Chapter 1: Luke's Theft

First time reading Tale of a Fated Winter's Day? Then read from the beginning! Check my profile for details.

         Last installment:

         “Tell me, Lord Michael, will the End of Days happen?”
         “It will happen. It’s just a question of when.”

         “And God will start the chain of events that will set the End of Days in motion?”
         “Yes, the Holy Mother will be the start of these events.”

         “The Holy Mother gave us all free will…”
         “But I seem to be the only one using it.”

         “Rathiel, I heard the bickering you and the War-Bringer entangled yourselves in. Tell me, if I am a slave to prediction, then what prediction caused me to create the Multiverse? To create the angels? To create Adam?”
         “We don’t call you ‘The Holy Mother’ for just any reason.”

         “A curse be upon you for forcing me to join the Fallen! …”
         “How dare you! … You disgust me, Fallen! If you carry this through I will show you no quarter! I will bind you to Satan himself!! Leave now, Fallen! Get out of my sight!!”

         “My vision has begun, and there may be no way of stopping it.”

         And now, the continuation of Tale of a Fated Winter’s Day: Gisei


         Phoenixville, New York – December 6, 2007

         “And so I hope you have all finished reading Dickens’ thrilling story, A Tale of Two Cities,” the teacher said as he stood in front of the black board, heavy tome in hand, “Because you have an essay due next class.” The groans of the tenth grade class in front of him caused him to smile, “I see that you all forgot that part.”

         “Come on teach’,” a boy in the front row said, “Can you give us an extension?”

         “Probably didn’t even read the book,” a brown haired girl towards the back said to her neighbor, an equally brown haired boy.

         “That’s enough, Julia,” the teacher said addressing the girl in the back. The girl harrumphed while taking off her reading glasses and putting them into her black backpack. “And as for your question, Dennis, the answer is no. No extensions. Your only saving grace will be if we get a snow day tomorrow –”

         “And you know that we probably will,” the boy next to Julia said softly to her.

         “What goes for Twin A also goes for Twin B, Dan,” the teacher said smirking. The boy slunk back into his seat away from his twin sister. Turning his attention back to the rest of the class, “There, now that we’ve had our input from the Twins Andrews,” at this both Julia and Dan blushed slightly, “I will not discount that it is possible for us to have a snow day tomorrow. We live off of Lake Erie for the Lord’s sake!” With this comment the teacher crossed himself quickly before continuing, “But you need to prepare to be here, I will not show mercy.” At that the bell rang, “Class dismissed.”

         Most of the class raised from their seats at once all trying to get out as soon as possible. One, however, was slow to rise from hers – a shy girl who sat behind Julia with mousy black hair falling against her shoulders. As this girl slowly put her things away, her books into her overstuffed backpack, her notebook closed on her desk. As she fiddled with her comparatively gargantuan backpack she heard someone say, “Hey, Naomi!” The girl, Naomi, perked her head up and turned her blue eyes towards the speaker, “You coming or what?”

         Naomi regarded Julia and smiled.  Her friends concerned about Naomi as always, Julia and Dan were in the doorway waiting for her to leave. “C- Coming!” Naomi paused to readjust her glasses before slinging the heavy book-bag onto her petite shoulders.

         As Naomi walked over to the door Dan shook his head, “When are you going to stop taking so much stuff in your backpack?” Before Naomi could answer he took the bag that was threatening to fall off of Naomi and securely added it to his own burden.

         “You didn’t have to do that.” Naomi said, a blush threatening to show beneath the surface.

         “Yes I did. Cute girls shouldn’t carry half their body weight in books.” Naomi chose this moment to look into Dan’s eyes before turning away and releasing the blush.

         “Awww— look who’s got a crush on Mr. Linebacker!” a taunting voice sneered from behind Dan and Julia, “I always knew the know-it-all had it in her!”

         “I- I don’t—”

         However, before Naomi could finish, Dan turned around and grabbed the taunter by the collar. It was a boy from their class. He was lanky and gangly in appearance, his long blond hair contrasting with his bad attitude persona. Dan pinned the boy to the nearest locker and said, “Listen Luke, don’t you know when to quit harassing us?”

         “Dan, stop it!” Julia said trying to get in between the two.

         “Please, don’t fight,” Naomi pleaded meekly.

         Luke chuckled, “I would listen to her; it wouldn’t look good for you to my hurting me now would it?”

         Dan backed off but not before adding, “Listen you little jerk-wad. You may be the quarterback of the football team, but I don’t hold any loyalty to you other than on the field! So quit harassing us and leave us alone!”

         “Dan, please,” Naomi pleaded again, her body visibly shaking from fright.

         “‘Dan, please!’ she says!” mocked a high-pitched, nasal-sounding voice, “Like he’s going to listen to reason, or you for that matter.”

         Julia now turned her attention to the newcomer, a blond haired girl with her nose stuck in the air. Julia matched the other girl’s disdainful look as she said, “Stephanie Mathews, sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong again?”

