Fire and Flood

by Dawn Morris

  Before I could run, two massive arms grabbed me from behind. “No, you don’t!” a rough voice ordered and called for help. I struggled as hard as I could, but the man’s grip was firm. Two women rushed out of the building toward us.

  “We’ve got a trank,” one of them blurted to the man as she held up a syringe. I felt a sharp sting.

  FLOOD

  Chapter 18

  Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the water was abated from the face of the land . . .

  Genesis 8:8

  One night, around the hundredth day in the ark, we sat in the family living quarters around the dinner table. Empty plates were pushed toward the middle to make room for one of our favorite games: a guessing game.

  “We should play the women against the men,” Taina trilled. Everyone agreed and switched seats, so we could sit with our teams.

  “It’s so good to have you joining us, Taina!” I smiled at her. It was nice to see her feeling better. Her skin no longer had that pale, sickly look.

  “Yes, I’m sure you like having her back,” Noah teased. “Your team lost every single game without her.” The taunting went on throughout the game, each side boasting in its skill. The rivalry was intense, but Team Woman won.

  “This is my favorite time of day,” Shem remarked, “even when we lose. This has been a hard time for the family with all that’s happened, but I think we are closer than we’ve ever been before.” I agreed and saluted the family with my cup of water. We all raised our glasses and drank.

  Portraits I’d painted of the family were slowly covering the warm wooden walls. Noah and Laelah were set on the top, with their three sons spaced evenly below them. I was still working on Nua’s picture. It stood on a stand Japheth had made for me, just across from where the family sat.

  The evening ended warmly. As the family shared some of Noah’s wine in celebration, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful. The world had been filled with evil, but this sweet fellowship would be the start of a new world.

  After a hundred and fifty days in the ark, many weeks after the rain stopped, the whole ark suddenly shuddered as it struck the crest of what had once been a mountain. I was sitting with the birds, laughing at the tiniest ones because they were snoring as they slept, when the terrific jolt tossed me to the floor. Terrified, I left the birds and ran up the ramp to find Japheth and the rest of the family scrambling up to the bridge.

  When I got up there, the hatches were already opened. The ark was still in water, but Japheth told me we were caught at the top of a mountain still unseen below us.

  “It’s like a rocky cradle holding the ark,” Nua remarked to me.

  We stood gazing on the scene around us for quite some time; the bright sun sparkled on the waves. For the first time in months, the ark was still. Water lapped against its side. I had been feeling dizzy for a few weeks and hoped the stillness would finally calm my head and my stomach.

  “We won’t know where anything is,” Ham remarked.

  “What do you mean, son?” Laelah asked.

  “Who knows how far we have traveled? The land has been underwater for so long . . . how has the land been changed? Will we be able to recognize the rivers and hills of home?”

  No one answered. No one knew.

  It had not occurred to me that all the water surrounding us could have enough power to blot out all that we knew of the world. Would nothing be familiar?

  “Now, there is really no way for us to ever get back to Eden,” Ham complained angrily, punching the side of the ark with his fist.

  “No one could get there anyway,” Japheth answered, abruptly changing the subject and turning to face Noah. “Father, has the Lord told you how long we will have to wait for the waters to recede?”

  Noah shook his head. “No, but it seems to me that since we have been on the water all this time, we should expect it to take a while. Thankfully, we have plenty of provisions.”

  Japheth and I stayed up on the bridge after everyone left. “That was a strange thing my brother said,” he commented.

  I agreed, although I knew what Ham meant. I, too, had wanted to go to Eden and walk in its beauty and see the famous Tree of Life. A few times over the past months, I had thought about it, deep under the water. Was it still alive down there? Were the angels still guarding it?

  “Methuselah told me that an angel guards the entrance there.” I said.

  “Yes, an angel with a flaming sword! No one could ever return there, though Ham thinks there is a way.”

  “How?” I wondered again if it even still existed under all that water. Surely even the Flood could not destroy the Tree of Life?

  “The Nephilim whispered lies to anyone who would listen about a way into Eden.” We all knew the powers of the Tree of Life: eat one fruit and become immortal. It would be hard to turn away from a whisper of how to get in.

  “How did Ham hear these whispers?” I asked.

  “Years ago, on one of our supply trips to the city, we ran into the Magistrate. If you recall, Lamech, who called himself the Magistrate’s father, was Noah’s father. The Magistrate talked to us under the guise of familial bond. While we spoke, he told us his desperate theory.”

  “Did Noah say anything?”

  “Just that no one was more powerful than the angel God sent to guard Eden’s entrance. But later, Ham insisted that the Magistrate had told him the way to the Garden.”

  “What was it?” I wondered briefly why the Magistrate would tell such a tale. Then I remembered his dark, deceitful ways.

  “Something about appearing to the angel as one of the First Ones would allow a person to gain entrance to the Garden. It was a silly tale, but it seems that it took root in my brother’s heart. I suspect that is why he wants the garments made by the Creator.”

  Japheth turned from the hatch and said he was going back to work on some repairs below. I stayed up on the bridge. The bright sun sparkled on the waters that splashed softly against the ark; the surface was calm, reflecting the fluffy white clouds above.

