…Wow… This is probably one of my best chapters… in MY opinion anyway!!!
I don't own… etc…
Chapter 8: Supernatural Encounter
Jack didn't know how he got there. One second he was walking home and the next; he stood at the door to Ann's guesthouse; where Karen was staying.
Karen hated being alone like this. When she was alone, her mind was allowed to wander. When her mind wandered, she would often think back to the day when she woke up to find her father at her door…
KNOCK! KNOCK! Karen's head shot up and she looked to her door. She began shaking as fear seeped into her mind. It's my dad! He's come to beat me again! She screamed in her mind. She was thinking illogically, yes, but she didn't realize it at the time.
Jack stood at the door for a little bit longer before knocking again. KNOCK! KNOCK! Still no answer. Jack sighed and jiggled the door handle. It was unlocked.
Karen watched in fear as the door opened slowly. She looked around for a place to hide, but there was none.
Jack peered inside the house. "Jack!" Karen jumped up from the couch and practically bounded into Jack's arms.
Jack, who was too confused to do anything else, wrapped his arms around Karen's form and held her close.
It took Karen a few seconds to realize their precarious position and she pulled away quickly. "Jerk!" She snapped before hitting jack on the arm.
Jack, however, was still reveling in the feeling of holding Karen close. Hearing her breathing and feeling her heartbeat. He felt this long after she pulled away. In fact, he may have ended up feeling like this forever unless Karen didn't suddenly yell his name.
"Jack!" Karen yelled for like the fifth time. Jack snapped out of his trance and looked at her in confusion. "I've only yelled your name five times!" Karen snarled. Jack just shrugged.
"So… What was that all about, Karen?" Jack asked after the two had sat down on the overstuffed couch. Karen sighed, "I… I was…scared…" Jack gave her an encouraging look telling her to continue. "I… I was scared that you were my dad… and that he…" She trailed off.
Jack sighed, "I don't think your dad's going to be coming here anytime soon. You're safe here." He said softly. Karen nodded slowly, but his words did little to comfort her.
Jack saw that Karen was still tense. He racked his brain for something to cheer her up.
"I'll be right back." Jack said as he rose from the couch and walked over to the kitchen.
He opened the refrigerator and smiled as he saw the leftovers of a very-berry pie.
Jack sat down next to Karen; there were two plates in his hands. There was a slice of pie on each plate.
Karen looked up at him and smiled. She grabbed the plate out of Jack's outstretched hand and began eating the pie via the fork that Jack also handed. Jack also began eating his pie.
"So, why'd you leave the festival?" Karen asked in between bites. Jack groaned, "Two reasons. One was the fact that I didn't know how to dance to that music; the other is that Popuri was driving me insane."
Karen darkened, "Popuri? Don't listen to a word she says. She's the biggest liar in town." Jack grinned, "I figured that."
Karen smiled happily, "Onto the other reason you left. You're going to need to learn how to dance if you ever plan on being popular in the village." Jack groaned.
Karen tried to stop herself from saying it, but it was too late. "I'll be glad to help you!" Jack looked at her and blinked, "You will?" Karen nodded slowly. Jack grinned, "That's great!"
Karen finished her pie and got up. Jack looked at her quizzically, but Karen didn't reply to the silent question. Instead, she walked over to a tape player and pressed play.
The familiar sounds of folk music filled Jack ears and he stared at Karen. "You're going to teach me now?" Karen nodded, "No time like the present!" Jack shrugged and stood up.
"Okay, first you put your hands on your hips like this and take one step forward . . ."
It didn't take long for Jack to learn the simple dance. Meanwhile, as Karen taught him, he told her everything that had happened that day.
Soon Karen and Jack were dancing together, occasionally laughing when the other would make a mistake. Karen seemed to be laughing a lot more than Jack though.
"Okay! That's it for tonight. Now I'm tired." Karen said as she plopped back down on the couch. Jack sat down next to her. "So, what else has been happening with you, Jack? Farming got you down?" Jack shrugged, "Not much…" His grandfather's diary popped into his mind.
"I found my grandpa's old diary though." Karen looked at him, intrigued. "You did?" Jack nodded, "Yeah, it's got some great tips in it. Farming and… other tips." Karen smirked, "What kind of other tips?" Jack smiled sheepishly, "Well… it's got tips on dating… kinda… I mean, my grandpa would record every date that he and grandma would go on. I think it was so he would learn from his mistakes."
Karen smiled, "Say, did he ever tell you how they met?" She asked remembering how that was her favorite story when she was a child. "He mentioned it in his diary, but that was all." Karen breathed in, "He told me more times than I can count. 'It was love at first sight' he'd always say."
There was an awkward silence then, "I don't believe in love at first sight…" Karen said quietly. Jack looked at her, "I do…" Karen looked back up at him and their eyes met.
Then, the moment was completely ruined when she said, "Gee, Jack. Couldn't come up with something more original?" Jack laughed, "It's true! I do believe in love at first sight!"
