Midknight, page 21
“How do you know this?” Sergeant Jasper asked.
“Because I tried to stop the person responsible for the attacks. I thought if I could remove him from the picture, I could spare us all. I was wrong and this is what he did to me.”
Both the mayor and the sergeant took a moment to process this information. When Sergeant Jasper next spoke, he was subdued and chose his words carefully.
“From what I understand, it's the end of the world out there. We've been fortunate to survive this long, but we can't hold out much longer. We're running low on everything.... food, ammunition, you name it. John said that we would have a better chance of survival if we remained here and held our ground and I think he's right. Besides, I don't know if there’s anything left out there anymore. We might be the only survivors left. I don't want to die, but if it's meant to be, I want to go down fighting.... not running or fleeing for my life.”
Mayor Barnes nodded in agreement. “I echo the sergeant’s sentiments. If they're coming like you say they are, I say we make one last stand and give them hell when they arrive.”
‘I tried.’ Midknight thought to himself and abruptly disappeared without responding to their declarations to stand and fight. Maybe common sense would prevail and they would realize how foolish it would be to stay here now and face Murmur and his men.
If they wouldn't listen to reason, Midknight would make sure that he would get those that he cared about the most out of Paradise Flats before the next attack came. When he got back to his parent's place, it was almost 10:00. Mikey was lying in bed sound asleep beside Lauren when Beau appeared in his Midknight persona. He quickly shed the cloak, but not before Lauren saw how shredded and dishevelled it appeared and silently gasped. Easing her way out of bed so as not to wake up Michael, Lauren made her way over to where Beau stood and ran her hands over the several wounds that he had on his body. She was quite calm which surprised him. He thought for sure that she would be freak out over his injuries when she saw them.
“Did it work?” she asked him.
“No.”
“How long do we have?”
“Till tomorrow.... probably tomorrow night.”
“That soon?”
“Unfortunately. I don't know what to do, Laur. I tried to stop him, but he's more than I can handle. I can't fight off the attack that's coming.... not without John. I tried to get the mayor and Sergeant Jasper to evacuate the town, but they're bound and determined to stand and fight. They’re convinced that there’s nowhere else to go and I know that they’re probably right. Still, if there's a chance that there still might be some safe place out there, I want you to get Michael and my parents out of here and put as much distance as you can between yourselves and Paradise Flats as you possibly can.”
“What about you?”
“That's what I don't know what to do about. It's the cloak that Murmur wants. If I go somewhere in the total opposite direction that you are, maybe you and Paradise Flats will be spared.”
Lauren stopped him and placed her hands on Beau’s chest. “As noble as that sounds, I think that I can safely speak for your parents and say that none of us are going anywhere without you. Besides, where would we go? I don't think there's anything left out there either and I seriously doubt that they will spare Paradise Flats even if you're not here.”
“You can't stay here though, Laur. I'm not strong enough to protect you even with the cloak. I don't want to be responsible for what happens to you and Mikey....or my family if I fail.”
“We're all in this together, Beau. Win or lose. Live or die. I don't want to be anywhere else but here with you no matter what happens. I'm pretty sure that your mom and dad will say the same thing. Now, I don't want to hear anything more about that subject. I'm taking you to find a doctor or a nurse to check you over. No offence, but you're a mess.”
“I've actually healed up quite a bit already thanks to the cloak.”
“Well, perhaps some modern medicine will help speed the healing process up a bit. First, you're going to talk to your parents and tell them what's been happening with you. They know something's up with how much you keep disappearing. They haven't seen you all day and are worried sick about you.”
“If you think telling my mom is going to make her any less worried, you've got another thing coming.”
“I know, but it's for the best. They should know what's going on.”
When Beau and Lauren sat down with his parents, Sandra Sittler was surprisingly calm after Beau revealed everything that had been happening to him. He expected more shock and disbelief from her, but she seemed rather subdued which was a relief for Beau. Brent Sittler asked the most questions about his son's predicament and both of Beau’s parents were concerned for his injuries and health but were accepting of everything that Beau told them.
“The world has gone to hell in a handbasket,” his father said in a disgusted tone, “nothing really surprises me anymore at this point.”
Protocol had changed drastically at the hospital when Beau and Lauren stopped there to have his wounds tended to. There was no paperwork to fill out and Beau was fortunate enough to have a nurse change the dressing on his wounds. She commended Derek Sanderson's medical skills for his initial treatment of Beau's injuries and found it hard to believe that it was just this afternoon when his ‘accident’ took place. The cuts and lacerations looked as if they had already partially healed, but she warned against doing anything too strenuous for the next week or so. Beau knew that wasn't going to be an option but told the nurse that he would try to take it easy.
When they arrived back at Beau’s parents place, they tucked Michael into his bed before crawling into their own. They talked for a little while longer before enjoying an intimate moment together that had been missing as of late due to Beau’s nightly excursions.
“They're going to have to get by without me tonight.” Beau replied when Lauren asked if he was going out on one of his patrols. “Murmur and his men will attack tomorrow night. I need to be ready for them then.”
