Tearing The Shroud

by JM Bray

  ‘Okay,’ Emily said. ‘I have some psych reading to do, can someone walk me back to my dorm?’

  ‘Sure,’ Mike and E.T. answered simultaneously.

  E.T. laughed. ‘Looks like we will.’

  ‘Thank you, gentlemen.’ She smiled.

  Mike smiled back at her. ‘Hey, I like this nice you.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah,’ she said in a singsong voice. ‘Don’t get used to it.’

  They waved as the trio left.

  ‘Oh my gosh, that was exciting.’ Julie said. ‘I still can’t believe you did that.’

  ‘You should have been in my shoes,’ Knife said, shaking his head. ‘Talk about a weird view.’

  Flea looked at him, his eyebrows raised. ‘You had your eyes open?’

  Knife bared his teeth. ‘I didn’t want to miss the fun.’

  They laughed and started walking. The wind gusted into their faces as they left the shelter of the buildings, carrying the smell of salt off the ocean. They strolled for a few hundred feet, quietly enjoying the chilly weather. The whole time Vincent wrestled with what to do about his vision earlier. He had to say something and now was the time. ‘Hey, all...’ Vincent said.

  They looked at him, still smiling.

  ‘It happened again.’

  ‘It?’ Flea asked.

  Julie understood right away. ‘It.’

  ‘Oh. That.’ His eyes widened. ‘When?’

  ‘As I was making the last dice roll.’

  Knife’s brow furrowed. ‘What happened?’

  ‘Time slowed again. As you were all looking at my roll I looked over your head.’ He nodded at Flea. ‘And there was a word on the wall behind you. It said “Tonight”.’

  They walked in silence for a while before Flea spoke. ‘That settles it then.’

  ‘What?’ Vincent asked.

  ‘Vincent, if you’re having some kind of seizures or if it’s something...else. I want some help around. We’re pulling an all-nighter.’

  ‘I’ll bring a crucifix and holy water.’ Knife said.

  They looked over at him as one. Knife raised his palms and shrugged. ‘It couldn’t hurt.’

  ‘There’s no way I’m missing this,’ Julie added.

  ‘Wait, wait.’ Vincent tried to settle them. ‘We don’t have to stay up all night.’

  ‘But, what if we’re asleep and don’t hear them or it do...whatever it is?’ Julie waved her free hand.

  ‘The last time this happened, I was asleep. For all we know, I might need to be asleep for it to work.’

  Knife said, ‘Hmm, you may have a point.’

  ‘Okay then, we camp out in the room. I have a couple of sleeping bags,’ Flea said.

  Vincent turned to Julie. ‘You can have my bed, I’ll take the floor.’

  ‘Or you could join me,’ she said as she tilted her head.

  ‘Mmm, tempting. But Flea would get jealous — Knife would have to keep him company and the whole thing would get strange.’ They laughed.

  ‘Anyway,’ Flea said. ‘So, we hit the sack and if anyone hears or sees anything, you wake the rest of the group. Sound good?’

  ‘Sounds like a plan,’ Julie said with a nod.

  ‘Ya know,’ Knife said. ‘I have a microcassette recorder. I’ll bring it. That way we can tape it, too.’

  ‘Good idea.’ Flea nodded.

  Vincent looked at Julie. ‘Do you want me to walk you to your dorm to get some things?’

  Flea said, ‘If you go, we all go. What if something happens while you two are alone?’

  ‘Do you have something I can sleep in?’ Julie asked.

  ‘Will a t-shirt and shorts work?’ Vincent asked.

  She smiled. ‘Perfectly.’

  The wind intensified and they ducked their heads. Vincent put his arm around Julie and they made their way to the dorm, each lost in their own thoughts.

  Let’s Spend the Night Together

  ‘Is this okay?’ Vincent turned to her with a black t-shirt and a pair of drawstring medical scrubs. ‘If you prefer, Flea has some cowboy PJs.’

  ‘Hey, don’t knock the dude ranch duds. I gotta have something that matches my lucky hat.’ He took a red child’s cowboy hat with white piping off the shelf and set it on his head at a rakish angle then swaggered around the room. ‘I’ll get my...six-gun and you...round up the wagons.’ They laughed as the door opened. Knife entered, carrying his backpack. He’d changed into sweats and a t-shirt.

