by Summer Lee
One of the batteries dropped in the sand. Achava picked it up and slowly placed it in his hand, rubbing his fingers gently. Looking into his eyes, she smiled.
He returned the smile, and put the other batteries in his pocket. Turning the flashlight on to a low setting, it gave out just enough light. He was thankful he brought the one with multiple settings.
“This tomb doesn’t stink. It was purified with a holy energy.” He stepped inside.
Following Sam, everyone made their way into the tomb. Anthea pulled the stone wheel so that it was almost covering the entrance.
“Good idea, Anthea,” Achava said. “We’ll keep the flashlight’s beam away from the entrance as well. Maybe we can confuse the person who placed the crown in here, if they come snooping around. It should be enough to give us time to decide what to do.”
Khassima’s eyes widened at Anthea’s show of strength in moving the handwheel. “Whoa! They grew you strong, as well as tall! We all have our talents. Yes?” She grinned.
Anthea just nodded. She couldn’t stand up straight in the tomb because of her height, so she sat on her knees. The rest sat on their knees as well or with their legs crossed.
Achava said, “I am satisfied that we are safe, at least for the moment.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “I am going to bow my head in prayer for Aharon. You are all welcome to join in the prayer.”
Everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes, as Achava suggested. She prayed, “Glorious Father in Heaven. We thank You for this rare opportunity to serve Your will. We ask that You show Your mercy on the soul of one of our comrades, Aharon Malka. He accompanied us through time, in spite of not knowing what to expect and he sacrificed himself to save me. We ask that You take him home. He died in Your service, oh Lord. Thank You for Your guidance. We really need it now more than ever. In the name of Jesus Christ, our savior. Amen.”
They all agreed and opened their eyes. Achava smiled. “Any suggestions as to what we can do with the crown?”
Anthea just glared at the bundle. “If it’s our only way out of here, then that means someone is going to have to get brave and touch it. Unless Sam can figure out another way to get us home.”
Sam rolled his eyes at her, but he refused to get into an argument with her. He ignored her comment and said he would think about the situation.
“Khassima brought up a good point,” Achava said. “She wondered how someone could bring the crown here, and not die. I wonder the same thing. Even though Aharon and I touched it through the cloth, we still felt its power.”
Sam looked at the simple piece of cloth covering perhaps the rarest item the earth had ever known. He said, “Anthea was right.”
Anthea’s eyes widened in surprise.
Sam continued. “If Achava, who is definitely the most righteous among us, can’t touch the crown, then how can any of the rest of us do so?”
“You know, it affected both Achava and Aharon differently,” Khassima added. “Maybe it has something to do with their age. Yes?”
A light went on in Sam’s head. He smiled at Khassima. “You may have something there, Khassima. I don’t think it has anything to do with age, though.” He glared at the bundle and thought about Aharon and Achava. He narrowed his eyes, as if that would help him think. Everyone else was quiet while he surmised the situation. He then nodded and smiled. “Experience. That’s it. I believe it has everything to do with experience.”
“Doesn’t that have to do with age?” Anthea asked, sarcastically.
Sam shook his head. “Please, let me finish. Looking at it from a religious… uh… Christian point of view, the people from this time zone don’t have all of the distractions that we do in our time. No Internet, cell phones, modern transportation or conveniences…”
“So what does that have to do with what happened to Achava?” Anthea demanded.
“If you could hold the questions until I’m finished,” Sam said in a huff. “The people of this time period had only word of mouth communication, and seeing for their eyes. That is what Jesus was… is… all about. It could be said that there is actually more corruption of the soul in our time. I should say, more possible ways to corrupt our souls. Even for the most righteous of people.” He looked at Achava. “The less we know, the more we are childlike in our knowledge. If we try to explain, well anything from our time to anyone here, they wouldn’t… couldn’t even begin to fathom what we are talking about.”
“So, you’re saying that our education and knowledge from our time, is what is hurting, or killing us, when we touch the crown?” Achava asked, although she knew he had a point.
Sam nodded. “It’s just a theory, mind you, but I really believe that it makes sense.”
Anthea shook her head. “If wonder boy is right, then we don’t have a… excuse the expression… prayer, of making it to Noah, our time, or Timbuktu!”
“There has to be a way, or we wouldn’t be here now,” Sam said.
“Do you really believe that, Sam?” Achava asked softly, with a smile.
He returned her smile. “I do, Achava. I really do.”
There was something about her smile that got to him still. He loved that woman.
Chapter the Seventeenth
ACHAVA TRIED TO HIDE HER JOY that Sam displayed faith in God. She didn’t want to judge him. She knew that his relationship with God was personal. It was between the two of them—and them alone. But she’d like him to be more vocal about it.
“Excuse me, everyone,” Khassima said. She looked as if she was going to cry. “I just want to say thank you, to all of you.”
Anthea narrowed her eyes at Khassima. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that we were in some sort of support group.”
Achava glared at her evil half-sister, but she didn’t respond. She noticed how tense and agitated Anthea was. She also knew her problem was that Anthea was in a situation that she had no control over. She felt powerless and had to vent her frustrations. So Achava did not respond, allowing her to do just that. She gave her attention to Khassima. “What would you like to say thank you for, Khassima?” Achava asked, while ignoring Anthea.
