The instant after he entered the soul-gate, Eli found himself falling face-down onto a surface of dry soil. Jack immediately landed upon Eli’s back with a grunt, and the others were already on their feet nearby. Jack quickly sprang up.
“What a shame,” he sighed, gazing about. “I was hoping there’d be better scenery.”
Eli slowly rose to his feet and observed his surroundings. They had indeed been transported to the side of a road, which was narrow and currently free of traffic. The ground was barren as far as the eye could see, with the occasional brown shrub dotted here or there. To the left, the road extended to a cluster of buildings on the horizon. To the right, it wound into the distance.
“Two towns at each end of the road,” Ana announced. “Just like he said. If we don’t find the child in either, we will follow the road through the northern town and proceed to the next one.”
Victor bore a skeptical expression. “Chances are we won’t find much out here,” he muttered. “But I suppose we can leave no stone unturned. We’d better hurry up and split into groups.”
“You and Rachel will head to the northern town off in the distance with me,” declared Ana. She pointed at Eli and Jack. “You two will head south. The town is visible even from here, so you needn’t go far.”
Jack tilted his head to the side and stretched out his neck.
“Simple enough,” he said. “Let’s be off; I don’t think we can afford to waste any more time.”
Ana began to walk along the road, beckoning Rachel and Victor to follow. She briefly turned toward Eli and Jack.
“Once you’ve investigated the entire area, find us at the northern end of our assigned town,” she called. “Should you find the child, notify me, and we shall rendezvous back here.”
Jack trotted toward the town to the south.
“Sounds fair,” he responded. “Come on, Eli!”.
Eli took after Jack, who was quickly gaining speed. Glancing quickly behind him, he thought he saw Ana, Rachel, and Victor travelling several meters off the ground. He shook his head, trying to eliminate the effects of whatever hallucination he was experiencing.
“Funny,” he whispered. “I could have sworn I saw them flyi-“ Eli stopped short as he saw Jack ascending through the air at his side.
He looked down at Eli and snickered.
“Oh?” he jeered. “You can’t fly? It’s my fault I suppose; it seems I neglected to inform you of all the Sentinel’s abilities.” Jack descended until his feet were level with Eli’s head. “It’s not difficult, really,” he continued. “Just pretend you are light as a bird and brimming with some type of uncontainable gas. All Sentinels can learn to do it quickly.”
Eli closed his eyes, trying to imagine himself as light and airy, just as Jack had instructed him to. With a few sprinting strides, Eli leapt into the air. He remained suspended temporarily, but slowly fel to his feet again.
Jack remained close by.
“Try it again,” he urged. “You’ll need to fly if we’re going to search the whole area we’ve been tasked with. Get to it.”
Eli sprinted forth once again, this time trying to concentrate more intently. He propelled himself as explosively as he could into the air. Although he immediately began to descend, he redoubled his efforts and managed to remain suspended. Using every ounce of his will, he then began to rise.
“I told you it wouldn’t take long,” said Jack with an amused grin. “but it’s only flotation and lateral movements that are simple. Ascending higher than just a few meters will prove difficult at first and will require a good deal of practice. When you reach my ability, however, you’ll be able to soar with eagles – assuming you survive long enough to reach it.”
As he willed himself to drift toward the town, Eli cast an uneasy glance toward Jack.
“Don’t worry,” insisted Jack, seemingly reading Eli’s thoughts. “I already told you we’ll find this kid easily. The Sentinels will undoubtedly continue to exist.”
Eli and Jack picked up speed as they glided through the air. Eli no longer struggled as much to stay suspended, and he was now roughly ten meters from the ground. The road below drew on across the barren plain, heading directly for the town that had once been a blurry mass against the horizon. Now, its modest, densely packed buildings could be seen quite clearly, and they were rapidly growing larger.
“I don’t know about you,” Jack called over the wind that was now whistling past quickly.
“but I have a very good feeling about this. I can sense the presence of a Saint all over my body.”
“You can just sense Saints?” asked Eli skeptically.
“Well, no” replied Jack. “Like I said, I just have a good feeling. Nothing wrong with that, right?”
