Vaalbara; Visions & Shadows (32 page)

             
“Hi, Anna…Isobel. My name is Alchera, and this is Carter.” I reached out to them, and waited a second before they accepted my hand. I decided I would just go ahead and tell them my long worn-out story.

             
“I have been sent to fetch you by the one you call God. You have been chosen for your talents as doctors and, I would guess, your love and passion to save others. The world is coming to an end and I need to get you out of here. We have a group of people waiting in a very dangerous area and we need to hurry and go get them. Just come with us and you’ll see for yourselves that everything I’m telling you is the truth.” Isobel was just about to say something when a young African boy came rushing in.

             
“Doctor Isobel! They say by radio big rock she’s coming. Come hide!” He ran towards the huge commotion outside.

             
Isobel frowned and followed after him, leaving us no choice but to enter into the fray.

             
When we entered the chaos people were running everywhere - grabbing everything and anything they could get their hands on. Isobel grabbed an elderly man by the arm and spoke in his language. She turned to us, looking more confused than ever before.

             
“He says there is some sort of big rock falling from the heavens. The radio said to wait for further instructions, but they want to go south to the mountains there - past Nelspruit in South Africa. There are caves they want to hide in.” Anna grabbed her mother’s arm, fear etched into her soft, young face.

             
“They’ll all be killed! They won’t make it alive past the border. We have to stop them!” 

             
I felt for my two Chosen Ones, but we needed to leave now. We still needed to retrieve one more so I could get them all home to Vaalbara.

             
“We need to go.” They stared at me in silence, and Anna shook her head.

             
It was Isobel who answered. “These people are our people. We can’t just leave them and go with you. Anna is speaking the truth - they’ll all be killed. They’ve been placed here on this border camp because of the xenophobic attacks on them. They can’t go into either of the countries without facing violence…death. Most of them are survivor migrants from South Africa, or refugees from Zimbabwe. They’re stuck here. They’re just panicking.”

             
She looked around her as if a miracle might happen. Then she spotted a group as they readied to leave the camp. “Oh, no, some are leaving!”

             
“Speak to them, Mom! They’ll listen to you.”

             
Running towards the group, Carter and I had no choice but to continue following. We watched as they spoke, begged, and argued with their people. The younger men started getting restless. They didn’t look too happy with Isobel for delaying them. She was still pleading with them when one of the younger ones jumped her - he held a broad, heavy knife in his hand.

             
Carter moved faster, grabbing the young man before he could even get a hold on Isobel. Agonizing screams echoed around us when Carter’s hand settled around the man’s neck. I knew exactly what he was doing.

             
“Carter, stop! Don’t!”

             
His head snapped up; his eyes were wide with shock. Backing away, he gave the man a chance to get up.

             
Carter turned his head, giving the man who was staring him down a fierce look. Isobel’s would-be assassin’s eyes grew large in their sockets, only to run away screaming.

             
What have you done, Carter?

             
Carter smiled wickedly.
I told him if he dares me again I will rip his heart out and make him eat it.

             
I shook my head while helping Isobel up, who didn’t look fazed in the least. I tried again to convince her. “They aren’t going to listen. It’s the end, Isobel. I’m sorry to say, whether they die today, or in a few days hiding in a cave, they
will
die. I’m here to save you and Anna. Let me at least do that.”

             
“You cannot expect me to watch them die today. I have saved most of their lives in one way or another. If they survive today and they’re killed by some asteroid rock, then it is God’s will, but at least I didn’t give up,” Isobel whispered. 

             
Carter shook his head. “He just attacked you! You save him and he attacks you? How do their minds’ work?” He glanced at me. “It would be too many. It will kill me to shimmer with them all, and if I
do
survive by some miracle, I will not have enough strength left for the trip home.”

             
“I understand.” I racked my brains, trying to come up with an idea. How could we move these people and do it fast? “It’s just… we don’t have much time left. Sarah is dying.” That caught Anna’s ear, who’d stayed quiet for a while now.

             
“Who’s Sarah?”

             
“She’s a chosen one, like you. She’s dying of cancer…a brain tumor. We only have a day or two left. This is why I’m in such a hurry to get her home - to save her.”

             
Mother and daughter stared at each other; a great sadness filled the air.

             
“Is it really the end?” Anna’s voice was soft.

             
“Yes.” There was no breaking the news to them gently. After all, they’d seen first-hand the horror this world had to offer.

             
“I guess it’s better this way.” Anna moved closer to us. “It has been a long time since I’ve seen any good in this world.”

             
“Anna, how can you say that?” Isobel looked at her daughter with shock.

             
“We’ve tried so hard, Mom. Everyone we save dies. Look at Bill! What did he do to deserve that? He just wanted to save lives. This world is cruel. You’ve said so yourself.”

             
I took Isobel by the shoulder and gave her a supportive squeeze. “I know this is hard for you, but I really need to save Sarah. Let the world take care of itself, and let me take care of you. Let
someone
take care of you for once.”

             
She turned into me, crying what I guessed were her first tears in a long time. “I tried so hard to save them.”

