Elly stared at the woman, wondering what on earth this had to do with her. “That’s terrible, but I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me, Louisse!”
“My name is Tina Louisse Rankine!” Louisse stared into Elly’s eyes, watching the confusion turning over in her mind, until a incredulous spark started a fire.
“Tina...! How...?! I… I don’t understand; is this even possible?” Elly exclaimed. “You’re old and...”
“Thanks, Elly!”
“I didn’t mean it like that!” Elly squirmed.
“Yeah, it took me some time to swallow the story when Dramble told me, too; but he told me about things he shouldn’t have had knowledge about and now that I’m sitting close to you, I can see your face in my childhood memories. You always were a stunner, Elly, and I was profoundly jealous of you.”
“So the baby...?”
“Danny Dickson’s. You always tried to dissuade me from him but the more you tried, the more determined I became and unfortunately for me, he wrecked my life. I raised his child alone, but the boy went wild and I think he perished in the great attack anyway.”
Elly stared at Tina, still not sure whether this was reality or a clever deceit.
Tina could see the scepticism in Elly’s eyes and moved to cement certainty. “The last time I saw you was at your wedding. As soon as you turned eighteen you married that hunk of a doctor man that attended you at the accident site. Now what was his name...? Ah... Callum...! Callum, that’s right! Doctor Callum Greer! He was the bachelor catch that every girl dreamed of and wanted to land, but you broke a lot of hearts when he asked you to marry him. He always used to call you... Pretty Lady!”
Elly’s gaze intensified, wondering about this mystery man.
“He was a devoted Christian too and would talk to anyone about Jesus Christ; and the both of you tried to convince me of my need for a Saviour. As usual, I didn’t listen and when I realised that you and Callum and every Christian I had ever known had disappeared after the great attacks, but so many people around you had survived and not one was a Christian, I started searching for myself and many years later, here I am. It’s kind of ironical, really; this sanctuary is directly under where Don Patton Senior High used to be and Baal Malii is built over the ruins of Perth City.”
Elly’s eyes were wide at Tina’s story, wondering whether her own family had escaped the terrible attack. Then her brow creased in a frown as she struggled with Tina’s narration.
“But if I was a Christian, why am I here now?!” Elly’s confusion intensified.
“I believe it’s because of something that happened at the same time as the accident, before you were a Christian. Apparently, the dimensions were manipulated and you fell through an opening into another parallel world. You had some kind of supernatural experience at the accident site, as well and soon after leaving hospital, you were desperately trying to tell people about the coming horror and the only way to escape was faith in Jesus Christ.”
Elly stared at the calm water just below her feet, thinking through the implications of Tina’s story. Then with a cheeky smile and full of curiosity she turned to Tina. “So describe this man I married?!”
Tina exhaled loudly, a little confused at her question. “Um... he was tall and athletic, blonde wavy hair and green eyes that could melt a girl’s heart with just one look... just like your son!”
“My son...?! I had a son?!”
Tina turned to Elly with incredulous eyes and a deep furrow in her brow. “Yeah, of course! Our very own Raider leader, Finn...! Finn Greer is your son!”
*~*~*~*
Finn finally counted out the steps in the darkness and as he came to the end, an opening appeared into a large cave. He turned into the opening and stood at the door, listening to a male voice speaking softly and the gentle, muted cries of a young woman. A small colony of coloured lights attached to the roof silhouetted the small, boyish frame of Dramble and the petite figure of Heather.
Finn fell in love all over again with the beautiful apparition of a girl, while her muted cries cut him to the heart. He was about to enter the cave and beg for Heather’s forgiveness, wondering how she could ever trust him again, when Dramble’s speech hit him like a sledgehammer.
When he heard Dramble recite, “Elly is Finn’s mother,” every other word from Dramble’s mouth fell to the ground.
Dramble droned on and on for what seemed like hours, but the incredible words kept replaying in Finn’s mind.
Elly is Finn’s mother.
By the time Dramble’s monotone had finally finished, Heather was crying again but this time, they were tears of happiness. Heather stood and wrapped Dramble in a hug and planted a watery kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Dramble; it all makes sense now. Will you take me back to the family gathering? I need to hug Elly and find Finn.”
“No need, Heather; I’m right here!”
Finn rushed into the cave and swooped Heather’s petite frame into his arms and then stole her breath away with a steaming kiss. The two young people melted together, sharing a fever of passion and finally, it felt right to be together.
When their ardour parted briefly Finn begged Heather for her forgiveness, but a loving, slender finger pressed against his lips, stopped the flood of words and she leaned into a kiss that stole the Raider’s heart for good.
Dramble sighed heavily and then turned to depart, listening to the sounds of two people deeply in love.
In the back of the cave, a brilliant white light shone down on a patch of soil like a miniature spotlight, illuminating the pale and beautiful face of a huge shy blossom.
Finn’s loving fire delighted Heather and she felt giddy in his arms. She glanced into his mesmerising green eyes and fell deeper in love and now, thanks to Dramble, she understood Jehovah’s intention.
