Page 46 of Deck of Scarlets
“Do not question. Just accept.”
Every pair of eyes observed my awaiting decision. If I ran now, would I make it? Would anyone try to stop me? My hesitation was enough for a couple of solid hands to drag me out from the back, my feet skidding along the floors in protest.
“Please, no, this isn’t necessary,” I interjected, trying with all my might to break free.
A glimpse of Josh’s stone-cold demeanor while the others surrounded the table scared me for what unknown awaited.
I now understood what Heather’s silent goodbye meant.
I might not make it out alive.
The harder I fought, the harder they tugged, until I was mere inches from the table and Father Benedict. His smile was bright and inviting, never touching his eyes as he patted the steel table, instructing me to lie down.
“No! NO! PLEASE!” I screamed.
Hands all over hoisted me onto the table as I continued to scream in terror. Steel cuffs held down every limb I tried to thrash around. For a split second, I caught a glimpse of Josh, emotion vacant in his eyes. I screamed even louder, trying to break free from the binds.
“PLEASE LET ME GO!” I pleaded, trying my best to break free from their rough hands.
Father Benedict approached the table, a needle in hand. “Let the Lord guide you through this trial, Remi.” He gave a couple of flicks to the syringe as he reached for my arm. A soft chant began to form around the table I was strapped to.
“NO! STOP! PLEASE! GET AWAY FROM ME!” Tears escaped my eyes, falling down my cheeks as I struggled to escape this nightmare.
The chants grew louder when the needle penetrated my skin. I shouted in fear, certain that he had injected me with some toxin and would use my body for some twisted sacrifice.
Whatever had been in that syringe ran through my bloodstream in record time. My skin burned until my insides ignited that same flame, licking every part until it consumed my entire being. Eyelids painted with sleep, I tried to fight against the comfort of it, knowing if I shut off the world too soon, I might never escape.
“She’s fighting the dose,” someone said.
“It won’t be long until she succumbs,” Father Benedict said.
“And if she doesn’t?”
I wanted to move, to find who was speaking, but my head felt heavy. My arms and legs had become phantom limbs. Drifting like a boat out at sea, a giant wave came, casting me overboard. I let the current take me under, washing the fear with it.
“It will be the Lord’s plan.”
Chapter Nineteen
Iwas floating like a feather, cascading down from the sky into a pool of diamond light. Warm air hugged the Earth, comforting its craters, mountains, and vast lands, blanketing the world with protection, saving whatever was left from evil. An evil that had ripped through every inch and surface of remaining peace that now rested in the hands of someone who took refuge in the clouds—time looped in endless circles, waiting for the circuit to break. To break free from the leather cuffs and the fire suffocating the lands. Until there was nothing left but smoke and ash.
My body rose from the debris, followed by buds of flowers growing with me. They began to bloom, from red tulips, daisies, and lilacs to morning glories of vibrant shades of reds, yellows, and oranges. The sky above was the bluest I’d ever seen; no cloud disrupted its beauty. The heat from the sun’s rays warmed my skin as I walked barefoot through the soft, green grass. Each blade tickled my toes and kept my balance steady. I wore a white sundress; it clung to my skin protectively like a suit of armor. My hair fell in loose curls on my back, a delicate breeze escaping a few strands from behind my ear, dancing in the wind. I continued to walk through the open field, with no real destination but to wallow in the senses of what was around me.
Closing my eyes to feel the warmth on my eyelids, I trekked in silence, breathing in the scents of freshly cut grass and newly bloomed flowers. The air never smelled so clean and calming. I was afraid to open my eyes to find all of it gone. For just a few moments of bliss without the chaotic life waiting for me whenever this place decided to kick me out.
I wandered ahead with my eyes closed for a long time, using my other senses to bask in the peaceful sounds and floral smells. Paradise. That was precisely what the place reminded me of.
An endless trip of eternal bliss, sun, beautiful flowers, and the bluest sky. Then my feet began to touch the pavement, a surprise that had me open my eyes to a giant white oak looming over where I stood. The leaves barely made a sound from the timid wind. A white bench made from a birch tree was perfectly stationed just underneath, on which sat a woman so otherworldly, any model would envy her looks. Her skin glowed in the sunlight, almost luminescent. Her hair, a brilliant shade of red, tumbled down and around her shoulders. She wore a similar white dress and a pair of light brown sandals as she rested casually on the bench.
At first, I didn’t think she was aware of my presence, as she continued to look ahead as I approached, but a smile slowly crept upon her full lips, indicating she very well knew.
“Remi, please come sit,” she instructed kindly. Her voice sounded like a thousand angels singing in a choir at Sunday service. A sound I hadn’t heard since my grams brought me as a little girl. It took my breath away.
I followed her instructions silently, afraid to shatter the moment with my average voice. Her hands rested on her knees as we stared straight ahead, watching the flowers sway in the breeze. The absence of fear resonated deep within my bones while sharing a bench with this stranger.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” she finally said.
I peered slightly to my left, watching her intently, and said, “You have?”