Fire and Flood Read online

  Turning to look down at me, Japheth smiled, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “I only wonder how many years we will have together.” He bent his head to kiss me. We savored a few moments together before heading down to tend to the animals again.

  “Time to feed the bears!” I ran eagerly ahead of Japheth down to the level where the furry beasts were kept. Boldly, I entered their stall.

  “Come here, Lazy Bones,” I called to the male bear. He lumbered over to me and pushed me with his massive head.

  “He acts just like a dog!” Japheth chuckled. “Look at how he pushes against your hand for you to pet him!”

  Laughing, I grabbed the bear’s fuzzy head and scratched under his ears. His eyes closed.

  “Too bad his wife is so shy!” The female bear sat in a corner of the stall, not quite so sure of me as the male.

  “She’ll be confident enough when she has cubs,” Japheth lobbed back, “Every female creature is as bold as a lion when they have young ones.”

  Japheth left for the storeroom to get a rake and new bedding. We worked together cleaning the stall and playing with the bears.

  The foxes were next. The cuddly orange couple lay curled up in a corner with their luxurious tails wrapped around their feet and head. I sat down, and they both stretched and came to me, rubbing against me like cats before bounding off to play fight. I looked over just in time to see them stalking a mouse.

  “Oh, no you don’t!” Getting up quickly, I shooed the mouse away just in time. To Japheth, I said, “We need to fix the mouse cage again. They keep escaping!”

  Japheth chuckled at my efforts to rescue the mice. “There are so many of those now, it wouldn’t hurt to lose a few.” I pulled a face at him. He pointed to the foxes, who were staring at us, panting. “You haven’t drawn the foxes yet, why don’t you sketch some pictures of them? I’ll go finish the rest of the animals.”

  “Oh, I’d love that, Japheth! Maybe just a little while sketching alone? I don’t want to play while everyone works, but by the end of the day, I’m so tired that it’s hard to feel creative.” Throwing my arms around him, I kissed him before running to our room to get my drawing supplies.

  After forty days, the rain stopped falling. We all climbed up to the bridge to gaze at the sunny sky, even Taina. I was shocked when I saw her in the light of day, leaning weakly against her husband. Dark shadows smudged her eyes, and her face was tightly drawn. Laelah caught my eye and shook her head at me in a silent warning to not mention it. I turned my eyes to look out of the hatches. Shem and Japheth had opened them all. The fresh air was invigorating. Thankfully, the water was not so rough, and I hoped that would make Taina feel better. Noah prayed for the family, and for Taina’s healing, then we all went to work, leaving Laelah and Taina to enjoy the fresh air and sunlight on the narrow bridge.

  I don’t know what caused the argument to start that day between Ham and Shem. I was on the second level with Japheth, holding one of the baby rabbits, when we heard the commotion. Shouts were coming from the living quarters. Running up into the family area, we found Ham and Shem throwing blows.

  Ham was shouting curses at Shem. Blood dripped down Shem’s face from his nose. I was shocked at the violence and the language. Noah and Japheth pulled them apart just as Laelah came out of Taina’s room in alarm.

  “What is going on?” Noah demanded. He was a kind man but absolutely the firm patriarch of the family. There was no tolerance for any dissensions or outbursts of anger among his family members.

  Shem glared at Ham, wiping blood from his nose. “He attacked me.”

  “You were trying to steal the skins!” Ham shook his index finger at Shem, spitting out his words bitterly. “You know Japheth is the first born, but you want the skins God made for the First Ones for yourself.”

  “You’re a fool, Ham.” Again, I noticed that look pass across Ham’s face. This time, I was sure I hadn’t imagined it. There was no way Shem was trying to steal anything.

  Noah placed a hand on Shem’s shoulder. “Stop this. What were you doing, Shem?”

