Forgotten Blood

by S S Bazinet

  “Hanging out with a maniac who’s committed to tormenting us?” William stood up and went to the window. “Which brings me to something else we haven’t considered. What started this thing with Col? I don’t think we’ve ever addressed why he wants to throw us into the flames again. Have we been monsters ourselves? Did we wrong him in some unforgivable way?”

  Arel shut his eyes hoping to tap into some information that might help. After a few moments, a locked gate appeared in the distance. It was a symbol he sometimes saw. It meant he couldn’t access what he wanted by simply asking. When he opened his eyes, he shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe we should try a direct approach and ask him.”

  “Just like that. You’re suggesting we ask Col what happened, and he’ll tell us everything. That’s a ridiculous idea. We’ll only get more lies.”

  “Then I could get the information more directly. I could make an astral trip to a place I’ve heard about. It contains all the records of all our lifetimes.”

  William swiveled round and glared back. “No, whatever is going on concerns us both. If you go, so do I, agreed?”

  “Agreed. So when do we do a little astral traveling.”

  William checked the time. “Annabel and Elise are supposed to be gone for a couple of hours. We can do it right now.”

  “I have an idea. I rented that condo for a week. If we go there, we won’t be interrupted if the women come back early.”

  “What about Elise? Are you going to leave her a note?”

  “No, I don’t want to hear anything more about notes. You can text Annabel. Tell her we stepped out to do some shopping of our own.”

  William offered a sly grin. “It’s almost the truth. But I won’t tell her what we’re shopping for.”

  Forty

  AREL AND WILLIAM arrived at the condo, let themselves in and headed towards the back bedroom. They’d come up with a plan on the way over. They would lie down on the bed, enter an astral state and set an intention to go where they needed to go.

  Once they settled down on the queen-size bed, Arel looked over at William and smiled. “I’ve done this with Rolphe, but this is the first time we’ve traveled together.”

  “Just hearing you say that makes me think this might be a mistake.”

  Arel’s eyes darkened with concern. “If that’s how you feel, maybe it’s better if we delay this trip.”

  “No, I’m fine,” William insisted. “Besides, I want some answers to this hellish mess.”

  Arel relaxed back into the firm mattress trying not to think about the last time he’d been in that very room, preparing himself to leave behind everyone he loved.

  William looked over and snapped his fingers. “Are you ready or not?”

  Arel ignored the irritation in William’s tone. “Yes, I’m ready.”

  A few minutes later, both of them found themselves hovering over their bodies. Arel tried to lighten the moment as he observed William’s shimmering form. It was only a short distance away. “Maybe this is the beginning of some exciting adventures, Will. Even if we can’t agree with each other in the physical, perhaps we could resolve our differences in the astral realms.”

  William didn’t seem amused. “The only thing I want to know is how this plague of lifetimes started, how I’ve ended up always thinking you’re in charge of my fate.”

  Arel was instantly on guard. “William, please, that’s not why we’re doing this.”

  William’s shimmering form dimmed. “I’ve changed my mind.”

  Arel tried not to panic, but he’d had a lot of experience with the astral realm. A person had to remain calm and in control and direct their experience with intention. That intention had to come from a balanced mind. Otherwise, the experience mirrored a person’s emotional state. “William, don’t let your resentment get the better of you here! There might be dire consequences.”

  He tried to reach out to William, but it was already too late. The space next to him was empty. William was gone.

  * * * * *

  William was swept up in a dizzying trip through what appeared to be the cosmos. Stars, like millions of fireflies, flew past. Solar systems followed. At least he assumed they were solar systems. His surroundings moved so fast, he didn’t have time to think about what he was seeing.

  When everything slowed, he had to pause and get hold of his thoughts. They were dizzying too after what he’d experienced. When his mind cleared a little, he was disappointed in himself. He’d let his resentment override the plan he and Arel had shared. They were hoping to unearth the story behind Col’s downfall.

