by S E Brower
Evan leaned in closer staring at the bright image of Aalonray, forcing himself to focus on her words, rather than on what he was seeing, finding it difficult. “I realized they were plotting to alter human history,” she continued, “hoping to erase the memory of The Father’s only human son, to take control of mankind.
I could not let them continue with this plan and needed to slow them down, while assembling forces against them. I convinced them to proceed with caution, suggesting they make only small changes to mankind’s memories as a test, working backwards through time.
Starting with names of pets, colors of objects and so on, moving to larger more important lapses, changing history. It was my first thought, and sounds monstrous, I know. My suggestion has slowed them, but not for long. Lucifer grows impatient to move forward.”
Aalonray, taking another quick look over her shoulder, leaned in towards Evan lowering her voice to nearly a whisper. “I overheard Lucifer bragging to The Author about having discovered a way to intercept prayer. If true, we must remain cautious. If we pray to The Father, Lucifer will always be one step ahead. Do you understand?” Evan nodded.
“Good. I must send word to The Father, somehow. I am unsuccessful as of this moment. Remember, prayers are being intercepted. A church is the single place you may speak of this. It is the only place where Lucifer’s demons cannot tread. Eyes and ears surround you always, so you must be careful of what you say.”
Garret was about to walk back into their shared bedroom when he saw the strange light from the bookmark spilling into the darkened hallway. He stood peering through the crack of the door. What he witnessed, would take everything he thought he knew and turned it on its head.
Evan was still cross-legged on the bed, his Bible in front of him. In his hand, he held what looked to Garret, like a bookmark, except it was lit up with a talking face! Every hair on Garret’s arms stood up as he strained to hear what was being said, watching the scene unfolding before him, his mouth agape. He tried stepping closer, and as he did the floorboards beneath him groaned, giving him away.
“What was that?” Aalonray demanded.
“That was my twin brother, Garret,” he told her.
Aalonray hesitated, then her eyes flew open wide. “A twin,” she paused, “if there is an unknown twin, he must be a Rogue Soul. Therefore, he can assist you.” She twisted to look over her shoulder. “The Author approaches, I must go. Remember what I have told you, may The Father bless you, Evan.”
With that, the bookmark burst into a small flame, like a sparkler. In a tiny puff of smoke, disintegrating into ashes, sifting through Evan's fingers, and vanished. Garret watched gob smacked, and just as the bookmark crumbled, he crashed through the door. “What was that?” he demanded, his eyes wild.
Evan spoke slowly, as if in a daze. “That was not for you to see, it was a message for me.”
“Some message.” A stunned Garret talked a mile a minute. “A message from… never mind. What was that? Who was that?” he was shouting now. But Evan felt drained and didn’t care. It was an overwhelming fatigue. Looking up at Garret without answering, his brain went into overdrive moving so fast, he couldn’t keep up. There was so much to process. He would tell Garret everything, but not tonight. Right now, exhaustion was the enemy.
But Garret wasn’t having it. “Spill!” he said, in a voice Evan knew all too well. But he could only think about closing his eyes.
“Tomorrow,” Evan said, “not now, I need to sleep, dude.” Rolling over, his eyes shut, and he began to snore.
Garret shook him. “Oh, no you don’t, you are not leaving me hanging like this. Wake up!” he yelled at Evan, shaking him. Then, he hit him with his pillow, but Evan just laid there dead asleep.
“Fine.” Garret threw himself on his bed, crossing his arms, “but you better talk tomorrow, or I swear…” his voice trailed off, giving a sideways look towards his brother, a sick feeling growing in his stomach.
The next day both boys could barely pay attention in class, all the while shooting each other nervous, worried glances. As soon as school ended, they raced home. It was a beautiful spring day, the sky a brilliant blue with warm sunshine, which seemed strange to Evan given the bizarre circumstances he had just learned. Garret wanted to know everything the second they set foot on the church grounds.
Evan paused, “She told me not to talk about this, unless I was at a church.”
