Chapter 28 Vision of Darkness
You know, it would be nice if you readers would review. I mean, this is my biggest, most important of my stories on the web site, and I like never get any reviews on it. On my other story I have to beat the reviewers off with a stick. Come on people.
"Yer becomin a proper seaman now Kai," Captain Bates said as Kai showed him the large fish he had caught.
"Thanks Captain," Kai said with a smile.
"Yeah," Captain Bates said as he walked across the ship, gesturing at the sun with his fishing rod. "The great light of heaven, I call it. Yew ever seen a sunset out over the waters?"
"No," Kai said.
"Ain't nothing more beautiful than that. The son is a wonderful thing matey! Gives light to all, before dying down, and lettin the stars take over the sky.
Captain Bates then began singing again.
"And the night goes on, unfolding for ever,
The stars in the sky, they light the way.
We sail on, stopping never.
To find the place we call home again."
As he sang, Kai suddenly got a weird feeling. Something was dreadfully wrong. He felt as if he was about to lose someone who was closely connected to him. Kai suddenly dropped to the ground, and blacked out.
"Kai?" the Captain said, looking at his friend.
Kai found himself standing in Mineral Town. All the town's people were all going about there business peacefully. Everything seemed happy, and right. But Kai felt a foreshadowing of evil. Suddenly, the sky clouded over, and lightning began to strike all around him. The people of the town ran in mindless panic, as a unholy wind shook Kai. In the midst of the chaos, Kai could still hear one voice. He heard Popuri calling his name. He could hear Popuri calling out for help.
"Kai?" a voice said from somewhere in the darkness. "Kai, wake up."
"I have to help Popuri," Kai said to himself. "Pull yourself together Kai," the voice persisted, but Kai still tried to push it away. "Don't do this to me Kai! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Captain Bates said as he shook Kai's shoulders.
Kai's eyes snapped open.
"Oh, thank God," the captain said. "Yew had me worried Kai."
"I had a vision Captain," Kai said. "I saw Mineral Town. It was in trouble. Popuri... she was in trouble! I have to go back there, now!"
"Wait a second mate," Captain Bates said. "Yew say yew saw a vision... from God?"
"Probably, yes," Kai said.
"Then we best get yew back to yer town." the captain said with a serious look on his face. "In all my experience as a seaman, I've learned to always listen to God."
Captain Bates immediately started for the cabin to change the ship's course.
Christmas was coming, and Gotz and I were both ready. We had started giving out presents to all the people in the town, telling them they were Christmas presents. Some of the people later gave us what they called "Starry Night presents." Apparently the people of this town had there own holiday on the twenty sixth, the day after Christmas, and the day before the Hail Goddess Festival. I didn't know if them giving there presents was to be nice, since we had given them presents, or to show that they didn't buy our Christian faith.
I continued to have frightening nightmares. Many of them involved Ann being in trouble, but me being unable to get to her. But others involved a gigantic hand, which flew towards the town. It was colored blood red, and had the image of a skull on a pike plastered on the back of it. I believed it symbolized the Right Hand of the Goddess.
Karen walked slowly, and unhappily through the cold, snow covered streets of Mineral Town. She plodded along silently, her head hung in sorrow. Too many times had things gone wrong. Her so called "Guardian" had betrayed her. Karen had disbelieved this, and ignored it for a long time, but she found herself now agreeing with this. Karen walked into her home, and walked off into her room. She shut the door behind her, and collapsed onto her bed.
That one man had caused so much heartbreak for her. He had promised her everything, and then dashed all her hopes on the ground. This man had betrayed her, and now she had to confront him. But maybe he shouldn't be spoken of as a man.
"Darkfor," Karen said, lifting her face towards the window.
A gentle gust of air blew in, touching her face very gently. Then the same dark figure appeared on the windowsill. It was a cloudy figure, with a dark, humanoid body. But it wasn't like a body at all. It was more like a shadow.
"Yes my child?" the dark figure said in a deep, emotionless voice.
"Why are you here?" Karen said quietly, while trying to get a good look at her guardian, for once. But his shape was obscured by the blinds which were in front of the window.
"Because you called me," Darkfor replied.
"No," Karen said firmly. "Why did you come here at all? Who... what are you?"
"I am Darkfor, your Spirit guide."
