Angel Fall

by Coleman Luck

  Two of the riders pulled the little tree from the ground. It was easy because it was small and the roots weren’t deep. After tying it on a horse, they mounted. Then all of them rose in a raging cloud and, with the army of shadows following, streamed away.

  The rider behind Tori was still holding her by her clothes and hair.

  “I told you to stop that! You’re hurting me!”

  But the grip only tightened.

  Why is he doing this? He didn’t do it before.

  He’s afraid to touch the baby. To them he’s like poison.

  Oh, really? A nasty look came into her eyes. Jerking around, she pushed the little boy toward the rider and yelled, “Why don’t you grab him for awhile?”

  The baby reached out a tiny hand that vanished into the mist around the creature’s body. Screaming as though it had been stabbed, the thing fell from the horse and disappeared into the hurricane. Instantly other riders moved in, but none touched her. Tori hugged the little boy. “I wish you could kill them all.”

  As they flew on, she started crying. I want to know about Amanda. What happened to her?

  “She died trying to take the baby home.”

  Where is that?

  “The Great Mountain that stands above the world. You can’t see it because of the clouds, but it’s there. It’s the place I was taking you.”

  And she was doing it all by herself?

  “There was no one who could go with her.”

  What about Bellwind?

  “Not permitted. Her task has been to watch and remember for the record of the ages. If she or any creature from her island had stepped onto the shore, they would have died. It is the Law.”

  So Amanda went alone. She was brave.

  “Yes.”

  Tori looked over at the little tree tied on the horse. How did my sister die?

  “Her enemies gave her a disease that changed her body.”

  It must have been awful.

  “She died in great pain, but she never gave up.”

  I’m so proud of her. She fought back tears. Who is this baby? Why do they want him so bad?

  “His name is Aloi, and he is the Angel of the Children.”

  You mean, like an angel from Heaven?

  “You can think of him that way. Long ago, when the sacrifices began, when the first drop of child blood fell from the dying, the heart of the Great Father was broken. As He watched from the mists, He heard every cry, from the tiniest whisper of one torn from a womb to the screams that rose from the altars. Ten thousand ways they killed them. And the death of each child was the agony of Heaven. From that agony Aloi was born. He is the angel of the innocent ones, the face of all their faces, the Spirit of Childhood that was meant to be, the promise of life for all the lives that were destroyed.”

  Like the dead children in the cave?

  “Those and countless more.”

  Where has he been? He was with us on the raft when we first got here.

  “He was hidden on your world, kept from the eyes of Lammortan until the prophecies could be fulfilled. Then the Darkness was allowed to find him. Now they want him to be the last sacrifice. If his blood is shed this world will belong to Lammortan and the children will sleep forever.”

  That’s not going to happen, is it?

  “Soon we will know. I have not understood many things until this moment. But now all is clear. Your sister lived and died to bring Aloi to the place where you could take him from her arms. ‘Hidden in weakness is the last. But to the last the first is given.’ That’s an ancient prophecy and it’s about you. You’re the last child of your mother and father, and Aloi was meant to be the first child of a new world. You are the one who has been chosen.”

  Chosen for what?

  “To stand against Lammortan face-to-face.”

  I can’t do that.

  “Yes, you can. You weren’t ready before, but you are now. And you won’t be alone. They thought they had killed the Carrier. But you are the Carrier.”

  What’s going to happen?

  “There is an ancient Law that even Lammortan must obey. It says that if Aloi is to be sacrificed, the offering must be made from the hands of a child from another world. That’s why you and your sister were brought here, at the end of time, to fulfill the final test.”

  He wants me to kill the baby? I’ll never do it! Never!

  “If you refuse, he will kill you.”

  I don’t care.

  “You see, you are ready.”

  What about Alex? Could he do it?

  “I don’t know. He isn’t a child, but he isn’t a man either. If Lammortan tried to use him, it would be a great risk. It might not work. And even to try, he would have to give up control of his mind and body. The sacrifice must be made in freedom.”

