Eve of Redemption

by Tom Mohan

  “He isn’t as far away as you may think. Concentrate on him, seek him with your mind, with your spirit.”

  Sara shrugged her shoulders and did as the girl said. She imagined herself closing her eyes but didn’t know if she did or not as she still had no real awareness of herself. Next, she tried to put her father’s face before her. She struggled to even remember what he looked like, her imagination conjuring two different men’s faces. Finally, one face faded, and the other grew more solid, more familiar. She knew this man. It really was him. Sara’s eyes—real or figurative, she wasn’t sure—flashed open, and she recognized the bulging, bluish face that was inches from her own.

  “Dad!”

  BURKE’S FOGGED MIND heard the word, recognized the sweet voice, and latched onto it. The grip around his throat weakened, then he felt himself crumple to the stone floor. Through blurred vision, he saw Eve stumble across the cavern. Her howls of pain and rage filled the chamber.

  “Sara?”

  Eve spun toward him. Darkness surrounded her like a massive cloud of swarming gnats. Her huge eyes blazed, but something in her face had changed. “Shut up, human!” she shrieked. “It’s time for you to die.” She stormed toward him, crushing stone to dust beneath her feet.

  Burke scuttled backward, scraping the palms of his hands on the rough stone. “Sara, honey, if you can hear me, I love you. I really do.” Burke knew he had never called Sara honey in her life, but it felt good now. It felt right.

  Again Eve shrieked, this time in pain as the darkness around her grew more agitated.

  “Sara,” he continued, “I know you’re in there. Please, honey.” He was sobbing now, unable to control these newfound emotions.

  Eve pounded the walls, screamed, and then pounded them again. The light of her power flickered, and her form shimmered, shrinking in on itself before surging back again. As fast as lightning, she spun toward Burke, her eyes flashing fire. With a sharp intake of air, she raised her hands and lashed out.

  Burke screamed as the living darkness crashed into him. The warmth of life faded. At the same time, he felt the power of God’s light grow stronger, holding the darkness off just enough.

  Kill her.

  Burke’s pain-wracked mind nearly missed the subtle words. Kill her? No, I can’t.

  The light of God’s power dulled, just enough for the nerve-piercing pain to sharpen again.

  Kill her now.

  Burke sank to his knees. The pain was so intense, the power of the light so tempting. He reached for it, claimed it, let it go. No, I won’t kill my daughter.

  Would you sacrifice your immortal soul for her?

  Burke trembled with the implication. His immortal soul? After everything he had given, there was still a price? He forced his gaze back to the thing called Eve, the thing that was his daughter. Yes, his mind yelled. Yes, if it saves her, so be it.

  Burke sensed a vast sigh.

  It is enough.

  EVE HATED THE feelings that confused her mind. She growled and lashed out but could not rid herself of them. Something was tearing her apart from the inside, something that was not supposed to be part of her. She turned her attention back to the human, wanting nothing more than to send the puny creature to hell and end this. Hatred and rage flooded her, strengthening her. Still, she felt the cancer growing.

  The light of the enemy glowed around the human, stronger than she would have guessed possible. She braced herself for the coming assault. The human screamed—a sound that brought her satisfaction—but did not attack. Eve cocked her head, listening. Around her, some of the weaker spirits writhed, mewling and hissing, but she detected something else, something subtle and quiet. A whisper.

  You are loved.

  Searing pain stabbed Eve’s chest, setting her heart on fire. She staggered, dizzy and weak. The dark power left her as though a switch had been shut off. The thing that should not be in her shifted, and her vision swam and contorted.

  “Daddy?”

  Eve groaned and nearly fell. Had that word come from her? More dark spirits flitted about, fleeing her but finding nowhere to escape to. She fell to one knee, shivering and weak. She blinked, struggling to focus her eyes as two feet stepped into her view. She looked up to see a dark silhouette standing over her. The human. Daddy? Eve shook her head as strange new feelings flashed through her.

