Page 66 of Waste
“Okay.”
“War broke out amongst them when Chamrosh was murdered. My brother hid in Persia but fled to Nubia. The Qadan had the head and wings of a bird and the body of a dog. He couldn’t exactly fit in anywhere. Hunters found and killed him, and that’s when we all learned what would happen. Chamrosh carried War. As his head separated from his body and was burnt, War escaped. The Qadar was nearby, and War infected them. Chamrosh’s death caused the first war ever known to mankind.”
“What happened?” Shelley gasped, enthralled.
“We couldn’t recapture War. We still don’t know how, which is why the War continues to rage uncontrollably. If we are close by, we can often capture the Sin before it escapes the body. If we’re not, then how can we capture something intangible?
“In our bodies, I would say the Sins are like little balls of light. We can clutch hold of them and consume them. Then we have an additional Sin to control.”
“You haven’t been able to grab all the Sins, have you?”
“No, which is why humankind is heading for yet another disaster. God took these Sins away from man because He saw potential in His experiment. But your race has regressed to what it was before God removed them. Beloved of God, you may be, but He will only interfere once. Your destiny is in your own hands.”
“That’s so much to swallow,” Shelley mused, and Drew nodded.
He understood how Shelley was feeling, and even though he’d lived it, it was overwhelming.
Shelley bit her lip and sipped her second drink he’d made her. Drew let her think. He’d just dumped a lot of information on her.
“What happened to my house?” Shelley asked, changing the subject.
“It was blown up. I set up cameras to monitor your home, and they alerted me to a break-in—”
“You did what?” Shelley exclaimed, sitting up straight.
“Shelley, I needed to make sure you were safe. I don’t regret my actions because if I hadn’t violated your privacy, you’d be dead right now. I saw the intruder clutching something in his hand as you pulled up. He held a detonator, Shelley, and I guessed his plan. I came through a mirror in your living room and grabbed you just as he hit the switch.”
“Did you have cameras inside my house?”
“No.”
“Wait, my house blew up? My parents! Charlie! They must be anxious. I need to ring them,” Shelley said and scrabbled for her phone.
“You can’t call them on yours. It might be tracked here. I have a satellite phone that you can use, which will work underground. Use that,” Drew offered.
He could understand her worry. Poor Charlie and their parents had to be frantic by now. Drew hadn’t considered them in his rush to save Shelley. Shame flooded him. He rose to his feet and headed into his bedroom to grab the phone. Shelley was biting her nails when he gave it to her. She placed it on the loudspeaker as it rang, and Drew guessed Shelley was trying to be open and honest.
“Hello?” Gail answered, and Drew felt worse. She sounded awful.
“Mum, it’s me. I’m safe,” Shelley said.
“Shelley! Oh God, Jake, it’s Shelley!” Gail screamed and broke down into tears.
“Shelley? Baby girl?” Jake gasped and snatched the phone.
“I’m okay, Dad, I’m safe.”
“Your house exploded!” Jake exclaimed.
“I was there, Dad. I know.”
“Where are you? We’re coming to get you,” Jake demanded
“You can’t, Dad. Whoever this is, stepped up their actions today. I was lucky Drew was here, and he saved me.”
“What? Drew is there?” Jake gasped.
There was the sound of a tussle, and Charlie spoke. “You’re with Drew? How?”
