Anointed

by Sara B Gauldin

  “Yes.” The unseen voice rang forth like a great bell tolling.

  “Yes to what?” The chill assuaged Terra’s mortal skin once more as the grayness around her faded and brightened.

  “Yes, you were chosen. I have kept you for this task. I saw it would be necessary. The Corporeals are only one part. Their vulnerabilities have allowed this Scourge a chance to take hold; their vulnerabilities permitted a tiny crack in the barrier between existence. This is how the Scourge has gained access to their mortal world.”

  “Chosen? I violated every law I ever knew to follow Liam to Earth. I left my charges unprotected.” Guilt brought tears to Terra’s eyes.

  “You did exactly as you were meant to do. The time was right. You were always meant to come to Earth. You were chosen to see what the others could not.”

  “How? I don’t understand?”

  “You were given the name Terra when you were created. All guiding entities are given a name when they are created. This sets them apart from the Corporeals. Think Terra; your very name means ‘of the Earth’, that is not a coincidence.”

  “Of the Earth? How can that be? I'm a guide.”

  “You are running out of time. Look around you Terra.” The voice grew distant as it spoke. “You are not alone.” The final words were a whispered reminder.

  New sounds buffeted Terra. The cold shook her; or was it the cold? Voices and screams surrounded her.

  “Can you hear me? Please wake up! Please don’t go like this!” a new deep voice spoke into her ear. The taste of iron filled her mouth, choking her. Terra sputtered as she struggled to force the human body to do what it was meant to do. Her strangled gasp alleviated the pressure in her chest. Over and over the ground and sky seemed to tremble around her but in truth, it was Terra that shook from the cold of shock. How could she feel so cold on a warm summer evening? She wondered if she would freeze where she lay.

  Around her, Terra could hear the sounds of battle. The Scourge entities that had dared to come for Liam were now faced with a new kind of enemy. The legion of guides arrived on Earth. Among them, the human world was oblivious. Sirens echoed from the cityscape as heavy bodily footsteps moved around Terra. The emergency response vehicles had come because of the explosion. They had come so Liam could live. Now Terra's part in the battle was over.

  “Liam?” Terra called out. She attempted to reach for him, but her arms were shaking outside of her control.

  “I’m here. Hang on. They're going to take us to the hospital.”

  “I need to protect you!” Terra’s teeth rattled.

  “The explosion is over. Did you know that would happen? Are we still in danger?”

  “You are always in danger. I came to warn you!”

  “I don’t understand, what---” The blare of new sirens cut short Liam's inquiry.

  Kind hands reached out to Terra from somewhere above. Terra was lifted by the gloved hands and placed on a hard plastic surface.

  A familiar face came into her field of vision as an EMT secured Terra to a gurney. “Go, Terra,” said Elise, “We have this under control. Your human form won’t take much more. You should know a mortal body is not indestructible!”

  “Elise, be careful. You don’t know what these things are capable of.” Terra said as an oxygen mask was slipped over her mouth and nose. Terra closed her eyes as the gurney bumped along the uneven ground. She could not bear to witness the battleground she was being forced to leave behind.

  As she felt the gurney being secured, Terra peeked through her eyelashes at the white metallic structure of the ambulance’s roof.

  Where is Liam? Keep him safe! Terra tried to warn the people who moved rapidly around her in the enclosed space. Don’t worry about me, help Liam! Terra’s silent plea went unnoticed by the ambulance crew.

  “She’s in shock, I think there's internal bleeding,” a stranger’s voice said. “Start an IV, call the hospital and tell them to be prepared for two trauma patients. ETA five minutes.” As Terra listened, the voices faded away to silence.

  Chapter 10

  "How can this have happened? Guides don't come to Earth! It's beyond comprehension!" the Originator bellowed into the messenger's face.

  The impish creature stepped slowly backward and away from its master's fury. “I… I can’t be sure Master.”