  I noticed then the ancient, amber-colored box open on the floor, its contents spilled about the floor. That box held the family’s treasures. The histories written on scrolls by the forefathers were preserved in the box, along with the garments fashioned by the Creator for the First Ones. A creamy white leather tunic was carefully placed next to the box. I recognized it as Eve’s garment; Laelah had showed it to me when she was repacking the box to go onto the ark. Adam’s was lying next to it.

  “I remembered from the writings of Enoch there was a story about a woman who had the same symptoms as Taina. I was merely getting the scroll out to find out what treatment Enoch’s wife gave her.”

  Shem bent over and picked up a scroll from the mess on the floor. He handed the scroll to Noah. I looked at the floor, embarrassed for Ham. Surely his anger was due to fear for Taina.

  “I think I remember that tale,” Noah said. He strode over to the table, and, pulling out a chair, sat down. Laelah went and stood behind him, reading along silently.

  “Here it is. This was written by my grandmother; she was a great healer.” He read us the short excerpt describing treatment for a sickness that sounded a great deal like Taina’s.

  “Ah!” Laelah exclaimed. “I think I understand how that would work! Ariana, get a small basket and come with me to the storage room.”

  Grabbing a basket, I gladly left the men and hurried after her. When I got to the storage room, Laelah was already rummaging through some jars, pulling the covers off and sniffing the contents.

  “Here it is!” She pulled a strangely shaped root out of the jar. “Now, we need a few more things: some malt sweetener and some of the sour fruits from the preserves I put up there.” She nodded toward the jars in the corner of the storage room. I moved over and pulled out some sweetener, carefully using the scoop to measure out the required amount into a small bowl.

  When we returned to the family quarters, Ham was nowhere to be seen, and the contents of the box had been placed back inside. Now, it sat on the small table by the chairs where Noah sat with Shem. Japheth was heating water in the kitchen to make the healing brew.

  Laelah began her preparation, and soon, a pungent, sharp aroma filled the room. Taking the pot off of the heat source, she added the sour fruit mixture before transferring the contents of the cooking pot into one of the heavy, clay bowls.

  “It is going to have to sit here, covered, for a few days. I am hopeful it will help Taina,” she said.

  “Thank you, son,” I heard Noah say to Shem. “I’m sorry your brother attacked you that way. Surely, he regrets it as well.”

  “I doubt it. Ham rarely feels regret or admits he was wrong. But I do hope this helps Taina.” Shem smiled briefly at his father before leaving the room with Nua to tend to the animals.

  As I returned to the animals, as well, I kept thinking about what had happened. We were all feeling anxious and cooped up in the ark, but to yell and fight, that was something more. Ham’s reaction to the supposed theft of the animal skins seemed extremely odd and suspicious to me. Although I tried to like all my new family, there was something not right with Ham. I didn’t understand it, but Ham’s anger ran deep, and it scared me sometimes. Japheth had a very strict rule about talking to, not about others, so I never shared my concerns about Ham with him—something I would deeply regret later.

  FIRE

  Chapter 17

  They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons . . .

  Psalm 106:37

  I woke with a start. An alarm was going off in the building, reverberating off the walls. My heart thudded wildly, and I jumped out of bed. I have to wake up Sierra and Mitch! For a second, I forgot where I was and what happened. Then I remembered. Mitch had betrayed me—just like Tomas, just like my mother. I went to grab my bag, but that was gone, too. I was alone and empty-handed, but whatever that alarm was warning about, I was not going to die locked in th
is room.

  I ran to the door to get out. A large, burly soldier blocked my way. He had that mark on his forehead.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he ordered.

  “But the alarm,” I protested. I was panicking now.

  “That’s the call to worship.” He looked at me like I was an idiot. “Get back in there.”

  Confused, I obeyed him without another word, carefully closing the door behind me. There was no lock on the door on my side. I moved over to the window and saw dozens of people in the street below me. As they passed by, I noticed marks on many hands and some on foreheads.

  “What is going on?” I said aloud, crouching by the window, not wanting to be noticed by the people passing.

