Tapestry of Worlds : Part One - The White Raven Awakens

by Hadley Thorne

  Erika had been here once before when she was in high school with one of her old boyfriends. They had gotten lost on this side of town looking for a place to buy beer. She had been scared then, but now; she was terrified. Groups of young African American men wearing surgical masks and bandanas stood guard at the intersections with burning trash barrels. Some raised their shirts casually, showing pistols tucked into the waistband of pants. But upon making eye contact with Felix, their attitude changed to one of acceptance, respect, and fear.

  Felix pulled into the drive of one of the large houses on the street. Erika could see from the exterior that the large house had been a solitary residence at some point but had been broken down into eight small apartments. Rolling to a stop, Felix turned off the bike and dismounted. He casually ran his fingers through his hair, oblivious to any dangers in the area. Erika swallowed deeply, taking off the helmet. She realized maybe the neighborhood knew it should fear Felix. Perhaps down here, he was the Boogey Man who their mommas told them to beware of. The broodingly handsome man surveyed the area as she shook her hair free from the makeshift bun, she had tied it in. As it fell in black clouds around her shoulders, she caught him looking at her, drinking her in with his cold, dark eyes. Her grey-green eyes met his, and she asks, "What," trying to sound flip as though he did not scare her, but she had a feeling he knew precisely how afraid she was. Instead of speaking, he threw her some keys and pointed to a door. Following his finger, she took them to the closest door with him following, rolling the motorcycle behind her.

  She unlocked the door and walked into the strangest apartment she had ever seen. The door opened into a small galley kitchen, which opened directly to the residence's living area. There was a bathroom to the kitchen side, the living room had one window, and next to it was the front door. It was tiny, but that was not what was so strange. All the windows, doors, the ceiling, and even the floor were lined with aluminum foil and wire mesh shielding. The room was bare except for a futon, a desk with a laptop, and a chair. She did not see a tv, but she noticed the walls covered with weird boards.

  One wall was covered entirely in maps -one of the states, one of the tri-county areas, and one of Chimneyville. There were sticky notes all over the maps, areas circled, and lines drawn. The other two walls were covered in photos set up in a hierarchy plot with Professor Stewardsen at the top. Stepping forward, her mouth fell open. Underneath the Professor's photo were pictures of herself, her friends, their families, people they knew around Chimneyville, and still others, she did not recognize.

  White-hot anger rose from her as she turned and demanded, "What the hell?" Her eyes were flashing, "How long have you been watching us?" She raised her arm to hit him, but he quickly caught it, twisting it around and pinning it behind her back.

  Gruffly he barked, "Settle down," as he pushed her onto the futon. "Nothing is what you think, Darkling."

  "What the absolute fuck is it then, Felix," she challenged, her hair a tangled dark mass, green eyes ablaze with fury.

  "You really don't know, do you, little one," he asked gently, giving her the same berth, one might give an angry rattlesnake. Calmly he watched her, seeing her confusion set in as he patiently responded.

  Erika waited for him to strike out at her, but it was not coming. Instead, he gestured to her, "Come - look," pointing at the wall.

  Cautiously she got up, avoiding him but going to stand at the wall. There underneath each photo was detailed contact information, names, dates, addresses, birth dates, places, and times, and…. astrological correspondences? She said nothing but just looked at him, dumbfounded. "What is this," she finally asked, motioning at the card, "Cause all of this is like really stalkerish. I mean, this year has hella sucked. Hell, it is like the zombie apocalypse out there only instead of zombies running amok, there are idiots. Did you know so far this year I have seen a global pandemic, been mentally raped, suffered traumatic amnesia, my mom was tortured and murdered, I found a dismembered body, I have been kidnapped by a crazy cultist, and lastly, I have been kidnapped from my kidnapper by his evil henchman. Oh, and I saw Bigfoot. And it is only July? Oh wait, you would know, since you were involved with almost all of this." She did not feel like mentioning that her boyfriend, who she depended on to make everything alright in her life, was on some super-secret government mission and out of the country instead of saving her. She fought back the need to cry, scream, and talk things out until she was blue in the face. Close to breaking, Erika knew she needed to talk to Becca, Millie, or Hermit, text Ransom, or just get a hug from someone. Unable to vocalize her real feelings, she lifted her chin up, telling herself she would not cry in front of this man and did her best not to glare at him. "May I use your phone?"

