Messenger's Dawn

by Lior Akerman

  36.

  Washington, October 28th, 19:30

  Tension rose as the ultimatum neared its end. A large police force was deployed across the city, focusing on the White House as the potential target. The army declared a curfew and the National Guard controlled the streets. Everyone waited to see what would happen. Reports stated that the VP and his staff had left the city on Air Force One, flying to an unknown destination. The plane took off from the military airport but there was no one on it. They all waited in suspense in the crowded basement in the White House.

  The White HouseoHouse press hall was packed with reporters, waiting hours for updates. At exactly 19:45, the doors of the hall were thrown open and the figures in black reappeared. They walked in and stood on the podium in front of the reporters. No one could explain how they got into the secured hall but there they were. All those present were in a state of silent terror. The “Devils in Black” did not say anything. They stood there watching the clock.

  One kilometer south of there, Alice was freezing and still trying to untie herself. She was exhausted and scared, oblivious to the drama developing so close to her. With her last strength, she tried to think of happier times and of the man she loved who was so far away and who she was afraid she would never see again. She thought of her parents, not knowing what had happened to them. She had the sense that she was a very small part of something much bigger that was happening. She tried to save her energy and survive and then she heard a sound outside the warehouse and footsteps stopping outside the door. Before she had the chance to decide whether to shout or be silent, the doors were thrown open. She could not believe it.

  “I hope you didn’t wait too long,” said the messenger.

  He came up to her, bent down and freed her, lifting her up in his arms. She hugged him and passed out. Her legs collapsed and she fell but he caught her before she hit the ground. He carried her up the narrow trail to the street where he saw a police car. He went up the officers who were in complete shock to see him.

  “I think you are looking for this woman,” he said to them calmly, “She needs a warm blanket and food.”

  He sat Alice in the police car and left. It took the officers two minutes to snap out of their shock. Ten minutes later, Alice was in the emergency room. Her life was not in danger and he could move on to his next task.

  By 19:55, the tension in the press room was unbearable. The entire world was watching the broadcast of the “Devils in Black” on the podium, watching the clock and waiting. The digital clocks continued to move forward. There were less than three minutes left. No one wanted it to be 20:00. The security around the White House was tight but everyone knew that it would not stop the “Devils in Black” or the Messenger. At 19:59, Samael approached the microphone to speak. Thirty meters below, the President and his staff were watching. Together with them, all the world leaders were watching as well along with billions of civilians.

  A distant sound caught everyone’s attention and within seconds there was a loud crashing of walls. The ceiling above the podium collapsed and tons of concrete buried Samael and Charnbog. A few seconds passed and before the dust settled, the wall behind the speaker’s podium collapsed on top of the ceiling ruins on the ground. The hall filled with thick dust and all those present fled in panic. Only when the cloud of dust started to settle, did it become clear that the figure standing there behind the wall that collapsed was the messenger.

  He climbed up on the heap of concrete on the wooden floor, looked around him and said softly and confidently:

  “I think it would be best for you to leave. It is not safe here.”

  Then he retreated and disappeared into the corridor. He looked into one of the closed circuit cameras in the corridor and said:

  “Mr. President, I think you should leave and go somewhere safer.”

  Then he disappeared.

  After a few minutes of shock, the reporters all started speaking at once, with the cameras clicking. The reports were sent all over the world and millions of viewers cheered in their homes, jumping in joy. The relief that spread in the underground basement in the White House was soon replaced with concern as a result of the words of the messenger. Leaders and civilians around the world also shared this concern, even without hearing what he said to the President.

  He was not feeling any relief. Alice was lying in a hospital bed on Irving Street and was being well treated. Washington had been saved for now but he knew that this was just another battle in this long war and the worst was yet to come.

  37.

  Washington, Central Hospital, October 28th, 21:30

  The small room was full of flowers but Alice did not seem happy. She knew that nothing remained of her home and that her parents had been killed. Her aunt, Susan, stayed by her bed. She was the one who had told her what had happened and took care of her. The parking lot and the grass outside the hospital building on First and Irving Streets were full of reporters, photographers and civilians who came to see the woman who was saved by the messenger and to hear her story.

  However, the only people allowed to see Alice and talk to her besides Susan were Jacobs and Porter. Two police officers stood guard outside the room, making sure no one else entered the room. Alice did not recall much of what happened at the house. She vaguely remembered explosions, smoke and flames. She recalled her parents’ cries before she lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness, she was in the small wooden warehouse the messenger found her in. Jacobs tried to question her, to understand if she had spoken to him, if she recognized his voice and if it was familiar. She said that she only heard him say one sentence and she did not recognize his voice.

  At the same time in the White House, security and rescue forces continued to clear the ruins. When they finally managed to clear the tens of tons of concrete, they did not find the figures in black beneath it. By then, the President was 13 kilometers east of there. This time, when Air Force One took off from Andrews Air Force Base, the President was on it with his family and staff. As always, the takeoff and flight were accompanied by F-16 and F-15 fighter jets.