  It didn’t matter now. William had to accept where he was and learn as much as he could about a more personal matter. His frequent rifts with Arel needed sorting. There was something about their relationship that hadn’t been right since they met. Now Arel was ready to move on, and William wanted that too. When they parted company, William hoped to begin his life anew with a clean slate.

  He glanced around and wondered why he was facing a wall in what appeared to be a room. A painting hung directly in front of him. Unlike a painting on Earth, this one was very fluid. The colors were constantly moving and rearranging themselves in strange, abstract configurations. After viewing the painting for only a few moments, he felt slightly nauseous.

  He wondered why he wasn’t feeling well when he heard someone speaking. He turned and saw a group of people. They were gathered around a circular table in the center of the room. Like the painting, their energy bodies were also fluid. When they interacted with one another, their wispy forms glowed and dimmed. He also became aware of their voices in his mind. They were speaking telepathically to one another, and he could hear what they were saying.

  He vaguely remembered hearing something about soul groups. Supposedly, the members met between lifetimes and decided on their next adventure together. They discussed what roles they’d play and what period in time they’d explore. From what he could tell, this group was talking about another life on Earth. A heated debate was going on.

  William moved closer to the group, but they didn’t notice him. A voice rang out with more volume. “If we go back, it’ll be the end for all of us. Don’t you realize that? There’s so much fear on the planet, and we’ve been there for so many lifetimes we’re beginning to buy into it. We’re forgetting who we are and becoming like the other souls there.”

  A second voice answered the first. “Are you willing to leave a brother behind? If we don’t go back now, we could lose him. And who knows how many lives it will take before he remembers himself and returns home to us. And during those lives on Earth, he’ll experience so much suffering when the fear overrides his heart. I can’t stand by and abandon him if there’s a chance of helping him before he’s too far gone.”

  “It’s not up to us to save him. He has to find his own way.”

  “I respect your opinion, and I don’t expect you to return with me. But I have to do this.”

  William gasped with recognition. The person arguing for going back to Earth belonged to Arel’s spirit. William frowned. “He sounded as stubborn then as he is now.”

  But who was he arguing with? As soon as he asked the question, he knew the second man was one who called himself Col.

  “You’re the designated leader,” Col said, “and I’ll do whatever you decide, but be forewarned. If this takes us all down, it’s on your head. So what will it be? Are you willing to risk all our souls for the sake of one?”

  “I’m not asking you to risk anything. I’m not asking you to follow me back.”

  “That’s a ridiculous statement, and you know it. We work as a group. But if we do this with you, I’m holding you responsible for what happens to this group. Is that clear?”

  There was a long pause. Then a statement was issued in a loud, steady voice, the voice that belonged to a being William knew as Arel. “Yes, it’s clear. No matter how you judge me for my actions, I have to try to bring our brother home.”

  William was confused
. What soul were they discussing? Who lost their way? Who needed to be rescued? When the answer flooded in, William nearly collapsed. “They were talking about me!”

  The revelation was devastating. He always thought of himself as strong and resilient. But he’d been so wrong. He’d obviously been the weakest one in the group, the one who needed saving. And good old Arel risked everyone’s welfare to save him. But William wasn’t surprised. Arel had always been the meddler, the one who thought he was some sort of savior.

  The ideas were beyond disturbing, and William lost control. His astral body fell rapidly. Leaving the other side behind, he was hurled back to Earth. With a great thud, he slammed into his physical body. When he opened his eyes, Arel was leaning over him.

  “Thank goodness, William,” Arel said. “I was afraid I’d lost you.”

  William had no time to answer Arel’s concern. A rising nausea took hold of his body. “I’m going to be sick,” he gasped as he got up and ran to the bathroom.

  Forty-One

  AREL STOOD AT the bathroom door and checked the time. William had been vomiting off and on for quite a while. Arel wished he knew how to help. “Will, please, let me take you back home. We’ll get you to bed where you can rest.”

