"I would've killed you if that damned -- thing -- hadn't blind-sided me!" Washington proclaimed. "You took advantage when I was already rocked!"
"Did you expect me to wait until you got your wits back about you?" David laughed in response. "When you see an opportunity, you take it - right?"
"Ah," The Commander groaned. "So far as I'm concerned, a true warrior faces down his prey when it's at its best... I've never been one to shoot a man in the back, but I don't blame you for taking the sissy's way out. I'll tell you what; it's a damned good thing that preacher showed up... I think we'd both be deep in the dirt if we hadn't gotten out of there."
Since they had escaped the garden, the disciples had continued their march into the unknown. Jennings had assured them that they would encounter others along the way to the east, but it was still just the two of them as the star grew closer and brighter in the sky. Outside of its brilliance, a heavy darkness surrounded them most the hours of the day.
The men who had shared an unholy obsession with the demon called Eloa had become close along this new journey. They walked, and walked, and walked - just as they had before, still finding no sign of anything to cling on to.
They had fashioned garments that resembled togas with leaves and vines, not so much to hide their nudity as to protect them from the brush that constantly assaulted their flesh on their way.
They talked at length about the events that unfolded in the garden, some still bones of contention between them. It was as though they had been in competition for Eloa's attention; her love and affection. David felt that Washington was a bit of a home wrecker, having stormed in from nowhere and laid claim to a kingdom that wasn't his to own.
The Commander understood where Sparks was coming from, but he had always been taught that when someone tries to take something that's important to you - you fight for it until you draw your last breath. There had been no sign of such passion from David, so it stood to reason that he had simply relinquished the crown to the bigger, stronger man.
Washington was an Alpha Male; when he saw something he wanted, he took it... Eloa was no exception. Had he known he was claiming the hand of a succubus, perhaps he would've laid off a little... she was brilliant in her deception, neither of them having gleaned a single clue regarding the spell that she held them under.
"What do you think those flowers were?" The Commander asked the one who had partaken of the Lotus first. "They were like a drug -- I couldn't get enough of them."
"I think it was a drug." David replied. "When she fed them to me, I could think of nothing more appealing than staying in that place forever. Most likely I would've done just that, had you not come along and spoiled everything for me."
"Guess you could say I saved your ass, then!" Washington smiled.
"Maybe, but I saved yours in return by starting the fight that led to our escape - so we're even."
"What do you figure she wanted from us? She seemed so unselfish; gave us everything we wanted and asked nothing in return."
"She asked a lot in return, actually -- if what that priest says is true. If we're appointed by God to fight in this great battle he speaks of, our absence from Jerusalem might have tipped the balance."
"So you think she was just trying to keep us there? To keep us away from the fight?"
"At first, yeah... and she used the Lotus to keep us in her spell. When you came along, though, she had a chance to strike down two disciples; by turning us against each other. Whatever that orange flower that I ate was made me insane with rage and jealousy. I wanted both of you dead, and I almost pulled it off."
"Too bad you didn't know about my guardian angel..."
"Huh?" David asked, confused.
"My Nana... I was dreaming of her that night, like I often have since all this shit popped off. She was trying to convince me to leave... to move on to Jerusalem. I refused... for the first time in my life, I didn't listen to what she had to say. It was that damned flower that did it -- I would never defy my Nana if I were in my right mind. She stood by me still, and came through for me that night. She slapped me across the face and ordered me to wake up. When I did, I saw you standing there -- about to crush my head."
"That creature interfered because it saw that I was terribly outmatched, I guess... wanted to level the playing field a bit."
"It just wanted us to keep fighting until that wall of fire came... take us both at once, so neither of us had a chance to run off after killing the other."
"It's amazing that we were so fooled... I thought she loved me, man! And I almost started loving her."
"Bitch was ugly with her head all caved in, eh?"
"I'm just glad I wasn't the one to boink her." David chuckled with glee and condolences. "Never went for that demon bush!"
"You don't know what you missed, brother." Washington returned. "It was almost worth it."
As they walked a familiar scent took hold of David's nose. He had smelled it every day during his childhood on the coast of Florida. Its presence meant that this leg of their journey was almost over, and that was welcome news to his weary bones.
"Hey!" He exclaimed to Washington. "Do you smell that?"
The Commander took several deep huffs but detected nothing unusual in the air; nothing he could identify, at least, in his exhaustion.
