Four Days After..
Grace entered the hotel lobby and searched for Paul in the lounge. He saw him standing in front of the glass window. She stood beside Paul who was intently staring at the hospital building across the street, "The fallens have arrived."
Grace looked hard. After a few seconds, she nodded, "I see.." She stared at the swarm of black clouds roaming around the hospital. Her eyes moved to a certain window where the clouds seemed to gather.
"So how's Sean?"
Grace didn't answer but kept staring across the hospital building.
"Is he still with...what's her name again? Joyce?"
She shrugged without removing her eyes across the street, "Don't worry, I'm fine."
"I can lend you my shoulders," he said turning to Grace with a smile.
Grace whispered to herself, "I'd rather not cry over a celibate's shoulder."
"Huh?"
"Thanks, but I'll pass."
Paul snickered, "So, shall we?" He turned around and put on his sunglasses.
Grace took one last look at the hospital across the street and followed Paul.
* * *
Room 1416
Judith watched as nurse Michelle gave the usual painkiller to Cara. "These past four days, all she did was sleep." Judith said as she brushed Cara's forehead.
Michelle nodded in sympathy. "If there's anything else that you need, just pressed the call button, okay?" When Judith didn't respond, she left and slowly closed the door.
"Wake up and talk to mama," Judith whispered. She kissed Cara's ears as she watched her making shallow and quick breaths. "Don't leave me, baby.." She held her little hands and noticed that her fingers were so cold. When she touched her stomach, it was so warm. She gently touched the purplish blotches on the underside of her body where blood may have been collecting.
She carefully pulled the white sheet over Cara's body thinking she might be cold. She stood up and opened the door. Yuriel, who was standing next to the door watched her as she walked by. When she left, he went inside the room and watched the little girl. He went closer and whispered to her ear, "Cara, it's time to fly. Are you ready?"
The little girl who was just sleeping soundly slowly lifted her hands towards him. "Papa," she said in a weak voice.
Yuriel was about to hold her hands but suddenly stopped. "They are here," he said. He placed Cara's hands under the sheet and smiled, " Sleep tight for now. Your papa is on his way."
When the faithwalkers reached the hospital's front door, Paul looked up to his right. He saw a winged-creature flying towards the entrance.Michelle nodded in sympathy. "If there's anything else that you need, just pressed the call button, okay?" When Judith didn't respond, she left and slowly closed the door.
"Wake up and talk to mama," Judith whispered. She kissed Cara's ears as she watched her making shallow and quick breaths. "Don't leave me, baby.." She held her little hands and noticed that her fingers were so cold. When she touched her stomach, it was so warm. She gently touched the purplish blotches on the underside of her body where blood may have been collecting.
She carefully pulled the white sheet over Cara's body thinking she might be cold. She stood up and opened the door. Yuriel, who was standing next to the door watched her as she walked by. When she left, he went inside the room and watched the little girl. He went closer and whispered to her ear, "Cara, it's time to fly. Are you ready?"
The little girl who was just sleeping soundly slowly lifted her hands towards him. "Papa," she said in a weak voice.
Yuriel was about to hold her hands but suddenly stopped. "They are here," he said. He placed Cara's hands under the sheet and smiled, " Sleep tight for now. Your papa is on his way."
* * *
"Faithwalkers!" he heard the dark figure shouted.
Paul watched as the fallen flew back up to the higher floors, where the dark clouds were forming. Grace stopped walking when she noticed Paul staring up. She also looked up but didn't find anything.
"Let's go," Paul said as he passed by her.
"O-ok."
* * *
"Are you slacking off again? Faithwalkers are everywhere. Just make sure you don't run into them!"
"But duke! The light is..." he stopped and shivered.
"Zepar!" another one flew down to the duke, "Yuriel already left, however the walls are still fortified. Four days ago, faithwalkers came and prayed for that room."
"I see, then Angel is our only chance. Wait till she comes." Zepar moved closer to the window and peeked at the sleeping child. He moved his eyes to the bible on the table which was unintentionally covered with fruits and flowers given by different visitors. He flew to the floor just above it and watched the mother who was fiddling with her phone in the cafeteria, "Do not fret. The young believer doesn't pray anymore, she'll get weaker eventually so watch her closely."
