Lilith's Blessing

3.

Trevor completed his last delivery of the day, then drove to the beach. While he sat in the sand, the waves crashed against the shore as the cold salty air penetrated his hoodie and nostrils. He peered out at the horizon and imagined a tsunami that rose a hundred meters and crashed into the coast. When it hit, he felt relief as his life washed away.

The cool breeze of the Pacific Ocean turned warm, the air thinned, and the salt vanished as Trevor opened his eyes. Brown and gray canvas sails filled with wind propelled the metal and wooden ship forward. The vessel stood out. It differed from any ship he’d seen before. He looked down at his torso, bloody bandages wrapped around his legs and torso. Was this a dream?

He raised to his feet as the boat swayed in the waves. He felt light, in fact, he never felt better. Trevor jumped. “WHAT THE FUCK!!” His small leap turned into a 20 foot gap. Trevor looked down at the boat before he hit the water, dipping below the surface. He flailed, kicked, and struggled in vain. In that moment, Trevor regretted never learning to swim. The cold water swallowed him as he fell further into the abyss.

Trevor opened his eyes as a large man attempted to give him mouth to mouth. He pushed him away with light force. But the action tossed him across the boat.

He had a colossal head but a bigger beard; it reached down to his bulged out stomach. His dark green eyes were wide open with surprise as he pointed his thick finger at him. The man covered his mouth. “Who are you?”

“Negus, who are you?” Trevor wiped his mouth. “Did you try to kiss me?”

“You jumped into the water and drowned.”

Trevor looked at his ten toes, wiggled them, then shrugged. The sights and sounds around him overwhelmed his senses as the man berated him with questions. “Why were you out there? Where are you from?”

He shrugged again, then inhaled a deep breath. Trevor had to calm his nerves. The flurry of questions frayed what little nerves he had left. But what could he say? He had no answers for him. Only questions. Trevor looked at the burly man and introduced himself. “Who are you, and where are we?”

“John. You don’t know where you’re at?”

Trevor shook his head. He had no clue. John pointed to the lake beneath the boat, then the islands that surrounded them, and gave a geography lesson of the area and its vastness. Of the eight million plus square kilometer area, 65% of it was water. Then how the comet that hit the south pole 2000 years ago created the lake of Mississippi. The 2000-year-old massive lake spilled over, creating the Million Lakes Territory, upon which they travel. The story is too unbelievable, but the way John spoke made it real.

Trevor looked up. Blue and yellow birds with long black tails dive into the water. Fill their beaks with fish, then rise back into the air. They vanished into the trees that blanket the islands. Trevor pointed north toward the white wall. “What’s that?” John gave Trevor the side eye.

“How did you get onto that island?” John ignored Trevor’s question in favor of his own.

Trevor recalled the previous few weeks, from Alexia and Kaylia to Olivia and Monique. John cringed. He was familiar with the island, but said he stayed away.

John studied Trevor, watching his every subtle movement. Curiosity overwhelmed him. He had to ask, because Trevor’s story did not add up. “Where are you from?”

“Seattle.”

John glared at Trevor like he lied. “Seattle is gone. It fell into the sea.”

“On god, I was there a few weeks ago.”

John shook his head, as Trevor was an enigma. But saw zero signs of deceit. John leaned in and looked closer at Trevor’s beard. It was bushy but held hints of red that stood out in the light. “Are your parents Asian Indian?”

Trevor shook his head. John asked about native or south American, to which he denied. “I’m straight black, bro.”

John gave up the questions for now. He retrieved a cup and mumbled. Trevor did not hear the words, but John’s hand glowed in a blue haze. Blue liquid swirled from thin air, forming a ball in the center of his hand, then drizzled into the cup.

“The fuck?”

“It’s just water. Now come, sit. Let’s change those bandages.” John pointed to a small stool and handed Trevor the cup. He took the cup, sat, then raised the cup to his nose. He smelled nothing and took a tiny sip. Fresh water touched his lips and spilled down his throat. He gulped down the water and handed the cup back to John.

“Would you like some more?”

Trevor nodded and wanted to know how John created the water.

“Mana, Trevor, Mana, it’s how you healed yourself from a fatal wound.”

John grinned, then poured more water into the cup, then described the persistence of mana. It was everywhere the basis of life itself. Trev nodded his head like he understood, but didn’t.

John stopped, his eyes widened again under bushy eyebrows. He marveled at his back. Only a jagged dark brown scar remained. The difference from when he first picked him up was drastic. “If you concentrate your mana, you can remove the scar.”

Trevor curled his lips. “I can’t use mana.”

John thought to press the subject, but capitulated. His instincts told him to wait until they reached Sioux Falls. Trevor lifted his head up and closed his eyes toward the sun. The sunshine on his skin negated the possibility of it being a dream. Its warmth is visceral. The breeze propelling the ship forward was refreshing and cool, complemented by the heat from the sun. Standing in it, he felt as if his batteries had recharged.

They sailed along for a while until a large island stood before them. John maneuvered the vessel to the right, entering the mouth of a river. Having traversed the United States multiple times by truck, nothing before him was familiar. The trees stood on the island, almost daring you to plunge into its dark canopy.

Despite the wind that sped past his ears, Trevor heard John humming as he guided the boat through the turns a standard vessel could not pass. John seemed comfortable as Trevor was on the edge of his seat, grasping the railing as hard as he could.

Trevor pulled himself up to where John was at the helm. “Where are we going?”

“East to Wall drug as our first stop, then to Sioux City.”

Trevor’s eyebrows raised as he remembered a job where he drove through Wall Drug. As he mentioned his travels, John stopped and tilted his head. “When was that?”

