by Kristie Cook
“Did the man in the closet get help? Is he okay?” Miku grins as if she’s just she won the lotto. Rio shares her joy, as does Reese and Jayden. They all look at me strangely. Like I revealed something important but didn’t realize it.
“That’s what you want to know?” Ameana says incredulously.
“Well, there are lots more, but you said I could only ask one,” I say bitterly.
“He’s been taken to the hospital. He’s critical but stable. There’s a good chance he’ll make it.”
“Thank you,” I say curtly, matching her tone.
She gets up to leave the room. As she is almost out the door she says, “Fill her in. Tell her what she needs to know.” And nothing more, I think, reading between the lines. Then she walks out.
I can’t hold it anymore. “Are you angels? Who’s Lucy? Why did she send those guys after me?”
Miku gets up and pours me a glass of water. “Here, you’ll need this.”
I take it from her and drink it. I’m not thirsty, but I have a feeling she won’t take no for an answer. She sits back down and Jay prepares to addresses me. But before he can get started, Rio tells him to hold on. Then out of nowhere he says loudly, “Emmy’s cold, bring her a sweater, please.”
How did he know I was cold? I didn’t make any gestures to indicate being cold, but he’s right. I’ve been getting goose bumps for 10 minutes. I just didn’t want to stop them now that they’re finally talking.
Rio points to something next to me. I follow his gaze. I don’t see anything. He points up and there right above my head, hanging in the air is a rust colored wool sweater. It’s just hanging there in thin air. Miku nudges me to take it, and so I do.
Then she shouts towards the entry way, “Thanks Mina.”
“Wait, how did she—”
“She can move objects and people. Cool, huh?” Miku explains.
If I ever did drugs, I would stop today. But since I’ve never done them, I can’t explain what has just taken place in the past few hours.
“Miku, please! What’s going on?” I beg.
Jay comes to my rescue. His voice is steady, but he seems very far away.
“In the beginning there was the creator; the highest measure of good. Over time, this entity has been given many different names. But its original name was Omnis, which is Latin for All. Omnis created nature and with it, a law that no one element can exist without an opposing element. This is known as the law of opposites. This concept encompasses all things, except for Omnis himself.
“Omnis then created humanity. Everything had been perfect. So perfect, in fact, that humanity began to doubt the need for Omnis, and, over time, their connection to him all but disappeared.
“Omnis concluded that, like nature, humanity needed the law of opposites to keep it balanced. If humanity never felt despair, it could not seek out the hope he provided. If they never experienced sickness, they would not marvel at the grace of good health.
“And after seeing how wasteful humans were with the life he had given them, he knew that the only way for them to appreciate their own existence was to make it ephemeral. But because he loved humanity far more than anything he had ever created, it was difficult for him to be objective.
“So he created a council of impartial judges that would look at the complicated design of humanity and do what was necessary to keep it in balance. Omnis created three council members: Death, Time and Fate. Although the council honors and respects him, it operates independent of Omnis, to assure that balance is maintained.
“In addition to the council, Omnis decided he needed the opposite energy of himself. He is grace, forgiveness and goodness, so he wanted a force filled with rage, bitterness and evil. This force of evil would serve as an incentive for humanity to strive to be good and follow in the path that led to Omnis’ welcoming arms, or they would suffer at the hands of evil.
“He called on his favorite and most cherished angel, Atourum, and told him what he needed done. The angel readily offered to serve, but Omnis cautioned that in order to become the personification of evil, there had to be hate in one’s heart. Not just for humans but for Omnis himself. But Atourum could never imagine hating his creator.
“Omnis explained, ‘The only way for them to believe in me, Atourum, is for them to believe in you. Go, be merciless. Be savage and cruel. All the world will say your name with fear and contempt. Then, and only then, will they seek out salvation from me.’ Atourum bowed to his master and vowed to do as told.
