by Nyla Ditson
Then one “Sam” went still.
The other ran towards me. “Celeste, are you okay?” he asked.
Cursing myself for not making a run for it earlier, I tried to now. But Sam caught my elbow. “Celeste, are you hurt?”
Words wouldn’t form. But images of two identical men brawling did. The replay in my mind paralyzed me, the initial Sam’s offer of death replaying in fast-forward in my mind.
“Get… get away,” I stammered through chattering teeth.
When Sam reached out, I backed into the bush. Thorns sliced through my flesh. I wedged myself in further as the second one suddenly appeared.
“Secrets out,” the newly appeared Sam said. “Now you know I have a twin, Celeste.”
Sam jumped away from him, staring in horror. “Celeste, who is this guy?”
I looked from one identical face to the other. Sinking down to the muddy ground, I whispered, “One of you is a demon.”
“Celeste, we gotta get out of here,” one of them reached for me.
“No! Don’t go with him!” the other Sam pleaded.
“I’m the real Sam, you gotta trust me!”
“He’s lying!” the other shouted. “Go with him and you’ll end up on the six o’clock news!”
If I could have backed into the bush any further, I would have. Both Sams shot me desperate looks. Both eyes were chocolate brown now, both shirts equally rumpled and identically soiled with blood. Oh God, I’m gonna die . . . I’m gonna die . . . I’m gonna—My crazed ramblings quieted as Sebastian’s voice floated into my mind, easing my distress.
Only the Lamb is all knowing.
Sebastian’s voice snapped me out of my frozen state of fear. It was so loud my eardrums rang. When the words repeated themselves, I stood on shaky legs.
“Sam, what’s my only vice?” I asked in a hoarse voice as the cold wind whipped at my pony tail . Licking my lips, I took in their faces, and the storm of dust and winds behind them. I looked frantically from one Sam to the next, desperately hoping to hear an answer that would tell me whom to trust.
“Fuzzy peaches,” Sam on my right replied.
I ran straight into his arms, taking him to the ground. He pulled me into his chest.
“What’s going on, Celeste?” He said, confused. He looked up at the other in our midst. “Why are there two of me?” His voice rose as the winds let out a howl. “Is this a dream?”
As I looked from one Sam to the other, two completely different expressions on each face, one furious and one frightened like me, I swallowed a lump of panic. “If only it were,” was all I could say.
I clung tighter to Sam’s shirt when the imposter stepped closer. But suddenly his evil gaze let up. His eyes clouded, looking towards the sky. With my eyes following his look, I saw a magnificent sight. The sky had split in two, one side pitch black with streaks of white light shooting through the murkiness, casting dark shadows on the ground below. The other side was a clear cloudless blue sky. A shining sun hovered above, casting a glow on the grass beneath it. It was if I were being given a glimpse of the heavens.
Suddenly Sam’s look-a-like ripped his shirt from his body. He started running towards the darkened side of the park and I watched in dismay as his tanned chest turned pale. Then an all-too-familiar face replace Sam’s tan one.
Like Spiderman jumping from buildings, Kalan scaled the trees. Eerily, none bent under his weight.
“Let’s get out of here!” Sam yelled, tugging me to my feet. His touch thawed the paralyzing fear that held me in place.
I clung to his icy hand and started to run alongside him. We hadn’t taken five steps when a blinding light spotlighted us. Looking above, I squinted at the raging war in the sky. An army of butterflies shimmered in the sky. They fluttered near the border of the dark side of the sky. Enraged, the oversized ravens flapped their strong wings across from them. I shivered, feeling the cold breeze created by the angry raven’s wings.
Sam pulled me down just as something flew by my head. A black feather drifted to the ground. Looking up, I saw a flock of ravens swoop angrily across the dark side of the sky. The movement was a blur, a streak across the sky.
And then, the ravens spoke in unison, cackling with laughter. “The Prince of Darkness will one day defeat you, Lamb of God. Do not think one human will impact this assured defeat.”