         Stephanie looked over at Luke and Dan before brushing a lock of hair out of her face. “Actually this is my business, bitch, as your brother is manhandling my boyfriend.”

         “Please stop—”

         “Ha, boyfriend?” Julia said ignoring Naomi’s pleas. She turned to Luke, “So what line did you use on her?”

         “Like he needed a line to get me Joules,” Stephanie said stressing the nickname, “The quarterback always gets the cheerleader. You’re just upset that you couldn’t keep up!”

         “I’m not the one who’s spreading my legs for the bastard!”

         “Please—”

         “At least you’re better than some of your friends. How much of a social life does Ms. Books have these days?”

         “Leave Naomi out of this!” Julia said before turning to Naomi, “Don’t listen to her.”

         “Ha,” Luke scoffed making his presence known again, “Please. She’s just space. She has no social life other than you two.”

         “S— Stop—”

         Luke sauntered over to Naomi and looked her up and down, “But, if I were to take a bet to see if I would do her—” He ran his hand down her side.

         “Hey! Cut that out!” Dan said knocking Luke’s hand away.

         “—I would,” Luke finished as he stepped back, “I bet she would be freaky in bed, too.”

         “Why can’t you all just leave me alone?!”

         That got everyone’s attention as they watched Naomi run down the hall as fast as she could. Dan went off after her immediately. Julia turned to Luke and shook her head, “That’s why I dumped you; you’re such an ass.” Without waiting for a reply Julia gave chase to find her brother and friend.

         Julia turned left, right, up the stairs, left, checked the girls’ bathroom. No sign of Naomi. She continued her search going back down to the first floor. Absentmindedly she checked the girls’ bathroom on this floor as well but didn’t find her there. She sprinted down the hall and through the cafeteria, narrowly missing some kids heading the opposite way. Gym wing, girls’ locker room, nope. After exiting the locker room she bumped into Dan, “Hey watch it!”

         “Sorry sis,” the brunette said before turning serious. “Did you find her?”

         “You lost her? God, and here I thought you would keep up with her!”

         “I take that as a no,” Dan said as he looked around the hall they were standing in. A little ways down the hall he spotted a black haired teen heading towards the wrestling room. “Hey, I just saw Rick! Maybe he knows where Naomi is.”

         Julia watched as her twin sprinted past her towards the older teen, “Why didn’t I think of that?” she muttered to herself before joining him.

         “Rick, wait up!” Dan said as he slowed down to avoid colliding into the wrestler.

         Rick turned around as he saw his football teammate coming towards him, twin sister following. “Dan. Joules. What’s up?”

         Julia spoke first, “Have you seen Naomi—”

         “—we can’t find her.”

         Rick shook his head, both in answer and at how the twins finished each other’s sentence again. “Haven’t seen her, but I have an idea. She asked me to pick her up in the music studio after practice.”

         “Music studio?” both twins said disbelievingly.

         “I know she is in chorus,” Julia said, “but they practice first period.”

         “Besides, didn’t Matt sign out the studio for his band to practice in today?” Dan added.

         Rick raised his left eyebrow in question. “I don’t know anything about that. All I know is that she wants me to pick her up there so that would be the first place to look.”

         “Thanks Rick! C’mon Dan let’s go!” Grabbing twin by the arm, Julia led Dan towards the music studio. Down the hall, quick left and down a solitary hall before taking a right.

         After another quick right Julia stopped dead in her tracks. Standing in front of the doors to the studio was a blond haired girl peeping through a crack in the doors. “Jennifer—” Julia growled under her breath.

         “Luke’s sister?” Dan whispered as his twin advanced on the unsuspecting teen. “What’s she doing here?”

         “I’m about to find out.” Julia walked angrily over to Jen and peered into the crack herself. Noticing nothing interesting, she whispered, “Say, what ‘ya looking at?”

         Jen jumped before turning to Julia and whispering, “N-nothing you need to know about.”

         “Listen, you little—”

          “So are you ready Naomi?”

         Both girls shut up and turned to the crack again. This time they saw Naomi standing in front of a microphone. By this time Dan had joined them and they watched as a brown haired boy with an electric guitar walked up to the timid girl. “This is just practice, right Matt?”

         “Yea, and don’t worry about us,” Matt said motioning to the band behind her, “We’ve memorized the music you gave us.”

         Naomi just nodded her head. Matt put a quick hand on her shoulder, being only half an inch taller than Naomi, before walking out of view. Soon the sounds of an electric guitar filled the air. “Matt’s playing,” Dan said recognizing the sound, “not something I recognize though.”

         The high melodic intro played for about four bars before the rhythm and the bass joined. The rhythm played a light harmonic line of the melody while the bass played an octave lower. After another four bars the band suddenly switched to a heavy but beautiful sound as the song progressed to the verse.

         Meanwhile Naomi stood there looking serene and peaceful. She closed her eyes and waited, not looking at the music in front of her. When she finally opened her eyes she started to sing. The voice that came out was not the high pitched cautious voice that Jen, Julia and Dan were expecting, but a strong and confident alto.

