by Dane Bagley
Boom!!!
Caryell ran out of his room, and met Roloff as he was rising from the couch. They looked at each other, and without speaking, both raced out the door. The boom, and the lights going out, seemed to coincide; as they left the door, they could see a trail of black smoke rising from the direction of the Lodophins’—the location of the substation. They both ran with all of their might.
They weren’t the first on the scene, but there were not many there yet. Everyone was standing in awe at the destroyed substation. One woman had fainted, and a few were attending to her. Roloff ran closer to the substation. He could see something that concerned him. As he approached, he saw the charred remains of a body, and some shoes.
“Bellerie!”
The heat and the smell kept him from coming up any closer. He looked on in dismay. More people were approaching the area. Roloff was dumbfounded. It did not instantly occur to him that this could have anything to do with the visitors. Still, he had been prepped on the risks associated with the substation, and he did not see how something of this nature was possible.
The woman, who had fainted, had revived, and her witness sent chills down the spines of all present. “It was a craft. It instantly appeared in the air, along with two others. It sent fire out, and the fire destroyed it. Then it disappeared. The other two disappeared shortly thereafter. Why did they do this?”
She was delirious, but her witness was true none the less. She was being fanned by a woman and her daughter, as she sat up and rubbed her head where she had fallen and injured it.
Thoughts raced into Roloff’s head. What have they done with Aspiria? Where are the Lodophin boys? Is this all my fault? We should not have signaled them. Are they coming back?
A man’s voice could be heard above the crowd. He was making his way toward Roloff. Roloff turned, and could see that Bastian was making his way toward him. He had a look of surprise and anger on his face. As he approached, his gaze went from Roloff to the remains behind him. Roloff could see the expression on his face change instantly. He whitened, and then his countenance fell. Visible, and then audible sniffles were apparent. Roloff’s heart melted. Bastian was the younger brother of Bellerie. They fought like wildcats, but loved each other deeply. Roloff embraced the broken man, and Bastian took the needed embrace. His sniffles turned to sobs, but only briefly. The men separated slightly, but Roloff kept his hand on Bastian’s shoulder, and continued to look at him. Bastian reached up and whipped his tears with his thumb, and then his nose with his index finger.
“The boys…where are the boys?”
Roloff did not know, and did not know what to say. He scanned the growing crowd. Bastian looked up and tried to make eye contact. “They aren’t…”
“No, I don’t think so,” said Roloff with some assurance.
“What are we to do with them? They have no father, and now…” he covered his mouth with his hand. “I…” Bastian’s wife began to make her way up to them. She was short, but otherwise a nicely-figured woman with a particularly unhandsome face. It always gave the impression of a scowl, even when she was pleasant and trying to smile. Bastian turned to her, “She’s dead.”
“The boys are by the brook, they are coming up. Should we stop them? I don’t want them to see this,” said his wife in a serious tone.
Bastian closed his eyes, wanting, that by so doing, to close out this tragedy and make it go away. The crowd was growing, and Roloff began to be concerned that the danger was not past. The idea that there were three crafts, and they instantly appeared and disappeared, had struck him. Why the aggression? Why attack his people? His heart was still full as he looked on at Bastian and his wife; they had embraced and were speaking softly with each other. Really, she was talking, and he was nodding, with the look of a child.
Seryen and Prianna were now seen by Roloff together and holding hands. They finished making an inquiry, and were now walking toward Roloff and Bastian. Roloff was momentarily concerned about this. Neither Seryen, nor Prianna, had any concept of tact, and there was already considerable tension between Seryen and Bastian.
“They’ve attacked us,” said Seryen branding himself onto the scene. He seemed to think that now was the time for a town council: here with Roloff, the current Mayor, and with Bastian and Seryen, those running for the office. He did not notice the remains behind the men, but Prianna did. She broke the grip from Seryen and walked to where she would have an unobstructed view.
“Ahh!” she inhaled and placed her hand over her mouth. She looked over at Roloff in horror. “Is it…”
“It is Bellerie,” Roloff said slowly and with decorum.
Seryen, just now catching on, walked up to Prianna and took a look for himself.
“Mayor Palador,” said Bastian’s wife, Jencor. “The boys—what are we to do with them? They will be here soon and…”
Bastian interrupted, “We are their family, but…”
“We have three little ones ourselves, and how…” Jencor shook her head.
“I love those boys, and I would do anything…” interrupted Bastian.
“We can’t take them in; not all of them; not all of the time,” Jencor finished.