  So he could still win even if I die?

  It took a moment for the moth to answer. Finally he whispered, “Those who serve the Great Mountain must walk without seeing what lies ahead. But remember this—the One who loved the children loves them still. And it is He who guides our path.”

  After a stomach-wrenching lurch, the riders began falling from the sky. Tori screamed as the horse plunged beneath her. Twisting, spiraling down she flew in a blur of smoke and shrieking wind, past moonlit cliffs into darkness. Her fall ended with a bone-jarring jerk deep inside a canyon. The horses began racing through an eerie gorge, between massive walls strewn with boulders. Tori gasped, trying to make her stomach leave her throat. Why…did they…do that? Where are we going now?

  “To the throne of evil.”

  The gorge widened. The riders rounded a bend and Tori saw it. Straight ahead, high above, sprawled a vast building. Tortured walls and twisted pinnacles snaked for miles across a sheer cliff, and in the center stood a monstrous heap that looked like a tomb.

  What is…that? She could hardly form the words in her mind.

  “The Cathedral of Lammortan.”

  As she stared at it, a terrible coldness entered her heart. Something inside whispered that when she entered those walls she would die, but her eyes hardened and her mind answered, Shut up. I don’t care.

  Carved into the cliff leading up to the cathedral were a thousand stairs, and it was to these that the horses flew. On a wide landing halfway up they came to rest. The riders dismounted and the voice from Alex snarled at her, “Get down!”

  Carefully she lowered herself and the baby onto the stone.

  “Follow!” Then he began to climb.

  Tori looked up. The stairs were so high and there was no railing. Worse, they were crumbled and covered with debris.

  “Don’t be afraid,” Mirick whispered.

  I’m…I’m okay. I’m gonna count. My mom taught me to do that when I was little so I wouldn’t be scared. Carefully she started climbing and counting each step.

  “One…two…. three…four…five…”

  When she reached a hundred, she turned and looked back. Behind her was a vision that would have terrified the bravest man. Crawling up from the chasm were thousands of silhouettes shrouded in mist, the phantoms of the Lost Ones.

  “You’re trembling,” Mirick whispered.

  I…just feel a little weird.

  “Well, I can understand that.”

  I should be scared, but I’m not. And it makes me feel kind of freaky.

  “Wait a minute. You’re trembling because you’re not scared?”

  Yeah.

  “Such a strange child.”

  Tori began climbing and counting again. “One hundred one, one hundred two, one hundred three, one hundred four…”

  Two hundred…

  Three hundred…

  Four hundred…

  Suddenly she heard singing, a host of deep voices rising in a roaring chant. She looked up. Above her soared the vast cathedral, and its gigantic walls were encrusted with carvings. Broken bodies. Raging faces. Screaming gods and shrieking children. But the horror of it only made her eyes grow harder still.

 
Finally ten more steps…

  Then two…

  Then one…

  And she was at the top. Before her, giant doors stood open, and from out of them poured waves of dripping steam. A rotten stench filled the air, and the ground shook with triumphant singing as the Thing that was her brother vanished inside.

  “Remember, you are a queen,” Mirick whispered.

  “But not a bug queen.” Her voice was steady.

  When the moth spoke again, his was trembling. “No, not a bug queen, but a queen that the mightiest Larggen would follow forever. So hold your head high, Tori of Earth, for you are the Queen of the Children.”

  Lifting her chin and hugging the baby, Tori walked through the doors…into the steaming glow.

  High above, on a Throne of starlight, there was One who saw. And in the seeing, knew that the night had come. Stepping down, He began the long descent, from the Crimson Mists toward the Cathedral of Sorrows, from glory into a humble form, from the Great Mountain…

  Into the Night of Blood.

  36

  VEILS VANISHING

  Veils of mist, veils within veils…

  Golden, glistening, shimmering…

  What is this?