“In order to become evil, Omnis sent Atourum to Earth several times for him to witness firsthand the flaws of man. Each trip to Earth made Atourum more and more susceptible to human influence and less connected to Omnis. The more affected Atourum was by humanity’s shortcomings, the harder it was to get back into heaven. Eventually Atourum gave in to the savage ways of man and committed murder. This caused Omnis to ban him from heaven forever.
“Atourum said to Omnis ‘I am now your opposing force, just as you wanted. Humanity will recognize your light by measuring it against my darkness. You take souls and put them in your mansion in the light. But humans will not appreciate this gift until you create an opposing space to the light. The only way to measure the beauty of your house is to measure it against the horror of mine.’ And so it was Atourum was granted Ren, meaning ‘house of fire.’
“They also came to an arrangement: Omnis would take all children and Atourum would take all the adults who had committed unspeakable acts. But they could not agree on who would get the souls that died as teenagers, souls that had yet to choose either the path of darkness or the path of light.
“They left it up to the council. The council decided to put souls that died between the ages of 13 and 19 on a bridge. The bridge is halfway between the light and the House of Fire. The souls would linger there until they choose the path to which they felt more connected. They would not know which is which. They would only follow the path that felt right to them.
“Neither side was allowed to guide the souls; they had to find their own way. It was called ‘The Walk.’ Each soul lingers for as long as it is undecided and then once it accepted either the light or the dark, it would go in that direction.
“Omnis and Atourum were each allowed to choose six souls from the bridge to be Watchers. A Watcher’s job is to keep an eye on the bridge and ensure that neither side intervenes in ‘The Walk.’
“Omnis chose six of the purist souls. He called them “The Guardians.” Atourum chose six of the darkest souls on the bridge and named them “Akon” meaning “chaos.”
“There were only two rules both sides had to abide by: neither side could tell a soul which way to go, and neither Omnis nor Atourum could know the location of the bridge.
“Centuries passed, the bridge would fill up, and the souls would take ‘The Walk’ and go on into the light or the darkness. Each time the bridge was empty, The Guardians and Akons would go to the light or to Ren and be promoted.
“On the first cycle of the bridge, the soul chosen to be first Guardian was a soul named Julian. He watched vigilantly and made sure that nothing interfered with ‘The Walk.’ All the souls were left to choose their own path.
“One day he took notice of a soul on the bridge that seemed to be having more trouble than the rest. It seems this soul wanted to follow the light but was drawn to the darkness. Julian watched it waver back and forth. It couldn’t decide which path to follow.
“Julian talked to the soul. Her name was Femi. She lived in a small village in Nigeria. Her whole family was killed when her village was raided. She was subsequently beaten to death for standing up to the men who did it.
“She told him that she was drawn to the darkness because of what it offered her: power, strength, and control. Since her life on Earth had lacked those things, she ached to have them. The other side offered her peace, happiness and hope, but she had seen those things on Earth and they were easily taken away.
“When Julian was on the bridg
e just as a soul, it never appealed to him to follow any direction but the light. But as he talked to Femi, he began to understand her and sympathize with her dilemma.
“She was hopeful and filled with peace, but when violence came this last time it had stripped her of those things. ‘Why run to happiness if it can get taken away?’ she asked. Julian understood for the first time that ‘The Walk’ was easier for some than others; there were souls that could not feel the inferno of hell or the glory of heaven. That would have made it too easy for them. They’d have to decide what they wanted most: peace or power. That was the only question that stood between heaven and hell.
“Julian couldn’t stop watching Femi go back and forth on the bridge. He thought about her constantly. He spoke to the other Guardians. They encouraged him to keep a distance and not interfere. They were certain she would follow whatever path she was destined to take.
“Souls had come and gone on the bridge, but Femi was still undecided. She’s so confused. Julian reasoned. She’s not evil, she’s just broken. So one day, unable to watch her suffer indecision anymore, Julian pointed the way to the light.