“Well, we are at a church, aren’t we?” Garret scowled.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Evan agreed, as they sat down on the benches outside the rectory. “I will tell you,” Evan began, “but you won't like it.”
“Try me.”
“It is about the Guardian Library,” Evan told him, and Garret’s eyes widened.
“As in Guardian Angels?”
“Yes,” Evan nodded.
“Geez,” Garret shook his head in astonishment.
“Well,” Evan began again, “there’s a place that keeps the ‘Books of Lives’. There’s a guy there, well an Angel I guess, that runs the place, called The Author.”
“Why, is he the one who writes the books?”
“I don’t know. Do you want to hear this, or not?” Wounded but curious, Garret kept his mouth shut, and listened. “Anyway, they keep a book there for every human soul, since the beginning of time. Like Adam and Eve, beginning of time, in this so-called Guardian Library. This Author or angel, or whatever he is, was being used by Lucifer, and they’re planning to erase the Son of The Father from the minds of everyone on Earth.”
“GEEEEZUZ,” Garret swore. Evan smacked Garret’s chest with the back of his hand, giving him a stern look. “Sorry,” Garret apologized, “but why would they want to do that?”
“Because,” Evan explained, “it would be a lot easier to trick mankind into following Lucifer.”
Garret’s eyebrows furrowed questioning, then, “Odoo,” he said, exaggerating the word once he understood.
“I was contacted through the bookmark, by the Angel Librarian. Her name is Aalonray.”
“Aalonray,” Garret repeated the name, just under his breath.
“That’s who you saw last night,” Evan continued, “she convinced The Author, and Lucifer, the best way to carry out their terrible plan, would be to work backwards through time, eliminating memories of certain events as a test. If successful, they would erase the Son from everyone’s mind. Sounds terrible, I know, but something had to be done to ensure their plan would be slowed down.”
Garret had a sudden dreadful thought. “Okay, obviously you aren’t an angel,” Garret frowned, “so, why are you involved?”
Evan answered amazed with even himself when he spoke the words out loud. “Apparently, I am a prophet,” he shrugged his shoulders. Garret, at a loss for words, could only stare. Evan took advantage of his brother’s rare silence, continuing to relay what he knew.
Taking it under consideration, Garret recapped. “So, let me get this straight. This is all because you were born a prophet, and you live in a church?”
“Yeah, something like that,” Evan smiled, then added, “she also said you were a Rogue Soul, and you could help me.”
“What does that mean?” Garret balked. He didn’t like how that sounded.
“I don’t know, Garret. When she contacts me again, I will ask. Okay?”
As they continued their conversation, the boys were oblivious to the dangers all around them. Throughout the town, people went about their business ignorant of unseen forces, with consequences, facilitating the direction their lives will take.
Some people call it luck, others call it Karma. The ones who truly understand call it the struggle between good and evil and know in their hearts there is a divine plan for them.
One of those evil forces was a demon by the name of Mephitic. He was a demon among demons and a favorite of his superior Dreck, who reported to Lucifer. Mephitic was a vile thing. Hairless, with unctuous, oozing sores, covering his body. His fingers, tipped wi
th menacing talons, lethal if necessary. Having rejected The Father, Mephitic was starved from lack of The Father’s love, leaving him devoid of color and emaciated. Because he was an imperfect being, six eyes, black as night, rounded his head equidistant apart, and unblinking.
His ears were many, unlike humans’ they were small orifices covering much of his head. There were six small horns protruding from his skull, all varying sizes. His nose, mere slits like that of a snake. His mouth had two tongues, which moved in opposite directions, both speaking lies. He had an insatiable desire for destruction and was superb at what he did.
Mephitic had been responsible for turning the hearts of thousands away from The Father to follow Lucifer. He did this through relentless negative energies, until the person would succumb by taking their own life or worse, the life of another. In doing so, they would forfeit their soul to Lucifer.
