 
The Incubus

by

Len du Randt
Copyright © 2012 by Len du Randt

SmashWords Edition.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without the written permission of the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights.

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Cover design by MX Design (www.mxdesignsa.com)

The Incubus is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for in doing so people have entertained angels without knowing it."

\- Hebrews 13:2, NIV

# Chapter 1

The wheat flowed in the wind, like millions of swaying dancers performing a ballet. Justin shifted his gaze from the road to the horizon of sprinkled gold. He stared at it dreamily for a moment before stealing a glance at his sleeping wife.

'You did it, Becky,' Justin said softly. He loved watching her sleep; seeing her without a care in the world while the sun gently gnawed at her shoulder. 'You made this possible.'

Rebecca wriggled her nose and shifted her weight in the seat. She tugged at the seatbelt and moistened her lips before slumbering off again.

Justin sighed. There weren't many women like her. When he lost his job five months earlier, Rebecca stood firmly by his side. When he didn't know how they were going to survive each month on her salary alone, she not only managed to save up enough money for their immediate needs, but also enough for their first year anniversary weekend away at a resort.

'I don't know how I'm going to make our first anniversary special to you,' he told her after they had finished working out their budget. 'The plan was to take you away somewhere far and exotic. Now I'll be lucky if I can treat you to a movie.'

Rebecca laughed and lovingly took Justin's hands. 'We don't need money to make it special,' she said and kissed him softly. 'We just need each other. Nothing more. Nothing less.'

Rebecca was his rock; a pillar of strength during the times that everything around him seemed to crumble and fall. He couldn't imagine life without her. The road ahead was clear for as far as the eye could see, so Justin stepped down on the gas pedal slightly and the car accelerated. The wheat fields zipped past. He stole another glance at Rebecca and cupped his free hand over hers. 'I love you, Becky,' he said softly.

'I love you too,' she said with her eyes still closed and yawned. Slowly—like a butterfly breaking free from a cocoon—she opened her eyes and Justin could only stare in awe at the grace with which she woke.

'Hey sleeping beauty,' he said. 'How was your—?'

'Justin, look out!'

For a moment time stood still. The expression of fear on her face would forever be seared into his memory. Adrenaline flushed through his legs and Justin instinctively slammed on the brakes. It was only then that that he saw the figure standing in the middle of the road. The wheels locked and the car swerved into the opposite lane. Had another car or truck passed at that exact moment, the collision would have killed them both instantly. Justin jerked at the wheel to try and keep the car from veering off the shoulder of the road. The car over-steered and he had to pull the steering hard. After what felt like an eternity, the car finally came to a standstill.

'Are you all right?' Justin asked Rebecca. His tongue felt like cork and his voice was a coarse, quivering croak.

Rebecca nodded, but it was a reflex move. She had no idea whether she was all right or not. She bordered on shock. The numbness of her mind was the only thing keeping her from crying.

Justin fumbled with his seatbelt. His hands were still shaking from the adrenaline, but he finally managed to unclip it and flung the door open. A burst of afternoon heat blasted him as he clambered from the air conditioned car and slowly walked to the back of the vehicle on what felt like rubber legs. He leaned against the trunk for stability and scanned his eyes across the road. There was no trace of anyone.

Where did he go?

'Is he okay?' a badly shaken up Rebecca asked as she joined her husband's side.

'He...he's gone.'

Rebecca looked around. 'Gone?'

Justin didn't answer. He walked across the road and peered over the shoulder to see if anyone was lying at the bottom of the ditch. He looked up and down the road. No cars in either direction. No people either. There was only the golden wheat, the high pitched screams of the cicadas, and the distinct smell of burnt rubber.

'Did you find anything?' Rebecca asked as he made his way back.

Justin shook his head.

'Where could he have gone?'

'I don't know...' Justin said and made a final quick scan of the area. 'You also saw someone in the road, right? That's why you screamed?'

Rebecca nodded.

A cold shiver ran down his spine. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something made him feel uncomfortable. He sensed that Rebecca felt it too. 'Come,' he said. 'Let's get out of here.' The two of them got back into the car and Justin managed to start it on the second try. He took one last look in the rear-view mirror as he stepped down on the gas pedal.

* - - \- *

It was Rebecca who broke the awkward silence. 'What just happened?'

'I don't know,' Justin said. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and although his eyes were locked on the road, Rebecca could tell that his mind was somewhere else; reeling in the void of thoughts. Justin adjusted the rear-view mirror and took another look as if expecting to see someone standing in the middle of the road.

'Are you sure we didn't hit him?' Rebecca asked. She placed her hand lightly on Justin's knee, hoping that the gesture would be enough to calm the nervous bounce in his leg.

'Did you feel us hitting anyone?' Justin asked, unable to suppress the curt snap in his voice.

'But what if he's hurt?'

'What if who is hurt?' Justin asked. 'We've been driving for twenty minutes now. Even if we did go back to check I doubt that we'd find the exact same spot. It could have been a mirage or something. It could have been anything, damnit!'

Who are you? Rebecca wondered. She had never seen her husband act this way before, and an old familiar fear crept over her. All those questions of doubt instilled into her mind by well-meaning family and friends before the wedding: Aren't you a bit young to get married? Shouldn't you two get to know one another a bit better before you decide to spend the rest of your lives with each other? Aren't you a bit too young to get married? What if you woke up one morning and suddenly realized that you didn't love him anymore?

'I...I'm sorry, hun,' Justin said and gave her hand a light squeeze. 'I'm just as freaked out as you are, that's all.'

It was another half an hour before they reached the resort where they were going to spend their anniversary weekend. By the time Justin parked the car in front of the reception building, he was convinced that what he and Rebecca had seen was nothing more than an optical illusion. That's it, he thought. It was a mirage; a reflection of a mill or a bird or something. Inside his gut, however, lingered a gnawing sense of doubt.

Justin opened the door and the two of them were greeted with a soft ding! as they entered the reception area.

The receptionist looked up and smiled. 'Welcome to Sunny Hill Spa,' she greeted them as they approached her. 'You are...?'

Justin was caught off-guard by her beauty. Her hair was soft and her skin silky smooth. He especially liked the little upward tilt of her small nose and the way her lips naturally curled upward to form what he believed to be the perfect mouth. No ring on her finger. Rebecca poked an elbow into his side and he was jerked back to reality. 'Oh...' Justin said and cleared his throat. He was aware of his heart beating faster and a weak feeling in his knees. 'Justin and Rebecca Greene.'

The receptionist scanned the register.

'As in the colour,' he added. 'But with an e at the end.'

The receptionist chuckled politely and tapped her finger on their surname. 'Greene,' she said. 'You're in cabin twenty one. Please fill out the register while I get your keys.'

Justin moved the register over to Rebecca. She shrugged, took a pen, and started filling out the form. Vehicle registration number. Contact numbers. Next of kin. Justin caught himself staring at the receptionist as she walked to the back wall where all the keys hung. She was slightly shorter than him. He continued to stare even after she had taken the keys off the hook and was heading back. Only when she made eye contact did he become self-aware enough to tear his gaze from her. For a moment he wondered why he was so infatuated with this women where until now, he only had eyes for Rebecca.

'Here you go,' the receptionist said and held out the keys towards Justin. He intentionally brushed his finger against hers as he took the keys from her.

'Thank you,' Rebecca said and slid the register back to its original spot. 'Did the payment go through?'

'Everything's fine,' the receptionist confirmed. 'Enjoy your stay, and if there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask.'

'We won't,' Justin said. 'Thank you.'

Gravel crunched underneath their feet as the two of them made their way back to the car. Just before getting in, Justin stretched out his arms and filled his lungs with as much air as he possibly could. The air didn't smell this fresh in Kelwick.

'I think I'm going to enjoy this weekend,' Justin said as he got back into the car. A minute later they were driving off in search of their cabin.

* - - \- *

'Fifteen, seventeen, nineteen,' Justin counted the odd numbered cabins on the left. If his calculations were correct, theirs would be the next one. It was.

'This is really nice,' he said as he parked the car next to their cabin. Justin got out and surveyed the huge trees around them. 'This is very nice.'

'Happy anniversary, Sweetie,' Rebecca said and kissed him on the cheek. He took her in his arms and held her tightly before kissing her passionately for the first time since they left home. 'Thank you for arranging this, love,' he said. 'I really needed it.'

'You and me both,' she said and held him even tighter. For a moment they didn't have a care in the world. There weren't unpaid bills to worry about; no job-hunting for Justin; no concern about next month's groceries or where the money would come from. It was just the two of them, surrounded by nature, as they stood embraced in each other's arms.

'Right, let's get our things inside,' Justin said. 'I want to go explore this place with you.'

She kissed him once more and sighed. 'Okay,' she said. 'You can start unloading our things while I open the door and windows.'

Justin heaved two heavy suitcases from the trunk of the car. He then carried them to the only bedroom in the cabin. 'This is nice,' he said as he swung the suitcases onto the hard bed. 'It's not home, but it's definitely nice.'

'There's a shower,' Rebecca said with a naughty grin as she entered the tiny bedroom. 'Wanna take one?'

Justin laughed. 'Later,' he said. 'Let's go explore first.'

* - - \- *

Justin was amazed at how much a person could do at the resort. There were both cool and heated pools, Jacuzzis, a super tube, pool tables, a putt-putt course, and a go-cart track. The go-carts, much to Justin's disappointment, were closed for maintenance the entire weekend.

'What would you like to do first?' Rebecca asked.

'Let's leave the swimming for tomorrow,' he suggested. 'Today we could just relax and unwind; maybe shoot some pool or something.' Rebecca agreed, and after two hours of watching Justin lose on purpose, they headed back to their cabin for a light meal.

* - - \- *

Justin turned for the fifth time. The wooden bed creaked under his weight. He lay still for a moment before sighing out loud and sitting up to fluff out his pillow. Once satisfied that he was as comfortable as he was going to get, he picked up his novel and continued from where he left off. The retired FBI agent was hot on the trail of the serial killer. The story was starting to pick up pace.

