2024

Chapter One

September 11th 2020

Through the midst of great despair there will always be a small piece of hope. And for the people of Cafalu, the small piece was a small baby named Dorotea.

The streets were clear of any activity that cold autumn's day. Everyone crowded inside their homes to watch TV and the ultimate end to so many lives. Even the birds had the decency not to sing that morning.

Alessandra was not excluded to the plans of everyone else this day. She sat in her friends lounge, watching the news with great anxiety. It was the same information repeated again and again on the breaking news special. But no one dared to move away from the screen. There were only small clips of Military grade planes flying over the Atlantic Ocean. No one was meant to know of the plans of this day. But someone within the American government had spoken out months before but had no evidence at the time, or anyone else willing to back him up.

The man, John Brennan was still in jail for his 'war crimes' of trying to 'rat out' the government. And today he sits alone in his cell in the dark depths of a government issued cell with no one but himself for company. It had to be impossible though that even the loneliest man in that foreign country didn't know that he couldn't stop the warpath President Donald Trump was on. Because of him everyone knew of today, not that they knew what it really meant.

'Alessandra' her friend whispered touching her leg. 'You look weak. Maybe we should go lie you down for a few hours. Get you some rest.' Her shaking hand shifted to her belly that bulged to its limits. She attentively bent down and kissed Alessandra's stomach.

But the future mother only laughed. 'How can anyone sleep now? How can anyone think of anything right now? Why has no one stopped them yet? Why has no one tried to blow them up in the sky? Why are they still going?' The words she screamed had been muttered, then spoken, then begged by the entire world today. But there was that no one had the capacity to fight back that wanted to.

The screen flashed furiously with the sign 'Breaking News' once again. A young reporter had managed to film the journey from America to the edge of the Middle East.

She looked the hand held video camera in the lens and spoke with wide eyes. Dark circles engulfed her face on her pale complexion. She no longer looked as if she was trying to be professional, just desperate to get the story out.

Alessandra moaned. A wet fluid filled her pants as her stomach began to cramp.

'These planes have been knocking anything out of the sky with no second thoughts' she said hurriedly. 'There is no mercy, whatever is about to be done, is going to be done with as many sacrifices as necessary.'

The group around Alessandra moved her to a lying down position and carefully helped her remove her pants. They each surveyed each other, quietly but surely assessing each other's experience in a situation just as the one in front of them. They all moved out of the way for the priest's sister Isabella. 'Your daughter definitely knows how to pick the moment doesn't she Alessandra?'

'Daughter?' Alessandra repeated desperately. 'How do you know?'

'God has blessed this daughter of yours already. It is his wish you have a daughter on this day. Now I need you to relax and let me have a quick look.'

Alessandra placed her head on the folded towel under her neck. A girl. Oh how she had been dreaming of a little girl. Before her husband Dominic died a few months ago in war, he too dreamed of a little girl. He would grab Alessandra's stomach and wiggle it gently screaming 'Oh my Lord you best be a girl! You are a girl or I'll whoop your ass!' Alessandra would always only laugh. She laughed so much back then.

'Oh my Lord!' Isabella exclaimed.

'What? What is it?' everyone screamed as the tension in the room grew higher.

'The first bomb has just dropped' the girl on the plane screamed. 'It's happening, they're really doing it!' her voice lost audible as it got louder and louder. She tried to point the camera through a window, but all that was distinguishable was half a mushroom cloud on the edge of the right hand screen.

'Who's in here?' a deep, unknown voice appeared. Then the TV went black. There probably wasn't much more that was needed to be seen.

Isabella clutched the sleeping baby in her arms.

'My baby, my baby is everything okay?' Alessandra got up, confused as to what just happened.

'She just fell out' Isabella whispered. 'She didn't even cry.' The baby slept peacefully as Isabella stared at her in wonder.

Alessandra thought she was joking. She hadn't felt a thing, and therefore something else must be going on. But when she sat up in a hurry she saw her beautiful baby, with long blonde hair and a smile on her face. She carefully held her baby for the first time in her life as a mother.

'She just fell out' Isabella repeated. 'No one can deny this must be a gift from God.'

Isabella called her brother, who was grateful to have a piece of good news in his day. 'Take her to the Cathedral. This baby needs the most beautiful opening to the world even though today the skies are grey and our hearts are heavy. Let's give our love to this baby today, our love to this miracle who we can help. And lead our hearts away from misery that unfortunately is god's plan.'

The bells were rung, and the entire grieving town obediently followed the sound of the chiming chorus of god. And one by one every resident gave the sleeping, smiling baby a hold, and a promise to help love and protect the angel baby.

Dorotea was welcomed into the world with open arms. And She, who was so far away from Italy on this day, smiled. Human civilisation could be rebuilt.