Mephitic was invisible to mankind unless it was his choice, but even then, he could remain hidden, taking over the body of some poor lost soul of a man, woman or child, manipulating them to do his bidding. They could view him in his true form, but he resisted showing himself. His essence was an evil energy, manifesting in the form of a red mist-like vapor. However, Mephitic was a progressed demon, meaning he had an actual physical form, bestowed by Lucifer himself.
Some demons remained in mist form only, until they proved themselves worthy of Lucifer’s progression, but they were demons just the same. The mist was the form taken for travel between the Celestial and Earthly realms. It also assisted with human possessions, and swift travel while on Earth.
Bedsides his loyalty to Lucifer, the most outstanding attribute Mephitic possessed was his horrible pungent smell. Like most demons, he reeked of rotten eggs, sulfur, and death. But he had the unique ability to manipulate his odious stench to trick humans into negativity.
He could emit the smell of body odors to instigate bullying. Often using the smells of skunk, vomit and excrement to clear an area of humans. He used these manipulations along with whispered persuasions, seeding them with doubts, and self-loathing. These tricks gave him an advantage over erstwhile demons, earning him a place of favor in Lucifer’s army of malevolence.
On this day, venturing into the Earthly realm trying to create havoc, Mephitic slithered and lurked as always, listening for someone to show a sign of weakness. Bored, he toyed with an over-weight woman walking down the street. She was whispering to herself that she had to stay on her diet. Mephitic swept in to engulf her, whilst changing his aroma to that of fresh-baked cinnamon buns dripping with icing. The woman headed into the bakery two doors down. The demon giggled with delight. It was too easy. Bored once again, he searched for another target.
Scanning the streets, no one was fascinating enough to entice him into action, when one of his many ears picked up on a conversation about a Guardian. Mephitic smiled his awful, evil smile. Too interesting to pass up, he followed the sound, leading him to the local church, homing in on two young men talking in a walled garden just outside the rectory.
While demons couldn’t enter a church, for that was The Father’s domain, they could enter the surrounding grounds, but not without considerable discomfort. Mephitic dangled on the opposite side of the wall and listened. He gathered information with glee, all the while calculating Lucifer’s pleasure with his recent discovery.
“Ugh! Dude, did you fart?” Garret covered his nose.
“Gross, no. What is that smell?” Evan gagged.
“Just a dead animal, I guess... I don’t smell it now, do you?” Garret asked.
Evan sniffed the air. “Nope, me either. Anyway, like I said, in the beginning, it was small things, like the color of a first car or maybe the name of a pet from long ago. Then, it escalated into bigger things, historical events, things like wars and stuff.”
Garret’s eyes flew open wide! “Like the argument I had with the Professor, you mean?”
“Precisely.”
“I knew I was right,” Garret punched his brother in the arm.
“Ow! Yeah, you were right,” Evan rubbed his arm, “and quit punching me.” Garret’s exuberance faded with the weight of this new information. All those times his memories differed from everyone else, were making sense. While he felt vindicated, it also terrified him, and he wished this wasn’t happening.
“What are we supposed to do now?” Garret wondered.
“I don’t know yet. I know we have to stop them, if we can.”
“And if we can’t?” Garret looked his brother square in the eyes.
“I don’t even want to think about that,” Evan swallowed hard shaking his head, “If they discover that we know what they are doing then…”
Garret drew his finger across his own throat simulating the slice of a knife. Evan shivered, sickened by the mimed gesture, but didn’t let his brother know. They vowed they would rely on each other and would be very careful going forward. But it was already too late. Mephitic overheard part of their conversation. Armed with this new information, the demon descended straight to Hell reporting to his superior Dreck, who reported to Lucifer.
Lucifer was livid. How could these mortal boys know of their plans? Lucifer sent word of his impending arrival in the Library, and that he required The Author’s presence.
However, The Author and Lucifer were not the only ones with spies. Aalonray always knew when Lucifer appeared in the Library. Watching, and listening from the shadows, she thwarted some of their efforts. Something had changed, though she didn’t know what, she sensed the fear in The Author when Lucifer requested this meeting.
