by Scott Young
Sidney looked up at the ceiling as he took a long, deep breath and exhaled slowly. No matter what she’d done, he was glad Helen would be okay. He tried to stand but was still too shaky, so he slid back down the wall to his seated position. His eyes filled with tears again as he said, “It seems like I’m something of a captive audience, so talk. Tell me what you want with me.”
“It’s not what we want, but what we can offer you, Sidney,” Gabriel said. “Father Dodson, why don’t you begin by telling him about the Society of the Blessed?”
“Certainly, Gabriel,” Father Dodson said. He sat on the edge of the bed near Helen’s unconscious body. “Sid, I belong to an ancient order, what you would probably call “caretakers.” In fact, my family has been in The Society for thousands of years. I am the very last descendent of those good and noble men. You see, The Society of the Blessed was created by Pope Victor III in 1086 as a force for good in this world. The pontiff knew first hand of the evil that was spreading around the globe at that time and he took steps to make sure it would never succeed with its malevolent plans.”
“We’re not seriously taking about demons from Hell now, are we?” Sidney asked.
“Mock not what you do not know, Sidney Rosenthal,” Gabriel said. “There are demons in this world but that is not of which Father Dodson speaks.”
“Gabriel is right, my friend. Unfortunately, there are far worse things at war with this world than Hellspawn,” the priest added solemnly.
“Then can we cut to the chase, Father?” Sidney said, his anxiety rising once again. Whatever that light did to him was fading fast.
“Of course,” Dodson said, quickly glancing at Gabriel who nodded. “What you’ve experienced this week, the attack on the bus and the incident at the bank, were small parts of a bigger story. I’m afraid you are now a part of that story.”
“What do you mean bigger story?’” Sidney said, his apprehension growing every moment.
“It is the story of The Society of the Blessed,” Dodson replied. “And it is the story of The Presence.”
“The presence? What is that?”
“The existence of The Presence is the reason the Society was created, my friend. Pope Victor III witnessed with his own eyes the power of The Presence just as you have, Sidney. He vowed to fight the evil he saw and, in so doing, The Society of the Blessed was created.” Father Dodson could see how perplexed Sidney was so he took a beat before continuing. “They are beings that feed on the destructive emotions or negative energy of humanity, such as fear, anger or jealousy. Once this was discovered, combating the seven deadly sins took on a greater importance to the church as the papacy tried to block The Presence from gaining a foothold on Earth. For you see, The Presence are not of this world, my friend.”
“Wait a minute, are you saying they’re aliens from space?” Sidney asked loudly.
“No, Sid. Not from space. As crazy as it sounds, and believe me, I understand just how crazy it does sound, The Presence are from a parallel dimension. A dimension that legend says is composed almost entirely of psychic energy.” Father Dodson waited a few moments to let that sink in before continuing, “Throughout history, these symbiotic, psychic beings were only able to cross through to our world during times of violent environmental upheavals, such as meteor showers, volcanic eruptions or massive earthquakes. These natural disasters somehow weakened the dimensional wall, allowing a number of The Presence access to this side. In the last 60 years, with the advent of nuclear and other advanced weapons, these crossings have become much more frequent.”
“What does any of that have to do with me or the things that happened to me this week?” Sidney said, his mind once again reeling.
“The Presence manifests within humans in three ways,” Gabriel said. “Pope Victor and the Society categorized them as Actives, Dormants and Gestates. What we both saw in the bank was an example of a Dormant. This type hides within a human psyche, sometimes for years, waiting for the right moment to strike, to foment the most human suffering it can. Obviously, Timmy McDonald was a victim of The Presence. Once activated within the human host, a Dormant will burn itself out in a short period of time, leaving its victim with no memory of the heinous acts the Dormant forced him or her to do.”
“I guess that explains Timmy’s confusion when it was all over,” Sidney said to himself. “And the other two?” Sidney rubbed his temples.
