 |
0.00
(0 votes)
You must login to vote
|
|
|
Balance Conclusion
When I awoke it was night. I lit a candle and picked up a book that Cindy had left. It was an old paperback "Crack in the Cosmic Egg" was the title. A note fell out and landed on the bed. It was addressed to me. Well, the name I gave her. I opened it and read.
"Just so you know the baby is yours. But don't worry no one will know. I decided to go home and have the baby. I'm going to stay with an aunt who loves me. I'm keeping our baby. You and the baby are the best things to ever happen to me. Sorry I always hurt you. But by you letting me you made me well. There is no more to ever be said about that. Please don't try to find me, we will be just fine now. There was something about you I hope shows up in our baby. Thank you and I love you with all my heart. Love Mary "Cindy" Bernstein."
Spinning and twirling out of control is what the world does best. And the ethereal boss running the controls is assuredly a moron. But I'm beginning to wonder if He really is as dumb as I think He is. I think that sometimes He does not do what the paper handed to Him says to do. It must drive the Angels crazy.
I found the little house and went in. A robe was hanging on a peg so I put it on. The hall was bigger than before and there were a lot more kids. The Kid was well into a glorious rant about how the world needed to be renewed. I waited for him to tell the congregation how that was to be done. He didn't of course. But he did see me and stopped talking abruptly. He started again after every kid's eye was on me.
"My children we have a miracle amongst us. Born of flame and fury he comes to us as protector and warrior for the coming times. We will rally behind him as he leads us to a new and righteous world, one free of randomness and synchronicity. The world to come will be a just and balanced world. Heaven shall be free of eons of rules and tedium and the Father will be unfettered and true to creation once again."
If I wasn't freaked out enough, the Kid raises his arms and I lift into the air. My robe flies open and my pants disappear. Now I got to tell you I was getting real tired of people messing with my pants. So now I'm moving in the air toward the stage and I stop right in front of the Kid. He whispers to me "Sorry about the pants,I know you're sensitive about that - It'll be okay."
Then he screams "Behold your Champion!" and I spin around, high in the air, exposed to the whole congregation. They're screaming and cheering and I'm thinking why does it always have to be cold every time my drawers are pulled off.
The Kid's voice changes and a still comes over everyone. I swear it sounded like a choir of Angels pronouncing each word in unison.
"Here is the third born, the alpha and the omega, He is the Balance, One of three…for him we wait till the time when he will call to us with that great horn. We will grow and wait for the call. And now We grant him honor…"
My lower abdomen was on fire; something was searing my flesh. I could smell the skin burning. I looked down and a brand similar to the one on my back appeared on my stomach - still smoking. Something invisible crashed painfully into and through me taking the wind out of me. I struggled to breathe but my lungs wouldn't work. I felt like a fish out of water. Choking and terrified, I dropped to the floor unconscious. I awoke gasping, I was barely able to force air into my lungs. My throat was sore and constricted. I didn't dare stand for the dizziness. When I could compose myself, I looked up and the house was gone. I was sitting on the dirt of an empty lot. I remembered the brand on my stomach, that was sore and real enough. I heard a flapping above me. All I could think was 'Oh shit!' The Monster alit in front of me. For the first time I got a good look. It was big and beautiful in a predatory way. Its wings were like a bat. The skin was smooth and patterned with diamond shaped emerald colored, connected forms. As if it could read my thoughts it opened up its wings in full span. The body was man-like except for its feet and hands. The feet were three toed and horribly clawed. The hands were humanoid but over sized. Thick vicious talons extended from each fingertip. Its face was mostly muzzle with huge 'horror-movie' teeth. Saliva dripped from its maw constantly and the thing muttered under its breath a kind of mantra. But its eyes petrified me; they were the essence of nightmares, glowing in a hellish red. Moving was not an option, I was dead and that was that. The creature got down on all fours and crawled slowly toward me. Something in me relaxed; it would have been more aggressive if it wanted to eat me. I had seen its behavior in the past, and this was different. It nuzzled me in an odd manner and sniffed at my stomach. Jerking back it sneezed and snuffed, over and over. The monster backed away and stood to full height. Then it did a ridiculous thing; it bowed at the waist with amusing drama and formal flourish. With a blast of wind, the blowing dirt blinding me, the beast was gone. I wiped my eyes, stood up, and cursed everything as loud as I could.