  I heard a splash and looked down in time to see a fin submerge below the water. Wondering what kind of animal it was, I stood there for some time, hoping for another glimpse, but it did not reappear. Sighing, I returned to work, too.

  Day followed day, and the waters continued to recede from the land, taking over two months to withdraw from the mountaintop. It became apparent the ark really was caught up in a kind of “cradle,” as Nua described it, so we did not drift away with the water as it faded back to its place.

  It was forty days after we saw the top of the mountains that Noah called the family to join him on the bridge. All of the hatches were open to allow fresh air to circulate. As I got to the ladder, I looked up and saw Noah holding one of the bird cages in his hand. Clambering up, I joined the family.

  “I have not heard from the Lord about leaving the ark yet, and as you know, we can see nothing from this vantage point except the mountain tops,” Noah explained. “I sent out a raven a week ago, and it did not come back. Foolishly, I forgot that it eats carrion, and there must be,” he paused, closing his eyes and bowing his head a moment, “quite a lot here near the mountain top. This morning, it occurred to me that a dove would give us more information.”

  “Oh, yes!” Taina exclaimed. “Doves will return to their homes instinctively! My grandmother kept dovecotes and would use her doves to send messages to her sister, who lived in one of the cities. Her sister also had a dovecote, and the arrangement allowed them to communicate with one another.”

  I did not follow her meaning. “So, who will communicate with us through the dove?”

  “Not who but what,” Noah said. “The dove knows instinctively how to find her original home. If she does not return to us, we will know that she has found her home.”

  “And that means the waters have receded enough for the tree line to be revealed,” Taina finished for him, smiling her approval.

  Tenderly, Noah scooped the dove out of the cage an
d tossed it gently into the air. We watched as it stretched its wings and flew up and out of sight. One by one, everyone but Noah and Nua left the bridge. There was much to do to care for the animals below.

  It took some time, but the dove returned. Later that night over dinner, Noah shared his plan with us. He would wait another seven days and then try the experiment again.

  Seven more days passed, and he took the dove out for another flight. That second time, she reappeared with an olive branch in her beak. It was such a wonder to us, that olive branch. After nothing but rain and flood for months, to see a green thing growing again was remarkable. But because she returned, we knew the time had not yet come to leave the ark, so Noah waited another seven days before repeating his experiment. That time, the dove did not return. We knew she had found her home.

  That night, as the family sat after dinner, we discussed leaving the ark.

  “While this is an encouraging development, the ground will certainly still be too wet for us to leave,” Noah said.

  “But we do need to plan how we will get out,” Japheth interjected. “The door is sealed shut.”

  “Why don’t we just make a hole on the first level?” Ham asked. “We can just walk out.”

  “That is a very good idea, brother!” Japheth answered. “If we make an opening in the lower deck, we can easily lead the animals out and cart out supplies to build a home.”

  Laelah sighed. “I cannot wait to leave this place and have a real home again!”

  “But where will we get wood to build a home?” Ham objected. “How many trees could survive a flood like this?”

  “We can take planking from the ark to build the house,” Japheth suggested.

  “I do not know what we will do,” Noah responded, “but I am confident the Creator did not bring us through the great Flood safely with all of these animals only to leave us without shelter when it is time to leave the ark.”

  I stood up to get some more water and was suddenly overcome by dizziness. Swaying, I grabbed my husband’s shoulder for support.

  “Ariana!” Japheth got up and wrapped an arm around me. I sat down again and put my head on the table. Hoping the dizziness would stop.

  I felt a cool hand on the back of my neck. Laelah. “She doesn’t feel warm. Here, Japheth, take her to your room.”

  After he helped me to the bed, Laelah asked Japheth to leave the room. She sat down next to me and took my hand in hers and asked me some questions. As I answered them, I felt the excitement of hope growing.

  “Could it be?” I asked her, afraid to say the words.

  Her dark eyes twinkled brightly back at me. “I think from your answers it is certain! Let me get Japheth.” She left the room, and my husband came back alone.

  “Are you all right?” he asked anxiously. “Mother would not answer any of my questions.”

  “She helped me answer mine, though.” I smiled up at him. “I’ve had some symptoms that have been worrying me, but now I know there is nothing to worry about.” I laid his hand on my belly. “We are having a baby!

  “Praise the Creator!” Japheth whooped and picked me up, swinging me around. I laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him over and over.

  After all we had been through in our short time together, this new life was a promise of a better future. Surely our children and their children would learn the lesson of the great Flood and the ark and follow after the ways of the Lord. Surely, the world would be as it ought to in the future! That is what we dreamed of together that day—a bright future full of peace and hope and love between our three families.

  FIRE

  Chapter 19

  You came to my rescue, Lord, and saved my life.

  Lamentations 3:58

  The sensation of suddenly falling woke me with a start. I was lying on a couch. Dizzily, I tried to sit up, but it was too hard. Why was it so loud?

  “Don’t worry. It’s normal to feel groggy.” I looked over to my left. An older woman sat in a chair facing me; she looked blurry to me. I blinked trying to see her.

  “You’ve probably never flown before.”

