The Dawn of Destruction, Chapter 18

                              The Dawn of Destruction

Interitus 1 – Book One

            Chapter Eighteen

 

            “Guys, I can’t believe we did this. Me and Phil have done some stupid shit in the past, but I don’t think it’s ever been this bad. We’re all frickin’ morons,” Seth groaned as the waves battered the small boat from all directions.

            Iris and Phil clenched the rails on the boat as rain pelted their skin. Even though it was the middle of September, and even though this storm had come from the tropics, every drop of rain felt like ice that had been shot from a gun. Iris’ hair was soaked by the rain and pulled behind her head by the wind, but she paid no attention to her appearance.

When another wave struck the boat and splashed foam and saltwater into the ship, Phil decided to take action. He let go of the rail and grabbed the bucket in which they had dropped fish. He dumped the fish overboard and quickly started splashing as much water as possible out of the boat, since it was already ankle-deep. Lightning suddenly flashed from the dark clouds in the sky, and though this illuminated every drop of the pelting rain, Seth saw another huge wave roll toward Iris’ dad’s fishing boat.

            “We’ve gotta be the three dumbest people on the face of the fucking planet,” Seth said, pressing the accelerator with all his strength.

            Because of the powerful waves, the motorboat barely responded to the accelerator. The hurricane had complete control over their motion. Phil looked up from the water on the boat’s floor and said, “Well at least I’m tryin’ to fix it! Yo punk-ass jus’ standin’ there callin’ us stupid and shit, but it don’t do no one no good.”

            “Guys, let’s not argue about this. Right now, we just need to survive! The hurricane has to pass eventually,” Iris yelled over the roar of the storm.

            “How you gon’ tell me that the hurricane will pass? If we don’t figure out somethin’ fast, then we gon’ pass before it does!”

            “Yeah, seriously! Iris only wants us to stop complaining ‘cause it’s her fault we’re out here in the first place! This is her boat, it was her idea; it’s her fault we’re gonna die!”

            At that moment, a huge wave crashed over the front of the ship. As countless liters poured onboard, the wave threw Seth across the boat and slammed him into the back of the motorboat with enough force to break a rib. Seth immediately grabbed onto the edge so that the wave would not carry him off into the ocean, but his fingers were quickly slipping. Both Iris and Phil grabbed his wrists and hoisted him back onto the motorboat with all their strength. When Seth landed on the ground, the water was up to his shins.

            “Seth, if you think I did this on purpose, then you don’t know me at all. I didn’t mean for this to happen! I didn’t mean to-”

            “Oh, you didn’t mean to accidentally get us killed?! Like hey, sorry I drowned you in the fucking ocean, but it was just an accident!” Seth said with a mocking tone.

            “You bein’ a real dick right now, Seth. You bein’ a real dick,” Phil said as he splashed out buckets of saltwater as quickly as he could.

            “Well excuse me if I’m not as okay with drowning as you are.”

            A crack of lightning shot across the sky, but the flashing lights remained for several seconds. At the end of this brief period of illumination, Seth saw a large wave barrel toward the right side of the ship. He turned and yelled a warning to Iris, but his voice was swallowed by the roar of the rain and the rumbling thunder. When the light faded, Seth ran to throw himself to the other side of Iris, but he could hardly see when the fading lightning surrendered to the darkness of the hurricane. So when the wave crashed into the motorboat and swallowed Iris, Seth was too far away to catch her. Another flicker of lightning flashed, and though there was light for just a second, Seth could see that the wave pulled her into the ocean on the other side of the motorboat.

            “IRIS! IRIS! CAN YOU HEAR ME? WHERE ARE YOU?” Seth shouted into the water, but he knew that this was useless.

            The waves moved so swiftly by the boat that she was already gone, and she would only drift farther with each second to pass. In just two seconds, Seth accepted that she had no way to hear him. He had no way to find her. Seth saw that Phil had dropped the bucket, giving up on trying to stop their boat from sinking. The water was now knee-high.

