by JKMelby74
“This isn’t exactly what I was expecting a church foundation to look like.”
“A lot of people think that, but the reality is we need to treat this church as a business, at least to an extent. We need to coordinate charity organizations from here and administrate the growing number of worship houses across the globe. There are some real world duties we attend to here, such as insurance and corporate funding. We’re just the nuts and bolts of what the church hopes to achieve.”
“And what is that exactly?”
“I think that is a conversation for you to have with your father.”
The elevator stops suddenly and the doors open. I step out and my jaw drops. I’ve never seen such a place. My eyes go right to the enormous windows that make up the entire north wall of the penthouse. From where I am, I can see the better part of the city’s skyline with a small bit of Central Park thrown in for good measure.
“This is as far as I can take you. Praise The Savior.” Morgan says as the doors close. After my shock of the view wears off, I begin taking in the smaller details. I can see the kitchen and dining room at the far end of the living room. I turn to look upon a very handsome sitting area with two large chairs and an overstuffed sofa all set a few feet from a huge fireplace. The walls are painted an eggsHell white with cherry wood accents.
“You made it.” A voice comes from above. I spot the spiral staircase leading up to another level. I see an old man coming down. He’s so small with graying hair and weathered features. As he comes closer, I begin to recognize him.
“Dad?”
“Not quite the way you remember me, is it?”
“No, but it’s been a while.”
“I realize.” I look upon my father and I can barely accept that it’s him. He’s so small and frail looking. He does not look like the man who I was told was so strong and energetic. I remember his hair being so shiny and dark, but it looks like someone sprinkled it with dust. His skin was tighter as I recall, but now it’s just drooping and hanging loosely. He’s gotten so old.
“How’ve you been?” I ask quickly.
“Good. And you?”
“Fine.”
“I understand your shock. When you haven’t seen someone for so long, it can be quite a thing when you finally do meet again.”
“Whose fault is that?”
“Fair enough.”
“Look, Mike said you wanted to see me.”
“Mike? Oh. Right. Yes, I did.”
“Here I am. What is it?”
“Do we have to get down to business right away? Would it kill you to spend a little time with your father?”
“That remains to be seen.”
“Larissa, honey. Please. It’s been too long as it is.” He says. His eyes are pitiful and pleading.
“I could stay for a drink.” I say. His face brightens.
“Excellent! Why don’t you go and clean up while I set things up down here?”
“Fine. Where’s the bathroom?”
“Upstairs, third door on the right.” He says as he hurries to the kitchen. I turn and head for the stairs. It’s a long, rail staircase. I walk up and as I reach the top I have a sudden urge to kill myself. The second floor’s even better than the first. Deep, luxurious white carpet with real wood molding along the ceiling. I notice his bed through an open door to my left. It is by far larger than a California King. Custom made, I assume. I turn away quickly and head down a narrow hall. I stop at the third door and open it to walk into something that would have put the ancient Greeks to shame. Marble tile as far as the eye can see with large elaborate frescoes. I pass by a large steam room and right next to the Olympic-sized bathtub is a Jacuzzi and large open air shower. I turn a corner and finally discover the sink, or sinks. He’s got six of them in a row against the back wall with a long panel mirror stretching across them all. I give myself a good look and my hair’s a bit tossed and I’m not liking the state of my makeup. I give myself a once over real quick and wash my hands. Of course, he has motion detection faucets. I put my things back together and try to find my way back.
I step out of the bathroom and I immediately hear a new voice from below.
“You need to tell her now!”
“I will tell her when the time is right, Damon. I won’t be pushed. Not by you!”
“Fine! Just make sure you tell her soon. That’s all I’m saying.” I peer over the banister and I see him. He’s younger with brown hair and pale skin. He turns from my father and storms back to the elevators. I hear them shut as I reach the first floor again. I walk over to my father who is settling on the sofa with a bottle of wine in front of him and two glasses.
“Who was that?” I ask as I sit down in the chair directly across from my father.
“Damon Lewis. My right-hand man.”
“Sounded kind of pissed.”
“He gets like that sometimes.” Dad says as he fills the glasses. He hands one to me. It’s a deep red wine and I can smell the bouquet even before I lift the glass to my lips. Say what you want about my father, he knows his wine.
“What’s he so anxious for you to tell me?”
“Not now. I really just want to talk. Get to know you.”
“Well, I only came here to get this message you claim to have for me. If you’re not going to tell me now, I might as well just go.” I say as I begin to get up.
“Wait! No!” He barks pathetically.
“Then what is it?”
“You’re about to turn twenty-five, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Have I ever told you about what brought about the Church of Corba?”
“I’m out of here.”
“Now just sit down this second!” He screams as he leaps up. “This is important. You need to hear this.”
“Fine. Talk.”
“That’s better. It was about thirty years ago. Two demons had taken Heaven and were using it in a bid to take over the world. All that’s not important though. It’s what happened afterward.”
“I know what happened after. You and mom had me. Ten years later you decided you wanted to be God and left us. Fifteen years later, here we are.”