Khassima smiled as she continued. “I know that I could not hardly be trusted in the past, because of who I was originally. The fact that you all trusted what I said about this time zone means more to me than you can imagine. Yes? I am in no way a saint, but I have never claimed to be. I am also not a former bad girl, who is desperate to be something that she’s not. I do wish I could take back the biggest mistake of my life, but I will not be selfish. I realize that this mission is bigger than I am. Yes?”
Anthea started to clap a slow clap. “Who’s next? Maybe we can give you some kind of award for being so brave, talking about how unselfish you are.”
“That’s it!” Sam exclaimed as he approached Anthea. “I’ve sat back, while you have done nothing but berate everyone with your snide and sarcastic remarks! In case you haven’t figured it out, Anthea, we’re all in this together! And it’s going to take all of us to get out of it! For all we know, we may be going back further in time, once we get out of here! Now, if you’re going to remain with us, please just shut up and help us, because we do need your help!”
The silence was deafening.
No one said a word in response to Sam’s rant. Khassima had a peaceful look on her face, and Achava felt he was justified, but she made no gesture to confirm that fact.
Anthea bit her lower lip. It was from either her trying to hold back what she wanted to say, or it was because Sam was right.
***
Anthea sat quietly, even after the others started to talk about what to do.
She must have been thinking about how it felt to have someone stand up to her. It was probably the first time in her life. Achava sat by her and put her hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“No one has ever talked to me the way Sam just did.”
“But he was right,” whispered Achava. “You did the mature thing. Instead of re
sponding in kind, you knew that aggravating the situation wouldn’t do anyone any good. You’re just used to being in control, or at least giving the person in charge a hard time.”
Anthea laughed. “I know. It is always my goal to throw people off their game, so that I can be the one to solve the riddle or find the artifact.
“Achava, you outshine me in everything we do. Even when we are not competing, you win. I know you love me and only want the best for me,” said Anthea.
“You’re taller and wittier than me.”
“I’ve had no choice but to try to sabotage the plans of others.”
Achava thought about their past. Despite Anthea’s cocky attitude and better-than-you personality, she never believed in anything, especially herself. After years of practice, she covered her low self-esteem beautifully. She never let anyone get close enough to her so that they would be able to see who she really was. She let one person get close a long time ago, and Achava knew it was not her.
Anthea had opened her heart to someone when she turned nineteen. She was even open to the world back then and experienced everything life had to offer. But when Achava saw her a year later, she had become bitter. It was so many years ago that Achava could not remember all of the details. “I was just thinking about how different you were when you were a teenager.”
Anthea bristled. “Do not mention the one I loved, though. You vowed never to mention his name ever again, after what he did to me.”
“I won’t, dear Anthea. You were young and impressionable. You saw everything through rose-colored glasses.”
“He betrayed me in ways that I would never be able to talk about with anyone. Not even you, Achava.”
“What about Sam?”
Anthea said, “I never really liked Sam, in any way other than the respect I had for his intelligence and common sense. I’ve never been attracted to him. He’s definitely not my type. I only wanted you, Achava, to believe that I was trying to steal Sam away from you, just to prove that I could.”
Achava laughed. “You are good at what you do.” She knew that Anthea held grudges, at first, against all males. She then widened her circle of hatred to encompass all of humanity. Finally, she harbored more anger against Achava when she was chosen to hunt for artifacts and complete missions for the God of heaven. “You know that I do love you.”
Achava kissed her cheek. The two sat in silence, absorbing a new kind of friendship. “You wanna take a walk?” asked Achava.
“No thank you. But you go ahead.”
Achava stood and wandered down a footpath. She thought about her own life. She left home at an early age, to pursue her life mission, because she was of a strong Biblical lineage on both her mother and father’s side. Anthea wanted her own way. She pursued her own path.
Achava found out at an early age that the two girls would eventually inherit special abilities from their mother to assist in their missions. Both young ladies had already accessed some of them. Since Achava was serving the Lord, she had more power. Plus, her father was an Israelite. Anthea had a bad lineage on her father’s side. Another reason for Anthea to be jealous of her sister. In her eyes, anyway.
Anthea seemed to have rationalized why she should hate people. All it had gotten for her was a dark soul. Sam’s words rang true enough for the rebellious descendant to Achsah. She couldn’t fight or argue her way out of the situation that they all were in at the moment. She needed them, as much as they needed her. Especially with Aharon gone.
“You’re right, Sam,” Anthea said, with a mild, humble tone. The other’s eyes widened in unison. Surely, none of them had ever expected for Anthea to admit she was wrong.
Achava saw the two of them manage to make eye contact. She understood that Anthea wanted to show everyone that she was not a loser. Surely, she didn’t know how people perceived her. That they thought she was a jerk.
“I need to be a part of this team,” Anthea continued. “I assume that for the time being, I can be less hateful and more helpful. I don’t want anyone to say anything cute about what a good person I am, though. I know all of that. Just… carry on. Let’s get the heck out of here and on to Noah’s Ark.”
