The Second Coming, page 11
Melody stares at the guy dressed like a giraffe, towering above everyone, and estimates his height to be about ten or eleven feet. She wonders how he can walk, bend his knees, and dance so swiftly on stilts. However, as he dances right past her, she looks curiously at the floor beneath him, and her eyes widen in wonder. Instead of stilts, she sees enormous bare feet.
Wow! He’s really that tall, and that’s likely why he’s not wearing shoes. What size would he wear, a thirty-five?! I mean, where would he even shop? He’s the tallest man I have ever seen!
Melody has unknowingly entered the presence of a Nephilim, a mysterious being of gigantic stature and strength. They lived both before and after the flood, during the times of Noah. The most notorious Nephilim is the Philistine giant Goliath, who was defeated by young David in their historic and well-known battle.
As her eyes roam, Melody glimpses a woman dressed in a witch’s outfit who is dancing all by herself. Her eyes are closed, and she sways gently to the music with a dreamy smile on her face. Her happiness is so captivating that Melody finds it hard to look away. She finally does, and, turning to her friend, she says, “Hey, Mercedes! Check out this witch!”
“Huh? Where?” Mercedes asks absently.
“Right there,” answers Melody, pointing at the witch. “I wonder what she’s thinking about that’s making her this happy.”
“Or what drug she’s on,” Mercedes mutters half to herself.
“What?” Melody asks, not sure whether she heard her friend right.
“Nothing,” Mercedes answers, scanning the room.
Melody, in her excitement, doesn’t notice that her friend isn’t paying attention to her. As they cross the dance floor, they come across two teenage boys dressed as women. Their faces and clothes are covered in glitter, and both are wearing pitch-black lipstick.
Their appearance baffles her, but something also seems familiar about them.
However, before she has the time to put her finger on it, they reach the middle of the dance floor, and Melody is again distracted, this time by couples dancing very provocatively.
Melody cries out as they dance, “This club is the bomb! This is exactly what I pictured in my mind. And so much more!” She starts moving her arms to the beat and calls out, “How did you create this, Luther?!”
On receiving no reply, she stops and turns around. “Luther?” she calls again, but there’s no reply. Luther isn’t behind them.
“What happened to Luther?” Melody asks Mercedes, shouting to make herself audible through the loud music. “Did he leave us here? What if I wanna go through another door?”
The music abruptly stops, and Melody realizes that almost everyone is staring at them. Some are whispering to themselves, some are giggling, and the majority of them begin laughing. Both girls turn red and breathe a sigh of relief as the music starts once again and everyone resumes dancing.
“Luther has business to take care of,” Mercedes answers Melody quickly. “And if you want to go to another door, all you have to do is look to your right or left. The door on the right is marked ‘Future.’ See?”
As Melody follows Mercedes’s finger, she spots a supersized door along the wall on the right, marked Future in big red letters.
Mercedes continues, “The door on your left is marked ‘Past.’” Melody sees that the door on the left indeed bears the word Past. “If you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and you want to leave, just remember to look for the door markings. Always know where you are, at all times, in relation to the doors. The doors are much easier to find in this club due to the limited space, but don’t get lost in the optics elsewhere. Some people get stuck for months before they navigate themselves out.
“Now, if you want to enter or exit, go to one of the two doors, scan your NWO card, and it will prompt you to press one of three selections on the digital display above the scanner. If you’re at the Past door, option one will be ‘Enter Past,’ two will be ‘Enter Present Exchange,’ or three for ‘Exit ETG,’ and you’ll safely be returned to where you originally started. If you’re in the past, look for Present or Future. If you’re in the future, look for Present or Past. Do you understand?”
On receiving no reply, she shakes her friend by the shoulders. Melody is distracted by the scene all around her, as well as the people who laughed at her.
“Mel! Do you understand?” Mercedes asks again.
“Yeah, yeah, I get it—easy-peasy. What do you think, I’m stupid or something? Why were those people laughing at us, Mercedes?” Melody asks. “What was so funny?”
Mercedes sighs. “First of all, they were not laughing at us. They were laughing at you.”
“Yeah, but why? I was just asking about the doors,” Melody asks again.
“Because you were shouting, silly,” Mercedes answers, smiling. “And you still are.”
“But how else am I supposed to make myself heard through this loud music?” Melody questions.
“Look at me. Am I shouting?” Mercedes retorts.
“Well, no!” Melody admits, realizing that Mercedes certainly hasn’t been shouting all this time. “But how are you managing that? I can hear you clearly,” she says, bewildered. Then, bringing her mouth close to her friend’s ears, she whispers, “Is it magic?”
“No, girl!” Mercedes bursts out laughing. “It has to do with the apple slices we were given when we first got here.”
“Oh, that weird bowl in the lobby,” she exclaims.
“Yes,” Mercedes explains patiently. “I was told they contain Cypress tea, extracted from Cypress tea leaves.”
“And what does that do?” Melody asks.
“Cypress trees, when planted in gardens, serve as noise barriers by blocking out all kinds of sounds. The tea leaves, too, help you block out certain sounds, especially background noises. You’ve been able to hear me because you’ve been unconsciously blocking out all the music when I’m speaking. I’ve been able to hear you too”—and here Mercedes smirks—“and will continue to hear you, even if you don’t shout.”