            “Fuck, man. We lost her. I don’t even know what we s’posed to do. The ocean got her, Seth. There only one way we can-”

            But before Phil even finished talking, Seth grabbed his wrists from behind. As the cold rain crashed upon their faces and scattered the slamming ocean with a million ripples, Seth said, “I can’t let the ocean take you, too. You’re all I have left, Phil. I won’t let you do this. I can’t let you go.”

            “But Seth, look. We already dead. I’m the physics guy, remember? I know we don’t got no chance of finding Iris. There just ain’t no way. But it don’t matter ‘cause we just gon’ drown too. At least my ass can make it seem like I did all I could to get her back. It don’t matter since we already dead.”

            And while Seth tried everything to hold him back, Phil used the slipperiness of the rain to break free from Seth’s hold. He jumped onto the edge of the motorboat. Another flash of lightning shot in the background, illuminating Phil’s full silhouette as a wave approached from behind. He said, “I’m sorry, Seth, but I have to go into the darkness.”

            There was a splash of water and then silence. Seth fell on his back into the water on the motorboat floor, staring toward the sky. The waves threw the motorboat around like it was nothing, but this did not mean anything anymore. The pelting rain crashed upon his body, and though it stung, Seth just did not care at all. Suddenly, the rain and the ocean were illuminated by nine simultaneous strikes of lightning. Seth stared at the lightning and felt the brightness burn into his eyelids.

***

            When he woke up in the chair in Phil’s hospital room, Seth could still see the nine lightning strikes burned into his mind. For a moment, it reminded him of the nine women who emerged from Naomi’s body in the underground chamber, before they flew out through the opening and disappeared. Seth rubbed his eyes and saw his best friend lying in the bed with his eyes closed, many tubes connected to his body. He sighed, stood up, and walked over to his brother’s side. He took a moment to clear his mind and dispel the terrible memory.

            “Hey, Phil… I hope you’re doing alright in there. I just stopped by to visit, again, since it sure doesn’t seem like anywhere else in the world wants me. Ha, that sounded pretty sad, I guess. You know how I do, though. I guess I just don’t really see any point in trying to stop Naomi, now. She’s just too much more powerful than me. There’s really nothing I can do but run out the clock, but… that’s okay. I’m happy because I get to sit here with my best friend,” Seth said.

Seth smiled weakly as he tried to fight the pain of seeing his best friend in a hospital bed. Phil did not stir. His heart rate monitor sounded in slow and steady intervals, though his body remained completely unresponsive. Seth was not sure if Phil had returned from the astral plane, not that it would make much of a difference either way. The doctor had said that Phil’s coma was irreversible; he would be trapped in an unconscious body until his heart gave out. His brain and organs had simply suffered too much damage. Seth’s only hope was that the doctor did not have enough information to correctly judge Phil’s condition, largely because Seth had to lie about Phil’s wounds. Since the city was in chaos after the attack on Naomi’s cathedral, he had no choice but to hide their involvement in Naomi’s disappearance. That said, Seth was pretty sure that the doctor knew his tale was a lie.

            “Phil, remember that time in senior year when those guys from St. Downe tried to mess up our track before the meet? Remember how you chased them out with nothing but a baseball bat in one hand and a chicken bone in the other? And then, their campus security caught you spray-painting Bob Marley lyrics all over their gym! It was probably the funnest night of my life; it’s hard to believe that was so long ago. I miss those days. Man, I’m so sorry that this happened. It’s… it’s all my fault,” Seth said, dropping several tears onto the mattress.

            “I’m no cop, and I’m certainly no lawyer, but did you have something to do with your friend’s injuries?” the doctor asked as he walked in the room.

            After a contemplative pause, Seth confessed, “I’ve got no reason not to tell you at this point. It won’t change the final outcome, and I’m out of options. Far as I’m concerned, I’ve run outta reasons to protect myself. So I’ll just say it. Phil and I were trying to take out the prophetess, but she was just too strong.”