  “Please, Sara,” the human said. “Let me love you.”

  Eve shrank back as the human knelt before her. She wanted to run, to escape, but her body would not obey her. Her weak hand tried to push the human’s arms away as he reached for her. Then he wrapped them around her, and she melted against him.

  BURKE CLOSED HIS eyes as his little girl fell, sobbing, into his arms. Eve was gone. Hot tears flooded down his cheeks, tears of joy he’d never thought would be shed.

  He opened his eyes when angry shrieks and a brilliant burst of light filled the cavern. The dark spirits that had been the soul of Eve were sucked to the light before flaring into bright sparks and vanishing, like moths to a bug zapper. When they were all gone, the light flashed so bright that Burke pulled Sara to the ground beneath him, fearing an explosion. He waited, eyes squeezed shut, feeling the trembling of his daughter beneath him, but no explosion came. The light dimmed, and he felt a soft, warm breeze. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked around. It appeared to be early afternoon. A few feet away, gentle waves lapped at the shore of a lake. Turning, he saw the dirt path leading through the trees to where he knew the cabins would be.

  Burke smiled. They were home.

  Sara revved the engine on her Harley once more before reluctantly shutting the bike down. Even after all these years, she still loved the bike’s power. For a few moments, she sat there, gazing at the other bikes, most of them Harleys—but not all. Tiny had grown lenient in his older years, taking in believers regardless of what they rode. There were even a few cars in the gang now. Of course, they brought up the rear when the Rebels hit the road. She could still smell smoke from nearly dead campfires in the midmorning air, but otherwise there was little to indicate anyone was around. The camp was silent, and she knew why.

  Her father was about to die.

  Sara had known this day was coming. The part of her that was Red knew such things, and Sara could not help but be aware of at least some of the thoughts that passed through Red’s vast awareness. Perhaps that had been why she had stayed away so much the past few months. Knowing but being helpless to do anything about it drove her crazy. God had been good to them, though. Even with all the adventures she and her dad had shared, God had allowed him to live to a ripe old age.

  Sara sighed. After all those adventures, after so many battles won, the world was no better off. Though technically demon-kind was still confined to the spirit world, it mattered little. The human population practically invited the demons to live vicariously through them, and the demons were more than happy to oblige. Sara saw them everywhere. She was one of the rare few. Most viewed the changes in the world as progress. The vast majority of them were blind to the ugliness of it all.

  A presence pulled Sara’s attention to the shadowed edge of the forest where the misty form of her great-grandfather, Caleb Burke, stood. His eyes locked with hers. He smiled and gave her a slight nod. She had been seeing him more and more of late. His presence didn’t really worry her. She knew that Caleb the man was much too old to survive this side of the veil, and his demon was still trapped on the other side. Eve growled, and Sara concentrated, forcing her dark side down. The presence of the evil ones sometimes awoke the part of her that would always be Eve.

  Sara shrugged and forced the demons from her mind. She was here for another reason. One of the gang members saw her and hurried to a large canvas tent in the center of the camp. She followed at a much slower pace. She had time. Not much, but enough.

  Nearing the tent, she paused before entering. She had known this day would be hard, but it had always seemed so far off, like something that would happen in another life. Now
it was here, and she had little choice but to face it.

  The canvas flap stirred, and Sara’s stepmom slipped out. Raquel had aged gracefully. She was still beautiful, even in her seventies. Sara knew this strong woman was the backbone of the Lord’s Rebels. She reached out to take Raquel’s hand. Raquel had truly loved her father and would mourn his passing as she still mourned her first husband. Sara still heard the songs sung of Josiah, “The Demon Slayer.”

  “I hoped you would come,” Raquel said.

  “Did you ever doubt?”

  Raquel smiled. “No, not really. She wouldn’t have let you stay away.”

  “No, she kind of insisted.” Sara heard Red giggle in her mind. “Well? Shall we?” Sara said, gesturing to the tent.