'Hi Baby,' Rebecca said from the door.

Justin sighed, dropped the bookmark between the pages and looked up. Rebecca stood in the door frame in a seductive pose, wearing silky smooth lingerie she bought specifically for the weekend. 'Come here, you,' Justin said and placed the book down on the table next to him. He opened his arms and in one graceful manoeuvre, she moved over the floor and onto the bed. She slid over to him and they embraced tightly as he planted his lips on hers. They kissed passionately, both losing themselves in the moment.

Justin tightened his embrace and then suddenly pulled her away and looked at the corner of the room.

'What's wrong?' Rebecca asked and tried to see what he was looking at. She saw nothing out of the ordinary.

'Nothing,' Justin said and kissed her again. This time, the face of the lovely receptionist flashed through his mind. Justin flinched, but continued kissing his wife. Another image flashed though his mind; this time that of the figure standing in the middle of the road. Justin pulled back and stared at the corner of the room again. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them.

'Are you okay?' Rebecca asked; worried that it might be something that she was doing wrong.

'I'm...okay,' Justin said. He sighed and then turned over to his side with his back against Rebecca. 'I can't do this,' he said.

Rebecca wondered what caused her husband to lock up like that. He never turned his back on her before. 'What's wrong, Love?' she asked and gently wrapped her arm around him.

'Nothing,' Justin said. 'Just leave it, okay?'

Rebecca bit her lip. Her heart bounced around in her chest. She looked at her husband for a moment longer and then turned off the bedside lamp next to her. A few seconds later, Justin pressed the button next to him and the entire room went black.

* - - \- *

'Another hole in one?' Justin asked, bewildered that his wife had such a keen sense of miniature golf. 'That's the third one in a row now.'

Rebecca did a little twirl with her putter. 'Are you ready to give up yet?'

'Never!' Justin shouted in an over-dramatic voice. 'You won't take me alive!'

Her mouth twisted into a sly grin. 'Then prepare to die.'

They whacked it out over the last few holes of the game, and finally, a humbled husband had to admit defeat to his wife. Through the jokes and laughter something bothered Justin. He wondered how he would be able to apologize to his wife without bringing up the subject of the previous evening. He realized that talking to her about it was inevitable, and sooner or later, he would have to face the music.

'What should we do now?' she asked.

Justin looked around. Go-carts would have been great. Stupid maintenance. 'I don't know,' he said. 'Maybe we should go for a swim.'

Rebecca's eyes lit up. 'Heated pools?'

'Sure,' he said. 'Why not?'

They followed the footpath hand-in-hand until they reached their cabin. It took them twenty minutes to get dressed and walk up another path until they reached the massive, heated swimming pools.

'Gonna join me?' Justin asked as they stood on the edge of the pool.

'In a moment,' she said. 'I just want to sit down for a minute or two first. You go ahead, okay?'

'Is everything all right?' Justin asked. 'Are you okay? You look a little pale, baby.'

Rebecca nodded faintly.

'You really don't look too good, Baby,' he said and pressed his hand against her forehead. 'You're burning up.'

'I'll be fine,' she said and smiled weakly at him. 'I just need to sit down for a while.'

Justin frowned. 'I don't know,' he said. 'I think I should take you back to the cabin.'

'No,' she protested. 'I'll be fine in a minute. Really. Go, swim so long. I'll be right with you.'

He ignored her and helped her to her feet. 'Let's get you into bed,' he said and gently helped her down the path to their cabin.

'I don't want to ruin the weekend,' Rebecca said as Justin tucked her into bed.

'Nonsense,' he said. 'Just try and get some rest while I make you a nice cup of tea, okay?' She nodded, but Justin doubted that she registered anything he said to her. He waited until her eyes were closed before he left the room to boil some water. When he returned with her tea, she was fast asleep. He placed the cup down next to her on the bedside table and picked up his novel. He then lay down next to her, and three turns and one pillow fluffing later continued with the story. Justin read for most of the afternoon before taking a half an hour nap after which he read some more.

'Justin...?' Rebecca said softly when she woke up.

'Yes, baby?'

'I...I have to prepare dinner...'

Justin put down the novel and walked around to her side of the bed. He touched her forehead and frowned. The fever showed no sign of breaking. 'Stay in bed,' he said. 'I'll get us something to eat from the restaurant. What would you like?'

She didn't answer. She merely smiled and then closed her eyes. Within seconds she was asleep again. Justin switched off the lights and closed the bedroom door. He took some money from Rebecca's purse, locked the door and headed for the restaurant.

* \- - \- *

The waiter behind the counter looked up when he saw Justin approaching. 'Good evening, sir,' he said politely. 'What would you like to order?'

Justin eyed the menu. They didn't have too much money to splash around, but Justin figured that given his current situation, it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

'I think I'll have the steak,' he said.

'Excellent choice, sir. How would you like it done?'

'Medium,' Justin said. 'Thanks.'

With rice, baked potato, or fries?'

'Baked potato would be fine.'

'Anything to drink with that, sir?'

Justin sighed. Do you think I can have my food now? 'Just a soda water, thank you.'

'Eat here or take away?'

'Take away.' He wanted to be with Rebecca. In case she woke up and needed him.

'Would that be all?'

Justin bit his lip and then exhaled slowly. 'That would be all,' he confirmed. 'Thank you.'

The waiter took the menu and left Justin to his thoughts. He was worried about Rebecca. If he only knew what was wrong, he could perhaps get her some medication. He felt small and powerless; incapable of helping her with whatever bug she had picked up. The thought of hospital bills sent a shiver down his spine.

A human-like creature invisible to the eye stood beside Justin and placed its claw on his shoulder. The figure leaned forward and bought its mouth close to Justin's ear.

Look up.

Justin looked up and his stomach flipped when he saw the beautiful receptionist, sitting alone at a table. The elegant evening dress was a sharp contrast to the denim she wore the previous afternoon when they arrived.

'Excuse me,' Justin said and motioned for a waiter.

'Is everything all right, sir?' the waiter asked.

Justin nodded. He then indicated at the receptionist. 'Do you see that girl over there?'

The waiter looked at where Justin was hinting. 'Megan?'

Justin flinched and motioned for the waiter to lower his voice. 'Her name is Megan?'

'Yes, sir,' the waiter said.

'Is she here on a date?'

'No,' the waiter said. 'She always eats here. Staff account.'

'So she's alone?'

'She and her fiancé split up about three weeks ago.'

'Thank you,' Justin said and dismissed the waiter. He looked at Megan, almost hypnotized by her beauty. Justin swallowed hard to try and get rid of the lump in his throat, but it didn't help. His pulse raced and he could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest.

Go to her.

Although Justin couldn't consciously hear the voice, he still obeyed it.

'Hi,' he said when he finally reached the table she was sitting at. 'I couldn't help but notice that you're alone, and was wondering if you would like to have some company.'

Megan looked up and smiled. 'Sure,' she said.

He thanked her and sat down, then extended his hand toward her. 'I'm Justin,' he said.

'Green as in the colour, but with an e, right?'

Justin chuckled. She remembers! 'That's me,' he said. 'And you are...?'

'Megan,' she said and shook his hand.

'Pleased to meet you, Megan.'

'Likewise,' she said. She stole a quick glance around the room. 'Where's your wife?'

'She...she's feeling a little under the weather,' he said. 'So I decided to rather let her rest while I got myself something to eat here.'

'I'm sorry,' Megan said. 'Do you know what's wrong?'

'Nope,' Justin said and shrugged. 'But I'm hoping that she will feel better by tomorrow.'

'We do have some emergency medical supplies,' she said. 'Let me know if there's anything that I could do to help.'

'I will,' Justin said. 'Thanks.' Oh wow! You're stunning! There was a moment of silence that could have turned awkward if Justin kept quiet. 'So what's a nice lady like you doing alone in a place like this?' he asked.

'Staff account,' she said.

'Ah,' Justin said and nodded knowingly. 'Best reason in the world.'

A waiter brought Megan her order of Calamari and onion rings.

'I ordered a steak and a soda water to go,' Justin said. 'I think I'll have it here, please.'

'No problem at all, Sir,' he assured Justin.

'That is if the lady doesn't mind,' he said and winked at Megan.

'Not at all,' she said.

'Could we also have a bottle of wine?' Justin asked the waiter before he could stop himself. 'Something red and sweet.'

The waiter nodded.

'What's the occasion?' Megan asked once the waiter left.

Justin thought for a moment. 'New friendships,' he said. He had been sober for five years since vowing to never drink again. Not going to start now, he thought. Just a glass or two during dinner, that's all.

'So what do you do for a living, Mister Greene, with an e?'

Justin didn't want to spoil the mood by telling her that he was jobless, so instead opted for the little white lie. 'I run my own computer business,' he said.

She smiled, showing off her perfect teeth. 'I'm impressed, Mr. Greene.'

Justin's steak arrived and the two of them wined and dined for almost an hour. One bottle turned to two, and before long, Justin's head was spinning.

'Want to come back to my place?' Megan asked after they finished the bottle.

'I can't...'

Go with her, the voice instructed.

'...see why not,' Justin said and raised his hand to beckon the waiter. He paid for both meals and both bottles of wine and realized that he would have some heavy duty explaining to do in the morning.

'Great,' Megan said. There was the slightest hint of a slur in her speech. 'I could use the company tonight.'

They both left the restaurant together and the sudden fresh air only made Justin's head spin even faster. Justin almost took the path back to his cabin, but Megan playfully tugged at his arm.

'This way,' she said and hooked her arm into his. Arm-in-arm, the two made their way toward her cabin.

* - - \- *

By the time they reached Megan's cabin, Justin's head felt like it was bobbing around inside a tumble dryer. Just before reaching the door, Justin stumbled and Megan caught him. He hung his arms around her shoulders for support and they both giggled at his antics.

