I Am the Storm

by Trisha Lynn Halaas

Some days, I spend the entire time crying over my brother’s body.

  Some days, I pace the area round-and-round again, having entire conversations with myself. I know I’m starting to break.

  Some days, I get destructive. I pick up random rocks and hurl them at the walls and ground until I have absolutely no strength left to give.

  Some days, I get self-destructive. I kick and punch said rock walls, until my hands and feet are merely bloody, broken appendages. I find sharp dagger-like rocks and spend the time slicing my skin, careful not to go too deep, mesmerized by the streaming crimson blood until I pass out.

  Some days, I imagine killing myself. Get it over with already. I do not do this for fear it will trap me in this Hell forever.

  Some days, I simply try to get my brother to the tomb again.

  I never make it.

  On day 14,609:

  There’s a rewind.

  36

  I wake up in my usual position. Something’s different. It’s still dark, but I hear voices. I rub my eyes to confirm I’m awake. Then I creep toward the arena, where I find several figures moving around in the moonlight. I sneak closer to better distinguish words.

  “I need you guys to set up right here.” Levi stands in the middle of the stage pointing to an area I cannot see. He has his guitar slung over his shoulder. It rests behind him.

  “This—This is where our Great Reveal will take place.”

  He spreads his arms dramatically.

  I duck around a boulder for a better vantage point and find one. Levi is circling an object. It takes me a moment before I recognize it; Dark Shire’s red telephone booth.

  “This will be remembered for eternity,” he cries and throws his arms up toward the cosmos.

  The realization sets in: I’m witnessing the moments before Shane’s death.

  I don’t know if I exist in this hellish scene. However, I’m pretty sure I’d rather not be seen at this point. I’m concealed me from their eyesight behind the boulder; although, I can see the landscape without obstruction.

  “I know I’ve kept you boys at arms-length with my plans,” Levi says, circling the booth like a shark to prey. I can’t say for sure, but I’d wager he’s licking his lips right now. “First of all, my blue elixir is making tremendous progress; we’ve got lots of new users, and I don’t see any upcoming supply shortages. Still tinkering with its effects, as Bryce can attest to.”

  “I love the stuff,” Bryce says as he adjusts his crotch. I force down some vomit. “It could be stronger, though.”

  “That’s the plan, Bryce, that’s the plan,” Levi drawls as he rubs his hands together thoughtfully, gazing downward. “We’ll have everyone on it soon enough.”

  I realize Levi has been behind blue elixir this entire time. A drug created by the Devil, himself. Wonderful. There can’t possibly be anything wrong with that; an even worse version of Walter White.

  “Now onto New Heaven. You each know a slice of information, nobody has it all. I know you have to be wondering. Any guesses?”

  “You’re doing a phone booth charity concert?”

  Levi shakes his head slowly. “No, you imbecile,” he says. “Why is he the one talking right now?”

  “Yeah, Bryce, it’s gotta be bigger than that,” Chad chimes in.

  “Yes, so much bigger.” He closes his eyes. “I’m going to rule Earth, boys. Just think of it—Hell on Earth, for eternity.” He splays his arms wide as if he can see the title in Broadway lights.

  “Notice anything about different about this telephone booth?” he asks. “Damien?” He calls him out knowing he is his best chance at an intelligent response.

  Damien pauses. Tastes the air as if checking for a coming rain. “It’s a vortex gateway,” he answers.

  “Ding, ding, ding… And circle gets the square,” Levi responds with the flair of a game show host. “You see, a vortex is merely a communication device between transcendental planes—that’s it. You can’t gain entry into other dimensions. What we’ve created with our Framework is a vortex gateway, which is an avenue leading directly to Hell.”

  “Like a highway?” Bryce asks.

  Levi shifts his eyes to an imaginary cameraman, a deadpan stare—‘Do you see what I deal with.’

  “Okay, I’m going to dumb it down for the Kindygarden class, here,” Levi says, walking up to Bryce. He stops three feet in front of him. “Yes, like a highway, Brycie Bear.” He mimics cars with verbal sound effects. Total patronization. I get a ping of satisfaction at Bryce’s humiliation.

