Embers

by Daniela Elana

  “Nimrod,” I said.

  “And her?” he said, pointing to a woman standing at Nimrod’s side.

  “Semiramis.”

  “Do you know who they are?” he said. I nodded.

  “They picked up where Naamah left off. Do you know who else they are?”

  “Who?”

  “Who?”

  “Your ancestors.”

  “No, that’s not possible, I thought they….”

  “They had descendants, it was they who made the promise to give their daughter at the appointed time to me. Through your father’s line, you’re a descendant of Nimrod. On your mother’s side, you descend from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” he said.

  “It can’t be—”

  “There’s a reason I chose you.”

  “You’ll tell me anything to keep me intrigued with you.”

  “And you’ll do anything to run away from me. It doesn’t change a thing, Maricel. I’ll keep chasing you.”

  “There is a reason you are special to Belial and I. Your ancestors have made your choice for you,” he said.

  My vision faded with the departure of his touch—he left me alone in my bedroom.

  CHAPTER 7

  DISCORDIA

  Azazel’s words echoed in my mind. A knock at the door reeled me back to reality.

  “Enter,” I said.

  “Maricel, can we talk?” Leslie said.

  “About?”

  “Erich.”

  “Is he all right?”

  “Not at all. Between Belial being a fallen angel and everything happening in the world, he’s agitated.”

  “It’s a lot to deal with,” I said, recalling his recent outburst.

  “I don’t want him losing faith.”

  “Give him some time. I’m sure he’ll come around.”

  “I want to, but it’s affecting our marriage.”

  “In what way?”

  “He’s very cynical, and we’ve been fighting a lot. Most of our arguments are over him feeling we would’ve been better off on our own.”

  “I see.”

  “He has trust issues when it comes to you.”

  “It figures.”

  “Your ties to Belial only add to his suspicions.”

  “I can’t blame him or anyone for their suspicion of me. Leo’s family thinks I’m trouble also.”

  “Erich hardly trusts Leo either, and he thinks Caroline and Kevin are good people just unaware.”

  “Either way, we are locked in this lair together. We will just have to work past it.”

  “That’s what I keep telling him. I probably should go see about him now.”

  “I hope the best for you two and will pray about the situation.”

  “Thanks, Mar.” The tune of Ross Day’s show on the television drowned out her voice.

  “While you check on him, I’m going to see was Ross is saying now,” I said, motioning to move around her.

  “How can you stomach that pig’s pseudo-journalism, especially his obsession with you?”

  “I need to know what my enemies are saying.”

  “Suit yourself, have a good evening,” Leslie said, watching me disappear around the corner. The living room was empty and dark, except for the glow of the television. It was as if someone had started to watch tv then disappeared. Plopping down, I turned up the. Breaking news flashed across the screen.

  A familiar man spoke. His voice increased the ache of the knots forming in my stomach.

  “Today marks the start of a new era. A milestone has been achieved with the signing of a peace treaty in the Middle East. This treaty is a step toward a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine—a bright future for or our youth. Today we have shown the world we can overcome our differences. I’m honored to have made such a positive difference. Now, my right-hand man, Azazel will speak.”

  Azazel fell from the sky. His countenance glowed bright like the sun, contrasting is black wings that were spread wide—his eyes sparkled like two pieces of sapphire.

  “Messiah!” The crowd chanted. A few people rushed the stage. Security kept them back. Other angels stood around the region, touching the worshiping hands. Mr. Lovell handed him the microphone, stepping aside.

  “It’s an honor to have returned to witness this era of humankind, a time where there can be world peace. Let’s start fresh, together as we eliminate nationalism, borders, and wars. We will come together to form one government because we are one, one nation, one tongue. No discrimination against race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic level, or species. This is the age of harmony. One where all property and resources are owned by the world government and doled out fairly. I couldn’t have done it without the help of Valen Lovell and his fiancé Therasia.”

  A woman donning a violet tulip-shaped dress as if sewn from a field of flowers sashayed on the stage. She tossed aside her long, wavy dark brown hair, shielding her heart-shaped face. There was Tess with no severed head, scratches or burns, and she embraced Lovell and Azazel. She turned back to the camera, grinning wide. Although I understood he was addressing the entire world, I felt as if he were staring and speaking directly to me. I clicked the television off, put down the remote, and stood. “It’s time,” I said as I headed for his room.

  Despite the fight Leo and I had earlier, I knew we had to warn people now that the tribulation had officially begun. Most of the lights were off as everyone had vanished to their rooms. Knocking on his door, I got no response. After the fifth knock, I gave up. As I pivoted around to leave, I noticed Crystal.

  “Are you looking for Leo?” she asked. I nodded. “He’s downstairs working on the car. Is everything okay?”

  “See for yourself it’s all over the news,” I said, plodding away and rushing down the steps.

  “What?” she said.

  I walked to the garage. Leo’s boots and black jeans were all I saw him while he lay under the car, performing an oil change.

  “Leo, can I have a minute with you?”

  He didn’t answer me, and I started to walk away when he slid out from under the car covered in oil.

