A Girl Beyond (War of the Witches Book 2)

by Marjorie Weismantel

  “As it turns out, this year the sun has been less active in its solar cycle and its storms have been less severe. That means there is less solar wind to protect the earth, which translates to more cosmic rays getting through, thus resulting in even more clouds. In addition to that, when the earth’s magnetic field also weakens, as is happening right now with the gathering diaboles, the combined effect can be devastating at the point of the greatest weakness, here in and around Woodley.” Mr. Kenney indicated with an outward wave of his hand. “We are seeing the results of all this strange activity with this highly unusual and disastrous weather this time of year. Now, I must warn you, this storm may not be the end of it. The potential consequences could be absolutely disastrous.”

  “How disastrous? What could happen?” asked Mercy.

  “My belief is that the diaboles planned their gathering for this current time when the sun is having its fewest magnetic storms, in order to maximize their destructive powers. If the resulting weather circulation around Woodley and the surrounding area continues, the ‘polar vortex’, which is a circulation pattern in the atmosphere that usually rotates around the North Pole, will soon spread to the entire eastern half of the U.S. and Canada. This would then plunge us into a very deep freeze. Ultimately, the polar vortex could spread around the globe, leading to the initiation of another global ice-age. That would be an utter disaster for all living things.”

  Will was looking skeptical when he asked, “Wouldn’t there have to be a tremendous number of diaboles here to bring about so much negative polarity?”

  “Well, first we must understand that the sparse amount of sun storms has set the stage, so to speak, for other influences to have a great effect”. Then Mr. Kenney stared at Will before continuing, “But, I would say that there must be thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of diaboles who are now gathering. I don’t know where they’ve been staying. They must have come from all over the world to create those numbers, and the greatest concentration is now amassing in Woodley and the surrounding areas.”

  “What do we do? How do we stop this from happening?” I cried.

  “I’m not sure, Tess; I just know that they MUST be stopped, either by chasing them away, or by extinguishing their life forces.”

  “What do you mean by extinguishing their life force?” Mercy cautiously asked.

  “It means that you must kill them,” Mr. Kenney answered softly.

  55. The Little Ice Age

  “You know, this kind of crazy weather trend that we’re experiencing right now has probably happened in the past. There are records of a similar situation,” Mr. Kenney observed.

  “When was that?” I asked.

  Will chimed in, “I think I’ve heard about that. It lasted for around 500 years, starting in the early 1300s and ending around 1850. It was called, ‘The Little Ice Age’.”

  Mr. Kenney grimly added, “Terrible things happened as a result of the Little Ice Age. Many farms and villages were destroyed due to advancing glaciers in areas of Northern Europe. The Norsemen that lived in Greenland, which used to be green you know, vanished due to the harsh winters and short summers that could not support crops and domesticated animals. There were violent storms and flooding throughout the continent. Famines affected much of Europe, causing millions of people to die from starvation. Most of the population of Iceland left due to similar issues, although some of their problems were also attributed to a volcanic eruption.”

  I gasped, “Something has been bothering me, something I just couldn’t remember. Now I know what it is. Hearing about the Little Ice Age triggered that memory. When I regressed to the time of the Karmic Apocalypse, I had heard about it. The diaboles affected the weather during the Little Ice Age, much as they’re affecting our weather today.”

  “Do you mean that witches also had an effect on the Little Ice Age? What was their purpose?” asked Mr. Kenney.

  “The diaboles believed they were losing power to the commoners and the luminars. A large number of diaboles gathered in Bohemia during the early 1300s to see what could be done. Something very strange happened when they met. Terrible stormy weather ensued, and the longer they met, the more cataclysmic the weather became. To escape the snow, the diaboles moved their gathering to the town of Bern in the Swiss territories, but that didn’t work. The terrible weather followed them to Bern. They finally disbanded without a plan, but it appears they didn’t need one. That weather was the beginning of a period of harsh winters and cold, damp summers. Does that time sound familiar to you?”