'This is me,' Megan said and there was a moment of silence as Justin tried to read her body language to see what it was that she wanted of him. Did she want him to return to his own bungalow? No. Her warm smile and inviting posture told him that she wanted quite the opposite.

'So, Mister Greene with an e,' she said and hooked her arms around his shoulders. 'Do you want to come in?'

Justin's heart bounced around furiously in his chest. 'I don't know if that is such a good idea...'

She ignored him and instead nibbled softly on his ear.

Justin's legs weakened. She smelled lovely; sweet and innocent, yet mature and irresistible at the same time.

Kiss her, the invisible creature whispered into his ear. In the spiritual realm, little imp-like demons danced and twirled around the two. Kiss her! The demons danced faster and faster as they hissed suggestions of lust and desire.

Justin's head spun faster.

Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her!

His mouth searched for Megan's.

The demons chanted even louder and faster until their voices buzzed in a blur of white noise. Justin's mind reeled. He pressed his lips hard against Megan's and kissed her passionately.

Silence.

The demons stood perfectly still, eyeing the embraced pair; their mission accomplished. The creature waved them off and they scattered into the night air, in search of other victims. The demon grinned as it watched the two. Something caught its attention. It looked towards a few trees not too far away. Glowing eyes stared back from the darkness. The demon bowed and, taking one last look at the couple, shot into the night skies.

Justin pulled himself away from Megan. 'I'm sorry, but I can't do this,' he said.

'Yes you can,' Megan said and tried to pull him closer.

He broke free from her grip. 'I have to get back to my wife...'

'Are you sure?' Megan asked seductively. 'I only invite once.'

Justin rubbed his throbbing temples. 'I...I have to go.' With that, he turned and stumbled down a path in the general direction he thought would lead to his cabin.

Megan shook her head. 'Men,' she sighed and then went inside and closed the door.

From behind one of the nearby trees a figure stepped into the path and observed Justin stumbling away in the distance. Its eyes glowed like burning embers and its snarl revealed razor sharp teeth. Justin's one small act of adultery was all it needed to proceed with its mission. The damage was done. The gateway had been opened.

* - - \- *

Justin tried to suppress the throbbing headache as he weaved through traffic. 'Hello,' he shouted into his cell phone. 'Is this emergency services?' The voice at the other end confirmed. 'It's my wife,' he said and stole a worried glance at Rebecca. 'There's something wrong with her and I need to get her to a hospital urgently!'

The dispatcher asked Justin a few routine questions and directed him to the nearest emergency room from his current location. Justin hung up and flung the phone on the back seat and accelerated the car.

'You're going to be fine, Baby,' he said, not entirely sure just whom he was trying to convince. 'I'm going to find you to a doctor and you're going to be okay.'

Rebecca didn't answer. Her eyes were rolled back into her head and she shook while sweat ran down her forehead. Justin placed his hand over hers. It was icy cold.

Food poisoning? he wondered. Not likely.

Thoughts about the previous evening with Megan popped into his mind. No! Justin rebuked himself. That was a mistake! The throbbing in his temples stabbed into his brain like small daggers; unsympathetic and relentless.

It took just under twenty minutes to reach the hospital. He pulled into the emergency parking lot and called a nurse for assistance. She rushed at them with a wheel chair and, with Justin's assistance, carefully moved Rebecca from the car into the chair.

'When last did she have anything to eat?' the nurse asked as she wheeled Rebecca into the hospital.

'Around noon, yesterday,' Justin said. His throbbing head didn't help much with the remembering process. 'I think...'

'Do you know if she's been bitten or stung by anything?'

'Not to my knowledge, no,' Justin said.

'Any allergies?'

'Nothing that I'm aware of, except maybe gelatine and dust. Contact with it gives her a rash.'

The nurse stopped at the front desk. 'Any medical history that we should be aware of? Any recent operations or drug prescriptions?'

Enough with the interrogation already! Help my wife! Justin merely shook his head.

'All right,' the nurse said. 'Please fill out the relevant forms at the desk. We will take care of your wife.'

Justin looked at Rebecca. She was barely conscious and not aware of her surroundings at all. 'Where can I find her?'

'Please wait here,' the nurse said. She had no time for small talk. 'I will fetch you when we're done.'

Defeated, Justin could only watch as the nurse pushed his wife down the hallway and into an elevator. The doors closed with a ding and Justin found himself standing in the reception area, alone. He made his way to the counter.

'Excuse me,' he asked the nurse behind the counter. 'Do you have some aspirin?'

She handed him two tablets and pointed to a water fountain in the corner of the room. Justin took a plastic cup from its holder and filled it with the crystal clear liquid.

He then returned to the front desk and filled out the forms to the best of his ability. He paused at the employment section, wondering if he should write down his old job's details. The word unemployed didn't particularly go hand-in-hand with bill payments. He decided to fill the blank space with self-employed instead.

'Mister Greene?'

Justin turned to face the nurse that disappeared with his wife. 'Is she...?'

'She's going to be fine,' the nurse said. 'We gave her something for dehydration as well as a Vitamin B12 intake.' She paused. 'Did you notice anything odd about your wife the last few days? Did she stop drinking water? Maybe vomit occasionally?'

Justin shook his head. 'Not that I know of.'

'Well, I suggest you keep her in bed for two or three days and make sure that she keeps down all her liquids and solids.'

Justin nodded.

'Keep a close eye on her and notify us immediately if the symptoms should return.'

Justin agreed, and while he waited for the nurse to fetch his wife, paid for the consultation and medication. He flinched when he thought about how they were going to get through the month. His antics the previous evening knocked a huge dent into their budget.

He let Rebecca sleep on the way home and decided that he wouldn't mention anything about the finances until she felt much better. Right now what she needed was a lot of rest and a worry-free mind.

* - - \- *

'I'm sorry,' Rebecca said weakly as Justin covered her with blankets. 'I'm sorry that I ruined our anniversary.'

'Nonsense,' Justin said. He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the forehead. 'It could have happened to anybody, and besides, it doesn't matter what we do as long as we're together, right?' He tried to comfort her, but didn't know if she registered anything he told her. 'It's not the location that matters. It's being with you.'

Rebecca forced a faint smile and closed her eyes.

For a brief moment the thought of losing her crossed Justin's mind. He shuddered and blocked out the idea. 'Would you like something to eat, Becky?' he asked. She managed a faint nod. 'Maybe a nice cup of tea?' Another nod. 'I'll be right back, baby,' he said and left the room. On his way to the kitchen something felt out of place. He couldn't figure out what it was at first, but soon realized that it was the study door. It was open. Justin had a "house rule" that the study door should be closed at all times. It was mainly to keep his "work area" separate from the rest of the apartment, but also because the room only had a lace curtain that people could see through when the lights were on at night. He didn't like the idea of outsiders being able to look right into their him and he insisted on having the door closed until they could afford decent curtains. Could be the wind, he thought and closed the door. He then made some toast and a cup of tea for his wife.

* - - \- *

'Justin Greene?'

'Yes?'

'This is Doctor Jacobs, how are you?'

'I'm fine, thank you, Doctor,' Justin said. 'And yourself?'

'Likewise,' Doctor Jacobs said. 'Justin, I'm calling you about your wife.'

Justin held his breath. 'Yes...?'

'I received Rebecca's blood test results. When would you two be able to come in and see me?'

Justin had to think. 'We can make it on Thursday,' he said. 'Would that be all right?'

There was a moment of silence and Justin almost thought that the line cut off. 'Thursday will be fine,' the doctor confirmed. 'Say around nine?'

'Nine is perfect,' Justin said. 'Is...is everything okay?'

'I'd prefer to discuss the results with the two of you in person.'

'Okay,' Justin said defeated. 'We'll see you on Thursday. Thanks for calling.'

Justin killed the line, wondering what could be so bad that the doctor couldn't tell him over the phone. He figured that only time would tell.

* - - \- *

'The reason I wanted you both to come in,' Doctor Jacobs said once they were seated at his desk, 'is because I have some rather interesting news regarding Rebecca's blood test results.'

Both of them leaned a bit forward without realizing it.

'Rebecca, the analysis of your blood indicated the presence of the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone.'

'The human chronic gelatine what?' Rebecca asked.

'In other words,' the doctor said, 'you're pregnant.'

Both Rebecca and Justin were caught off guard at the news. 'We're...Wait! What?' Justin asked. 'Pregnant? Are you sure?'

'Positive.'

'I...wow...' was all that Justin could manage.

Rebecca was speechless.

'I'll have my secretary schedule an appointment with Doctor Taylor. She's a gynaecologist at the hospital next door and should be able to see you two right away. She will assist you during the pregnancy and perform all the necessary scans and tests to see that everything develops as it should.'

Justin's head was reeling. He hoped that Rebecca was taking all this in.

'I will also suggest that you contact your medical aid, if you have one, and make the necessary arrangements.'

After the doctor discussed a few other essentials with the couple, they stood up, thanked him and turned to leave.

'Oh, and one more thing,' the doctor said. They turned to face him. His mouth curled into a large smile. 'Congratulations, to both of you.'

* - - \- *

'Pregnant?' Rebecca asked once they were outside.

'I dunno,' Justin said and shrugged. 'I guess this scan will confirm it.'

Rebecca bit her lower lip. 'We're not prepared for this,' she said and fought back the tears that were trying to break through.

'I know,' Justin said and hugged her tightly. 'I'm sure it's nothing.' In his gut he hoped that the doctor was wrong and that she merely ate something bad. They wouldn't be able to afford a baby right now and he silently hoped that this problem would somehow just disappear. 'Either way,' he said. 'We'll be fine.'

She looked up into his eyes and searched for a glimmer of hope. 'You think so?'

Justin nodded. 'Everything will turn out fine,' he said. 'Trust me.'

* - - \- *

The reception area at the gynaecologist's consulting room was small, yet had a certain warm feel to it. Justin found the silence extremely uncomfortable and almost overwhelming. Shifting one's weight on the wooden chairs made a creaking sound to which everyone present looked up. Justin didn't feel at home enough to read one of the magazines on the table in the middle of the room, so he played a game on his cell phone instead.