“The incident on the bus was caused by an Active,” Gabriel explained. “These types of The Presence can only live within a human for a very short period of time. When activated, they cause violent and unpredictable mutations within the host body, creating all manner of nightmarish creatures. The host’s body and mind are in such pain, they usually lash out violently, leaving death and destruction in their wake.”
“So what happened to it? Was it you that destroyed it with that light?” Sidney asked Gabriel.
“Yes. That is my gift,” Gabriel responded. “I am able to use my light to identify when a human has been infected with these vile creatures and purify the host, literally burning The Presence out of the person. If I am too late and a host has been activated, I can use the light to destroy the aliens in all their forms. That is what I did on the bus right after I realized you were one of The Blessed.”
“One of The Blessed?” Sidney said incredulously. “Obviously, you don’t know me at all or you’d know I’m anything but blessed.”
“You misunderstand, Sidney,” Father Dodson said. “Gabriel isn’t saying you are blessed, he’s saying you’re one of The Blessed.”
“Again, what the hell does that mean?” Sidney shouted, panic welling up in his chest.
“Please, calm yourself, Sidney Rosenthal, and I will endeavor to make it clear,” Gabriel answered. “For as long as The Presence has been in this world there have been The Blessed, humans who, for whatever reason, are immune to their psychic invasions. The Blessed minds are fortified against The Presence. When the aliens attempt to take them over, these unique individuals gain abilities unlike any other humans. This is what happened to you, my friend. You are one of The Blessed. I saw you turn invisible on the bus in the face of that Active. I knew then that you were special.”
“Heh, I wondered why that thing didn’t gut me like a fish,” Sidney said. “But how did this happen?”
“Most likely at some point in time you came into contact with the third type of The Presence: a Gestate,” Gabriel said calmly. “These are the most dangerous of the three types. The Gestates are the instruments that The Presence use to implant the Actives and Dormants in their host bodies. For lack of a better explanation, the Gestate impregnates a human psyche with one of The Presence. The vast majority of people don’t even realize it’s happened. The alien creatures grow within the human host until maturation. Once fully developed, an Active will transform while a Dormant will embed itself deep within the psyche, waiting for the proper time to manifest. When a Gestate tries to implant The Presence into one of The Blessed, the alien is rebuffed and absorbed, gifting the host, or blessed, with unique abilities such as yours.”
“Of course, makes perfect sense,” Sidney said sarcastically. “Anything else?”
“Yes,” Gabriel said. “I believe his interaction with you triggered The Presence within the guard, Timmy McDonald.”
“Wait, a minute. What do you mean he was triggered by me?” Sidney asked, remembering Timmy’s anguish when it was all over. “Why would that happen?”
“Unfortunately, whenever one of The Blessed comes into contact with someone infected by The Presence, the creatures can somehow sense it and they are activated,” Gabriel said. “The Dormant within the guard reacted to you, Sidney. It was triggered by you.”
“This is the craziest shit I’ve ever heard,” Sidney said, shaking his head. “So you’re telling me that no matter what I do or where I go, I will inadvertently cause these things to activate?”
“I am sorry, my son,” Dodson said. “That is the burden you now carry.”
“Fucking terrific,” Sidney replied, the gravity of the situation beginning to weigh on him. “So, just how many of The Blessed are there? Am I the only one?”
“Through the years it is hard to say how many of The Blessed there have been at any given time,” Dodson said. “The Society acted as a support staff for them, helping them and tending to their every need while they fought these alien beings. Part of that task was recording their battles and cataloging a list of the fallen, but many of these writings have been lost through the centuries. According to the records we’ve managed to obtain, there is approximately one of The Blessed for every 100,000 of The Presence.”
“Jesus Christ!” Sidney said before turning to Dodson. “Sorry, Father. No offense, but that is one crap load of The Presence with just the three of us on the other side.”
“No, Sidney, you misunderstand. We are not alone in this fight,” Gabriel said solemnly. “As of right now, I sense there are 12 of The Blessed in the world.”