  I perched by the window for a few minutes, watching the procession, wondering where the people were going and who were they going to worship. The mood of the crowd was definitely upbeat. Everyone looked wellfed and happy. Children skipped along, some pulling their parents by the hand, urging them to go faster.

  This is like a dream. I thought. Outside this town were devastation and monsters, but here, everything was tranquil. Was it true that allegiance to the Global Union, President Bellomo, and Angelo Cain brought safety? Was it worth it?

  Seeing all those happy parents smiling at their children stung my heart. This was how it was meant to be. Children shouldn’t have to face terror after terror without a chance to breathe. I curled up on the bed, clutching the pillow. Tears ran down my face as I thought about my parents. What kind of mother hates her child? What kind of father would kill Daphne? I thought of the way Mitch loved Sierra, loved her enough to betray me.

  After a while, I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling and thought about Tomas. I should have listened to my instincts, I thought. He sold me like an animal to be used. The memory of smashing him in the face was satisfying. After the Compound, he was the first person I had trusted. I should have known better.

  “Why am I always rejected?” I whispered fiercely at the ceiling. The anger brewing in my heart made me feel strong. The only one I could trust was me. I would find a way to get free and I would do it on my own. I just had to do what Daphne always told me, not panic. Panic only makes a bad situation worse.

  I wrapped my arms around myself, closing my eyes and remembering the last time she hugged me. I felt a sense of peace as I thought about Daphne, the only person who ever truly loved me,—who was for me.

  It’s not you, child. It’s them. Her comforting words came back to me. I breathed in raggedly and got out of bed.

  I didn’t know what was coming next, so I decided to take a shower while I could. I wasn’t gone long, but when I came out of the steamy bathroom, someone had taken my clothes. In their place was a white tunic, embroidered along the collar in white curling flowers, edged with gold. The white pants were soft and form-fitting. Creamy white shoes sat on the floor.

  Next to the bed was a cart. There was orange juice in a glass, placed next to a plate of eggs and bread with meat and potatoes, finely cut and steaming. Shoveling the food into my mouth, I hunched over the cart, keeping my eyes on the door handle where the guard stood on the other side.

  When I finished, I clicked on the television again, carefully keeping the sound down so the man in the hall wouldn’t hear. A woman appeared on the screen. She was young and beautiful. I sat down at the edge of the bed to hear what she was saying.

  “. . . President Emanuel Bellomo led the coalition army to decisive victory.”

  Soldiers dressed in sandy-colored uniforms stood attentively in rows before a platform filled with flags. The center flag was larger than the others, colorful like a rainbow, with a strange circular symbol in the left corner. The camera focused in on the president, standing in front of the flag. Dressed in the same uniform as the soldiers, Bellomo smiled winsomely at the crowd and began to speak into a microphone.

  “It’s been a tough battle, but you were strong and courageous.” He stopped speaking as the men cheered loudly and waited laughing, holding his arms out in an embrace as the shouts and applause grew louder.

  He approached the microphone again. “This is for you!” he shouted and gestured to his right. Soldiers dragged three men, one by one, out of a shiny black truck. Supported by the soldiers, the men could hardly stand. I felt sick when I saw the state they were in; one of them was unconscious. All of them had been severely beaten. The crowd roared in approval.

  President Bellomo motioned for the crowd to be quiet and was instantly obeyed. He spoke quietly and confidently. “Victory is ours, and today vengeance is ours. These Regents betrayed the world’s trust and the fragile peace. Each of them was entrusted with one of the ten world regions and each betrayed that trust.”

  The crowd erupted in angry shouts of condemnation. President Bellomo waited until they quieted.

  “Their betrayal brought the increase of natural disasters as our allies in this cosmic war withdrew their protection because these men sowed distrust between the Global Union; their civil war sparked famine and disease. Remember, it’s our union and peace that keeps the world safe. As I have told you, I have negotiated peace with the world and with our cosmic allies. These men wanted to destroy our peace and safety!”

  The scene shifted to the three men. One of the two men still standing fainted. One of the soldiers guarding him kicked him viciously.

