The Army of Minds

Chapter 7

The meeting went nothing like before.

The beginning, sure, but this time Jacob wasn't fidgety or on edge. Infact he was calmer and more attentive. Skich didn't buy it though. Not after what he just went through. Either way, it wasn't Jacob he needed answers from this time... it was Brigh.

"Jacob, thank you. " Brigh said as everyone stood up, he shook Jacob's hand but Skich, understandably, refused to. Jacob didn't seem to pay it much attention. "You kept your word... As an organisation we will continue to pursue the truth. You are in our debt."

Jacob gave a polite smile and headed in his own direction. The only two people left at the table now were Skich and Brigh.

"What happened there?" asked Brigh.

Skich didn't reply. He was just studying Brigh with his eyes.

"A heart attack?" Brigh tried. It was more of a joke. In normal circumstances Skich would've blown up or snapped back at Brigh, but these weren't normal circumstances.

Skich shook his head.

"I'm feeling a bit under... I think we should head back." Skich said.

"Sure..."

The two weaved their way through the restaurant tables, filled with oblivious people, and made it to the parking lot. Suez wasn't there though. So they decided to walk in the maze of cars to see if they could find him. Each step made Skich's heart beat faster and faster, because every second he was breathing could be his last. They walked until Brigh's phone started ringing. Skich almost jumped at the sound. Brigh picked it up.

"Hello?" he greeted. There was a pause on Brigh's side as the person on the other end did the talking. Skich could hear from all the muffled noises. " You're pretty quick you know. So it's done. Alright, I guess I'm up then." he laughed. Skich was tense but hearing Brigh laugh was rare... was it a good thing?

Brigh put the phone in his pocket, he fiddled with something at his back under his coat and spun around. There in his hand, as real as if it were a James Bond movie, was a sleek silver gun.

The moment Skich's brain made the realization of what just happened, the blood drained from his veins. He was pale and shaking. His legs started to burn again, a feeling of pure dread.

No... now?

The questions spiralled in Skich's head. They never ceased, the fear and dread he felt was immense, but eerily enough it felt just about half of what he felt with Dorath.

Brigh looked at Skich with a smile on his face. An eery, disgustingly triumphant smile. It made Skich sick to the stomach. He was confused to the core. Nothing made sense anymore.

"Brigh... why?... it's me... your friend." Skich said.

"Oh I know Skich." he replied with a new bounce in his tone. " There are some things you don't understand, but there are some things that must be done you know. Unfortunately the one paying the price this time is you."

Skich wanted to die. He wanted to cry and cry and cry some more, but he couldn't falter now.

"What do you mean pay the price?" asked Skich.

"Well... you're not actually paying the price... you're more of an inconvenience to us. So we thought, why not erase you from the picture, and we could get the Dorath for ourselves."

"Dorath?! That is who this is about." Skich snapped back with confidence that sounded like he wasn't being held at gunpoint. "Brigh I don't know what it is you're thinking but Dorath isn't... it isn't something you can understand... or for that matter just take." Skich pleaded.

Brigh laughed. "You think of Dorath as some being with feelings. You're a weird person you know. I never really understood you."

"So what Brigh, all those years were for nothing?" Skich asked.

"They were for something, that was until the Dorath came to light and I had a whole new understanding on the way the world should work." his tone started to rise. " I thought why would the Mayans, the Romans, even Alexander himself, why would they keep this to themselves for their own salvation, for their own greatness, while the rest of us live our life in fear. Fear that everything could be taken from us in a flash and will. Huh? But wait. Some of us are lucky right, some of us have that light on the top of our heads, the one shining down screaming 'I'm the chosen one, God favours me, everyone in the shadows must look up to me!', how ironic right. You believe not to make yourselves idols but here you are acting like one." he spat at Skich's feet. "I despise you Skich. I always have."

Skich wore a baffled expression.

"You're... actually... pissed at me for your inferiority complex."

That did it. Brigh's hand was at the side of Skich's head before he could protest. He fell into a deep long sleep.

*
Skich woke up in a dark room. Everything was pitch black. He couldn't feel any part of his body. Wait. Did he wake up. It felt as if he was awake, but... This certainly didn't feel like he was.

"Skich."

The voice ripped him from his thoughts.

"It's Dorath."

Dorath's voice was one now. It still boomed like heck, but it felt less scary conversing with him now.

"Dorath... why is he doing this?" Skich asked. The fear he had for Dorath was dissipating more and more.

"Skich... when it comes to souls. There's one beautiful thing about them. Each soul has its own uniqueness to it. Perception and goals differ with each walking person. You know of 8 billion souls in an infinite abyss. The sheer possibility of your existence should tell you that, the purpose burning within each soul is of indescribable magnitude. It's something most never come to realize. There is a time when ones perception perceives something truly righteous in their own eyes, but truthfully, it is far from it."

"Dorath. That doesn't answer my question."

"I think it does."

"Dorath."

"Yes."

"Where am I?"

"You're where you need to be."

"How can I be... If I'm about to die."

Dorath gave a light laugh. "Oh Skich. You have no idea how special you've just become."

"Tell me what that means."

"It means what He's always said. 'I'll never leave nor forsake you.'"