“Okay, okay, alright,” Melody says, rolling her eyes. “You don’t need to make fun of me. After all, I’m a first-timer here. How was I supposed to know that? It’s quite clever, isn’t it?”
“Yes. But then, Luther is clever. Look around at the club and everything in it. You must know that by now.”
“Yes,” Melody says, smiling dreamily, glad to be in the club on this particular night.
“Now, Melody,” Mercedes says, growing serious. “You remember what I’ve told you about the doors, right?”
“Yeah, I hear you!” Melody says distractedly. She’s no longer paying attention as she dances with her eyes closed. “You’re acting as if you’re leaving me!”
Mercedes takes a deep breath and says, “Mel, this is your deal. I wanna go to the past.”
“And leave all this?” Melody asks, finally opening her eyes, surprised. “Why on earth would you wanna do that?”
“Because I’m going to spend some time with my grandma and grandpa there.”
“Oh,” Melody says, her face dropping.
“I can stay with you for a little while longer, if that’s what you want,” Mercedes says, trying to appease her friend.
Melody puts her hands on her hips, suddenly annoyed. “It’s not about me, Mercedes,” she snarls. “It’s about what you’re planning on doing. That’s messed up. You invited me to come here, and now you’re going to leave me all by myself in this club? Didn’t your grandmother and grandfather die some years back? How are you even planning on doing that?”
“Mel, you control your surroundings here, in most instances, and don’t forget that!” Mercedes answers. “However, before I leave, I have one piece of advice for you. Mel? Mel!”
Melody has started dancing again with her eyes closed. “What?” she asks irritably, opening her eyes again.
“Remember! Don’t get too caught up in here! It’s all mostly whatever you imagine, nothing more! Alright?”
“Okay, Mother,” Melody answers sarcastically. “But can we have some fun now, if you don’t mind staying for just a bit longer?” Even as she asks this, she thinks, There has to be something other than Cypress tea leaves in those apple slices. Why am I so happy and full of life? I never want to leave this place!
“Of course,” Mercedes says, smiling.
“Yay!” Melody cheers. “Finally! Let’s dance.”
She pulls Mercedes further onto the dance floor, and they lose themselves in the hypnotic beat of the music.
•••
The same night, outside an empty and long-abandoned church in Sherman Oaks, California, the streets are silent and there’s no one in sight. The houses on the street have their blinds drawn. A dim light comes from a single streetlamp. A solitary figure appears at the end of the street, walking toward the church.
Shawn trudges slowly with his head bent. Entering the church, he approaches the altar where he slowly gets down on his knees and starts praying before a statue of Jesus Christ.
“Lord, please give me strength,” he begins fervently. “I want to spread your will, but I find myself drifting. The Holy Spirit you sent to me spoke great words of wisdom and encouragement to prepare me for the past, current, and upcoming world turmoil. But I . . . I . . .”
He pauses and bursts into tears.
“I wanna help, Lord. You know my heart! I wasn’t ready then, but I am now. There are still so many who don’t know or who deny the truth. It’s happening in my own backyard. I can see it! The people need to know the signs now before it’s too late. If it’s your will for me at this time, I want to serve you. I’m ready. Please direct me. I’m awaiting your future guidance. In Jesus’s name, amen.”
Shawn slowly rises and retreats backward down the aisle between the pews to the rear of the church, wiping his tear-stained face. He turns and departs.
As Shawn steps out, moonlight illuminates the church. In this light, tears shimmer on the cheeks of the statue of Jesus Christ.
•••
Back in Hollywood, inside the ETG nightclub, Melody and Mercedes dance with two young, shirtless, muscular guys wearing skinny stretch pants. Melody dances very close and suggestively with her partner, but Mercedes barely moves, her expression one of boredom and preoccupation. Eventually, Melody pushes her partner away, grabs Mercedes, and strides off the dance floor.
“Isn’t this great?” she asks excitedly, her cheeks flushed. “After dancing, the guys here don’t hound you for sex. I need a drink. I wanna get drunk,” she shouts. “Now, tell me, where can I find us some drinks?”
“You’re already too intoxicated on the air in here,” Mercedes begins but is cut short when a waitress appears with two identical tropical drinks on a tray and hands them to Melody and Mercedes.
Mercedes rolls her eyes as her friend says happily, “Wow! This is so magical! C’mon, Mercedes. Let’s drink to this perfect night!” They both take a sip.
“Yum!” says Melody, licking her lips. “Sex on the Beach, my favorite.”
Mercedes scowls. “Not mine,” she says. She hands her glass to Melody. “Listen, I can’t get into this scene, Mel. I’ve already stayed with you far too long. I have to leave now.”
“You still wanna leave?” Melody asks, surprised. “What place can be better than this?”
“Oh, this is just the beginning of your experiences here in ETG,” Mercedes chuckles. “There are whole other worlds out there.”
“Oh! You mean inside the Past and Future doors,” Melody says.
