Infinite Testament (36 page)

“…his twelve apostles.”

Bruce steps forward and says loudly enough for everyone to
hear, “Even if what you’re saying is true, it doesn’t change anything.
Stephen is still the same person we always knew. We don’t need to act
like he’s some kind of god!”

Zeno smirks. “You’re absolutely right, Bruce.
What Stephen needs now, more than ever, is just for all of you to be his
friend.”

Lisa smiles. It doesn’t matter to her. She
peers at everyone, and they, too, seem to share her sentiment.

Across their peripheral vision, at the end of the street,
Stephen and Moros soar through the air and out of sight. Their appearance
ends as quickly as it starts.

“What was that?” Campbell asks. No one knows.
Everyone starts running, including Zeno, to investigate the apparent flyby of
Stephen and Moros. Bruce stops and watches as they all scurry away.
Mikey stays behind and glares at his father. “What’s wrong, Dad?”

Bruce stares in thought. “Hold on.” He turns in
the opposite direction and runs down the street. Mikey, although baffled,
follows after him and pulls even. “Where you going?”

“I have to check something.”

Mikey looks around and only sees the red convertible in the
near distance. “Do you believe that guy?”

“I don’t know. I saw Stephen catch that van in the
air. It’s something. I guess we’ll see.”

Bruce and Mikey approach the convertible. Bruce peers
inside. The ELPIS box sits in the middle. “That’s what I’m looking
for.”

After soaring through the air, Stephen and Moros land in a
forest. Moros plows against a tree, causing it to collapse on top of
him. Stephen ricochets off the dense forest floor and bounces off several
trees before coming to a stop. He’s soaked. His face is smothered
with cuts and blood pours out. Stephen coughs and struggles to push
himself up. Everything around him spins. He’s immensely
delirious. Nonetheless, he forces his body to lift him up. “Moros!”
he yells, nearly out of energy.

He spins around. All he can see are trees and
branches. Weariness attempts to shut his eyes. As blood drips into them,
he wipes his face with his sleeves, leaving a smearing behind. “Moros!”
he yells again. His eyes dash through the forest. There isn’t a
sign of anybody. The air is silent. He sees spots that dance around
in his eyesight. He stumbles to the nearest tree and leans against it,
hoping to catch some air.

A tree crashes down in the distance and rips to the
ground. Stephen steps forward to try and catch a glimpse of it.
“Moros!” he yells a third time. No answer. Nothing. Stephen
stumbles back to the tree and leans against it.

Suddenly, he is throttled by his neck. It’s
Moros. He stands behind him and has his arm planted around his
neck. No blinding Moros’s eyes this time.

Stephen mildly struggles. He is too weary to put up
much of a fight. Moros squeezes. “There’s no escape, Stephen.
That trick you pulled was a good one. But it’s over. I’ll get
someone to finish building the Keres and then…”

Before Moros can finish his thought, he feels a tapping on
his shoulder. What? That’s strange. What could possibly be…
POW! Moros is clubbed in the side of the face by a log. Mr. Ixley
mercilessly follows through and sends Moros collapsing to his back.

Moros starts to lift the palm of his hand toward Mr. Ixley
but Stephen dives on top of him. He grabs his wrists and slams them on a
log beneath him. Judging by the reliance on his hands, if Moros can’t use
them, he won’t be able to hurt anybody.

At that moment, everyone, led by Zeno, appears in the
forest behind Mr. Ixley. “What are you doing!?” Stephen yells, “Get out
of here! All of you!”

Moros thrashes with Stephen and desperately tries to free
himself. The forest starts to rumble. Trees sway ferociously and
sticks fly through the air. The sky turns gray, and like Switzerland,
starts to unleash gallons of water onto them. Stephen gazes into Moros’s
eyes. The darkness is enraged within them. It’s as if his eyes have
been completely replaced by blackness.

“Everyone, get out! I can’t hold him much longer!”

Instead, Bruce emerges with the ELPIS box in his
hands. Elpis catches sight of it. Her eyes grow wide and her heart
fills with shock. She lost that box hundreds of years ago! The
sight of it in Bruce’s hands is something she never could have prepared herself
for. “Where did you get that?”