“Your mom always said you were a lot like me. I’m starting to see the resemblance. Now will you shut that mouth of yours and listen? When Heaven was returned, it left a hole in the universe. A big one. Ivar pointed it out to me at first. Before I knew what to say, an energy surge poured out of it. Ivar got away, but it hit me dead on. I honestly don’t know what happened after that moment, but the next thing I remembered was waking up in a field and being free of the demon that was in me.”
“Hold on. Demon in you? Are you saying all the times mom said you were possessed, she was telling the truth?”
“Yes. I don’t know how it happened, but I had been cured. I guess it had just been a day or two that I was gone. When I got home, I found your mother crying her eyes out. Everyone thought I had died. Even though I was right in front of her, Gwen still didn’t totally believe I was there. I had to prove it to her.”
“How did you do that?”
“Well, that is kind of the way you came to be.”
“Ick.”
“It wasn’t long after that, your mother and I married. At that point, just a small group of people thought of me as some kind of second coming and the story of Heaven’s return spread like a virus. When the whole Heaven incident became more widely known, I was approached to start a movement to those who believed me to be a new messiah. When that began to take off, the so-called Church of Corba was proposed. I didn’t want any part of it at first, but I remembered something about my time after I was blasted by that energy surge. It was abstract and difficult to focus on it, but something was pushing me to found the church. A message from somewhere was telling me I needed to do it to save everyone. I tried to divide my time between you and the church but it was too much and I had to choose one over the other.”
“And me and mom were the lucky losers.”
“It wasn’t that simple. I thought long and hard about everything, but I saw a larger goal in sight, and then, one night, I had a vision.”
“The snake.”
“That’s right. The snake appeared to me and it said it was God thanking me for saving Heaven, and the whole of creation. It said that I was destined to usher in a new age for mankind. I had no choice. I hated leaving you and your mother, but the world needed me and I couldn’t turn my back on that.”
“Okay. A little nuts for me, but I’m sure anyone who reads tabloids on a regular basis would find this thought-provoking.”
“But that wasn’t all it said. I was also told that when my daughter reaches her twenty-fifth birthday, a gate would appear and only she will be able to open it.”
“A gate. Okay. And why would I want to open this gate?”
“When you open this gate, a torrent of energy will flood the Earth. Energy that will rejuvenate Earth and give birth to a new world.”
“Why do you even believe this?”
“Because it’s already begun. I was told that a sign of the gate’s impending arrival would be a great storm. This storm. This darkness is going to consume the world soon. People brush it off as just bad weather, but it’s more than that. This is death itself descending upon mankind and the only hope for saving us is to release the energy of pure life.”
“So, assuming I believe any of this, tell me why would I do this? Maybe I think the world’s gone on long enough. There’s so much death and disease today, maybe it would be best just to let the clock run out and we can all start over somewhere else.”
“If this darkness takes us, we all die forever. This is a test of faith. Of your faith, Larissa.”
“Why mine?”
“That I can’t tell you. I requested you to come here so that I could ask you, in person, if you would do this. Will you?”
“So, you drop out of the sky to ask if I’ll lead your insanity parade down Main Street, and you think there’s a chance in Hell I’ll say yes?”
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but in my defense, I have tried to get in contact with you before. You just haven’t wanted to see me.”
“And can you blame me? You weren’t even there for mom’s funeral. I thought for sure you’d make time to be there to say goodbye, but I guess I just had a little too much faith in you then. That’s not going to happen again.”
“I wanted to be there, but this Church. It’s like being The Pope. My responsibilities here are just too staggering.”
“Tell it to mom. I hope you know she never loved another man. She went to her dying day loving you.”
“I know. I still love her. I still love you!”
“Thanks, but I’m full up with stories for now. I can find my own way out.” I get up and turn quickly to the elevator. As I approach, he calls out to me.
“If you didn’t believe me, even a little, why did you come here?” I stop. He’s right. That little bit of doubt in my head pestered me. I turn to face him.
“Maybe there’s a little bit of me that believes you. Maybe it’s a larger part of me than I care to admit, but that doesn’t wipe away everything else. You weren’t there for me or mom so I wonder, why should I be here for you?” I hear the elevator doors slide open behind me. Perfect. I turn and walk into it. Dad runs after me. He stops just as the doors close.
“At least think about it. There’s time to change your mind.” He says. The last words I hear before the elevator begins to descend.
Chapter 50
The Voice Of Reason
I feel my anger lessen the further down I go. I look up and I only have a few more floors to go before I hit the lobby. Suddenly, the elevator car stops and the doors slide open. I see Damon standing before me. I recognize the pale skin. He has a handsome face and a commanding nature. He looks at me and smiles.
“Larissa. I heard you had come. Don’t tell me you’re leaving us already.”
“I’m afraid so. I saw my dad. I’m done.”
“Really? Did he say anything to you?”
“Yes, he asked. Don’t worry.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I overheard you earlier. You seemed pretty anxious for my father to ask me to be a part of your little ritual.”
