I see the lifeless arm. The water relentlessly pours down. The boots and I are now sopping wet. I drop to my knees.
“Are you serious, Levi? This is not a game, you asshole,” I scream to anyone listening.
I stand up holding the boots and walk toward the unicorn, hanging my head. Just then, the shoes spin becoming the glorious Holy Nails they are. I walk back over to the cliff and jab one into the rock.
An invisible force lodges the point into the stone. The same happens with the other. Steadily, the nails make the climb. It’s not easy. The spikes jab and pull with shaky and severe jerks, as you would expect of giant primordial nails being driven into rock. Not a smooth ride. My hands hang on for dear life. Wet and slippery, I manage a secure grasp of the crude metal with each jab as if there is unseen help. The water maintains its sideways path toward me.
I continue the climb. About ten feet from my destination, the water begins to graze me. The added force, though slight, increases difficulty. Five feet away, it’s steadily streaming down my back.
I can barely see the last three feet, but I finally make it to the ledge. I climb over by swinging my legs to step on the steady, rock driven nails. My hands are shaky and arthritic. I move to the clearing out of the water. There is a slight echo in the nook. The landing is directly underneath the statue. Beautiful white ivory spans above my head, the foot of the statue.
I spot Dagan’s body dangling precariously over the ledge. The shifting water picks up momentum. He’s one wisp of wind away from going over. I start my way toward him.
“Dagan,” I yell. It’s useless. The water is too loud.
It’s slippery and dark. As I move closer, I see he has been severely beaten. His shirt is torn to shreds. The water continues to build around me. The torrential downpour encompasses my senses. Suddenly, I hear nothing but white noise. Closer to the ledge, the backsplash of water builds.
I see nothing but a watery dark figure in front of me. I get down on my belly and scoot toward him. I notice an old thick scar running around his ribcage. I reach for his hand. The water has caused him to slip. I manage to grab his palm, but his downward momentum picks up and his body slides easily off the ledge. His strong muscular fingers slip through my grip.
I push to the landing’s edge, still flat on my belly. I see his black figure disappear into the endless depths below. He vanishes into the treacherous cliffs, jagged rocks, and relentless rushing falls below.
I scoot back as far as I can under the massive structure. Had Dagan been conscious, perhaps he could have been farther back in here, I think, huddled against the stony wall.
Shivering and shaking, I assess my situation. The water is rushing so violently now, it could take an arm off. I can’t see anything. It starts to engulf me in the crevice. Water is rushing around my ankles and rising.
I’m trapped in a liquid coffin.
The water continues to rise. It’s to my knees now.
Suddenly, I feel two smooth and very heavy metal points slide into my hands. I can’t climb down with them. Impossible.
But then, they spin. Maybe they have other powers…
Sandals. They transform back into Greek warrior sandals. Are you kidding me.
I put them on in the knee-high water, not sure what else to do, besides mentally prepare to see Shane again. Disappointed in myself for not getting here in time. For not stopping Levi.
I think about jumping.
I’ve lost everyone. I’m done. I just can’t do this anymore.
I take a few steps to the ledge. The water is violently falling in front of me. I hear only white noise. I breathe in and take another step.
The sound changes, a break in the noise. A majestic white light shimmers through the current. A giant white downy feather wing parts the cascading sea.
The unicorn, which I must now name, enters the crevice. She bends and scoops me up. My bags are still fastened to her neck. Of course, she chooses this moment to reveal her wings. It’s a sick, cosmic joke.
Charley, as I have named my new friend, soars through the sky. I hold on to her mane for dear life. She flies straight down the falls. I look to find Dagan. Fruitless. The waterfall is too colossal. Its enormous power just swallowed him up, Captain Ahab sucked into his watery grave.
She soars past the falls over the trees to level out. Winds begin to calm as her giant wings span out not unlike a swan’s. I lie my tired head against her neck as she floats over dark whirring scenery.
21
Charley sets me down in front of Regina’s. I gather my bags. A quick nuzzle and she vanishes into the sky as if she’d never been there in the first place. In the kitchen, I empty Regina’s soaked paisley bag. The inside is as dry as a bone. I put the indestructible food containers, which are mysteriously still cold, in the fridge and go straight up to my room. I have no appetite. I haven’t processed the last few hours yet. In fact, I still haven’t processed the last few days.
What just happened?
I fill the bathtub and strip down. As if I haven’t had enough water for the rest of my life. This pool is scalding hot though. I sink below the surface but don’t scream this time. I don’t have it in me.
I lie against the cool porcelain of the tub. Comatose. Numb. I stare into space for a very long time. My head is still silent. I haven’t heard anything of that nature since I used the crown.
A sharp anesthetic scent fills my nose. I feel phantom thin cloth of a patient’s gown between my fingers. Pain sears through my upper right arm. I subconsciously rub said spot. The scar is softer now but grooved. Thicker at the top, it runs from my upper shoulder down the length of my outer bicep about seven inches. The Grey doc said it would be a pencil-thin line. It’s more of a wide felt-tip marker, the kind used for old-world presentations. I shudder at the memory.