Sam rubbed his eyes, blinking fast, as if in disbelief. In fear, I reached out to him and clutched his arm tightly, unknowingly pinching his skin.
The scene continued to unfold before our very eyes.
The butterflies, without hesitation, strongly replied, “Dark One, do not be deceived. The Father of all can do much through one child of Eve. It is your defeat that will occur once the battle of Armageddon has been won. Rest assured it will be the Lord’s side that prevails.”
While the raven’s voices had been a cackle, the butterflies were euphoric. Their tiny voices knit together like wind chimes. But the sound was surprisingly loud. It rang out like a gong across the park.
Suddenly, the ravens burst into a fit of squawks. Emerging from behind the pack, a plump raven, obviously the leader, flew towards the center of the two opposing forces in the sky. One small butterfly flew alone to meet him.
“Michael,” the raven said in a flat voice. “You, a mere archangel, have no say in this soul’s eternity. You cannot say for certain she will be saved. It would not be agreeable with your just Lords ways.”
The butterfly flew closer to the raven, inches from his beak. When he spoke, the winds suddenly stilled. “Lucifer, you are mistaken. The Prince of Peace can save any soul, if the soul chooses to embrace the Savior”
“Ahh, the greatest flaw of free will! Your Master depends on weak humans acceptance before he can save them!,” the raven countered.
The butterfly hovered above the raven, saying “Silence, o’ Fallen One! Free will is not a means of bondage but a chance to allow His people to choose for themselves. Forced love would not be true love. He could force love but lovingly chooses another path! The Lord is not dependant on any.”
As he finished speaking, the earth quivered beneath me. A whirlwind of smoke gusted around. Blinded, we reached for each other and hoped the air would clear soon. As it did, I gasped in awesome wonder.
A legion of angels, clad in billowing white gowns and glowing skin, floated to my right. I was afraid to look the other way.
But I did.
The beastly ravens were replaced by sneering, revolting, and crimson creatures. Their fiery-red skin wrinkled as they breathed threats at the angels in unrecognizable tongues of speech. Their long tails slithered like boa constrictors behind them and their scaled skin shimmered. Horns sprouted from their heads, drawing my attention away from their bright yellow eyes.
Murmurs of soft sighs mixed with cackling burst forth. And then, the sky was a battlefield. I shielded my head as both hostile shrieks and angelic song broke out above me. Opposing sounds, both demanding to be in control. I too felt the tug of war pull between the conflicting forces. I wanted to leave but my body was frozen, my mind paralyzed as it desperately struggled to make sense of my surroundings.
A blazing touch to my shoulder made me spring to my feet. My skin burned, like licks of fire were breathing on me. Terror seized my entire being.
Kalan, now visible with a man’s body, grabbed me by the arm and twisted the skin on my forearm as he pulled me. Yellow eyes sneered from their sockets. “I haven’t shown you that remedy of a guilty conscience yet, child of Eve.”
While it all happened so fast it seemed to me that Sam finally staggered to his feet and grabbed my other arm. A raven swooped from the heavens. It dove so close to Sam’s face that he instinctively let go, sending him to his knees. With the array of colours, sounds and species tumbling above. Black and blue birds were jumbl
ed with orange and pink and green butterflies, flying into each other, all soaring around me in a swirling, squawking rainbow. I felt faint and as the world blacked out of sick for a few seconds, claws emerged from Kalan’s fingertips as he dragged me away. I kept my eyes tightly shut and cringed while I waited for something to happen… I didn’t know what but I felt I was in the middle of a battle. It just seemed like a few seconds when he noise stopped.
When warm hands enveloped my waist I opened my eyes and suddenly I found myself in the arms of an angel. His willowy form was nearly transparent. Light illuminated from every angle of the being. When he spoke, a voice with authority, Kalan tumbled back as if he’d been hit.
“Evil spirit, leave this soul be. You are forbidden to torment her,” the angel commanded.