  ‘Dang, I missed the show.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Flea said, ‘I’ll be here all week.’

  ‘I appreciate the warning,’ Knife said with a grin.

  Julie took the offered sleepwear. ‘That’ll be great, Vincent.’ She unfolded the t-shirt to see an emblazoned grimacing, muscular Asian man, and the words, ‘Power through Discipline.’ ‘Um, nice shirt?’ She turned it towards him.

  ‘It’s a free shirt from a seminar.’

  ‘And you know our motto,’ Flea said. ‘If it’s free — ’

  ‘ — it’s for me.’ Knife finished.

  She cocked an eyebrow at the shirt. ‘I’m gonna have to close my eyes tight.’

  ‘Especially since the writing is glow in the dark.’ Vincent laughed. ‘It makes you easier to find when the lights go out.’ He raised an eyebrow.

  ‘You, sir, are shameless,’ she said. ‘I shall return after changing my attire.’ Then she padded out the door.

  Flea took two sleeping bags from his closet, tossing one to Knife, and the other to Vincent. ‘There ya go.’ They spread them out.

  Flea donned his cowboy flannels while Vincent put on old martial arts pants and a t-shirt. Julie reappeared and stopped, looking at Flea with a spreading grin.

  ‘I thought you were kidding about the PJs.’

  ‘Hey,’ he said. ‘They’re comfy.’

  Their light-hearted chatter was an effort to avoid the unvoiced question: ‘What would happen tonight?’

  Vincent set the wooden die on the nightstand as he always did, and hung his pants over the back of the chair, where he could get them on quickly. Julie placed her neatly folded clothing on its seat. She came and stood next to him, staring out the window into the darkness beyond.

  ‘It’ll be okay.’ She nuzzled herself under his arm. He circled it around her waist, enjoying the way her body fit against his. ‘Let’s get to bed,’ she said.

  ‘Yeah, you’re right.’

  Flea climbed into the top bunk and Knife lay on top of his bag. ‘Like I’ll be able to sleep,’ Flea said. ‘You have that recorder handy, Knife?’

  ‘Right here.’ He held it up.

  Julie got in the lower bunk as Vincent went to the light switch. ‘Ready, all?’ They nodded, so he flipped the switch and slid into his bag on the floor near Julie. As he turned on his side and tried to settle, Vincent felt her hand brush against his arm, coming to rest.

  Her melodic voice came out of the darkness, ‘Good night, Vincent.’

  ‘Good night, Julie,’ he said.

  There was a quiet pause then Flea spoke in a falsetto voice, ‘Good night, John-Boy.’ Vincent smiled into the darkness, his mind floated in a weird mix of everything that was happening and Flea’s Walton’s reference. He expected sleep to be a long time coming, but moments later it covered him like a comfortable old blanket.

  Chapter 15

  A Summons

  Someone knocked lightly at the door. He sat reading Releasing the Self Within, an interesting book, if a bit wordy. Though the ideas were familiar, their execution was new to him.

  A voice joined the knocking. ‘Master Coleman? Are you awake?’

  He became aware that someone was speaking and looked up. ‘Sorry, just a moment.’ He stood and opened the door. A young guard stood there. ‘Good evening.’ He smiled.

  ‘And to you, Sire.’ She inclined her head. ‘The Matriarch requests your presence in the Chapel as soon as you are able.’

  ‘I am guessing it’s not a request I should decline,’ he said with a
grin.

  She smiled back. ‘I suppose you could try, Sire. The result would be very entertaining.’

  ‘Might I have your name, please?’

  ‘Of course, Sire, it’s Pandora.’

  ‘Well then, Pandora, I’ll be right along.’ He nodded pleasantly. ‘Except...’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘I have no idea where it is.’

  She thought for a moment. ‘I’ll guide you, Sire. I must inform the Healer and Commander. Then I can return for you.’

  ‘Wonderful, I’ll be ready.’

  ‘Very well.’ She nodded and headed down the hall.