Moros catches a glimpse of the box and slows his attempt at
escape. The rumbling in the forest concurrently dwindles. Moros is
perplexed. It was the gift he had given Elpis when they were just
kids. He never found out what she put inside of it.

Now he will.

An idea sparks inside of Stephen. It’s sick.
It’s borderline disturbing. But there’s no other choice; it’ll
work. It is time to use the contents of the ELPIS box.

“Bruce! Open the box and bring it to me!”

Moros kicks and pushes his arms. All Stephen can do
is keep his hands pinned to the log. Moros pulls back his head and
unleashes a furious roar that shakes the ground and sounds like a dragon has
come ravaging through the forest.

Bruce runs to Stephen, unlatches the box, and opens
it. He looks inside. Stephen asks, “Do you know what I want you to
do?”

Bruce’s eyes widen in horror as he realizes Stephen’s
idea. “No, Stephen. You can’t be serious.”

“Then hold his arms and I’ll do it!”

Mikey steps forward. “No. I’ll do it.”

Moros glares at the boy and can only wonder what they’re
talking about. Mikey says, “You think I didn’t look inside? I knew
what was in there years ago. Give it to me. This bastard killed my
father.”

Stephen and Bruce share surprising glances at Mikey.
Moros, himself flabbergasted, furrows his brow in puzzlement. Mikey looks
at Moros and asks, “You thought I’d forget?”

“Alright,” Bruce declares to Mikey. “You take the
left. I’ll take the right.”

It dawns on Elpis what they’re planning to do. Her
stomach knots in terror. Tears fill her eyes. She can’t let
them! She screams, “No! Don’t!” Moros stops struggling and
stares at a frantic Elpis.

Elpis declares, “I love him!”

The statement hits Moros harder than any punch could.
In two thousand years, few days went by where Moros didn’t feel love for
her. To know she loves him, even still, brings a smile to his face.
Moros’s muscles relax. The rain stops pouring and the forest calms.
Moros rests his head, complacent with whatever may happen. The darkness
in his eyes starts to fade away.

The girl he has always loved loves him still.

Elpis runs forward to try and stop them. Zeno
intervenes and wraps his arms around her, restraining her.

Stephen yells, “Now!”

Bruce looks inside the box and there they sit: three
seven-inch long iron nails. They look to be incredibly old but they’re
still sharp. Each nail has a round knob at the top of it. Bruce
pulls out two of the nails. He tosses one to Mikey.

Stephen yells, “Just line it up on the wrist!”

Bruce and Mikey comply. They line up the pointy edges
of the nails over Moros’s wrists. Elpis desperately tries to evade Zeno’s
grasp and screams with all her might, “No!” She looks with terror at the
nails lined up over Moros’s wrists. After Jesus’s crucifixion, Elpis took
the nails and put them in the box to keep as a reminder for his ultimate
sacrifice. Like Moros, she loved Jesus. And she didn’t want his
role to ever be forgotten. She never could’ve imagined the nails would be
used like this.

It’s too late. Stephen looks at the nails, and using
his newfound power, drives them through.

Moros is nailed to the wood.

Moros is reactionless. There is surprisingly no
blood. He does not scream in pain, he does not jerk from surprise.
He simply rests, smiling.

Elpis, finally reaching Moros, falls to her knees in front
him. He gazes at her and says, “So that’s what you put in the box.”
Elpis looks at his wrists. They are nailed to wood, just as his son’s
were. She exhales and starts to cry.

Stephen rises and nods at Bruce and Mikey. Figuring
the worst is over, he points with his head, indicating for them to leave.
They step away from Elpis and Moros and rejoin the others, taking them far
enough away.

Moros asks, “Do you mean what you said?”

“Yes,” Elpis replies tearfully, “Not a day passes that I
don’t think of you.”

Moros smiles. Tears escape his eyes. It is hard
to remember a time when he felt such happiness. “I’m sorry, Elpis.
I love you more than you will ever understand.”

Elpis leans forward and rubs her face against his.
The feel of his skin against hers warms her soul. She brings her lips
close to his and kisses him. Elpis closes her eyes, reveling in the love
she has longed for. As she separates from him, she whispers, “I love you,
Moros.”

He smiles at her. “Can you do something for me?
Please get Stephen. Tell him I have to speak with him.”