  “I’m making an honest-to-God, or Dad, I should say,” he remarks mockingly, pointing to the sky. It occurs to me that he is just a scorned child, mad at Daddy. Still, his ongoing since-the-beginning-of-time tantrum is inexcusable.

  “An honest-to-God highway to Hell, boys. We are opening the floodgates and giving humans a one-way ticket. Soon, our dimension will be the only dimension. Free will won’t exist. It’s a joke, anyway. Humans can’t be trusted to make the right decisions. My way is the only way. This world will belong to me; dad will take a backseat. Let his son run things for a change, he needs to retire anyway.”

  Suddenly, a new voice emerges from the shadows. An unmistakably familiar voice.

  “Hey, Levi.” Shane materializes from darkness. “I happen to have it on good authority that this ‘reveal’ isn’t such a ‘great’ idea.” He laughs at his own pun.

  So witty, Shaner, I laugh to myself.

  “Ahh, Shane, I’ve been expecting you,” he drawls. “Word has it, you got a pretty cool new toy.”

  “I sure did. Maybe, you’ll catch a glimpse of it before it ends you,” he replies.

  “You underestimate me, bro,” Levi says as he flips his guitar around in front of him. “First I brought a great storm to earth, and now all I have to do is finish the job.”

  “That’s where you’re mistaken, Levi.” Shane whips his large arm out and a giant, ancient hammer appears.

  “I am the storm,” Shane speaks evenly.

  I want to say the hammer looks the same as Thor’s—I’ve been hoping it would, if I’m honest—but instead it resembles one from long ago, since Jesus’ time. The head is a huge sharp triangular shaped rock, held to a thick ivory handle by leather cords. The thick leather cords wrap down the length of the ivory handle coming to a loop at the bottom. The handle seems made of carved bone, too big to be human. The ancient tool is massive.

  Simultaneously, Levi’s guitar transforms into his deathly sword. Lucifer’s sword.

  I watch the fight unfold, powerless.

  Shane appears to swing the hammer at Levi, but instead makes contact with the phone booth. It explodes into billions of tiny pieces. A loud ringing fills my ears. I duck behind the rock and cover my eyes. I squeeze them open slowly when the dust settles and sound returns; I resume my standpoint.

  Shane and Levi circle each other around the blackened ground littered with shrapnel.

  Levi looks murderous.

  “Do you realize what’ve you’ve done?” he screams. “All that work. All that work for nothing.”

  He charges at Shane, sword out front. Shane swiftly dodges the motion, knocking Levi’s sword to the ground with his hammer. It vanishes upon landing, materializing back in Levi’s grip seconds later.

  “Did you really think God was going to let you design a highway to Hell?” Shane laughs without humor. “He told me all about this plan.”

  Shane charges now, swinging the hammer high above his head. Right before Levi disappears, the hammer makes contact with his shoulder. His arm is ripped from his body, spraying blood wildly, before smoldering, and vanishing from the ground.

  A second later he materializes behind Shane, completely intact.

  “No, Shane—NO!” I scream, running toward him. I go completely unnoticed. I rush at him, jumping up but sailing through him, as Levi’s sword slices easily through his back. Shane falls heavily to the ground. Blood pools around his frame. An animal-like howl emits low from
my chest, but nobody hears me. I’m merely an invisible audience member here.

  “Damien, grab the hammer,” Levi says.

  Damien does as requested.

  “Back home, boys,” Levi calls before they each vanish into thin air, only a cloud of black smoke remains.

  Levi is the last man standing, and I swear to God, he winks at me before he too, disappears.

  I’m left hovering over my brother’s body, yet again.

  I guess I fall asleep.

  37

  When I wake, I know instantly I no longer reside in the nightmare. Things come into focus. Gold-speckled tiles, a floor made of New Year’s confetti. Clean, woodsy spice fills my nose. A familiar smooth and sexy voice. My favorite room in Gold Shire—Levi’s penthouse.

  “Hey, Lyv. It’s good to see you.”

  “Don’t call me that, Lucifer,” I spit, fully entering the room.

  A sexy laugh. He walks toward me slowly. “Uh-huh, Lyvia. That was my ‘given’ name,” he rolls his eyes at ‘given.’ Inching closer.

