Chapter 2: Who Art Thou?
A/n: Okay first I want to thank my two reviewers tiger002 and josonstoneface.
If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have added another chapter.
An hour later, the terrorists had herded most of the people to the Sky Deck.
No one made any movement, afraid of what might happen if they did. The terrorists had taken control of the ship and had taken the ship far away from land. Armed men where everywhere and more seemed to be boarding the ship in small boats. It started to look like a terrorist's convention.
Cody knew exactly why they where here and that knowledge sent fear through his body. They were here for revenge. Vengeance for the death of their leader. Now they have come up together to achieve this goal.
Escaping seemed hopeless. There is nothing they could do but to submit themselves to the will of these evil men.
They were doomed.
But no. Cody would never let that happen. He is one of the smartest person the ship. He'll come up with a plan.
He did plan their escape when he and his friends where stuck in an island.
Cody surveyed the scene before of him. It was totally different from what he saw earlier. The Sky Deck that was once bursting with life, laughter and fun was now replaced by silence, fear, and occasional sobs of passengers crying for their life.
His eyes drifted to a group of people that were also finding a way to get off this problem safely. But they were doing it in a method Cody never thought of doing.
Praying.
Cody never believed in God or in any other gods so prayer was never an option for him.
Since he started reading, all he ever believed was science and anything that uses logic and reasoning.
For him God is just a fictional being. An imaginary person that people in ancient times worship for their lack of knowledge of this world. For him anything without proof is false. Anything that has no logic is nonsense, and religion is just an act of foolishness.
Fools. That is what he thinks of these people. Asking a non-existing being for help or protection that is unlikely to happen.
Cody had met some of these people and the truth is he kind of envied them. They always have someone to comfort them, someone to talk to whenever they have any problems even if the one they are talking to may not be real. They always have energy to live everyday believing that they were created by their Heavenly Father for a reason and not that they existed because an explosion happened million of years ago.
Father. Cody never had one. Well he did have one but he seldom sees him. His dad was always on a road trip for his concert. He only sees him once in a month. That is why unlike Zack, he never grew close to his dad. Mostly if
Cody had a problem the first person he would go to is either Zack or his mom and when he's on the ship, Bailey.
But sometimes he would wish for a dad that would always be there to talk to whenever he needed him.
He wondered what it felt like to be one them. To believe that their heavenly father is always watching, comforting, protecting them, providing their needs.
Actually he could attain these now but his pride wouldn't let him. He was too intelligent to make a fool of himself by doing this act. He thought. But maybe if he'll do this little experiment he might feel what they feel. But he won't do it now, not where many people could see him. Maybe later when no one is else watching.
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The moon was full, shining down at the lone ship in the middle of the sea.
Even though the night was chilly the hostage takers wouldn't let their hostages get back to their cabin nor stray away from the sky deck so they slept in the same place they were when the raid began thus making the hostages endure the freezing air.
Unlike the others, Cody was still wide awake. He was shivering for he had already given his jacket to Bailey. But that was not the reason why he couldn't sleep. It's because he was on a mission. He's not sure if what his about to do would help. But the idea just popped out of his head.
Cody watched his sleeping girlfriend's features under the moon light. He thought about their plans for their future and how their lives shouldn't end this way. He sighed.
He checked his surrounding. Everybody else were all asleep except of course for the armed men, walking around talking in Arabic.
Good. No one he knows is around or awake. He never thought he would ever do this.
He knelt down, folded his hands, and looked up to the heavens then prayed:
"Um, hi I'm Cody Martin. I'm kind of in a difficult situation here and I just want to ask for Your help. I don't know if
You can hear me, I am not even sure if I'm talking to somebody here, but if You can hear me please help us. Help us get away from the clutches of these evil men." He paused and looked around as if expecting something to happen but seeing that there was not a single change in his environment he continued. "Please don't let us die out here. I will give You my assistance if I must and I am willing to do what You want just please get us out of here safe and sound. Amen"
As Cody had expected after his prayer... nothing happened.