Two years slipped by. Nothing much changed, there were a lot less 'little boy' whores in the park for awhile - no one missed the legless Veteran or his thugs. Of course, someone else took his place, a Russian ex-red army. I had to kick the asses of the Russian's thugs a couple of times a week just so they wouldn't get uppity. The word got around that I offed the queer-cop and that rep kept the street reasonably safe. None of the boys who, 'protect and serve', ever bothered me. I never saw the Kid and his cult congregation again. I thought about praying but I never did. What would be the point, it would be processed and put in some overworked Angels in-box. If it got to the big guy, how do you know what button, lever, or knob He would engage? A couldn't chance any more surprises.
I spent most of my time screwing up drug dealers and taking their money. I was like a Robin Hood, but no matter how much good I did, it was never enough. There were always more runaways - more drug dealers - more little boy hookers -more teenage whores - more thieves - more homeless people - and more violence. And I was the biggest provider of that last commodity. I had gotten faster, stronger and most assuredly more dangerous. The Gargoyles, there was more than one, spent a lot of their time picking up after me. I always wondered what they did on their own? Was it their job to help me or were their victims chosen by unfortunate chance?
The Big Guy in the sky was winding it all down and I couldn't stop Him. I saw it in the same dream every night. I believe it because I had to - with all I had experienced. When evil was around, my back birthmark hurt. When good was around, my stomach brand hurt. I got depressed and couldn't figure any of it out. What was the Balance? What difference did it make what I did, when it was all coming to an end? Isn't that what the Binle says?
I had enough. The Seven Eleven was open, I walked in, punched the undeserving clerk once, into unconsciousness, reached under the counter and pushed the police button, went to the cooler and pulled out about six chocolate milks and grabbed a few packages of Ding-Dongs. I sat on the floor, placed an empty gun on the floor in front of me and waited for the police.
They recognized me and stopped in puzzlement. I waved. They kicked away the empty gun, let me finish my last chocolate milk and gently handcuffed me. I was hauled away and booked. No one asked me anything. I was brought before the judge. My public defender did as good a job as I would let him. The judge asked me if I knew the difference between right and wrong? I told her Honor that I was the only person on the planet who was ordained to know the difference. She took it as sass and tacked on two more years.
Don't judge me too harshly. The dream told me that the great cosmic clock would run down in five years, exactly my sentence. Well, one can't tell with dreams. Prison wasn't bad. I could clean out the scum. The Gargoyles got in to remove the evidence, how that was accomplished I have no clue. When the wardens got the word on me, I was moved from prison to prison and put in the worst of company. Look! I know ethically it was a little shaky, but my back hurt all the time and the only way I got any relief was to clean up the 'big house' and remove the baddies. Then I got the chance to write all this down, enjoy the rest, eat three squares, and have my own bed. I guess I know now that I am the 'Balance', whatever that is. I've gathered some followers, done my part to fix the prison system, and maybe the Kid and the big Guy will let me know what I'm supposed to do when I get out. Don't ask me about the bad women, that's not my area. Maybe there is a beautiful girl 'Balance' out there doing what I do. Maybe we are destined to meet. Like a 'Superhero Duo' - Mr. and Mrs. Balance. I would hope she could do a great impression of Bette Davis like my Mom. I don’t think I'll count on it. Anyway, I'll make you a promise, dear Reader, no one is ever going to mess with my pants again.
End
www.klstoryteller.com
------
Why is doing what you love the hardest thing to do? Is it because failing what you thought defined you would be too devastating a thing from which to recover? If so, we stay where mere accident has left us.
|
Related Items
|
|
|
|