         “My life is pain slowly unending
         Suffering in trials unceasing
         Silence takes me
         Safely hides me
         Separating from world uncaring
         Time for me to think unfeigning
         About myself
         And my love for you again”

         Dan and Julia watched in awe; they never expected this out of Naomi. Unnoticed by the other teens Jen hid a small blush. As Naomi finished the verse the band switched the rhythm to a series of chords. Naomi’s demeanor adopted another unusual trait, aggressiveness, as she sang the chorus.

         “Behind the open door
         My spirit lies in wait
         Behind the open door
         I’m waiting for you to rescue me
         Behind the open door
         My spirit lies in wait
         Behind the open door
         I’m waiting for you to rescue me”

         The band switched back to the verse rhythm as Naomi sank back to her composed vibe. By now Julia opened one of the doors and the three could see the entire band, Matt and the rest of the ‘Ever Black Angels,’ rocking out to the music.

         “I try not to dwell unending
         On things I know to be uncoming
         But still I wait
         For you to see
         I do not give up untrying
         For you I’ll wait here undying
         For a love
         That I may never have returned”

         “Do you know who she’s talking about?” Dan asked his twin.

         Jen hid her interest as she listened to Julia tell Dan, “Nope. I didn’t even know she was doing this.”

         Another hit of the chorus brought about a change in music as Matt started to work a solo. Following Naomi’s melody from the verse he started to jam while the rhythm guitar mimicked the verse guitar melody that Matt usually played. As the solo winded down the music turned darker and Naomi’s eyes closed again. When she opened them a sheer look of practiced panic struck her clear blue eyes.

         “Can’t you see?
         That my love
         For you will never change
         I am here
         Waiting for
         You to realize the truth
         Waiting on
         For a love
         That may never be returned
         I will not
         Give up
         On my love!”

         The music brightened and a small instrumental section interlude with another repeat of the chorus, Naomi shining in surprise joy as she was pleased at the performance. When the final note died Naomi closed her eyes and stood in pride as she came off of the rush. A series of clapping awoke her from her stupor. She opened her eyes and saw that, not only was the band clapping but so were Dan Julia and Jen. Jen and Dan were clapping the hardest out of them all. Naomi noticed this and blushed, turning away from them briefly before turning back after regaining her composure and giving them a bright smile.

***

         Meanwhile Luke escorted his current fling, Stephanie, out of the grey building known as Phoenixville Downtown High School. The cold city streets buried in a coating of new powder from the lake snows famous in the region. The flakes fell onto Luke’s leather jacket. Luke smiled at Stephanie, “So your place or mine?”

         “Mine,” Stephanie said smirking, “My parents left for the weekend and ‘forgot’ to take a thirty-rack with them. You did stock up, right?”

         “Yes, there will be no little Lukes or Stephs as long as I can help it!” he said chuckling.

         “Good, cause I know exactly what I’m going to do to you,” Stephanie said with a lecherous look on her face.

         “Oh really?” Luke said equally as playful.

         But Luke missed Stephanie’s description as he stopped and looked up startled. A voice in his head screamed ‘Come!’ as if commanding him. He shook it off but then, louder still, Come! He turned to Stephanie and said, “You know I might have to take a rain check.”

         “What?” Stephanie said pouting slightly, “But what about me? You get me all hot and bothered for nothing?”

         “Just remembered something I have to do because no one else will.”

         “Just because your good-for-nothing mother is drunk doesn’t mean you have to clean up after her!”

         “Hey! Lay off my mother! Listen, I’ll be at your place later. I just need to do something real quick.”

         “Ok,” Stephanie said before giving Luke a quick kiss, “I’ll be there, wearing the red panties.”

         “Hmmm—” Luke thought smiling to himself. “Ok, love ya.”

         “Bye.” And Luke turned away from Stephanie before heading down another street. He took a left into the old business section of downtown before turning down a dark alley. He opened a side door into an inconspicuous building and walked into a darkened congregation hall with a small white altar and a couple of pews. A small sliver of light from a stained glass window of the Virgin Mary landed on a figure cloaked in black.

         The figure had drawn his hood when he heard the door open but then noticed who it was. Letting the hood drop behind him he revealed his angular face and flowing blond hair. “Did you get it?”

         Luke rummaged in his pants pocket and took out a pendant, crystalline in structure with a crescent moon design etched into it. Luke walked up to the altar, crossed himself, and then placed the pendant on the altar. “As you wished, Father.”

         The man clothed in black studied the pendant from a far, then smiled. “Strip son. Allow me to reward you.”

         Luke striped off his clothes hastily, leaving them in an unholy pile. He walked his gangly, naked form to behind the altar where the man had striped himself of his robe. Muscled and equally naked he motioned for Luke to join him. Luke turned around and backed into the man’s open embrace. The man wrapped his arms around the teen, one hand around Luke’s shoulders and the other draped around his waist. “You’ve done well Luke.”

         “Thank you, Father.”

END OF CHAPTER 1