“Not long after, Atourum summoned the council and asked Omnis to attend. Once all of them had gathered, Atourum told everyone that, according to the Akons, Julian had broken the rules. Atourum was livid and demanded revenge.
“‘She was my soul. She would have gone to me,’ Atourum spat.
“‘You don’t know that. She has goodness in her,’ Julian responded.
“Omnis told Julian to approach. He addressed his servant warmly but firmly. ‘You have disobeyed me. I know your heart is true and you have goodness and purity in you, but you have yet to learn obedience. I will send you back to Earth as many times as it takes for you to learn to follow my directions.’ Then Julian was cast out of the sky.
“The council asked Atourum what he would like as retribution for the rule that had been broken. Atourum said: ‘I ask to know the location of the bridge.’ The council flatly refused. They knew that once Atourum found the bridge, there would be an invasion. All the souls would go towards darkness by fear or by force. That would more than triple the size of Atourum’s followers, enabling them to destroy all of humanity.
“Furious, Atourum reminded the council that they were supposed to be objective. He accused them of siding with Omnis. The council went behind closed doors to talk the matter over. When they reached a decision, all parties were once again gathered.
“Death, Time, and Fate all spoke in unison. ‘We, the council appointed by Omnis, have come to a conclusion on the matter of the bridge and the broken rule. While we will not give Atourum the location of the bridge, we will create a triplex that holds a map to the bridge. The triplex will then be placed somewhere on Earth every six hundred and sixty-six years. You, Atourum, will be given a chance to seek out the triplex.
“‘If the map is found before midnight of that year, you will be permitted on to the bridge to do with the souls whatever you wish. If Atourum does enter the bridge, all balance will be lost and the Earth will be plunged into chaos and fire. Therefore we are also granting the Guardians a chance to seek out the map and destroy it.
“We will hide it somewhere on Earth. Each side can go about seeking the map any way they choose. However, the same basic rules still apply: Guardians can not kill human beings. If this is done, they will be thrown down to the flames. Only the first Guardian can take a life; and although Akons can kill a human, they can not take a soul unless that soul is willing. Each side will be given a name with which to start their search.
“Only humans that are integral to the search can be informed of the mission. If humanity as a whole should find out about the search, the council will intervene and both sides will be punished. Humanity must remain, with a few exceptions, unaware of what is happening. We can not and will not tolerate exposure, as humans are frail and panic when faced with uncertainty.’
“And so, every six hundred and sixty-six years, Guardians and Akons come down to Earth to find the Triplex.”
Panic rises inside me as I say out loud what Jay won’t. “This is the sixth hundred and sixty-sixth year.”
“I’m sorry, Emerson, but we’re going to need that in the form of a question,” Reese jokes in his best announcer voice.
I ignore him and go on. “That means you guys have to find an object that could be anywhere on Earth? If you don’t find it, we will all die a fiery death?”
“That’s about right,” Jay chimes in.
My stomach feels queasy again. Maybe eating was a bad idea. Okay, note to self: news of the end of the world is best taken on an empty stomach. I’m fighting back bile. My hands are clammy and won’t stop shaking.
“It doesn’t have to be fire. It can come in many ways, like a flood, earthquake, or tsunami. Most people think hell on earth would just be fire, but really, it’s a combination of things,” Miku says casually as if we were discussing where the best lunch specials can be found. We all stare back at her.
“What? It’s true.”
Rio looks at her dubiously. “You’re a creepy little angel.”
“So, what’s the name on the paper?”
Everyone looks at me as if to say “don’t be stupid,” but I had to ask. I need to hear it out loud. The look of sympathy on Miku’s face confirms my deepest fear.
“My name is the clue.”
“You, Ms. Baxter, have just gotten to the final round! Now, will you choose door number one or door number two?” Reese is getting on my nerves.
Apparently I’m not the only one. I feel a soft breeze beside me. I look over and Jay is still seated beside me. But I know he moved because Reese’s mouth has literally been taped shut. Jay leans back in his chair to admire his handy work. I look at him bewildered.