Karen was skeptical. "Oh? Why's that?" Jack thought about it for a moment, "I… Well, my grandpa! If he and Grandma had love at first sight, then it must be true!" Karen rolled her eyes, "Now we're just going in circles. We started with your grandpa! How do you know?"
Jack just shrugged. "I just do…" Karen sighed, "Have you ever experienced it?" That's when she noticed how close Jack and her actually were. As Jack drew closer, he said, quietly, barely audible, "Why, yes. I have…"
Jack's and Karen's lips came closer and closer to each other. Meanwhile, both their minds were whirling. What are you doing?! Was screamed in Karen's. There was a yell of victory and glee in Jack's.
When they were so close enough that Karen could see specks of dust on Jack's, the front door flew open.
Jack and Karen ripped away from each other just in time to see Cliff and Ann walk into the house. "See, Cliff, I told you that he would be here!" Jack turned a deep red.
"So, Jack. It looked like you were getting pretty cozy with my cousin in there." Cliff said as the two walked back towards Jack's farm. Jack broke out into a fit of coughs, "What?!" He managed to say in between coughs.
Cliff laughed, "Please… I saw how close you two were!" Jack turned crimson. "I—uh—well…" He stopped when they walked onto Jack's property…
…Which was trashed.
"What happened here?!" Jack cried out in anger as he saw his house. It had red paint—along with obviously rotten eggs—splattered all over it. Not to mention the window that had been shattered and the hatchet embedded in Jack's front door.
The animal barns weren't much better…
Jack immediately began calling out for his dog and horse. Thunder, Jack's horse, neighed loudly and ran towards Jack. Taco, on the other hand, was no where to be seen.
Cliff pet Thunder on the nose in order to calm the spooked horse down. Meanwhile, Jack was searching for Taco.
"Taco! TACO! Where are ya boy?!" There was a yapping sound from inside the shipping crate. Jack swung the top open. Inside, Taco jumped up and down trying to escape the cold box.
Jack reached down and lifted the distraught dog out. "You okay?" Taco yapped in response and licked Jack profusely.
Jack let the dog down and looked at Cliff in bewilderment. His bewilderment soon turned to anger and he began shaking. "I'll kill whoever did this…" He said through clenched teeth.
Cliff's eyes widened, "Calm down, Jack! We don't even know who did it!" Jack didn't calm. "I'll find out!" Jack ripped the hatchet out of his door and glared at it hatefully. He spun around to face the dark field. Cliff found out why seconds later…
The hatchet whistled as it flew through the humid, night air. It landed out of sight with an inaudible thud.
Jack slammed the door behind himself, leaving Cliff alone with Thunder out in the field.
Cliff sighed and walked toward the nearby barn. He wasn't going to sleep though. No, he was going to do something completely different…
"God…" Cliff said quietly, "I don't know why this happened tonight, nor do I know who did it, but I pray that it won't happen again…" He paused when he thought he heard something in the dark barn.
After a few moment, he continued, "God, please bless Jack. He must be going through so much, and he really doesn't need this now. Please, protect us both. I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but I have a bad feeling that this is just the beginning… Help Jack with his anger now; what happened tonight was bad, but revenge isn't the answer… If you want me to tell Jack that then—"
Cliff shot up when he heard another sound. "Who's there?" He called out. Immediately, as if the nonexistent light went out, the room seemed darken. Darker than it had been anyway…
Cliff knew what was happening, and it was scaring him. Terrifying him in fact. "Sh—show yourself!" He said in a quiet, shaky voice. He heard the reply immediately, "Are you sure you really want to see me?" It said in a gravelly voice.
Cliff was trembling now, "Show yourself!" He said a little bit louder. The voice laughed—a horrible, deep and villainous laugh. "Fine."
Cliff felt a warm breeze coming from behind him, and he spun around. He came face to face with evil…
There, in front of him, stood a woman with bright, green hair. She had piercing, purple eyes and she wore an extravagant dress of many colors. She wore jewelry made of gold, silver, diamond, and just about every type of emerald and precious stone ever discovered.
"Not what you expected, is it, mortal?" She said in a soothing, low voice. Now that Cliff could see her face to face, he was able to dispel some of the fear. "No, actually, it's exactly what I figured I'd see. Ya know, the whole Satan posing as an angel of light thing." The woman's features darkened, but she kept the sweet smile plastered on her face.
"Is that who you think I am? No… I'm just a messenger from God!" Cliff crossed his arms across his chest and looked at her skeptically. "Then what was with the spooky entrance?" The woman grew angry.
Her violet eyes turned a bright red and her smile turned to a sneer. "So, you're smarter than I thought…" Her voice was deep, "Beware, human. I won't lose this village! You may have won one over, but you will not win them all!" Cliff had lost all traces of fear by now, "Are you finished?" The woman stepped closer to him.
Right before she reached him, she was flung back by an invisible force and crashed against the wooden wall. She glared in the direction of Cliff, but at Cliff. It was as if she was looking past him.