'Rebecca Greene?' A voice came from the small passage way.

Rebecca put down the magazine she was reading and Justin quit his game and switched off his cell. They followed the doctor down the passage and were guided into her office.

'Please,' the doctor said. 'Have a seat.' Justin and Rebecca sat down while the doctor took her place behind the huge desk. 'I'm Doctor Taylor,' she said. 'Doctor Jacobs sent me your urine and blood samples.'

Rebecca nodded.

'Congratulations,' she said.

Both Justin and Rebecca murmured their thanks.

Doctor Taylor then asked a few routine questions and worked out the baby's expected due date. Taking the information from the form that Rebecca filled out, she calculated the baby to arrive shortly before Christmas. She then asked Rebecca to change into a robe, after which she led the couple to a smaller adjacent room with a reclining hospital bed inside.

The first thing Justin saw when he entered the room was the bed. Then he noticed the strange equipment next to the bed that consisted mainly of a strange looking monitor and keyboard, and finally he noticed the massive painting against the side wall. The painting was an elegant one of a pregnant woman. Inside the woman's womb the viewer could see the baby, upside down and fully formed. Ready to be born.

Rebecca lay down on the bed and drew a blanket over her legs.

Justin could sense that she was just as nervous as he was. Doctor Taylor produced a long white plastic tube that reminded Justin of an electric toothbrush.

Doctor Taylor lubricated the tube and her hand disappeared underneath the thin blanket. A few seconds later, something moved on the screen. 'That's the Amniotic sac,' she explained as she pointed to a black spot on the screen.

'Where's the baby?' Justin asked.

'The foetus won't be visible at this stage,' she said. 'We gauge the age by measuring the sac itself.' She clicked on one end of the black spot and again on the other end. She then pressed a button, and the machine responded with a beep and a printout of the spot. After a few seconds, she pressed the button again, and another photo appeared.

'All right, you can get dressed now,' she told Rebecca and then allowed the couple a moment alone before meeting them at her desk again. 'So far everything appears to be fine,' she said and handed them one of the printouts. She stapled the other printout to her notes, which she kept in a file.

'How old is the baby?' Rebecca asked shyly.

'Five weeks, and one day,' the doctor said. I'm giving you a repeat prescription for vitamins that I would like you to take once, daily. I would also like you to go into the hospital after confirming your next appointment with my secretary, and have the Pathologist test your blood for cholesterol, iron, blood type, and immunity against Rubella.'

Rebecca flinched. She didn't like the idea of being prodded with needles again, but her joy about the pregnancy overshadowed her fear of needles.

Doctor Taylor wrote a letter that Rebecca had to deliver to the Pathology department. 'To minimize morning sickness,' she said, 'you could eat dry fruit or biscuits before you get out of bed, and break your meals into smaller portions spread out during the course of the day.'

Justin made mental notes as Doctor Taylor made more suggestions. They then left the office and made another appointment at the reception desk. After fifteen minutes at the Pathology department, the dumbstruck couple headed for their car; their lives, for better or worse, irrevocably changed in the course of a single hour.

# Chapter 2

Simon inhaled deeply. He loved the fresh smell of early morning air. There was a certain sense of purity in the early morning breeze that one wouldn't find after the rush-hour smog.

Coffee, Simon thought. That's what I'll start my day with.

It was his day off and he wanted to savour every moment of it. 'Where to begin,' he said as he looked in both directions up and down the road. He figured that he would get started with a fresh cup of coffee and a muffin at a local coffee shop. From there it would be a movie followed by a few hours' worth of reading in the park. The mall then, he thought. It's closer to the movie theatres.

'Good morning,' he greeted a jogger. She frowned and side-stepped him before jogging away without returning the greeting.

It's sad what this world has come to, Simon thought, that two strangers simply couldn't greet each other anymore.

He took another deep breath and continued his stroll down the sidewalk. Simon wondered how many people stopped for a moment to admire the beauty in a few golden rays of sunlight as it passed through the leaves of overhead trees. He wondered how many people even stopped to notice the cheerful chirping of the birds as they announced the birth of a new day. At street level, rush-hour traffic was slowly building up. Simon just shook his head at the expressionless faces in the cars that drove past him.

Solomon was right. All this is truly a pursuit of wind; a mad rush for nothing.

Even though he too was part of the proverbial "rat race," he never considered himself to be one of the rats. Simon only did what he did for a living in order to pay the bills at the end of the month. He found greater satisfaction in the smaller things in life. He especially loved helping people. The real pleasure was in changing lives; especially when they weren't aware of it. It was the thrill of seeing people's lives altered for better that motivated and drove him. He never once considered a financial award for what he did, and would never accept any if ever offered. In a way, he felt like a super hero: Mild mannered computer geek at day; defender of the innocents at night.

Simon chuckled. Defender of the innocents. Yeah right.

He continued his stroll toward the mall at a lazy pace, soaking in the beauty of his surroundings. When he reached a small patch of flowers, Simon stopped. He hunched down next to the flowers and picked one.

'Samantha,' he said as he smelled the flower.

Rolling the little stem of the flower between his thumb and forefinger, Simon stood up and continued walking.

* - - \- *

'I hate you!' the girl screamed at her stepfather as loud as she could manage.

'Don't you raise your voice at me, young lady,' the man shouted back. 'Just do as you're told!'

'You're not my boss! You're not my father!'

With that, she stormed from the apartment and slammed the door behind her.

'Go on, you tramp,' her stepfather hollered at the closed door. 'See if I care. See if anybody cares.' He took a swig of his bottle of cheap brandy. 'Nobody cares about you! You hear?' The stepfather grunted and fell down onto the couch. A few minutes later he was fast asleep and snoring loudly.

* - - \- *

The slamming door made Simon look up. A teenage girl walked from one of the cut-and-paste houses down the road to the steps leading down to the street and sat down. She covered her face in her hands and shook as she sobbed loudly.

Simon wondered if he should approach her. Something in him urged him to.

'I hate him,' she sobbed as Simon walked closer. 'I hate that man.'

Simon hunched down in front of the girl. She looked up and forced herself to stop crying—as if embarrassed to be crying at her age—and wiped at her face with her sleeve.

Simon just smiled at the girl. She didn't say anything; didn't know what to say to a stranger that just walked up to her and smiled without saying a word.

'He doesn't mean the things he says,' Simon said. 'He's been hurt and wounded in his past and it affects the way he treats people today. He can't help it.'

'What?' The girl asked. 'What are you talking about?'

'Your stepfather.'

The girl frowned. She searched her memory for where she might have met this man before, but drew a blank. 'I'm sorry,' she said. 'But I don't know what you're talking about.'

'You hate it when he orders you around as if though he's your father, right?'

The girl didn't say anything. Her eyes remained locked onto his.

'You're sick of being treated like a nobody, and the only way out at this moment for you appears to be suicide.'

She couldn't hide the shocked expression on her face. 'Who...who are you?' The girl asked. 'How do you know these things?'

Simon shrugged. 'I don't know,' he said. 'I just do.' He then smiled. 'My name is Simon.'

The girl sniffed and wiped at the sticky tears drying on her cheek. 'Why do you care?' she asked. 'Why should anyone care?'

'I care because God cares,' Simon said. 'He loves you more than you could ever comprehend,'

'God doesn't love me,' she said. 'If He did, He would never have put that man in my life.'

'God loves all people,' Simon said with a calm and soothing voice. 'Including him. He didn't put your stepfather in your life. He put you in your stepfather's life.'

The girl didn't say anything. She didn't have to. Simon could see from the look in her eyes that she understood.

'You are the one who will ultimately make a change in that man's life, for better or for worse. It's up to you to decide which.'

The girl broke eye contact and looked down at her thin hands. 'But who will be there for me?'

'God looks over you,' Simon said and held up the flower. He gave it a little whirl with his fingers. 'He created this flower just for you, Samantha.'

The girl held her hand to her mouth. 'How did you know my name...?'

'I don't know,' Simon shrugged and smiled. He handed her the flower. 'I just do.'

She just sat there for a moment, lost in deep thought. 'What do I do?' she finally asked. 'Where do I start?'

'Start with yourself,' Simon answered. 'Forgiveness is the key. You have to forgive yourself and then forgive him. Also forgive your mother and your biological father.'

'And then?'

'Then the healing can begin. Teach your stepfather how to forgive those who wronged him in the past.'

Samantha weighed his words. Finally her face lit up. This stranger knew her name. He knew about her stepfather. He also knew that she wanted to commit suicide. She figured that the least she could do was listen to his advice. 'I'll do it,' she said and stood up. 'I'll do what you suggested.'

Simon smiled and also stood up. He was much taller than the teenage girl that stood on the steps in front of him.

'Thank you, Simon,' she said and her lips pulled into a smile. She finally had a purpose in life; a goal. Samantha then turned and ran back to the house. She glanced from the door and smiled once more at Simon before closing it.

Simon took another deep whiff of air before continuing his stroll to the coffee shop.

* - - \- *

'We're going to be parents,' Justin said, still unable to believe the words leaving his mouth. 'I...I'm going to be a father.'

Rebecca forced a smile. She didn't know whether Justin was happy or unhappy about the fact that they were having a baby. She always wanted children, but Justin was dead set against it until—according to him—the time was "right". She figured it was his way of politely saying, "forget about it."

'I guess we have to celebrate,' he said as they left the hospital. 'How about I treat you to something to drink?'

'That sounds great,' Rebecca said and held up her hand. 'No alcohol though.'

'Definitely not,' Justin said, trying to sound as light hearted as he could manage. 'No alcohol or caffeine.'

'No coffee?' Rebecca asked and made a sad face.

'No coffee for the mommy,' Justin said and hugged her. 'Doctor's orders.' He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. 'Come,' he said. 'We'll get you something nice.'

