9:10
The brilliant blue angel that had spoken to Jack swooped down and surrounded him. Its power formed a bright sphere around his astral body, pulling him upward. His whole being felt calm, as if being submerged in warm water. It carried him into the sky increasing in speed as it went.
The grip of Hell�s stream was approaching the tornado at the outer realm. The torment spun in huge spirals. Christopher watched in horror as they got near. A fizzling sound crackled all around the powerful layer surrounding him. It grew louder and louder and then�
�nothing.
The sphere that contained him melted away as quickly as it had appeared. Christopher was free. He watched the ethereal stream dissipate into nothingness, fading into the black sky.
Another stream formed inside Hell�s core and shot out past him, toward earth. It had a new purpose. The little tree�s astral mass drifted lazily above the yard. It would soon find itself in the core of the devil�s tornado.
Jack watched the blur passing stars through the energy�s blue film. He knew where the angel was taking him. The distance that would�ve taken him over an hour lasted only a few minutes within the entity�s powerful speed.
The great spiral of punishment came into view. The tornado�s eternal glow lit up the otherwise black void. The sphere melted away as Jack was released. He was still miles from Hell�s storm. Jack looked over the distance, searching. A small, bright spirit was approaching. Jack knew right away that it was his son. Relief washed through him and he began to cry. They embraced, their energies mixing at the edges.
They looked out into the night sky, toward Earth. The mundane world looked so small from where they were, so insignificant compared to the endless astral universe. But, as they gazed at the tiny speck in the distance, they knew better. It meant everything. It was home, at least for a while.
As Jack sped off hand in hand with his son back to the place they loved, he realized that there was so much more to learn.
He also realized that he would have forever to learn it.
9:11
When they got back the street was covered in Sheriff�s cars and two ambulances. He gave his son a final spiritual hug and they descended down into their bodies. Jack was lying on a stretcher next to Stacey�s. His eyes popped open and he sat up.
The EMT shouted, �He�s awake!� to the other.
Jack hopped down and went to his wife. The driver was telling him to lay back down. He paid no attention. She was lying on her side with a white sheet pulled up over her shoulders. She was looking at him. He took her hand.
Her voice was weak, �Jack? Is Chris okay?�
�Yeah baby, he�s fine.�
�Did we do it, Jack? Did we win?�
�Yeah, we did. Be still now. Don�t worry about anything.�
Officer Lunderman spoke up from behind him, �Jack? Jack Sawyer?�
�Yes.� �Can you tell me what happened here, sir?�
�Yes. The old woman. She attacked my family.�
He looked up at the house. Linda was still inside. The officer watched the ambulance staff attending to Sally.
�What about the girl, the granddaughter?�
Jack and Sally�s eyes met. He sent her a kind smile.
�She saved us. We wouldn�t have survived without her.�
�We�re going to need a full statement from you��
�No problem.�
He walked away, Lunderman followed.
Jack kneeled down in front of Sally, �You okay?�
She grinned at him, �Yeah Jack, I�m alright. Chris?�
�I think he�s gonna be okay.�
He looked over her red, frostbitten face with the cracked lips and smeared mascara. Her dark hair was a mess and her shirt was torn at the neck. He took her hand and their eyes met.
He gave her a serious smile, �Thank you. Thank you for saving my son.�
She grinned, �We did it together, partner.�
�Friend.�
She turned her hand over and gave his fingers a squeeze, �Yeah�you bet.�
Jack looked up into the sky. It had stopped snowing. The sun was beginning to show below the distant horizon. The white haze would clear away by noon. The dark clouds would break apart and move on, leaving only blue sky. They would all appreciate that sun that day. It would not be taken for granted.
But as the old timers often say,
If you don�t like the weather, just wait a few minutes. It�s bound to change.
After all, you never know when another storm is just around the corner.
9:12
A cool breeze pushed through the branches of the little tree they had planted in the spring. Its thin arms swayed in the wind. From the street, it looked like any other elm sapling, sitting quietly in the melting yard.
A closer look would find that the brown skin was turning dark and a black, sappy ooze drooled down its rotting spine. The physical integrity of the tree was diminishing as the dark power inside the small prison raged. The swirling energy bubbled and spat. The astral pressure was more than the sapling could take. Its molecules screamed silently against the tremendous push. The thin branches dripped with desperation.
It was almost as if the tree itself was aware.
Aware that it had already begun to die.
0:2
And so we find ourselves back where we began, inside the questions.
We have always had them and as long as we are on the earth, we always will. They will continue to thrive, sitting ever so uncomfortably between our hopes and fears.
As life�s path winds in a different direction for each soul bound to the earth, we can find comfort. Comfort in the knowledge that we all are on a similar path of growth and learning. The answers lie in the journey and even as a soul nears death, the path for them is far from over. As long as a spirit remains open, inquisitive and questioning, its growth will continue. All knowledge comes from, and lives and breathes inside the questions.
We can realize that they not only drive and sustain us, they give us meaning.
Just so long as we remember this:
If the answers were laid out in front of us like some great map of truth, the questions would simply disappear�
End
Thanks for seeing it through to the last page. I hope you have had a good time finding your way here. Please E-mail me with any comments. Thanks much.
Brian
copyright �2002 Brian Holtz
All rights reserved