  “Oh, it’s you—” he said, stopping midsentence. “For a moment, you reminded me of someone else.” His words struck me in a way I hadn’t expected.

  “The peace treaty has been signed, and Tess, Naamah’s true vessel is alive. Which means everything has begun with the false trinity!”

  “I know about Tess,” he said.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “We don’t have time for this.”

  “Maybe we should revisit the capital and warn people.”

  “Now’s not the time to act impulsively. We can pray about it. When either of us receives an answer from God, we will act.” He said with a sigh and slid back under the car. Staring at his black tennis shoes, I wrinkled my nose and marched away.

  * * *

  Two hours later, I crept out of my room, climbing the staircase sealing the trapdoor shut and stood in the old bar. The canopy of stars came into view with a violent gust of wind that edged my skin. I balled my hands up in my pockets to stay warm from the October breeze.

  The streets were quiet for the first time. No screams, howls of pursuit or gunshots. Residential areas were full of life. Lamppost lights illuminated the sidewalk. Along the streets were homes with the silhouettes of people up late, sitting inside talking and laughing. Was it really their homes, or had they occupied someone’s former dwelling now that the population had been reduced?

  With the treaty signed those who remained now had an opportunity to live a healthy life after being released from labor camps.

  I passed a man helping an elderly woman across the street. People were being kind to one another rather than fighting over food. The number of homes standing outnumbered people who could dwell in them.

  After a ten minute walk, I made it to a small park, and I took a seat gazing at
the green shrubbery despite it being early October.

  A man in a dark gray pea coat took a seat beside me. His face was covered by the newspaper he read. When he felt my stare, he lowered it, revealing his visage.

  “Belial—“

  “I see you’re getting an eyeful of the changes that have been made,” he said.

  “I hate to admit it, but everything seems so calm and beautiful. It’s like waking up from a nightmare.”

  “It’s always this way before disaster strikes. Don’t let the tranquility fool you, trust your instincts.”

  “I’m sure things will change for the worse now that the treaty is signed,” I said. Belial shook his head.

  “That treaty all the futurist theologians have been waiting on means nothing.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That’s not part of the real prophecy.”

  “Explain?”

  “Lovell and Azazel only did this to charm the world.”

  “You’ll know when it’s time.”

  “How?”

  “Martyrdom will begin as Mathew 24 spoke of,” he said.

  “Are you wearing the seal of Solomon?”

  “No,” I said.

  “You should, you’re going to need it, peace is its own form of chaos,” he said, vanishing into the night. I ruminated on his words striding back when hollering, and a church organ from praise music arrested my attention. The noise emanated from a church. Who’s having service this late? A choir rejoiced for the peace of Jerusalem and the great man who had brought it.

  Bursting through the doors of the church where women danced with tambourines. The band’s song ceased with my entrance.

  “You all are deceived, that man you call a hero is the son of perdition!”

  The pastor stepped forward, showing the same twisted smirk I had remembered.

  “You again, the so-called prophetess that has bewitched Leonardo,” Deacon said.

  Behind him was Leo’s father who glared at me. What were they doing outside of Flo?

  “I’m not here to argue, but warn all of you, there’s martyrdom on the horizon and to sit here blind just because you can eat again, and return to your comfortable lifestyle is pure ignorance.”

  “She’s in contact with demonic spirits!” Leo’s father shouted. The crowd erupted into gasps.

  “Heed my warning, before it’s too late,” I said, turning and walking away. A woman amongst the crowd scowled at me, as she stood beside a group. I recognized Cecily. Leo’s brother was to her right.

  Although tears filled my eyes, I kept moving, heading back to our residents. Should I warn Leo? Chances were he’d oppose the idea his family had fallen prey to the deception. Besides, he wasn’t willing to tell me Tess was alive. What other secrets was he hiding?”

  * * *

  Birds singing and the scent of freshly prepared waffles woke me. I tiptoed into the kitchen to see my mother making them.

  “You’re up early for once?” she said.

  “I used to be a morning person, you know.”

  “I remember.”

  “But that was before reality kicked in and I grew older, and was surrounded by psychic vampires.” I poured myself a glass of orange juice and took a seat on the stool by the snack bar.

  “Why the long face?”

  “That peace treaty signed has no real value. It’s not even a part of the prophecy. It was just done deceive those waiting on a messiah and those of us looking for the antichrist to believe it is him.”

  “Are you saying that he isn’t the antichrist?”

  “I believe Lovell is, but what he did is a diversion.”

  “So, you’re skeptical?”

  “Half of the stuff broadcasted to us is staged. It’s a smokescreen.”

  “For what?”

  “I’m unsure—”

  “Have you prayed about all of this and discussed this with Leo.

  “I’m unsure if he can be trusted.”

  “Ah, I see,” she said, cracking eggs into a pan preparing sunny side up eggs.

  “He has this other life. Those in it, aren’t too accepting of me,” I said as my chin rested under my hand. My mother smiled. “How is that funny?” I said.

  “Your father’s family was the same way, they couldn’t stand the sight of me.”