As sleep took hold of him, Beau recalled the voice that he had heard earlier that day. It had been on his mind ever since and he had been careful not to mention anything about it to Lauren. He had been upfront and honest about everything else with her, but the voice scared him. In his mind, it meant that Schadowe was starting to emerge. How he had been able to hold the entity off for this long was a mystery to Beau. It would just be a matter of time now before Schadowe took over. The voice meant that he was close to doing so and Beau wondered what would happen to him when it did. Would he cease to be? More than likely, he presumed and he feared what would happen to Lauren and Mikey when Schadowe took control. All Beau could hope for now was to maintain control of Schadowe’s abilities long enough to confront Murmur again.
The soul collector would make another appearance in Paradise Flats, Beau was sure of that. Without John present, Murmur would be much bolder now. He would bring more of his soldiers, perhaps more of the Deranged and undoubtedly more weapons to bombard the little town with. He would be confident that Beau would not be able to provide much opposition with the injuries that he had sustained and maybe that would be Murmur’s undoing. He would be careful not to damage the cloak any worse than what it already was and perhaps Beau could use that to his advantage.
Murmur had been behind everything right from to start. He had orchestrated the cyber-attacks and set in motion this madness that apparently had encapsulated the entire world. If Beau could get to him one more time and eliminate Murmur, perhaps the world's fate could be rewritten. It would be a long shot at best considering Beau's current state of health, but what else was there? Murmur was the key. Eliminate him and perhaps their fortunes could be reversed. No more attacks. No more Deranged. No Gathering. The world's survival hinged on eliminating Murmur. Beau just had to figure out how to stop him.
As he drifted off to sleep, strange dreams filled Beau’s mind as images rambled through his thoughts of events that he had never been a part of. He found himself on Elysius, standing next to a wondrous waterfall in a tropical paradise. Around him stood a number of Celestials that Beau didn't recognize except for one. John. The Godlike beings were having a heated discussion and Beau struggled to comprehend what was going on. “You know that it's wrong, my brothers and sisters. I agree that the inhabitants of this new world should honor and revere us, but to give them a home in the same image as Elysius with all of its magic is wrong. I guarantee you that these lesser beings will only abuse it. They are not worthy of such a gift. It is a mistake to give them such power to possess. They are ill equipped to use it. Already, they carelessly desecrate the paradise that we have created for them. Magic such as this belongs in the hands of those capable of wielding it. Celestials like us. Not mere mortals. I say we claim this new world and its magic as our own! Who is with me?”
“What you speak of, my brother, is heresy.” It was John who spoke. “We all agreed that this new world and its people would be created as a mirror image of Elysius.”
“Not all of us agreed to it, John. There are those of us who voiced our concerns and were ignored. There should have been more deliberation instead of blindly rushing forward without considering the consequences of what might happen if our magic is put into the wrong hands. I say we claim this newly created world as our own.”
“What you speak of is treachery against Elysius.”
“No, John. The treachery lies with those that created this world of abomination. I think this whole idea reeks of deception and abuse of magic. Why should we give our power away? Is there a hidden agenda at play here that we're not seeing? How long before we're asked to give up our own powers, as well? Are there enemies amongst us who secretly wish to undermine us? I fear that this is just the beginning of what is to come. Stand with me, my brothers and sisters and fight for what is rightfully ours!”
It was then that Beau realized that the Celestial being that was speaking was Apollyon before the magic subverted him. The majority of those gathered their raised their hands in solidarity with him. Only a scant few objected, one being John who only shook his head, the sadness reflecting in his eyes as he looked over to where Beau stood.
The image blurred and Beau next found himself strolling along a pathway towards a magnificent house. Something was wrong though as the front door was partially open and when Beau entered the home, he found a woman and two young children dead on the floor. He realized that this was the family of the Celestial who would become Schadowe, slain while he was gone elsewhere. Rage and grief consumed him and Beau could fully understand the pain that he was experiencing as Beau would undoubtedly feel the same way if he found Lauren and Michael like this.
“I am so sorry for your loss, my brother.” The image changed again and it was the Celestial who had become Apollyon speaking to him. “Our enemy's treachery has sunk to new depths, it appears. They seek to harm us where we are most vulnerable. An attempt was also made on my family while I was away. My wife survived the attack, but my son died at the hands of these butchers.”
“Did she see who it was? I will kill them with my bare hands.”
“Yes, she did. It was John. He has betrayed us. Our enemies seek to eliminate us in the only cowardly way they know how. Do you see now what I have been talking about? The creation of this new world is just the beginning. Our enemies are using it to distract us from their true agenda. They seek to eliminate anyone who might be considered a threat. What say you now, brother? Will you stand with us and claim this world of theirs?”
“Yes brother, I will stand with you.”
The dream shifted again to a world that was once filled with beauty but had now been ravaged of all its magic and resources. Its demise had been swift and brutal. The magic changed not only the landscape but those that plundered the world, as well, twisting and transforming their features into hideous monstrosities. Once the magic had been nearly depleted, all that remained was a barren wasteland. Perdisius was born.