Sidney’s eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. “But...but that...that would mean there’s over 1.2 million Presence on Earth right now.”
Dodson and Gabriel nodded in agreement.
“What the fuck do you expect me to do about that?” Sidney yelled.
“Come with us,” Gabriel said. “Help us gather the others and together we can stop this plague that threatens our very world.” Gabriel said it in such a way that Sidney almost believed it was possible. Almost.
But then he thought of the odds he’d just outlined. “You’re out of your mind. You both are!” Sidney said, feeling the fear growing inside him. “I can’t do that! I’m no hero. I’m not anything.”
“You are more than you ever imagined,” Father Dodson said. “Come with us and fulfill your destiny, Sidney. Be the man you always wanted to be. You have a purpose now; a calling. You can make a difference.” The priest placed his hand on Sidney’s shoulders, looking directly into his eyes. “You told me that you wanted to be more than you’ve been in the past. This is your chance. Take it, my son. Take it and help us fight this evil.”
Sidney looked at Dodson in disbelief before turning his gaze to Gabriel. They were crazy, weren’t they? Certifiably insane.
“Sidney, take this opportunity to be the man I know you can be,” Gabriel said softly but firmly.
Sidney looked around the room frantically before gazing down at Helen. He thought about everything she’d said to him: how worthless he was, how pathetic and gutless, how he’d be more useful dead than alive. Was she right or could this be his chance to prove her wrong, once and for all? Could he be the hero he’d always wanted to be, make a difference, and create real change in the world? That would be something, wouldn’t it?
What was he holding onto anyway? It wasn’t like anyone would miss him if he left. He’d lived his life in such quiet desperation for so long he had absolutely nothing to lose. After all, he’d quit his job, never had any friends to speak of and his wife was a lying, cheating sociopath who hated his guts. Knowing Helen, the first thing she’d do when she woke up was start divorce proceedings and press charges against him for almost killing her. Even if she didn’t, he was done with her. He now knew he deserved better.
He looked over at Father Dodson and Gabriel. They both believed in him and that feeling was better than anything he’d ever experienced. Maybe this was his destiny after all. There had to be a reason for all of this. There had to be a reason he was given this strange, new ability.
Sidney stood up, feeling stronger and more confident than he’d ever felt in his life. He looked in the mirror expecting to see Jack Wylde staring back, but it was still him. At least a brand new version of himself. He smiled and turned toward the door. “Let’s go, fellas,” he said triumphantly. “We’ve got things to do.”
“The road ahead will be daunting, Sidney Rosenthal,” Gabriel said as he put his hand on Sidney’s shoulder. “But ultimately you will be doing God’s work.”
Gabriel exited and Dodson came over to Sidney. The old priest smiled and said, “You okay, Sid? I know this is a lot to take. Is there anything you need?”
Sidney smiled back, “No, Nicholas. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’ve got everything I need ... like I’m finally doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”
Just as he got to the door, Sidney paused. He took one last look at his wife lying on the floor before saying with a wink and a smile:
“Nothing more for me to do here. On to the next adventure.”
THE END
MORE THAN
A FEELING
Dr. Jill Musik froze the second she saw the gun in her patient’s hand.
Her first thought was that she was going to die, shot during a routine therapy session in her brand new office. She would bleed out right there in the Alma Bay chair she’d spent three days obsessing over in the Ashley Furniture showroom before finally buying it. The doctor felt her pulse pounding in her temples as she struggled to keep her wits about her, trying desperately to remember her training. Jill took a few deep breaths to steady herself, but it wasn’t working. What was she supposed to do? This was only her third day on the job, for God’s sake!