  “Really?” I thought I never met them because he ran away?”

  “No, they were true in-laws, you’d never want to have, but despite what they thought, your father and I did something extraordinarily stupid.”

  “What?”

  “We took off from college our freshman year and ran away to marry in Vegas before his parents could say anything, there was Zev.”

  “So you know a thing or two about up and leaving yourself?”

  “Yes, I do, my parents weren’t too happy either they kept me away from him for a reason. Remember, your grandparents were very spiritual.”

  “Indeed, grandpa was a pastor.”

  “I felt they were holding me back. While my father was ministering to a congregation winning souls for Christ, I was a true preacher’s daughter out partying.”

  “I never knew you were like that.”

  “Trust me, you weren’t the only rebel.”

  “What?”

  “You’re a different kind than I was.”

  “How so?”

  “When you were born, I had lived without religion. Your father and I had raised Zev without the control of dogma.”

  “Explains my ignorance of angels and demons.”

  “I figured I wouldn’t teach it to you because I wanted you to live a life free of a fear of going to hell because of a judgmental God and decided when you were old enough you determine what you wanted to believe.”

  “I guess it worked out since I did figure out what to believe in the past 4 years.”

  “Yes, and in the end, it was my daughter that brought me back to my roots.”

  “That is something to think about. So, how does this all tie back to Leo?”

  “I don’t know whether he’s trustworthy, but if he’s who he says he is and the Most High has you both tied together for a mission then things will work out.”

  “I guess,” I said, looking down.

  “And Maricel,” she said. I looked up. “If he’s the one for you, you two will make it through this period if not then don’t be afraid to let him go.”

  * * *

  Later as everyone sat around the table for breakfast Rain gulped away his waffles washing it away with orange juice.

  “Slow down you don’t want to choke,” I said.

  “I won’t, I eat this way all the time besides I’ve got to go soon.”

  “Where?”

  “Leo and I are going to catch up with some old friends,” he said. My eyes moved to Leo—he scowled at Rain. His gaze shifted to me. He wore a glare that remained while he got up and left.

  * * *

  About an hour after they headed out, I decided to head to town with Leslie, Erich, and Warren. Erich hadn’t said much since the incident the other day. He drove a Hummer. I sat in the back beside Warren while he had headphones in his ears sleeping.

  “So they signed the peace treaty,” Erich said, breaking the silence, glancing back at me through the rearview mirror.

  “That means three and a half years of peace and three and a half of chaos,” Leslie said. He smirked.

  “Out of the trillions of people that could’ve existed during this time, after plenty have passed on, why us? We could’ve been born in a different time, free of all this chaos,” Erich said.

  “How do you know this is all true? Can’t this be another political move? There’s probably an antichrist figure out there, but I’m not sold on this seven-year thing,” Warren said.

  “God never gives us more than we can handle,” I said.

  “Way to look at things positive, Mar,” Leslie said.

&nbs
p; “I’m skeptical that the tribulation has started yet,” I said.

  “Why?” Leslie said.

  “When we see the mass martyrdom that’s when I believe we will know for certain. Warren is right; the peace treaty is another political move.”

  “Why would God abandon us now?” Erich said.

  “No, honey it just seems that way.” Leslie placed her hand on his leg as he drove. He didn’t break his gaze from the road while he exited the highway, pulling across the street from the supermarket. Cars were parked down the street from the jam-packed lot.

  We walked past semi-trucks with new shipments. Inside people snatched food, filling their baskets, so full items fell out. A can of beans rolled out of a woman’s basket as she shopped. Another woman grabbed it. The woman who had lost her can of beans grabbed the woman who stuffed it in her basket by the hair and punched her.

  “Valen Lovell is a savior,” a man whistled while he pushed a cart full of groceries across the store, passing the brawling women. Erich and Leslie exchanged looks with Warren and I. We shook our heads.

  “They really cleaned out these shelves,” Warren said, grabbing the last bag of bread. We split up salvaging what we could. Most of the shelves had been picked through limiting our choices.

  Various amethyst banners hung on the wall with a new symbol of three triangles around the faces of Lovell, Azazel, and Tess. The three triangles formed a familiar shape I’d seen before—a goat insignia representing the Lemurian Order. How nauseating. How were they already erecting images?

  At the register, Erich pulled out his wallet to pay.

  “I wonder how long it’s going to be like this,” Leslie whispered to me. The cashier furrowed his eyebrows at Erich.

  “Son, that’s not worth a cent.”

  “Damn,” Erich said, lowering his head.

  “Take whatever you need brother, all food here today is free, compliments of our savior Lovell.” The cashier grinned. In other aisles, just as surprised shoppers left with baskets of free food.

  “Thank you,” Erich said, laughing with Warren.

  “I hope it stays like this for a while,” I said. We headed for the car loading the food in, when a crowd gathered around to see something in the street. Some within the circle screamed, stretching out their hands like a group of teenage girls at a concert to touch whoever was in the middle of them. “I’ll be right back,” I said. Leslie followed me, pushing through the sea of faces.