In her periphery a brilliant beam shone, attracting her attention to a mesmerising light. From Finn’s arms she pointed to the light and before long, the couple had plucked the stem of the happy flower. Holding the beautiful Altar Rose in their hands, the spotlight turned and showered the couple in Jehovah’s approving light, igniting their passion again and cementing the ties of soul mates.
*~*~*~*
Hakham picked his way gently back into the intense atmosphere surrounding the sanctuary and found Louisse and Elly lost in a hug.
His sudden baritone voice sliced into the quiet and interrupted the scene. “Jehovah has taught you many things, Elly, but now it is time for you to go back.”
Hakham’s words seemed surreal as Elly broke from Tina’s embrace. “Go back? What do you mean, Hakham?”
“To your own time and so Jehovah’s order is restored.”
Elly panicked at the thought of leaving the people who had become her family and with whom she had bonded so deeply. “Can I see my beloved family before I go and tell my son I love him very much?”
Hakham nodded his head in approval. “Then you understand the rose bloom you now hold?”
Elly stared at the delicate blooms and studied its meaning. “Is it the never ending love a mother feels for her son?”
Hakham smiled. “You have learned well, Elly. The large rose bloom is the mother’s love and the smaller one growing on the same stem is the son’s. For this is how Jehovah made it to be.”
*~*~*~*
Chapter 42
Heather and Finn quietly stole back into the family gathering and made a determined pathway to the sanctuary. Heather was radiant, holding the Altar Rose while happiness surrounded the couple like a guard of honour.
Things had changed in Finn’s heart towards Elly, and now he was desperate to put things right and honour his mother, even if at this point in time she was considerably younger than he was. He now understood Jehovah’s intention and indeed, a man could love two women, but that love was two different kinds.
The love and desire for his wife and the love and respect for a mother.
He had also learned that a wrong choice o
f life partner made in the depths of passion could lead to disaster. But waiting and watching for the signs of Jehovah’s approval, punctuated by the presence of the exquisite Altar Rose in the couple’s lives, was a sure sign of a lifetime of trust and companionship through every trial.
The bond of a soul mate.
Fully exclusive to every other romantic influence, but strong enough to reach outside of the bond while protected from all infidelity by the strength of love from within that bond, and able to safely offer the arms of agape to hurting individuals from the reservoir of Jehovah’s love.
Finn bowed his head to the altar in respect and then peered around inside the chamber to find Elly alone and sitting staring at the calm waters of the Lake of Purity and deep in contemplation. She had her knees bent in an arch and her arms tucked underneath, hugging her legs while her chin rested on their apex. As Finn tried to enter, still holding Heather’s hand, he felt Heather tug him back. He stopped at her prompting and peered into her soft eyes.
“You go in first and spend some time with her and I’ll follow in a little while.”
Finn’s brow furrowed at Heather’s request and then he accepted her decision. The time to get to know Elly was running short and those moments were precious.
Entering the sanctuary alone, Finn quietly approached Elly, not wanting to startle her from her deep thoughts. Her face erupted with a warm smile when she recognised Finn and then she jumped to her feet and smothered him in her hug. The hours seemed to pass as if seconds, while mother and son learned more and more about each other.
Finn explained about the Altar Rose he and Heather had found, causing Elly to burst into tears of joy. “Take good care of Heather, Finn. Hakham once described Heather and me as closer than a sister, a daughter or a mother. Now I know what he meant. She is a woman of great Godly wisdom and a precious pearl to treasure.”
Finn threw his arms around Elly again, realising she had just given him and Heather her blessing. Something he would prize in the coming years.
“I just can’t get used to calling you Mum, Elly.” Finn’s green eyes were swimming.
Elly sniffed back her tears, knowing she would eventually see Finn and Heather and the whole family again, in the promise of eternity with Jehovah if they remained faithful.
But according to Hakham, their near horizon was fraught with dangerous and painful horrors; and the ever present fear of denying Jehovah in the face of the great tribulation soon to come.
Elly felt like a deserter, knowing she would escape the holocaust because of her faith in Jesus Christ, but the members of the family had been deceived and when the Rapture had occurred, they were left behind to suffer.
Not one would be alive at the end of the wickedest time in history and it brought Elly pain.
Heather’s whisper emanating from the sanctuary door interrupted Elly’s thoughts and she broke from Finn’s embrace and enfolded Heather in a determined hug. The two women held each other tightly and sobbed together for a long time before Elly found the words to speak.
“I am so proud of you and Finn, and will always be thankful to Jehovah for giving me such a precious daughter, mother and sister.”
It took a while for Heather to respond, but she knew exactly what Elly meant. “Finn has your blood flowing through him, Elly, and I will always remember that and the special woman you are. I am proud to call you Mother.”
Finn joined the hug and the three stood together, knowing with each passing second the time to depart was growing nearer.
As the story spread throughout the family and Elly’s time was becoming shorter, Eliana and Caleb quietly joined Heather and Finn and took turns solemnly pressing into Elly’s embrace, followed by a line up of beloved family members. Elly’s heart was bursting; she didn’t want to leave.
But as Hakham continually insisted, Jehovah’s order had to be restored.
