by Jerel Law
“Why?” he whispered. “Why would you do that to us?”
But the scene in front of him changed yet again. This time it was of a great hall, full of people. As it zoomed in, Jonah realized they were angels.
They stood together, speaking to one another in small, scattered groups. The scene was blurry around the edges, so Jonah couldn’t make out much about the place. But it was bright and felt majestic.
He studied the angels below him, and one caught his attention. She had silver hair, beautiful wings almost the same color, and a light blue robe. Is that Camilla?
Suddenly the angels split in half, making room for someone coming into the room. A dark, hooded creature strolled through. Abaddon! Jonah felt his chest tighten at the sight of the Evil One. His presence apparently surprised the angels too.
It was as if Jonah was floating over him as he walked forward, heading toward a set of doors at the end of the aisle. They opened, and Abaddon disappeared into the next room.
Jonah kept floating over, and then he saw Abaddon again, walking by himself along a simple pathway, moving more and more into the light. He removed his hood and bent down on one knee. Then he stood again. He began to speak, and although Jonah couldn’t see who he was speaking to, he already knew.
He’s speaking to Elohim!
Abaddon was talking, then listening, and then speaking some more, but Jonah was unable to hear the conversation. It was as if it were on mute. But then, someone must have turned the sound on, because he could suddenly hear.
“Why shouldn’t you be proud of the resilience of your people?” Abaddon said with an aura of wickedness betraying his smile. “They are very well protected by Your angels.”
Elohim must have spoken then, but Jonah could only hear Abaddon’s responses.
“What about these quarterlings, the outcast children of the monster nephilim?” Abaddon seethed. “They seem to be especially well guarded. This boy, Jonah Stone, and the rest of them . . . they can do no wrong.”
Abaddon listened again, and Jonah noticed that the Evil One was unable, or unwilling, to look at Elohim directly. Even the prince of darkness was humbled in the presence of God.
“Give him over to me,” Abaddon murmured. “This faith You speak of—maybe it’s not so strong after all. If You would only loosen Your protection of him, we can see how faithful he really is.”
He listened to more words from Elohim, then bowed low.
“Yes, of course. His life remains in Your hands,” he said. “But by Your permission, other things . . . and other people around him . . . are fair game.”
He turned and walked back to the doorway, his head still bowed low.
Jonah closed his eyes, feeling the words from the Evil One sink into his heart, confirming his worst fears. He had been singled out for an attack. And for some reason, Elohim was allowing it to happen. And what was worse, others around him had been affected too.
The scene faded away, turning back to flames whipping against each other in the cave. Jonah sat, stunned, blinking at the fire.
“Now, don’t you see who is really responsible for all of this?” Abaddon said, pacing behind Jonah, his smooth voice purring in his ears. “He summoned me to His throne. He put you in harm’s way. And not only you, but also your friends and your family. It was Elohim, don’t you see?” His voice began to grow louder with each word. “This is all . . . His . . . FAULT!”
Jonah shoved his hands on his ears, but Abaddon’s screeching voice was inside his head already. He jumped up from the tree stump and bolted through the cave entrance and back out into the woods.
THE FLAGPOLE
Abaddon didn’t pursue him from the cave, but he was laughing, and Jonah needed to do anything he could to get away from his voice. It echoed through the forest. He couldn’t get away from it fast enough.
He finally slowed down enough to begin to put thoughts together that made sense. The scene the Evil One had shown him raced through his mind again. Abaddon, splitting the middle of the band of angels; the shocked looks on their faces; and then Abaddon, summoned to appear in front of Elohim.
And then, the unbelievable . . . Elohim giving him permission to attack Jonah and his family? Was Abaddon right? Was this really all His fault? The very idea of it hit Jonah in the stomach and almost took his breath away.
But it was Abaddon . . . nothing he said could be trusted. The images, though, and the conversation—it all looked so real. Could he have just made it up? Some elaborate trick he was playing on Jonah’s mind?
He didn’t know what to think. His head spun, his thoughts tying themselves into knots that he was having a hard time untangling. He found himself slowing down to a slow run, and then a walk. Then he just stopped and stood.
With a thud on the forest floor, he landed on his knees.
He had no idea how long he had been on the ground when he heard the words, tumbling down to the forest floor like autumn leaves let go in the wind.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Jonah opened his eyes, feeling his face against moss and dirt.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
It was the voice of Camilla, his old friend, the angel, speaking the psalm to him. He looked around, trying to see if she was near.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Jonah pushed himself up, the cave a farther distance away now, both in the forest and in his mind. With each word, he felt the power of Abaddon retreat a little more.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
The words felt like life to him, flowing into his body and giving him strength. Jonah found his determination once again. He pushed off the floor, his legs feeling stronger now. The boils were still there, painful as ever, but he ignored them for now. The words were filling him up, and somehow, in the middle of the darkness around him, with the weight of Abaddon’s words, he felt as if he had just enough power to finish the journey.
A singular shaft of light broke through the dense branches in front of him, and he knew which direction to go.