Roloff began to talk with Bastian and Jencor. He put one arm on each of their shoulders. He spoke softly, and Seryen and Prianna looked on wonderingly. They could not hear the conversation, but they could see Bastian nodding like a child again. Jencor, as always, wore a scowl, but it looked a little softened as she gazed attentively up at the much taller Roloff. Seryen had never observed this demeanor in his opponent, Bastian. It softened him towards Bastian, and made him feel ashamed of his recent feelings towards him.
Prianna noticed the Lodophin boys coming into the area, and squeezed Seryen’s hand; she, then, whispered into his ear. The two walked down towards the boys.
“This is all too sudden. We do not need to worry about anything, except where the boys will stay tonight. We need to take care of Bellerie, and so, it may be best to have the boys with someone else, until this has been taken care of. Your family has had enough of a shock, and business to attend to. After a few days, all will be much clearer,” Roloff counseled.
Down below, Prianna took Alleff into her arms, and hugged him tightly. He struggled and wriggled from the affection, having no idea what was going on, and certainly not wanting a big hug. Prianna was determined, however. It was heartfelt, and Alleff gradually relaxed. Seryen was speaking with the other boys, and touching the next youngest two on the top of their heads: in part to keep them from moving, and in part, in attempt at affection. Prianna knelt down on the grass, still holding Alleff, and Seryen crouched down to be closer to eye level with the boys. Within a few moments, the boys were clearly pacified, and were gathered around, almost in a circle, with the Olefftens.
It was starting to get dark now, and Roloff was concerned about how next to proceed. They could not leave Bellerie like this, and there was no artificial light to help them due to the power being out. He had many concerns, but thought it best to get the Lodophin children looked after for the night, and then to get Bellerie cleaned up. He expressed this to Bastian and Jencor and turned to go, almost running into Seryen who was returning back up.
“Bastian, Jencor, Prianna and I have been speaking with the boys. We would like to take them.”
“That will be wonderful, Seryen,” interjected Roloff. “We have just been speaking of that, and they do need someone to watch them, especially this evening, but perhaps even for a few days. It will help so much with all of the arrangement. You are so good, my friend.”
“Are you to adopt them, Bastian, after the funeral?” asked Seryen in a serious but compassionate tone.
Jencor looked up at Bastian with her natural scowl, and her eyes widened. She had felt comforted, after talking with Roloff, in waiting for a few days to let everything settle before making such life changing decisions. But now Seryen had thrust the fin
al decision upon them with a direct question.
“I…we…uh…” stammered Bastian.
“Prianna and I would love to, if it is alright with you. We love those boys, and they will need the utmost of care. They are orphans; we could—we would give them everything. We would devote our lives to them.”
Bastian looked at Jencor, who was scowling much more pleasantly now. This would have been welcome news from anyone else in town, except perhaps from Seryen. He was, after all, his opponent, and the object of Bastian’s animosity. Would his nephews live in the home of his adversary?
The silence was but momentary, and Seryen broke it again. “Bastian, I would not continue to run for Mayor. It would be your job. I would be busy enough with the boys. I believe that I could fulfill a much higher duty now. This would be an honor to Prianna and me, if we could have it.”
Bastian’s heart now softened towards Seryen. He had never liked that man. Ever since he was a child, he found Seryen to be completely distasteful to him. He hated his voice, his social awkwardness, his gait, and especially his ugly face. In truth, he was running for Mayor, as much as for any other reason, to defeat Seryen. He abhorred the idea of Seryen representing, and running the community that he lived in. Besides ensuring that Seryen was not the Mayor, he had looked forward to humiliating him publicly; to showing him how meaningless and useless he was to the community. He had wanted Seryen to know his place: to feel about himself as Bastian felt about him. He had wanted Seryen to feel as though his existence was a burden on everyone around him; he wanted Seryen to be conscious of Bastian’s view of him. He stared at Seryen, dumbfounded, as Jencor stared at him.
“Perhaps, I am out of place. We may discuss this another time. We can take the boys home tonight, anyhow,” said Seryen after a long pause.
Bastian still stared, hardly hearing the words. He was looking into a man that he had known his whole life, but for the first time. He saw in Seryen what he had never allowed himself to see before. He saw what was good in Seryen. He saw love emanating from this man. He saw that his enemy would sacrifice everything for his family. This man would do for these boys, whom he had no relation to, what he shrunk from doing for his own nephews—his own family. His sister lay there with her body charred, unable to take care of her boys, and he was struggling with being willing to fulfill the family duty of caring for them, in this hour of desperate need. Yet, this man, whom he saw as worthless and preferred that he did not exist, was happy to step in and give his all for them.
“Bastian,” said Jencor, wondering what the silence was all about.
This snapped him back to reality. “Seryen, this is a great commitment, and you are not even family. Could you take this upon yourselves?”