  A few minutes later, there was another knock. As he retrieved his blade from a table in the corner, he opened the door on his way by. ‘Pandora, you came back fast,’ he said over his shoulder. ‘Let me just grab this and we can be off.’

  ‘So, I leave you for mere hours and you’re running off with other women?’

  He turned, surprised to see Jolie, arms crossed, leaning against the wall with a smirk. He smiled broadly, as he walked toward her.

  ‘It can’t be helped.’

  She cocked an eyebrow.

  ‘It’s my devastatingly good looks.’

  ‘I see.’

  ‘And winning personality.’

  ‘Winning, is it?’

  ‘What’s a man to do?’ He sighed as the last step brought him nearly against her.

  ‘Well then...’ She put her arms around his neck and drew him to her. As their lips nearly touched, she said, ‘...let’s not keep the Matriarch waiting.’ Then she turned away with a grin.

  ‘Oh! You wicked woman!’ He smiled and followed her.

  As they walked through the halls she looked over. ‘You are right, though.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘Your looks are devastating.’ She smiled.

  ‘That makes us a matched set then,’ he said, offering his arm.

  They crossed a large comfortable room, with several groups of women sitting, chatting, or reading, and exited into a hallway. Rounding a corner, they arrived at the Chapel door just before Sari, and he opened it for them. ‘Ladies.’ He waited for them to enter.

  Sari smiled as she strolled through. ‘Be still, my heart.’

  Jolie grinned as well. ‘Chivalry is not dead.’

  He followed them in and looked at the sacred room. The Chapel was awash with candlelight. It was a perfect square of white limestone, fifty paces across. The walls rose high into the air before arching over with ribs extending from each corner to meet in the center. A golden orb, which represented the Divine, hung from where they met, and high atop each wall were massive windows composed of multitudes of glass panes. The room would flood with light during the day and cause the orb to shine brilliantly. Though simple in design, the effect was awe-inspiring.

  Women entered through a door on the opposite side of the sanctuary, and the Matriarch waited for them at the center, beneath the orb. She said, ‘Come, come, everyone, I don’t know how much time we have, but whatever happens must happen tonight. Thank you for responding so swiftly. A short time ago this evening I received a vision.’

  Coleman was amazed at this news and looked at the women to share his surprise, only to find their faces calmly composed. A few heads nodded, others smiled, but nothing more.

  ‘The Seeing included the Companion and those who support him. Though he didn’t see me, I know that we shared another part of the vision. There was a message delivered, a single word, written in living light upon a wall. Neither of us were the author of the word.’

  Coleman looked again at the ladies, keeping his face composed in order to keep from standing out, only to see them erupt in a flurry of questions. Jolie grabbed his arm tightly. ‘Isn’t it amazing? Do you realize what this means?’

  He missed the significance somehow. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t.’

  ‘It means the Matriarch and the Companion have been given a message, together. Directly from the Divine!’

  It dawned on him; a shared vision, from the Divine. His knees grew weak, and he leaned on her arm.

  ‘Are you well?’ she asked, concern marking her voice.

  ‘Yes, I think so, I, it, I...’

  She smiled. ‘Glad to see you understand.’

  ‘Ladies. Ladies. The word was, “Tonight”. I’ve gathered you because I suspect what may occur.’ She paused; letting them fall silent, waiting, ensuring their full attention. ‘The Companion has those about him who shield him with their care. If they are nearby, we may be able to communicate with him for an extended time. But it must happen tonight. Acolytes, please make yourselves ready to start the Song.’

  They bustled off, taking pillows and cushions, each moving to a spot that suited them. The Matriarch turned to the three of them. ‘Coleman, you need to become familiar with what happens here, as it will apply to you one day. You also should have the chance to see how the Companion reacts.

  ‘Jolie, you are here as Healer in case there’s need, but you’re also here because you care deeply for Coleman.’

  Jolie opened her mouth to speak then stopped. She nodded, acknowledging the fact. Coleman looked from the Matriarch to her and back; both smiled at him.