“A few summers ago. I went to Wisconsin, Illinois, and Florida, each time I drove through Wall Drug.”

John did not understand, as it was impossible to “drive” through Wall Drug. High walls surrounded it on a peninsula. Plus, as John examined Trevor, he noticed his hair that twisted and defied gravity. He did not want to say, but his hair differed from everyone. He would stand out.

“stand out?”

John tried to touch Trevor’s head, but he dodged his hand. John, confused, thought nothing of it. But people always tried to touch his hair, and it was a taboo. More or less something he hated.

John did not hesitate. “You are an enigma, Trevor. But I bear you no ill will. I hope you will want to stay with us.”

Trevor sat down as John’s words went over his head. His only thought was of home. But what was home? He shook his head and contemplated if he wanted to go back. He stretched his arms and John focused on his left arm and revealed a tattoo on his forearm that filled up most of the underside from wrist to elbow. John pointed to the four numbers populate the inside of the tattoo.

Trevor looked at his arm. He had forgotten about it. “The years I was born, and the year I moved to Seattle.”

John snickered about the years 4085, to Trevor’s amusement. He imagined 4085’s technology with a smile, but then took in his surroundings. No screens or any futuristic type technology. Instead, John held a simple wheel half his size to steer the boat. “What year is it?”

“Year 177.”

Trevor did not understand what that meant.

“It’s been 1,919 years since the cataclysm…”

“What?” Trevor buried his face in his hands as John navigated them through a narrow valley. The change in air forced Trevor to reveal his face. The valley opened up into a beautiful teal blue lake dotted with countless islands covered with gigantic trees. John let the vessel drift and sat next to Trevor.

“There are many things I’d like to ask, but we should wait until we reach Sioux Falls.”

“I guess. What is there?”

“My home base. Let me ask you, what do you know about mana?”

“Some cultures said it was blood, others an invisible force around you. But no, I know nothing.”

“Mana is all around you. Mana healed your wounds. You are the first, to my knowledge, to heal a fatal wound, plus your legs.”

“Is that the color associated with unnatural behavior? Like when that big bitch got mad, or Olivia, who made me float?”

“You can see it, then you know of it. It could heal even the scar on your back and the one you have about your right eye if you channel mana to it.”

Trevor shrugged off the suggestion.

“Bro, I’ve never been able to use mana.”

Incoherent visions flood Trevor’s head, and screams of dying men and women. Waves of blood crashed into his feet as he stood over the dead. Trevor’s eyes glossed over and his dark skin turned pale as a sharp pain penetrated his right temple.

“Trevor, you ok? Maybe you should lie down. We have a long journey east ahead.”

Trevor laid on the hammock. He swayed with the boat and concentrated on the waves. The intense migraine filled him with fear it would return. He wanted to sleep, but his mind was wide awake, filled with possibilities and overwhelming anxiety.

Trevor kept his eyes closed, but felt the vessel come to a halt. He opened his eyes to a massive silver gate, flanked by two enormous towers 25 meters high guarded the surrounding area. Large white walls extend farther from the towers than the eye could see.

The boat slowed to a near stop. John stepped into the view of the towers, raising one flag in the air. A blue background and 4 white stars adored the flag. Upon seeing the flag, the guards respond by opening it, pushing the crystal blue water out of the way.

The towers and gate cast a magnificent shadow extended away from the setting sun. Trevor looked at the entrance in awe. The usual creak of medal against medal was absent. Instead, the gates open and then close behind them.

Inside the gate, they sailed through open water for a short period.

“You see that?” John pointed.

“What am I looking at?”

Trevor stood up to observe from the bow. Over the horizon, the tip of a gigantic structure appeared, shining in the afternoon sun.

“What is that?”

“The Spire of Westgate, also known as Wall Drug.”

The colorful city and docks became visible, with various people moving around and performing their given tasks. The water was pure despite proximity to a big city, as Trevor saw the bottom. Large and small fish swim amongst the colors of the living coral. Windmills grace the waterfront, spun and churned, filtering water into the city. Their simple trim contrasts the colorful city they support. A marvel of engineering created a beautiful town spawning the countryside.

Instead of finding a spot on the docks, John turned the boat starboard toward the windmill. Then, turning the vessel to its port, he maneuvered it close to the wooden pier. Devoid of people, the windmill’s shadow loomed over them. But John told Trevor to stay on the boat.

“What? Why?”

John mentioned the long journey ahead and something about being from the countryside. Trevor missed the last part as John disappeared into the windmill.

Trevor looked toward the gate of the dockyard, only four guards at the entrance with unfamiliar rifles slung over their back. Their blue and white trimmed sherwani differed from John’s leather and metal armored suit. The sound of conversations and sizzling meat filled the air and Trevor’s nose. His stomach growled as he grabbed it.

John exited the windmill with four people in tow, each carrying a heavy container. The four men set the boxes down short of the boat ramp. Trevor jumped from the ship, stacked the boxes together in a set of two, lifted them onto the ship. “Where do you want these to go?”

Stunned, John pointed, “below deck, set them in the open area. Thank you.”

Trevor dropped the boxes in the first open area, then explored the bowels of the ship. Below was larger than it looked from outside. He explored the rest of the ship. Down a slim corridor, two rooms occupied the back. One room had two hammocks hung from the walls, filled with supplies, while below sat two cots. The other was a double bed with one pillow and blanket decorated with simple green and purple patches.

Trevor emerged from below deck when John maneuvered them away from the dock. He covered his eyes when John turned the ship toward the rising sun. “Time to go home.”