“If we would be so honored, we would be family. They would be our children, and you would be my brother. We would be family.”
Bastian and Jencor looked toward Roloff as if to say, “Are we in the wrong if we give away our nephews? Would it be forgivable to Bellerie that on the night of her death, we neglect this family duty, and instead, give it to another?” They trusted Roloff’s advice and wisdom, and were silently seeking it now.
Roloff looked from them to Seryen, and then to Prianna who was busy with the boys. He saw a miracle taking place, amidst a great tragedy. He looked back at Bastian and Jencor and nodded approvingly. Bastian’s head dropped, and then he looked Seryen in the eyes.
“I am sorry that I have never been good to you. Now, we will be brothers. I have never been kind towards you, but I will be forever after. You do me more honor than I deserve, but for Bellerie’s sake I am truly grateful.”
Seryen wanted to smile, to laugh, to jump for joy, but he knew that this night would not be the occasion. Still, he could not hide the joy that came over his face. He reached out and took Bastian’s hand, and shook it. “I am so sorry for your loss. I must tell Prianna.” He turned to go, but then turned around quickly again toward Roloff. “I must take care of the boys tonight, are you able to take care of all else.”
Roloff did not know if he could take care of all else that was before he, and this community. But he nodded and smiled at his friend. He watched as Seryen relayed the news to Prianna and the boys. It was getting quite dark now, but he could see on her face that she was overcome with joy. He watched as they gathered up the boys, and began walking towards their home. They had not even thought to get the boys any of their things. He almost wanted to go down and correct that, but thought better of it. They will have a lot to learn, but they are up to it. I will help where needed, but I think that they will figure it out on their own, he thought.
Bastian and Jencor had walked away, and he did not know if they were planning to come back to help clean up the body. Seryen and Prianna were gone now. He had not been acting as Mayor for several weeks, but now he was back on duty. Most of the rest of the townspeople were in the vicinity. They were in shock. Everyone had been told about the visitors, and that they had a craft. They all knew that Aspiria was likely taken by them. Now, the story had been heard by all about the ships appearing and disappearing out of nowhere, then violently destroying their substation, and killing Bellerie. Concern was seen on their faces, through the darkness of the night. The chatter had grown quiet as he had finished with Seryen and Bastian. The town had waited quietly, and patiently, while the urgency’s of the Lodophin family was taken care of. But it was now their turn.
Roloff felt it as he looked around. He did not have any answers for them. He felt responsible, as though his going to the city, and the response that followed had somehow caused this destruction. Caryell came up to him, and stood beside him. He looked down, and peered into his eyes. There was not an ounce of fear on this young man’s face. He looked up at his father with a confidence and countenance that strengthened Roloff to the core. Caryell must have seen the concern in his father’s face, for he said, “God knows us, and is watching over us. We are not in control of what is happening, but He is. There is nothing for us to be afraid of. I know that He is strengthening Mother as well.”
The wisdom and faith coming from this young man caused Roloff’s heart to burn. He felt his own faith strengthen, and his confidence grew. He knew this to be true, and he felt it in an instance. It was not he that had discovered Aspiria’s whereabouts, through calculation and rational thought; it had been given to him by inspiration. He had been prayerful and had done what he believed to be right. Neither he, nor anyone on this world, could counteract the power of these visitors from another world. The visitors could do to them what they wanted. But God was more powerful than they, and He was ultimately in control. What more could they do than trust in Him?
As he spoke to the people, he felt led in his spirit. He could see that the countenance of the people changed, and that they felt comforted; not so much by his words, but by the force that was behind his words. They were not his words, he was merely the mouthpiece. The people, in large measure, went home, while some of the men stayed to help. Tonight it was only critical to get Bellerie in a respectable situation. Tomorrow the cleanup of the substation would begin. His only nagging feeling was what further damage had been done. What had they done to the city? He was concerned about his family there. He looked over at his child—he was a child no longer. He was a man, in a not quite grown up body. They had been through much together, and would continue to do so, it appeared. He had lost his dear sweet companion, who was of such strength to him. Yet, he now saw her in his son. He looked much like her right now. Not so much in features, but in confidence and faith. He saw those unique features in Caryell. He longed to share this with Aspiria. But what had become of her? What would they do to her? He could only trust in God.
Roloff and Caryell walked home that night, very late. They were exhausted, emotionally as well as physically. Tomorrow would be a long day. The cleanup would take days, and perhaps weeks. That would not include the time
to rebuild the substation, if that was what they were to do. But tonight they would get a few hours of sleep. It was strange walking up to the house, and seeing no lights. It had not been so many years since that was a normal experience, but now it felt dark.
Chapter 46