Chapter 18. The Prophecy.
The inside of the cabin didn't look much better than the outside. The peeling walls were littered with newspaper clippings, books were stacked high atop each other in every corner of the room, and the staticky sounds of a television news broadcast blared loudly from across the house. Callie, Laila and Addison eyed the small two bedroom shack wearily as Declan pushed past them.
"I've got some medical supplies in the back for the boy. He needs to lie down. Hopefully he'll start to come to by tomorrow." Callie and Laila followed directly behind him, acting as makeshift bodyguards for Kalen's unconscious body. Addison broke free of Laila's grasp, taking a self guided tour of the rundown shelter.
"Hopefully?" Laila asked quietly, unnerved by the tall man's callous attitude towards the situation. He paid her no mind as they entered a small, bare bedroom, laying Kalen down on the firm twin bed. In his sleep, Kalen's eyes darted chaotically under his closed lids. His breathing was rapid and tumultuous. Callie couldn't bear to listen any longer. She turned to Declan as he dug through piles of junk in his closet, finally pulling out something that mildly resembled a medical kit.
"What do you need us to do?" She gave Declan her full attention, turning completely away from Kalen. She struggled to keep from looking back at him.
Laila clutched the door frame as she watched Kalen from the foot of the bed, concentrating hard on his distraught form. His body thrashed violently in his slumber, beads of sweat forming along his hairline. More determinedly now the blonde girl pictured his restless face in her mind as a single tear fell from her dark lashes, instantly feeling a wave of calm wash over her body.
In an instant the thrashing and the incoherent murmurs came to a halt, and Kalen's body went completely still. His chest began rising and falling steadily as it found a soothing rhythm. Laila's eyes reopened, and she let out a small sigh of relief. She held the wall a little tighter now, suddenly feeling exhausted and weak, a bead of sweat dripping from her brow, but she smiled softly nonetheless.
"Here, take this." He thrust some antiseptic and bandages into Callie's hands before turning to Laila. "For the open wounds. Bandage them up and I'll be right back to give you a hand." Callie blinked, taking a fraction of a second to absorb his words before following his orders and running back to Kalen's side. Declan took Laila by the arm, leading her into the hall.
"It's okay, come with me," he said, his tone more gentle than it had been in any of their previous conversations. She eyed him skeptically as he led her down the hallway, but didn't seem to have the strength to argue.
Declan carefully sat Laila down on the couch, muting the loud and poorly connected television that illuminated the dark room. She arched her head up to meet his worried gaze. His expression quickly shifted into one of hardened indifference.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay... a little tired. What..." she trailed off, finding the courage to ask her next question. She pulled at her sleeves self subconsciously. "What just happened to me, Declan?"
"Well, in short, you're very special, Laila."
Laila, still feeling a bit off kilter, leaned away from Declan in surprise. Her tone was now horrified when she gasped, "How do you know my name?"
"Relax, relax," he urged, not wanting the girl to become worked up again. His ordinarily stoic and rugged features were now kind and gentle. He appeared much younger now than he had when they originally met. The kindness of his expression gave him a much more youthful glow behind his jaded brown eyes and unshaven jawline.
"I know each and every one of you, in a sense. I've been waiting for you all for a very, very long time, you see," Declan continued.
"How long have you been in this place?" Laila's wide blue eyes studied Declan intently. The question was vague, but he understood just what she meant. How long had he been on this earth? Stuck, dangling between life and death; trapped in Abeyance. He was thoughtful for a moment, never diverting his gaze from hers.
"Nearly one hundred years."
"How is that even possible? What have you been doing for so long?" She clasped her hands together tightly, her mind racing. Is that going to happen to us? Will this be our fate for the rest of eternity? She had to rub her eyes harshly to keep them from welling with unwanted tears.
"I've been waiting, planning. This cabin, it's just a temporary place for me to find some shelter. There is so much you four need to learn in such a short span of time so you will be ready."
