Page 12 of Darkest Need

Oh, God.

It’s everything.

It’s us.

I remember holding his hand.

I remember the Garden.

The apple. And then I remember walking with him.

Red rain fell from the sky.

And she saved us. Eva saved us.

And so began…Genesis.

Chapter Five

Tarek

Pompeii

79 A.D.

It was a bloodbath, plain and simple. It was destruction after destruction, the air filled with red.

“Please,” I begged. “Mom. Dad.” Did I even have parents? That was an unanswered question. Why did my hands feel so warm? And why did I feel my blood in my veins as ifTheywere speaking to me, moving through me? Communicating with me. “Please.” Tears burned my cheeks. “Please, just…help.” I raised my hand to the Heavens. Raised it so high my shoulder burned. My arm refused to come down.

I needed a savior.

And I had none.

People ran around us, and the mountain continued to erupt and billow smoke until I saw red.

So much that I couldn’t fathom it.

Where were my parents? Where was I?

The tears continued to burn my cheeks. They pressed a scar of trauma against my skin that would never go away until I saw her.

I inhaled.

The air was full of smoke. It was messy and burned my throat, but I knew I wasn’t gone yet.

Her eyes were full of joy and happiness, and her soul…somehow, I could see it. I could see the blue through her chest, and I knew.

She was good.

I knew it was good.

And I knew…

I would survive this, for whatever purpose it may be. I had no more fear, no more doubts. I reached out my hand. Even at eight years old and with no memories, I reached for my angel.

And she held on.

So much was going on around me. There was so much fire, so much destruction, so much I couldn’t comprehend. And then I saw him.

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