I knew it. Cody thought. What was I thinking? I just made a fool out of myself. There is no God. And even if there is why would He listen to me. He never did listen to His followers. I'm just wasting my energy.
He sat down next to Bailey on smoothie bar and was about to go to sleep when a scream was heard throughout the sky deck waking every person asleep on that deck.
From afar Cody could perceive the source of the scream. It was one of the terrorist dragging what seem to be a struggling Asian girl.
"Let me go." the girls screamed at the top of her lungs. The terrorist was dragging the girl across the sky deck.
Cody already knew who she was before they got near.
"London!" Bailey cried.
The man brought her in front of what Cody assumed to be their leader.
"Who is this?" Cody heard the leader asked.
"This here is London Tipton daughter of the owner of this ship." the man holding London replied.
"Good. Bring her to control room with the others and prepare the equipments for our demand video."
The man started dragging the now crying London away but was then stopped by another girl who stood up from the smoothie bar.
"Where are you taking her? Let her go!" the defiant girl yelled. All eyes were directed at her.
"Bailey, what are you doing?" Cody hissed.
Cody noticed the leader whispered something to one of his men and the next thing that happened sent fear and anger to course through his body.
Two men grabbed Bailey.
Cody suddenly stood up and punched the nearest guy that was holding her "Let her go!" He screamed.
Where did his sudden courage came from, he didn't know. Was it anger that he'd been keeping that day or maybe it was the sight of his girlfriend being held roughly by monstrous men?
Unfortunately he wasn't able to contemplate the answer for the next thing he saw was the butt of a gun rammed to his head.
His vision started to spin as he fell down towards the cold floor of the sky deck. Pain erupted through his head.
From his blurry vision Cody could make out the image of Bailey struggling as the men took her away and Zack running towards his aid before he finally succumbed to the darkness that slowly covered his vision.
0000000
"Cody wake up!"
"hmmm?" Cody stirred from his deep slumber.
"Come on Cody, wake up!"
Without opening his eyes, he replied. "Shut up Zack, let me go to sleep."
He felt so comfortable that he was in no mood to get up or be pestered by Zack.
"Yo, Codester, get up, lets play."
"Grow up, Zack."
There was something different about Zack's voice. It was like he never heard it for a long time. But he just shove it off his mind.
He wanted to embrace the comfort that he was experiencing. Not only did his physical body felt relaxed but also his mental and emotional state. It was was like a heavenly kind of comfort.
"Codester, wakey wakey. Cody, Cody..."
Cody felt someone jabbing his ribs.
"Zack stop it." Cody giggled. He quickly sat up ready to push Zack away but to his amazement when he opened his eyes, Zack wasn't around. Not only that he also found himself neither on the ship nor at the Tipton hotel. He had somehow woken up in the middle of a grassy field.
Instead of being horrified for waking up in a unknown location, he was more amazed and awestruck by the beauty of the place.
He was surrounded by colorful flower of different kind that seemed to be placed artistically by a garden expert.
There were butterflies fluttering above the flowers. Their flying pattern were graceful as if they were dancing with the rhythm of a silent music. He could also hear the calming sound of a nearby stream. From afar he could see forest and mountain ranges that seem to be drawn by the best artists of the world.
Never had he seen such a wonderful place that he wished that he could stay there forever.
"Hey Cody, try to find me."
His trance state was cut off by Zack's voice.
"Look Zack, this not the time to play hide and seek. Do you know where we are or how did we get here?"
"I'll tell you if you could find me."
"Fine." He tried to find Zack among the tall grasses but after 10 minutes he finally gave up.
"Okay, that's it. I don't want to play hide and seek anymore if you don't come out I'll just leave and find the answers myself."
"Aww. You're no fun."
Cody shot his head to the direction of the voice. Now he knows why he thought Zack's voice was a bit odd earlier.
Right in front of him stood Zack but four years younger.
"Zack?" Cody asked.
"Who else would it be?" Zack replied.
"Where are we and what happened to you?"