Seth expected the doctor to become suddenly enraged or react violently. He was sure that these words alone would be the knife that cut the thin string of remaining hope. But the doctor did not overreact, nor did he reach for a phone to contact any authorities.

            “How come?” the doctor asked while glancing over Phil’s chart.

            Seth let out a quiet exhale and answered, “She is not who she says she is. She’s a murderer. She’s basically a supervillain. I don’t really know how she got that power, but she told me what she wants to do with it. She wants to kill millions of people; she basically wants to bring us back to the start.”

            “I’m not exactly sure how true that may be, but I’m not gonna argue or condemn you. I never knew exactly what to think about her, but I’ve been an atheist for as long as I remember, and a few magic tricks aren’t gonna change that now,” the doctor courteously responded.

            “Makes sense, but I promise you that what she does… is no magic trick,” Seth said.

            “Then if you’re so sure, why is she not a prophetess of God?”

            “Just because you have God’s power doesn’t mean that anyone wanted it that way. I probably shouldn’t say this, but I also possess a fragment of God’s power. And I can tell you right now, no one would have wanted it this way,” Seth explained.

            The doctor seemed confused by this, so Seth picked up an empty soda can from the waste basket. He held it in his right hand and quietly Destroyed it. The doctor’s eyes widened with intrigue.

            The doctor shook his head and said, “My, my. This world certainly has its surprises, even for an old dog like me. I really don’t know what to think anymore… but I guess that isn’t what matters now. If the prophetess is as evil as you say, then I’m sure you know you can’t give up. The rest of us sure can’t do anything about her. Unless… have you already Destroyed her? I did hear that she’s gone missing.”

            “Naomi is as far from dead as possible, which is stupid ‘cause I was so close to Destroying her. She was right in front of me. I lost my best friend because of her,” Seth sighed, motioning toward Phil’s tattered body.

            “Well, maybe you shouldn’t lose hope. I know you haven’t really left this room in a couple days, but I can give you a brief update at the very least. If what you say is true, then I think I owe you that much. You see, after word of her disappearance started to spread, people started asking if maybe this was all a lie. People are confused and hurt, but they’re not getting violent. Some say that Naomi couldn’t have disappeared if she was truly divine. They say it’s an indication that she was never powerful enough, or at least not willing enough, to save us. Some even say that it was all smoke and mirrors from the start; they say that Creation and Destruction are both just fantasy. This is probably the safest time to go after her, if you dare. But the choice is yours, of course. I know you’ll make the right decision, otherwise you wouldn’t have even made it this far.”

            After that, the doctor quietly exited the room. Seth smiled to himself, mentally replaying the doctor’s kind words. But since the loneliness of Phil’s room was inescapable, Seth began to pace aimlessly in deep thought. Perhaps pursuing Naomi was worth it, because what did he really have to lose at this point? His mistakes had already cost him Phil and Iris. Furthermore, if he did not find a way to stop Naomi, then Phil would have sacrificed his body in vain. Only one thing was certain—Naomi would succeed if Seth decided to stop fighting now. Destruction was the only thing that could possibly stop Creation.

            When a nurse slowly opened the door and poked her face through the opening, Seth placed these thoughts on hold. He saw bags around her red eyes and fresh sweat on her face; it was clear that she had been distressed for quite some time. Seth did not say anything, but he quickly got the idea that she had spent sleepless nights wondering about the missing prophetess. There was an envelope in the nurse’s hand, and she placed it on the table beside Phil before leaving. Seth saw the letter was addressed to Phil, but he decided to open it instead. When he opened the letter and saw that it was actually addressed to him, he smiled at the devious nature of Zheng’s communique.

 

            Dear Seth,

            I have find something you will think most fascinating in western edge of Cuyamaca Mountains. I will not elaborate through mail. I have also been help Felix get back to health in spite of missing arm, just so you are aware. He want to thank you for saving him and I would like to thank you too. We are both alive only because of you. Please come soon.