Meanwhile, the water has turned cold. I drag myself out of the chilly tub, dry off, and slip on the robe. I turn on the TV and choose my favorite movie, Almost Famous. Between the scalding bath and thick robe, I start to overheat. I go to my bag and pull out a silky, lace-edged, sea-foam green set of pajamas, a camisole, shorts, and a paisley kimono. I change out of the pink robe and place it back on its hook.
Back in the room, I sit on the floor with my back against the bed and hug my knees. I rest my head in my arms. Death seems to follow me around. It’s as though Levi’s real desire is to make sure I’m utterly alone. Then he can finally make me his ‘queen.’
How can I possibly go up against the Devil? I’m only one person. Maybe I should just go with him. I’m so sick of this fight. He took away my person. My person. Mine.
Now, this? He’s going to win. He is. I didn’t even stand a chance up there. I barely made it to see the ending. Again. Plus, this time, I had Holy Relics. Made no difference. I’m done.
“Why don’t you try to call Shane?” Persephone asks from my sling-back bag.
“I’m the reason Dagan died, Seph.” My voice is muffled in the crook of my arm. “Levi. He did that because of me. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“Well, everyone will get hurt if you go with Levi.”
“What do you mean?”
“He wants Hell on Earth, Lyv…”
I walk over to my bag and pull her out along with my wallet. She appears perched on the couch. She’s wearing pajamas, a matching set featuring polka dots. They’re topped off with fuzzy pink slippers and a complementing sleep mask that holds her hair back from her face. She’s holding a notebook and a glitter pen. Her hair is down and straight. In the wallet, I find what I’m looking for and sit across from her in my flowing kimono. I tuck my feet underneath me.
“Right…”
“That means everyone on Earth will be in Hell for eternity. There will be no more Heaven for them. The angels and spirits on the Spirit Plane will be safe—in a sense. They won’t be in Hell. But… They’ll have to watch their loved ones in torment for eternity. They will be powerless to help them.”
“Right now, they
can help. Somewhat,” I say, rubbing the engraved bone token in my hand. A fish is carved on each side of the coin. Shane gave it to me a while back. It features St. Jude the Apostle, Patron Saint of desperate cases and lost causes. Shane’s deeply involved in community outreach and support, hope. Always hope. I didn’t see the engraving on Dagan’s, but I have a feeling he received it from the same person. Blue elixir runs rampant these days. The drug steals too many lives. The coin is a token for those in recovery, each is personalized by shape and material, but Dagan’s felt identical to mine.
“Yes, right now spirits can help loved ones get to Heaven. Meet them on the Spirit Plane.”
“Okay, right. Let’s try Shane,” I say, standing up and walking over to the phone.
Persephone writes in her notebook. I dial our numbers but get the same unavailable message as before. I hang up the phone and the tiny action alone depletes me completely.
Unable to regulate my body temperature, I find I’m cold again. I replace the kimono with one of Shane’s hoodies. This one is well-worn, blue, and adorned with the Easton Hockey logo. Slipping under the puffy covers, I settle in for some sleep. It comes fast and heavy.
“Hey, Lyvs.” A familiar voice jars me awake.
Startled, I shoot up dramatically and rub my eyes. I squint to see a recognizable silhouette leaning in the doorway to the living area. An object rests against the frame—a guitar-shaped object.
“What are you doing here? Haven’t you done enough?” I say, flopping back down on the pillow. I have no fight to give. I cover my eyes with one arm. “Seriously, Levi. Why are you here? You know I’m not going with you. You know that’s not the ending.”
“Right now. Not the ending, right now,” he drawls, walking over to the bed. “It can always change, Lyvs.”
I’m sleepy. My defenses are gone. I’m taken to a humid sticky summer evening. Silky fabric between my toes. Warmth on my cheek from the crook of his neck. Soft evening glow. Synchronized breathing. The whir of a fan. Cascading flowers line the balcony outside ajar French doors.
He steps up to me and brushes his fingertips down my arm. The gesture is so familiar, I forget my current situation. Suddenly, I’m sucked back to that summer evening in his penthouse.
“Lyvs…” he purrs, a finger trailing my scar.
“Leevs,” I murmur sleepily through closed eyes.
“Tell me about this… battle scar.”
“Not much of a story,” I nestle closer.
“Tell me. I like stories.”
“I fell. Broke my arm. Had surgery. The end.”
“Lyvs, I know you’re a better storyteller than that,” he whispers against my hair.
“Okay, fine. I had a seizure because of the Synesthesia. Apparently, when my brain short-circuited, or whatever happens, I landed on my rotator cuff and shattered it. Not much of a story like I said.”
“Well, what were you doing when it happened?”
“Why don’t you tell me about this,” I change the subject, outlining the tattoo that adorns his left arm.
“I wanted a tattoo. I got one.”
“Oh, Leev, I know you’re a much better storyteller than that. What is it?”
“It’s a dragon, Lyvs.”
“With seven heads…” I say, outlining each one. It wraps around his entire arm. The heads are intricate and meld into one another. Different sizes and shapes designed by someone on an acid trip.
Back in the present, Levi sits on the edge of the bed next to me. I roll away from him. He traces my arm again. I move over and give him room to get in. He shifts in next to me and we take the same pose from that summer evening. In the crook of his neck, my voice vibrates.