* * *
Grace cautiously walked the empty dark hallway following close behind Paul, "There must be thousands of them in here." She dragged her feet as she felt goose bumps all over her skin.
"That is why, fallen do not rest in places like these. They snatch the only hope remaining, planting fear and doubt.."
Grace bumped into Paul when he suddenly stopped. "What is it?" she asked him.
"Open your eyes. Look closely," he told her.
Grace stared. There was nothing. She stood beside Paul. It seemed like she could hear her heart beating. She looked again, and in front of them was a nine-foot tall handsome man riding in a pale horse. She stepped back and felt fear crawled through her veins.
"Do not be afraid. The one who is with us is more than those who are with them," Paul told her. "What is your name?" he turned to the fallen standing proud in the middle of the hallway.
"I am Duke Bathin. The one who was tasked to bring forth destruction to you and to your apprentice," the unclean spirit said in a loud voice.
"You think, a deserter like you could stand against us? You who did not keep your own domain, but abandoned your proper abode, you have kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgement of the great day."
"Have you come to torment me before the appointed time? Who do you think you are, human?" and the fallen's laugh reverberated all over the hallway.
"Rest assured that time is drawing near!" he exclaimed with a smile. "Woman, watch closely," he called to Grace. From the air, a light appeared and on his right hand was a three-foot long sword. The weapon was so heavy, Paul fell to his knees and whispered, "I do not fear for you are with me. I am not dismayed for you are my God. Strengthen me and help me, uphold me with your righteous right hand."
"T-the Sword of the Spirit?" Grace whispered. She moved farther away from him as a gust of warm wind swept the place.
When the fallen saw him on his knees, the pale horse whinnied and stomped on the floor. Dark thick clouds started to envelop the fallen. From his lower back, a long black serpent tail appeared and crawled to his right hand. One final kick, the horse soared high from the floor and charged. The snake's head grew larger, and as it bared its fangs, it spat venom from its eyes. There was a loud crashing sound, so violent the building shook.
* * *
When she heard people laughing, she looked behind and saw a group of nurses teasing one of their colleagues.
Judith stopped texting on her phone when she felt a slight movement on the floor. She turned to her mug and the coffee seemed to have moved too.
"Earthquake! Earthquake!" one of the nurses shouted.
The head nurse who finished writing on a form said, "Maila! I told you not to run!"
"You meanies," the 180 pounds attendant said as she gobbled up her lunch.
Judith looked back to her phone and read the text message on her inbox. She hit reply and typed a few words. Hurry, I need you.
* * *
When she looked up, a thick shield had surrounded Paul. Farther away, the pale horse struggled to stand on its feet. The fallen growled and his pretty face was partially deformed, the scales on his skin fell all over the floor. "You'll pay for this!" the fallen cried in pain.
"You finally showed your true form, huh?" Paul snickered. He stood up and lifted the heavy sword with his two hands. "No fiery darts of the wicked could pierce through the Shield of Faith. This is your end." He raised the sword above his head. Suddenly, it split into two and fire covered the blade.
"Who- who are you, faithwalker?" the fallen shouted.
When the horse started to stomped again on the floor, a petite girl with short black hair and reptilian eyes, in school uniform appeared behind the demon. She looked at them with lifeless eyes. Hundreds of spirits are clinging all over her body. Grace recognized the girl and had a vision.
The girl's small body was sinking in deep blue water, her spirit was held by a dark spirit. Before her was another girl with long wavy black hair, reaching out to her hands. The light came and enveloped both of them until the dark figure disappeared.
Grace fell to her knees and grasped for breath. She looked up and saw the girl leaving. She tried to stand and shouted to Paul, "It was her!"
Paul glanced at the young girl and stared back at his opponent, "Looks like your time is up. "He leaped in the air, with the two flaming swords in his hands and the pale horse made a high pitch scream.
No comments:
Post a Comment