  “It’s estimated that more than one-third of the world’s population died—all due to these traitors. We, the Global Union, trusted these men to rule as three of the ten regents, yet they broke their vows and brought devastation upon our world through their treason, and they must pay!” President Bellomo’s voice was full of hateful condemnation. Along with the rest of the watching crowd, I found myself drawn to him, believing him.

  Again, the audience cheered riotously as the men were led to a guillotine just like the one I’d seen before when we were looking for Mitch’s wife. One by one, they were pushed down on their knees; the lever was pulled, and the blade fell. One by one, their heads rolled to the ground, and the crowd cheered.

  The food in my stomach felt heavy. I heaved it all onto the floor. Wiping my mouth, I turned back to the television. The camera panned from the grisly sight back to the president. He was laughing in delight. I was disgusted by his enjoyment. How could I believe this guy?

  “As you know . . .” he intoned, as the crowd quieted. “As you know, I brokered the peace treaty with Israel. We all know that small nation, Israel, the center of three major religions, has been the source of many of the world’s problems. Since its inception, there has been nothing but conflict and inequality. I achieved the peace for the first time, not only in the Middle East, but also in the world. Those traitors,” he nodded to the dead bodies, “betrayed that peace. What they meant for evil, I say, we will use for good!”

  The crowd exploded with loud acclamation again. Bellomo waited for them to quiet down, a fatherly smile on his lips.

  “We have one final battle to win! Those two in Jerusalem must be dealt with!” His voice was intensely angry. “The ones who call themselves the Witnesses are spreading lies and upsetting the peace I have negotiated with our cosmic allies.”

  I remembered what I had seen on the TV at Tomas’s apartment: the two men in Jerusalem who had cursed the land and stopped the rain. I didn’t know what Bellomo meant by “cosmic allies,” but the scorpion creatures were proof there was some kind of supernatural battle going on. President Emanuel Bellomo had somehow brought peace; I could see his power in this town, which seemed protected from the chaos. Then I remembered the vomit on the ground and the bodies I had seen the day before.

  “Peace at what cost?” I whispered aloud.

  I looked back up at the TV again. President Bellomo was still talking about the two Witnesses. “It has not rained in many places for months because of the curses they have brought on us in the name of their God. What kind of god curses humanity?

  “As His Excellency, Angelo Cain, has told
you before, our world is the battlefield for an ancient war between two powerful factions. Our cosmic allies promote and support the peace of the Global Union and our united, global religion. Those Witnesses spread propaganda for our enemies. As you know, they claim to be the representatives of the one true God.”

  Again, the crowd cried out in rage and anger, calling for the death of the Witnesses.

  “Where is their God? I tell you the truth. I have met our cosmic allies! They have guided me along the way. Now, they realize they must make themselves known in the face of the lies spewed by the Witnesses. So, I’d like to introduce you to them: meet our allies!”

  President Bellomo gestured grandly to the sky and the crowd gasped as a shining silver disk appeared in the sky above and hovered above the president. Two large, super human-like figures appeared in the window of the craft, raising their arms in greeting then disappeared. The crowd was strangely quiet.

  “There is nothing to fear!” Bellomo shouted. “These are not aliens but ambassadors from our true ancestors. I’ve met with them, and they are going to help me destroy the Witnesses!” As the camera panned over the assembly, I saw hope on many faces as they gazed at the charismatic leader.

  I switched the television off and began to hyperventilate in panic. Fear washed over me in a cold sweat. Nothing made any sense. Super human creatures. Aliens. Witnesses? I was in a town controlled by the maniac in charge of the world. I had to escape.

  There was no way I could get past the guard, so I went to the window and looked out. No one was around, and there was a tree to the left of the window. Pushing the window up, I swung my left leg and then my right over the ledge, so I was sitting up outside the window. I clung to the window frame with my right hand and could just reach a branch with my left. Letting go of the frame, I swung my body onto the tree, wrapped my legs around the narrow trunk, and shimmied down to the ground. I was breathing hard.