  In the afternoon, Jacobs asked to be left alone with Alice and Porter and Susan stepped out.

  “Alice, let’s put the official statements and testimonies aside for a moment,” he said in a quiet and considerate voice.

  “You may not have been sure he would come but I was. It was clear he would not let you rot in that warehouse,” he added with a smile.

  She looked at him, surprised. Until that moment, she truly did not imagine it to be Mike. Something in his eyes connected with her but she did not have the chance to think about it before she passed out. Jacobs stood up and went over to the window. Looking out, he said:

  “I think that whoever attacked you and your parents is behind everything that has been going on lately, here and all over the world. I think that the only one that can face them is the messenger. The most important thing is that I think you are the only one who can call him and know he will appear,” he said with confidence and determination.

  “How do you know that, Captain?” she asked.

  He smiled:

  “The intuition of an experienced policeman. Think about what I said. We will have to continue this conversation later.”

  Jacob put his hand on hers for a moment and left. Alice was left alone with her thoughts. She thought of the terrible hours in which she was trapped in the dark and cold warehouse, thinking of her life and hoping that her beloved would come and save her as he had done before. She longed for his embrace, for his breath, his smell and most of all for his touch. She was all alone, he was far from her and she was waiting for him.

  Then she remembered the words he said to her when he entered the warehouse:

  “Have you been waiting long for me?”

  It was not a question asked by a stranger. He sounded like someone who knew her and she tried to figure
out whether she knew him. Was he really who Jacobs said he was?

  38.

  The United States, The East Coast, October 29th- 30th

  The cold October nights had already taken their effect on the treetops. The colors of the Indian summer were now being replaced with the falling leaves covering the roads, the sidewalks and paths. The dark clouds covering the sky marked the coming of winter but also a terrible darkness.

  The preparations for Halloween had been completed, although most of the people were troubled by what was in store for them in the coming days. Some of the analysts stated that the source of this holiday was an ancient pagan holiday celebrated in the past in northern Europe, symbolizing the bad spirits around in this period. It seemed ironic to these analysts that exactly 1500 years later, there once again were bad spirits with magic powers here on earth. The Christian believers stated that the holiday marking the victory of Christianity and its martyrs over the forces of evil, would bring redemption. People discussed the meaning of this holiday and what the best way to prepare for it was. Even the mysticists did not believe that the candlelit pumpkins would scare the “Devils in Black,” who were back and would be attacking again soon.

  This year, no one had any desire to put on scary costumes and the usual horror films in cinemas this time of year were not playing. This year, everyone knew the horror would be coming from someplace else and it would be all too real.

  At 10:00, the media around the world released the anonymous statement they received:

  “Citizens and leaders, prepare for the prophecy. You were given the option to concede war and choose the right side. You should have chosen the strong, victorious side but you rejected the offer and chose death. Twenty-four hours from this statement, the prophecy will appear.”

  The preparations for the holiday were replaced by preparations for Judgment Day. The public stormed the stores in panic, stocking up on basic necessities, generators, flashlights, batteries and means of self-defense. Everyone was waiting for the prophecy.

  The world leaders prepared and set up a secured communication network to coordinate their actions in light of the threat, without knowing its form. Churches around the world filled with worshippers waiting to hear from the priests. Synagogues filled with worshippers and others looking for answers and the mosques were packed in as well. Everyone was waiting for the prophecy.

  The messenger was also waiting for it.

  On October 30th, at exactly 10:00 , the prophecy was released on all the global means of media, sent by an anonymous source:

  “This is the time of revelation. Kings and Presidents, men and women, Jews and Muslims, and all other religions believing in the Lord’s salvation, it is the time for the truth to be revealed. There will no longer be good or bad, right or wrong, victory or defeat. There will be only strong and weak, black and white. On the day it comes, there will be only black. There will be no more prayers and faith, no religious rituals or idol worshiping, no countries or nations, no borders or occupation. The land will return to its beginning, there will be chaos and darkness, and the water will rise up and cover the earth and the sky. Animals will return to rule the land. There will be no more grass or trees as a great fire will destroy the earth. Man will know he is not the master of the land. There will no longer be free choice, no rule of man over other men. There will be only one force on earth, only one voice and all mankind on earth will bow down to this force and obey. The time of judgment is coming. On the first of the 11th month, at 20:00, man will bow his head before the force and the land will bow down before its leader. Only then will the land be saved from the prophecy.”

  Billions heard these words on television and radio. Others read them on the internet and even in the most distant places, there was great interest in the prophecy reaching the people via satellites and telephones. The prophecy was of a biblical form but simple enough for everyone to understand. The world leaders were to surrender their power to the force within 48 hours, otherwise the horrifying prophecy would become reality and the world would return to the first days of creation. Everyone understood the prophecy. By now, everyone knew that the “Devils in Black” had the power to carry it out but no one knew where and when it would begin. The new ultimatum was to begin on the 1st of November at 20:00.

