DEATH JUNCTION

18

I felt a shift in the air. The feeling of the soft plush mattress underneath me slithered away, forcing my drowsy eyes open. My throat gurgled with a scream as I felt the pull of gravity. I fell through the darkness before the ground caught my formerly flailed frame. Pain spiked up my body, making me wince as a foul taste filled my mouth. I licked my lips, forcing myself back on my feet.

My surroundings were nothing particularly interesting. It looked like a forest, thick healthy trees sprung from the ground, their leaves disallowing the rays of light to reach me in their full force. The grasses swept against each other in the breeze. The flutter of the wind and the tweet of  birds swept past my ears. The blue sky spoke of the afternoon that was still in its peak, accompanied by its lazy companion of clouds. Despite the peacefulness of the setting, something seemed off. As though something was hiding beneath the farce of peace.

Suddenly, the sky wiped to black, the sun permanently erased to be replaced with a bloody red moon. The ground began to quake, tremors passing around as I shook, barely holding my balance as I tripped between rising mounds. The trees that surrounded me suddenly became sickly, thick brown branches falling grey and limp at their equally sick barks. Fear filled my heart as the wind picked up, blowing roughly against me, pushing dirt and branches that sliced against my skin before flying to the sky.

Struggling to weather the dirt storm, I raised my hand to shield my eyes, my arm now taking the brunt  of the branches that caused  me to grit my teeth from forming scratches.  Suddenly everything stopped, allowing me to let my aching arms fall limp by my sides. I looked at them and saw red bloom from numerous scratches. The copper smell filled my nostrils and My stomach swamped with nausea. My eyes took in the sudden stillness of the environment, the silence unnerving.

Then came the smoke. Like a thick fog it spread out, bristling the world until it turned into a more disturbing shade of grey. My breathing hitched, my chest pounding hard as I backed away.

Soon my back slammed into a tree, causing me to halt. As soon as the dark clouds trudged past me, the same strange odour wove around me and then I could hear the screams of a frazzled female in the background. My heart pounded in my chest as my blood flow slowed. My legs became like led, my arms eternally pinned to my sides as if I had forgotten how to move.

What is happening to me?

Then the echo of a horn filled the chaos. And that made my insides churn with dread. Loud footsteps broke through the dreary atmosphere,  tremors passing to the ground as it shuddered from its very foundations. From the clouds I could see the outline of the bull. Just as I had remembered it. As soon as it had emerged from the fog, a lump formed in my throat.

It picked at the ground, the single horn shooting high and almost glinting under the sliver of red light that filtered from the moon. Its black coat suited the hostility that held the environment, one that melded perfectly with the barren land around me. Veins bulged underneath its thick black coat. It craned its neck, gazing  at me silently.

'Avenge me!' I heard a woman scream, a pained voice that cut across the gloomy burrows.  Immediately, the bull huffed from its snout, another round of deadly fumes spreading far and wide. It reared back, askew, anger evident in its eyes. Then it ran towards me.

The air turned frigid and all I could do was stare. Stare even though every fibre of my being blared with panic. Moisture filled my eyes but even the tears refused to fall amidst the ice that had frozen my body in place

At least I would see my mother.

The thought didn't leave any comfort as it leaped, its horn heading straight for my stomach. After a heartbeat, a blinding light broke out before me, making me squeeze my eyes shut. The cold that had engulfed me earlier was washed away to be replaced with a comforting warmth, one that held a peace I couldn't understand. My eyes flew opened and I saw myself suspended in a white space. The bull was nowhere in sight and for the first time in what felt like forever, I took a deep breath.

A man glowed brightly at the centre, looking at him was almost too hard on the eyes.

"Who- who are you?"

The man turned to me and for some reason, my eyes began to burn up. The load that I had managed to carry, my mother's death that was still so hard to process and everything else that had happened in my life caused my throat to tighten. Without my permission I began to sob, a cauldron of emotions now overflowing to the very brim. Then I felt arms around me and for once I felt... safe.

The anxiety that had pestered me so much  had given way, leaving me feeling free like a load had been lifted off my heart. Then the overwhelming feeling of worthlessness punched me in the gut, I broke out of the hold, falling flat on the ground as I gazed at the man. The mixture of emotions that slithered through me made me confused,

Why do I feel like this?

He smiled at me and I felt my breathing hitch.

Who was this man?

I shifted away, putting as much distance between us.

"Come unto me, ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest," He paused and I could only stare as he stretched a hand towards me, smiling tenderly.

"Come, Zara."

I jolted out of my sleep, breathing heavily. The first thing that hit me was the pain. My eye zeroed on scratches that I knew weren't on my arms when I fell asleep. Then I remembered those branches that swiped across my hands. My heart thudded faster as I could barely process what had happened. So if the bull had run through me....

The thought of it made me sick in my stomach, my surroundings gaining an imbalance.

"I was so worried!"

Before I could register what was happening I was being pulled into a hug by Mr Andrew,  his arms tightening around me. Startled, I could only stare, my hands hanging uselessly by my sides.

"I thought I would lose you too." He muttered and I felt my heart beat faster. The smell of blood flicked my nostrils, making me shudder. Soon, he loosened his hold on me and stepped away, giving me space to process.

"What happened?" I croaked, my voice suddenly hoarse. Mr Andrew sighed.

"You weren't waking up and you were growing paler by the second. I was about ready to take you to the hospital when bruises began to form on yours arms out of nowhere," he pointed at my throbbing bruised arms. "Then I decided I would call him."

As if on cue, Pastor Chris came into the room and smiled. His presence quelled the anxiety that had already begun to reared its head once again, just like the man in my dreams had.
Mr Andrew sighed, laying a hand on my shoulder. Even though the urge to shrug him off came over me, for some reason I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"I think you've earned our audience," he said it with a genuinely grateful expression. " You may have just saved her life."

I eyed him, feeling my chest swim at the fact that he actually cared.

"Oh don't be like that, I didn't do anything. Jesus did it all, I am but a mere representative." Pastor Chris smiled brighter. "Let's move to the living room then, shall we?"

Chapter word count: 1334
Word count: 26986
I want to thank God for giving me the Grace to write this. We're nearing the end, so how has it been so far?