Afterglow, chapters 1,2,3

The First Book of Moses, Called
Genesis
1

The Creation


1 In the beginning God created heaven and earth.
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2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep water. The Spirit of God was hovering over the water.
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3 Then God said, "Let there be light!" So there was light.
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4 God saw the light was good. So God separated the light from the darkness.
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5 God named the light Day, and the darkness he named the dark Night.






















Afterglow
























Book One
Faith
Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.
- Saint Augustine

















Chapter One

The moment their eyes met, everything changed.

The day was hot and sticky, as usual for a summer month. She was wearing short shorts and a grey tank top—nothing special, with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. The train station was packed: she could hardly breathe.
“Hello?” she called, desperation beginning to tear her controlled voice. “Is there anyone here who speaks English?”
She was met with suspicious glances and hostile bodies turning away from her, the foreigner. A man stopped in front of her, staring, overly curious.
“Hello?” she squeaked hopefully. “Could you please—” but the man shoved passed her gruffly, without a word. “Please…” she searched the crowd, tears threatening to come with the storm she could see moving in from off in the distance.

      He stood, feet away, about to board the train. But something held him back. A girl, he guessed she was American from her clothes, was standing in the center of the crowd. She looked desolate— ready for anyone to rescue her. He sighed, half annoyed. American girls loved to play the damsel in distress. Keeping his eyes trained on his shoes he walked toward her. He could really see the desperation now as she turned in a circle, vainly seeking for one who would help her. He stopped as he was about to reach her, watching. She would not notice the lone guy standing to the side— she was too caught up with her own plight.

      Fifteen minutes until boarding.

    Defeated at last she sat, forgotten, where she had been standing. This was a cold, heartless place, but she should have been prepared for their cruelty— she wasn’t from here, after all. She put her head in her hands. She would die here, on this very platform. Starvation, thirst, loneliness…soon her body would be trampled by the endless hoards of people. A girl unknown to prayer, she decided this was the time to start.
“Dear God,” she murmured.

      Five minutes until boarding.

    She was seated now, sitting on the dusty station floor. Her head was bent,
eyes trained on her clasped hands. Her mouth spoke wordlessly, her lips moving inaudibly. It was time.

    “Dear God,” she said again, more firmly. “Plea—” she stopped, her frantic heartbeat stilling in her ears. Her voice wouldn’t come anymore. A hand was on her shoulder. Barely brushing it, but there nonetheless. And she could feel the touch burn through her like fire. She closed her eyes. Her heart, her breath, her mind— all were stopped as long as that hand touched her. Then it was gone, releasing her. She stood. The stranger was behind her. Then she turned. And their eyes met.
Clear blue met with solid black. He looked at her solemnly, and she stared back, entranced. She had not yet asked for help, and God had sent her an angel. She could see nothing but his eyes— not his hair, his lips, his body— just the dark spheres that held her fast.
“Come, sister,” he said, his deep voice breaking the spell. It was then that she noticed all the other eyes, glaring at her with dark mistrust. She played along.
“Yes, brother,” she rasped, her voice hoarse. The eyes continued to gawk at the mismatched pair, but he strode on without as much as a glance in their direction. She followed him toward the train.
The whistle blew. Time was up. The train was leaving.
He leaped gracefully onto the end side of the train as it pulled passed and extended a hand for the girl. She hesitated.
“Take my hand,” he commanded. She reached out her fingers, barely brushing his, then drew back. He reached forward and grabbed her by the wrists, firmly pulling her up beside him in one fluid motion. She pushed back from him once aboard, her eyes wide and staring up at him.
“Come,” he bade her, and walked inside the train and out of the sweltering heat.
Timidly she crept in behind him. Every instinct that had been hammered into her since childhood demanded fear and suspicion of the young man helping her, but if she could not trust him, who would come to her aid? Confusion and indecision writhed inside her, but when he sat and indicated the empty seat beside him, she took it.
She couldn’t help looking at him. In a dark, mysterious way he was beautiful. He sat straight and still, his slightly wavy hair falling into his eyes, and she was fascinated at how perfectly motionless he was, despite the constant rocking of the train.
His knee was just an inch away from her own, and she couldn’t help marveling at their different coloring. Whereas she was fair as ivory he had beautiful, deeply tanned skin. His limbs were long and lithe, and still muscular. His eyes were carefully directed away from her, and she fleetingly remembered their deep obscurity.