“Oh. And your answer was?”
“No.”
“You said no?”
“I’m sorry, but I just don’t believe in all of this. I don’t believe my dad is some kind of divine being and I really don’t believe the world is coming to an end.”
“That’s all right. No need to apologize for your own beliefs. Given your history with your father, I thought it was going to be kind of a long shot to begin with.”
“You seem rather calm for hearing your one chance at stopping the end of the world is flying out the window.”
“It’s my faith. I have faith that we will survive. Faith that you will change your mind.”
“I doubt that will happen.” I say. The elevator doors try to close, but Damon is standing between them.
“Could I impose on you for just a moment?” He asks and offers his hand to me. I take it and notice his hand is as cold as Morgan’s. He leads me into what appears to be a typical office. People behind desks tapping on keyboards and phones ringing. “I wish I could offer you some real evidence that everything we’ve told you is true. I know how hard it is to believe something purely on faith.”
“I just go by what I can see with my own two eyes.”
“Most people do.” Damon says as he takes me further into the office. We pass through the maze of cubicles seemingly unnoticed. No one even looks up slightly as we pass by. We stop at a small door at the back of the office marked ‘Restricted’.
“What’s in there?”
“The source of all of our faith. Let me show you.” He opens the door and prods me on. I walk in and notice there isn’t any kind of furniture in the room. It’s totally bare save for a large tapestry hanging on the wall. It has intricate patterns woven into it that appear to be crude scenarios. I see little men running from fire on one thread and a great Earthquake on another.
“What is all this?”
“The Tapestry. This woven cloth has predicted the course of life on this planet for the last hundred years. It foresaw the great quake of twenty seventeen. The flooding of the Grand Canyon. The collapse of Mt. Rushmore.”
“It doesn’t look that old.”
“It isn’t. The real Tapestry is held in a secret place far away. This particular tapestry was woven by your father.”
“He wove this?”
“Yes. He labored for six years until it was complete. Clearly he was receiving messages from another place. He recreated the original tapestry perfectly. Look at this.” Damon leads me to the furthest end of the tapestry. I see some crudely sewn clouds over what looks like some kind of city. “This part depicts our present. You see the two paths it takes? From here, it shows what will happen if you do not help us. As you can see the rain continues and the Earth dies.”
“Look, if you think looking at some piece of folk art is going to change my mind, you’re as nuts as my old man.”
“I am only showing you what we have seen. I’m giving you as much information as I can before you make a choice that you will never be able to make again. Deciding not to give money to a church is relatively easier. You don’t give, but others do so it’s okay. This time ‘round though, if you don’t step up, no one else will be able to. A heavier price to pay, by far. I just hope you realize what you could be doing.”
“I do. Thanks. I think the world will be just fine without me. Bye.” I say and hurry back to the elevator.
When I reach the lobby, I can feel everyone’s stares on me again. I feel their eyes burning into my skin like hot drills. I wonder if they have already been told about what went on upstairs. Are they mad that I’m not going to join their crazy cult? Do they think I’ve damned the human race? So what if they do? They’re all nuts. I breeze through the crowd
and out the door into the pouring rain and I don’t look back. Not even for an instant.
As I head back home, the anger in me grows. He claims to want to know me, but when I go to see him, he only wants me there to ask a favor for his cult! If he really wanted me in his life, he wouldn’t have left in the first place. That’s the bottom line. A father who really cares would have made it happen. He was just too busy with his precious church and his insane followers. I’m stomping down the sidewalk as I see the subway terminal. I stop for a second and realize what I need to do to calm down.
A few transfers later, I’m at Cedar Park Cemetery. Whenever I have thoughts about dad, I come to see mom. She had intended to be buried back in Los Angeles, but after we moved out here, she changed her plans. I walk across the large field, past all the other graves and find my mom, just as I had left her. The flowers I brought last time are still looking pretty good, but not as good as the fresh ones I have with me. I place them gently at the base of her gravestone. I wipe a small bit of dust off the top of the stone and sit down on the wet ground. I can feel the water soaking into my pants, but I don’t care. The gravestone itself is nothing special, but that’s how she wanted it. If it had been up to me, I would have gotten her a giant statue of an angel to sit over her grave, but she was insistent upon a humble memorial.
“Hi. I know it’s only been a few weeks since we last talked, but I really needed to see you today. I just saw him. Dad, I mean. I know you’ve been bugging me about it for years, but I finally did it. He asked for me actually. He wanted to ask me to take part in some weird ritual to stop the end of the world. I tell you, mom. I never really believed all the stories you told me about him, but now I don’t know. He did claim he was possessed. I still don’t buy it. There are no such things as demons. It just isn’t real. It’s kind of sad. He left us because of some mental illness, and the saddest part is all the millions of people who are encouraging him. You should see his place. It’s huge. He looks good too. I guess. It was so long since I saw him last. He seemed so much smaller than he used to be. I just don’t remember him like that.”