"Don't give me any of that Spirit guide crap," Karen snapped. "You betrayed me!"
"I did nothing of the sort!" the figure said, with a growl on the tip of its tongue.
"Yes you did!" Karen shouted. "When you first came to me, everything changed. For the better. But soon, strange things began to happen. What are those faces I see in the night? What are those voices I keep hearing? What about... the creature."
"The creature?" Darkfor said quizzically.
"Yes," Karen said. "The creature that comes and visits me, in the night. The creature that renders me helpless, allowing it to torment me in the dark. It is not my imagination. That creature is real. How many more times must I awaken frightened, and scared to death? How many more times must I hide under my covers as I hear the sounds of that monster growling, and moving in the dark. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, and find that I'm unable to move. I then hear noises of some creature flying through my room, growling and shrieking. And then that horrible howling starts up."
Karen shivered at this.
"And what about the flying objects too? Are you that... that... monster? That thing is real. It is like the darkest creature from the darkest horror stories ever written. And I can't help wondering if it desires my soul."
"I have done nothing else but try and help you."
"Oh yeah? What about the times you "borrow my body?" You may not know it, but I remember what you use it for. Remember Rick? So many years ago? You used to take control of me, and make me do horrible things to him. How could you do that to me? Rick is my best friend?"
"I never layed a hand on Rick. That was all your doing."
"IT WAS NOT AND YOU KNOW IT!" Karen shouted. "Go away! I hate you!"
"Where would you be without me?" Darkfor snapped, now angry. "Was it not I who was always there for you? I took care of you, didn't I? You need someone to look after you."
"I have my parents, thank you very much," Karen said, with venom in her eyes. "You never helped me. You used me. I have been a tool of yours. Like that other night, when you used me to help you speak with Won. And when you used me to take out your anger on Rick!"
Suddenly the dark figure leaped upon Karen, knocking her off of her bed, and to the floor. Karen screamed, but the dark figure stabbed her chest with its finger, causing her breath to be cut short. Karen struggled to breath, but found that she was unable to. She tried to wriggle away from her attacker, but to no avail. Her lungs constricted further as Darkfor held her against the ground.
"Now, you listen to me!" Darkfor shouted, his shadowy face glaring down at her. "You will do as I say! I am now your master. Never say anything like that about me again, and never even think about turning away from me! And about that creature that visits you at night. If you don't want it to harm you, then you'd better obey me!"
It was the twenty fourth, the day before Christmas. The snow outside glistened in the sun, expressing to all the world the glory of God. The clean, white snow was a sharp contrast to Popuri's current mood. Popuri stood in the kitchen, washing dishes. She sighed unhappily as she quietly cleaned each plate, and utensil until it shined and sparkled. Popuri's depression had not lifted yet. She missed Kai very much. Popuri knew that she wouldn't see him until next summer, which seemed like such a long way off. Popuri secretly hoped that someday Kai would decide to stay on Mineral Island with her, forever.
Popuri sighed as she imagined the two of them together. She imagined that they would move in to his Beach house, and settle down. Popuri hoped to have several children, and to spend the last of her days there with Kai. She didn't want to travel the world, as Kai wanted, so Popuri was afraid that it wouldn't work out between the two of them. Then, Popuri's sadness returned to her. Popuri continued scrubbing the muck off of the dishes, wondering if this was as good as it would ever get. Would she truly live happily ever after with her true love? Or would they be forced to separate. Popuri bowed her head, and let here tears drop from her eyes into the dirty dishwater below. Popuri cried silently, not wanting to attract attention. Her head drooped down as she thought about how hopeless everything seemed without Kai. He was her friend, her supporter, her one true love. Suddenly Popuri heard a voice coming from outside. She looked up, and quickly dried her eyes. The voice was singing some song which Popuri could not recognize at this distance. Popuri immediately dropped the dish towel into the water, dried her hands, and began walking down the stairs. As she walked, the voice got louder, and became more audible.
"Sweet memories
come
Sound softly in my heart.
You are my beloved
sweetheart
Felt within."
Popuri's face lit up as she finally recognized the song. Popuri immediately grabbed her coat, and took off running, bursting out of her home like a deer in mating season. She turned and looked up the path. The sight she saw was the most wonderful thing she had seen in a long time. Kai came walking down the path, increasing his speed when he saw Popuri come out of her house.