  As Tori entered the cathedral, she experienced exactly the opposite of what she had expected. Gone was the stench and horror; the air was filled with gentle perfume. No longer did the singing crash and groan. It was like soft voices whispering from Heaven. And the mist—the lovely mist—where it touched her skin, it tingled with soft, gentle coolness. As she breathed it in, all she wanted to do was dream—dream in the mist that swirled and danced around her. Slowly she took a few steps forward…and the mist began to fade.

  Amazing!

  Was it real?

  Before her lay a chamber so vast and high that the ceiling was lost in twilight. The pillars that held it up were the trunks of huge old trees, and the floor was covered with moss. Among the tree-pillars stood golden statues that seemed to hover like singing angels.

  But the light…

  All she cared about was the dazzling light. It swept through the room in a dance of rainbows with such loveliness that she wanted to cry. Forgetting everything else, Tori began walking toward the light. No, not walking—drifting, dreaming. And then she saw it, far away, at the front, a place of such glory that it had to be the Heart of Heaven.

  A golden staircase.

  And above it a gigantic painter’s canvas that seemed to be coming down from the stars. Over it, out of it, roared a waterfall of fiery colors that crashed and splashed, transforming into the rainbow light that filled the room.

  Walking…walking toward it, and the soft singing was all around her.

  Walking toward the waterfall of light.

  There was something under it. Something at the bottom. Something reaching out from the waves. A lovely hand. It was the crystal hand of a woman. And though it was very large, never had she seen anything so gentle and delicate. It was like the hand of a mother beckoning to her child. From the fingers ran streams of crimson starlight. Then came a sound that almost made her stop breathing. Out of the singing mist, a voice called her name.

  “Tori…Tori…”

  Shock! Had she really heard it? It came again, louder.

  “Tori…where are you?”

  Amanda!

  It was Amanda’s voice.

  She couldn’t believe it. “Amanda, I’m over here,” she yelled. And then she started crying.

  “Tori, look up. Daddy’s home!”

  The canvas—no longer was it flowing with fire and light. It was like glass. Like a window. And through it she could see into a home. Her home! Yes, her real home back on Earth—her living room, with her couch, her chairs, her pictures. And there was her family—all of them—Amanda, Alex, her mom…and her dad. He was right there, smiling at her. They were all smiling and laughing and waving from behind the window. Her sister yelled, “Come on, slow poke, what are you waiting for?”

  There was a trembling vibration. She felt her body freeze. Then a tingling strangeness. Separating—she felt herself being pulled apart. Suddenly she was floating in the air, and the baby wasn’t with her anymore. Looking back, she saw herself, standing very still, with the little boy in her arms. But she didn’t care. Nothing mattered anymore but getting to the window. She turned toward it, closer and closer, drifting until she was just outside the glass. She tried to touch it, but her hand passed right through. Alex grabbed it and pulled. Instantly she was standing in her living room, staring at all of them as though she had just awakened from a long nap.

  Her brother yelled, “You’re home. We didn’t think you were ever gonna get here. You walk like a slug.”

  They were all laughing and happy, so happy they looked almost like different people. Gone from Alex was the sneering coldness, and Amanda…in her eyes, there was no more hurt and pain. And most all, her mom. The terrible sorrow wasn’t there anymore. Gently her mother kissed her. “Oh, honey, I’m so glad you’re home. I’ve been so worried about you. Look who’s here.”

  “Hello, princess.”

  And then Tori was in her father’s arms, hugging and crying and whispering, “Daddy, you’re here, you’re really here.”

  “Yes, I’m really here.”

  Then he twirled her just like he used to do when she was little. Twirled her round and round…

  Dizzy, laughing, hugging, crying…

  Yes, crying for joy.

  “All right, you two, it’s time for dinner. The pizza’s done.” Her mother’s eyes were so beautiful when there was no sorrow in them. “Amanda, set the table. Alex, get the drinks.”