A metal sign that read “Welcome to Johnson” loomed up from the right side of the road.
“Johnson, huh?” mused Jack. “I never would’ve guessed the kid who will prevent the apocalypse could live in such a detestable town.”
As the pair came within about fifty meters of the first few buildings of the area, Eli could not help but think that the town did appear detestable. At the outskirts stood a set of dilapidated buildings, with several patches of faded paint visible upon their walls. Farther towards the center, a labyrinth of shadowy alleys creeped its way between the cluttered, depressing apartment buildings and houses. The streets were littered with debris and refuse, and although Eli was not certain that he could actually smell anything, he wrinkled his nose in anticipation of a foul odor. Farther still, the town featured larger buildings that were clearly not intended for housing. Surely a school of some sort can be found there.
Eli quickly noticed that, in his thoughts, his flight concentration had dwindled, and he had become outpaced by Jack. The experienced Sentinel was already hovering over a brick apartment building ahead and was surveying the town. Eli quickly glided over to him.
“This area does not occupy much land,” Jack observed. “but it is densely populated. It may be harder to search than I had originally guessed.”
Eli felt a bit daunted by the impending task.
“Where do we even begin?” questioned Eli.
“Well,” Jack replied thoughtfully, his arms crossed. “I recommend we heed the Judge’s suggestion. One of us should locate the town school and investigate. Since it shouldn’t take two of us to scout the building, I propose that one of us search the school for the child and that the other search the housing for her parents. School should still be in session now.”
Eli had never cared to note what the time of day was. Now that he gazed above, he saw that the sun had begun to descend. The sky was not particularly cloudy, but it was not a clear blue either.
“Definitely early afternoon,” concluded Eli. “School will probably not remain in session for too much longer. I suggest we determine who will head where and move along.”
Jack began ascending through the air, gazing about intently.
“Right,” he replied enthusiastically. “I will find the school while you search for the parents – if that’s okay with you, of course.”
Eli nodded.
“I’ve no objection. Let us proceed.” He started towards the brick apartment building below but paused quickly. “Hold on,” he said. “How do I enter these buildings? Won’t someone notice if their door is opened in the absence of any visible cause?”
Jack, who had already begun his venture to the center of the town, briefly turned back towards Eli.
“Your spiritual form should be able to bypass physical matter,” he called. “so if you concentrate hard enough, you will be able to move through the walls undetected.”
With that, Jack flew off, and Eli could not help but think that Jack had not been entirely helpful in explaining the ways of the Sentinel. First flying and now this – let’s see if I can get this to work. Eli dropped to the littered alleyway beside the brick apartment building. A metal door was built into the wall before him, and there were a few sparse windows on the floor above.
Eli peered into the windows and around the building to determine if any humans were present, though he knew that they would not be able to see him anyway. At any rate, he did not see anyone in the immediate vicinity.
He did, however, hear angry shouts and the rumble of motor vehicles nearby. They were nowhere in sight, as the only visible sign of life was an orange cat with ruffled fur and ravenous eyes that padded softly behind him. Having ensured that no one was present, Eli approached the door, staring at it doubtfully. Remembering his state of mind when he had first managed to fly, Eli attempted to achieve that same level of concentration. Reaching tentatively toward the door, he imagined himself as some gaseous substance. I must think light and airy.
His hand made contact with the door, and he could feel the heat that had been absorbed by the metal over the course of the day. To Eli’s disappointment, his hand did not extend beyond the door.
“Come on,” he said impatiently. “I guess I have to concentrate harder.”
He closed his eyes. As his unwavering concentration caused the noise from his environment to dissipate, his body became gripped by a tingling sensation. His hand soon became unable to sense the heat absorbed by the door; for that matter, he quickly became unable
to sense the door at all. Taking care to maintain his focus, Eli glided his hand through the door’s surface. Immediately, he felt the rest of his body being drawn into the building.
Before he could think to resist, his entire form had passed into the door, and he was propelled forcefully through to the other side. Standing beyond the door, Eli looked down upon his hands. They seemed to have assumed some fluid form, as they had no definite shape.