  ‘Sari, as Commander, you shall see to our safety, if need be. You have other reasons to be here as well.’ She paused and stepped to Sari, extending her hand. Sari took it, and the Elder continued gently. ‘You love Jolie as your dearest friend, and this has seen you both through a lifetime of experiences. Though you have come to know Coleman, it’s important that those who care for him — not just one another — surround both the Traveler and the Companion. You must allow the love of the Divine to flow through you to Coleman. I have my suspicions as to why but am not certain of them. The vision clearly revealed the necessity. Sari, dear one, can you do this?’

  Sari looked at him.

  What could she be thinking?

  She chewed her lower lip and her gaze moved to Jolie. They stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment. Jolie’s brows softened and her head moved in a tiny nod. Sari looked back at him, blinking rapidly, fighting back tears. ‘Yes...I can.’

  The Matriarch turned to him. ‘Coleman, I said there were several reasons for your presence, and here is the last. I saw that the Companion has a woman by his side who loves him and I sensed he reciprocated that love. I do not know if he understands this; perhaps we will discover it tonight.’ She nodded to Jolie, then Sari, and finally, locked eyes with Coleman. ‘You are surrounded by people who love and care for you. It is time for you to allow that love its full strength. It upholds the Companion and must support you. There’s no greater power, no better shield, no stronger bond. All other things will fail; all other things will fade; only love will endure.’ Her voice softened. ‘I’m an old woman and know of what I speak.’

  Turning, she walked to a pillow and sat, looking up at the Orb. ‘Place yourselves wherever you wish. Do not touch me until the moment has passed fully. We must allow it to reach completion.’ She looked to them each. ‘No matter what occurs, do you understand?’

  They nodded their assent, he was reeling from what she had revealed about each of them. The women had to be too. Jolie and Coleman joined hands, and after a brief moment, Coleman extended his other hand to Sari. It seemed like the right thing to do and when she took it, he knew it was. The connection of the three of them meant something. He wasn’t sure what, but it was important somehow. They walked a few strides to a small pile of pillows behind the Matriarch.

  They sat silently, waiting. The Matriarch raised one hand and let it settle to her lap. A clear soprano sang out, the note floating like a remembered dream. The voices of the assembled women rose in chorus to join her. They spoke no words; the Song built on slowly constructed chords, the notes seeking one another. No sooner had they found their mates than some floated off, creating a momentary disharmony that resolved itself as other voices sought them out and built upon one another. The harmonies were like none the th
ree had ever heard; they brought feelings of longing, joined with those of triumph. Victory sought, twined with one already obtained.

  A partition in reality slid open and the Matriarch’s head jerked as she inhaled sharply. She stood and approached the dark rectangle.

  Chapter 16

  A Conversation

  Tick. Tick, click.

  Tick.

  Vincent opened his eyes; the soft glow of the clock illuminated the nightstand.

  Click.

  He lifted his head. Everyone was asleep.

  Tick.

  He laid his hand on Julie’s shoulder. ‘Julie.’ He patted her lightly and her eyes opened. ‘I hear something.’

  Click click click.

  She sat up slowly, trying to focus.

  ‘Flea, Knife,’ he said quietly.

  ‘Yes?’ Knife’s voice floated from the darkness.

  ‘Everything okay?’ Flea asked quietly from above.

  Julie said, ‘Listen.’

  Click click.

  Vincent knew where it was coming from: the nightstand. ‘Look, near the clock.’

  Knife’s face appeared next to his; he pushed the button on his microcassette. ‘Tape is rolling.’

  They looked into the green glow of the clock.

  Click click. The silver marked die tipped over twice.

  Knife gasped and scrambled backward until he hit the wall. ‘I...I don’t believe this.’

  Flea’s voice came trembling from the darkness above, ‘Guys...are...are you seeing what I’m seeing?’

  ‘The...the die...it...it...’ Knife said.

  It flipped three times.

  ‘Vincent, what should we do?’ Julie grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip and leaned against him. He heard the panic in her voice.

  Vincent spoke softly, ‘Everyone calm down. It’ll be okay we just wait...I think.’

  They waited, amazement warring with fear on their faces.

  Clickclickclickclick. The small die danced and hopped in a circle then flipped in the air, landing perfectly still on the square narrow end of its length.

  ‘Wow, that was — ’ Flea said.

  ‘Wait,’ Vincent said gently. ‘Just...wait.’