She was certain their plans were interrupted when a most irate and angry Lucifer arrived in the Guardian Library. His disgusting demon pets of red mist, swirling and twirling, all around and through him, with their copious stench.
The Author took in a quick assessment of who was in the Library, ordering they depart at once until further notice, Aalonray included. She would learn nothing more at this time. When the Guardian Library was empty, Lucifer commanded Dreck to convey what he learned to The Author, who turned a nauseating shade of pale. “We must eliminate them!” Lucifer bellowed.
The Author disagreed, fearful to speak his mind, but more so, not to. “Pardon, my Lord, but with the passing of the boy Prophet, his Guardian will report directly to me. I will be held personally responsible for reporting the incident to The Father. If I do not, there will be an investigation.”
“You must deal with the Guardian. I want that soul,” Lucifer told him, “bring him to me, at once,” his voice lowered, calm and terrifying.
“As you wish,” and then The Author added, “there is another difficulty. If you believe the demon, the boy Prophet has a twin. I remember Evan Driscoll Alsop. There is no book written for a twin. I believe him to be a Rogue Soul. How would you have me proceed?”
“Just bring me the Prophet, you handle the Rogue.”
“And if all Rogues possess the same ability to remember mankind’s history in its original form, then what?” The ramifications of this unexpected wrinkle became clear as he said the words.
Lucifer was thoughtful before answering. “Eliminate all of the Rogues. Send Dreck to eliminate the boy prophet’s twin. Make it appear accidental. Store the Rogues in the Library for all I care, you can handle this, can you not?”
“My Lord, I shall see to it.” The Author bowed, and Lucifer with his demon entities of red mist, vanished.
In the wake of Lucifer’s exit, The Author ordered Dreck to gather his forces to keep an eye out for any human not accompanied by a Guardian. When they found one, they were to report back, for they were most certainly a Rogue Soul.
That same evening, the Brothers Driscoll were both upset. They didn’t know if or when they would hear from Aalonray, and they wanted to talk to their adopted father, feeling sure he would know what to do.
They headed into the church, walking in just as Reverend Alsop closed his Bible. He gathered up his things as the boys entered. “Father, can w
e talk to you for a minute?”
The Reverend answered without looking up. “I’m very sorry, boys. Not now. I received an emergency call. I am needed right away.” He grabbed his jacket as he ran towards the door, calling over his shoulder. “Garret, I talked with your Professor. We’ll discuss it tomorrow night. Right now, I’m late… Oh, and boys, good luck with your finals tomorrow.” He winked at them, disappearing through the door.
The brothers looked at each other feeling defeated. They didn’t know what to do or where to turn. But in the meantime, it was true, there were finals in the morning. Garret needed to do some fast cramming if he had any hope of passing the exams. They went to their room where he studied well into the wee hours before falling asleep on his books.
In the morning, the twins awoke, Garret struggling to get himself together, groggy from staying up too late. But Evan, who had only the day before, spoken to an angel, yawned, cool and collected, as he sat reading his morning scriptures. Before they knew it, time got away from them both, now they were late.
Grabbing their backpacks, and lunches, running like the wind, they made it to the bottom of the hill just as the bus rounded the corner. They raced alongside shouting, “Stop! Wait! Open up!” They pounded their fists on the glass when they reached the bus door. They made the bus, but they would not make it to their finals.
Mephitic had found them once again. The unseen, unsavory demonic spirit seized on an opportunity, boarding the bus devising a plan. Although Evan’s Guardian, Chatumdar was there also, he did not notice Mephitic. Demons are deceitful creatures. Mephitic had slipped in overhead undetected.
He knew there were Guardians on the bus, careful to not draw any attention, he analyzed the surroundings. Then, he spotted a beautiful young woman in a short skirt, standing on the sidewalk a few blocks up the street. There was also a large logging truck traveling in the opposite direction of the bus. Mephitic knew what to do.