  Felix looked relieved to have an excuse to leave the room before she said more and quickly got up. Going to the kitchen, he came back with an old landline phone that looked like something from the 90s. She looked at him dubiously and asked in a sarcastic tone, "Really? I haven't seen one of these since my grandmother died."

  He made a "humph," noise, and shrugged. Retreating to the kitchen, he thought to give her some privacy while she made her call. Too late, she realized she did not know anyone's phone number but Ransom's. Well, it was worth a try anyway. Lip quivering, she dialed his number, but it went straight to voice mail with a message saying the mailbox was full. Erika was trying her best to fight back her tears now. She did not want to admit to Felix she was one of those girls who did not know anyone else's number. Calling out to the kitchen, Erika asked Felix if she could use his laptop.

  Padding in quietly in sock feet, he approached her from the kitchen carrying two plates. He offered Erika one with what appeared to be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and lays potato chips, "No Wi-Fi." She stared at him like he had horns before accepting the plate. With a loud huff, Erika slid to the floor. She tucked her feet under her, sitting Indian style while eating the sandwich crusts and all. Standing up, Felix walked to the kitchen fridge and showed her a can of beer. Nodding, she caught the can he tossed her and greedily drank it down, her mouth still dry from the medication. She would have preferred bottled water but, anyone with a landline phone probably did not buy smart water.

  The wolf of a man sat eating and watching her as though waiting for her to do something. Erika, on the other hand, was doing her best to keep her mouth shut. She had a bad habit of babbling when she was nervous, and nothing good could happen from that. She did appreciate the sandwich and the beer and, under different circumstances, would have expressed her gratitude, but she still wasn't sure if she was a prisoner or not, so for now, she was keeping her gratitude to herself. The beer went straight through her and with great formality and a deep breath she asked, "May I use your powder room?"

  Shutting the door, Erika went to the sink and splashed water on her face. Leaning towards the mirror, she looked deep into her eyes and told herself to get a grip. Her emotions were all over the place, and if she could not get control of herself, she would end up in a useless ball on the tinfoil floor. She brushed a strand of her black hair from her face noticing she had a bruise on her cheek. Other than that, there was one small scratch under her eye where Preach's fingernail must have caught her.

  She still could not believe that fucker had assaulted her. Staring at her reflection, she frowned. Erika didn't know what to tell Ransom about this mess - she told him everything, but if he knew all that had transpired from the kidnapping, changing her clothes, to him striking her, Preach was as good as dead. While she was not opposed to him dying, brutally, and with extreme pain, she was opposed to Ransom being the one who did it. Anyway, she was none the worse for wear, and hey, revenge was a dish best served cold.

  Erika heard the phone ringing and heard Felix answer it, "I didn't call you, but the lady did. Yes, Miss Lily. Hold on, let me get her."

  Erika's heart skipped a beat as she quickly dried her face. There was a tap on the door,

  "Sergeant Major McIlwain is on the line for you, Mi
ss Lily," Felix formally announced as she opened the door. She took the phone and went back into the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it, "Hello?".

  "Erika? Erika is that you?" static filled the line but not so much that she couldn't hear a worried Ransom's voice. In a rush of words full of emotion, he asked, "Are you ok? Where have you been? I have been so worried when you didn't respond to my texts or calls."

  "Baby," she said softly into the phone as she slid down the closed door to sit on the bathroom floor. Looking around, she was struck by how incredibly clean it was despite the tin foil. "I have missed you so very much. Please do not be mad at me for not being able to follow instructions. I know I promised you," she told him, trying to keep her voice from cracking. "Things have gotten really strange, and I don't know how to tell you everything that has happened," she hoarsely whispered as she started to cry.

  "Shhh… little bird, I am anything but mad at you. Things don't always go as planned, and I am glad I can hear the sound of your voice," he soothed. He was so sweet she just cried harder. "Shhh... Darlin," he drawled, "Just tell me what happened, and we will come up with a plan."