Elpis nods. She reluctantly stands to her feet and
wanders away to find Stephen.

Moros rests his head as he waits for Stephen. Inside,
he feels different. It is something he has no explanation for, but he
almost feels… lighter.

A voice rings out, “Father.”

Moros lifts his head and looks around. In front of
him is his son, Jesus.

“Jesus?”

“Hello, Father.”

Moros analyzes his face. It looks just like
him. Could it really
be
him? Whether it was Elpis or his
father Michael, Moros was constantly harassed by people who existed only in his
mind. “Are you real?”

“Of course.” Indeed, this vision of Jesus seems
different from his other hallucinations. Perhaps it really is his
son. “I came to tell you that I’m waiting for you. I told you I
would always love you. And I want you to know it’s still true. I
love you, Father. I will see you soon.”

“Son!”

Stephen emerges from a shroud of trees. “You wanted
to talk to me?” From behind a batch of branches, Elpis hides and
watches. But Moros knows she’s there.

“I want to tell you I’m sorry. For everything I have
done.”

Stephen questions his sincerity. He walks closer and
kneels next to him. As he looks into his eyes, he sees something
surprising: they are full of light. The darkness that filled them earlier
is gone.

Stephen expresses something that Moros, for over two
thousand years, could never bring himself to feel. “I forgive you,”
Stephen says. Looking at the nails in Moros’s wrist, he starts to pull
them out.

“No,” Moros says. “Leave them.” Moros smiles at
Stephen. “Bring your ear close to me.”

Stephen complies. Elpis, through the trees, looks on
with curiosity. Moros whispers something into Stephen’s ear. But
she can’t hear it. She can only watch and wonder.

Stephen is surprised as Moros whispers. When he
finishes, Stephen utters, “Okay.” Stephen places his hand on the side of
Moros’s face, bidding comfort and farewell to the remnants of a once good man.

Stephen stands up and gives one last look to Moros.
Stephen turns and walks toward Elpis, nodding to her. As he walks through
the forest to join the others, Elpis rejoins Moros. She kneels next to
him and whispers, “Pull the nails out. We’ll go somewhere.
Anywhere. Stay with me.”

“I can’t.”

Elpis is overcome. Tearfully, she digs her face into
his neck. “Please don’t leave me.”

“After what I have done, I cannot stay. When I die, I
will wait for you.”

Elpis wraps her arms around him and squeezes. The
thought of Moros dying fills her soul with sorrow.

Moros closes his eyes and rests his head.

“Please hug me, Moros. Like we used to… in the
fields.”

Moros opens his eyes and smiles at the memory.
Growing up, they spent their entire lives together. They were
inseparable. They would have been together forever. Moros and Elpis
gaze into each other’s blue eyes. In his, clearly and beautifully, the
light shines. Moros looks at his wrists and slowly pulls them off the
wood. The nails come out and escape with his wrists. With his
hands, he pulls on the knobs and removes the nails. Tosses them
aside. And hugs Elpis.

They embrace on the floor of the forest. The feel of
their bodies against one another is something they have only dreamt of for
centuries. “I’m sorry, Elpis.” He takes her hand and holds
it. Grabbing her finger, he slides the E.M. ring into place. “I’m
so sorry.”

Elpis, full of tears, responds, “I forgive you. I
will always love you, Moros. No matter what.”

Moros squeezes her tightly. It’s all he needs to
hear. He closes his eyes.

Elpis, with her head on his chest, listens to the sound of
his breathing, the sound of his beating heart. It slows down. Elpis
leans her face toward Moros and kisses him. As she pulls away, she looks
at his closed eyes and realizes:

Moros, the love of her life, is gone.

“Happy We Stopped The End of The World Pool Party Day…
Night!” Bruce stumbles through. Everyone is outside at the hotel
pool. Other than the moon, the only light source provided to them is from
the pool, which glitters light around.

Bruce happily pours champagne into glasses and hands them
out. “Here you go, Chad,” he says as he gives a glass to Chad, “You used
to be a jackass! But now you’re an okay guy… I guess.”

Sean confidently comes to his defense. “Is that the
way you should be talking to your boss?”

Bruce and Chad laugh. “Look at
you
,
Sean! Don’t let this whole apostleship thing get to your head.”
Bruce playfully taps him on the chest. “I like you. I’m glad you
didn’t do anything stupid when I was holding a gun to your face.”