Shielding his eyes with his arm from the brightness of the angel, Kalan screamed, “Free will demands you allow it, Sebastian!”
Sebastian? Fresh air filled my lungs. Eyes squeezed shut from the extreme angelic light, I leaned my back against the angel’s chest and sighed. This nightmare was finally over. Kalan couldn’t hurt me. My guardian angel was here.
“You are correct,” I heard Sebastian say seconds before a blast of icy shivers bucketed down on me. Shocked into action and turning to Sebastian’s angelic form, I frantically reached out to cling to him but my hand went through him.
What!? Sebastian! No, come back!
Had my guardian angel’s earthy body just been taken back? With every fibre in my body, I hoped not. But the dread filing my body told me that’s just what had happened.
A loud voice boomed across the park, above the winds and pounding rain storm. “Remember, Serpent, free will ensures opportunity for choosing good or evil. Don’t be so blinded. Choices are not just yours,” the authoritative voice called out above the tree tops.
Then everything went still. The storm was sucked from the park, the battle between good and evil slurped into the ground. Sunshine broke through the snow white cloud filled sky. All signs of a heavenly war vanished. Knees buckling beneath me in Sebastian’s absence, I gazed around from the ground. I noticed a couple entering the park with a toddler smiling happily. But I knew what I’d just witnessed. A battle in the sky with demons against angels. It seemed so logical until I started to think about it. Then a moan sounded from my left and interrupted my memory. Sam lay stretched out on the ground, holding his stomach. I started to crawl to him.
But clawed fingertips reached me first. In exhaustion, I realized the battle was not over.
“Free will,” Kalan rasped digging into my arm, “means I’m entitled to show you your options.”
The blinding pain of his claws sent dark spots crawling at the edges of my vision. The sting intensified and the last thing I remembered hearing before I plunged into darkness was a chorus of triumphant cackling.
Chapter 12
Loud music pulsed in my eardrums, drawing me to the surface from the depths of my fitful sleep. It seemed to grow louder by the second, stronger. I opened my eyes, suddenly aware I was moving in a car with my head tilted against the frosty passenger window. Outside, evergreens and pavement blurred as our speed increased. The music grew stronger as if to match the car’s dangerous speed. The stereo seemed to be in partnership with the pedometer.
“You’re awake.” The silky voice dipped into my thoughts, making me shudder.
I didn’t need to turn; the voice was one I longed to silence in my sleep and I failed miserably every time. The face of the voice was always lingering in the back of my mind, an expression of evil stretched across his devastatingly handsome features. It sickened me that I still thought of him that way. He was everything but handsome on the inside. Only evil, darkness and greed would ever reside in his heart.
Do demons even have hearts?
Reluctantly, I turned to face him.
“Kalan,” I whispered.
He nodded; obviously pleased at the terror in which I said his name.
But how could I pretend he didn’t scare me? Without Sebastian, memories of Kalan tormented me every day, every waking hour. Every time I heard someone say a name remotely close to his, I would jump, fear sucking my breath from me, afraid I would have to face the monster of my nightmares again.
I drew in a tight breath, painfully aware we were alone again. The first had ended horrifically with Sam arriving later and being injured. I knew this time would be no different.
“What do you want?” I wanted to ask, but already knew the answer. He wanted me dead, wanted my soul to be eternally condemned just like his own. And as I finally met his dark eyes and wicked grin, I knew he would succeed this time.
And I was relieved.
The car lurched to a stop, sending my neck whipping backward. Once the black dots cleared, I recognized the neighbourhood. Kalan had swung the car over the sidewalk on Coquitlam Avenue. It was the same street I’d run down this morning.
Kalan flung my door open and I gasped—partly from the cold night air and partly because I hadn’t noticed him leave the driver’s seat. “I have something to show you,” he said clamping his scorching hot hand onto my arm and dragging me outside.
In a blur of streaky light, we were at the top of the Lougheed Highway overpass. I didn’t remember hiking up the twisted ramp at all.