She was afraid of him. Every time his body moved she jolted backwards, as if even his touch would harm her. She was so vulnerable and delicate looking— more like a doll than a person— that he almost felt the need to be protective. With one wrong step she could break her fragile bones.
The train shuddered violently along its tracks, throwing her against him.

The burning sensation enveloped her again. Why was his skin so hot? And his face so impassively calm? It was frustrating to see him, so mysterious and haughty, while she cowered in her corner. Did he have no feeling?
“Who are you?” she blurted at last, the silence no longer alluring. He turned to her then, and she quavered under his gaze. There was something profoundly serious and inscrutable about those eyes.
He looked at her gravely, not offering any explanation, nor asking her of her identity. He held her gaze for a moment, his unreadable eyes giving nothing away of the thoughts that surely must be lurking within him somewhere. Wordlessly, he turned and merely went on staring at the wall as before. Sighing in resignation she folded her arms across her chest and feigned amusement in the playing children.
They sat, resolutely still, for the hours the train wobbled on its course, refusing to look at each other. But the friction was there nonetheless. She could feel it with every shift of her body, but his face remained masked. She could not read his emotions, nor could she guess his thoughts. He was dead to the world: an immobile, insensate rock.

From the corner of his eye, he watched her. She was uneasy, and her anxiety did not seem to wear off. Her eyes flickered to him a thousand times each passing moment, and she kept her posture stiff— her body turned acutely away from his. She could feel the heat.

The train was slowing. It came to an abrupt halt for the first time that day. She could breathe at last. Passengers scurried off and she made to get up, eager to go with them, when he placed a hand on her arm. She stared at him, her cheeks coloring at his ridiculously warm skin. He didn’t pull her down, but by some force her knees bent, and she sat.
He spoke not as much as one word, but the silence meant a thousand words, most of which she could not understand. ‘Stay’ was the clearest indication. She did not think she could bear the quiet. Even the ceaseless shrieking of the children could not soften the silence between them. He would not speak.

      And yet, something urged her stay.