  They crowded into the kitchen. The smell of hot pizza, oh, it was so delicious. And she was so hungry. Her mother took it out of the oven, dripping with cheese and stuffed with pepperoni and Italian sausage (but no vegetables, not a single crunchy thing). Then they all sat down, and her father cut a big slice and laid it on her plate. That first bite…she thought she had died and gone to pizza heaven. Tori started eating. And eating. Everybody laughed because she ate so much. When she couldn’t hold another bite, her dad yelled, “Table games! It’s Tori and me against all of you.” Of course, Alex and Amanda groaned. They always did that because they knew they were going to lose.

  While the table was being cleared, her dad went to the closet and pulled out all of her favorite games, Clue and Sorry, Chutes and Ladders, Uno—boxes that she hadn’t seen in years. While they played, her mom made huge banana splits with vanilla ice cream and hot gooey fudge (but no nuts, only maraschino cherries). The first heaping spoonful dripped chocolate down Tori’s chin. She laughed so hard that more fudge ran from her mouth, which made everybody laugh until they thought they would throw up. Then she and her dad proceeded to win every game. And Tori was not a good winner. With each victory she gloated and giggled and snickered until it drove her brother and sister nuts.

  Finally her mother said, “All right, everybody, it’s time for bed. You’ve all got school tomorrow.”

  Of course, there was the usual whining. Tori begged, “Can’t I stay up just a little longer to be with Daddy?”

  “It’s late and you’ve had a busy day. He can tuck you in.”

  “Hey, I have a surprise for you.” His eyes twinkled.

  “What is it?”

  “It’s in your room. Hop on.” Jumping onto his back, he jiggled and joggled her into her bedroom and plopped her onto the bed.

  “Butterfly kisses!” Bending down, he laid his face next to hers and tickled her cheek with his eyelashes. But instead of laughing, she started to cry.

  “Hey, butterfly kisses aren’t supposed to make you cry.” He ran his fingers through her hair.

  “I just can’t believe it,” she whispered. “You’re really here. I’ve missed you so much, Daddy.”

  “And I’ve missed you, Sweetheart. I’m never going away again.”

  “You mean that?”

  “I promise.”

  “But wh
at about your family in England?”

  “My only family is right here. I love each of you so much. And most of all, I love your mom.”

  “I thought you hated her.”

  “Oh, Tori, that isn’t true. I love her more than words can say. This is the only family that means anything to me.”

  “But you left us.”

  “Yes, I went away for a while and I made you cry. Will you forgive me for that? Will you forgive me for hurting you?”

  She nodded, hugging him and sobbing even harder. “Every night I cried because you were gone.”

  “And I’m going to make it up to you,” he whispered. “I promise you’re never going to cry again.”

  “Will it always be like tonight? This is just like it was when I was little and we were so happy.”

  “It’ll be just like this forever.”

  But as she hugged him, a strange feeling came over her. “Forever?”

  “Yes, always and forever.”

  Then she saw something. On the wall was a frame that hadn’t been there before. And in it was a picture. “What’s that?”

  Smiling, he replied, “Oh, that’s the surprise, the little gift I told you about.”

  The strange feeling grew. Climbing down from the bed, Tori walked over and stared at it. In the frame was a picture of her. She was surrounded with black clouds and looked very frightened. In her arms was the baby. Bending down, her father said, “Do you remember that awful place?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, you never have to go back there again. You can stay here forever with your brother and sister and Mom and me.”

  Tori looked at him. “I know what this is,” she said softly. “This is my dream, the one I had every night, that you would come back and love us again.”

  “And now it can be real. But there’s something you have to do first.”

  She felt a creeping coldness. “What is it?”

  Gently he answered, “It’s about the baby. You have to leave him over there in the place where he belongs.”

  Tears began running down her cheeks. Her father saw them and hugged her. There were tears in his eyes too. “Honey, I’m sorry. I know you love him. You’ve been carrying him close to your heart for so long. But you need to do what’s best for both of you. I know you understand that.”