“What do you want me to see?” I asked, trying to pull away from his touch. The skin on my arm felt like it was in flames.
Kalan yanked me forward to the edge of the overpass. Smacking my head down, he forced me to stare at the brightly lit headlights whooshing by beneath us. “This, my dear, is your way out,” he said.
“From what?” I asked, stumbling backwards when he pulled my pony tail.
“From everything!” He shoved me hard against the opposite railing of the overpass and continued, “From remorse, from pain. From your torment over your father’s death. From living.” Kalan’s eyes glowered with streaks of wild yellow and raging red against his black pupils.
I turned my head, to escape his eyes but he grabbed my chin roughly. “Look at me, human,” he commanded.
When his claws tightened into my jaw, I had no choice and complied. Squeezing back tears, I bit my lip and watched as a sinister grin worked its way across the demon’s pale and rugged face.
“Rest assured, once your body hits the cement, all your pain will simply go away,” he laughed, leaning so close I could smell a poisonous scent on his breath.
He jerked me around and I stared at the traffic below us. Kalan’s hot breath burned my ears as he whispered close behind me. “But don’t worry, it will all be over in an instant.”
I took in the potential fall. Cars whizzed by, oblivious to me and the life-altering decision I treaded on. Death was the answer… right? Death would make everything better.
“Imagine a life where your grief doesn’t burden you, doesn’t trail behind you every waking moment,” he hissed. Kalan’s hot flesh singed my cheek as he trailed his bony finger down it. “You can imagine all you want, but it will only be a mirage. Death is the only way you can truly escape the cruelties of this world, the torture you are bound by. Suicide, dearest Celeste, do it and do it now. Don’t think, just take a leap. A leap of faith in me and you will be rewarded with a freedom from all life’s agonies. Death will be an uttermost relief—”
A melodious voice spoke, cutting Kalan’s speech off. “The Serpent is a mastermind at deception. Do not take to heart his fictitious promises.”
I heard Sebastian, felt his presence of warmth, but my gaze remained fixed on the street below. It would be so easy. Just one jump and this would all be over. Even if death was hellish, at least I’d feel better knowing I was being punished for my mistake.
“Celeste!” Sebastian yelled, grabbing my arm and slamming my back against the railing. “It was a mistake, even you yourself admit it!”
/> I hung my head, the image of my own blood on the pavement filling my mind.
“But it still happened, even if I didn’t mean to,” I replied. I looked over my shoulder, staring blankly out into the night. Bleak, dark and endless. Just like my life. But Kalan said it didn’t have to be everlasting. One leap and I’d be free.
A sense of urgency rang in Sebastian’s voice. “Do not listen to a demon’s tales. He only wants you to be bound to hell. He wishes you to join him in eternal damnation so the Lord’s ranks will lose another potential solider of faith. Please, do not jump, Celeste,” he pleaded.
“Give me one reason not to,” I countered, pushing Sebastian away, turning towards the railing. “One that doesn’t have to do with God.”
Hearing no reply, I placed both hands on the railing and swallowed. So this is how I would die. Not by rape, or murder in a park, or starvation. But by my own hands on a bridge I’d run over countless times.
Closing my eyes, I swung one leg over the ledge. In one more second I’d be gone. No more heartache, headaches or pain. Just numbness and a blessed silence of my thoughts.
The feeling of a tropical breeze whispered in my ear, “I cannot name a reason that excludes Christ because none are as lasting as Him. God is the answer to your aches, not death. God offers a new life to those who choose to find Him in this life. For those who are in Christ are loosened from the chains of their old life and a new, full life is birthed inside them through Christ and the Holy Spirit.”
Sebastian’s voice lingered closer, the feel of his breath caressing the exposed skin on my neck. “Please, don’t give up, not when you haven’t tried all the possible solutions.”
Kalan’s advice, re-surfaced in my mind. Feeling as if I was being physically jerked to and fro, I let out a small cry, “I don’t know what to do!” The words rang out across the cool air, echoing in my ears and heart when no answer came back to me.