  “Of course not! How can you know any of these things? First, you come to tell me that the guides have come to Earth and now I find out that my assistant, Claw is missing. How was an army of Scourge defeated by a group of human infants?" The Originator of the Scourge stalked forward, dominating over the cowering creature with his rage.

  “No sir, these guides came to Earth in their natural form,” sniveled the underling.

  “Impossible! There is only one way to transition between realms. To move from the Tweens to Earth, they must have been born! They had to have a body. Somebody go and find me the dead infants! I need to know how they will be returning to the Tweens!”

  “There are none, sir, they sprang from an explosion!” The underling shrank back in fear of the Master’s rage.

  The messenger reached the end of the room. With his back to the stone wall, he attempted to edge sideways and away from the imposing wrath of the Originator.

  “How many? How many have come?” the Originator asked.

  “Six, only six.”

  “Six guides destroyed an entire army!”

  “They may leave now that they've removed Terra and the boy from harm’s way.” The underling nodded with hope.

  “Leave! How can they leave? No one can transition between The Tweens and Earth at will.”

  “They came without bodies.”

  “There's only one way!” The Master shrieked with fury.

  As the Originator reached for the underling to vent his anger, the air in the room contracted with an audible popping sound.

  “Why are you so limited in your scope brother?” The new entity demanded in a high-pitched cackling voice. A moment later, the distended body of the new arrival manifested a few feet from the moldering tyrant.

  “Bartus, how dare you trespass here? Earth's not your domain. Go back where you belong!” The Originator stepped backward in shock as he looked up at this uninvited visitor. His gray complexion glistened slightly under the flicker of the artificial light.

  “I go where I please now, Orthos. Unlike you, I am not limited.” Bartus cackled maniacally. His stretched thin form undulated with the effort. His too-thin face retracted, making his enlarged, fishlike eyes appeared to bulge in their sockets.

  Orthos, The Originator pointed at his brother. “Crawl back through the crack where you came from brother. You lack the ambition needed to take this realm.” His shoulders square against the perceived threat of this new arrival.

  “I need no ambition. I have already succeeded where you have failed,” Bartus said.

  “Coming here does not make you my better. I have raised an army and infiltrated legions of corporeal’s lives right under their noses!” Orthos said.

  “But not in the Tweens or any other domain!” Bartus grinned widely as he left his brother to consider the hint he had given. His eyes bulged with renewed enthusiasm.

  “What do you know of the Tweens?” Orthos sized up his brother’s unveiled enthusiasm. “I have had some success by sending my followers there through mortal death. The trouble is, they are trapped once they arrive in that realm. I have no way to reach them to coordinate the next steps.” Orthos lamented his obstacle.

  “Yet I've already overcome that limitation. I came here to make you an offer,” said Bartus.

  “What do you possibly have that can interest me?”

  “Not what: who!”

  “Who? You don’t have Terra of the Tweens hidden under that cape of yours, now do you?”

  “No, but I do have her messenger!” Bartus said. He extended his arms in a show of his victory.

  “Messenger?”

  “I've collected the corporeal s
he sent to the Tweens to warn her fellow guides,” Bartus said. “She's a rather determined mortal woman named Carol. I've discovered that she was the earthly mother of the one called Liam.”

  “How? Who told you of this plan? Where did you find this woman?” Ortho’s black robes rippled with his rage. He could not stand the idea that his brother had somehow bested him. It was not fair that Bartus had some strange ability to slip between the realm of Earth and the Nether, the warped dimension of evil and apathy in which they had both spawned. A century earlier, Bartus banished his brother to the realm of Earth. However, Orthos had overcome this obstacle, and now when he stood poised to take this realm of matter and solar energy for himself, Bartus slithered back into his existence with this tempting bit of information.

  “Calm yourself brother. I will not disclose my allies. I removed Carol from the Tweens. She makes an interesting piece in my collection.” Bartus smirked, looking down at his sibling.