  39.

  Boston, October 30th, 10:00

  In the early morning hours of the following day, Alice’s aunt and uncle were at the entrance to the hospital in Washington. After her uncle Bill took care of her discharge, he went up to Alice’s room and joined his wife, Silvie. The room was silent. Alice was dressed, sitting on the bed, her sad eyes staring out beyond the window and to the hills.

  At 10:00, the doctor approved her discharge and they slowly headed towards the black Chevrolet Impala waiting for them. The vehicle made its way quickly and silently, turning left from the hospital and driving down Michigan Boulevard, turning on to North Capital Street, until reaching route 395. There they turned right and crossed the bridge over the river, heading for the Ronald Reagan Airport, across the Potomac. Awaiting them was the family’s private Cessna CJ-1 525 jet. On their way to the airport, they heard an update on the radio about the prophecy broadcasted to the entire world.

  Less than an hour later, they were in a taxi on their way from Logan International Airport in Boston. The taxi left the airport, turning onto the William McClellan highway, crossing the river towards the city center. Bill thought it was very strange that they were taking this route, just one day before the date on which William McClellan was appointed by President Lincoln to command the northern army in the Civil War. The taxi continued on Cambridge, along Longfellow Bridge, west on Broadway, to the house, number 391.

  The trip was very uncomfortable. The silence increased the distress they were feeling. Alice did not say a word throughout the flight and the drive. She stared out the window, uninterested.

  Her father’s brother, Bill, was a Professor of Law at Harvard. Silvie was director of the science library of the university. They had been living in Boston for the last ten years and now it was Alice’s home. She had nowhere else to go, no home, no family.

  The sun set early this time of year and the cold weather only made Alice feel worse. She lay in her bed doing nothing and exhausted. After begging her repeatedly, Alice finally agreed to drink the tea Silvie had made her and took the tranquilizers the hospital prescribed. She fell asleep staring into the dark sky beyond her closed window.

  The plan was for her to fly to Portland the next day with Bill and Silvie, to visit her parent’s new grave but they all knew she was not up to it. Anyway, she knew the ultimatum was too close for them to leave and fly to Portland. All they could do was stay in the warm house and wait to see what happened.

  The people of Boston and America in general insisted on placing their candlelit pumpkins in their windows and yards, even though no one was in the spirit for the holiday. Bill and Silvie also placed a pumpkin in Alice’s room and tried to convince her to come to the kitchen. Alice declined politely and remained silent. She remained lost in the sadness she was dwelling in since she was told in the hospital about the fate of her home and family.

  Her only hope was that the only person in the world she felt close to and fond of would return and bring her back to life. She did not know if she would get to see him again. She was all alone and the future was not promising.

  40.

  Boston, October 31st, 08:00

  “Just 36 hours left until the prophecy is executed,” the headlines read.

  It was the only thing people were talking about, it was on televisions screens all over the world, in all languages. Experts said that this date was not chosen randomly, it was symbolic. This was a monumental date in almost all the important wars that took place since the beginning of mankind. On this day, the Alemanni conquered Gallia in 365; The Turks conquered the Greek city of Sinop along the Black Sea in 1214; Napoleon inva
ded Austria on this day in 1805; in 1911, the first bomb was dropped from a plane in the Italy-Turkey war; during World War 1, in 1914, the Coronel battle between Britain and Germany took place; four of the largest attacks in World War 2 took place on this day, two in 1942, one in 1943 and another in 1944; and, on this day in 1952, the U.S. carried out its first trial of the horrifying hydrogen bomb it developed.

  This day suddenly took on a new meaning. Bill was lost in thought. Was humanity being punished for its endless wars it inflicted upon itself? Could this be a message to humans, to end the killings and war? If so, why wasn’t this said clearly? Why do they want us to understand this without explanation? Millions of people around the world pondered these questions. The message was clear. All of humanity was going to be punished for its behavior throughout history, for the endless wars, genocide, human violence and cruelty, for man letting religion and beliefs divide, killing and being killed in their name.

  “That is exactly what the prophecy is referring to,” Bill said to Silvie enthusiastically. “The end of divided religion and beliefs, that is what this is about. It is the punishment and the solution,” he thought out loud.

  The holiday meal was the saddest the family had ever experienced. They sat around the table in a tense silence. Bill said grace and then cut the turkey Silvie had made. At the table with them were Elinor Mclaine and Jack Maison, two students of Bill’s who were alone. He had invited them to celebrate the sad holiday with them, hoping that it may lift Alice’s spirits. She, however, remained silent all evening.

  At 22:00, the phone rang in Bill and Silvie’s house. Sylvie was in bed reading a book she took out from the library. It was a philosophical book on Darwin’s theory of evolution that she admired so much. Bill finished brushing his teeth and they were on their way to bed. Bill went over to the phone and answered. The caller was tired and hoarse.