* - - \- *

Simon stirred his coffee slowly. He wondered how things would turn out in Samantha's household.

Samantha, he thought and a shiver crawled down his spine. How did I know her name? How did I know about her personal problems? He sipped at his coffee and thought back to many similar incidents in the past where he just somehow knew certain things about people without knowing how he knew it.

There was the lady with the missing dog, Simon thought and chuckled. There was the husband who had lost his wife to cancer. And then there was the missing girl; Lucy.

A few weeks ago, Simon had an urge to knock on the door of a certain house that he had never seen or been to before. He found out that the daughter of the couple living there had disappeared without a trace three days earlier. Somehow Simon just knew where they could find her. The father's brother had taken the nine-year old and had locked her up in his basement. The idea was to collect ransom for the girl before returning her to her parents. All parties involved were highly emotional. The parents were disgusted because a trusted relative would kidnap their daughter. Simon was bewildered because he had some sort of universal knowledge that he was not supposed to possess. Over time, he learned to embrace his "gift" and just go with it. Sometimes something would happen that still managed to surprise even him, but he realized that the more he listened and acted upon his instincts, the stronger it became.

'Spot,' a man said from the table behind Simon. 'We'll call it spot for now.'

A woman giggled.

'How much longer until we see something other than a black spot on the sonars?' the man asked.

'About two more weeks,' the woman said softly.

Simon smiled. The miracle of new life always made him feel good inside.

There was a moment of silence before the man spoke again. His voice was softer now; more concerned. 'We'll get through this, baby, you'll see.'

'I know,' the woman said. 'I'm just a little worried about our finances. That's all.'

More silence.

'We'll be fine,' the man tried to re-assure her. 'I'll try extra hard to get a job this week. I mean, how hard can it be to get a job in the computer industry with my qualifications?'

The couple finished their drinks while discussing their financial concerns and how to break the news to their families. When they finally paid the waitress, they stood up to leave. It was when they walked past Simon that he gently took hold of the man's arm.

'Excuse me, Justin,' Simon said. 'Am I right in saying that you're looking for a job in the computer industry?'

The man looked at Simon with a puzzled expression. 'Yes...?' he said reluctantly. 'I'm sorry, but do I know you?'

Simon smiled. 'My apologies,' he said. 'I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard your conversation. Congratulations by the way.'

'Erm...Thank you,' Justin said and shook Simon's hand.

'I tell you what,' Simon said. 'Give me your contact details, and I'll pass it along to my employer. As far as I know, we are looking for more technicians at the moment.'

Justin looked at his wife. She merely smiled, but the look in her eyes and the nod of her head made it crystal clear that he should give his details to the stranger.

Justin borrowed a pen from a waitress and scribbled his details on a piece of scrap paper. He handed it to Simon. 'Thank you,' he said, unable to hide the bemused tone in his voice. 'I'm sorry, but I didn't get your name.'

'It's Simon.'

'Thank you, Simon.'

The two men shook hands again and, still baffled, Justin and his wife left the coffee shop.

* - - \- *

The first thing Rebecca did when they got home was call her parents. Both her and Justin's parents were equally thrilled to hear that they were going to be grandparents, and immediately felt the need to take charge and start planning everything.

Although most of the tension had been placed on temporary hold by the potential job that Justin could get, he still felt a hollow feeling in his gut. There was a constant gnawing at the back of his mind that he was forgetting something; that he wasn't ready to be a father just yet. He figured it best to keep his feelings to himself for now and pretend to be happy; for now at least. Justin waited until Rebecca put down the phone. 'I'm going to update my résumé,' he said and pointed in the direction of the study.

'Enjoy it, Love,' Rebecca said and snuck in a kiss. 'I'm going to call Tanya and tell her. She'll be so excited.'

'I'm sure she will,' Justin said as he made his way to the study.

'Do you want something to drink?' she called after him.

'Maybe later, thanks.' He stopped short of the study door and frowned. 'Becky,' he called down the hallway, 'please remember to keep this door closed.'

She was too immersed in her conversation with her best friend to worry about something as trivial as a door, so she just waved him off.

Justin took a deep breath and wondered if he would ever hear from that Simon guy or his employer. 'All I can do is hope,' he sighed as he switched on his computer.

* - - \- *

Simon thoroughly enjoyed the movie. After stopping for a quick snack, he headed to the park where he would spend the next few hours reading. Searching for the best spot which has just enough sun and shade, Simon finally found the ideal location to be underneath a huge oak tree. He positioned himself comfortably on the soft grass and opened the novel at the book-marked spot.

'Mary wondered how many of them also came to the sudden—and unmistakably divine—realization that Victor Yoshe was evil,' Simon read aloud, 'and most importantly of all, that Jesus was in fact the Christ.'

Simon smiled. The story was getting interesting. He was about to continue when a soft chirping behind the tree distracted him. Simon closed the book and placed it down on the grass. He stood up and slowly made his way around the base of the huge oak. On the ground, a bird lay in an awkward position next to the tree.

'Hi there, little fellow,' Simon said and slowly took a step closer to the bird. 'Are you all right?'

The bird just chirped softly. It was obvious to Simon that its wing was broken. When he was close enough, Simon extended his hands slowly toward the bird and carefully scooped it up. It was badly wounded, and bleeding from its neck.

'This is bad,' Simon said as he gently stroked the bird's head. He realized that the bird didn't have much longer to live. Cradling the bird in his arms he dropped to a kneeling position and covered it completely with his body.

'Please, Lord,' Simon prayed. 'Please heal this bird. Jesus, don't let her die.' Simon covered the bird for a moment longer and then straightened up again.

He held his breath.

At first nothing happened. Then the bird twitched and then turned its head. The wound in its neck was gone. The bird then shook itself and spread its wings before flying off.

'Thank you, Lord,' Simon said and sighed out loud. He was relieved that his prayer was heard, but why the Creator of the heavens and Earth would listen to him still eluded him. He looked at the bird as it flew off in the distance. 'Thank you...'

Simon got up and stretched. He then walked back around the tree, sat down, and continued reading his book.

* - - \- *

Something was wrong. Justin didn't know what yet, but he could sense it in the darkness. He looked around the apartment, scanning his eyes over the dark shapes in the living room to see if he could spot anything out of place. He saw a man standing in the corner and then realized that it was merely a chair. As his eyes adjusted to the overwhelming darkness, he could see more shapes more clearly.

'What's wrong?' Rebecca asked next to him and he jumped.

'Don't scare me like that,' he said with a mild irritation in his voice.

'I'm sorry,' she said, then lowered her voice to a whisper. 'What are we looking for?'

'I don't know,' Justin whispered back. 'But something feels...wrong.'

A tingle ran down Rebecca's spine. 'What is it?'

'I just told you, I-don't-know!' Justin snapped. 'What the hell do you think I'm doing?' He looked away from her and clenched his teeth. He wasn't intentionally rude to her, but for some reason, he couldn't help it. It just exploded without his control.

Both jumped when they heard someone knocking on a neighbour's door somewhere down the passage outside.

'Who would be out there at two in the morning?' Rebecca asked softly.

'Keep quiet!' Justin snapped again.

Someone knocked again, but this time it was louder and closer, almost as if whomever it was moved from door to door.

Rebecca clutched Justin's arm. Through the stained window pane next to their door they could see the silhouette of a man, illuminated by the dim light outside.

'Who's that?' Rebecca asked and tightened her grip around Justin's arm.

Justin didn't answer. He was nervous himself and didn't want to make it obvious to her. He was supposed to be her protector, and if he displayed fear, how could he ever make her feel safe again? Justin swallowed hard; his heart pounded heavily in his chest.

The knock on their door was unexpectedly loud; more of a threatening bang that echoed out loud through their apartment.

Justin had a bad feeling in his gut and held his breath. Each heartbeat exploded loudly in his own ears and he was afraid that the unwanted visitor outside would be able to hear it and thus know that they weren't asleep. The silhouette at the glass pane moved again, and then moved closer. Justin suddenly realized that the person was inside their apartment, advancing toward them with a long knife raised in the air, ready to slash down.

'No!' Justin screamed as he woke up.

'Justin?' Rebecca asked through the darkness. 'Are you all right?'

Justin sat up and waited for his eyes to adjust. His body was drenched in sweat and his heart beat furiously in his chest.

Light flooded the room as Rebecca switched on the bed lamp. 'What's wrong?'

'Bad dream,' Justin said and took a few deep breaths to regulate his breathing.

'What was it about?'

'What's the time?' Justin asked.

Rebecca took her cell phone from the bed stand and pressed a button. 'It's ten past two,' she said.

Justin swallowed hard. 'I was rude to you,' he said. His throat was dry and his voice coarse. 'Someone came into our apartment...attacked us with a knife...'

'And then?'

Justin swung his legs over the edge of the bed and rubbed his face. He took another deep breath. 'And then I woke up.'

Rebecca just looked at him as he walked from the room to drink some water. She heard him mumble something about keeping the study door closed before she slumbered off again.

* - - \- *

The phone rang for quite some time before Justin woke up. Rebecca had left for work already, so it would have to be after eight. He stumbled from bed and cursed as he banged his toe against something hard on his way to the phone.

'Hello?' Justin said, trying to make his voice sound like he had been awake for quite some time.

'Good morning,' someone said from the other end of the line. 'Is this Justin Greene?'

'Yes,' Justin said. 'Who's this?'

'My name is Ian Robertson from Cybernetics Computers.' He paused for a moment, and Justin thought it best to let the man continue without interruption. 'An employee recommended you for a technician position with our firm.'

'Oh yes,' Justin said. He allowed the man to continue speaking.

'When would you be able to come in for an interview?'

Justin was completely caught off guard. 'I...erm...I can make it tomorrow if that's okay with you.'

'That would be fine,' the man confirmed as he flipped through the pages of his diary. 'How would eight thirty suit you?'

'That would be perfect,' Justin said.

