as he watched them interact with each other. Hikari viewed and treated him as a son, but Sam knew he didn’t think of his relationship with his daughter as inappropriate. If a relationship was what they had …
From below, another wave of laughter rolled over him. It was Aimi’s, as usual, the sound delighting him. She was laughing at the antics of one of the boys. Sam recognized him. He thought his name was Jake.
Jake was currently larking about. He was at the foot of another stone column near to where Sam hid. As the others laughed, Jake starting climbing it, getting egged on by the rest. The column was about fifteen feet high and eventually, with much scrambling, Jake reached the top. Nearby and unseen, Sam watched as the boy proceeded to dance on top of it. It was a silly thing to do; the fall could easily kill him. Below him, he could now hear the others trying to coax the boy back down, but he wasn’t hearing any of it, continuing to show off.
Sam tensed and stood up, expecting the worse.
Jake continued to jiggle about, laughing to himself. Suddenly, he lost his footing. Flailing his arms and yelling in abject terror, he began to topple backwards off the column. Sam didn’t think, didn’t hesitate. The gap between the two columns was easily ten feet wide. He darted forward and leapt, not sure that even he could make it without a run-up. The thought only occurred to him when he was flying through the air at twenty feet. Then he was down, crouching, one arm hooking onto the side of the column while the other snaked out, grabbing the other boy by the ankle.
Jake’s eyes were wide, his shock at his sudden rescue competing with his fear. He fell backwards but Sam was ready for the weight and braced himself. Jake was left dangling headfirst, ten feet above the ground.
Releasing his grip on the rock, Sam hoisted the boy up with both arms. He set him down next to him. Jake stared at him, his mouth open but unable to speak.
“I think you better get down,” Sam told him.
Jake nodded mutely and began to climb down slowly and nervously. Sam looked over the edge. The other teenagers were standing around in stunned silence. His eyes sought out Aimi’s.
She smiled at him and his heart soared.
Later, the others gone, Aimi waited for him at the foot of the column. Her friends hadn’t stayed for long after Jake’s brush with death, and even though Sam had saved Jake’s life, most of them cast fearful looks in his direction where he still perched amongst the shadows. They urged her to come with them but she assured them she would be alright.
Sam didn’t bother climbing down; he simply jumped, landing right in front of her, his legs bent. He straightened up and she rushed at him, embracing him tightly. Her head nestled into the crook of his neck and he felt a rush of emotion and excitement.
“Thank you,” she said. “I know Jake didn’t say it, but I’m sure he wanted to.”
Sam said nothing, content just to hold her.
“It was a brave thing to do. I couldn’t believe it when I saw you leap across that gap. I don’t think anyone else could’ve done it.” She looked up and placed the palm of her hand gently on his cheek. “You are a good man, Sam. You didn’t even think about your own safety but I wouldn’t have expected anything less from you. That’s why I love you so much.”
With that, she stretched up on her toes and kissed him full on the lips. At first, Sam didn’t respond but when the pressure became more eager, he kissed her back. Time seemed to fold up upon itself. It seemed to go on for ever and Sam wished it would never end. Of their own volition, his arms snaked around her back. He lifted her off the ground as they continued to kiss. He had never been so happy. Finally, he knew without a doubt that Aimi loved him.
Eventually, their lips parted. He set her down on the ground but held on to her, unwilling to let her go. She rested her head against his chest.
“I meant what I said,” she said. “I love you, Sam. I love you so much.”
The words were like soothing balm on his soul. He felt like he was about to explode with happiness, his heart was so full of love for her.
“I love you, too,” he said. “More than you know.”
“Oh, I know,” she said, tilting her head upwards and smiling at him again. They kissed once more and this time, it really did feel like it would go on forever.
Much later, they walked hand in hand in the moonlight back to Jacob’s Ladder.
When it came, it came suddenly. It took his breath away and left him in stunned awe and wonderment for many minutes.
It was late afternoon. He was out in Devil’s Garden, practising, chopping down poles with his blades. There were ten of them, each one embedded about a foot in the ground and evenly spaced around him.
He sucked in a lung full of air and then lunged, using the whirlwind attack that had taken him almost six months to perfect. Within three seconds, all ten poles were lying neatly sliced on the ground. Sam had hardly appeared to move. He wasn’t even breathing heavily.
And then it happened.
The Rapture.
The sky was suddenly awash with light, the clouds pushed aside as if by the breath of God. A million rays of light beamed down from the heavens, seeking out and lifting up the faithful. Sam knew that he would not be one of them, but yet a part of him still held out some hope that he would be. Perhaps he would be taken up to Heaven with Aimi, Hikari and the rest. Even if it was by mistake; even if somehow one of the beams hit him accidentally and he would be transported to join them … In the direction of Jacob’s Ladder, he saw many of the beams lancing down to Earth. None fell around him. Not even close.
Still, Sam experienced a presence that filled him with joy, and he knew with complete certainty what was happening. He closed his eyes and basked in the glorious feeling, aware of the image of Christ in his head. Jesus was smiling at him. And it was wonderful.
He couldn’t have said how long it went on for, but as suddenly as it began, it was gone, leaving him with such a feeling of loss that he would have wept if he could. He sank to his knees, completely shattered by the feeling of abandonment and despair. ‘Aimi …’ he started to whisper, but as he heard a crack of thunder, Sam looked up. Already, dark clouds were massing above him. The Tribulation was beginning.
Beneath him, the ground shook. An earthquake. The rocks around him trembled and then shook ferociously. A nearby rock spire tumbled ponderously to the ground, accompanied by a terrible roar. If he hadn’t already been on his knees, the earthquake would have thrown him there.
He knew he couldn’t stay here. It wasn’t safe — but that wasn’t his most important consideration.
He wanted to see her one last time. To say goodbye properly. To tell her one more time that her loved her. He had to try, even though his heart and the rational part of his mind were telling him it was too late.
He leapt up and found himself sprinting, running faster than he ever had in his life.
And then the sky began to rain fire.
When he got back to Jacob’s Ladder, many of the buildings were ablaze. The few people he saw were staggering about in shock, making no effort to put them out. Main Street was littered with empty cars, their occupants all taken by the Rapture, their clothes left empty on the car seats and sidewalk. His own clothes were smoking after being hit by several burning fragments but he simply ignored it, hardly registering the blistering pain.
Sam knew that the eight hundred odd residents of his town were mostly devout. He’d surreptitiously followed Aimi and Hikari to church on a number of occasions and he’d seen that the small church was almost overflowing with devotees. Standing room only. In fact, Father Rainey had spoken of building a new, bigger church, although Sam wondered why he was bothering. Hikari was even on the fund raising committee for it.
Despite an urge to help the few people he encountered, he didn’t have time. He raced to his house. It seemed to have been spared the worst. The earthquake had hardly touched it although something on the roof appeared to be smouldering. The front door was ajar and he stormed in, shouting wildly. There was no answer. He raced up the stairs, darting into each room, impossible hope pounding in his chest. All empty. Downstairs was the same. The dining room table was already set for the evening meal. In the kitchen, many of the cupboard doors were open, some of their contents lying smashed on the floor.
Of Hikari and Aimi there was no sign. They were gone. Gone forever.