"Nah -- what is it?" He asked, perplexed.
"Salt water!" David explained excitedly. "The ocean!"
Another thirty minutes or so of walking confirmed his identification; they found themselves walking in cool sands while the sound of waves breaking in the distance fed a sense of victory to their hearts.
To their genuine surprise they saw fires burning on the beach. There was life here - and lots of it. Thousands lined the shore of the untamed ocean rolling in the night; people from every walk of life making this place their home.
"David!" A familiar voice called from within the crowd as they approached.
"Mister Jackson!" Sparks called back, the man standing and waving at him with a wide smile.
"Oh my goodness!" Michelle said as she looked David and his new friend over. "You've made it! And who is this you've brought with you?"
"Robert Washington." The Commander introduced himself, as he drew closer to her.
The woman reminded him of his nana - her features very similar and an air of warmth and love exuding in her aura. He couldn't help but hug her, feeling like kin as she kissed him on his cheek.
"Pleased to meet you, m'am." He continued.
"Please," She insisted. "Call me Michelle! We're so happy to have you with us, in the shadow of our Lord! You must meet my husband..."
"Good evening, sir." Washington said as he firmly shook Terry's hand.
"T.J." the beaming man returned. "Call me T.J.!"
David was as excited to see the couple as they were to lay eyes on him. He was quick to hug the both of them, his grassy clothes likely rough upon their skin.
"My God!" He exclaimed as he squeezed them tight. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"
"Didn't think us old folk could do it, is that what it is?" Terry joked. "You young people always forget about one thing; God gave us that spunk to carry us through the days!"
"I'm so sorry I left you behind." Dave offered. "I should've stayed with you... I owed you that much for what you did for me at the airport."
"We didn't do anything for you there, David!" Michelle suggested. "It was Jesus Christ who saved you!"
"He did the same for Robert here." He explained about his new friend. "He was at war in Afghanistan - the Christ saved him in the face of certain death."
"Afghanistan?" Terry asked. "How did you find your way here?"
"Good question..." Washington replied. "I haven't got the slightest clue."
"We don't know what to do from here." Michelle qualified the question of her husband. "The sea looks angry - we have no means to get these people across it."
"How
long have you been waiting here?"
"Two - maybe three weeks." Terry continued. "The Priest told us we would find a way to Jerusalem, but I haven't got a clue how we're supposed to do it. If we built rafts the current would sweep us off to God knows where - but only until the waves swallowed us up. Israel isn't exactly next door... it seems impossible that we'll ever see it."
"There must be a way!" David speculated. "We've come so far - surely there's a plan to get us there from here."
"We hoped the Lord would return." Michelle said. "To guide us in the next steps. It's been so long since we've seen him... I don't understand why he hasn't visited since that first day."
"We haven't seen him anymore either." Washington explained. "I guess he visited all of us just as this began - but no one has seen or heard from him since."
"Maybe the plan has changed?" Terry wondered. "Maybe we just aren't important anymore?"
"But the priest -- Jennings, or whatever." David started. "Why would he keep showing up to push us here if that were the case? He said we would find a way..."
Commander Washington thought about the days behind and remembered the words of his Nana in the prison yard.
"You must go, baby!" She had insisted with conviction in her tone. "You must part the waters!"
He thought about this for a moment, gathering the courage to share such a ridiculous thought with the others. Finally he decided that he didn't have room left in his heart for shame... if this idea was laughable, then the people would laugh; it made no difference to him now.
"I think I'm supposed to do it." He suggested, the others looking to him for more. "I think I'm supposed to -- part the waters, somehow."
"Now you're Commander Moses, eh?" David giggled a bit.
The Jacksons weren't phased by the absurdity of the notion. David noticed this and quickly zipped his lips, examining the flowing depths beyond.
"Maybe you should try?" Terry said, no shred of doubt in his voice.
"How do you suppose I do it?" Washington asked.
"Just open your heart!" Was Michelle's response. "Stand before the water and ask it to open a path!"
David was all for having hope, but this seemed too much, even for him.
"Doesn't this seem a little crazy to you?" He asked them. "I mean -- even if, by some miracle, he clears the way for us... what do we do then? Just walk to Jerusalem? Do you have any idea how wide and deep this ocean is?"