Ripples slid across them, but they eventually returned to their original form. A little bizarre. But doing it isn’t terribly difficult.
Eli felt a stifling heat surround him. It would seem that the apartment had little ventilation, which was not surprising given the apparent living conditions the town offered. The room he was now in was mostly empty: There was a metal desk before him and an oak staircase to his right. Still, no living humans were in sight. Understanding the urgency of his mission, Eli quickly scampered up the wooden staircase. His feet barely made any sound at all, even though he did not intend to remain unheard.
Upon arriving at the top, he stood at the end of a dark and grimy hall. Both walls were lined with numbered doors, which were spaced well apart. Eli approached the nearest door on his left. Though the floorboards beneath the carpet he treaded on moaned ever so slightly, the sound was still audible over any other human voice or movement. Is no one here?
Uncertain, Eli once again concentrated on adopting the same state of mind he had when he first entered the building. He passed through the first door easily, still slightly disconcerted by the uncontrollable force that drew him along. The living area he had entered was essentially colorless, and the walls and furniture were coated with dust. It was no cooler than the other parts of the building either. Eli noticed that he was standing in a small kitchen, but he quickly proceeded through a passage on his right. He entered upon a bedroom, which was also vacant.
Hurriedly searching out the rest of the area, Eli found no humans present.
Returning back to the hall, he decided to place his ear upon each door to listen for activity, as opposed to taking the time to survey every room thoroughly. He scampered down the hall, stopping at each door to listen for any sound on the other side. Eventually, he thought he heard running water behind a door at the end of the hall. He entered the apartment to find an elderly woman washing her hands at a kitchen sink. Eli did not believe she would be relevant to his search, but out of curiosity, he waved his hand before her face. She simply dried her hands
and turned away without taking notice. Slightly disappointed, Eli retreated back to the hall.
Hopefully the other Sentinels’ searches are yielding more success than mine.
A sudden din of gleeful laughter jolted Eli from his negative thoughts. He whipped his head around toward the source of the sound, and he found himself facing a door at the other side of the hall, near the staircase he had ascended. With a surge of excitement, Eli dashed over and essentially dove through the door.
The apartment he entered exhibited the same room structure as the other ones he had investigated. From his position near the kitchen, he continued to be bombarded by the sound of laughter, which emanated from an adjacent chamber on his left; it sounded as if multiple children were present.
Eli followed the stream of noise to emerge upon a living room, with two children engaged in rough-and-tumble play in the center. Two adult women were chatting casually on a small sofa. Eli noticed that the children were extremely young – not old enough to begin full-day school. He also recalled that the Judge had never specified the age of the target; she had simply assumed that she would be present at school.
With this in mind, Eli approached the rowdy children and stood imposingly over them.
They proceeded with their play unabated, and the two women, probably mothers, never ceased their chatting. Frustrated, Eli exited the apartment. Although he realized that the odds of finding the Saint in this particular location were minimal, he had been enthused by Jack’s words, and his failure to find the Saint was depressing him already. Listening carefully, he stood before every other door on the floor, but he detected no signs of activity.
The absence of any other Sentinel and his inability to communicate with anyone had granted Eli a strange feeling. For the first time since returning to the Living World, he felt truly alone. This search is quickly starting to get old. Eli scrambled toward the next set of stairs, which was located directly beside the set he had already climbed.
Upon reaching the top, a shout sounded from outside the building.
“I won’t get distracted again,” muttered Eli, moving toward the first door on the floor.
The shout sounded again, only more desperate and disconcerting this time. Someone was calling for help.
Eli stopped and tried to determine exactly where the call was coming from. As the shrill pleas continued, Eli determined that it was directly outside the building, opposite the side he had
first entered. He did not want to compromise his search for the child or her parents, but Eli could not ignore the cries any longer. I hope I don’t regret this.
