Rupert the Prophet stood on the lonely dock gazing out into the dark ocean. His calm eyes searched the horizon carefully as he pulled his robes closer to his body. The air had grown cold over the past few weeks , colder than he had ever felt it before and the sky was changing as well , the stars were not as apparent as in years past . It appeared that there was coming a long a cumbersome winter , which would be different. Their island had never seen an icy season before; it had always been very tropical.
“The strangers are bringing this change! I just know it! Soon the whole island will be in ruins!” Rupert mumbled to himself.
He gripped his staff firmly in his hand and started walking down the dock to the seashore. His feet thudded against the wooden planks as he walked along humming a song he had heard his father sing to him as a child. The song was about a man that had gotten lost in a snowstorm, and how he had survived by building a fire. It didn’t have the most clever lyrics ever but it had a good melody. His deep voice carried over the beach like a phantom vibration, encompassing the atmosphere like a warm breeze. He was about to get to his favorite part when a voice spoke up suddenly.
“Sorry to interrupt you at the best part of the song, sir, but the boat is ready! I have checked everything.”
Rupert stopped and looked at his assistant with surprise. The cheery red-headed spirit was standing on the wooden raft he had purchased for councilor Hoffman’s departure. He had a look of excitement in his eyes, as if he were the one leaving to the old world.
“Are you certain that you checked everything?”
The spirit nodded his head enthusiastically.
“Even the food supply? I don’t want him starving on his journey. Everything has to be perfect, BIBLE. No mistakes.”
BIBLE nodded his head again, this time more vigorously. He didn’t want to upset his human guardian. Rupert often got perturbed when things were not to his liking. The old prophet thrived on perfection and BIBLE tried to help out the best that he could, but there was little he could do without a body.
“Yes, sir, I did. I checked everything. Nothing is out of place!” He said enthusiastically.
Rupert walked over to the edge of the dock and looked into the boat. His eyes shifted over all the supplies he had painstakingly loaded into it. Everything looked in order just like his assistant had said.
“Does Councilor Hoffman have rope?” BIBLE paused and looked around his feet as the prophet spoke.
“Yeah it’s over there!” He pointed at a crate with a brown rope curled up on it. Rupert looked over to the horsehair rope and lifted a hand. He began to stroke his beard and mumble to himself. He often did this when he thought.
“Is everything all right, sir? Did you want me to check the boat again for any problems?” asked BIBLE. “I could do it again if you don’t like it.” Rupert came out of his reverie at these words, looking at the spirit.
“Everything is fine. It’s the way it should be. Now , come out of there. You won’t be going with the councilor when he arrives. This is a journey he will be making alone.”
The assistant climbed out of the boat and onto the wooden dock, grunting a bit as he came to his feet. Rupert smiled as he watched him fidget about. BIBLE wasn’t like the other spirits in their society. He was quiet and well behaved. When it came to sports he wasn’t very athletic, as a matter-of-fact he was quite lethargic. Rupert couldn’t recall ever seeing him running around and playing.
“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, why does Councilor Hoff have to leave this island alone? It doesn’t make sense.”
Rupert chuckled. His young assistant obviously had no understanding of the Holy Writ. But it was to be expected; BIBLE was still very young. It would take another fifty years before he was up to speed with all the writings on the island.
“It has to be this way, BIBLE. The prophecies have said that there will come a day when two evil ones shall cross the great deep and embed themselves into our society. It was said that they would destroy us like a cancer. Our only hope is for one of royal blood to set sail; for someone to leave.” BIBLE still looked very confused.
“And that helps us... why?” Rupert sighed at the question.
“Because someone from his bloodline will come back and renew this island to the way it was. It is said that he will bring back the King of Old, and help our people. I’ll tell you about it later.” BIBLE nodded his head passively.
“So, basically you’re saying that we are going to die… All of us?”
“I am not saying that at all. I am saying that in order for us to have hope, this must be done. It has to be done. Do you understand?”
BIBLE rubbed his chin and raised his eyebrows. He finally responded.
“No, I’m not sure I do…”
The old prophet restrained from rolling his eyes. This was the problem with teaching a spirit; it took them so much longer to learn anything.
“Oh, forget about it.” He said a little frustrated. At that moment his eyes caught hold of some movement on the shore. Rupert smiled as he recognized the figure.