"Kai!" Popuri said happily as she watched him coming.
Kai was with another man, who could be compared to any seaman which had ever lived. But Popuri ignored him. She instead, ran towards Kai. As she ran, Kai opened his arms to Popuri.
"Farewell to thee, farewell to thee
O fragrance in the blue depths.
One fond embrace and I leave
To meet again."
Popuri threw herself into his arms, crying her heart out. Kai embraced her tightly as she sobbed on his shoulder.
"I understand the beauty
Of rose blossoms at Mauna-wili.
There the birds delight
To the beauty of this flower."
Kai then kissed Popuri on the cheek, and held her tightly.
"But no flower is as beautiful as you, my love," Kai whispered.
Behind Kai stood Captain Bates, off on "vacation." Tears came to his eyes as he watched the reunion of the two lovers. Kai then pulled away from Popuri, and looked deep into her eyes.
"I have returned," he said, "for the final time."
Kai then grabbed Popuri, and pulled her into a kiss. Tears continued to come to Popuri's eyes, as she held Kai close. He had truly returned for the final time. High above them, Rick watched from a window with much contempt in his heart. He had to break this up, now. Rick ran for the stairs. He charged down to the bottom floor faster than any cheetah could. Rick opened the front door, and slammed it behind him. Kai pulled away from Popuri, and turned to Rick. Kai smiled, but Rick gave him a cold glare. Kai's smile faded as Popuri's brother walked up to him.
"You just won't leave, will you?" Rick said coldly. "You have to return every summer and try and take my sister away from me again. When will you ever give up?"
"And when will you forgive me?" Kai asked. "I apologized for all that I did to you, but you won't accept the fact that I have changed. I know who I was before, and I'm not proud of it, but I have changed. The old Kai is gone, and the new one has come. Why can you not accept this?"
"You are a bad person Kai," Rick said. "Why should I believe that you have changed."
"Rick," Popuri said. "Please, Kai has apologized."
"I don't give a dang," Rick said, and turned, and walked back inside his home.
"Don't mind him," Popuri said. "He's always been like that, and I don't know if there is any chance that he will change."
Kai smiled. "Oh! I forgot. Popuri, this is Captain Joe Bates. Captain Bates, this is Popuri."
The captain grinned, and extended a large hand to Popuri.
"Its a pleasure to meet yew ma'am," the captain said. "Kai's told me lots about yew."
Popuri accepted his handshake, and smiled.
"So Kai," she said. "Why did you return so soon, and why did you bring this man with you?"
"I had a vision," Kai said, as fear came to his eyes. "A vision of what?"
"A vision of the destruction of Mineral Town."
'I feel a disturbance this night.'
'I do as well.'
'Soon it will be time to begin. Soon it will be time for the Right Hand to descend upon the town, and I feel a disturbance. This is not good. Someone has come to Mineral Town. Someone who opposes my throne. Who is it, Spirit?'
'It is Kai. He has returned. No doubt, he will try and interfere during the final days.'
'Of course he will. He is with... Him. I am suddenly afraid. During the final days my wrath will be revealed, but what is the best way in which to channel my wrath?'
'Plagues. Ten plagues of such terror, that those only partially loyal to you will fall at your feet and beg for mercy. The first plague will be a warning. The next ones will be a direct attack. The tenth plague will be the coming of the Right Hand. The Final Blow. I am ready to assist you. My prey is still undecided, but I think I will be able to convince him to join you in the end.'
'You realize if he does not, then you won't have any prey any more.'
'I am aware of this. But the master plan must be carried out. Thandrana, you and I must finish this.'
'How dare you speak of my with my true name! You are a lowly Spirit! You will refer to me as the Mighty Harvest Goddess.'
'Silence you fool! I will say what I like about you! Remember, I am not your servant, I am not your slave. I am simply working with you because the two of us have a common goal, and a common master. I will work with you, follow your plans, but I WILL NOT LET YOU TREAT ME AS AN INFERIOR!'
'I could destroy you, I could just destroy you!'
'Oh, right! I'd like to see you try and send me to the Abyss. You will find it is not an easy task. I would gladly deposit you there, but for now, I need to to remain in this world.'
'So we both hold the same opinions of each other I see. But that is not as important as what we wish to accomplish.'