Elly stared at the family leader, this time his kind and consuming eyes allowed her behind the facade and staring back at her, she could see the distant eyes of eternity. Hakham embraced Elly with the love of a Father and then released His daughter to walk out of His classroom and back into her destiny.
Dramble was the last one to enter the sanctuary, but before he could approach Elly, Hakham took him aside and spoke sternly, seemingly giving him directions. Staring at the floor, Dramble nodded his understanding and when he turned to face Elly, his grey eyes were moist and teary. He took her hand and led her along a tunnel out of the family gathering and into the ruins.
Elly turned one last time to face the people she loved, before their loving faces disappeared from view and only existed in her memory.
As Dramble swiftly led Elly into the darkness, past the sulphurous Pool of Strange Fire and out into the impotent red sunlight, he peered around looking for threats. Finding none and with desperate haste, he made his way into the ruins, searching for the place.
After many hours of intricate probing, he finally recognised the object of Hakham’s directions and placed his hand over the spot until a small opening appeared, just as Hakham had described.
“Quick, Elly, step through before the window closes again.”
Elly stared into the guiding and protecting soft grey eyes. “Aren’t you coming with me?”
“No, Elly. I am needed here. I am to be a part of the Raider’s band and serve the needs of the family. Someone has to keep an eye on Finn and Heather too!” Dramble knew his last statement would bring Elly comfort and she smiled at his words.
“Don’t forget my riddle will you: Out of your heart the tears I keep...”
“ …and when I am no longer, your knowledge is complete. I haven’t forgotten, Dramble.”
The two people stood staring at each other for a long time, lost for words to express the swirling emotions.
Elly finally pulled Dramble into her embrace, her hug tight around the small boy and then with a blurry gaze, she peered around at the desolate ruins stretching in all directions one last time. Before stepping through the opening and just before the window closed, she heard Dramble’s trembling, “I love you, Elly!...” and then he was gone.
*~*~*~*
A turmoil of colours violently mixing in a swirling vortex made Elly feel sick. As her vision cleared and started to pull into focus, the backdrop slowed and allowed the merry-go-round’s only rider to step clear of the thrashing ride.
As her surrounds came into focus she lay on her back, staring into a bright blue sky and watched smiling clouds and flying birds wave to her, on the never ending business of occupying Jehovah’s creation. There were tall trees and thick scrub, all very busy and very much alive in her potent world while the sweet scent of abundant life filled her senses.
Nearby, an ambulance loaded three other victims through its gaping back door and left the scene hurriedly, leaving Elly in the care of the doctor until it returned to transport Elly to a local hospital too.
Elly peered around the broken bush and at a severely crumpled car some distance from where she lay, surmising she must have been thrown from the vehicle when Zig released her safety belt and tried to pull her closer.
A gentle hand carefully lifted a blonde strand from her face and startled the beauty with a grateful, whispered greeting. “Hello, pretty lady, welcome back. You frightened me for a bit there, I thought I was losing you,” a man in a medics uniform announced, gazing at the stunning features of his patient.
Elly seemed confused to start with, but her questioning frown searched for the owner of the voice, remembering Louisse’s description of her soon-to-be husband.
Two stunning emerald green eyes arrested her gaze with a gasp, then she stole a glance over his athletic build and wavy blonde locks, settling on the lines of his handsome face with an infatuated sigh. She giggled to herself, recalling telling Eliana to close her mouth and stop drooling over Caleb when they first fell in love, but here she was doing exactly the same thing.
She felt her mouth move and then h
er voice bubbled up in her throat, but unaware of what her emotions were about to reveal.
“Hello, Callum Greer,” Elly whispered. “Did you know we have a son and he looks exactly like you?”
A stunned, but delighted smile crept across Callum’s features at the announcement from this beautiful young woman laying at his feet. But before he could respond, she opened her hands and a shy and retiring rose smiled up at him, filling him with tenderness and a love he had never felt before.
Whoever this pretty lady was, Callum was already falling for her.
Powerless to resist, Elly reached up and drew him to her lips and kissed him with a fiery passion that left him stunned. TNT and electricity mixed together in a deadly brew and before Callum knew what had happened, she had stolen his heart in a massive explosion.
Somewhere close by, childlike laughter drifted on the lazy afternoon breeze and with another determined stretch, she reached for Callum again but this time, he wowed her with a passionate explosion of his own, leaving Elly’s heart pounding and gasping desperately for more.
*~*~*~*
Chapter 43
Elly awoke to the sounds of a busy district hospital and glanced around at the scene. A nurse entered the room and greeted her.
“Good morning, sweetheart; did you sleep well?”
“Mmm, I slept really well,” Elly stretched and then yawned, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Well, you will be pleased to know you can go home this morning, as soon as Doctor Greer signs your release.”
Elly smiled at the nurse when she mentioned Doctor Greer and the nurse understood the reasons for her excitement.
“You seem to have captured his special attention; he sat and watched you sleep all last night,” the nurse admitted.
Elly beamed. “Did he really?!”
“Just in case you were wondering about your three companions…” the nurse teased, “they aren’t badly hurt, but they will need to stay here longer for further observation.”