            Great thanks,

            Zheng Lee

 

            “That’s funny, Felix thanking me. Maybe he’s coming around. I woulda never made it out of that dungeon if he didn’t help us with his power. None of us would have. I hope he sticks with us. His power’s crazy,” Seth muttered to himself as he grabbed his jacket and got ready to leave. He then turned toward Phil and added, “I guess this is it, for now anyway. I’ll come back as soon as I can; I won’t forget about you.”

            Seth kept his eyes closed until he left the room because he could not stand to see Phil in that state for another second. When the door to Phil’s room closed behind him, it felt like an enormous burden had been lifted—not because Seth wanted to leave, but because he had chosen to take action from the pit of despair.

Just before exiting the hospital, Seth took a moment to survey the outside pedestrians. Based on their expressions, the citizens seemed caught somewhere between dismay and confusion. If this were caused by Naomi’s disappearance as Seth suspected, then the doctor was right; the people had already unraveled the hope that once strung them together. Everyone’s hope of salvation was gone. The bitter aftertaste demanded answers, but there was no way to fulfill this desire.

            A taxi was parked outside of the hospital. The driver sat with a magazine in his hand, and Seth figured that this meant he was available for customers. Seth opened the door to the backseat and entered the seat opposite of the driver.

            “Where to?” asked the driver, starting the meter.

            “The Cuyamaca Mountains, if it’s not too far out of the way,” Seth said, flashing the cash in the pocket of his jacket.

            “My friend! Out of the way places like these are what feeds my family!” the driver said as his car entered motion.

            “Thanks,” Seth replied, noting that the driver seemed to be the only person left with a jovial spirit.

“No need to humor me of course, but if ya don’t mind me asking, why are ya looking so down? I mean, I know I picked ya up from a hospital and all,” the cab driver said, breaking the awkward silence.

            Seth answered, “It’s just… unhappy times. My best friend is in a coma, so I’m not really feeling too great right now.”

            “Ouch, I’m terribly sorry about your friend. These days, it seems like everyone in San Diego is really sad, though usually it’s ‘cause of that pretty gal who made everyone think she was God. She sure was beautiful, though,” the driver said as Seth stared at the passing rows of houses.

            “I think people are just having trouble with trust right now. Like they had hope for something meaningful… but it was taken and now everyone hates hope. I think I’m too young to understand all this stuff about faith and religion, but the worst part is that I don’t think I care. All I can think about is Phil,” Seth replied, regrettably switching the conversation back to the one topic he wanted to avoid.

            “Is that why you’re headed to the mountains? To try to get rid of some stress? I don’t blame ya, friend.”

            “Not quite. My other friends and I have a… project… that we’ve been trying to work on, but I just can’t seem to make myself care as much as I should. They hit a major break, though, so I’m on the way to help them,” Seth half-embellished as they approached the mountains.

            “Well, I know I’m not you, and of course I don’t know all the details of your life, but I promise ya that it’s not a good time to give up on whatever it is you and your friends are doing. See this project through. Ya may feel defeated and confused and sad, but I can see on your face that you got more fire than anyone I’ve ever had in here. I know ya won’t fail,” the driver said with a small grin, parking the car at the edge of a mountain.

            “You’re right,” Seth said, “and I won’t let this go.”

            After handing the cab driver the money for the trip, Seth thanked him again and ran off to circumnavigate the mountain. He heard the rumble of the car slowly driving back toward the city as he searched for Zheng and Felix. But with every step, Seth’s conversation with the doctor and the cab driver replayed in his mind. There were still good people left in the world, even if they all had their hope taken from them. There were still people who made life worth the pain. There were still people who would not be torn down by the circumstances, and Seth now knew that he had to do the same.

There were good people here, and there were countless more among the masses. This meant that he could not stand by and let Naomi vanquish them, no matter how powerful she had become. No matter how much he had already lost. He could not let her bring him to his knees because of his past failures. It no longer mattered that Seth was slightly too slow to Destroy her. All that mattered was that he was still alive, and he still held the only weapon that could stop her. He promised himself that he would save those who had saved him.