The caller gave Justin some basic directions to the premises of Cybernetics Computers and Justin wrote them down without interrupting. He would rather consult the Internet or a map book later than appear to be incompetent before he even met the man. After confirming the time, the man hung up, leaving a stunned Justin looking at the phone as if he had just won the lottery. He finally put the phone down and went back into the bedroom.

'Perfect,' he said and went to the kitchen and flipped the kettle's switch. He had the best news in the world and not a soul to tell, so he merely chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. 'Just perfect.'

* - - \- *

'How do I look?' Justin asked.

'Like some big, fancy exec,' Rebecca said and straightened his tie. She took a step back and admired her well-groomed husband. It had been a while since he dressed up for anything, and it was a visual treat to her. 'Nervous?'

'A little,' he said. 'But I have a good feeling about this one.'

She smiled. 'So do I.'

'Are you sure Tanya's okay with picking you up for work?'

'She's fine about it. Just remember to fetch me after work, okay?'

'Deal,' he said and hugged her tightly. He then kissed her passionately and Rebecca wished that the moment would last forever. 'See you soon, hun,' he said. 'Wish me luck.'

She waited at the kitchen window as he got into the car. He waved to her as he drove off. 'Lord, please be with him during the interview,' she prayed as she boiled water to make herself some tea. 'He really needs this. Please let him get the job.'

Once the tea had been made, she put it aside on the coffee table in the lounge and switched on the television. It would be another twenty minutes before Tanya would be there to pick her up. Justin's interview wasn't for another while still, but he didn't know the neighbourhood that the company was based in too well. He had a rule where he would rather be an hour early than two minutes late.

'So let me get this straight. Your mother is married to a convicted killer, and now you're pregnant with his baby?'

The crowd cheered.

Another stupid talk show, Rebecca thought and pressed the button on the remote. The television flipped to another channel. It was the weather report. Dull, she thought, but at least better than the claptrap on the previous channel.

She scanned her eyes across the screen as the names and temperatures of various South African cities and suburbs scrolled from bottom to top. Finally Kelwick scrolled up.

'Oh dear,' Rebecca said aloud. 'That's warm for this time of the year.' It was, in fact, unusually warm even for summer in the tiny Gauteng suburb. Where rain was expected, the weatherman predicted an unexpected heat wave.

There was a fumbling at the front door.

Rebecca got up and as she neared the door, it opened. Justin walked in and smiled.

'Forgot something,' he said and walked briskly past her into the bedroom. He rummaged through a few drawers, pulled out a file, flipped through it, and then walked past her to the door again. 'See you later, love,' he said and stole a quick kiss.

Rebecca walked to the kitchen to wave him off through the window again, but he was already backing off into the road. When the car pulled away, her heart skipped a beat.

There's someone with him! She thought. It wasn't as much the fact that there was someone with him that bothered her, but the fact that he had neglected to mention anything to her about picking anyone up before the interview. She shrugged and made a mental note to ask him about it when she saw him again. Less than a minute later she was back at her tea and, for some unexplained reason, watching the talk show.

* - - \- *

'So how did the interview go?' Rebecca asked Justin when he picked her up from work.

'All right, I guess,' he said. 'A lot better than any of the other interviews I've been on the past few months.'

'Just all right?'

'Well...I know I did well on the technical side of the interview,' he said and paused. 'It's the personal side that bothers me a bit.'

'Like...?'

'Like the fact that I don't have a job at the moment; that I didn't have one for the past five months. What also bothers me is that I've jumped between a few companies the past three years.'

'Some of that jumping had to do with mergers,' she said. 'You had no control over any of that.'

'I know,' Justin said and sighed. 'It just doesn't sound too great in an interview, that's all.'

'But if they take you now, you'll be able to build a solid foundation with them, right?'

He nodded. 'I hope so.'

'And the company itself?' she asked. 'What do you think about it?'

'The company is great. It's a stunning building with a little waterfall and a pond at the back where you can sit during lunch hour. There's a canteen right next to it, for those days when I might need a snack.'

'That's great,' Rebecca said and patted Justin's leg.

'The work sounds like fun. I'll basically be doing workshop, in-house, and onsite support.'

'Huh?' she asked. 'What's that?'

Justin laughed. 'The workshop is where clients send their computers to when the field engineer can't fix it at the premises. In-house technicians would assist the Cybernetics staff, like the receptionist for example, who might have problems with their computers.

'Oh,' she said humouring him. She didn't have a clue what he was talking about, but loved the fact that he was excited about something again. 'What kind of problems?'

'Well...imagine the payroll department not being able to connect to the Internet and pay staff salaries at month end.'

'Aaah,' Rebecca said and nodded. 'And the other one?'

'Onsite is where they send a technician to a customer's site for a week or so where they help out with general support calls or audits.'

'A week?'

Justin knew that it was going to be an issue with Rebecca. They haven't ever been separated since they got married and a week apart would almost be unbearable for her. 'That shouldn't happen too often, love,' he said. 'But at this moment I can't really be picky, right?' He smiled and added. 'Besides, I see it as short-term pain for long-term gain.'

'I guess you're right,' Rebecca said and playfully pretended to sulk. 'But that doesn't mean that I have to like it.' She then looked up as she suddenly remembered something. 'Oh yes, who was that in the car with you this morning?'

Justin pulled his face. 'In the car with me?'

'Yes,' she said. 'When you came back for your file, you drove off with someone sitting next to you.'

Justin laughed. 'I don't know what you're talking about,' he said. 'But there was no one with me. I promise.'

Rebecca just shrugged. Whatever. I know what I saw.

Justin sighed and took her hand in his. 'I don't like the idea of going away every now and again either, Becky, but at least we will now be able to get our lives back on track; especially with the baby on its way.' His plan to change the topic worked like a charm. As soon as he mentioned the baby, her face lit up.

'I saw the nicest little baby clothes today...'

Justin smiled as she talked about the baby clothes and accessories non-stop until they finally reached home.

* - - \- *

Sunday afternoon lunches at Justin's parents were always a bonus for the young couple. It saved them on food supply, preparing a meal, and also the hassle of washing dishes. After lunch, they caught up on the week's events. Justin made a big fuss about the pregnancy, handing out the printed sonar scan for all to see.

'Isn't it just the most precious thing you have ever seen?' Justin's mother asked as she looked at the scan. Justin wondered if those were tears welling in her eyes. She would never admit it, but the prospect of becoming a grandmother was a milestone. She had finished the race. She had reached full circle. She was complete.

'So whaddaya think, grandpa?' Justin asked and his mouth stretched into a large grin.

'I am proud of you, son,' Justin's father said.

Justin soaked in those six words. His father rarely used them together in a sentence, so when he did, Justin knew it best to savour the moment.

After what felt like an hour's worth of superstitious advice, Justin saw it best that they leave. It was getting dark, and they still had a long evening ahead of them. Once outside at the car, Justin searched for his cell phone and realized that he left it on the living room table.

'I'll be right back,' he said and then made his way to the house. Halfway to the front door he felt that something was wrong. He turned around just in time to see a huge black dog charge at him.

'Help!' was all that Justin managed before the dog was upon him. It jumped up and knocked him off his feet. It then bit him on the shoulder and a stabbing pain shot through his arm as razor sharp canines sunk into soft flesh. He tried to scream, but nothing came out. The dog then bit into his upper arm and he felt the strength in his arms and legs seep away. Then it put its face right up to his and bared its fangs in a grotesque snarl before going for the throat.

Justin woke up screaming.

The phone rang somewhere in the distant background and an early noon sun flooded the room as he ripped open the curtains. He groaned and rubbed his aching arm as he made his way to the phone. The vivid dream still haunted him when he picked up the phone. It felt very real; almost too real.

'Hello?' Justin's voice croaked.

'Good afternoon, may I please speak to Justin Greene?'

'Umm...you're speaking to him.'

'Mister Greene, my name is Louise Johnston from Cybernetics Computers.'

Justin's stomach constricted. 'Yes...?'

'I'm calling on behalf of Ian Robertson to inform you that your application for the Junior Technician position at Cybernetics Computers has been successful.'

'Oh wow...'

'We would like to know if you would be able to start on Monday morning?'

Justin sat down. His head was spinning and he felt as light as a feather. 'I...uh...sure,' he said. 'What time should I be there?'

'Eight o' clock should be fine,' she said.

'Thank you, Louise,' Justin said. He wondered if he should say anything else, but decided that it would be best not to. After they both hung up, Justin just stood there, wondering if he should call Rebecca at work, or leave it as a surprise for when she got back home. He decided to opt for the surprise route and ran some hot water for a warm shower instead.

* - - \- *

'Oooh, what's that delicious smell?' Rebecca asked as she entered the apartment.

'I call it Justin-ala-surprise,' Justin said and hugged his wife.

'I can get used to this,' she said and giggled. Rebecca stopped in mid-smile and frowned. She took a step back and tilted her head only slightly. 'Okay,' she said. 'What do you want and how much is it going to cost us?'

Justin laughed. 'It's not that,' he said. 'I got a call today.'

Rebecca held her hand to her mouth. 'You got the job?'

'I got the job!'

Rebecca shrieked with utter delight and flung her arms around Justin's neck. 'I'm so happy for you, baby.'

Justin led Rebecca to the living room where a candle-lit dinner had been prepared. 'For the mommy,' he said and pulled out a chair.

'I...I don't know what to say...' she said. Tears brimmed in her eyes.

'You don't have to say anything,' Justin said. 'It's about time that I treated you for a change. Just sit back and enjoy it.'

They both did. For the first time since Justin lost his job did both fully enjoy dinner and relax in each other's presence. After dinner, Justin brought Rebecca a warm pudding, after which they watched some television as they snuggled on the couch. After taking a bath, Rebecca ordered Justin to wait in the living room until she called him. When she finally did, he entered the bedroom to find that she wanted to return his dinner surprise by wearing lingerie that she bought for their anniversary weekend away.

