Lamp Black: Second Edition, Disaster, Preparedness, Survival, Awakening (The Gatekeeper Book 2) (37 page)

What young John didn’t realize was that the descent angle, or the leading arc of the carriage’s outer corner, was well within his low-crawl space. So as he inched his body forward on his belly, the sharp metal edge of the carriage struck him on the top of his head with enough force to knock him unconscious and slide him back in the dirt several inches. He was really lucky the blow didn’t kill him, for the wound resembled that of a war axe.

John emerged from unconsciousness twice, once while his dad was holding him over a kitchen sink as it filled with blood, and again when his dad was racing him to the hospital through red lights with a blaring car horn. John regained full consciousness while a doctor was stitching up the top of his head. He opened his eyes to see nothing but a green stitching apron draped over his head, and it really freaked him out. His dad quickly calmed him down and told him to be calm while the doctor finished stitching him up. The wound required ten sutures, but the only thing that changed for John was that his head had been shaved clean. He wanted to see the wound, but he couldn’t because it was covered by a big white bandage. And he really didn’t mind losing his hair, which stayed short from then on, because the big bandage taped to the top of his head was really cool. All the kids in his Kindergarten class thought so, anyway. That same day, John’s dad disassembled the swing set and threw it away.

“That was my near-death experience?” asked John, after he reflected on the accident.

“You don’t have to go into cardiac-arrest to have a near-death experience, John,” replied Sarrif, “and remembering the experience also isn’t a qualifier either. You could have been called home from that accident. People are called home for a lot less than what you experienced with the swing set. It just wasn’t your time.”

Sarrif’s explanation helped John understand how he went from dreams and visions to being pulled out of his body, but it didn’t answer
the one important question that remained, “Why me? What did I do to deserve this . . . this ability . . . this attention?”

“I can’t answer that. I haven’t been allowed to see your life line moving forward. But if your past work is an indication of your worth, then I say you were well chosen,” said Sarrif, as he looked at John and smiled, “So, how do you want me to get your attention?”

“Can you yell at me again . . . like you did before the near miss with the dump truck?”

“I can, but I was thinking of something a little more subtle, like touching you. Where do you think you will best feel my hand? On your shoulder?”

“I don’t know. Will what I’m wearing interrupt the contact?” asked John.

“Only if what you’re wearing interrupts the feeling. But you’re right, we should use something that’s routinely exposed. How about your ear?”

“We can try. Sure, so if I feel you tickle my ear I can assume you need my attention?” asked John.

“Exactly. But knowing I need to talk to you is only half the problem. You will have to learn to relax enough to leave your body, or at least hear me talk to you more clearly,” added Sarrif.

“I can try to take a nap,” said John.

“A nap is an option, but you can achieve a relaxed state without falling to sleep.”

“My relaxed state is sleep,” replied John.

“True,” replied Sarrif, “but sleep is farther down than you need to go to communicate with me. There’s a place between awake and sleep that’s optimal for communication. Many call it a meditative state, it’s a state of balance between the two. It’s achieved when the two halves of your brain, the left and the right hemispheres, are synchronized. It’s perfect for communication and separation.”

“How do I achieve that balance?” asked John.

“There are several ways, but relaxation is paramount. Remember what you learned long ago from your army friend. You must first clear your mind of all negative thoughts, then entirely relax your body, and then center and control your breathing. You can also talk with Jenna, she used a meditative technique when she delivered Adam and Abby.”

“You’re right. I totally forgot about that. Good idea,” replied John. “I even think she has a book on the subject.”

They spent the next half hour talking about how to draw upon and use energy, and how to engage in armed and unarmed combat. It was strange talking about spiritual action, for John always assumed everything was accomplished by will alone. Sarrif informed him that “will,” as John called it, was not sufficient to work on this side. Searching for a word that John would understand, Sarrif offered, “It requires an appointment, or a calling. Not everyone can do what we do, nor do they want to. There are other required . . . conditions . . . as well, but most of them were met before you even took a body.” Sarrif stared at John and added, “If you haven’t yet figured it out . . . you’re a special person, with special abilities, John.”