"Very deep, and very wide." Terry responded. "But no distance is too far to travel to do the bidding of God."
"Go, child!" Michelle encouraged. "Lead us through this water!"
Washington walked to the edge of the sea, looking out to the undulating horizon and wondering what he'd gotten himself in to. He tried to summon all of his faith as he stood there, focusing his energy to the task at hand.
The people on the shore stood in anticipation, scrambling to get a closer look at what was about to take place before them. The man looked like a god where he stood; tall, solid and defiant of the boundaries set before him by Mother Nature. His body expanded and contracted as he breathed deeply, his form illuminated and tensing muscles highlighted by the light put off by the fiery star above.
Without a word, Washington raised his arms from his sides and spread them like they were his wings and he was a majestic eagle poised to fly. The crowd stood in awe as a great wind rose from the south and disturbed the waters before them; but nothing more became of the effort the man put forth.
He relented for a moment, lowering his arms and causing the wind to die to stillness. Shaking off his hands and feet, he prepared again; digging even deeper into his heart and soul in search of the strength that might allow him to do what seemed impossible.
Several more deep breaths blew from him, the Commander drawing in the last and holding when his lungs were full. Again he threw his arms up in the Christ pose and turned out his palms as though the water had formed walls at his sides and he sought to push them away.
A heavy gale kicked up as he beckoned power from the Lord. The warrior let out a savage cry, intensifying the speed of the air moving around him. Despite his efforts, the sea still refused to be split.
It angered him beyond words - and he showed his fury through a violent outburst of leaping into the sky and shouting out every ounce of the air he'd taken in.
"Fuck!" He cried with a primal rage.
The people watched him as he threw himself into the sea, beating the surface of the water with his fists as though he thought it might be pummeled into submission.
"Damn it!" He continued to shout. "Why won't it work? You TOLD ME it would work!"
"Help him." Michelle prayed to her Father above. "Help him clear the way!"
"Yes!" A familiar feminine voice rang out to the woman, Terry and David standing near her.
The three of them turned in disbelief and laid their eyes upon a beautiful lady standing behind them. Her hair danced supernaturally on the wind, her body looking as though it were made up of tiny particles adrift in the breeze. She was transparent, but of substance nonetheless. This soul was stunning even in this ghostly form, an angel in the mist.
"Tracey!" David exclaimed, throwing himself at her to embrace his beloved widow.
He stumbled, of course, as he passed through her body and nearly fell into the sand. She turned to face him without turning at all - simply morphing to face him as she spoke.
"You must help him, David." She said in a peaceful tone. "No one-man can do this alone."
"You must ALL help." Said a smaller voice just as determined in its tone.
"Darnell!" Michelle exclaimed this time, looking upon the child's form before her.
"My god! My grandson!" T.J. pointed out.
David looked deeply into the eyes of the woman he had loved, hypnotized by the stillness of her soul. He didn't want to leave this moment; to lose her once again. Without making another sound she made it clear to him, however, that his place was in Jerusalem... in the thick of the fight for all humanity. It pained him to do it, but he walked passed her towards the sea - leaving her behind for what he feared might be the last time.
"Honey." She called to him, her husband turning back with tears falling from his eyes. "I love you.."
"I love you too, baby." He replied. "More than you ever knew..."
"Go, Grandpa - Grandma." The essence of Darnell ordered the Jacksons. "Go to the Holy Land..."
A chorus of voices rose now, Commander Washington looking in awe upon the beach where thousands of souls had materialized to advise the people gathered there. There seemed to be one for each small group, inspiring them all to move towards the salty depths.
"Now, Little Rob!" His nana called from among them. "We'll all be waiting for you there!"
The soldiers drafted by the Lord formed a single-file line along the shore, David leading the way as he approached Washington in the drink. The Commander took his hand, David taking that of Michelle behind him and her taking Terry's. In this fashion they formed a chain between them, their faith amplified through the contact with each other.
The wind rose once more, grabbing hold of the waves and splitting them down their centers. Suddenly the whole of the sea was opened up before them, a corridor surrounded by furiously flowing water stretching far off into the night.
Washington moved among the torrent, a mist of cold liquid and warm air carrying him on along a journey that would be as long and difficult as the one that was behind him.
The star danced in the heavens, a beacon to guide them through the night until they arrived in the kingdom of glory on Earth.
Chapter 31