During this time, Schadowe came into being. His heart and soul were filled with grief and hatred and the blackness that he was mired in transformed him and the lands of Perdisius that he now called home and Schadowe came to embrace the darkness that would become his realm. As one of the more powerful beings of the Forsaken, Schadowe ruled the Shadow Realm and those that followed him became one with the darkness and gloom that permeated throughout the region. So much so, that the other realms of Perdisius feared and shunned those that dwelt in the Shadow Realm and had little to do with them. It was only when Apollyon made himself the ruler of Perdisius and chose to rise up against the Celestials that the rest of the Forsaken reached out to the Shadow Realm. With the magic of Perdisius all but gone, Apollyon created the Knights of the Apocalypse to lead the Forsaken armies into battle with the Celestials. When that clash ended after a terrible struggle, the defeated Forsaken gathered up their remaining magic and created the Key which Schadowe was instructed to hide in the tunnels far below his realm so that the Celestials would never find it. A plan was put in place so that someday it might be retrieved when the Knights of the Apocalypse were resurrected. From each of the Knights, Murmur used his magic to take a part of their being and held it for safekeeping unbeknownst to the Celestials. It was a short time later that each of the Knights of the Apocalypse were hunted down and put to death for their crimes against Elysius.
Schadowe gave himself up willingly in exchange that his followers not be harmed. The Celestials agreed to his request and John was there when Schadowe received his death sentence.
“I am sorry that it has come to this, my friend. After all the fighting and everything that we have been through, I still consider you my friend. I want you to know that it wasn't me who murdered your family as you were led to believe. I hope you realize this now. You were deceived by Apollyon. As one of the most powerful Celestial beings, you were sought out by him to join his side and he deceived you into thinking that it was me who killed your wife children when in fact, it was him. To further add to his deception, Apollyon killed his only son to win your trust and sway you against the Celestials.”
“What reason do I have to believe you now, John?”
“None, I suppose, but it is the truth. I have no reason to lie to you. There is nothing to be gained by it. I just wanted you to know that I am truly sorry for your loss and your pain. I'm sorry that it has come to this. I asked for leniency for you in light of what we have learned, but the decision has already been made and your sentence has been set. I can do nothing more and I apologize that it was not enough to save you, my friend.”
“Perhaps in another lifetime I can find forgiveness for you in my heart, John. For now, all I feel is darkness and emptiness. I'm not capable of forgiveness. If our paths should ever cross again.... we'll see then what I'm capable of.”
Beau woke from his dream and laid there for several minutes questioning whether he had just had a dream or experienced fragmented memories from Schadowe’s mind. It was entirely possible that it had all just been a byproduct of a dream brought on by the worry and fear that he was going through, but Beau believed then it was more than that. The images were too vivid, too specific to be just a random dream. Now that Schadowe was starting to emerge, were his thoughts and recollections beginning to push Beau’s aside? Lauren was still asleep beside him and Beau took a moment to watch her. This might be the last time that the two of them would enjoy a peaceful moment like this. Nothing might ever be the same again after tonight. He pushed the thought aside and leaned over and kissed Lauren’s naked back before snuggling up beside her and wished that he could stay in this moment forever. If this was indeed going to be their last day, Beau wanted to make the most of it. Despite the strange dream, he felt refreshed after getting a decent night's sleep but his body was still feeling the effects of his skirmish with Murmur yesterday. His wounds had healed somewhat, but they were still painful and Beau worried how much they might hinder him tonight. He tried to push these thoughts away, as well and decided to make the most of this day as best as he could.
After breakfast, Beau had a mini stick hockey game with Michael in the hallway, played some cards with his parents and then went to the playground with Lauren and Michael. It was a gusty spring day, but the sun was out and the temperature was bearable. Watching Mikey and Lauren playing on the swings gave Beau a feeling of regret. This moment would probably never come again. Mikey would never get the opportunity to grow up and graduate or have a family of his home and come here in the future with his kids.
Beau didn't care for the prospect of having his time with Lauren cut short either. There was still so much more that the two of them wanted to do yet. There had been plans to travel more and he regretted not making more of their opportunities when they had the chance. There were plenty of other things that they wanted to see and do, but Beau’s biggest regret was that they wouldn’t become an official family and give Mikey some brothers and sisters to play with down the road.
Lauren and Mikey completed Beau. He had been drifting aimlessly until that wedding dance when he ran into Lauren again. He couldn't imagine what these past few years would have been like without them in his life. It wasn't perfect all the time by any means, but Beau wouldn't change a moment of it even if he could. The two of them had filled a hole in his heart that Beau didn't realize was longing for something more. He was happy and content with the way his life was now and had looked forward to many more years together with them. That was before the world went all to hell.
“It's not too late to load the vehicle up and take Mikey and yourself as far away as possible from here as you can, you know.” On their walk back to his parents' house, Beau’s worries began creep in again and trouble him. He had been so busy trying to stay in the moment and soaking in these memories until reality struck and reared its ugly head.
“You know we're not going anywhere without you.”