Achava thought about how the scarf containing the crown of thorns opened by itself. It must have been an angel that opened it. She prayed silently about it. She was available to protect the crown just as she protected the children of Israel. She thought ahead to heaven. Jesus now wore a crown of gold; actually, he had many crowns in heaven.
Chapter the Eighteenth
SAM WANTED TO AT LEAST SMILE at Anthea, for saying what she did. Little did he know, that he wouldn’t be smiling again for quite a while.
Before anyone had a chance to say or do anything else, voices were heard from outside the garden. All members of the team froze. “Listen,” said Sam. “Let’s try to hear what is going on.”
“They are speaking in Hebrew,” Achava said, softly. “It’s not clear.”
Khassima started to panic. “What will happen to me if anyone from the time of Christ finds me here now? What do I do?”
“Wait and see, I guess.” Sam turned off the flashlight and put it back into his pack. It should have been pitch black, since night had fallen. There was a flicker of light coming from just outside of the stone wall. That stone wall was the only thing separating the group from whoever was outside.
“It sounds as if there are many people out there,” Achava said in a trembling voice. She was obviously nervous. “Do you hear that?”
With a look of determination, Anthea moved toward the path opening to the outside. The heavy stone wheel started to move slowly. She braced herself and grabbed the wheel, preventing it from opening further. “I can only hold it for so long, Achava. Hopefully, you’ll come up with a good plan before they get in here. It’s not like we have a back door. One thing’s for sure. Don’t plan on touching that bundled pack anymore. I think it’s safe to say that we’re not supposed to touch it.”
“Is it unstable?” asked Sam. “Someone pray for us.”
“That’s what I’ll do!” Achava exclaimed. Even though no one could see her in the dark, she bowed her head, clasped her hands and whispered a prayer. “Our Father in heaven. We have journeyed far to come to a standstill. I believe Anthea is right. We are not supposed to touch something that is beyond us. We were too busy trying to figure out a way to use the crown that was originally meant to ridicule and demean Your Son. It is now stained with His blood, which makes it more precious than any jewel in any time-line. Too precious for any man to possess. Knowing this now, we say that if you so choose, you can reclaim the crown and, what I believe to be the nails from the crucifixion.”
Tears ran down her cheeks. “The crown which was once used to make fun of our Savior, we now return to you for your choosing. That which was made from thorns is a symbol of the fall of man when Adam had to remove the thorny bushes in order to plant food. May it now be made sacred as we dedicate it to you. The crown should represent the crown of a King. Please, take this burden of protecting the crown from the world and move it to the kingdom of heaven. Let that which was forged by man, be made new by You. In His Holy name, by the blood of Jesus, the Son of the living God and our Savior. Amen.”
Her prayer made an impact of atmospheric status. The darkness was no more. The brightest and whitest light Sam had ever seen appeared. It was coming through the roof of the tomb and spotlighted the bundle on the sandy ground. The light lit up the entire tomb and caused all four within to take cover.
Anthea looked more determined to help. Glaring at the light, she maintained control, as the people from outside tried to force the stone wheel to move.
Sam was shocked when he realized the source of the light, even though he had a good idea where it originated.
Khassima had a look of confusion and fear. “I need to understand what is going on.”
“We all want to know,” said Achava.
“Why?” Khassima cried. “Why did we even come here? What
have we accomplished? We have been holed up in this tomb. We lost Aharon! Explain to me the reasons for what we did! Yes? Please!”
Achava turned away from Khassima, as she watched the beam of light expanding. “Ours is not to question the ways of the Lord, Khassima. You, of all people, should know that.” She then turned her full attention to the light. “Anthea! Just as soon as the light reaches you, Soul Merge!”
“What?” Anthea questioned. She exclaimed in disbelief, “I thought our abilities didn’t work here!”
Achava smiled as her golden eyes glowed brightly. “Trust me, sister. It is too much of a risk for us to Soul Merge together. We must do so separately. Take Khassima and go. I will take Sam.”
“What’s going on now, Achava?” Sam asked, nervously.
“Hold onto me, Sam,” she answered, looking concerned. “Hold onto me, as if your life depends upon it.” She then looked at Khassima. “Do the same to Anthea, Khassima! Hold onto her, as if your life depends upon it, because it just might.”
Anthea turned back, to look at Achava and smiled. “Take care, sister. We will meet up as soon as we can. Make sure you feed your pet well.”
“That’s not nice,” Sam replied, as he held tightly onto Achava. He noticed Khassima doing the same with Anthea.
“Khassima!” Achava called out. “You would not have been able to fix your mistake anyway, but you made the right call. We are in the timeline about a year after John the Baptist was beheaded. It already happened!”
Khassima smiled weakly.
Anthea and Achava’s eyes locked in a stare, as the cloth with the bundle unraveled, to reveal the crown of thorns, along with three large nails that resembled spikes. The crown looked as if it had been broken apart, to be removed from Christ’s head. The blood on all four items turned from red to gold, as the items began to rise in the air.