"You! What are you doing here?!" She roared. Cliff spun around and his breath was taken away as he saw a man with flowing, white hair. The man had gray eyes that seemed to shine. He was clothed with white robes that shone with such brilliance that they filled the barn with light. In one hand, he held a huge sword that was bigger than Cliff. In the other, he held a simple scroll.
"Leave here, demon. This one is under the protection of the Lord!" The man commanded with such authority that the woman shook in fear… or maybe it was anger…
"No!" She pulled a red sword from the folds in her robe and she charged at Cliff with impossible speed. She brought the sword down toward him, but right before the sword connected with Cliff's flesh, she was flung backwards again.
She roared once more before disappearing from sight.
Cliff turned to face the man. His knees nearly gave out when he saw and felt the power that he held. "You're an angel?" Cliff asked shakily.
The man didn't reply, but, instead, he kept his eyes on the place where the woman had just stood. "Get out!" He said loudly. There was a loud hissing sound and then, silence.
"I am Gabriel, the High Messenger of the Lord." This time, Cliff's knees did give out. He fell, painfully, to his knees and looked up at Gabriel.
"Wh—what have you come to tell me?" The angel looked down at him, "Stand." He simply said. Cliff immediately felt strength return to his legs and he stood hesitantly.
After standing, he looked hopefully at Gabriel. "What have you come to tell me?" That's when the most amazing thing happened; Gabriel laughed. Cliff just stood there dumbfounded. "What? No small talk?" The angel asked. Cliff smiled, glad that even angels had a sense of humor.
"Too overwhelmed." Cliff said while shrugging. The angel smiled and then he returned to his serious attitude. "Listen to what the Lord says to his servant.
"'I have heard your pleas.'" Cliff's eyes widened and he held his breath as Gabriel spoke.
"'I have brought you here for a reason; do not be afraid! I am with you always.'" Cliff's knees gave out again.
"'I have given you this town. It's already yours! Lucifer has already lost.'" Cliff fell to his face, tears splashed down his face and he moaned loudly.
"'You are under my divine protection. In anyone shall harm a hair on your head, they will face my terrible wrath. Amen.'" There was silence after that. When Cliff looked up again, Gabriel was gone…
Jack sighed and felt guilty for the words he had spoken. "Maybe I was a little bit rash. I mean, the house actually looked pretty good red. If I just finish the paintjob, it'll look pretty good! And Grandpa had a few extra windows in his shed!" Jack smiled, "I'm gonna make the best of this!" He said with determination.
Just then, Cliff walked through the door. He was practically glowing. "What's with you?" Cliff just smiled and shook his head, "Just had a supernatural encounter, Jack!" Jack stared at him for a few seconds and then shrugged. Wasn't his business anyway.
"Listen, Cliff. I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I was just angry, and I didn't mean them. I don't actually plan on killing anybody." Cliff's grin widened, "That's great, Jack! But… what are you going to do?"
It was Jack's turn to smile, "First of all, I'm going to finish the paintjob, and I believe my grandpa has a few spare windows in the tool-shed.
Cliff patted Jack on the back, "I'll help of course. And maybe we can get Ann and Karen to help us! I know you want Karen to come at least!" Jack turned a deep red color; "I'm—uh—going to bed. Good-night, buddy." Jack said before lying down on his bed. Cliff smiled and silently thanked God before lying down on the old couch…
"Okay, seeing how Ann's house is painted red, maybe she has some extra cans of paint." Jack said the next morning. Cliff nodded and the two began the small trek to the Green Ranch.
"Oh Goddess! Someone ransacked your farm?!" Karen said in surprise. Jack nodded solemnly, but then he smiled. "We've come to see if Ann has any extra red paint."
"Yep!" Jack spun around and was surprised to find Ann standing behind him, clothed in her trademark overalls. "Got plenty left over from when we painted the house! My dad's kinda went over board." Jack grinned, "Can we have it?" Ann shrugged and indicated the nearby shed. "I'll get it. Cliff, you wanna give me a hand?" Cliff nodded and he followed Ann into the shed.
"So, why'd you want me and not Karen or Jack?" Cliff asked while Ann handed him cans of paint. "You looked like you had something to tell me." Cliff smiled and shook his head, "I'll tell you later. Remind me."
Karen cleared her throat and Jack faced her. "What's up?" Karen rolled her eyes, "I think you know exactly what's up!" Jack sighed, "You wanna talk about it?" He asked.
Karen shrugged, "What happened last night?" She asked quietly. Jack was silent for a few seconds, "I think we almost kissed…" He said equally as quiet. Karen didn't reply.
Finally, she asked, "So… what do we do now?" Jack shrugged, "I don't know… I haven't had that much experience asking a girl out." Karen raised an eyebrow; "Sounds like you know what you're going to do!" Jack didn't answer. "Well?" Jack looked at her quizzically. Karen sighed, "Are you going to ask me out?"
Before Jack could reply, Cliff and Ann walked up to them. "Ready?" Jack nodded slowly, but his eyes never left Karen's…
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Well??? Did you think that it was awesome like I did, or… did you despise the very core of it? It's up to YOU to tell ME!
R&R!!!
God Bless!
--Ben