  Erika was crying now like an ugly stepsister. Starting at the beginning, she told him about the night of the ritual, how she had gone missing for a week and couldn't recall anything that had happened, and how the doctor told her she had amnesia from some sort of trauma. Yes, she seemed ok now and no, it wasn't a tumor.

  Then in a low voice, he asked, "Erika, you aren’t telling me everything. What is really going on?"

  "You didn't let me finish." Erika started sobbing then, and soon she was hyperventilating like a child. She told him about her mom being murdered by Preach's cult, and oh yeah, how Preach had finally started a cult. Blowing her nose, she explained, "Preacher Tim had one of his henchmen kidnap me when Hermit, Millie, and I went to the farm on a supply run. Then he tied me up, hit me, and while I was passed out, he changed my clothes and he did my hair and makeup," she wailed.

  "I am gonna kill Tim," Ransom bellowed into the phone.

  Sniffling, she blew her nose again, "But it is ok now. The guy who kidnapped me must have felt bad or something. He helped me. I am back in Chimneyville with him now."

  "Oh, baby, I am so sorry about your mom," he comforted her, "Take a deep breath for me now. Do you know if this is the same cult that put a bounty out on law enforcement and first responders?"

  Drying her eyes, she thought for a moment before speaking, "I don't know, baby, but I heard Preach called it the Church of Apocalyptic Blessing. But I mean, how many kidnap/murder cults can there be in Mississippi?"

  She heard his voice tighten as he regained control, "Now Erika, things are happening really fast for you right now, so I need you to take a deep breath and calm down. Ok? Now listen to me very carefully. Until you can get free from the man you are with, you will NOT go to your safe place. You understand me? Do not mention it to him, and whatever you do, do not take him there. Get him to take you to Becca's grandparents' farm north of town. Remember, they have the barn where Becca and Z had their engagement party. Now, do not forget, no matter how nice this guy is that he is a mercenary. They all have a price, and while he might not work for Preach, he does work for that woman you overheard Preach talking with. Now from what you told me, you need to consider her an unknown, and until we know who she is and what she is about, consider her a hostile."

  “Ok, Jason," she said, blowing her nose and drying her eyes. She used his given name, something she only did when they were intimate or alone, "When will you be home? I know I am not supposed to do this when you are working, baby, but I really need you."

  "Little Bird, I cannot get to you for about seventy-two hours, best case scenario. I would be there sooner, but we are not yet back in Birmingham. We are in between missions and when I saw the missed call, I had to take a chance it was you. We have one more mission, then a debriefing, and then we will be flying out. Once back in Birmingham I have to process out and then I am going to find the quickest way to you. The quarantine will make it hard for me to get into the state, but trust me, it will not stop me. I am coming for you, darlin. Once I am back, it will be for good.” She could hear his fist pounding the wall again.

  "Hurry," she said in a tiny little voice. She heard a man's voice behind him, rushing him to come on.

  "Little Bird, I have to go. Go to Becca's grandparent's farm, I will see you in a few days. Do not worry, I will send Millie and Hermit a text and let them know that is where you are going to meet them. Now let me talk to this Felix."

  Opening the bathroom door, she handed the phone to Felix with a sniff, "He wants to talk to you." He gave her a questioning look before taking the phone, "Felix." He paused, listening to the man on the other end of the phone. Occasionally he made eye contact with Erika as he nodded his head and mumbled. "I am not at liberty to discuss my mission, Sir, but rest assured Miss Lily is as safe as she can be while she is with me."

  Hearing that, Erika raised her eyebrows. Felix looked at her, his face void of all expression. "Sergeant Major, I can promise you that it will be over my dead body that Brother Timothy molests her, sir." There was another pause. "Yes, sir, I understand the confusion, but it wasn't until I spent time with Miss Lily that I began to understand why Brother Timothy wanted her, Sir."