“Why are you doing this, Leev?”
“I want you, Lyvs.”
“Then why would you kill people I love?”
“Oh, Lyvs, you know they’re in a much better place than this now.”
“So what, you did them a favor?”
“Yes, Lyvs, I did.”
“Okay, if you felt righteous enough to save them from Hell, why would you want me there?”
“Because, Lyvs. It won’t be Hell for me and you. It’ll be perfect.”
I shoot up in bed patting the area around myself. Nothing. I’m alone. I’m sweating and breathing heavily. It’s still dark out. I go to the bathroom and splash my face with cold water. I brace myself against the sink and look in the mirror. My eyes are red-rimmed and sleepy. Water is dripping down my chin.
I spot movement behind me in the mirror.
“Seph…” I call, whipping around.
I spot my Slab closed on the couch.
It was just a dream. I check the bed again. I walk to the door and open it slowly. Taking a peek, I see nothing on the shadowy landing. I turn back to the room, satisfied it was only a dream. I walk over to the bed and see something gleam just under its end. I squat down and slide it out.
A golden guitar pick.
22
In the morning, I wake to so much light and heat, I feel as if I’m on the surface of the sun. I walk over to the window and spot an old-world light switch. Although when I flip it, the window turns completely black and fills with stars. Dark Shire’s are similar, but they fill with sunlight. I sink back into the bed.
Levi.
I’m going to need more weapons. If the guy can persuade me into talking to him that easily in my dreams—if it was a dream—I’m going to need artillery.
I keep the blinds open but turn on a lamp. I work better at night. I go into the library and scan the books. I need to start from the top. I climb the rolling staircase ladder to the highest row of books. It takes a while before I find what I’m looking for. I recognize the spine snug at the very end of the third row down.
It’s aged and leather bound in faded shades of aqua. The blues brush the leather akin to ocean waves. It almost appears to be moving. Reminds me of the water beneath Dagan’s lighthouse. The title floats down the spine in gleaming silver. The outside jacket is adorned with one word etched in the same silver: Leviathan. The inside cover reads Leviathan: An Angel of Light.
The term came back to me from my theological studies. “Leviathan” in the Bible refers to a sea monster whose goal was to destroy God’s creatures by eating them. It also threatened the upheaval of the waters of Chaos. I read this book when I was researching the Great Rain. Leviathan is also used in the Bible as an image of Satan. Levi. Clever.
It’s believed the reason for the Great Rain is because man continued to sin after Jesus was crucified. In fact, it got steadily and then rapidly worse. Humanity imploded on itself. Natural disasters became regular occurrences. Humans were poisoning themselves to death with drugs every second. Violence was a natural everyday circumstance. Self-inflicted deaths, murder, sickness, rape, lavishness, selfishness—these became common-day routine for everyone. Ordinary and expected. A world of complete desensitization. That’s when Noah’s rain made a comeback resulting in reduced landmass. Still now, evil perseveres. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
I figure if Levi caused the Great Rain, then he is in fact, the Leviathan. His plan was to take over Earth by means of water. He continued to fuel human sin and gain numbers in Hell. Pushed his Father until he received a reaction. He figured if you’re going to banish me down here with these creatures, then I’m going to control them in my own little playground.
“But we have free will,” I say aloud.
Exactly. That’s why he has to get humans to choose sin on their own accord. He just dresses it up. Makes a vortex straight to Hell, no further sins necessary. No need to wait for the rain this time. Free trip! Now! One-way. All-inclusive.
I take the book out to the balcony for a cigarette. I grab my aviator sunglasses. The light is blinding. I flip through pages. I find one entitled Job 41:33. I recognize the name from the Bible.
It’s an archaic copy, thicker than the one I had. The pages resemble a pirate’s olden treasure map, crinkled and tea-stained, yet preserved to the bes
t shape possible. It closes with a flap around the front tied with a leather string.
‘On Earth there is not his like, a creature without fear.’
Hmm. Does sound about right. Levi is one confident guy. Going up against God, Himself. No fear. That does narrow down weaknesses. I flip a couple pages.
Psalm 104: 25-26:
‘Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.’
Beneath the excerpt, I gleam the following:
Leviathan were created at the same time as the other animals on the sixth day, after humans. They were sea-dwelling creatures. They lived in the ocean, while humans thrived in the Garden of Eden eating only vegetation. They died out after the first flood, Noah’s. There is speculation that crocodiles originate from Leviathan. Most animal-life has also gone extinct these days due to the limited climate and resources, yet crocodiles are still around.
The ocean remains the biggest mystery known to man. We, to this day, still know more about the universe than we do about what is at the bottom of the ocean. All we know is that since the first flood, we have not seen any of these creatures. However, we’ve never gone that deep, especially when the water began to rise. It became impossible to study.
On a personal note: the depths of the ocean scare me far more than that of the universe. I go back into the living room and settle into the couch. I flip through more ancient pages.
Isaiah 14:12-14:
‘How you are fallen from Heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to Heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’
“That sounds familiar.”
I Am the Storm Page 17