  “Rest?” William called back in a strained voice. “I’ll never rest again.”

  At first, Arel had wanted to give William his privacy, but he had to find out why the man was so upset. “Will, I’m letting myself in.”

  He turned the doorknob and was relieved that it wasn’t locked. Slowly, carefully, he opened the door and peered inside. William was on his knees, draped over the commode, weaving back and forth. His breath was coming in gasps.

  Arel moved cautiously to William’s side. When he placed a hand on William’s shoulder, William’s entire body shuddered. “Will, what is it? Talk to me.”

  The request seemed to trigger William’s nausea, and he began vomiting again. That’s when Arel saw the splatter of blood on the rim of the bowl and how the water in the bowl itself was crimson.

  “Oh hell! What’s going on?”

  William looked up, wiping the bloody drool off his mouth with a shaky hand. “I can’t do it anymore. This is it for me.”

  Arel had seen William at his worst, when he’d been nearly drained of blood by Rolphe, but this was different. William wasn’t only as pale as death, his vacant eyes belonged to some tormented wayfarer who had lost faith in everything.

  Stunned by William’s state, Arel dropped to his knees and pulled William into his arms. “No, this is unacceptable. I will not lose you again.”

  He didn’t know why the words came out the way they did. He only knew he’d hold on to his brother. He’d never forsake the bond they had. He’d sooner cast his own life aside than let William give up on himself. Still, he knew William had to find some spark of hope, no matter how small, to hold on to. “Please, hang in there, Will, please, don’t let the darkness swallow you up again.”

  “What?” William gasped as he shrugged off Arel’s embrace. Holding on to the vanity, he stood up on wobbly legs. His eyes went from vacant to threatening. “What did you just tell me?”

  Arel stood up too. “I care about you, Will. You know that.”

  “Oh yes, after what I’ve found out, I know how caring you can be.”

  “You make it sound like a bad thing.”

  William’s eyes narrowed even more. “You are so incapable of understanding anything. If you did, you’d know your caring has damned me forever, Arel.”

  “Now, hold on. I won’t stand here and let you accuse me of something so unfair. From everything I’ve learned, I believe one’s love for another is a good thing.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about your meddling in someone else’s affairs, thinking your way is the only way.”

  “I’m trying to understand, Will, but you’re not making sense.”

  William took out his handkerchief and wiped his mouth again. “Let me explain. I just took a little trip back to that place you talked about, the place with all the records.”

  “Great, did you find out why Col is—”

  “Forget Col! Col’s not the problem.”

  “Who then, Rolphe?”

  “No!” William pushed Arel back with a trembling hand and made his way to a chair in the bedroom. He fell heavily into its confines and looked at Arel again. For a brief instant, his eyes softened. “Poor Rolphe, I guess I’m responsible for his downfall too.”

  Arel walked over and sat on the bed. “Stop it, Will. How could you be responsible for Rolphe?”

  William held on to the arms of his chair as if he needed the support to sit upright. “All this time, I thought I was strong. I even maintained some self-respect. But it was all ego and pride. In truth, I’m the idiot I’ve always called you.”

  “Something’s not right about what you’re saying. I don’t know where you went on that astral trip, but you must have made a wrong turn somewhere.”

  “Oh, I made a wrong turn alright. I was the one in our group who pulled everyone down into hell on Earth.”

  Arel couldn’t seem to get through to William. When he tuned into William’s mind, it was like visiting a battlefield littered with the dead. But there was also a feeling of terrible anger waiting in the shadows. “We need to talk about this rationally, like you always tell me. You can’t let your emotions get out of hand.”

  William looked up with smoldering eyes, ready to explode again, but his phone rang before he got a chance. “Great, it’s my little angel, Annabel.”

  Arel stood up. “Do you want me to talk to her?”

  William reached in his pocket and took out his phone. “Sit down, Arel, you’ve done enough already.”

