The Gathering

XIII: Continue on This Road

The voice wasn't coming from a person, per se, but rather seemed as if it was being broadcast into Jonah's mind!

"Jonah!" It said again... he could swear he recognized the male's voice.

"Hello?" Jonah asked, scanning the environment for the source of the impossible voice, but he saw nothing. His surroundings consisted of a single barren road stretching for miles in either direction, a thick curtain of pine trees ran parallel on each side. In the distance where Jonah had come from, white smoke still billowed from the flame-bleached skeleton of the church. The only trace of his journey was the boot prints he left behind in the powdery snow.

"Jonah, I know you're confused." The voice seemed to somehow radiate comfort, but he wasn't sure how or why. "Continue on this road until you reach:" a vision was then beamed into his mind. He saw a gas station, two antique looking pumps stood underneath a hooded lot. A drab convenience store attached to it. "and wait for us there. Ninth hour."

"Who are you? Why should I trust you?" the voice did not as readily respond as it had been doing, pausing to formulate a response.

"Because we are friends, friends who can help you." It simply yet vaguely replied.

"Okay..." 'Not that I have much of a choice' Jonah didn't know why he agreed to this, he didn't even know to whom he was talking. But he knew that humans didn't have the gift of telepathy, only highly-skilled angels – empaths – could do this. But why would an angel, especially an empath, be helping him? He was now a wanted man, a fugitive on the run for attempting to kill his superior officer. He wasn't sure. But he knew that he wouldn't last long on Earth alone... 'lying dead in a gutter!' Phanuel's words rushed into his head... after all that he had done, all that he had risked to escape Sera, he would be damned if he ended up dead in a gutter.

So, Jonah, all alone on a foreign world, set off for the gas station. He didn't know how long he had to walk beside the miles-long stretch of rural highway, but he knew he'd better do it before the ninth hour, Sera would be back... As Jonah trudged through the still accumulating snowfall, he became aware of just how cold he had become. The adrenaline from his ordeal must have finally worn off as he could no longer feel his fingers or toes. He blew warm air from his lungs into his folded hands to try and warm them up, with little success. Every once in a while, a large eighteen-wheeled truck would barrel down the highway at breakneck speed. The gust of wind that ensued did nothing to help Jonah's temperature.

Jonah began to wave at the trucks as they passed, hoping he could herald a ride to the gas station, his legs had never walked this far before. Beulah was only a few square miles in area, he had walked its length tenfold so far. By the sun's position, he could tell it was nearing dusk. He had to hurry.

After half a dozen failed attempts, a truck finally ground to a halt next to Jonah, the mechanical beast screeching as it slowed. Jonah had never seen anything like it before. A woman, inexplicably dusty looking, exited from the driver's seat. She had her dirty blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail. She wore blue jeans and a green winter jacket.

"Are you alright, honey?" Her voice was soft, yet raspy. It sounded of weathered experience, yet a kind heart. "You're gonna catch your death in this cold wearin' that." She gestured towards Jonah's alien attire.

"I'm... I don't know." Jonah chuckled slightly, brushing some snow from his hair and sweat from his brow. "Is there any kind of building this way?" he gestured in the opposite direction from where the church was, so many miles back.

"Marion's gas is up ahead, about twenty-five miles." She glanced at Jonah's outfit again, "Do you need a ride?" Jonah's relieved smile answered her question.