Laila was thoughtful for a second before arching her head back up and speaking again. She still had so many questions. "What have you been planning for? The end? Are there more like us?" All of her concerns came spilling out of her so quickly that she began tripping over her words.
"Yes," was all the man had to say before standing, leaving Laila with even more questions.
"And what do you mean I'm 'special?' Special how?"
"Please," he leaned in closer, placing a consoling hand on hers. Laila felt a blush creep to her cheeks. "I promise, I will explain everything soon. But, for now, I have to see to Kalen. I need all of you to be together for this to work." With no more explanation than that Declan hastily walked off. Laila's headache began to dull now, and she gingerly cradled her head in her palms, desperately trying to calm herself.
After carefully cleaning the wounds along Kalen's forehead and cheeks with the few materials that Declan supplied her with, Callie found a dishrag in the bathroom and ran it under warm water. She then delicately placed the cloth on Kalen's forehead, silently saying a small prayer for his recovery.
"You have to get better, Kalen," she spoke softly. "Who else is going to annoy me?" Callie grinned at her own joke, but it quickly faded back to a serious grimace.
"I don't think we can do this without you, Kalen. I don't think I can do this without you."
She brushed the boys long, disheveled hair with her hand. Callie watched as he slept, her own eyes growing heavy and tired. Against all of her instincts, Callie carefully leaned in and rested her head on his chest as she felt him breathing deeply. The slow, rhythmic movement made Callie feel a little more at ease, and in seconds she was asleep beside Kalen, holding him protectively in her arms.
Hours later Callie's eyes opened to the unfamiliar room. Her arm reached out, but the spot beside her on the small mattress was empty. She sprang up instantly, the bed creaking as she lifted herself up and found the doorway through the pitch blackness. She found her way to the living room where everyone was huddled together. The room was abuzz with noise; she couldn't manage to make out any distinct words among the clamor. Coming closer, she realized they were surrounding the newly awoken Kalen.
"Kalen?" she breathed. Callie then picked up pace, breaking through the small crowd and throwing her arms around the still frail boy without thinking. Kalen just stared down at her in surprise. She then pulled away just as quickly, holding him at arm's length. She swatted his chest in annoyance.
"What the hell? Why didn't you wake me up?"
He lifted an eyebrow, his cheeks the slightest tinge of pink as he recalled waking to find her nuzzled against him. "Well, I tried, but you seemed so peaceful. I didn't want to bother you."
Callie sighed briskly before Declan cut into the conversation, "Okay, now that we are all here and accounted for, it's time to begin." Confused, Callie looked from Kalen to Laila, but she didn't have time to speak again.
"Follow me," Declan gestured as he walked away to the kitchen at the end of the cabin. "It's time I gave you all an explanation as to why you have been brought here." He walked through the kitchen and to the back door, opening it to let in the cool night air.
They came to a pair of steel cellar doors behind the rundown shack. Addison shivered, and he wasn't sure if it was due to the cool breeze or out of fear, or maybe a mixture of both. Regardless, he reached up for Laila's fair hand and held it securely as they took their turn descending behind Declan down the eerie cement staircase. He felt a sense of calm with a hint of anxiety wash over him, and he glanced up and eyed Laila wearily.
The cellar was illuminated by a single light bulb in the dead center of the cold, musty room. Green metal shelves lined three of the four walls, fully stocked with different caliber weapons. Kalen could only stare, awestruck by the sheer amount of weaponry he saw before him. The man had everything he could ever need and more to fight in his own personal war; shotguns, rifles, swords, daggers, crossbows, and a lifetime's supply of ammo. He was gearing up for a fight, that was for damned sure.
"This is my armory, it belonged to an old doomsday prepper, and it has everything that we may need to survive this thing coming our way."
"And how do we play into all of this exactly?" Kalen asked incredulously.
"You each possess a very unique, very specific set of skills that will prove useful in the fight against the apocalypse," he said matter of factly, as if it were common knowledge.