Chapter Two

The bright blue sky gradually dulled down to sightless black. The lights along the train’s hallways spluttered to life, offering feeble comfort from the faceless shadows. An unusual chill swept through the train. She shivered, huddling in her corner. Without glancing at her, he handed her a jacket she hadn’t notice him wear. Grateful, she snuggled into it, enjoying the extra warmth it still held from his body, and the musky scent buried deep along the folds. She closed her eyes, sleep finding her quickly.
His eyes never even fluttered. He waited until she slept soundly, then tucked the jacket around her more securely. It was slightly large on her, but the size added extra warmth. He paused briefly before turning away from her again, allowing a curious glimmer to spark in his eyes. But just as abruptly as it had come, it vanished, replaced again with the calm, unreadable mask.
Her eyes sprang open as the train clattered to its second stop. She blinked rapidly, her eyes blurry, but the image in her mind still vivid. He stood and strode to the doors, hardly looking at her as he passed. She sprang to her feet, following as best she could.
“Just a dream,” she muttered to herself as she stared at his back. But the colors still blinded her vision as she recalled the fascinating illusion…she had been floating, a glowing star, while he stood below her in feral beauty, her light casting a glimmering halo around him. But in the dream his eyes had been unguarded. And they had been dark, pupilless dark holes.
She was walking quickly, close behind, fumbling in the dark. He kept moving forward in a steady pace, never wavering, knowing the way perfectly. She was shivering in the night air, still in summer clothes and his huge jacket, although it did little to warm her now. She realized he wore only a simple shirt and pants, but he didn’t even seem bothered by the cold. Which only made her remember his smoldering skin…She shivered again, but this time not from the cold.
The night closed in around them, choking off the meek train lights. They had no way of seeing now. She couldn’t make out his form anymore. Panic trailed through her, inching her heart beat up by a few notches.
“Meus deus,” she whispered.
“What did you just say?” He was right in front of her suddenly, clear as day though it was still dark as night.
“Latin,” she trembled. “It means…” she trailed off, his sudden scrutiny making her feel awkward and uncomfortable. Without warning he bent down and scooped her into his arms. She did not say a word, the once tense silence now threatening. What had she done wrong?
That was when the rain came. Thunder boomed around them, an impending warning along with the bolts of lightning hurled down from the sky. Within moments they were drenched, but he leaned over as he walked, and picked up speed. He didn’t seem to be walking anymore; instead it felt like they were…gliding. She closed her eyes and leaned into his warm chest, wondering how he could move so quickly with her as his burden. Even her dad wasn’t that strong.
Gradually she realized she wasn’t getting any wetter. She opened her eyes, vainly attempting to see in the dark. Had the rain stopped? Then she looked at the arms holding her. His bowed frame sheltered her from most of the rain, but where it touched him, it disappeared. Not even his hair was dripping…How was this possible? She reached out a shy finger, brushing his dry arm.
His eyes were on her, scorching the back of her neck with their intensity. She glanced up at him uncertainly, her finger still on his rainless arm. His pace never faltered, never stopped, but his grip on her strengthened. The force of his eyes frightened her, but she found she could not look away. He didn’t look away either. His deep eyes seemed to analyze her, dissecting her bit by bit. Her big, fearful eyes peered up, trying to make sense of him.
Who could evade the rain? Who could carry a girl so lightly while walking faster than normal human speed? Who could have such dark eyes? Why did she let herself trust him? He would not even speak…
His eyes slid away from hers, stealthily and snake-like, and he stopped moving. He raised his head without uncoiling his shape, looking off into the distance at something she could not see. Then he kept walking, a lot more slowly this time, until she could make out soft street lights in the distance. Had they walked all the way to another city?
“Why didn’t we take the train?” she asked, feeling braver when he swung her down to her feet before a gloomy looking house. A brown board by the door had some scribbles inscripted on it that she guessed must read “motel” or something in the local language.
He looked at her for a moment before answering, making her feel ill at ease yet again.
“This is safer.”
He knocked on the door three times, pausing for a moment between each knock. The door creaked open a tiny inch, and a long red nose poked out. A voice rasped out something she could not understand, and he replied with a curt response that seemed to satisfy the stranger. The door opened a good foot wider, and they were beckoned in by a wizened old man. He looked at her, his face lined with caution, and closed the door softly. He jabbered something at her, his features none too kind, and she opened her mouth to tell him she didn’t understand when another pair of strong hands clasped her shoulders and steered her away.
“Stay close to me,” he ordered in a harsh whisper. Then his voice softened. “We must get a good night’s rest before tomorrow. Now sleep.”
“But-”
“Shhh,” he shushed her gently, placing two fingers on her lips. Her breath caught as the strange burning tingled her lips, and all she was able to do was nod foolishly. He opened a door and slunk inside, pulling her in behind him. There were mattresses strewn all around the room, and with a sudden wave of weariness she chose the nearest one and fell asleep.

Chapter Three

Dawn hadn’t even awoken when something brushed her cheek. “Mmm,” she mumbled and rolled over, not ready to open her eyes and face reality.
“Wake up,” he breathed, tickling her ear with his breath.
She opened her eyes. It had not been a dream. She had been rescued by a surreptitious young fellow. She ran a hand through her now frizzy blonde hair wondering what godly hour it was. She swung her long legs over the side of the cot, standing and doing her best to straighten her clothes. Had he even slept? She had not seen him lie down…
“Come,” he decreed, and she came. A hot drink she could not identify and a carriage awaited them outside. A carriage? She hadn’t thought anyone still used those nowadays. He opened the door for her and offered her a hand up. How bizarre. Who’d ever expect a carriage and a mysteriously handsome young man to come to your rescue?
“Where will you take me?” she asked once he had been seated across from her, trying again to communicate with him.
“As far as you need me to.”
She furrowed her brow. That didn’t make a lot of sense. Did he even know where she was headed?
The carriage rumbled into motion. Just like the train it moved unsteadily, jumbling its occupants. She felt herself to be slightly relieved that she wasn’t always touching him now that they were seated opposite each other. Constantly feeling the shock of his contact became much too nerve wracking.
The rain started up again. Giant drops of water glided down the windows of the carriage, but the air remained warm. The summer monsoon had already set in. The landscape held little to capture her interest, and she found her mind to be reeling. What was he thinking? He couldn’t possibly find the trees to be as intriguing as he pretended, could he? She imagined his vast and complex mind, and felt herself shudder at all his possible explanations. He could be a murderer or kidnapper for all she knew, and yet something was keeping her here.
The silence drew on and on, seeming to build and collapse great walls and fortifications between and around them. Sometimes she had the feeling that he was watching her, examining her every move, but then when she looked at him she would see his detached yet still severe eyes, focused straight ahead, out of the window.