Dr. Musik spent her formative years on Long Island, a suburb of New York City, with her family, in the town of Babylon. The Musik clan was like something out of a Frank Capra movie, with parents deeply in love and well-adjusted children who you knew would grow up to be good, responsible people. Her mother, Claire, was a physician’s assistant working for a neighborhood doctor in a friendly, old-fashioned office. Jill’s father, Tony, was a district foreman for New York Telephone, having worked his way up from lineman over his nineteen-year career. Despite being separated by twenty-two months, Jill and her big brother, David, were as close as two siblings could be. Their bond was exceptionally strong, exempt from the rivalries and petty jealousies that most siblings suffered through. Her brother always took painstaking care to let Jill know how important she was to him, taking her to the park, concerts and picnics despite the protestations of many a girlfriend. Jill idolized her brother with a love that could never diminish.
Jill herself was something of a unique child. Born with a calculating mind and a curious nature, she questioned everything from a young age. From Sunday mass to Santa Claus, baseball to physics, if Jill didn’t understand something, she sought answers with a tenacity few could match. She was the type of kid who took apart her Easy Bake Oven at 6 years old to learn how it operated, endlessly obsessed with the nuts and bolts of life. By middle school, she had developed a reputation as a troublemaker amongst her teachers due to her inability to accept rules and regulations that didn’t sit right with her. Her parents tried to explain the world as best they could to young Jill, but not everything was easily quantified. When faced with the hard-to- define aspects of life, they would resort to a simple mantra: “Do the right thing and the world will take care of you.” That simple intonation seemed to calm the rampant curiosity forever swirling in Jill’s head, at least for a little while.
Aside from her need to analyze and decipher the world around her, Jill was a typical Long Island girl. She had many friends and, despite her overall problem with authority, she did well in her studies. All in all, she was well-liked and popular, forever wondering what the future would hold. She dreamt of eventually getting a place near her hometown, meeting a nice guy and settling down for a normal, happy life. Due to her idyllic upbringing, where nothing bad had ever happened, it seemed such an easily obtainable goal. Unfortunately, that all changed in the winter of 2002, as Jill was in the middle of her second semester of college at Stonybrook University, where she was studying Business Management on the advice of her parents.
David suddenly dropped out of college to enlist in the U.S. Army, motivated by the events of 9/11 to serve his country. During his second tour in Iraq, the elder Musik sibling was injured by a roadside bomb, losing his left leg just above the knee. After months of rehabilitation and therapy at Walter Reed Medical Cent
er in Bethesda, Maryland, he returned home a different person. Sullen and withdrawn, David was unrecognizable to his sister, suffering from both Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and severe bouts of depression. Jill tried everything to help him, even taking a semester off from college in an effort to recreate the happiness of their shared youth. Despite all their unconditional love, support, and the best psychologists money could buy, his family was never able to reach the troubled veteran. After long months of anguish and pain, David Alan Musik took his own life on July 4, 2007, leaving his family shattered.
Tony and Claire blamed themselves, their inability to reach their eldest child more than either could bear. The guilt weighed heavily on their psyches, eventually breeding anger, resentment and bitterness toward the world in general and each other specifically. Jill was forced to watch her parents disintegrate, neither capable of expressing or sharing their guilt and grief. They began to live disconnected lives, unable to spend any time in the same room except for the briefest of moments. It wasn’t long before silence permeated the house, a tomblike quiet filling the air where once love and laughter reigned. It broke Jill’s heart a second time as she struggled with her own feelings of loss.
After much soul searching, Jill decided to transfer to Ithaca College in upstate New York for the upcoming fall semester. She lived in the on-campus dormitories in a desperate and transparent attempt to escape the memories presented by the house she’d shared with her brother. The grief-stricken young woman felt a mixture of shame and guilt over leaving her reeling parents alone, but she needed the change, for the sake of her own sanity. After a period of severe depression, she sought counselling to begin dealing with her losses, thanks to her best friend and roommate. In order to give herself a completely fresh start, she also changed her major to clinical psychology, with a minor in applied psychology, her focus on the treatment and care of PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injuries. She was determined to spend her life working with veterans and their loved ones, vowing never to let anyone else suffer the same tragedies she’d experienced.
