"Guys?"
"Hope, we were just talking," William assured her.
"I can see that." Hope looked between the two men.
"Seth?" Hope called.
Seth looked at Hope and said,
"I know you've been very busy taking care of him and that is great but I don't want you wearing yourself out."
Hope smiled at his concern.
"That's so thoughtful of you and I don't normally stay over, usually," she looked at Will with a slight blush.
William couldn't help smiling back.
"I really did enjoy your company last night. Seeing you and holding you again-" William said with a slight blush.
"Holding?" Seth looked at Will subtly.
"Stop it, Will, nothing happened. You're going to give Seth the wrong idea." Hope chuckled nervously. Her face became redder than chilly pepper.
"That kiss wasn't nothing." William smiled teasingly.
Seth's usually calm and collected demeanour almost cracked but he only exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Alright, I understand that you haven't seen each other in so long but it doesn't change the fact that she is a woman and you are a man. I'm staying." He said with a finality that left no room for argument.
"We don't know what else Fil is planning. He might not return right away but one must always be prepared."
William wanted to protest but Hope shook her head.
"I think it's for the best Will."
Soon Hope left after bidding the both of them goodbye.
"I'll see you guys soon." She smiled at Seth who returned it with one of his then she moved closer to William and hugged him.
"Thank you for choosing to come back." She whispered.
"Thank you for choosing to wait for me."
"Hope," He breathed out. He hugged her tightly.
"I-I..."
"I know Will," she looked up at him, "me too."
He stared at her, blue eyes wide. His heart was raging.
"I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight boys."
The door clicked softly behind her as she left.
Now it was only the two of them.
William turned to Seth who was still seated on the couch.
"There's a spare room you can use-"
"I'm good, I'll just sleep on the couch," Seth said. William shrugged.
"Okay."
Seth laid down on the couch and soon closed his eyes. It was late but it was only evening. William raised an eyebrow.
"Do you always sleep this early?"
"No."
"Okay," William answered curtly walking towards his room.
"The bathroom is down the hall, the food is in the kitchen, if you need anything, I'll be in my room and yeah,"
"Got it." Seth answered tiredly. William guessed he was really exhausted after all. He had helped out with the cleaning the other day while he had been unconscious. It mustn't be easy being the head of such an astonishing group of individuals.
Although Seth mostly kept to himself, William couldn't help but wonder how close he and Hope were. Out of everyone, she was the one he spoke to the most.
Maybe they had a history?
At that thought, William's heart sped up.
He heard Seth exhale.
"Whatever it is you're thinking, stop thinking it." William turned to Seth wide-eyed. He still had his eyes closed as he casually laid on the couch.
"Hope is special to me," Seth said.
How on Earth did he know what he was thinking?!
"She's special to me too." William said.
"I do know, it's also why I'm here. Regardless of what you mean to each other, I have to keep an eye on you. She went through a lot after you were taken. I'd hate for something like that to happen again." Seth opened his eyes, and they filled with an emotion he rarely expressed.
"I don't want to see her hurt again."
William's heart plummeted.
Hope had been in pain and he'd been the reason.
"I know Fil won't show up again but we have to be careful. You have to be careful."
"Regardless of my...feelings for Hope, I know you love her and that she's happy with you,"
"that is all I care about."
William's eyes widened.
Did Seth just say he had feelings for Hope?
"It's what I've always wanted." Seth whispered.
William was right, they did have a history.
"And if you hurt her," Seth turned to him with a passive face but the undertone in his words were enough to send shivers down his spine.
"You would do well to run away."
"I don't plan on hurting her, but I'm...glad you're honest." Will said.
Seth looked at him.
"Come on boy, let's go." William called to Berry who happily came to him wagging his tail.
They both disappeared into William's room.
Seth leaned more into the couch and sighed.
Something was happening, as he could sense it from a deep part within him. The Holy Spirit had shown him a lot of things.
Apart from the many physical and spiritual battles that had been fought in the past, there was soon to be a last one-which was a bit far away-that would consummate the end.
He wondered if they were ready for such a fierce battle. None of their lives was guaranteed but he'd long since resigned to whatever fate God had in store for him.
All he cared about was what came next. He looked forward to a time when the Earth would have passed away and they could live in peace with Jesus and God who would be their eternal light.
He was looking forward to a world of peace and love and stability where there would be no more sorrow.
Seth's hand tightened over the material of his shirt as he stared at the ceiling above him.
He wanted that for everyone who's ever known pain in this world.
He wanted it for himself, he wanted it for Hope.
She told him that he was like the sun, if only she knew how he perceived her.
She radiated peace and calm, just like a spring flowing gently.
Hope was light to him, a light shining bright. Despite all she's been through, she could still smile and make others happy. He wanted to protect her, she was a lilly in a world that didn't deserve her.
"After all that's said and done, if we can't be together here on Earth, at least we'll be together singing with the angels in heaven."
He closed his eyes.
{¶{¶{¶{¶{¶}
William sat on his bed while Berry sat by his usual spot by the door.