Uncomfortable with Sarrif’s intense focus, John pushed the discussion to the use of energy. Sarrif told him that energy had many sources, but the earth was the best source of energy for doing work on the earth. It had everything to do with how energy interacts with its environment. John didn’t understand the finer points of Sarrif’s explanation, like how energy could literally come alive when formed into a creature, but he understood enough to feel comfortable about moving forward with the discussion. Sarrif demonstrated the words and movements to call upon earth’s energy, and then had John practice it a few times.

Like Sarrif, John enjoyed talking about combat more than energy. But Sarrif reminded John that the developed and refined use of energy would eliminate the need for weapons altogether. “This sword,” said Sarrif, “is made of energy, though not of earth’s energy.” He drew the sword and said, while handing it to John, “Combat on this side is
obviously different. Many of the laws that apply to the physical world do not apply to combat on this side; like the ability to slow down, stop or even reverse time, or jump from place to place,” added Sarrif.

“I thought you slowed down time. The enemy you killed looked like they were standing still,” replied John.

“You saw my movements then?” asked Sarrif.

“Yes, of course. Why?”

“That means you can already control time, which is good. The only way you could have seen me move is if you were able to match time with me,” replied Sarrif.

A light went off in John’s head, and he realized that his previous assentation about his quickness was wrong. Time didn’t slow down for him because of adrenalin, it slowed down because he was tapping into his innate spiritual abilities. John’s spiritual abilities were bleeding through into his physical life. “I understand,” was all he could say given the new awareness. “It’s an ability I already possess,” said John.

“Exactly,” replied Sarrif “and you have more abilities than you realize. Many more than I possess, you have only to discover them.”

“Can’t you just tell me what they are so I can begin working on them?” asked John with a grin.

“You know I cannot,” replied Sarrif with a grin of his own. “But you will find them quickly. I have seen it. But now you should return to your body, it does not rest well when you are away from it, and you need your rest. And drink plenty of water,” added Sarrif.

“Seriously?”

“Of course, you must keep your body fully hydrated. The brain is the first to suffer when you are dehydrated, so drink water.”

Sarrif accompanied John to his bedroom and said “adieu,” as John lowered himself into his body. The cold wet feeling of his body was unpleasant, but he was getting used to it. He heard the clicking sound of the reunion and inwardly sighed. A part of him clung to the comfort of his body, but the spiritual part of him longed for more freedom; the freedom to do things he couldn’t do while in his body. John wondered
if he could leave his body without being pulled out by Eli and Sarrif, or yanked out by evil spirits. He decided to begin working on reaching a meditative state as soon as possible.

He opened his eyes to see if he could see Sarrif, but everything was dark and quiet through his physical eyes. John rubbed his ear, thinking a fine hair or thread had tickled him. He turned to his side and his other ear was tickled. He reached up to scratch it and realized what was happening, Sarrif was conditioning him for the agreed upon contact. John smiled and gave Sarrif a thumb’s up. It must have worked because his ears stopped tickling.

The bedroom clock told John that his conversation with Eli and Sarrif had lasted less than fifteen minutes of real time. John shook his head in amazement, yawned, and stretched his back and arms. He had the early morning watch, the period of time most commonly used by the enemy to launch attacks, which meant he was the only one to pull duty at a fixed time. If he could only manage to fall asleep, he’d enjoy another two hours of rest. John cleared his mind, relaxed his body, and began to control his breathing. Sleep embraced him, quickly and mercifully.

“J
ohn! John, wake up. There’s someone outside.”

John opened his eyes to see Paul leaning over him, a hand resting on his shoulder as he rocked him lightly. “OK, Paul. I’m awake. Give me five minutes.” Paul turned to leave the room and John stopped him with a question, “Did you say someone was outside?”