With reckless abandon, Eli charged through a door directly in front of him. The cries for help were growing weaker, but they seemed to be closer. Eli was now alarmed. I have to see what’s happening down there. He dashed through a kitchen and found a window in an adjacent living room gazing out upon the area where the commotion seemed to be. Peering down through it, Eli could see three figures in the alleyway below. Two of them were large – definitely adult males. The third was smaller and appeared to be a young woman.
Anger welled within Eli’s being as he quickly came to the realization that the woman was being assaulted. One of the men had pinned her against a building opposite the one Eli currently stood in, and he struck her in the head repeatedly. The woman, seeming to have mostly lost consciousness at this point, no longer called out for aid. Meanwhile, the other man was sifting through a cloth pouch, laughing arrogantly.
Eli had observed quite enough already. He transitioned through the window smoothly and descended to the alleyway, landing behind the perpetrators without making the slightest sound. With rage surging through him, he approached the one who was assaulting the woman.
Raising his fists above the man’s head, Eli suddenly recalled what Jack had told him.
The old Sentinel had explained that Angels do not view excessive interference with humans favorably, and if Sentinels do not mediate their interactions with the living, they will be banished to the Void.
With this in mind, Eli was not certain that violence was the appropriate solution to his dilemma. I should contrive an alternate approach – I do not want to risk invoking the Angels’
ire. With an agile mind, Eli determined that he would distract and deter the men from the area.
Turning now to the one culling the woman’s goods, Eli swatted the pouch out of his grasp with the back of his hand. It collapsed to the asphalt below, and Eli pounced upon it, covering it completely with his spiritual form. I hope this works.
The man was bewildered, staring down at the pouch in disbelief.
“What the Hell?” he shouted.
“What is it?” growled the other, who had finally ceased his striking of the woman.
“Nothing, man,” replied the first, shaking his head and smiling. “I just dropped it.”
The second man left the woman lying against the building and joined his partner. “
What’s so surprising about that?” he jeered. “Idiot. You’re always dropping stuff. Now hurry up and take what we need. I wanna get out of here before trouble shows up.”
The man who had been rummaging through the pouch laughed and stooped to retrieve it from the ground. He extended his hand toward it, and the world seemed to stop for Eli as he awaited the result of his scheme. The man’s hand fell upon Eli’s back, but the young Sentinel would not be intimidated; he remained curled up upon the pouch. The man retracted his hand abruptly, his eyes wide with fear.
“What now?” said the other in exasperation.
The first pointed to the pouch with a quivering finger.
“Th… There’s something stopping me from touching it!”
His larger associate seized him by the collar of his white shirt.
“You’re starting to tick me off!” shouted the bigger man, shaking his dazed counterpart.
“How hard is it to do such a simple job?”
He flung his partner to the ground and reached for the pouch. In so doing, he too found Eli’s back with his hand. However, he did not retreat as his partner did. Instead, he pushed against Eli, grunting. The man was impressively strong, but Eli resisted and held his position.
Eventually, the large man stepped back, sweat dripping from his face.
“It feels like… a person”, he whispered.
“What did I tell you?” exclaimed the other, still a bit shaken.
“This is getting too weird for me,” grumbled the strong man. “I’m gonna run. And I should really watch what I smoke from now on. I ain’t hanging around with you again, either.”
He made haste through the alleyway and headed toward the interior of the town.
“Don’t just ditch me like that!” said his associate, who scurried after him while peering nervously over his shoulder.
When the two men had disappeared behind a row of houses, Eli came to his knees and returned to his feet. He breathed a sigh of relief. It worked, he thought. Fortunately, I didn’t need to resort to anything rash.
The sound of faint breathing diverted his attention to the woman who lay unconscious against the brick wall before him. She had dark skin and dark hair; while she did not at all appear to be short, she was undeniably slender. Her face was bloodied and bruised, and the tissue around her right eye was swollen. Now what shall I do with her?
Eli did not believe it would be prudent to leave her here; perhaps other brutes would befall her. In that case, Eli’s efforts would have been futile. On the other hand, there was no obvious method to relocate her. Attempting to carry or drag her away may attract unwanted attention and would breed disastrous results if she regained consciousness.
As he pondered these things, the woman began to groan and shift about uncomfortably.