  “Does that have something to do with a big famine?” asked Mercy.

  “Yes,” I exclaimed. “It was known as ‘The Great Famine’, a terrible time for the commoners and the good witches to be alive. Most of the people didn’t have enough food to eat. Everybody, except for the diaboles were brought to their knees. Crime became rampant along with disease and starvation. As always, the good witches were blamed for everyone’s misfortunes. It was a way for the diaboles to distract from their own plenty during a time of such misery. Since the diaboles were the powerful ones and they could still tax the common folk, they were affected the least.”

  “Did the diaboles realize how they affected the weather at that time?” Mercy asked, frowning.

  “Yes, I believe they eventually did,” I answered.

  Mr. Kenney stared at me before saying, “That is VERY interesting, Tess. There were probably a number of natural factors that contributed to the strength and duration of the Little Ice Age; however, it is very probable that the extreme negative polarity of the diaboles did affect the magnetic field all around Europe, and that helped to initiate and prolong the inhospitable weather.”

  Mercy was incredulous. “So, basically you’re saying that the type of terrible misfortune the diaboles brought to humanity 700 years ago during the Little Ice Age could happen now.”

  Mr. Kenny nodded wearily. “Yes, it’s very possible.”

  56. A Visitor

  “Speaking of weather, take a look outside,” Will exclaimed.

  Mr. Kenney peered out the window. “Kids, it looks bad. I think it might be a good idea if you stayed here tonight. It’d be risky too risky to drive through this blizzard.”

  Will went to the back door and opened it a crack. Snow blew in and he quickly pushed it shut. “You’re right. It’s gotten worse, if you can believe it.” He turned to Mr. Kenney, “Thanks for having us. I wish I could call home but I have a feeling that won’t be possible.”

  Mr. Kenney picked up the phone and held it out. “Unfortunately, it’s dead, along with most of the area phone service, I imagine. I know your folks will worry but they’ve probably come to realize that you had to hole up somewhere.” He shook his head before adding, “I can’t believe the forecasters. They were way off. No one predicted a raging blizzard tonight.”

  “My aunt believes that I’m staying at Mercy’s, so she’ll be OK.” I looked over at Mercy to see if she was worried. Yeah, right. She was already curled up on the rug, fast asleep. I tried to stifle a yawn. “Thanks for having us here, Mr. Kenney.”

  “No problem, no problem. I haven’t had this many people in the house since my daughter moved out to California over six years ago.” He stopped for a minute, looking misty-eyed. “Truth be told, I like the company. I’ve been lonely since my wife, Gladys, died.” He just stood there looking forlorn.

  Will clapped his hands. “Well, what can we do to help Mr. Kenney?”

  He cleared his throat and smiled at Will. “Can you bring in some wood from the shed? I’ll grab sleeping bags and toothbrushes. There are some old clothes upstairs that belonged to my daughter if you’d like to change into something nice and dry, Tess.” He glanced at Mercy, “I think she’s all set.”

  The evening turned out to be rather romantic. Mr. Kenney had a fireplace in his bedroom so he retired there for the night. Will and I spread the sleeping bags over an old braided rug near the fire. It was obvious that Mercy was a goner so we stuck a pillow under h
er head and covered her up. Will built up the fire so we’d have enough heat to last for a while. I felt like a new person after I washed up, put on a pair of old flannel PJ’s and crawled into a sleeping bag.

  “Tess, come on over here.” Will leaned against the wall and stretched his long legs out. I shifted my sleeping bag over and snuggled up against him, leaning my head on his chest. Will gently stroked my hair. “Are you feeling better?” he asked softly.

  I shuddered, thinking about what happened today. I’ve been through some rough times and getting buried in snow was right up there. Thank God, Doug saw us before the avalanche and Will managed to pull the sled over our heads. “You’re always there for me, Will. I’ll never forget all that you’ve done.”