"What skills?" Callie now interjected.
"I'm glad you asked. There is a prophecy stating that four unique, antithetical beings will come together, and when that day comes the signs of the end will arise on earth. 'The earth's waters rise above the mountain, and then the waters sink so low they cannot be seen anymore. Then the waters return to their original position and burn from east to west,'" he quoted.
The other four were completely silent, mouths slightly agape as they processed the information being unloaded to them. Declan finished, "And finally, yesterday, 'Plants and trees fill with dew and blood,' and that is how I knew that now is the time, and that you have finally arrived. I have been waiting, biding my time for decades and acquiring the weapons I need to fight this damned war to end all wars."
Laila soft spoken voice asked timidly, "And what would be the next sign then?"
Declan turned away, eyeing the shelves as he spoke. "Soon, all buildings will be destroyed, great earthquakes occur, and all mountains and valleys are leveled to a plain. Listen, this will not be easy by any means, but there are innocent lives on the line. For the sake of the world, I am asking you to put your lives at stake and fight for what's right. Can I count on you all?"
"No offense," Kalen stepped forward. "But I've been hit by a truck, nearly burned in a fire, and knocked unconscious and almost buried alive in an earthquake, and that was all within a three day span. Now you're telling me that we are all integral parts of some war against the end of the goddamn world? No, I don't think so." He crossed his arms defiantly. Declan clenched his fists.
"He's right, how do we know we can believe what you're saying?" Callie agreed. "This could all just be some sick fantasy of yours."
"You want proof? I'll give you proof," Declan thundered across the room, his harsh words echoing loudly off the cement walls.
In an instant the shelves began to shake violently and the floor began to vibrate. The group of teens and Addison huddled together protectively as Declan's face contorted into one of pure power, fueled by rage and determination. The air felt thick and all of their minds became overwhelmed and dizzy. Laila held her stomach, feeling the urge to retch uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her face as she fought the urge to vomit and push past the torture.
Kalen's hands flew to his head. It felt as though his brain was filling with cement, the pain so unbearable that he temporarily lost vision in both eyes. Addison clawed at his ears, biting his lip hard to keep from screaming. Blood began to slowly creep from his right ear drum, and yet the boy did not scream. His green eyes squeezed shut tight, his brain beginning to shut down as a means to protect himself.
Callie fell to her knees, her head spinning as she heard the sounds of death and anguish circle through her mind on repeat. The cries of men, women and children alike pleading for the sweet release of death to escape their damned prisons was deafening. She wanted to pull her hair out, to scream, to die--anything to just make it stop.
Then, with a flick of Declan's wrist, the hold on them was lifted. Laila fell down by Callie's side in relief, holding her shoulder for support. Kalen took a few wobbly steps back, narrowing his eyes at Declan. Addison looked up as his body still shook, scared beyond all belief but intrigued nonetheless. After all, it wasn't as though he hadn't been through worse.
"There's your proof!" Declan bellowed, his face one of extreme annoyance more than anything else now.
"What the fuck was that?" Callie fumed, still too disoriented to stand.
"Psionic Induation," Declan semi-explained, as if they would understand with no questions asked. He exhaled, irritation creeping back into his tone of voice and somewhat numbing the anger.
"Look, that is just a taste of what you all are in for. That's nothing compared to the literal Hell that will be coming for your asses. I can teach you everything I know. I can help you train and prepare, and maybe you'll have a small semblance of a chance of stopping this thing. But we won't know until you learn to trust me."
Declan went through one by one and studied each of their shell shocked faces, watching the fear in their features turn into recognition, and then anger and determination. Callie and Laila stood again, still linking hands in solidarity.
"Now, I will ask you one more time," Declan growled through gritted teeth. "Can I count on you?"
Kalen stepped forward and took Callie's free hand, and Addison stepped up beside Laila, his tired little face more determined than ever. Briefly Kalen and Callie locked eyes, conveying a whole conversation in just one look.
"Okay, fine. We're in."