  Raquel held the tent flap open and stepped aside, allowing Sara to slip by her. Inside, the tent was surprisingly bright, with three lanterns lit in the interior. The tent struck her as spacious but uncluttered. The Rebels traveled light, and Sara knew the huge tent was only to allow space for those who would visit her father in his final days.

  “Sara, it’s good to have you here.” Sara moved to where Tiny sat beside her father’s cot. She put a hand on his shoulder as he began to rise.

  “Sit still, Tiny.” She gave the big man a hug. Tiny was much as she had always remembered him. Grayer and softer but still large and strong. His blind face gazed at her, and she knew he was seeing her in his own, special way. They didn’t call him the Blind Prophet for nothing. Much had changed that day all those years ago. The lives of many had been altered.

  “He’s been asking for you,” Tiny said.

  Sara nodded and turned her attention to the frail figure on the cot. He looks dead already. Burke’s face was pale and drawn, his eyes sunken beneath closed lids. She almost jumped when he opened them.

  “Hello, Daddy.” She had not called him that in years.

  Her father smiled. “Hey, honey.” He lifted a weak hand, and Sara reached out and took it. It felt so fragile and cold. Hot tears fell down her cheeks. “Hey there,” he said. “Don’t cry. We all die someday. It’s part of life.”

  “Do we?” The words were out before she could stop them. “I’m sorry, Daddy.” She felt Tiny’s hand rest on her back, but the blind man remained silent.

  “It’s okay,’’ he said. ‘’I’m sorry I can’t go on with you. We’ve had quite the adventures, haven’t we?”

  “Yes, Daddy, so many adventures. I don’t know if I can keep them up without you.”

  Her father smiled, and for a moment, he looked like his old self. “God’s keeping you around for a reason.” His free hand reached up and stroked her face. “Look at you. Not a day older than when I found you.”

  “I sure feel older,” Sara sighed, but it was true. She had not aged in over forty years, and, though some days she felt those years, her body was as lithe and strong as that of any seventeen-year-old. Stronger, actually.

  “You take care of her, Tiny.”

  Sara felt Tiny’s huge hand pat her back. “You know I will, Johnny. You know I will.”

  Sara’s father’s blue eyes met hers. She saw no fear there.

  “I love you, Sara.” And just like that, he was gone. Sara could almost see his spirit rise from his body as he began his final, grand adventure.

  “I love you too, Daddy.”

  JOHN BURKE STOOD on a dirt path that stretched through a green meadow as far as the eye could see. A warm breeze ruffled his hair and carried a scent that made him feel more relaxed and alive than he had ever been.

  “Lovely, isn’t it?”

  Burke looked down to see Red standing before him. Her unruly red curls waved in the breeze, and her dirty potato sack dress still hung over her tiny frame. “What are you doing here? I thought you were trapped inside Sara with Eve?”

  The little girl rolled her eyes at him. “You humans have such limited minds. I’d have thought you’d be smarter by now.”

  Burke smiled. “No need to be insulting. What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come to take you home. What else?”

  “Take me home?” Burke felt a raw sense of wonder at the word home.

  “I’ve longed for home, tried to have faith. Long ago I came to believe that God’s demand that I give up my immortal soul to save Sara meant give it to him. Still, all these years a part of me feared I might be mistaken.”

  “All these years you’ve been silly.” She reached her little arms out to him, and Burke instinctively picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a tight hug before kissing his cheek. “Let’s go home,” she said.

  Burke started down the path, the little angel light in his arms. “Yeah, let’s.”

  The End

  Tom Mohan grew up in rural Missouri, where he learned that reading was a great escape from the restless boredom he often felt. He loved anything scary, and latched on to the writings of Stephen King and Peter Straub. After joining the U.S. Navy in the early 80s, Tom discovered epic fantasy and read as much of it as he could get. Tom currently resides in San Diego.