"You really want to know? Follow me I'll show you." And with that 12 year old Zack ran off.
Cody followed ran after him. "Hey wait up!"
No matter how fast Cody ran Zack seem to ran faster.
He kept pursuing Zack but stopped when they reached the foot of a mountain. Zack though wasn't hindered and started climbing up the steep side of the mountain.
"Zack! Get down from there. That looks dangerous." Cody warned but was ignored by Zack.
He had no choice but to follow his brother.
Despite how hard it seemed to climb the mountain, Cody found out that he didn't have any difficulty climbing at all.
When he reached the top, Zack was already out of sight. But something else caught Cody's attention. Right in front of him was the most extraordinary thing he ever saw.
It was bush that had caught fire but even though it was on fire it did not burn up.
Curious, Cody stepped closer to see the supernatural bush.
With a loud but gentle voice the bush suddenly spoke. "Cody! Cody!"
Cody jumped back in surprise. "What do You want?"
"I have heard your prayers so I came down to rescue all the passengers of the S.S. Tipton from the hands of the men that had taken them captive." the burning bush spoke.
Memories of the day's events came rushing back to Cody.
Lot's of question ran through his mind. What has become of the ship? What happened to Bailey or Zack? How did he get here? But only one question came out of his lips. "Who are You?"
"I am who I am. I am the Alpha and the Omega. The One that was and is to come." the Bush replied. Those words were familiar to him.
He tried to recall where he heard those words.
His memory brought him back to the time before he lived at the Tipton, back when his mom, Zack, and him used to lived with their grandmother. He remembered how his grandma would tell stories before they would go to sleep.
Stories about the Bible.
"You're not who I think You are, aren't You?" Cody asked.
"You already know who I am. You just do not want believe that it is I that is speaking to you. Is it really that hard for you to believe in my existence"
Cody stared then a smile formed on his face. He started looking around. "Okay Zack. Joke's over. I know it's you so you could come out now."
"What made you think I am Zack?" the Bush asked.
Cody's smile turned into a frown. He thought about Zack's expertise in pranking. How he could make every prank he made so realistic. But then even though Zack is pretty good at it, he wouldn't be able to set a bush on fire without incinerating it.
He was starting to believe everything the Bush said could be true but just to make sure.
"Okay then, if You're really who I think You are. Then prove it." Cody said as if the burning bush wasn't proof enough.
"Throw that staff you are holding to the ground."
A questioning expression appeared on his face. "What?"
He looked at his hands and lo there he was holding a staff. He couldn't remembered when or where had he picked it up.
He did what he was told. And once the stick hit the ground it turned into a snake. The snake faced Cody and bared its fangs at him.
Fear took over Cody. He ran and hid behind a huge rock.
"This has got to be a dream." he mumbled He bit his arm. Not a good way to determine reality.
He felt the painful effect of his action.
"Okay!" He screamed behind the rock. "I believe You now. Can You please take the snake away?"
"Take the snake by the tail." the Bush commanded.
"What? What if it bites me? What if I die?" He then felt very stupid, when those words left his mouth. Right in front of him was the Being that created matter and willing to help save his friends but here he was afraid to be bitten by a snake.
He mustered enough courage and stood up from where he hid. He slowly walked towards the snake which was hissing and barring its fangs as he got nearer.
He slowly took the snake by the tail and when he held it up, it reverted back to its original form.
Cody was amazed.
"Tell them to let you all go." the Bush commanded.
"But what if they wouldn't?"
"Then show them what I have shown you so that they may know that I am with you."
"But why did You choose me? Why not one of Your followers?"
"Yes. They have also asked me to deliver them out of the hands of those men just like what you did. But you,
Cody, you were the only one who volunteered to take part in the deliverance of your people."
"I don't know if I could do this alone. I'm not really a brave person You know."
"Do not fear for I am with you always. But if you really need company then I will send your brother to assist you.
For now you must rest for tomorrow will be a long day."
Cody suddenly felt very drowsy. His vision slowly dimmed as he slowly fell asleep.
A/n: Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaassssse review.