He pulls me into an embrace and says in a cracking voice. “Listen, before you leave the realm beyond the veil, you need to seal it.”
I try and pull back from him to see his face, ask him why I am the one to seal it and how, but he holds me to him tighter. “The others will help you. Whatever you do, don’t let Michael Sanderson come back here. If he does, he will bring hell with him.”
I am both stunned and frightened by his prophetic words and weaken under his hold. I wrap my arms tightly around his waist, needing his presence to tame my growing fear. Balthazar’s voice cracks, “See you soon, Jesca Gershon Kahn.”
Hearing my father’s surname gives me a renewed strength and I tighten my hold on Daniel before releasing him. Daniel quickly turns away from me, not looking back as he walks toward the rest of the team.
Caleb and Balthazar are already speaking to the team. Balthazar speaks quickly and nervously, “We don’t know when Michael relayed that message to Sam. They could be upon us right now. We need to pack up and get out of here.”
Monica pulls rank and starts herding the team. “Get to your rooms, get your things, meet back here in five minutes. Balthazar, I will get the caravan ready. Are you on the transportation out of Japan?”
Balthazar nods. “I’m on it.”
Before he leaves, Balthazar strides back to Sebastian and embraces him. Words are exchanged, but I do not hear them. I look over at my team now, memorizing their eyes, their faces, the presence they hold in my heart. Each of them so different, distinct, and individual, yet we all hold a similar purpose. It makes me think of the ant farm.
Oh no the ant farm! I turn to Sebastian and Xander. “I need to do something before I leave.”
Everyone is yelling after me, but I ignore them and rush through the door moving as fast as I can to my room. The entire time, running from one hallway through another hallway, the memory of Ezra and I and those damn ants run through my head. When I get to my room, I throw it open the door and stride to the table. Carefully, I pick up the ant farm, tuck it under my arm and run back to the lab. Elisha and Nick are lingering by the doorway. I slow to a walk as I approach them and pull the ant farm from under my arm. “Where is Angela?” I honestly don’t know what makes me choose Angela to be the keeper. Maybe I let fate decide this one.
Angela comes into sight, exiting the door. “I’m here.”
I tug on her hand and place the ant farm in it. Carefully, she grasps it with her hands, cradling it close to her chest.
I start to explain, “Ezra. It is something that...”
Angela interrupts me, “Jes, it’s okay, I know. I will keep them until you come home.”
I nod. Ang and I have never been super close, but in this moment, when she says that she will keep them until I come home, the very words I promised Ezra, I don’t think I could feel any closer to her then right now.
Her voice trembles, “Love you, Jes.”
I wrap my arm around her neck and hug her close. “Love you, Ang.”
Not wanting to prolong the goodbye, I quickly release her and head back into the lab. Xander is standing in front of Daniel putting electrodes on either side of the nape of Xander’s neck.
Sebastian motions for me to come over to them. “Ready?”
I quickly walk over and nod. “Yeah.” I connect the cables to the device and start to peel off the backs of the electrodes. I place one on each side of the back of my neck. They feel cold and sticky at first, then warm to my skin’s temperature.
Daniel tosses hooded sweaters at Sebastian, Xander, then me. “Put these on. It will keep the cables, electrodes, and device protected and out of plain sight.”
Caleb gives Sebastian a small backpack. “This has three devices coded for Earth as the final destination. There are extra electrodes and cables.”
Three additional devices. One for Ezra and one for Nate. The last must be for Sam. I look at Xander working his jaw over time. He lowers his gaze from the backpack, adjusts his sweater, and then zips it up. I do the same as Caleb and Daniel continue to talk, explaining that we will need the devices to open a wormhole from the other realm to get back.
Daniel says, “Okay, all three of you need to hold onto each other.”
Sebastian, Xander, and I look at one another for a moment. “You mean like hold hands?”
Caleb snickers, “Holding hands won’t keep you together when you pass through the event horizon and plummet into a black hole.”
Sebastian, Xander and I look at him stoically failing to see the humor.