  Will gazed back at me, seemingly at a loss for words. Did I see a flush creeping up on his cheeks? Was he BLUSHING? Will has always been such a confidant guy that I found his apparent shyness a real turn on. I leaned up and put my arms around his neck, kissed him lightly on his mouth, than I rested the side of my face against his chest and sighed. This was like heaven, flickering candle light, a crackling fire and cuddling up to Will. I closed my eyes. It was so quiet, I swear I could hear his heartbeat.

  What was that? It sounded like a chair being pulled away from the table. Who’s sitting there? Oh my, it looks like Miss Cassie. I wonder how she got here in this terrible weather. Where’s her coat? I should wake Mercy and Will up to tell them. She’s holding her finger up to her mouth and shaking her head. She doesn’t want me to wake them. I moved over there, dragging my sleeping bag with me and plopping down next to her.

  “Hello, dear,” she whispers in her soothing voice. In the flickering light from the fire place I catch swirls of gold dancing around her head.

  “Miss Cassie, how are you?”

  “I’m fine dear, and you?” she asks while taking my hand. An immediate sense of contentment washes over me.

  “Tess, I believe it is time that I introduce you to The Between.”

  “You mean the time between lives?” I gasp.

  She continues to hold my hand. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. There have been some unforeseen events. You have conducted yourself admirably, but you need help.”

  “How are you going to bring me to The Between?”

  “I have my ways. Don’t worry, Tess. It is simple and painless. I don’t normally bring a live soul to The Between. In fact, I’ve only done it once before.”

  “How would a soul normally go to The Between?”

  “Actually dear, there are two other ways reach The Between. One way is to die. The other way is to be regressed to The Between before your present life.”

  “Why wouldn’t you simply regress me to a previous Between?”

  “You need to know what’s going on today and the luminars existing in the state of The Between have a unique perspective.”

  “OK,” I whisper. “What should I do?”

  “Just stay right where you are. And relax.”

  57. The Between

  Miss Cassie leans over to place her open palm on the top of my head. I start trembling violently so I cross my arms over my chest to still myself. As soon as her hand touches me, I feel a gentle flow of energy tingle down my neck, through my heart and into my limbs. Suddenly, a blinding flash! I can’t see a thing. Sounds like a bee in my ear. I hear a loud buzzing while I whizz through a long dark tunnel to a fuzzy light. As I leave the dark, an eerie luminance enfolds me. Strangely, I am not frightened.

  I observe a complex interchange of highways in the distance. There are no cars or actual roads, just tiny points of lights, in varying shades of brightness moving in some systematic, ordained directive. I am pushed in that direction, as if someone is behind me. There is no one. As I approach the lights, I accelerate and quickly merge into the stream. Where am I going?

  I am abruptly steered in another direction, away from the main stream. In the process, I almost veer into one of the lights. I am startled when I sense energy, movement from the light. It turns and looks at me, as if in acknowledgement. Other than the gleam of light, its only defining feature is two fathomless holes for what might be construed as eyes. At that moment, realization dawns on me. This light form is the essence of a being, a soul, orphaned from the earth’s sphere, moving to its next destination. The Between.

  Another quick turn in this ethereal byway. There are noticeably fewer souls in transit here and my rate of speed is decreasing. The scenery is changing, from linear lights to a more circular style. The lights exist in clumps, or groupings that are primarily located off to the right or left. There is no darkness here. I am surrounded by an opaque brightness, as you might see with an early morning mist on a bright day, or sunbeams shining through the clouds.

  I am now moving at a slow enough speed to view the groupings of lights. They look like clumps of large sparkling bubbles. In front of me, I see these groupings throughout a huge expanse of space. There are thousands of them, arrayed in circular patterns before me. They are now within range to get a closer look. I stare within a bubble as I pass and view six soul beings, with their black orbital hole/eyes gazing back at me. I feel no malice of thought from these spirits, only a harmless curiosity. In fact, the atmosphere of this entire plane is one of benevolence, so different from what is commonly experienced in the realm of earth.