“Councilor Hoffman is come. Look, do you see him there on the beach? He’ll be here soon. Everything is working out perfectly.”
BIBLE turned around to peer at the distant shore. He spotted a lone silhouette approaching the dock. The figure was wearing white robes and seemed to be in a rush. BIBLE turned slightly to Rupert.
“How do you know that it’s–”
BIBLE paused as the man called to them from the beach.
“Rupert! Bad news, old friend! We need to leave tonight!”
Rupert looked over to the old Councilor as he ran toward the dock, short of breath and panting. He was now on the far end of the dock where the wood met the sand. His feet clattered loudly on the planks as he hurried to meet them in the middle.
“What is it Hoff? What has the council decided?” asked Rupert concernedly looking at his friend.
Hoff stopped in front of them and breathed quickly. His pulse was racing from the long sprint he had undergone from the city. He eventually caught his breath well enough to reply.
“The council… the council has voted… in favor of giving the creatures bodies. I did all that I could to stop them, but in the end nothing worked. They had everyone on the council wrapped around their fingers. They will be getting bodies at noon tomorrow. It’s inevitable. I fear that we have lost this battle.”
Rupert frowned and shook his head; this was not good news. He looked over and studied the trees around the shoreline. They were swaying back and forth wildly and the rising moon cast a shadow over the beach making everything appear ghostly and dead. It was as if it were a bad omen for things to come. Something was out there watching them. Something sinister.
“Did anyone follow you here?” asked Rupert. “Did you come alone?”
Hoff looked back over toward the trees. His blue eyes searched the dark canopies for any signs of life. He could feel that there was someone there; someone on the edge of the treeline, just out of their sight. Little red sparks began jumping out of the abyss that prevailed beyond the trees and bushes. The glowing embers sailed gracefully through the air like small fireflies and as quickly as they had come, they vanished.
Hoff looked back over to the prophet.
“They’re here! They’re watching us!”
Rupert nodded his head. He could feel their presence as well. They were slowly taking hold of the island.
“We don’t have much time, councilor Hoffman, you need to get in the boat and go, before they come here. They must not stop us!”
Hoff turned and walked over to the boat resting by the dock. Climbing inside, he started the engine with one quick pull. Rupert walked over to the post and untied the rope and he threw the thing inside the little ship.
“You should have everything you need to survive in the old world right here in this ship. Remember to take care of yourself. You are our only hope for redemption!”
Hoff nodded his head.
“I understand; I’ll see you again, old friend!”
Rupert smiled as Hoff revved the engine attached to the back end of the boat and took off straight into the open sea. BIBLE and Rupert watched him go in silence. They both waved goodbye as he faded away into the dark ocean. After a few minutes, Hoff was nothing more than a speck on the horizon. He had escape.
“I certainly hope you’re right about him being the one,” said BIBLE skeptically. “I would hate to think that we did all this work for nothing. Bringing all that stuff here without anyone knowing was a pain in the butt.”
Rupert glanced over to his assistant and laughed. He enjoyed the unrestrained commentary of his young friend.
“Everything will be all right, BIBLE. Now, let’s get back to the city and warn the people of the evil that is about to hit. Maybe we can save a few lives?” As Rupert finished speaking, a high, cold and seductive voice spoke up behind them.
“What, leaving so soon?” Rupert and BIBLE turned hastily to find themselves facing one of the demons. “And I was hoping I could get a word with you two.” Rupert recognized her as Rume. The demoness looked dangerously attractive in the pale moonlight; she was dressed in a tight fitting evening gown with her hair up in a round bun atop her head. Her deep red eyes shifted back and forth between the both of them, studying them.
“Good heavens, Rume! You surprised us!” said BIBLE a little jovially. “How long were you there?”
Rume smiled widely.
“Not long, not long. Did I scare you?” She said with a raised eyebrow.
BIBLE shifted uneasily.
“You scaring us is an understatement. You too often appear unexpectedly and at all the wrong times.”
Rume ignored the chubby spirit and walked slowly over to them, swaying her hips gracefully back and forth as she did so. Her eyes were burning red hot in the gloom.
“Your island is so nice. I am really beginning to enjoy it here. I think I could live with your people forever.”
