by Justin Price
"Alright. Sounds cool", said Jenna.
The girls walked across the dance floor and back through the front door.
"We'll be right back", Jenna said to the bouncer. "We are just going out for a little smoke."
They lit up their cigarettes and talked as they walked down the street. "It's clear nights like these that remind me of why we came here. Sure, fame and fortune would be nice, but it's really about the fun nights out with friends and the great city culture. This place just has so much history and so much heritage. It can eat you alive if you let it, but it can be paradise if you love music. I really wouldn't have it any other way", said Abbie.
"I am so glad that we have come here and experienced this. It has been the best years of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. We are living life", Jenna said smiling.
As they walked along through the warm summer night around a couple of blocks, they decided to take a shortcut down the alley to get back to the front of the club. "Let's get a couple more hours in before we go home", said Jenna.
As they walked down the dark alley, a man with a cowboy hat stepped out of the shadows beside them. As he came into view, the scars on his face were visible as they ran through the five o'clock shadow on his face.
"Geez dude. You scared the heck out of us!” said Abbie.
He stood there staring at them in silence. He slowly slid his hand inside of his long trench coat and produced a pistol with a suppressor attached to the barrel.
"Both of you girls need to walk slowly to that corner and get on the ground or you will be dead and nobody will even hear your screams. Do you understand me?"
They both nodded 'yes' with looks of sheer terror on their faces. They slowly walked behind the stack of crates that he motioned to and laid down on the ground.
"Now, both of you remove your clothes. I don't want to hear a sound from either of you or this barrel will be the last thing you see."
They both slowly began to do what he told them to do while tears began to run down their cheeks and onto the dirty pavement. The man leaned in close to Abbie with his gun still in his hand between the two girls. With one swift motion, Jenna pulled a stun gun from the purse lying next to her but she was no match for the stranger.
Just as she pulled the stun gun out, he took his pistol and knocked it from her hand. It flew about ten feet across the alley as she let out a scream. The man instinctively turned and pulled the trigger. Abbie closed her eyes expecting to hear a blast. There was only a click. She opened her eyes thinking that the gun had jammed or he didn't have ammunition. Then just as she turned her head, she remembered that the gun had a suppressor.
To her surprise and horror, Jenna laid there bleeding from a hole in the front of her head. She saw the result of the exit wound behind her all over the brick wall. Abbie turned around and vomited as the stranger got up and ran down the alley. She could only sit there in absolute shock over what had just happened. There is no way that her best friend was dead. It couldn't be happening.
She glanced over from the corner of her eye hoping that she had seen it wrong and she was okay. Maybe she was still holding on to life. She reached for her wrist and there was no pulse. She straightened her clothes out and began to crawl down the alley. She didn't even feel like she could walk. As she got within a few feet of the corner of the building, she could only scream. The bouncer came around the corner just in time for everything to go black.
CHAPTER 6
Samyaza al Assad sat in his custom made leather chair at his office in Damascus, Syria speaking with his Director of Religious Affairs, Mr. Adnan Bahar. His arrogance was second only to Assad's, though he tried just as hard to put on a humble facade. He looked very similar to Samyaza with jet black hair and dark olive skin. They could have passed for brothers if nobody knew any better.
"Mr. Bahar, you have shown yourself to be one of my most trusted staff members in recent years. You have really taken the lead and done your job with excellence. We have nearly done what we have set out to do. We have almost completely rid the world of the scourge of religion, especially the Abrahamic religions of our forefathers and their contemporaries."
"Thank you for your confidence President al Assad. I will continue to endeavor to do whatever is requested of me. There is none other that could have led us through the time of war and united the nations like you have sir. I am more than honored to serve under you."
As they both exchanged pleasantries and flattered each other, Samyaza suddenly became very serious. "As you know, we have presumably made contact with another form of life. To date, it is unclear who they are or where they come from. But, we believe that the technology scheduled to arrive in a few days will lead us to answers. The wormhole generator as it is being called, can set a coordinance to basically anywhere in the space-time continuum and open a portal to that dimension.
"This is very intriguing sir, but what will it have to do with me?” asked Adnan.
"Well, I am trying to think a few steps ahead and get all of my ducks in a row so to speak. It has still yet to be determined if this device is actually opening a portal to a different point in space or if it will enable time travel. Whatever the case may be, I would like you to be ready to help answer questions that may arise, but even more so to quell any uprising that the result may have among the few insurgents to still cling to their gods of the past."
"I will carry out any order that you give me Samyaza. As far as I am concerned, we are all gods but you are the one above all. We will squash any attempts to stop our momentum and make sure that the only voice that is heard among the nations is yours."
Assad displayed a half grin. "Very good Director Adnan. Your allegiance is important to me. If you remain by my side through this, I can see even greater days in your future. I believe that a promotion may be in order."
"Thank you sir", said Adnan. "I won't disappoint you."