Caleb quickly clears his throat and takes on a serious tone, nudging Sebastian and Xander. “You to need to huddle and interlock your arms, the less space there is between you, the less likely you will be ripped apart.”
Daniel interrupts, “He means pulled apart.”
I look at Daniel and raise my eyebrows. “Not much better.”
Xander comes up behind me, wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his body. “Wrap your arms around my forearms.”
Caleb nods. “Yes, that will work. Sebastian wrap your arms around Xander and Jesca the best you can.”
Sebastian links his arm through Xander’s arm and wraps his other arm around the front of me, clasping the bicep of Xander’s other arm. Once he feels his hold is secure he says, “Got it.”
Daniel says, “You will be coming back to this exact location. We can’t be sure of what you will be coming back to though.”
Monica comes to the doorway. Sebastian, Xander and I release each other to look in her direction. Her voice is softer than normal, tender even. “Caleb, everyone is ready to go. Balthazar is ready to load the transports and two piloted jets are ready to go at a nearby, undisclosed landing strip.”
Sebastian asks, “And Caleb, Eve, and my grandchildren?”
Monica looks at Sebastian. “Caleb, Eve, and the babies will be traveling via jet from an alternate landing strip.”
Sebastian looks at Caleb and nods. “Right then. Let’s get going.”
Caleb walks up to his father and pulls him into a firm embrace. Sebastian pats him on the back firmly. Caleb lingers then breaks away. He and Daniel move slowly toward the door heads cast down. Monica, Caleb, and Daniel do not turn to look at us and they disappear beyond the doorway.
I look at Sebastian, then Xander. “Whatever happens, don’t let go of each other.”
We all huddle in tighter, place our finger on the device that will open the wormhole, pierce the fold. Sebastian says, “On my mark.”
Silence fills the room, except for the sound of my pounding heart beating in my chest.
Chapter 15
Ezra
When Nate’s and my thoughts to Jesca and Xander don’t get a response, Nate rises and starts circling the small opening we are in. “Jesca! Xander!”
I no longer hear the wheezing in his breath, but he still has the panicked look of a deer in headlights from the whole experience. I shake my head. “They are gone.”
Nate stops walking, breaths out deeply, closes his eyes, and pinches the bridge of his nose. After a moment, he walks over to me and extends his hand. “Thank you.”
I grab hold of his hand and he pulls me up. I nod at him. “Not necessary, Nate.” I’m about to let go of his hand when Nate tightens his grip.
“No, it is necessary, Ezra, thank you.”
I grip his forearm with my other hand. “You are welcome.”
I look around to get my bearings. We are surrounded by trees in a very small meadow-like area. “We need to keep moving. A moving target is a target that stays alive. Plus, we need to find water. We won’t be able to go much longer without it.”
Nate asks, “How long have we been here?”
It could be a matter of hours, but it felt like days to my taxed body. “I’m not sure.” I find a trail leading out of the open meadow we are in and start to follow the path. “Here, this way.”
We walk for about fifty yards, when Nate grabs me by the shoulder. His voice is calm, but l
ow, “To your right.”
I look in the direction and see a flash of something, somebody small and low to the ground, moving with immense speed, zig-zagging through the forest. Then as quickly as it appeared, it disappears beyond the canopy of the woods; a sunlit opening in the forest.
I move forward in the direction it went, curious to find out if we are on the edge of the forest. Nate grabs hold of my arm. I see worry in his eyes as he shakes his head at me.
I look back at the canopied opening. “We have to be on the edge of the forest. Maybe there is a lake or a stream beyond it.”
Nate says, “Maybe there is a creepy little boy wanting to kill us beyond it.”
I roll my eyes, and then look at Nate.
He pulls the defensive card. “What? It’s true.”
I look down at the leaf-covered ground as I think and notice that it is soggy. Really soggy, actually. I start walking around in circles, then branch out a little widening the circle as I step.