  “You expect me to believe that you casually visited the Tweens and kidnapped a corporeal from the hereafter?” Orthos darted across the room and slammed his fist down on a table in frustration.

  “I expect you to accept my offer of help. It's my understanding that you are now facing a legion of guides who are looking for you. If you had a bit of leverage, then the situation would once again be in your favor.”

  “Holding this Carol that you speak of wouldn't be enough to change Terra’s plans,” the Orthos said. “She is of a singular mind. Her only desire is for her soul mate, Liam. And now he's surrounded by guides.”

  “Surrounded where?” Bartus smiled exposing row after row of teeth.

  “He's in a hospital in his hometown," Orthos said. "My sources say that he and Terra both were injured in an explosion.” He cast a quick glance at the messenger who was now inching his way toward the doorway.

  “Then let me extend a new olive branch to you, my brother,” Bartus said. “I'll bring you this Liam. I'll steal him from under the guides as they watch.”

  “This is no offer of goodwill,” Orthos said. “What is it that you really want? Name your terms!” He slammed his fist down on the table once more.

  Bartus approached his brother, placing his hand on his shoulder.“I want to rule as your equal, brother. Truly, you're in need of my help. Let me join you in this realm. When we have taken it completely, we can move to the next!”

  Orthos shrugged off his brother's hand, pointing up to his face. “If you're brave or foolish enough to enter that hospital and manage to bring me, Liam, then I'll consider your offer Bartus. However, you should know that the guides are powerful. You go at your own risk.”

  “I will not fail!” The unsettling laugh of the tall brother filled the chamber.

  “Wait,” said Orthos. “Give me a sign of your goodwill. Show me this Carol that you mentioned. I'd like to get to know her, more personally. If she's as charming and helpful as you seem to think she is, then I would be remiss not to welcome her here where I can benefit from her… company.”

  “You were never one to miss an opportunity, brother. I'll give you Carol as a sign of my cooperation, but how will you assure me that my help will be rewarded with the partnership I have requested? Where is YOUR sign of good faith brother? How can I be assured of your intentions?” Bartus loomed over his brother in height; he stooped to meet Orthos eye to eye.

  “If you can truly reach Terra and Liam, I will allow you to keep the one called Liam. Once Terra cannot reach him, he is of no use to me. He can be your assurance. Terra will do anything to protect him. With him as leverage, you can be assured of her cooperation and of mine.”

  “Agreed!” Bartus said. “And Orthos, don’t remove her hood!” His departure was as abrupt as his arrival. The small popping sound was his only parting remark. In his place, a crumpled form covered by a cloak sank to the filthy floor with a soft moan.

  “Master, you would give him half of your dominion?” squeaked the messenger who had become cornered during the brotherly exchange.

  “I would give him the half that holds my troubles. Let him have Liam and with him Terra and what company she keeps. Terra will never let him walk away with no consequence. Let her focus on Bartus; I need to know more about the Tweens, and it seems that this Carol may be just the person to help me find the weakness I've been looking for!”

  Chapter 11

  The steady beeps of machines grew progressively louder. Terra tried to shut out the incessant tone with her pillow. As she shifted her arm, she realized her hand felt stiff and sore. She opened her eyes slowly. Her hand was covered with tape holding IV tubes in place. A medicinal smell surrounded her. A jumble of thoughts and memories came flooding back to her foggy mind.

  Where's Liam? Terra tried to sit up in the bed. I found him; he was in the park, but what happened? A wave of dizziness overtook her, ending her intention to get up. Her head pounded with each beat of her heart. She returned her head to the pillow as she attempted to access the mental link that connected her to Liam. Her thoughts were met with silence. Panic washed away her inclination to stay put. Liam! Why can’t I reach him? Terra scooted toward the edge of the bed.

  “Terra! Oh honey, thank goodness. You're awake!” Portia’s voice came from somewhere nearby.