Everything still felt so surreal. He held up a hand and folded it then stretched it out again. He was back on the physical plane.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank God." He rolled to his side and took the Bible. Usually, at this point, a shrill voice would have spoken or a smokey figure would have appeared out of nowhere.
He placed his head in his hands.
How did he get here?
And how can so much be happening like this and yet people are unaware. How vast is the darkness and how vast is the ignorance of humanity?
He had been flared, stabbed, mutilated, strangled and yet he had never died from his wounds. Any lost limb would always grow back and every wound would always heal.
How could such things exist in this world?
He'd seen the light and he'd seen the darkness, both are as real and as tangible as ourselves.
People tend to ignore the supernatural until it's right at their doorstep, staying in the dark corners of your room, looking at you.
But without Jesus you can only scream until you wake up, only to feel the pressure of the invisible presence you can not see but whose influence you can feel.
You try to move your hand but fail, your mouth but you can't.
So you stay there like that not having any power to resist or rebuke the darkness.
William wanted to be strong. He wanted to serve God as he deserved. He's seen how loyal several people are to him. A God who held the heart of so many wonderful people was sure to be real.
He could see it in Hope's eye, he could see it in Seth's, even in Fil's. He's afraid of the light but doesn't acknowledge it. He uses human weaknesses to his advantage but what about those who had a fire like a shield wall around them? What about people like the cherished, these were people Fil truly feared.
Really, we don't fight against flesh and blood. Our enemy has always been the devil and not each other.
He's the corrupter, the stealer, the killer.
All he does is take, till there's nothing left.
William opened his Bible and read it for the first time since he entered the void.
"...Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendour. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you..."
There was a gust of wind that blew in from the opened window beside.
William shivered at the coldness. He looked out the window into the darkness beyond it.
He could feel eyes on him and suddenly felt an itching about his body.
William closed his eyes and called for the presence, the coldness.
He felt something moving inside him, it was water, the river. He felt an overwhelming presence that overcame him. It was very strong.
What was this? William almost panicked.
'It's me.'
William knew right away that it was the presence.
"You're here, you're real." William was relieved that the presence hadn't been a figment of his imagination or a coping mechanism he'd made for himself to escape the madness down there.
'I am.'
William exhaled relieved.
'Don't worry about them, they won't get near you, not while I'm here.'
"Please stay." William found his presence the most comforting.
He read on.
"...By the multitude of your iniquities, in the righteousness of your trade, you profaned your sanctuaries..."
For some reason, he looked up at that moment and stared in front of him.
"...so I brought out fire from within you; it consumed you and turned you to ashes on the Earth in the sight of all who saw you,"
"All who know you among the people,"
Fil,
"are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end,"
"and shall be no more forever."
this is for you.
{¶{¶{¶{¶{¶}
Outside William's window, a bird stared at him from afar, till he was fast asleep. It was perched on top of an adjacent building not too far away.
It screeched before flying off. It flee for some time before arriving at a luxurious mansion that was brimming with life as there was a party going on there. But it wasn't an ordinary party, it was strictly on invite-only.
The black small bird perched on the window of the room of its master and looked through. The master was lying on his bed rather than out celebrating.
The bed tapped against the window with his beak. The tapping sound seemed to rouse the man with the blond hair from his sleep.
He opened his eyes and it was glowing.
"You made it to the party. How is he?"
He was eager to know.
He looked at the window where the bird still stood.
He sat up and walked towards the window. He opened it and the bird flew in.
The bird morphed into a person- woman. She was naked but found a robe to wrap around herself.
Bennett smiled.
"Happy seeing you again, Betty." The woman with brown hair and hazel eyes turned and looked at her master.
His smile was wide yet his eyes glinted.
Bennet had thought Fil had killed her or eaten her but she'd actually been assigned to work in covert operations that only a few people had been privy to know about.
One of the jobs was to keep track of the three, which she's been doing for a year now. The other now was to keep a close eye on William that had managed to break free from Fil's strongholds.
Her shape-shifting abilities have been immensely helpful.
"Yes, sir."
Bennett walked towards her, his eyes twinkling.
"What did you find out?"
Betty's eyebrows creased a bit. She hadn't expected what had happened back at William's apartment to happen.
"He now has the Holy Spirit." She said tight-lipped.
Bennet's eyes sparked knowing that it would undoubtedly put a huge dent on their plans. Maybe William wouldn't be as easy to take back as they thought after all.
Maybe it was time to find someone else.
"I'll inform our master," He told her and she nodded.
She was about to turn to leave, when he continued, "but you should stay." one hand snaked around her waist.
"This wouldn't be our first time." Bennett looked at the door then back at her. She stared at him.
What did she have to lose? She belonged to the darkness already and would serve in any way required of her.
She smiled at him.
"Of course."
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Another chappie! Whoo-hoo!
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for reading. God bless you.✨❤
Don't forget to drop a comment. Wanna know what you think.😀✨
Taiwolilly, out👌