Ascension: Invocation (14 page)

"You, your kind can destroy souls at the behest of Humans. You present a threat. With you alongside as weapons, there will be few in the omniverse who will challenge the Human ascension and they will rise above God.”

"Why are the Humans such assholes?"

"Humans possess a deep arrogance. They believe it is their birthright to know God and learn even more than the masters of wisdom. We don’t know why they are this way. They have grown ever angrier as the omniverse has struggled against them to know this. It has upset the balance and many worlds have been destroyed."

"This all sounds like a pretty useless war. I mean before we show up and introduce death... when they ‘kill’ these souls, don't they just come back again?"

"Yes but they must start anew. Worlds that have grown for billions of years and ascended to great levels must begin again. We were meant to advance as one."

"Why doesn't God intervene?"

"We do not know this. We were not meant to know this. Perhaps God will."

"What dimension are you from?"

"I am of the sixth dimension."

"And I'm in the third?"

"We are both presently in the third dimension. Yes."

"So, show me some of your sixth dimensional powers."

"Powers?"

"Yeah. Can't you shape shift or something?"

"Not in this dimension."

"Holy shit!" Alicia laughed. "But you can shape shift?"

"In my dimension I can exist as pure energy. I suppose that is what you're referring to."

"But you can't do that here?"

"No. The third dimension is a learning dimension. Think of it as a library for souls. As you ascend dimensions, you learn more and develop more ‘powers’, as you call them."

"Sweet!" Alicia took a long drink of her Scotch and settled back on the bed. "Powers are cool."

Sariana watched Alicia stare off into the distance and change the channels on the TV. “There’s more,” Sariana said.

“Yeah, I know, sweetie. I’m just trying to see if there’s any more news. I’m listening. Go ahead.”

Sariana was losing her. The Humans had clearly embedded in Alicia’s soul, all souls in this world, an aversion to their true history. “What I’m telling you is the news. I’m giving you world-changing information.” It was apparent to her now that Alicia wasn’t going to be moved by words alone. Sariana was growing impatient. The muted television flicked in the room as ice clinked in their glasses. The air conditioner rumbled its white noise as Sariana pulled her robe tighter and stood up from her bed.

"You’re interested in powers. I can do one thing," she said and stepped to Alicia's bed. "But it may frighten you."

"I don't roll that way, kid," Alicia smirked and winked. "Well, not since college."

Sariana reached her hands toward Alicia's temples and Alicia quickly swatted them away. "I won't hurt you," Sariana said. "Don't be afraid."

Alicia looked into the girl's eyes. They were gentle but now also possessed a stern quality about them. It kind of freaked her out. "What are you going to do?"

"I’m going to try to snap you out of this."

“Out of what?”

Sariana touched Alicia's temples with her fingers, closed her eyes and quickly pulled her hands to her breast. In an instant, Alicia's spirit left her body and hung above the bed. She looked down and saw the girl standing above her body. An enormous panic came over her. Did the girl kill her? What was happening?

In another flash, she saw a series of images in fast forward. War. Blood. A baby. Screaming. Fire. Some sort of demon and she then felt pure, inherent rage. Alicia felt a roar building inside her spirit that was the embodiment of every atrocity known to her kind. She felt the sheer terror of every massacre, holocaust and murder born in her dimension and all of it emanated from deep inside her soul. It was the energy of her very being. As the rage grew ever-stronger, she felt as if she might explode. Absolute horror enveloped her but this only caused the rage to grow ten-fold. Suddenly, she felt as though she could possess the raw power of all of mankind’s sins and inflict it upon anyone, anything of her choosing. In an instant, her fear now became her absolute power. Her soul began to scream a long, protracted war-cry of unimaginable vengeance. Then, just as fast as she had been ejected from her body, she was thrust back. Alicia took in an enormous gasp of breath.

Sariana saw the horror on Alicia's face as she struggled to catch her breath. Alicia felt her body, which now seemed to be rushing with electricity. She couldn't speak, and she was shaking uncontrollably. She quickly stood up, spilling her drink all over her robe and the bed. Some of the ice landed against her skin, and she shook the robe to get it out. Her legs were weak, and she felt faint. She tried to walk, slipped on the ice that fell from her robe and immediately stumbled. She fell just barely missing hitting her head on the corner of the desk.

"Grandma, be careful!" Sariana shouted and quickly covered her mouth with both hands.

Alicia lay on the floor, breathing heavy and still trembling. She looked at the girl squarely, and silence hung in the room.

"Grandma?" she said finally. "I'll have you know I'm only twenty eight years old." Her vanity had slipped but no sooner did she say this did an awakening come over her. "What do you mean, Grandma? And what the fuck did you do to me?"

Sariana slowly sat back down on her bed and took a sip of her Scotch. She looked at Alicia who was still shaking and now in a state of anger and confusion. Her eyes were pleading for answers, however.

"You are my grandmother," she told her. "I am your son's daughter."

Alicia didn't know what to say. All reason told her that this was ridiculous. Yet, whatever had just happened to her was undeniable. Everything was insane. Something inside of her told her that the girl was telling the truth. She struggled to stand, still shaking from the incident and managed to sit in the desk chair. She fixed her robe, cleared her throat and took in a jagged breath.

"Okay. I'm not your grandmother.”

“You weren’t meant to find out this way. I’m sorry. They’re here. I need to improvise.”

“Well, it’s not true. I don't have any children."

"Not yet, no."

Alicia looked in the mirror above the desk. Something about her face now appeared foreign but she tried to keep her composure. "You were sent from the future?"

"You could say that, yes."

"You've got a lot of explaining to do.”