'Hey you,' Justin said and embraced his wife. They both kissed passionately and as they got into bed, Rebecca switched off the lamp. They kissed some more, but after a while, something started bothering Justin. He couldn't figure out what it was, but he felt a definite presence in the room. An image of Megan flashed through his mind and he abruptly stopped kissing Rebecca.

'What's wrong?' she asked.

'Turn on the light,' Justin said and Rebecca did so.

'What's wrong?' she asked again.

Justin looked at the corner of the room. There was nothing there.

'Talk to me—'

'Shush!'

Rebecca kept quiet. She hated being afraid, and the fact that Justin didn't tell her what was wrong frightened her even more.

Justin turned around and lay with his back turned to Rebecca. She gently touched his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. Rebecca didn't want to upset him even more, so instead, she switched off the light and placed her arm carefully around his waist.

From the corner of the room, two glowing eyes observed the pair on the bed. It advanced and then stopped short at the foot of the bed, still observing. It watched them for a while longer before fading away.

# Chapter 3

The music was loud. Too loud. Justin scanned his eyes across the crowd at the party. There were all sorts of people: the fighting couple who managed to pique everyone's interest for at least a minute; the players who pretended they had all the connections and cash anyone would ever need; the managers who preferred to socialize in small groups of three and avoid staff at all cost; and last, but also least, the general company employees. Justin didn't know anyone.

'Hell of a party, eh?' one of the office pencil pushers asked Justin. He waved his whiskey glass in the general direction of the five people twitching on the space set aside for dancing.

'Yeah, okay,' Justin said, trying to humour the man. He searched for Rebecca but couldn't find her anywhere. Most probably fled to the ladies room, he thought. Which isn't such a bad idea, come to think of it.

'So in which department are you?' the man asked.

'Technical,' Justin said and shoved past the man. 'Excuse me, will you? I need to use the John.'

'Sure thing, buddy,' the man yelled above the music. 'I'll be on the dance floor if you need me.'

Like that would ever happen, Justin thought. He faked a quick smile and then proceeded to search for the men's room. It didn't take long to find it, and he soon found himself staring into a mirror, wondering how he got conned into going in the first place. I hate corporate functions, Justin thought as he splashed some water over his face. A cold draft coming from an open window above the basin made the water sting his face and he instinctively reached to close the window. As he pulled the handle, a grunting sound outside made him freeze in mid-motion.

He listened.

Was there someone back there? He strained to see into the darkness outside, but could only make out basic shapes of trees and cars.

Ruffling of leaves in a tree nearby.

Another grunt, but this time so close that Justin jerked. Something shuffled past the window; something huge. The pungent smell of charred flesh struck Justin's nostrils and he almost lost his lunch as the huge thing made its way past the window.

What the hell is that? Justin's mind screamed. He tried to manoeuvre his head in such a way as to see what it was, but it had already disappeared from view. Whatever it is, Justin thought, it's heading towards the people!

Justin bolted for the door, but he froze when the screaming started. The music stopped abruptly and Justin could hear people running and trampling one another as they tried to get away from the beast. Justin ran for a stall and locked himself inside, clenching his teeth and eyes as tightly as he could while people outside continued to yell and scream. The screaming stopped just as suddenly as it had started, and Justin slowly opened his eyes. Rebecca! he thought, but as he was about to get up he heard the bathroom door break open with a loud crunch. There was a shuffling sound; the smell of singed flesh again.

Oh no! Justin thought and his stomach churned. Help me, someone! Anyone!

The shuffling neared his stall door; the stench became stronger, almost unbearable. Finally the shuffling stopped right in front of his stall door.

Bang!

The stall door cracked.

This isn't happening! Help me!

Another grunt. The thing on the opposite side of the door snorted.

Bang!

The stall door cracked down the middle. One more blow of that force, and the door would cave in.

'Leave me alone!' Justin screamed.

In the background, the music came back on, louder than before.

BANG!

The door splintered open and he saw the face of a hideous creature coming at him.

Justin woke up screaming, clawing in the darkness as Rebecca tugged at his arm.

'Justin, wake up!'

Justin was disorientated. It was dark, but the music was still playing at top volume. He jumped from the bed and stood still for a moment as he tried to figure out what was going on.

'The music,' Rebecca urged from somewhere in the darkness. 'Turn off the music!'

Justin ran to the living room and after a few attempts, managed to switch off the radio that was blasting at top volume. The living room light went on and Justin jumped.

'What was that?' Rebecca asked as she joined him.

'The radio,' Justin said. 'It must have gone on or something.' There was a distinct ringing in his ears as he unplugged the radio. Just in case it wants to go on again. 'Did you set it on timer or something?'

'I hardly ever use it,' Rebecca said. 'I haven't touched it in almost six months.'

Justin looked at the digital clock on the wall. It was 03:00 AM. 'Is this time correct?'

Rebecca nodded.

Justin rubbed his face. 'Are you sure you didn't set the alarm by accident?'

'I didn't even know the radio had an alarm,' she defended.

'Weird,' Justin said. 'Come, let's get back to bed. I have to get up for my new job in about two hours.'

Rebecca followed him and darkness instantly returned when she pressed the light switch.

* - - \- *

The cool night breeze sent a shiver down Simon's spine. Something evil was brewing in Kelwick. He could sense it; feel it; smell it in the air. It wasn't something obvious. It was so subtle that people pre-occupied with the everyday running of their lives probably wouldn't notice any change at all. But it was there; and Simon sensed it.

There was the heat wave and the strange and violent behaviour in animals, especially dogs, but what bothered Simon the most were the bad dreams. He could handle normal nightmares; but there was something evil about these nightmares; almost as if influenced by an external force. It was something that he could sense, but not see; and that frustrated him.

'Why?' Simon whispered softly. He looked around him, but the streets were deserted at this hour of the morning. It would be three more hours before the sun would even begin to make a faint appearance on the horizon. 'Why am I so different, Lord?'

The soft rustling in the nearby trees was the only answer he received. Since he could remember he had been able to 'sense' certain things about people and situations with one hundred per cent accuracy. He also had a gift of healing people and animals, but restricted himself from using it for fear of becoming a lab rat or some sort of messiah figure. He hated the idea of using his gifts as cheap cocktail party thrills.

A dog howled nearby, and another joined in. Soon, a frantic barking and howling chain reaction echoed into the early morning skies. This had become a common occurrence since roughly two weeks earlier. Something agitated the animals. Simon could sense it. Something invisible and undeniably evil.

* - - \- *

'How's the tie?' Justin asked.

'Hold on, Tanya,' Rebecca said and cradled the phone between her cheek and shoulder as she straightened his tie. She took a step back and eyed her corporate husband from top to bottom. When she was satisfied that he was presentable, she gave him a thumbs up. 'Yeah,' she said once the phone was pressed to her ear again. 'I completely hear what you're saying.'

Justin beamed. He contemplated making himself some coffee before leaving for work, but decided against it. He didn't want to spoil his mint-flavoured breath this early in the morning, so he opted for another check-up in the bathroom mirror instead.

'She should have put that dog down a long time ago,' Rebecca said as she made her way to the kitchen. In the hallway she absentmindedly corrected a photo frame that was hanging skew. 'And how is little Timmy doing?'

She walked into the kitchen, filled the kettle with water, and flipped the switch. The water should be boiled by the time Justin had left. 'Uh-huh,' she said. In the living room, she corrected a skew painting that hung above the television. 'It's that bad?' She switched on the television and muted it. She just wanted the white noise in the background until Tanya got there. 'That's just terrible.'

'Becky,' Justin called from the bedroom.

'Gotta go,' Rebecca said. 'See you in half an hour.' She hung up and walked to the bathroom, fixing another skew painting on the way.

'I'm ready to go,' Justin said and pushed out his chest. 'Wish me luck.'

'Good luck, sweetie,' Rebecca said and kissed him. 'Go make me proud.'

Justin picked up his briefcase that contained a notebook, some pens, his lunchbox, and a basic computer repair toolkit. 'I should be back at around six.'

'Have fun, love,' she said and walked with him to the car.

'Oh yeah, what was Tanya on about?'

'Oh,' Rebecca said and her eyes widened. 'You know the Buckman's dog?'

'Brutus? What about it?'

'It attacked little Timmy, their next door neighbour's boy.'

'That's impossible,' Justin said. 'That dog couldn't attack a ball of fluff even if it wanted to.'

'Tell that to Timmy's parents. He's in intensive care at the hospital in critical condition.'

'That kid must have done something to seriously agitate that dog,' Justin said. 'There's no way it would attack for no reason at all.'

'Hey,' Rebecca said and kissed him on the cheek. 'Don't shoot the messenger.'

Justin grinned. 'I'll see you tonight.'

He got into the car, started it, kissed her goodbye one more time, and then drove off. Rebecca waved at him until he disappeared around the corner. She had half an hour to kill before Tanya would pick her up for work. Enough time for a nice cup of tea and heavy duty catching up on her magazines that she had been neglecting the past two weeks. She stirred the tea and made her way to the living room, but when she got there she froze on the spot. She stood perfectly still and moving only her eyes, surveyed the living room. She slowly turned and made her way to the hallway.

Rebecca dropped the cup and her hand reached her mouth before the porcelain shattered against the tiles. Both paintings in the living room and the photo in the hallway were hanging skew again.

* - - \- *

'This is the workshop,' one of Cybernetics Computer's in-house technicians said as he guided Justin on a tour through the company. 'If the field engineers can't fix a problem on site, they bring it here.'

Justin nodded.

'If the broken part, say, for instance, a motherboard or hard drive can't be fixed here; we either swap it under warranty or quote the client for a new one.'

'I see,' Justin said. When they entered the workshop, the five technicians looked up for a brief moment.

'Guys,' the tour guide technician said. 'This is Justin Greene. He'll be joining you as of today.'

The other technicians—the eldest being no older than twenty seven, Justin estimated—acknowledged him with a mere murmur, nod, or wave before continuing with what they were working on. Justin figured that he might get a more formal introduction a bit later when he would actually start working in the workshop. For just a brief moment a fear crept into his thoughts; fear that he didn't have what it takes. He wondered if he would be able to do what was expected of him.

