, but he continued. ‘There’s nothing we can do about it, Sis. The Remi was already starting to fire up, and Michael told us he would never ignore the Remi again. He seems to think it’s his fault that the kids got past us in the first place, to infect the people on the ranch, so now he’s gone out by himself to stop Dwight Engle’s army.’”

  Chapter 29

  The following excerpts are compiled from interviews and written accounts of Dwight Engle and his followers (CHURCH OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST) and the faction group (THE ANGEL’S SWORD).