He surveyed her from his position by the window. She was terrified, almost like a deer before it is shot down. But still she remained, some otherworldly force persuading her to stay. His eyes passed once again over her hair. Why cover something so beautiful? The fearsome red-gold flared into the roots like fire, but the lackluster light blonde so overused by modern girls tamed the color into an uninteresting curtain of diluted yellow. Endless straightening was beginning to wear her hair down also, and he wondered at its true nature. He was surprised to find himself so interested by the mysteries of this girl’s true appearance, but then again she was something new. Something he hadn’t gotten accustomed to for a thousand, thousand years.
She would be pretty, he concluded, for human standards. Nothing exceptional, though she could be if she should show her true colors. Everything about her was so absurdly obvious that he wondered why he was not bored already. So many people were like her, and yet she was so different somehow, and because he could not figure it out, he remained fascinated.
He turned to the windows displaying the damp atmosphere outside. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed her squirm uneasily, and he was reminded of the shortcomings of her humanity. The human race wasn’t built to battle things beyond their own superficial bubble lives. They weren’t prepared to face others such as, say, him. He almost smiled at that thought, but abruptly remembered his purpose. The vague outline of humor slipped from his features and he returned to the immobile, emotionless statue.
He had to continue to be careful in how he acted. He secured his face in a vaguely bored expression, his eyes diverted from her as not to cast suspicion. Little did she know of whom he truly was, what he truly possessed…

How could he sit so absolutely still? She fidgeted with her fingers, hoping and dreading for the end of this miserable carriage ride. What then? Where would she find herself after that? Perhaps he would leave her. Perhaps he would take her with him… There were so many possibilities, and more and more flooded her mind as the time crept by.
“Halt the carriage,” his voice resonated as they hobbled into a busy city. Their transportation drew to a stop. He swung the door open and leaped out, turning to offer her his hand. As always she hesitated, fearful of their contact. Every time they touched a bizarre connection seemed to grow, and it alarmed her.
“Now we walk,” he told her as she gingerly hopped down, his skin burning on hers. Did he even notice? She tagged on a little ways behind, her head full of the scenery, and the still lingering fire of the touch. He was so unaffected by it that it nearly drove her mad, and all the houses and busy masses of people could not expel the feeling of urgency and frustration in her. Why was his skin so warm? Perhaps it was an on setting fever. But that explanation perturbed her further. It was no fever, of that she was certain, though it was the only reasonable rationalization.
A vast metallic structure loomed ahead of them in the distance, and it seemed that that was where they were headed. She gazed up at it in awe, wondering what it was. A shopping mall? An airport? She guessed the latter to be the more feasible as they drew nearer. Old rickety cars came and went incessantly from it, more and more people streaming towards it.
Her hunch proved correct as they began to ascend the steps. It was an airport. She felt dizzy from all the commotion around her. So many people…She faltered, but he grabbed her by the elbow, steadying her.
“I hope you have a passport,” he murmured in her ear.
“I think so,” she stammered hesitantly.
He nodded, and she dug around in her pockets. There was little money left in them, along with a ticket and candy wrappers. She was about to draw it out, when he seemed to guess her actions and put his hand over hers.
“No, don’t take it out yet. Someone might want to steal it.”
She nodded her head, but kept her hand in her pocket, holding the little booklet tight. They didn’t speak then for quite some time as she tracked on behind him while he led her places and talked briefly to a few people. At last they were walking down a hallway which led to the runway. He handed a man behind a counter two tickets, and she couldn’t recall seeing him get them. The man hastily glanced over her passport when she handed it to him and merely nodded at her companion. Then they were free to board the plane.
She felt confused as she followed her enigmatic companion onto the train. Where had the tickets so suddenly come from? She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. He had conversed with a handful of people, but she had been more interested in all the strange people coming and going, wondering what their destinations were, that she hadn’t paid any attention to what they were saying. So it was possible that she had just missed him buying the tickets.
But the explanation bothered her, and she had the uncanny feeling that strange things she wasn’t completely aware of were going on around her. She sighed and ducked inside the plane.
It was an older model and small. He chose seats for them towards the back, letting her sit by the window. He handed her a ticket, but barely even glanced at her. She curled up in the strange smelling seat and tried to turn her mind from him.
  She gazed outside for a moment, saying goodbye to the dry, rugged terrain, before looking down at the ticket. She wondered where they were going.
Destination: America.