“How did you … ?”
“Skills baby girl,” he smirks. Even as I’m hearing news of impending doom, I can’t get over how amazing he looks. And when he called me “baby girl,” I felt a warm feeling wash over me. Wow, he is so hot. Focus, Emmy. Focus.
Not one to be out done, Reese rips the tape off his mouth and “pops” up behind Jay. He holds him in a headlock.
“Where you gonna go now, speedy? Come on. I’d like to see you glide out of this,” Reese says triumphantly.
They wrestle back and forth, each trying to pin the other one down. Every time Jay gets the drop on Reese, Reese disappears. And whenever Reese manages to get the upper hand, Jay moves at an impossible speed.
Rio announces that he has dibs on Jay. Reese, offended, pops up behind Rio and pulls the chair out from under him. Miku howls with laughter. Apparently the end of the world is a light-hearted subject.
“Excuse me!” I snap, not bothering to hide my irritation. “Are you guys kidding me? Was this all a joke? I thought this was serious. You guys just brought me here as some stupid elaborate game?”
“No, it’s real Emmy.” Miku puts her hand on my shoulder. I shake it off.
“If this is real then why aren’t you guys taking it seriously?”
“We’re just tryin’ to be easy,” Jay says.
“How can you ‘be easy’? We’re talking about the end of humanity. Forever!” I am seething.
“Emmy, calm down,” Rio says gently.
“Don’t you get it? I can’t help you guys. I have no idea where your map is. Your council made a big mistake.” I look at all of them with a mixture of hysteria and disbelief.
Miku chimes in, “You’re the clue the council gave us. They’re never wrong.”
When I speak my voice is unsteady. “They’re wrong about this; I’m just some girl. I watch bad TV and spend way too much time reading about things that can’t possibly happen to me.”
I stand up and look into their all-too-calm faces. I’m so frustrated, I could scream. “If I’m your clue then we’re all dead. Do you understand?”
“Well, we’re already dead, so … ,” Reese joked.
“Fine, you just sit there and keep
making jokes. It’s obvious you don’t care.” I storm out of the kitchen. They all follow, with Reese heading me off.
“Stop popping out in front of me!” I shout.
“It’s called blinking,” Reese states matter-of-factly.
“Whatever. Knock it off.” I can feel rage welling up.
Jay comes from behind me and blocks my way.
“Move! I’ll fight you, angel or no angel.” The sheer thought of being confronted with violence by a girl who’s half his size and only a fraction of his strength, amuses him to no end. I ball my fist and speak through clenched teeth. “Move!”
He can barely keep from laughing. He holds his hands up as if to surrender.
“Alright, baby girl, it’s all you. I’ll just glide back to my spot, killer. It’s cool.”
He moves so fast that by the time his words hit the air, he is already out of my way. He looks like light reflected on a car window going 120 miles an hour. Now only Reese remains.
“Before you storm out, at least give us a chance to apologize,” he says as he silently appeals to Miku to intervene.
“We were just blowing off steam and we’re sorry,” Miku offers from behind me.
“No, you’re not. It’s not your life that’s coming to an end. It’s not your mother whose—”
I freeze. My mom. She’s probably got half of New York looking for me.
“It’s okay. We called her. We told her you were studying with us and you fell asleep. She knows you’ll be home late,” Rio says in an effort to calm me down.
“Who did you tell her you were?”
“Classmates of yours.”
I’m weak with relief. I crash onto the sofa and sob. They let me. They don’t approach or try to comfort me. I’m grateful for that. I need the space to fall apart.
My mind wanders from my mom and on to my neighbor, Donna. She has a four-year-old son, Benjamin. I take him to the park on weekends. He loves the swings, and he’s sure if he keeps trying he can go high enough to touch a cloud. The thought of his little body pulverized by some evil force makes me sob even harder.