“Charming,” Kristen interrupts. “Is this how you make
friends, Bruce?”

Bruce wraps his arm around his wife.

Sean says, “She’s right, ya know. You’re kind of
weird.”

Bruce concedes, “Philosophy major.”

At the other end of the pool, Mikey, Mr. Ixley, and
Campbell lounge on beach chairs. Mikey proclaims, “That was a cool move
in the forest, Ixley. You
nailed
him with that log!”

Mr. Ixley, wearing a green glowstick around his neck,
replies, “A little trick your father taught me. And I must insist you
call me
Mr.
Ixley.”

Campbell asks, “What were Stephen and Bruce like as students?
Was Stephen picked on all the time?”

Mr. Ixley laughs. “I wish. They made my life
hell.”

Mikey, wearing a backwards hat, laughs. “I don’t
believe it, Ixley.”

Mr. Ixley shakes his head at Mikey. “The apple
doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Mikey nods, pretending to care.

Zeno stands with Elpis, who is weighted by Moros’s blue
backpack resting on her back. She asks, “How did he handle the news?”

“Like anyone who reunites with the father who abandoned
him. A mix of anger, happiness, and relief. He’ll understand
someday. I hope.”

Elpis watches as Bruce paces by, away from the pool and
toward the balcony. She asks Zeno, “What about his purpose?”

Zeno responds, “It’s a lot to take in. All in
time. I have faith in him.”

Elpis glances at Bruce, who leans on the concrete balcony.

Bruce looks out at the ocean, taking in the calmness and
serenity of the waves. Amidst the joking and celebrating, he can’t help
but feel unfulfilled. All he needs is time to clear his head.

To his right, someone joins him in leaning against the
balcony. She says, “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah,” he affirms.

Expecting to see Elpis, he looks and instead sees… Sara
Ixley. “Sara?”

“Hi Bruce.”

Bruce looks around, checking to see if anyone else notices
her. “Don’t worry,” she says, “Only you can see me.”

“I miss you,” Bruce says. Sara gently places her hand
on Bruce’s. Despite that she isn’t alive, Bruce can
feel
her hand.

“I miss you too,” Sara says.

Bruce looks at her face. Her eyes, her flowing blonde
hair, her thin lips. She’s just as he remembers.

“I read your letter,” she says, “It made me really
happy. Thank you for loving me, Bruce.”

Bruce chuckles. “You don’t have to thank me.
You’re easy to love. You’re perfect. Me, well, I still need some
work.” It’s then that Bruce notices Sara’s bare wrists. There’s
nothing on them. No cut, no scar, nothing. He looks in her eyes and
says, “Thank you… for being a part of my life.”

Sara smiles, gazes in his eyes, and puts her hand to his
face. “Kiss me.”

Bruce complies. He leans in and stares in her
eyes. She does the same. As their lips touch, Bruce can feel
her. She wraps her hands around his head and passionately kisses
him. When their lips finally part, he asks, “If anyone is watching me
right now, do I look like a complete idiot?”

Sara giggles and nods her head. “
Big
idiot.” Sara holds his hand. “Promise me one thing. When you
think of me, don’t be sad.” She points to his heart, “I know you’ll think
it sounds dumb, but I’ll always be right here. And remember, I’ll be
waiting for you.” Bruce and Sara stare into each other’s eyes and
joyously smile, and for once, if just for a minute, they share the happiness
they always dreamed of.

A voice from behind Bruce says, “It’s beautiful.”

Bruce turns. It’s Elpis. “Uhh… Oh. The
ocean? Definitely.” Bruce leans against the concrete balcony and
peers in Sara’s direction. She’s gone. But Bruce smiles, happy to
have seen her again. He looks at Elpis. The uncanny resemblance
between Elpis and Sara was always quite odd.

Elpis says, “I’m sorry for the way things went down.”

“What? You mean sending me on crazy missions to stop
the end of the world? It was my pleasure.” Bruce laughs at himself
and pauses. “Sorry I never told you about the ELPIS box.”

“It’s okay, Bruce. I just can’t imagine how it ended
up on that beach.”

Bruce laughs. “We’ll never know.”