             
“I know. Now you have to rest.” I held my hand out to Carter, who took Anna’s hand in his, as we shimmered back to the chaos we’d left behind.

~*~

When we reappeared in what I assumed Hell would look like. The air was so thick with ash we could hardly breathe. I turned around, at first stunned by what I saw. My whole group sat on the ground as if defeated, their heads hanging low in their hands. They all seemed so…devastated. 

             
“Why is everyone crying?” At the sound of my voice their heads snapped up at the same time.

             
Antonio was the first to speak. “Oh, thank God. She’s alive. I didn’t kill her!” His hands were tied behind his back.

             
Raighne was in front of me so fast I didn’t even see him move. He took hold of me, an awful sound came from his throat. His body shook against mine as he cried.

             
“I thought…I had…lost…you. You were… dead.” He was trying to talk, whispering the words against my ear between sobs. He held me slightly away so he could see my face, and then he kissed me…right in front of everyone. He kissed me until I couldn’t see straight.

             
He then turned to Carter and, for a minute, I thought there might be a fight. But, silently, he reached his hand out to him. “I must thank you for saving her life. I do not know how you did it, and for a few minutes I did want to kill you, but thank you.” Carter gave Raighne a small smile before taking his hand.

             
“I am happy you made up but my girl is
missing
.” Evin interrupted them, impatiently.

             
“We have to get back, as well. Sarah is a ticking bomb.” Eamar stood by Sarah, looking worried.

             
“What do you mean Alandra is missing?” I looked from Evin to Sarah, not knowing what to do first. I coughed up ash.

             
“We can talk once we are back on Vaalbara.” He sounded angry when he turned and glared at Carter, which bewildered me.

             
“What do you mean once we are back on Vaalbara? We only have nine chosen ones. We are still short one, Evin.”

             
His eyes locked on mine. “Nine will just have to do. Alandra is out there because she is looking for you.”

             
I started to see the light. “Evin, I’m sorry you feel it’s our fault she went to look for me. I was only fulfilling my destiny by retrieving my Chosen Ones. Why don’t you just call her and tell her to come back?  Better yet, find out where she is and we can meet up with her.” I was forcing myself to stay calm. I didn’t want to fight.

             
“She left us saying she could sense you; she said you were on Vaalbara, in the Land of the Shadows. I wish I
could
call to her, but I cannot! Our link has been broken. I cannot feel her anymore!” Evin’s face was as gray as the ash all around us. I just stared at him - a complete loss for words. My sister went looking for me in the Land of Shadows. Alone…with no one to protect her.

             
“Why didn’t you go with her, Evin? You’re her guardian!”

             
“Okay, guys.” Lee tried to interrupt, only to be overcome by a coughing fit.

“I remained behind to protect
your
chosen ones, Alchera.” He moved in on me, but before he could get close enough Raighne stepped in.

             
“That is enough, Evin. I understand you concern for Alandra, but we still have to complete our quest. Awo has spoken it.”

             
I wanted to say something when a great sadness gripped my heart so tightly…I passed out.

~*~

When I came to I was lying on concrete. The building I was in didn’t look like much, just an abandoned structure with no windows.

             
I heard a man crying with so much emotion it brought tears to my eyes. I had once cried like that. It clawed at my heart to hear him sob like he was literally done with this world.

             
He was tanned with dark curly hair. Kneeling down, his hands were stretched out before him in the direction of the sun. It sounded like he was praying. I strained my ears to try and make out some of the words through his sobs.

             
“J-Jehovah… p-please, my God…t-take me. Let me… d-die. I d-deserve t-to d-die.”

             
I stared in shock. The man in front of me not only stuttered but was praying for death. My last Chosen One was a replica of me, or had I just been so caught up in myself to see that Awo was all along preparing me for this poor soul?

             
“Ben-Ami.” I whispered his name as a torturous cry rippled through him. “I’m coming for you, Ben-Ami.”

~*~

I was crying so hard when I came to, I could hardly speak. It took a few deep breaths to get myself calmed down again.

             
“Israel. Ben-Ami is in Israel. A village called Shayta.”

             
“Did you manage to get a glimpse of the area, Alchera?” It was an odd question coming from Lee.

             
“No, just the abandoned structure he was in. Why?”

             
“Shayta is a partially destroyed Syrian village in the Golan Heights. In the late 1960’s they made it a military post. Some say it was totally abandoned later on, but it’s located near the ceasefire line between Syrian and Israeli forces. It might still be a hotspot. I would rather move the group to a safe place, and those who can fight can go in with you.”

             
“We go on Lee’s warning.” Eamar moved forward, speaking again for the first time. “We can hide the group somewhere nearby.” Everybody looked to Lee for an answer.

             
“We can drop them off in Israel. They can rest there if the city is still in one piece.” I turned to Carter, who had been quiet since our return from Africa.

             
“Can you take us to Israel, Carter?” He looked at me.

             
“Of course.”
I get to hold your hand again.
A smile broke across his face as he slipped into my mind.

             
Don’t, Carter. We can only be friends.
He bowed his head, still smiling, as he took my hand in his.