  Erika could hear Ransom on the other end of the phone, interrogating Felix. She was surprised at Felix's complete compliance and respect. "Sergeant Major McIlwain, all I can say is you should ask someone you trust in intelligence about The Ragnarök Gates. Tell them three days; hence when the first light of the dawn breaks across the eastern sky, the second part of the plan to open them will take place. And you, sir, rest easy knowing Ms. Lily will be guarded and kept safe." His eyes never waived from hers as he added, "Same reason as you, Sir."

  Hanging up the phone, Felix's eyes held Erika's. "You asked me who you were to me," He started, moving to put the phone down on the desk, "Well. That is a long and complicated story." He crossed the room, his eyes focused on hers, "But before I tell you, Erika, I need to show you something."

  He took her by the hand and led her to the futon where he motioned for her to sit. Once she obliged, he knelt before her on his knees. "I want you to promise me you are going to keep an open mind." Something about him looked different, vulnerable. "Promise me that no matter what is about to happen, you will."

  Erika nodded, "Of course, Felix." She was confused but feeling more like her old self since she got to speak to Ransom. Knowing he would be home in a few days gave her a boost of energy and a sense of security that nothing else could. She sat back a little from Felix, realizing that she might not be ready for whatever he was about to show her.

  Seeing her resistance, he told her quickly, "Rest assured, Erika, I am perfectly sane, and I am not going to hurt you."

  "Dear Sweet Baby Jesus," she thought to herself, "Please let him keep his pants on." Aloud, she nodded her head and muttered, "I promise," despite the fear in her eyes.

  He took out his wallet and handed his driver's license. Looking at it, somewhat confused, she read, "Michael H. Austin." Looking up into his dark blue-ringed eyes, she said, "So you changed your name? Lots of people do that." She flashed him a big smile, "Don't worry Felix, we can still be friends."

  "Look at this photo and then the birthdate on my license," He said as he pulled out a photograph next. The first was of him, slightly younger and clean-cut wearing a US Army Reserve uniform. Handwritten on the back of the photo was, "14th Quartermaster on our way to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Operation Desert Storm, 1991."

  Erika looked at the birthday, June 23, 1969, then back at the picture and finally at Felix, "There is no way."

  Silently he handed her a news clipping, the headline read, "Iraq's deadliest Scud missile attack of the gulf war kills 28 American servicemen, 100 wounded." It was dated February 26, 1991. Erika silently took them from him, staring at the news clipping intently.

  Felix took a breath and handed he
r some more photos of him. Some were of him bloody and bandaged in a hospital in Germany, then some more of him back in the states in a hospital bed showing Felix dead-eyed and very obviously paralyzed from the neck down. The last photo showed a bandage on his neck where a trach had been.

  Unable to stop herself, Erika reached out and pulled his collar down to see if there was a scar. Tracing his scarred flesh with her fingers, she met his eyes, her grey-green eyes wide with disbelief. "I don't…. I don't understand," she started.

  Unable to stop himself, he reached up and touched her lips with his fingers, his eyes studying hers. He took a deep breath, his hands holding hers now. "Michael was twenty-two when a SCUD missile stole his youth. The doctors used Dimethyltryptamine to help treat his moods. They never could have known what they were doing. He had always had a gift for lucid dreaming, and the Dimethyltryptamine just opened portals to other planes for him. And that is how we met."

  "You met yourself?" she asked lightly, not quite following what he was saying. Or maybe she just didn't want to admit she was alone with a crazy person - which, by the way, the mesh and tinfoil covered walls, ceiling, and floor, definitely seemed to indicate that was the case.

  Felix gently squeezed her hands in his, "Open mind, remember?"

  She smiled tightly and nodded, "OK, but you got to admit…" Her eyebrows lifted as she looked around the apartment and shrugged her shoulders.

  He gave a little laugh, "This," he motioned around the apartment, "Is a faraday cage, and yeah, I know, I sound crazy. But trust me. I know you have no reason to, but please. Just listen."

  He seemed so earnest that Erika could not help but nod she would try.

  Rubbing his hand back and forth through his short hair, he sighed, "I promise all of this will make sense soon." Swallowing hard, he took a deep breath and exhaled, "Michael and Felix are two separate creatures sharing a body, Erika. Michael made a dark deal with the ones that I serve. A deal for power, youth, vitality, but there was a price."