  My voyage suddenly comes to a halt directly in front of one of the bubble-like structures. It is comparatively large. I look inside to see what appears to be at least ten of these light-filled beings (souls) all staring at me with their hole/eyes. I sense that I am expected to enter. I slide myself into the bubble, hearing a little pop as I break through and situate myself in direct view of all of the soul/beings in the bubble. They use no language, but communicate with me through my mind, like some kind of telepathy. From this distance, I notice they are not all the same. Each soul exhibits varying shades of brightness, with some occasional gleams of different colors sparking from them. In addition, the intensity and blackness of the hole/eyes vary greatly.

  ‘Hello to you,’ a greeting from the one in the front, of gray/silver light, nearest to me.

  ‘Hello,’ from me.

  ‘We have not seen a live soul here for a very long time. Why are you here?’ from the gray/silver one.

  ‘How do you know I am a live soul?’ from me.

  ‘Your aura is not as saintly as those of us who reside here and your eyes have a finite depth. That means you are enduring your life on the earth at this time,’ from the gray/silver one.

  ‘What do you mean? Why are your eyes so deep?’ from me.

  ‘They represent what we have seen for all of our lives on the earth plane,’ from a yellow/gold light on my left.

  ‘To respond to your first question, I was sent here by a spirit guide. I need information from you,’ from me.

  ‘What name may we refer to you as?’ from the gray/silver one.

  ‘You may call me Tess,’ from me.

  ’You are a luminar,’ from the gray/silver one.

  ‘Yes. Are you all luminars? Is that why you are soul mates here?’ from me.

  ‘Yes, but that’s not the only reason we’re soul mates. We’re in this cluster because everyone here is at a similar level of soul maturity. Each of us must learn how to continue our evolution as a soul,’ from the yellow/gold light.

  ‘Do all souls travel to these clusters?’ from me.

  ‘It depends upon their previous life on earth and what they need to do,’ from the gray/silver light. ‘Some souls must first undergo an accounting of their behavior on earth. Others evolve beyond the clusters to become guides and mentors. Then, there are the great ones.’

  ‘Who are the great ones?’ from me.

  ‘They are the most highly evolved beings. They receive guidance from the Divine One,’ from a soul with huge black hole/eyes. There was a momentary pause, perhaps a sign of respect for the Divine One.

  Finally, from the gray/silver one, ‘Tess, can you tell us why
you were sent here?’

  ‘It is about the good witches and our struggle with the diaboles’, from me.

  I sense a collective gasp from the group. ‘So, it is the time of the trouble,’ from a white/silver one in the back.

  ‘Yes, it is. I would say that trouble is imminent,’ from me.

  ‘We knew it would come sometime during this century. This is not a great surprise,’ from the while/silver light.

  ‘Why did you believe it would come during this century?’ from me.

  ‘At this time on earth, there are many, many more of the evil ones, the diaboles, compared to the number of luminars. There has never been such a disparity in the population. That has made the diaboles very aggressive, for they know there are fewer good ones to contend with,’ from the yellow/gold one.

  ‘Why are there so few luminars on earth?’ from me.

  From a blue/silver light on my left, ‘As you know, the original purpose of the witches on earth was to ease mankind’s adaptation to earth life. After a time, humans did not need the magic of the witches to survive, so the early witches changed. They evolved into luminars, the ones who would continue to help man, or diaboles, those who began to exploit man. Over the centuries, the diaboles have greatly mistreated the luminars, for they have always felt threatened by purity and goodness.’

  ‘They want them to be gone,’ from a light in the back.

  ‘I still don’t understand why there are so many more diaboles,’ from me.

  ‘We are finding that when luminars suffer a traumatic life, they are reluctant to go back to earth. For that reason, they may stay in The Between for a longer period of time, even though it is not good for them, for how are they to evolve? Soul evolution primarily occurs through the trials and tribulations that beings experience on the earth plane,’ from the yellow/gold light.

  ‘Agnee, we do not have to hear your lectures on soul evolution. Continue with your point,’ from a light in the back.