Charles was disoriented but still conscious. As he struggled to keep his eyes open and move forward, he felt a touch on his shoulder.
"Charles."
He could hear the familiar voice whispering behind him as he turned around to see the most beautiful face he had ever laid eyes on.
"Erica, is it really you?"
He pushed his glasses up and looked at her with a hope that he had not had for years. The room stopped spinning and he had gained his bearings. It looked a little more like his study now as he became accustomed to the change.
"I have been waiting for you Charles. I hoped that you would come."
He just looked at her with tears running down both cheeks.
"Honey, I don't even know what to say. How can this be? I had lost you."
"I may have left my body, but I am still here on this side of existence."
"What is this place?” he asked.
"I am not really sure. It is the afterlife I assume. I am not even sure how long I have been here. There isn't really any such thing as time here....or distance for that matter."
"Is it possible that you could come back with me?” asked Charles.
She furrowed her brows and looked at him with a sad gaze.
"I don't think I can exist outside of this realm. When you last opened the portal, I could see you on the other side. I tried to walk through but I couldn't make it. A force sucked me back in."
"Maybe with me on this side, we could try this together. I just want you to see our girls. They have grown so much! They are becoming such beautiful young ladies. You would be so proud."
She smiled peacefully. I have seen glimpses of everyone here. They really are growing into good women. I am proud of you for doing so well with them. I am just sorry that I can't be there for them and for you."
Charles choked up as he looked down at his feet in shame and explained his feelings.
"I failed you Erica. I spent so much time trying to find a cure that was never to be. Not only did I fail to save your life but I failed to spend what little life you had together. I have never forgiven mysel
f for that."
"Oh Charles, you never failed me. You have far exceeded my expectations."
He smiled and said, "I don't know about that, but I am going to do everything I can to bring you back. I won't fail again."
Charles took her hand and said, "Follow me".
The sun was beginning to set just behind the huge trees at the edge of the redwood forest as the Vasquez family drove through the old road that cut through the middle of it.
"I know where this tree is", said Noah.
"We measured it to be exactly 3.5 miles from the edge of the forest to the tree."
He had set his odometer and they were quickly approaching the site where so many family memories were made.
Noah reminisced about the camping trips that he used to take out there with his uncle Fernando as a young boy. He talked about how just a couple of miles off the road was a large stream with fish that they would catch together. Some of his favorite memories were of the times that his father came and spent time with him. Noah's father was a busy man, so those times were few and precious to him.
As Noah and his family pulled up to the location, he rolled the windows down and caught the fresh smell of pine as the gentle breeze carried it through the car. As they stopped along the side of the small forest road, he looked at Joanna and said, "I want both of you to stay in the car. The government has eyes and ears everywhere and if anything happens, I want you to have a chance to get out of harms way."
"You aren't going out there by yourself," Joanna protested. "We have come all this way to uncover the truth and we need to do it together just as we have always done."
"I know honey but my primary responsibility right now is to keep you and Ryan safe. I could never forgive myself if anything happened to either one of you."
"Okay," she conceded. "But, please do this as quickly as you can. This could be a dangerous situation if anyone knows what we are up to."
Noah shook his head with understanding of the potential danger presented by what they were doing. "I love you both. If I'm not back in twenty minutes, then be ready to leave."
They embraced as he got out of the car and headed through the small opening in the woods to a trail that he walked so many times as a boy. The thick trees blocked out the sunlight that had been so prevalent on the way there. Noah could hear the sound of birds calling to one another as they fluttered around preparing for colder weather.
He slowly crept through the thick forest. He came to a small clearing where his father and uncle had taken him camping as a child. He walked to the left side of the camp and found a tree that had his initials etched into it. He could still remember it like it was yesterday. He was a twelve year old boy who had just received his own pocket knife from his father. He immediately put it to good use by carving "N.V." into the old tree.
As he looked down at the base of the tree, he noticed the small opening where the bottom was beginning to rot out. He thought to himself that 'whatever is in here needs to be worth it for me to put my hand in there.' It looked like the perfect dwelling place of a squirrel and about a million other things that he didn't want to blindly put his hands on. He reached down to the base of the tree and could see that the dirt underneath the opening had a lump in it as if something had been buried. He used the flashlight on his phone to shine into the opening. There wasn't anything there.
He began to use his fingers to dig into the soft ground at the base of the tree. He pulled up a layer of moss and removed clumps of mud. He looked at the time and realized that he had already been gone for ten minutes. He needed to hustle if he wanted to make it back to the car unnoticed. He continued to dig for about six inches until his fingers touched cold hard metal.
'This has to be it', he thought to himself. He took one last look around him as he dug the corners out and maneuvered it through small tree roots. The metallic box was rusted and had obviously been buried for a few years. Noah pressed in on the latch and the box popped open. What he saw was worth more than gold to him.