Jonah knew he had probably failed the exam, but that was the least of his worries right now. He needed to get out of this awful forest, find the finish line, and, more importantly, find the quarterlings, his parents, and the angels. At this point, he was actually surprised he was getting out of here alive.
The sun broke through again, and as he brushed past beautiful white and lavender flowers climbing up a vine wrapped around a tree, he wondered how he could have descended into that awful pit while in a place so pretty.
He heard what sounded like people cheering from a long way off before he saw anything. The farther along he moved, the louder it became.
It’s coming from the stands, he remembered. The parents in those bleachers surrounding the flagpole. They’re probably awarding Frederick the grand prize already.
Jonah felt his heart sink a little, but he ran forward anyway, pushing through the forest as fast as he could. He came to the center of the rain forest, which opened up into a circular clearing. The stands were in front of him, and he could see the colorful flag flapping up above.
There was no doubt. They were cheering. They must be cheering for all of the quarterlings already there. There’s no way I am anything but last.
He jogged down the narrow dirt path in between two sets of bleachers and looked up, shielding his eyes from the suddenly hot Hawaiian sun. It had been so dark inside the pit that it took his eyes a few seconds to adjust. The crowd’s cheering grew louder as Jonah emerged, and those who were close to the course leaned over the sides of the bleachers, pointing at him and clapping wildly.
Jonah’s eyes were drawn to a set of large screens, positioned all around the makeshift stadium. His face was currently on all of them, a close-up. His mouth dropped slightly at the image. He saw the confusion, w
eariness, and surprise on his own face.
And underneath his face, two words:
FIRST PLACE
He looked toward the flagpole and saw there was no one around it. How could that be? He had been in there for what felt like hours. Maybe even a half day.
But it was clear from the cheering that he was, indeed, in first place.
Jonah began running faster toward the flagpole now, more energized than he had been in hours.
Another cheer erupted, and the screens quickly shifted to another face. A handsome, tan, blond-haired head filled the space. Frederick was running opposite Jonah, looking as bewildered as Jonah did, but running faster.
The flagpole stood in between them.
And something inside of Jonah clicked.
He began to push himself and soon found his sandals of speed. He could tell from the dust Frederick was kicking up that he must have found his too.
Jonah was almost there, but so was Frederick. He thought about all the events Frederick had won and how much he had struggled with everything lately. And then, he decided that none of it mattered anymore.
All that mattered was what was happening right now.
And right now, Jonah was determined that he was going to win.
He rushed toward the pole, bearing down, almost there. He didn’t want to even look at Frederick, because he knew he was pushing just as hard.
Come on, Jonah! COME ON!
Slap!
Jonah’s hand hit the pole.
Slap!
Less than a second later, Frederick’s hand landed on his.
Jonah had won.
The crowd of parents roared their approval, and Jonah suddenly grabbed Frederick and hugged him tight.
“Are you okay?” he said into his ear. He knew in his heart that Frederick, and every other quarterling, had gone through the same thing he just had.
Frederick hugged him back, Jonah feeling him shake slightly. “Yeah, I’m all right. It was crazy, though.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” Jonah answered, wondering if they had experienced the same thing. A question for later. “Eliza, Jeremiah . . . have you seen them?”
Frederick looked at him blankly and shook his head. “No, no, I haven’t. I didn’t see any of the quarterlings. But it looks like from that video screen, we’re getting ready to see them now.”
Jonah heard the cheering grow once again. He looked up at the screen to see the faces of Eliza and then Jeremiah filling it up.
Frederick slapped Jonah on the back and laughed.
The two came running from different sides of the clearing, meeting in the middle to touch the flagpole.
“Are you guys okay?” Jonah said to them both. “How did you do with the snakes? That gladiator guy with the sword? And what about Abaddon?”
Eliza looked at him, tilting her head to the side. “Abaddon?” she said. “Didn’t see him back there, thank goodness. But I saw some other awful stuff, good grief.” She was about to launch into the tale of what happened to her, but then he turned to his younger brother.
“Did you?” Jonah asked. “Any of that . . . ?”
Jeremiah looked at Eliza, shrugging his shoulders, then back to Jonah. “I didn’t see anything like that out there either—just some monsters that I had to deal with. It got pretty crazy for a while,” he said. Then he brushed a speck of dirt off his shoulder. “But I took care of business, of course. No problem.”
Eliza and Frederick burst out laughing. Jonah couldn’t help but smile as his brother began to act out the fight he’d apparently had with some kind of large monster in the woods.
Soon they were joined, one by one, by the rest of the quarterlings making it through the rain forest, sharing their own stories, each one unique.
Rupert, who had his own story to tell, had also been listening to the others. “I guess we all had to face some things we are pretty afraid of,” he said, his normal scowl at least temporarily gone. “What about you there, Jonah?”
The quarterlings turned toward him, expecting a similar story.
“Some other time,” replied Jonah. He didn’t feel like discussing it right now. Too many emotions were swirling around.