“What do you want from us, demon?” demanded Rupert.
“I want a lot of things, Rupert. I want to be real; to actually feel something instead of this nothingness inside of me… I want to be able to love and sing and dance and to have purpose in life… I want what you have.”
Rupert hadn’t expected the act the demons had put on for the people to last forever, but he had expected it to last at least until they received their bodies. Yet, she was here, speaking things she must have been thinking a long time, because they flowed with power and force from her lips. She would have continued but at that moment BIBLE cut her off.
“Do you have to act all creepy like this?!”
Rume turned and walked over to the young spirit, getting uncomfortably close. BIBLE became stiff as she came closer and she began to sniff the air around his head. She was like a wolf examining a piece of meat.
“I smell fear in you, spirit. I smell frantic fear, which is the best kind of fear if you ask me! Is this part of your programming?”
Rume licked her lips and breathed out a long sigh. A red mist began to take flight all around the assistant’s chubby head. BIBLE swallowed hard as the weird cloud entered his mind and grabbed hold of his subconscious. He looked like he was losing control of his motor skills. His knees buckled and his feet shifted on the wooden deck. It looked like he was on the edge of fainting, but couldn’t, something was holding him up. Something was controlling him now.
“Tell me, BIBLE,” said Rume with half closed eyes, looking scathingly at him. “Has the devil ever made you do something you didn’t want to do?”
“That’s enough, Rume, let him be!” barked Rupert. “Your problem is with me! Release BIBLE this instant!”
The temptress looked over to the old man with a slight smile. She was having too much fun to stop now. Controlling weaker minds was one of her favorite pass times. She wanted to see how far she could push the pathetic little spirit in front of her. She wanted to see him squirm and scream, but yet, she also had to control herself before the big day arrived. She couldn’t mess things up, not when she was so close. She spoke softly.
“BIBLE, go jump in the ocean. I want to speak to your guardian alone.”
BIBLE nodded his head as if he were hypnotized. He had no more control of his senses. The young assistant walked over to the edge of the dock and before Rupert could stop him, he plunged into the water. Rupert ran over to the edge of the dock and looked down into the turbulent surf below. He could see no signs of his assistant anywhere. The poor child had probably sunken straight to the bottom.
Rupert turned and looked at Rume, anger plainly visible in his features.
“Why did you do that? He has done nothing to you.”
Rume laughed.
“Let him be, old man, let him be. You and I both know that he can’t die that way. When he comes to himself again, he’ll just walk back to shore.”
“Enough of this nonsense! Why are you here?” demanded Rupert. “You need to leave!” Rume shifted and walked over to him, only stopping when she was rather close.
“I am here to observe and figure out how to get rid of a problem!” As she spoke, Rupert narrowed his eyes.
“And what problem might that be?”
“YOU!” exclaimed Rume loudly and her whole frame lit up in red flames and smoke. Rupert covered his face and stepped back a bit. He could feel the heat pouring from her benighted soul like a bonfire. The sound of weeping and wailing was heard all around him now. Darkness began to cloud the atmosphere, drowning out the scenery. The stars disappeared above him and the ocean around him and all Rupert could see was the fiery evil figure in front of him.
“Tell me, Rupert, have you ever felt the pains of hell?” Rume asked in a voice much more terrifying than he had ever heard it before. Rupert was aware that her display was supposed to evoke fear, and that would only give her strength, and so he stood his ground.
“I know what you are and I am not afraid of you, demon! Your joy will be short lived!”
Rume smiled at him grimly. Flames were now dancing across her body and through her long, brown hair which had come down from the bun atop her head. She looked more beautiful and terrible than before.
“You will be afraid of me, Rupert. Before the end comes, you will be afraid!!”
The demonic flames went out at that moment leaving the old prophet standing on the dock alone. Rume had vanished completely with the flames. A bitter cold wrapped around Rupert’s trembling body. He felt his knees give way in protest as tears came to his tender eyes and a single prayer escaped his lips.
“God, help us!”
Authors Note: I hope you enjoyed this second chapter. As usual the next chapter will be posted on Friday at around 4PM MST. Please leave some feedback: what you liked, hated, want to see more of, etc. Thanks again!
No comments:
Post a Comment