The family sedan was still parked on the main road patiently awaiting the arrival of Noah. Joanna was getting fidgety and looking at the clock. It had already been nearly fifteen minutes and there was still no sign of her husband. What could be taking him so long? Had someone caught him? Did he get lost? The questions were almost too much for her to bear. She was five minutes away from going in after him.
"Don't worry mom," said Ryan. "Dad is going to be alright. There were two men protecting him."
Just as Joanna was about to ask Ryan what he meant, the sound of a vehicle coming down the road caught her attention. 'I just have to stay calm. This can't be happening.' She tried to calm her thoughts and not look distressed for the sake of her son. She thought that maybe it was just a person who thought she had broken down on the side of the road and wanted to help. Surely there were still people in the world like that.
As the black SUV approached, any positive thought she had gave in to the worst sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She could see that this was law enforcement of some kind and everyone knew that the unmarked black SUV with government plates was the worst kind. The officer turned his lights on and stepped out of his vehicle. As the man approached, he put his hand next to his hip where his gun sat holstered.
Joanna looked in her mirror at the officer and his body language seemed to indicate that this was not just concerned public servant coming to help a citizen. He already knew who she was and possibly even why she was here. She was already in the driver's seat ready to gun it and get far away. As he approached, she thought about Noah. He could also be in danger if he were to walk up on this.
"Mam, are you Joanna Vasquez?"
"Yes sir. Is everything alright?"
"I need you to step out of the vehicle and come with me."
"Could you tell me what's going on first?"
"No I cannot. I need you and your son to step out and put your hands on the vehicle now."
The officer drew his gun and within one second, Joanna had floored the accelerator and the race for the lives of her and her son had begun.
Abbie woke up at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville with a raging headache. As she opened her eyes, the only thing she could make out was the blurry figure of a man sitting in the corner. She started screaming in a hoarse voice, "where's Jenna!?" Just as soon as those words came out of her mouth, she realized that this wasn't a nightmare and that her best friend was dead. She looked at the man in the corner with suspicion as he stood up to greet her.
"Don't come any farther. Who's there?" The man stopped and raised his hands up in a show of peace.
"It's Jenson Moon."
Abbie was a little less tense now but the sound of his voice brought back the horrible memory of the night before. She started sobbing as she remembered those final moments in the alley next to the club. He moved in to comfort her, but she sternly said, "Stay away from me! Don't you dare touch me." He was somewhat surprised by her reaction, but completely understood in that moment why she responded that way.
She had been through the most traumatic event of her life. She was nearly raped and her friend had been violently killed in front of her very eyes. Jenson backed away as the nurse came in to attend to her.
"I am so sorry that this has happened to you Abbie. I am just going to leave my card here. If you ever need anything, please give me a call."
He walked out of the room and Abbie just closed her eyes and she cried herself back to sleep. She soon found herself in a dream.
It was the dark alley from the night before. She could barely see anything as she walked with hesitation towards the other side. Suddenly the dark shadow of a man appeared in front of her. She couldn't tell who was casting the shadow or where they were standing. An overwhelming fear gripped her as she tried to run away. No matter how hard she ran, she couldn't get anywhere.
Just as she felt a cold hand grab her neck, she was lifted out of the alley. It quickly disappeared out of site as everythin
g became bright. The chill in the air gave way to a warmth that she had never experienced before. It was more than warmth; it felt like a deep sense of love and protection. She saw the outline of a man with piercing blue eyes. She felt that he could see into her soul. It was a perplexing paradox. She felt clothed in his comforting presence, yet laid bare at the same time.
Abbie became very aware that somehow this stranger knew her on a personal level. She couldn't help but feel that he knew her better than she knew herself. As her eyes adjusted to his image, she could tell that she was in the presence of a King. His majestic beard flowed as freely as his robe. She was almost afraid to speak and ruin this wonderful experience, but she knew that she had to ask.
"Who are you?"
"I AM," said the man.
Abbie looked at him for a moment of silence, expecting more of a response. That is all that he would give her for now though as his eyes lit up and he smiled.
"You are," said Abbie.
"Yes. I AM. Before the universe, I AM."
She didn't want to admit it, but what he was saying suddenly clicked and she understood as she looked down at her feet.
"Are you God?"
"I AM."
Abbie suddenly became painfully aware of all the wrongs of her life. She dropped to her knees sobbing.
"Is this the end for me? Please God... I just need another chance."
The King looked at her with compassion and raised her to her feet. He embraced her and said, "Abbie, I knew you even before you were a baby in your mother's womb. I have watched you grow into a woman. I have laughed with you and cried with you. I have taken great delight in knowing that this day would come. I have longed to embrace you as my daughter since the day that I spoke this world into existence. You have been worth the wait."
She smiled and wiped away tears. The humility that she felt in that moment was unspeakable. Unless this was only a dream, he was the King of the universe, yet he knew her and loved her more than anyone had ever loved her.