The Narrator’s Tale #TFDbyRWOz2 D minus 10

A promise is a promise.

The voice reminds me.

So, here goes.

The strangest volume has come into my possession. It is tiny and fits easily in the palm of my hand. Yet it is so thick I cannot close my fingers around the whole of it.

It took me the longest while to figure out how to open it to look within. A lock of sorts sits on the cover and laughs at my attempts to free its contents.

Only by a revelation from a dream did I finally release the pages within.

But I must stop now, in obedience.

And proceed cautiously.

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Day One Thousand Two Hundred Forty #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Mei writes:

I walked down to the square where the bodies of my friends lay open to the air. They were cordoned off. Their removal forbidden still.

Nor would the guards let me linger – but through repeated blows forced me away.

I found a quiet spot to write this, wondering when the promise would be fulfilled.

A commotion erupted among the guards and they scattered falling over one another as Elijah and Enoch stood to their feet and were drawn upward – alive.

There they joined those around my heart’s cherished longing, Yeshua. And I saw my name written on the palm of his uplifted hand.

I set aside my pen to reunite with my friends.

In the beginning of forever.

Day One Thousand Eleven #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

All remained mute as Quasimo set us on the path out of the city. Jezer and Tomas stayed behind with a promise to catch up soon. They saw to the needs of the traitor to sustain him until such time as he can break his bonds.

And to take care of the problem, as they framed it, of the tanker truck.

On the rise outside of the city, Reuben fell in beside me and shared something gleaned from the prisoner. If we can believe his tale, he had been sent to investigate the explosion. They, the world government, had no idea who was responsible.

From the top I saw the tanker truck on the goat tracks far to the south.

Day Eight Hundred Eighty Nine #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

I emerged energized. Ready to face the day. And found myself face to face with Jezer, who was just about to enter on an assignment to roust me out.

It was so long past daybreak that they feared there might be something wrong.

I sheepishly admitted to long stretches of slumber, alternating with short bursts of prayer.

Elijah was pleased. He pronounced me ready mentally and spiritually and told me to prepare to leave.

In short order, I was at his side. We made the rounds bidding our people goodbye and encouraging them with the promise that we all soon will be together again. With added brothers and sisters.

And they in turn wished us Godspeed and a speedier return.

Day Seven Hundred Ninety Four #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We encamped in the dark last night upon the instruction of our talented scout. Tomas was quick to promise that we would thank him in the morning.

And so with the dawn we did. The ground he had chosen was on a rise with a stunning view of our road ahead. It continued to skirt the hilly country at the edge of the prairie, running towards the southeast, our desired direction.

And Elijah and I had ample time to admire the view to the east as we waited to take up our position at the end of the column. There the towering mountains we had come through glowed in the beams of the sun on its rise.

So did we.

Day Seven Hundred Eighty Nine #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The leader of the tribunal was more than solicitous. He was unceasingly apologetic, the focus of his groveling directed towards the Captain.

All along the way, he put the blame squarely on the hunter groups, and their leader in particular.

Once inside the courthouse it was as though he was on trial. And Elijah the judge.

Our leader stated our demand simply, then led us away, leaving the tribune to comply.

The rest of the day was a whirl of activity, followed by peaceful rest.

I awoke this morning excited for the day ahead.

True to his promise the city judge delivered his prisoner to us. The Raj brother P whom we had lost at the gateway to the East.

Day Five Hundred Ninety Seven #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Despite our entreaties to the Captain and Tomas to stay out of the city, they left the safety of this place for that very destination. The Captain in particular was miffed that we had done the very thing we were denying them.

In the end Elijah extracted a promise from them to return before sundown.

While they were gone we had a visit from a neighbor. He, like Mr. Kagi and his friend, is an exile from the islands. He is very bitter about his loss, and felt comfortable in our presence to vilify Stan the one who had taken everything from him.

Our neighbor departed with the setting sun. And our concern grew at the absence of our friends.

Day Five Hundred Ninety Four #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The sun gave promise of burning through the fog by the late hours of the morning.  And indeed were dispelled the minute that the transport service official stepped onto the deck.

Much to the relief it seemed to the local denizens, whom we at last saw milling about in the sun.

Elijah and I took it as our cue to stay out of sight.

The official asked the Captain if he would continue with the ship. As this would require taking the mark, he declined. So did Tomas.

Mr. Kagi spoke up and volunteered himself for consideration. The official was noncommittal and went off to canvass the crew.

He left word that those not staying needed to depart by tomorrow.

Day Two Hundred Sixty Eight #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We all recovered from our mutual surprise rather quickly, due to the absence of the mark on any of our foreheads. This band of a dozen or so people has been hiding out and scavenging in the area since shortly after the recent troubles.

Elijah questioned them all in turn, and answered theirs. (He mentioned two names unfamiliar to me. I learned later that this was due to a promise Elijah had made to Sy, to seek after his parents. No one knew them).

They invited us into their abode, in another basement off of the tunnel. And refreshed us with food.

As Elijah settles in to instruct them in things of the Spirit, I will explore the building above.

Day Two Hundred Thirty Nine Late Morning #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Lyle writes:

All is now clear.

All the streams of the past have converged. The way ahead is sure, but arduous.

The promise is ours.