  Arel did as he was told, but nothing William said made any sense. He crossed his arms, hoping Annabel could help. Instead William did all the talking. He made an announcement to his pretty wife. It was cold and businesslike.

  “I’m not coming back, Annabel. Everything between us has been a mistake. I want a divorce.”

  * * * * *

  Rolphe’s meditation was interrupted by a loud screech of laughter. He opened his eyes and looked at Col. “What is it now?”

  Col looked back with a gleeful smirk. “Seems that while you’re giving up your life to help your precious boys, they’re falling apart.”

  Rolphe shut his eyes again. “Your lies aren’t going to work with me, Col.”

  Col walked over to the bench, sat down and grinned broadly. “You don’t have to believe me, but if you care so much about them, you better check things out yourself.”

  Rolphe maintained his steady pose, but he was curious. Could Col be telling the truth? With a little effort, he shifted his awareness and sought out Arel and William’s energy signatures. He was soon satisfied that Arel seemed somewhat stable. William was a different matter. The man’s overall state of wellbeing had plummeted. Rolphe couldn’t believe how dark and dense William’s aura was. But it wasn’t only his energetic body that was failing, his physical vessel was also in trouble.

  Obviously Col noticed the slight shift in Rolphe’s astral form. He started laughing again. “Oh hell, my wayward boy, has your pal William gotten himself in a bit of a state?”

  Rolphe was careful not to let Col’s taunting get to him. If he allowed himself any reaction, Col would surely take advantage of the situation. Besides, from his present point of view, he knew the truth concerning William’s soul. It was a beautiful expression of the Divine, and he had faith that William would find his way back to himself.

  Col’s shrieking laugh filled the space again. “His soul? What about his track record on Earth, Rolphe. Consider the kind of lives he lived and maybe you won’t think so highly of your pretty William.”

  Rolphe turned and eyed Col carefully. He’d reviewed many lifetimes when he’d been meditating. He was sure he knew what Col was talking about. “Your twisted mind is hoping to lie its way out of every situation. But yo
u can’t fool me.”

  Col leapt from his seat as if Rolphe had prodded him with a flaming poker. “William and his sidekick, Arel, cursed us all!”

  “Another lie, Col,” Rolphe said in a calm, relaxed voice. “You’ve been lying so long, it’s all you know.”

  Col’s reaction was to scream obscenities at him.

  Ignoring Col’s fit of rage, Rolphe reached out to Michael. “Oh, Blessed One, I’ll be fine here, and I’m sure my body is fine too. So I have a request. Please return to Arel’s house. I sense you’re going to be needed.”

  Forty-Two

  ELISE WALKED INTO the kitchen and found Annabel sitting at the kitchen table, staring at her phone. “Did you get hold of William? Will he and Arel be home soon?”

  Annabel hesitated. “William isn’t coming home.”

  “Did something detain him?”

  Annabel looked up. “What’s happening, Elise? Why are our worlds falling apart? First with Arel, now William.”

  Elise recognized the look of disbelief on Annabel’s face. She’d seen it in the mirror after she found Arel’s note. She quickly sat down. If there was more bad news on the way, she had to be ready for it. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  Annabel shrugged. “I don’t know. I called William, and it was like I was talking to someone I didn’t recognize. There was no feeling in his voice when he, when he told me—”

  Elise braced herself. The tone in Annabel’s voice and her blank expression belonged to someone in shock. “Go on, Annabel, please. Tell me what William said.”

  Annabel put her hands around herself and took a deep breath. “William wants a divorce.”

  “What? No, I can’t believe that. I’ve seen how he looks at you. He loves you.”

  Annabel stood up and shook her head. “It’s my fault. I’ve driven him away with all my neediness.”

  Elise stood up too. “Don’t say that. I know you. You might be a little insecure, but you’re a wonderful, loving person. Any man would be very lucky to have you.”

  Annabel smiled weakly. “Thank you, Elise, but obviously William doesn’t share your opinion.”