  Levi. Levi in all his gloriousness. I swear he has a backlight follow him around everywhere he goes. He shines.

  “I gotta say Lyvia, somehow you just get more gorgeous by the day. Even when you’ve been through Hell.”

  We stand a foot apart. His familiar form beckons me. His scent grows stronger. Bumpy car rides. Flashing landscapes. Playing music for me in his loft. Dancing at his parties before sneaking out for secret moonlit strolls, hand-in-hand. Dark windy trails. Warmth in his oversized leather jacket.

  “I miss you, Lyvia. You know, when I get this place all to myself, we’ll have a lot of fun. Every king needs a queen, right?” He pulls a strand of hair from my face.

  I look into his aquamarine eyes. I loved those eyes. I got lost in those eyes. Two Arctic glaciers slice through icy cool depths.

  He’s the Devil, Lyv. I mentally slap myself. Shane.

  “I need the hammer, Levi.”

  “I don’t think so, Lyvs. What you need is to get on board.”

  “On board the crazy train?” I ask incredulously. “I don’t think so, Levi. I am not going to be your evil queen, and you are not going to rule the world.”

  “Oh, I am Lyvia.”

  I urge the nails. They find my palms. I swing them toward Levi. He stops them with his own palms again.

  “You think any of that will work on me, Lyvs?” He laughs cruelly. “You’re in my house.” He stalks the room menacingly, hands clasped behind him.

  “Lyvia, I’m going to leave you here for a while. You need time to think. You’ll come to my conclusion. You’ll see our glorious future together. I know it.” With an audible pop, he disappears from the room.

  I run to the door. It’s sealed shut. Almost it seems, hermetically. I scream and pound the door and walls a stretch before turning toward the room.

  I search every nook and cranny in this fake Gold Coliseum penthouse. Empty every drawer, overturn every cushion, and tear apart the mattress. I rip through each pillow sending a snowstorm of down feathers onto every surface. I plop down in a mound of fluffy white when a voice sounds from my bag. I head over to the bag that has miraculously survived the journey. I pull out my Slab.

  Persephone appears. She’s in a doctor’s coat and scrubs. A stethoscope is loped around her neck. Rimless eyeglasses adorn her face. She embodies a med student. She has an old book open in front of her.

  “How are you operable?” I ask. “I tried you in Hell—aren’t we still in Hell?”

  “Yes,” she replies. “I’m actually not sure why I can function in this location. I’ve been wondering that myself, unless it’s a vortex.”

  “It probably is,” I say, looking around.

  “How do we break out? Got any ideas?” I ask.

  “What good would I be if I didn’t?” she replies with a light laugh. She flips through the book. “While you were turning it upside-down in here, I pulled out your medical records.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because, Lyv, you need the Holy Relics to get out of here.”

  “The nails?”

  “Yes, all three of them. There are three, you know.”

  “Right, Jesus was crucified with one nail through each hand and the third through both feet.”

  “Correct,” she says while adjusting her glasses.

  “What does that have to do with my medical history?”

  “Well, Lyv, you already have all three.”

  “What?”

  Persephone materializes next to my right arm and points with a pencil to my scar.

  “What.” I say again, eyes wide as saucers.

  “The metal holding your shoulder together is the third nail. You have to get it out.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” I say, rubbing the raised vertical line.

  “Nope, see right here,” she points to indentations in the door. Sure enough, there are three.

  “Okay,” I say with growing frustration. “Let’s get this over with. How do I do it?”

  “Use one of the other nails,” she tells me from the book.

  I look at the giant crude metal nail that rests in my hand. This cannot be sanitary. I shake my head and pull on my shoulder bag’s long leather strap. I secure it between my teeth.

  “Here goes nothing,” I manage to garble through thick brown leather.

  I touch the point of the nail to the bottom of my scar. The pain is blinding. It burns through the first layer of dermis as a branding poker. I think I’m going to pass out, but somehow, I remain conscious.

  I drag the point upward. It tears through flesh. The intense pain quickly subsides into numbness. I watch my skin split wide open with detached fascination. I can see grey metal nestled in bone between folds of flesh and tissue.