Nate moves out of my way when I approach him, stepping and pushing on the ground with my full weight. Nate asks, “What are you doing?”
I look at him and push with the weight of my foot and it sinks further into a muddy, wet area. “Water.”
Nate looks at the spot I am standing in and scans a few feet out in front of me. He walks over to a spot he is focused on and steps. “This is a small creek bed covered with leaves. That is probably why we didn’t notice it.”
Nate slides his feet step by step, making progress down the creek bed now. I look to my left, the canopied opening at the edge of the woods is still vacant, but I feel something watching us.
I stay alert as Nate takes us down the creek bed. I am facing the opposite direction of the creek walking backward when Nate says my name.
“Ezra.”
I partially turn in his direction. He is in a wide stance looking down at a small stream that is flowing in the small creek. I wonder if there is some kind of spring below the surface here.
Nate squats down, looks at me, and then cups his hands under the small trickle.
I rush to him and grab his forearm before he puts his cupped hands to his lips. “Wait!” We can’t be sure it is water unless we try it. I should be the one, not Nate. I cup my hand under the small stream of water, collect a small amount, and bring it to my nose. There is no odor. I take my finger and dip it in my dampened palm. Nate is watching me closely. I pull my finger back and place it on my tongue. No bitter taste or sweet taste. I look at him and nod. “Drink up.”
We both take turns cupping our hands under the small stream and drink. I drink until I am sated. I stand and look down stream while Nate continues to drink and run water over his face. I start to walk along the stream. It begins to widen a bit. I turn back to make sure Nate is alright. He stands and turns to look in my direction, then follows me.
The small trickle in the creek bed yards back becomes a smooth moving stream now. The creek has widened by a good foot and river rocks are visible on the bottom of the bed now. I remember this place. I stop and look down stream again. The bed widens even more and curves to the right, but I cannot see beyond it due to the sharp turn. I close my eyes for a moment and listen to the stream and the wind rustling the leaves. I breathe in deeply; it even smells the same. Nate is by my side now. “What is it? What do you hear?”
I open my eyes and walk with determination down along side of the creek and around the sharp bend in it. As soon as I make the sharp turn to the right, I see it. I lose my footing a little and step ankle deep into the stream. Nate rushes up to me and grabs hold of my arm to make sure I don’t fall.
It is just as if I was standing in the middle of Noses Creek back in Georgia. The stream is moving swifter now and just beyond Nate and I, there is a dip in the bed before it widens to a good six or seven feet, beyond that the rushing subsides and the water calms. The canopy of trees above intertwine, and the reflection in the water below mirrors the interlocking branches above. The vortex like image pulls my eyes to the edge of the creek where the canopy’s tight knit branches open up to intense sunlight. I whisper, “I know this creek. It leads to the Etowah River.”
Nate’s voice is skeptical, “You know this river? Ezra, we are in another universe, another realm. The river you know doesn’t exist here.”
I nod. “I know. But it is here, visible to us for a reason.” I step back out of the creek and continue heading down stream, frustrated with my progression.
Nate calls to me, “Ezra! It is an illusion! Remember, bad things happen with illusions!”
I start to turn around to look back at Nate, when my eyes pass over a small figure hiding partially behind a tree. I do a double take and land on the most hauntingly familiar green eyes. Nate starts to move toward me, but I put my hand up, warning him not to move any closer. I’m sure my eyes reflect shock and Nate immediately responds by stopping in his tracks on the edge of the creek bed.
The little girl slowly steps away from the tree, towards me, then stops. Those startling green eyes and dark chestnut hair remind me of…
Jesca?
It can’t be her. It is an illusion. The little girl speaks in the most delicate voice, her voice. “It is an illusion, but not to manipulate you. I didn’t want to startle you with my true form.”
Nate starts moving toward me again, concerned by the presence of this little girl. The girl watches him and I both, for sudden moves that may threaten her. Her true form?