She was reawakening. Eli quickly placed the pouch in her lap and placed his hand upon the building she leaned against, attempting to transition inside. That took way too long. I have much work to make up in order to stay on track. This has been quite a setback.
“Thank you,” came a trembling voice from beside him.
Eli looked down upon the woman he had assisted. She was gazing directly at him with a weak smile.
“It was my pleas-“ Eli began to speak, but he faltered once he realized his situation: This woman could see him. “You can see me?” he inquired.
The woman laughed lightly.
“Of course I can see you,” she answered. “You were the one who drove off those thugs, right?”
Eli was taken aback; he did not expect to have encountered a Saint at this point in his search. He would have to notify Ana somehow, but first he would need to confirm that this woman was the mother of their target. Of this, Eli was currently unsure. I’ll have to follow her to her home… Find out if she has a child, and if so, discover the identity of the child. In the meantime, I just need to ensure that she maintains her belief that I am an ordinary person.
The woman shakily regained her footing.
“I’m sorry to ask you this,” she began hesitantly. “But could you see me home? I feel rather vulnerable now.”
Eli grinned. Perfect.
“Yes, gladly,” Eli responded.
“Thank goodness,” she gasped in relief. “Don’t worry. We won’t have to travel far; my home is close to this place.” She walked out of the alleyway, through the same end the two muggers had exited. Eli trailed after her as she turned left upon reaching the street along the apartment buildings.
Free from the imposing presence of the apartments, Eli could gain a more precise perception of the town, and he was reminded once again of its degenerate nature. Few signs of life were evident, save some apparent homeless people and gang members lurking between houses. The street was mostly vacant; it appeared that most travelling in this town occurred on foot. The sun had dipped farther toward the horizon since his arrival; Eli was sure that school must have been dismissed by now. I wonder how Jack fared. Perhaps he found this woman’s child, but it’s certainly a stretch. I can’t even confirm that she is a mother. Although Jack did say he had a good feeling…
While thinking about Jack, Eli was reminded again of his team’s mission plan. Since he had found a Saint, he should attempt to contact Ana. As he and the woman walked alongside an endless series of dark alleyways and decaying buildings, Eli closed his eyes in an effort to detect Ana’s presence. He tried to envision her in his mind and extended his senses beyond the town, searching for her consciousness.
“Are you alright?” asked the woman from beside him, as she had apparently discovered his disengagement from the external environment.
“I’m fine,” replied Eli curtly, fixating on the sound of her footsteps so that he could remain on his path. “I just like to uh… meditate.”
“Oh,” said the woman in surprise. “In that case, I guess I won’t disturb you.”
Recollecting himself, Eli tried once again to find Ana. To his disbelief, it seemed that someone had already found him. Indeed, he was now aware of another consciousness within his being, and it began to speak to him.
Eli? called a voice from within himself. Can you hear me?
The voice sounded identical to Ana’s.
With a rush of excitement, Eli attempted to gather his thoughts and respond. Yes! I can hear you, and I have some interesting news. A brief pause ensued; Eli feared he had not successfully responded to Ana.
Eventually, he heard her voice once again. You have interesting news? Like what?
Eli joyfully shared his discovery. I’ve found a Saint! I am following her to her home as we speak! It is possible that she is related to our target.
Once again, there was a delay before Eli was aware of Ana’s response. And it is a greater possibility than you may think, Eli. Jack has reported the discovery of a young child who
can see him, and he is currently with her as well. I am guessing that you have found this child’s mother, but we will need you to confirm that her father is a Saint as well before we can terminate the mission.
Ana’s words seemed too magnificent to be true; Eli felt as if he had entered some form of dream. Alright, replied Eli. I will be arriving at this woman’s house shortly. We should be able to identify her family soon. Jack and I will notify you when we have more information.
Goodbye for now.
Eli opened his eyes and looked over toward his new companion; she was staring at him with a confused expression.
“Sorry about that,” said Eli. “Just trying to clear my head. I’m still a little shaken up from my encounter with those two thugs.”
The woman looked sympathetic.