Nathaniel, Camilla, Marcus, and Taryn, with wings spread wide, floated down in front of the quarterlings.
“Excellent work today, students! Beautiful,” Camilla said, her blue eyes shining bright.
Nathaniel nodded, his hands clasped behind his back. “Terrific job today, my friends. Very impressive.”
“I agree,” came the voice of another angel, soaring over their heads. The Archangel Michael touched down beside Nathaniel and Camilla. They bowed their heads in deference to him. He stood in front of the quarterlings, nodding his approval. “You did very well today, quarterlings. And some of you showed extraordinary courage in the face of an extreme challenge. You are to be commended.”
The quarterlings gathered around, in awe of the powerful presence of the commanding angel. He stood before them unsmiling, but his eyes were bright and filled with love for them.
Nathaniel handed him a piece of paper. “And now, it is my honor to announce the final scores for your midterm examinations for Angel School.”
Jonah turned toward Frederick, getting ready to extend his hand in congratulations for a job well done. He was sure that, even with his victory, there was no way he had actually won the competition.
Michael studied the page for a few seconds, a small smile now brightening his face. “In a very close battle, the top of the class goes to . . . Jonah Stone!”
His mouth dropped, and he looked at Frederick, expecting to see a scowl. Instead, Frederick was clapping and cheering with the rest. Jonah felt his face grow hot, but he couldn’t stop grinning.
He stepped forward, bowing his head toward Michael and leaning down as Nathaniel placed a shiny golden medal around his neck.
“Nice job, Jonah,” Eliza said, smiling, as he stood beside her.
“Not so bad yourself,” said Jonah, putting his arm around her shoulder.
The quarterlings crowded around him, but the only thing Jonah wanted to do was see his mom and dad.
The silhouette of his mother caught his eye, emerging from a group of the parents. Usually she stood tall, but she was hunched over, and Jonah could tell with one look that she was still very, very sick. Beside her, the shorter, rounder outline of his father came into view. He was holding her elbow as they walked slowly toward him.
He couldn’t remember ever being so glad to see his parents. He walked briskly toward them, wanting to share everything with them about what he’d seen in the woods. Maybe now they could figure out how to defeat M’chala and send him away from them for good.
“Mom! Dad!” he called out, concern building in him more and more the closer he grew to his mother.
“Jonah!” his dad said. “Awesome job today! Incredible. We got to watch some of it on the screens, except for when you went into that cave. What happened in there?”
His mother looked at him with tears in her green eyes and spoke in a weak voice. “Wonderful, dear. Brilliant. You made it through. Your father and I are so, so proud of you.”
Jonah barely noticed the angels floating around back and forth above them. He was only about ten feet apart from his parents when an angel swooped down and landed in between Eleanor and Benjamin.
“Uh, hi there,” Benjamin said, a little uncomfortable with how close the gleaming angel was.
The angel said nothing but reached down and grabbed Eleanor’s wrist. At the same time, he pushed Benjamin down to the ground.
A flurry of activity was suddenly in the air around them. Jonah heard a scream and then the loud voice of Michael commanding something that he couldn’t make out, and felt people rushing in their direction.
“Say good-bye, Jonah,” the angel hissed.
Everything from that point on happened in slow motion. He looked at his mother and then into the face of the angel.
The fallen angel.
And then, with a snap, Eleanor and the angel vanished.
SHADOWS CAST
Jonah ran over to where his mom was only seconds earlier. He spun around, looking everywhere. His dad was still on the ground, staring up. Angels were around him, barking commands, moving in every direction. Eliza came running up, with Jeremiah behind her.
“Where’s Mom? What happened?” Jeremiah was asking questions that no one was able to answer.
“It was a messenger angel,” Jonah said. “A fallen one . . . It took her before we could do anything.”
Things were swirling around him. Michael was sending angels this direction and that, some already communicating to others via Angelic Vortex.
The archangel came running over to the Stone family. “We’re doing everything we can to find her right now.”
“I know. Please hurry,” Benjamin said, standing up, looking disoriented.
“Mom!” Jonah called out, turning around in a circle. “Mom!”
He knew there would be no answer. A messenger angel had taken her. There was no telling where she was now.
“Can’t you track a messenger angel?” Eliza asked Michael.
He shook his head. “I’m afraid that they are completely untraceable. Even to us.”
As they were standing there, an image formed on the screens still on display from the exams.
It was a fuzzy picture of his mother.
“Mom!” he yelled. But she couldn’t hear him. She was somewhere else, and even though the image grew clearer, the dark surroundings gave him no clue as to where she might be.
“There she is!” Jeremiah cried out. “Who has her there?”
They were completely helpless. All of them, even the angels. Even Michael. They moved toward the screen, but there was nothing they could do. All they could do was watch.
She was being held by two fallen angels, and she wasn’t struggling very much. Jonah’s heart hit his throat when the slithery M’chala crept into view.
“Mom, watch out!” he yelled, even though he knew his words were futile.