The little girl takes small steps toward me, inching closer and closer until she is standing inches away from me, looking up at me with wide eyes. She asks, “I am going to show you who I am. When I do, we will need to move quickly. I have been able to go unnoticed this long, but now that I am revealing myself to you, they will come quickly. Do you understand?”
I nod and ask, “You mean the beings here.”
She nods quickly. “I am not one of them. I came to help you.”
Nate is next to me now. He is mesmerized by this little girl talking to me and mutters, “Are you an angel?”
The little girl looks at him and smiles pleasantly. She nods once. Then she says something so…so me. “Yes and no.”
She looks back up at me and smiles, letting me know her play on my words being intentional. Suddenly, her body is surrounded by a white aura; a halo of light. The light becomes so intense, the little girl seems to blend and meld with it. Just as quickly as the white light intensifies, it diffuses revealing a woman that once stilled and stole my heart and soul. Anna.
I slowly bring my hand to my mouth. I feel my heart swell and ache and my throat constricts as I gulp down the cry of joy and pain surfacing from within me. A million thoughts run through my mind. A million things I want to tell her about my life without her and how it isn’t the life I ever wanted for us. I want to tell her how her beautiful, strong, resilient, amazing daughter has made me so proud and that she was our amazing blessing. The world’s amazing blessing. She leans her head to the side and smiles softly at me as she seems to memorize every inch of my face.
I look at Nate, making sure he sees what I am seeing. He is wide-eyed and looking from me to Anna. I clear my throat and wipe my eyes on the back of my arm. “Nate, this is Anna.”
Anna shifts her gaze to Nate, studies his face, and then grins. “Nathaniel Sera.” Suddenly, her head snaps to the left and her smile disappears. She looks back at me and Nate. “We need to move, fast and now. Jesca contacted me and told me you were here.” She starts to move away, beckoning us to follow her. “Michael...he is here and he is using Sam.” I reach for her hand and actually touch flesh. I look down at my hand holding her arm, something I had not done in over sixteen years, and my mind goes blank.
Nate saves my silence and says, “Wait, how is Michael using Sam? Jesca stabbed him on the cliff back in Japan. We thought he was dead.”
Anna shakes her head. “No, he is here. Michael is slowly depositing ideas into Sam’s head, fueling his jealousy for you and your team, and his
rage for me. He is controlling Sam.” Anna takes a few more steps backward. “Michael has taken over his soul and he is coming for you. We need to get you to a safe and secure place, somewhere we can hull up out of site until Jesca and her team arrives.” Anna looks beyond Nate and I. “I can feel him near. Let’s go.”
She turns on her heels and starts running with extraordinary speed. Nate and I start running after her. Our speed is equivalent to hers and we have her in our view as we weave through the forest, sticking close to the water’s edge of the stream. She makes a swift turn to the left and we are now heading toward an opening in the canopy of trees where a much larger and faster moving river intersects. It is the Etowah River, just as I thought.
Anna is only feet in front of us now, and only about one hundred yards from the end of the forest and edge of the river. She speeds ahead and catapults her body into the air, soaring across the river and landing solidly on the other side, crouched and watching us.
As we approach, Nate asks me, his voice filled with worry, “Ezra, can we make it across?”
I shake my head, “No questions, Nate. Just jump!”
The sound of pounding feet is replaced with the sound of the river passing below us. We ascend higher and glide across the dark waters, then quickly descend and land with a loud thud. Anna pauses to make sure we land soundly, and then continues to run ahead. Nate and I scramble to our feet and run full speed to catch up to her.
Anna is the first to break through the dense woods. She stops and turns back to us. Nate and I are by her side in seconds. I ask, “What? Why did you stop?”
Anna looks around, and then at me concerned. “This wooded area, it is in Georgia, isn’t it?”
I start to ask, “How do you…” and then contemplate if her soul had visited Jesca and myself in Marietta and we had not known.
Anna nods at me and smiles quickly, and then it disappears. She turns back to take in her surroundings. “These being have created an illusion from your thoughts.” Anna looks back at me with concern and curiosity now. “They have found a way into your head, Ezra.”
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