Tree of Life

Book II Chapter 12

He pivoted around to face Nicole on the tree behind him. He put his finger to his lips.

Nicole put her hands up in a signal—‘what is it?’

He waved her over to his branch. She jumped over and then crouched down beside him.

Julian leaned over and spoke into her ear. “Do you feel that?”

“Feel what?” She whispered back. “What is it?”

Julian frowned. He lifted his hand to the middle of his chest. He closed his hand into a fist.

Without thinking, Nicole lifted her hand too and touched her own chest.

It was strange. Strange that she hadn’t noticed it until now when Julian had pointed it out. It was quite faint though and not really noticeable. But now that her mind was on it, she did feel something out of the ordinary. It was…it was hard to describe. Like a lump in your stomach. Or a weight on your chest. Like somehow, your heart was feeling exhausted and didn’t want to go on beating anymore.

Julian swung around to face the front again.

Frowning, he pointed into the distance. “Can you see that?”

Nicole squinted her eyes in the direction he indicated.

Maybe. Nicole thought she might be seeing some odd movement, way out there in the distance, no less than three hundred yards away.

“Here.” Julian handed her his binoculars.

Nicole put them up to her eyes.

Yes. Movement. In the undergrowth. And it looked like…a man. Yes, yes it was a man. In the distance was a man, snaking away through the vegetation and moving quickly too. At least as quickly as Julian or Nicole could have managed. He was covered from head to toe in a long, flowing, hooded black cloak.

She handed the binoculars to Julian so he could have a look. “How does he even breathe in that thing?”

Julian had a look himself. “You mean the cloak?”

Nicole nodded. “I’m sweating just looking at him.”

“Did you see the other one?”

Nicole took the binoculars from Julian, focused and saw what she had missed the first time around.

There was someone else there, a young child, by the side of the hooded man, walking along beside him—no, not walking. Floating. Floating along by his shoulder.

Nicole whipped her head around. “Is that…?” She frowned. “…but no. That’s not right. Joseph’s not a child anymore. He’s a young man…”

Julian shook his head. “No, that’s not Joseph. Though it looks like him…”

Julian made to take the binoculars from Nicole but she wouldn’t let him. She was still gazing out at the strangers in the distance.

The floating child that was accompanying the hooded one was dressed in a light, off-white tunic that now and again, fluttered in the early morning breeze. He was small. Just a toddler. From what she could make out from here, he appeared to be no older than a three-year-old child and glowing yellow gold.

Julian went to take the binoculars again. She wouldn’t let him.

“Nicole…”

“No, look!” She pointed at the two in the distance.

Julian turned to look. Even without binoculars, He could see what she meant.

The hooded one in the distance had stopped.