“That’s okay,” she stated quickly. “I am sorry that you had to go through that. I still can’t thank you enough for what you did.”
Eli shook his head.
“Don’t mention it… uhm… I’m sorry, but I never caught your name.”
The pair had been travelling in a straight path since exiting the alleyway, but the woman now turned to cross the street on their right.
“It’s Sheila,” she responded. “And you?”
Eli looked ahead to a strip of houses lined along an intersecting road that stretched into the distance before them. I’ll bet we’re close.
“My name is Eli,” muttered the young Sentinel, a bit lost in his thoughts. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The pair had crossed the street and found themselves on a sidewalk parallel to the strip of houses.
“It’s nice to meet you as well,” replied Sheila. “You don’t seem like you’re from around here, Eli. Where exactly are you from?”
Eli temporarily froze in his tracks. He was unnerved by such a question, as he had not prepared an answer for one, but he did not want to make his surprise evident to Sheila, so he resumed walking. I should have been ready for something like this. Oh well - I’ll just make something up.
“I suppose you could say I’m just a wanderer,” Eli began. “At this point, I’m not really
‘from’ anywhere. If you must know my origin, it is from the East, namely the eastern coast.”
Sheila looked intrigued by his response.
“Oh my,” she said in wonder. “You really aren’t from around here. You certainly have done a lot of wandering.”
Eli was internally berating himself for not providing a more believable answer, though he did not know exactly where Johnson was to begin with, and he really had no way of knowing what would constitute a believable answer. This talk is growing tiresome. Where is her house already?
The two had walked past several houses along the strip thus far, and many of them were in far better condition than the buildings at the town’s outskirts. They were all mostly intact and bore various colors. Having traveled to the strip’s halfway point, Sheila pointed to a gray house about fifteen meters ahead. Eli breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. Thank goodness. That must be her house.
“I live right over there,” she announced. “Thank you for seeing me home. Be safe on your travels.”
Eli realized he had not determined how he would persuade Sheila to allow him to stay.
After all, he would need to find out who her family is.
“Is there any way I could take refuge in your home for a little while?” asked Eli hopefully. “As I said, those thugs gave me a hard time, and I’m still a bit shaken. I would like to wait a while before I resume my journey.”
Sheila smiled warmly.
“Of course you can,” she answered. “I’m still the one who owes you, remember?”
Eli started toward Sheila’s home.
“That’s great!” he exclaimed. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”
Sheila followed Eli toward the house, which was equal in size to the other houses on the strip. It only had one floor, but it still looked far more inviting than the rest of the town. The pair treaded over a smooth, stone path that led to a white door at the front of the home. It made a groaning noise as Sheila opened it and invited Eli inside.
The interior of the house was mostly open, with very few walls. A dining table stood immediately to the left of the entrance, beside a miniature cooking area. To the right was a
bathroom, and Eli could see a bed in an adjacent chamber. Otherwise, the house was mostly empty, though it was remarkably clean.
Sheila entered the house behind him.
“Don’t worry about taking your shoes off,” she said. “Here, why don’t you take a seat? I can make you some coffee.”
Eli pulled a chair from the table and sat down. Will I even be able to drink coffee as a Sentinel? I’d rather not have to find out.
As Sheila placed a filter in her coffee machine, Eli gazed about in search of any other people present. He did not hear or see anyone else in the house. I’ve wasted too much time.
Let’s find out if this woman has any family here.
“So, Sheila,” began Eli casually. “you live here by yourself?”
Sheila turned away from the machine as it began to dispense coffee and sat across from Eli.
“No, actually,” she replied with a smile. “While this house may grant the impression of a one-person space, I am not alone here. I have a husband who is currently working and a daughter who should be returning from school soon.”
Excellent. Just what I wanted to hear. That would mean Jack should be arriving here with the girl shortly. In the meantime, I’ll just have to extend our conversation.
“Ah, I see,” mused Eli. “Then you are typically alone for most of the day. But what were you doing in that alleyway? I can’t seem to picture you associating yourself with lowly villains all that often.”
Sheila retrieved the cup of coffee from the machine, which was now filled.