“Yes and no,” replies Mercedes, smiling secretively. “My advice: do go out of this nightclub before you leave the Present door and exchange.”
“Wait,” Melody begins slowly, “you mean I can go out of this club, into another present? But aren’t we already living in the present? Wouldn’t the world outside just be the same as the one we’ve left behind? Wait a minute. That’s what the ‘Enter Present Exchange’ option is for, huh?”
She shakes her friend by the shoulders when Mercedes doesn’t respond.
“You will get your answers all in good time,” Mercedes says, “but right now, I have to leave. I’ll meet you back here at 2 am. And I mean 2 am! There are just too many other things to see here! Focus on this club for a moment, keep it in your memory bank, and I’ll do the same so we can meet up later. Be careful, Mel.”
Mercedes gently presses Melody’s hand and walks off toward the door marked Past.
“But Merc—” Melody begins.
“Two o’clock, Mel!” Mercedes turns to face Melody from several feet away, pointing at her smartwatch. Without shouting over the loud music, she firmly says, “Don’t forget!” Melody hears her quite clearly, without distortion.
Before Melody can say another word, her friend disappears in a cloudy white mist as the door closes.
With both drinks in her hand, Melody walks around, passes a waitress, puts the drinks on her tray, and then wanders aimlessly, thinking about what to do next. Somehow, with Mercedes gone, she doesn’t feel like dancing or getting drunk anymore.
She slowly passes the two teenage boys dressed as women with black lipstick. This time, she figures out what is so familiar about them. She recalls, These are the two boys who went missing years ago from my high school. They were never found, after a large search party and all. Whoa, they haven’t aged a day! She gapes at the boys and recalls Mercedes’s words: There are whole other worlds out there.
Making up her mind, she curiously moves toward the door marked Past. She scans her NWO card and selects the “Enter Present Exchange” option. The door opens to total darkness behind a white mist. Melody steps past the threshold with her heart beating heavily, and the door closes behind her. She now finds herself in complete blackness, so she calls out, “Hello! Is there anyone in here?”
There’s no answer, but a light appears in front of her. Melody walks into the light, shaking her head and muttering to herself. As the mist disappears, she finds herself in a city. This place is strange and yet somehow so familiar, Melody marvels.
She’s standing outside the building she entered with Mercedes, Luther, and the models. Yet the street around her is entirely different from the one she remembers. As if in a weird dream, she turns back to look for the entry and sees no door to enter the building, just the brilliant stone architecture. She faces the street again, her eyes wide with wonder.
In front of her, luxurious cars line the street: Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bugattis, and more. Being a high-end car enthusiast, she easily spots several concept models.
Wow! These models are usually only owned by the wealthy and famous. Some may already be living in this strange place, wherever it is!
She realizes the buildings adjacent to the ETG building have also changed. They appear to be made of dark Diaspro marble, which looks not only pretty sturdy but also very stylish. Everything looks so modern and sophisticated! Melody marvels.
Trying to make sense of this new world around her, Melody decides to walk around town. But a formally dressed man approaches her, bows, and says politely, in a distinctly British accent, “Would you like your car brought up to you, miss?”
“My car?” Melody laughs out loud. “Do you mean my old beat-up, faded Honda Civic? I don’t believe this place will allow me to drive that jalopy on the streets. I’d get pulled over, surely before pulling out of the parking lot, just for disturbing the peace.”
“No, ma’am, your car is parked right there,” the man says. “Please look.” He points toward the end of the street. Melody laughs again.
“That’s a Mercedes C112 Vision GT concept convertible,” she says. “It’s my favorite concept model of Mercedes, and said to be very expensive. Of course I don’t own it.”
“But miss,” the man persists, “is that not your name and favorite music genre on the license plate?” Saying this, he presses a key on his smartwatch, and the car, all by itself, reverses from its parking spot and comes right up to where Melody is standing.
“Look at the license plate,” the man continues.
Melody bends down to take a closer look and quickly straightens back up, surprised. The license plate reads melodyblues. A pretty creative combination, she thinks. Surely this is a coincidence!
“If you’re still not sure,” the man says, as if reading her thoughts, “why don’t you scan your NWO card here and see for yourself?”
Melody opens her mouth as if to argue, then shakes her head, takes out her card, and scans it at the door. Immediately, and much to her surprise, the door opens by itself.
“Welcome to the present,” the man says, smiling.
Melody half smiles back, still surprised, but quickly gets into the car. She reaches to press the start button and hears the instant, comforting hum of the engine. Ecstatic, Melody revs the engine, settles in, and takes off. The car catches speed instantly.
Melody shouts to anyone who might be listening, “Did you know this has always been my dream car?! This Present exchange is perfect! Perfect present! Whoo-hoo!”
For a couple of hours, Melody drives wildly through the city, enjoying the wind in her hair. Surprisingly, no cops are around to stop her from speeding, even though several other cars are on the street. Melody is enjoying this newfound freedom immensely; there seems to be no one to stop her from doing anything. Because of the car’s speed, she feels like she’s flying through the air, and every few minutes she has to remind herself to inhale because she’s perpetually breathless with excitement.