“I understand.”

“Start with what you just did to me."

"I pulled your soul from your body."

Alicia’s teeth were clenched as she smiled and shook her head in disbelief. She slammed ice cubes into an empty glass and shakily poured another drink.

"Oh, okay.” Clink. “Yeah. That makes sense.” Clink. Clink. “Sure. You just pulled my fucking soul out of my fucking body! Of course!"

"I told you it would frighten you."

"Yeah, well, it kind of fucking did," Alicia said as she shook her glass to her mouth and took a large drink.

"I'm sorry."

“Well, did you put it all back?"

"What?"

"My soul, Sariana. Did you put it all back?!"

Sariana couldn't help but laugh. "Yes. I put it all back."

"It's not fucking funny!"

"I'm sorry. I did you no harm. I promise."

"You can't just go around taking people's souls out of their bodies!"

"It was the only way I could think of!!"

"It's just not fucking polite!" Alicia shouted and finished her drink with a large gulp. She poured another.

“The Humans have corrupted this time-line,” Sariana said calmly. “This is the reason for your doubt. But I saw your soul just now. No matter how primal the rage is inside you, there still exists a longing for your soul group. My birth vessel is your offspring and we are one. You know this to be true. You just need to escape the doubt the Humans have left to weigh down your soul. I’m hopeful that this will happen sooner than later.”

“You can’t just do that. That’s like soul rape. You raped my soul.”

Sariana sighed. “No, Grandma, I did not.”

“Stop fucking calling me Grandma!!”

“Okay!”

The two young women sat in anger for a moment, each with their arms crossed, refusing to look at each other. The TV danced in the background. Suddenly, Sariana noticed her image on the screen.

"Make it louder! This!!" Sariana shouted, pointing to the television.

Alicia fumbled with the remote and raised the volume. It was the footage from earlier that afternoon, but it wasn't Alicia's network. The competition was airing it.

"My beloved Luciferians, it is with a heavy heart that I, Princess Sariana and the Grand Queen Alicia of the Third Order addresses you this afternoon...” Alicia listened to Sariana's speech for the first time. She had been so stunned at the studio; she didn't actually comprehend what the girl had been saying. Following their talks this little episode, the speech took a different tone with Alicia.

"The Grand Queen shall lead you forward. Trust in her judgment and do as she compels you, for she is a beautiful and righteous Queen. All praise her."

After the speech, a round-table discussion began with panelists.

"So, is this girl really a visitor from another dimension?" the moderator asked.

"I think we have to accept that as a possibility," one of the panelists responded.

"Yes!! They believe me!" Sariana said joyfully. "They're listening!"

Alicia half-heartedly smiled. She half-expected what was coming.

"That's absurd," another pundit shot back.

"How is it absurd? Is it any more absurd than a giant rip in the sky appearing and the OWL speaking to us? We'd be foolish if we didn't listen to her point of view."

"The anti-rain activists are simply jumping on this as a desperate, last ditch effort to support the Chinese; the Communist Chinese."

"We're so far beyond speaking about politics at this point. Don't you see?"

"The OWL has stated clearly that the unwashed will not advance. I take that to mean that those who don't not take in the rain will die."

"That is untrue," Sariana said to the screen. "What is the OWL?" she asked Alicia.

"It's what they've been calling the voice," she explained.

“That’s... strange.”

From here, the pundits descended into an argument concerning the pro-rain point of view, versus those anti-rain. The remainder of the segment focused little on Sariana's speech. It was still a victory, she thought. She sat on the bed, her face beaming; all smiles. Alicia took a long look at the girl.

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this before the broadcast?”

“I tried. But I wonder... would you have believed me?” They both knew the answer and Alicia said nothing. “The trigger was supposed to cease your soul’s amnesia. You would then recall your ascension. It would have been spectacular.”

“I would have known what to say or something?”

“Oh, no. I mean, yes. But you would have also morphed into an enormous, colorful array of sparks and the sun was to eclipse as all electronic media and serpents broadcast our message worldwide.”

“That sounds like a terrible idea.”

“You, apparently, thought it would attract attention.”

“Is future-me Lady Gaga?”

The girl became very reverent and bowed her head. “A valiant soul of many battles in honor of the Grand Queen. Goddess Dievas.”

“Sariana...”

“Yes?”

“I’m more than a little confused. We all are. None of this makes any sense.”

“I know.” Sariana moved to the edge of the bed and took Alicia’s hands in hers. Alicia now saw wisdom in Sariana’s eyes far beyond her years. She gently spoke. “Your species of soul is not ready to ascend. You are children being taken from the care of your mother-world far too soon. But this moment has been thrust upon you. You can’t turn back. I need you to be strong before your time.”

Something was coming over her. Alicia was feeling a genuine affection for the girl. Was it the Scotch or was it some kind of maternal instinct flowing through her? Regardless, that strong, compelling urge to protect the girl had grown enormously. Alicia hadn’t given much thought to the advancement of her soul. She hadn’t been assigned a story to study the pro-rain or anti-rain points of view. She felt now that she had to trust Sariana. Something in Alicia now changed.

"The Grand Queen Alicia, huh?" she said to Sariana, smiling.

Sariana was a bit hesitant. "Yes," she said quietly.

"I've got to admit," Alicia said. "I like that."

"You are a great and powerful queen," Sariana said earnestly. "You are beloved." She bowed to her and rest her head at her bare feet. "You are to be worshiped and respected for you are my Grand Queen."

"Um..."Alicia stammered. "I... don't... know... what I'm supposed to do here."

Sariana sat up and smiled. "You could hold me again."