Paul turned and stopped. “Yes, someone is parked out front, by the mailbox.” he whispered, as he walked back to take a knee next to John who was now sitting up in bed. “I thought I saw a door open, but I didn’t see anyone get out. I just thought you’d want to know.”

“Is everything OK?” asked Jenna, groggily, from her side of the bed.

“Everything’s fine, love. Go back to sleep. I’ll be done in a sec,” replied John, in a quiet and soothing voice. Jenna rolled over without reply and returned to sleep. John wished he could join her for a few more hours. He was tired, and irritated with himself for having to be shaken awake by Paul.
You’re losing your edge, John
, he thought, but then reminded himself of why he was so tired. John switched on the battery-powered lamp. The cone of bright, white, LED light illuminated the nightstand, and revealed his pistol, hand-held radio, a small Surefire flashlight, and his semi-useless cellphone. He grabbed the phone and instinctively tried to check his email before reminding himself that those days were gone. After turning off the phone’s alarm, he told Paul, “Keep an eye on the truck. I’ll meet you upstairs in a couple minutes.” Paul stood, then turned to leave. “And Paul, let me know immediately if you see anyone moving around outside, OK?”

“Sure, John. No problem,” answered Paul in a whisper, as he turned to leave the room.

John dressed quickly and slipped the pistol into his waistband. He climbed the stairs and entered the guest room to find Paul standing at the window, the heavy blackout curtain pulled aside a few inches. The house was quiet except for the sound of light snoring coming from Adam’s room. John didn’t know if the snores were Adam’s or Corbin’s, since they were both capable of serenading the house at night, but it never bothered him. It reminded him of barracks life. “Any change?” asked John in a low voice as he moved to stand next to Paul.

Paul let the heavy curtain fall across the window and said, “No. It looks like whoever they are, they’re staying put.” He stepped away from the window to allow John access. John moved the curtain aside and he could barely make out the silhouette of a large pickup sitting on the street in front of his mailbox. John felt there was something vaguely familiar about that truck.

“How long has it been sitting there?” he asked.

“About thirty minutes . . . I think?” replied Paul

“You think?” asked Pete.

“Well, they could have been there longer, I just don’t know. I noticed them about thirty minutes ago.”

John continued to study the truck for several minutes and said, “I think I know who it is.”

“Someone you know?” asked Paul.

“Yeah. But I’m not entirely sure, just a hunch really, but I think that’s Pete’s truck.”

“A friend of yours?”

“Yes. A very good friend,” said John.

“What do you want to do?”

“We’ll have better illumination when the sun begins to rise,” paused John, as he looked at his watch, “in about an hour. I don’t want to sneak up on him, and I know he doesn’t want to sneak up on us.
I think it’s best if we sit tight for now. Can you go wake up Adam for me?” asked John.

“I’ll keep watch,” replied Paul.

“Are you sure? Your shift is almost over.”

“I’m fine. I won’t be able to get back to sleep anyway.”

“OK. Thanks,” said John. “I need to use the can. I’ll be back in a minute.” Paul nodded once and pulled the curtain aside to watch the truck. John left him standing in the window and went to use the bathroom. As he descended the stairs, he thought of Pete. Adding Pete to his survival group filled him with excitement and hopeful anticipation. It would be more than he could have ever asked for, almost better than his planned arrival even. John left him with an open invitation more than a week ago, but he never thought it would come to pass.

Pete was more than a friend, he was a brother in arms, a better Soldier than himself. He would be a huge asset to their small company of survivors. John wondered if Bonnie was with him, but only for a moment. She had to be, they were as inseparable as he and Jenna. Pete also adored his two boys, but they were grown and gone, each having joined the army to follow in their father’s footsteps. John couldn’t remember where Pete’s boys were currently assigned, but if he could have brought them with him he would have, and they, too, would have been warmly greeted.