“I know I had to be secretive, but your loyalty and heart
really impressed me. And though it might not seem like it, your
friendship truly means a lot to me.”

Bruce smiles and glances around. Everyone seems busy
and sheltered in distraction. Nobody could see them. Screw it, he
figures. Bruce pulls Elpis toward him, puts his hands on her face, and
kisses her. Elpis totally surprised, closes her eyes and goes with
it. Their lips interlock. Bruce pulls his head back. “I’m
just glad you’re with me.” Elpis grips his head and pulls him
forward. And they kiss again.

When their brief moment of passion ends, Elpis leans
against the balcony. Bruce scoots close to her and asks, “Did we just
break the record for biggest age gap between kissers? I mean, considering
you’re a couple thousand years older than me…” Bruce pauses and seriously
asks, “You’re sticking around, right?”

Elpis laughs. “I won’t be disappearing anymore.”

“Good.”

Elpis removes the blue backpack from her shoulders.
“There’s something I need to ask you.”

Bruce looks with curiosity at the backpack. Elpis
unzips it and pulls out a book. On the cover, it has an X with a circle
around it. It looks old and torn up. As Bruce looks closer, he
realizes it’s the same book Mr. Ixley had in his office in high school.

“The first two chapters of this book are in English,” Elpis
says. “But chapter three is different. I’ll explain all of it to
you. And if you’re up for it… I’d like to ask you to help me… with
another little mission.”

Intrigued, Bruce smirks.

Vince sits on a beach chair and holds Natalie, who leans
against him. Together, they gaze at the stars sparkling in the night
sky. As two great scientists, their minds can only begin to fathom the
vastness of the Universe.

Natalie ponders, “How many planets out there do you think
have intelligent life?”

“Well, there’s at least one.” Vince said, referring
to Raqiya. “I suppose we could ask Zeno.”

Natalie smirks. “I think I would rather not know.”

Vince caresses her hand. “We may never know
otherwise.” Vince hesitates to ask, but does anyway, “What does all this
do for your faith? Ya know, that Jesus is actually… a spaceman?”
Vince isn’t sure how she feels. Would it destroy her faith? Implant
doubts in her mind? Enrich her love of God?

Natalie simply responds, “It makes me happy.”

Under the gaze of the stars, Vince and Natalie kiss.

Stephen and Lisa stand in the corner of the balcony, far
from the others.

Lisa asks, “What’s it like now? Knowing how important
you are?”

“I don’t care. As long as I’m with you.”
Stephen kisses Lisa. She rolls her eyes and pushes him away.
“Seriously, Stephen. I’m asking you this.”

Stephen sighs. “It’s… fine, I guess. I mean
what do you want me to say? I know what I have to do. It’s not
going to be easy. But I have 12 friends to help me do it. Who
knows? Maybe one day, you’ll be able to do
this
with me.” As
Stephen finishes his sentence, water from the ocean in the distance shoots into
the air, like a grand fountain, twirling and diving in fantastical
patterns. Stephen smiles, amused with himself.

“Stephen, you’re not supposed to do that kind of stuff.”

The water stops spraying into the sky and falls down.
“You’re right. See? I need you.”

“The more important question is… are you moving to Los
Angeles with me?”

Stephen pauses. “I don’t know… I have a pretty nice
place. There’s a lot of empty rooms.” He smiles jokingly at
her. Stephen puts his hands on her waist and leans in to kiss her.
“Of course I am. I don’t see what other choice I have,” he mumbles as he
inches toward her.

“Exactly,” Bruce’s unwanted voice enters. “How can
you possibly have a choice when all this has already happened?”

“Seriously, Bruce?” Stephen asks.

Lisa offers her philosophical insight. “Does it
matter? You don’t know what will happen. Just do what you can while
you’re here and enjoy your life”

Stephen and Bruce stare at each other. The simplicity
of her statement catches them by surprise. All their discussions, all
their arguing, and they never considered
that
. Bruce
declares, “She’s brilliant.” He turns and leaves. “Carry on.”

Lisa stares into his bright, angelic blue eyes. “This
is going to be fun.”

Stephen gazes into her eyes, emanating with extraordinary
light. “I’ve waited my whole life for this.”

Stephen leans in and kisses Lisa.