“I don’t venture to that part of town very often,” she explained. “but I have friends who live in the apartment buildings; sometimes I like to visit them. I was pinned in that alleyway by those two criminals after I had finished a visit. Speaking of which, how did you manage to fend both of them off?”
Eli remained silent as she placed the cup of coffee in front of him. Just how many hard questions are you going to ask? At any rate, she would have to discover that he is a Sentinel at some point. He and Jack would not simply abduct the child without warning; they would have to explain who they were and what their objective was. Still, Eli had not received sufficient
evidence that this was the family he was looking for – that discovery would almost seem too good to be true.
“I guess I’ve just adopted a tough-skinned persona,” Eli answered eventually.
“Dangerous situations and physical altercations are not uncommon for me; I have to be able to fight well in order to survive. But in this particular case, I also wielded the element of surprise.
Driving them off was not as difficult as it may sound.”
Sheila nodded in comprehension.
“You must be very brave, then,” she said. “Are you going to drink your coffee? It will get cold soon.”
Eli wanted to roll his eyes. The obstacles are seemingly endless. What will I say if I can’t drink this? I am running out of excuses… Jack needs to get here quickly. He should know how to handle this. Eli grasped the small cup of coffee in his hand; it was still hot to the touch.
With tremendous uncertainty, he anxiously lifted it to his lips. He barely dared to breathe as he took the first sip, fearing that the liquid would spew out of his body immediately. Oh, well. I’ll have to reveal my identity sooner or later. Contrary to his expectations, the coffee remained within his spiritual form as it trickled down his throat.
“Ah, that hits the spot,” commented Eli.
He did not really know if the coffee tasted well, as his sense of taste seemed rather weak in his current form; he was simply attempting to be polite.
“I’m glad you find it satisfying,” replied Sheila. “You probably need it to keep your energy up. That reminds me: Where will you be heading next?”
Eli rapidly gulped down the remainder of the beverage and placed the mug on the table.
“I’m not sure,” he said, pretending to sound pensive. “I don’t tend to put much planning into my journeys. I sort of just roll with the wind.”
“Don’t you have any family?” inquired Sheila.
“Well…” began Eli with a tinge of regret. “I did, but they’ve all passed on now. I assume you’re aware of the virus that is dismantling our world as we speak?”
A shadow of fear fell upon Sheila’s face.
“Yes, I have heard about it…” she answered. “I’m sure everyone must have at this point.
I am deeply sorry for your loss.”
Eli believed he could hear a high-pitched voice not far from the house.
“It’s alright,” he assured her. “I’ve been alone for a long time. I’m quite used to it by now.”
The sound of light, rapidly approaching footsteps emanated from beyond the door.
Before he could react, a young girl burst through, flinging her shoes onto the mat next to the entrance. She bore a striking resemblance to Sheila. Finally. Took long enough.
The girl placed her pink backpack by her shoes and turned towards her mother.
“I’m home, Mom!” she exclaimed gleefully.
Her excitement seemed to dissipate when she noticed Eli sitting at the table. So she can see me. Must be the girl Ana mentioned. Where’s Jack, then?
Sheila, understanding the child’s confusion, introduced Eli.
“Sarah,” she began. “This is Eli. He’s just staying here for a little while before he leaves town. Trust me, we owe him.” Sheila gestured towards the girl. “Eli,” she said. “This is my daughter, Sarah.”
Sarah’s skittishness seemed to quickly fade.
“Hello, Eli,” she said with a smile. “It’s good to meet you,” Eli replied, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
As he gradually surveyed the child, though, a chill of unease climbed his spine. She was, of course, in some form of danger: The prophecy had indicated exactly that. The cause of her danger was still not clear, and Eli began to doubt his ability to safeguard her. I’m probably just being irrational. We’ll be fine once we remove her from this town; as has been made obvious, this is a very dangerous area.
The sound of footsteps outside drifted into the house once again, and someone appeared in the doorway. Eli whipped his head around to find Jack entering the house.
“Eli, you’re here,” he observed. “With perfect timing, just as I would expect.”