  With a start, I saw clouds through the window. “What? Are we flying?” I pushed myself up. Just then, the plane shook. I grabbed the arm of the couch and screamed.

  “It’s just a bit of turbulence, dear. No reason to be afraid. We’re fine,” the woman told me. The shaking stopped a few moments later. I’d seen planes fly over the Compound occasionally and always wondered what it would be like to fly in one. It was a waking nightmare.

  “It’ll be a bit before you feel steady. We gave you some sedatives to help you sleep. We’re flying to Jerusalem for the ceremony. I’m so excited to go! I’m a true believer.”

  My mind spun. Jerusalem? I tried to escape, and now, I was being dragged right into the lion’s den.

  She smiled at me reassuringly, leaning over to pat my hand, and my eyes focused. She had the mark on her forehead. “You really should feel honored. Of course, there aren’t many young women who are still . . . well, still pure. Every city is sending a virginal offering for the unveiling.”

  I pushed myself up, groggy and uncomprehending. It was like she was speaking a different language. Closing my eyes, I tried to pull myself together, but my head wasn’t cooperating.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Here, try some water.” She pushed a small bottle of water into my hand, and I drank it. The cool liquid soothed my dry throat. I thanked her, and she smiled with a nod.

  I was getting scared. Virginal offering? What did that mean? I started breathing hard. On the Compound, Dominic always talked about being “pure” for your husband. I knew what that meant. But how would this woman know? With a sick feeling, I knew. Someone had examined me while I was unconscious.

  “You violated me?” I glared up at her.

  “Oh, no! Of course not! Our doctor examined you. He’s a professional. I was there as a witness. You have no reason to be upset.” Then she put her hand on my shoulder and patted me like a dog.

  “I was unconscious. I didn’t give you permission to examine me!” I screamed at her and raised the water bottle to throw it in her face, but she was faster. She gripped my wrist painfully.

  “You need to stop fighting. This is going to happen.” Her ghostly white face smiled down at me. Her touch was cold.

  I wanted those flat eyes to turn away from me. There was an inhuman quality to them—much like the malignant evil I’d seen in the scorpion monsters’ eyes back in Spokane. Incredible fear washed over me. I wasn’t sure she was totally human. There was something else behind those eyes.

  “I’m fine.” I spit the words out.

  She abruptly let go of my wrist.

  “I’m here to serve you. It’s a huge honor to be going to Jerusalem for the unveiling! Everyone’s been talking about it, and it’s a privilege for me to escort one of the volunteers. I am Sister Charity Rose.”

  As I sat and ate a sandwich Sister Charity gave me, she droned on and on. My head was spinning, but without realizing it, she was helping me understand what was happening. All I had to do was ask a question, and she’d go off on another diatribe to answer it. She talked for hours, and as she babbled, a picture started to form in my mind. Sorting through the inane comments for nuggets of reality, I was able to grasp some solid information. It was worse than I could have ever imagined.

  When the plane started its decent, I thought we were going to crash. Finally, we came down with a big thud. I was thankful to be back on the earth.

  “This is the Old City,” Sister Charity Rose informed me.

  I watched through the dark window as we drove past ancient buildings that looked like castles to me. Like Creston, Jerusalem seemed like a bustling place. There were many other cars and people walking the narrow streets. The streets were so narrow that I wondered if two cars could pass at the same time. Everything here seemed strange and ancient.

  The car stopped by a white building.
“This is the embassy,” the driver told us.

  “Let’s go,” Sister ordered. I opened the door and got out; she followed me. “This way! I want to introduce you to the ambassador.”

  The next few days were filled with boredom, punctuated by appointments where I joined the other women being kept prisoner in preparing for the ceremony. Our hair was cut and styled, and we were fitted with gowns for the ceremony. We were to stand alongside President Bellomo as he made his speech and follow him into the Temple. The ambassador ran us through our part over and over, determined we would not ruin anything on the great day approaching.

  “You know what he has done for the world! He’s saved us from the brink of extinction and you get to honor him. Demonstrate your devotion!” Both her hand and her forehead bore the mark, which I now knew was a symbol of allegiance to President Bellomo.

  I hated every moment, but there was nothing I could do. None of the other women even spoke to me. How were we going to demonstrate our devotion? There were women among us who had the mark. They responded to everything with great eagerness. Maybe they had actually volunteered for this honor.

  The morning of the ceremony, we split into two groups. Ours was taken to the cafeteria for breakfast but only given a bit of tea and some toasted bread. The tea tasted strange, but I drank it anyway. As we were led out of the room, I regretted drinking it. My brain felt foggy, lethargic. Looking around at the other women, I realized that none of the women who were marked were in my group.

  We followed a guard, and as we walked down the corridor, we passed an open door. I looked in and saw a long table covered in a white cloth and heaped with food. The other group of girls, those with the mark, were sitting at the table, feasting and laughing together.

  After we got dressed, we were taken to a large bus. I had to pull the long skirt of my dress up to climb into the bus. We’d been severely warned about getting the white garments dirty. I sat down in the back, blinking my eyes in the bright sunlight, struggling to think clearly.