  Terra froze before her feet could touch the floor. “Mom? How did you get here?” A new pain in her midsection caught her attention when she spoke.

  “Terra, I should ask you the same question. You told me you were taking a bus tour to visit college campuses.”

  “Oh.” Terra did not have an explanation that her mother could understand. The pounding in her head grew more intense as her pulse rate quickened. A wave of guilt mingled with her sense of panic. Portia did not deserve her lies.

  “You could have told me, Terra. I don’t know how you met that young man, but I understand. I was young once.”

  “Young man?” The light in the room seemed to intensify as Terra tried to focus on her adoptive mother’s face.

  “Terra, you were with him when the explosion went off. The police are still trying to figure out what caused that fountain to blow up. It's a strange target for terrorism.”

  Terrorism? Explosion? The fountain! Of course, when the other guides came from the Tweens, something happened. The other guides came… but what happened to Liam? Terra winced with pain as she renewed her efforts to scoot toward the edge of the bed.

  “Stop trying to get up!” Portia said. “The doctors said you need your rest. You lost a lot of blood; something hit you. You were bleeding internally.” Portia pressed her cool hand to Terra’s cheek. The gesture reminded her of sick days during her childhood. Terra’s fingers moved to her abdomen to search for the source of her injury.

  “You’re going to have a bit of a scar; they had to repair the damage,” Portia pointed to Terra's midsection.

  Terra nodded her understanding. Vanity did not extend to this human form. “Where is he? Where's Liam?”

  “Ah, so you do know him, don’t worry; he's here in the hospital. He had a bad break; his left leg. The doctors are doing surgery now to set it. They expect him to be just fine.”

  “Surgery?” A sense of relief let Terra relax onto her pillow. Liam was under an anesthetic. She could not hear his thoughts because he was unconscious.

  "Yes, the break was a bad one. That fountain collapsed right on to him. It’s awful!”

  “It was,” Terra said. She tried to sort out the memories of the events that led to Liam’s injury.

  “He said you saved him. That you said the area wasn’t safe, and you needed to get him out of there. How in the world did you lift that slab? It had to weigh more than you do!” Portia scrutinized her adopted daughter. Terra guessed there were too many missing factors in the strange situation for her comfort as a parent.

  “I’m not sure,” Terra said. “I knew we weren’t safe… I knew when the fountain exploded. I guess it was adrenaline or something.”

  “Adrenaline?” Portia asked. “You
must have been very motivated.”

  “I was! I mean the fountain exploded. I didn’t know if there was going to be another blast.”

  “It’s ironic you know; you thought you were taking care of the handsome fellow, but when the first responders arrived, it was him taking care of you.”

  “He took care of me?” Terra asked.

  “Yes, he was cradling you in his arms. He was shaking so much from shock, but he just kept calling your name and asking you to stay; not to leave him alone. Then the police had to guide him to give you CPR when they were still securing the area."

  “He held me?” Terra was accustomed to her role as the protector. The suggested image of Liam holding her and trying to save her while she was vulnerable was out of place.

  “Of course, he was terrified that you were gone. He really seems to care about you, Terra.”

  “He does?”

  “Yes, he told us how it was like you had always known each other. He said you had been in contact with each other for a while now.” Terra felt the blood rush into her cheeks. She had been connected to Liam’s thoughts since his creation, but she always assumed that his human mind was incapable of letting those deeper memories come through.

  “Yes, well… I'm tired now. I think I’ll rest.” Terra had no way to explain things in a way Portia could accept. Part of Terra was relieved that Liam had offered her mother an explanation, although she could not understand how he had given facts so close to the truth when she had never had a chance to explain things to him.

  “Alright,” said Portia. “The doctors said it may take you a while to get your strength back. Later, you and I are going to have a heart to heart. You can’t keep half killing yourself with workouts and running off without telling anyone.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Terra said. The response was rooted in childhood training. It came of its own volition despite Terra’s newly earned adult status. "How did you know to come here?"