  “Now, pull it out,” Seph says, as if she’s telling me to take the Christmas pie out of the oven to cool.

  I set the giant nail on the floor and brace myself for this next action. I pry two fingers between spongy pink muscle and grasp the metal inside. Still, I can’t feel any of this.

  “ENHHH,” Persephone makes a loud buzzing noise akin to the Operation board game. Scares the shit out of me.

  “Not the time, Seph,” I manage through the leather while attempting to keep my hand steady.

  “Sorry, couldn’t help myself,” she smiles. “You got this Lyv.”

  With a strong pull, the metal breaks free of my arm. The bloody iron grows in size in my hand. My arm begins to heal itself, quickly and painlessly. I’m grateful.

  When the skin finishes sealing itself shut, I check the appendage. The arm is fully functional, as if it had never been injured in the first place. I’m satisfied to see my scar is still intact. Our scars are our battle wounds. Evidence of life.

  “What happens when I put them in?” I ask, surveying the door.

  “Not sure, but it gets you outta here,” she replies brightly.

  “Okay, Persephone, I’m gonna put you away for now,” I say, sticking her in my bag.

  “Good luck,” she calls before I zip it shut.

  I stick the nails in one-at-a-time. Once all three are secure, the door clicks open softly.

  As it swings ajar, two of the nails return to sandals on my feet, and I keep the third in my hand. I walk into a dark tunnel. At least that’s what I think. I can’t make out anything for a moment.

  Then, the walls gleam a little—floor too. It is a tunnel.

  I continue walking toward a door at the end. When I reach it, I try the handle. It’s hot. So hot, you would run in the other direction because a five-alarm fire roars behind it.

  The metal sears my skin, but then turns.

  I swing the door open to reveal a bright glowing room. The walls seem to be on fire. No, that’s not accurate. They’re smoldering well-tended coals. Ghoulish, framed paintings line the walls. There’s tasteful furniture leading to a giant fiery desk.

  Levi sits behind it.

  38

  “Didn’
t expect you so soon, Lyvs,” he says, amused. “You make your decision?”

  “Yeah, it’s tempting,” I reply with a sly smile. “But, not my scene.”

  “When I heard about your stolen kisses, Lyv, that was it. I was going to rescind my offer, but I must have had a moment of weakness. Forgiveness,” he says with a pained face. “Wanted to give you a second chance. Now, I realize that was stupid. As indignant as you are, it’s your family I would never be able to get along with.”

  It’s at this point, I notice the massive hammer resting atop his desk.

  “Even if you do get him back, Lyvs, I’ve taken precautions.”

  “What does that mean, Levi?”

  “Well, if you ever get a chance to see him again, maybe you should ask how Claire is doing.”

  “Claire?” I ask filled with confusion.

  The name rings a bell. That woman with the dogs. The one who felt familiar. I start to put puzzle pieces together. Shane had mentioned someone special to him. I just hadn’t had the chance to meet her yet.

  “She’s mine now,” he sneers. “It’s my consolation prize. She can be my new queen. That is, if you’re sure you don’t want the honor?”

  “I don’t.”

  “Okay, she’ll be just fine for the role,” he replies. “And, Shane’s spirit form won’t be able to do a thing about it, especially since he can’t come back to Earth now.”

  With this, he spreads his arms over the hammer, and it rises from the surface. He throws them up and the hammer explodes. Tiny bits of shrapnel occupy the air. A cloud of white smoke fills the room.

  While it clears, I scream, “NO—”

  I throw the nails out and they find purchase. Two of them drive through Levi’s hands, pinning him to the wall. The third secures his feet.

  “Now, you’ve done it, Levi,” I snarl. I feel every bit of good seep from my body. The only thing left is pain. And evil intention.

  A voice sounds in my head: Now’s the time.

  I walk to the bag and pull out Shane’s hockey skates.

  Holding them by the blades, the laces dangle, brushing the ground. I touch the sharp metal edges together. Suddenly, they spin wildly in my hands. The blades meld to each other to create one long, giant sword. The laces morph into leather cords that dangle from the handle. I notice an inscription.