'Let me show you the kitchen.'

The two of them walked down the long hallway and up a flight of stairs. 'This is most probably where you'll be spending most of your time,' Tour-Techie—as Justin came to dub him—said, taking a stab at humour.

Justin chuckled.

Someone walked up from behind and placed his hand on Justin's shoulder. 'Justin, right?'

Justin turned and greeted the stranger from the coffee shop with a firm handshake. 'That's right,' he said. 'And you are...?'

'Simon,' the man said. 'I'm glad to see that you got the job.'

'You and me both,' Justin said and laughed nervously. 'Thank you so much for arranging this.'

'I didn't,' Simon said. 'I merely gave them your details. You did the rest.'

'Thank you anyway,' Justin said. He liked Simon's humility.

Simon frowned. 'Is something wrong?'

Justin shook his head. 'Not at all,' he said. 'I already feel at home here.'

'Not here,' Simon said. 'At home.'

'I'm not sure that I understand what you mean?'

'Whatever happens, just be there for Rebecca, okay?

'Rebecca?' Justin frowned. 'What does she...?'

Simon smiled and he shook Justin's hand once more. 'Hope you enjoy it here,' he said before briskly walking away.

'What the heck was that about?' Tour-Techie asked.

'I don't know,' Justin said and shrugged.

'Do you know Simon?'

'I briefly met him in a coffee shop a few days ago.'

Tour-Techie chuckled. 'He's a strange one, that guy. But you know what? He's one of our best. A bit weird at times, but you should see him hack away at a keyboard.'

'I can only imagine,' Justin said, distracted by Simon's words.

'Come,' Tour-Techie said. 'Let's get us some java.'

* - - \- *

Rebecca opened the door to the apartment, and for the first time in over a year, it felt cold and empty. Almost unwelcome. It was the absence of Justin that gave the place an aura of bitter grey. She shut the door behind her and took a quick dip into the kitchen to flip the kettle switch before moving into the living room to collapse onto the couch. Being a data-capturer was no small task, and not only did she complete her quota for the day, but she also almost made double; a feat achieved only by office legends.

'Office legend,' Rebecca said softly and smiled at the thought. 'Rebecca Greene: Achilles of data capturing.' She couldn't help but giggle at her own joke, and as the kettle neared boiling point, she heaved herself from the couch and made her way to the bedroom where she slipped into something more casual. Once dressed in a tracksuit pants and pull-over t-shirt, she made her way down the passage and past the closed study door into the kitchen where, for the first time since who-knows-when, she realized what a mess it was. With his new job, Justin wouldn't be there to wash the dishes for her anymore. Coming home to a lonely place and unwashed dishes would from now on be the norm. For the briefest moment Rebecca wished that Justin hadn't gotten the job. She rejected the thought and as she reached for the kettle, a pain shot through her abdomen.

'Hey little one,' she said and rubbed the spot where she thought the baby aught to be. 'Are you all right in there?'

She poured some water from the kettle into her favourite mug and was about to turn to the fridge to get some milk when a figure in the corner of her eye made her freeze in place. She could clearly see the outline of a person standing there, watching her, but she couldn't see who it was. She didn't dare move a muscle.

'Justin?' she asked softly, but she knew in her heart that it wasn't him. The figure was shorter than Justin, almost as small as a child, and although she couldn't make out any distinct features from her peripheral view, she could clearly see two large, black eyes staring right at her.

She quickly spun around, but there was no one; the figure was gone.

'Justin?' she asked again and slowly walked from the kitchen to the living room. Although no one was there, it felt as if someone was watching her every move. She shrugged and as she turned to go back to the kitchen, the open study door caught her eye.

'Justin?' she asked again as she started walking towards the study. 'Are you here?'

No answer.

She picked up her pace and once inside the study, stopped cold.

Nothing.

No Justin.

Everything appeared normal to the eye, yet something felt out of place. A chill crawled down Rebecca's spine and she felt an urgent need to leave the study. She pulled the door shut behind her and walked back to the living room while calling out to Justin. She stopped in mid-sentence. The emptiness of the living room walls caught her eyes immediately. Both paintings that she would have sworn her life on were hanging on the walls a mere minute ago, now lay face-down on the floor.

'This can't be,' she said and took a step back. The click of the study room door made her spin around. Slowly it opened. A scream escaped Rebecca's lips and she grabbed the keys and ran from the house. Moments later she was sitting on a ledge in what little of the setting sunlight she could manage to find while fighting back tears that desperately tried to break free.

* - - \- *

What's she doing outside? Justin wondered as he parked the car. He locked the door and as he approached Rebecca, he could sense that something was wrong. She was sitting on a small cement step with her head tucked into her arms as she rocked backwards and forward.

'Hey you,' he said as he approached her. 'What are you doing outside?'

Rebecca looked up. Her facial expression told Justin that she was relieved to see him back earlier than expected.

'You're going to catch a cold out here, love.'

'I don't care!' Her words escaped as a sob. 'I'm not going back into that place alone again.'

Justin frowned. 'What place?' He looked up at their front door. 'Our home?'

Rebecca didn't answer. She just kept on rocking.

'What's wrong, Becky? What are you talking about?'

'Paintings,' she said. 'They're off.' Her eyes darted from Justin to the apartment and back to him. 'Little man with big eyes. Study door...'

'Whoa there,' Justin said. 'You're not making any sense. Come, let's go inside and talk about it over a nice cup of tea, eh?'

He wrapped his arms around his wife and led her to the front door. It was unlocked. He opened it and she instantly headed for the living room.

'These paintings,' she said and pointed without looking.

'What about them?' Justin asked.

'They...they're down.'

Justin frowned. 'Down from what?'

'The wall, Justin!' she snapped. It was hard to hide the irritation in her voice. She looked up and her heart sank. The paintings were back on the wall as if nothing had happened. 'They...they were on the floor,' she said and walked to the nearest painting. 'This one was lying right here.'

'And now it's not?' Justin asked. He couldn't help but smirk at his own joke.

'Do you think it's funny?' Rebecca asked with an agitated quiver in her voice. 'Do you think I'm making this up?'

'Calm down, hun,' Justin said. 'I know you're not lying, but you have to see the humour in this.'

'The study door was open again.'

Justin walked to the study. 'Well, it's closed now,' he shouted from the little hallway. He appeared again and took Rebecca into his arms. 'Are you sure that you're okay?'

'I'm fine,' Rebecca said and pushed herself away from him.

'I'm just wondering if you're...you know...all right up here...' he twirled his finger next to his head and crossed his eyes. He meant it as a light hearted joke to try and ease some of the tension.

Rebecca didn't appreciate Justin's condescending tone of voice. 'I'm not crazy,' she said, but the last word came out choked. The first tear started the chain reaction.

Justin stepped forward and took her into his arms again. 'I'm sorry, Becky,' he said softly. 'It was a terrible joke.'

'I'm not crazy,' she said, her voice muffled with her face pressed against his chest.

'I know, my love.' He held her for a moment longer and allowed her to cry it all out. Whatever it was that piled up inside her had to come out. Hormones? 'Don't pregnant women sometimes hallucinate?' Justin asked when he thought it was safe to talk again. 'I think I read it in one of your pregnancy magazines.'

Rebecca shook her head. 'I didn't hallucinate,' she said.

Justin decided that it would be best for him to drop the subject. If he didn't, she might cry the night away; something he was not in the mood for after a long first day at a new job. 'It's okay,' he said as re-assuring as he could. 'I'm here now. Everything's going to be just fine.'

She held him tighter.

'I'm here to protect you now. Nothing will harm you.'

* - - \- *

Rebecca's hands were still shaking when she turned the taps. After a rumble and a clank from the old water pipes outside the small bathroom window, warm water spurted and then sprayed from the shower head. She could hear Justin hard at work at the dishes in the kitchen. Despite his occasional flaws, she still loved him very much. He was a sense of comfort to her that neither words nor feelings could properly define. She also adored the little things he did for her that ordinary husbands would deem unimportant.

You're looking too old for your age, she thought as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Did it come with the territory of being pregnant? She couldn't help but wonder.

A soft scratching sound at the door made her stop and look up. She stood perfectly still. Did she hear right? Did Justin walk past the door and accidentally brush his arm against it? Her thoughts were interrupted by another scratching sound at the door. Louder this time.

'Justin?' she asked. Her voice emitted a hollow echo in the confines of the bathroom. 'Is that you?'

No answer.

Scratching again.

Longer. Slower. More purposeful.

'Justin?' she asked, loud enough for him to hear it from the kitchen. Rebecca's heart bounced around furiously in her chest as she reached her hand out to the handle. Another scratch made her jerk her hand away. 'This isn't funny, Justin! Stop it!'

The scratching stopped.

Rebecca placed her hand around the cold handle and pressed it down. She pulled the door back hard and screamed when she saw a figure standing in front of her. The figure grabbed her and she tried to fight back, but to no avail.

'Becky, it's me,' Justin said. 'Calm down.'

It took a while for Rebecca to register that it was her husband holding her. 'Let me go!' She screamed.

'Geez,' Justin said and released her. 'It was only a joke.'

'Get away from me!'

Justin took a step back. He could sense that he had crossed a line.

Rebecca slammed the door shut and, for the first time since they were married, locked it. She stood in the corner of the bathroom and slid to the floor, her hands covering her face.

'I'm sorry, Becky,' Justin said from the other side of the door, but it was futile. His voice was drowned out by the shower's water and her sobs.

* - - \- *

The engineers at Cybernetics Computers had a ritual where they would drop whatever they were busy with each day at ten o' clock, and meet each other in the lounge for a smoke break. Those who didn't smoke mingled in by making it their coffee break. They would usually spend the next fifteen minutes complaining about management or clients, or worse; management's unrealistic promises to unforgiving clients. There were no such qualms today. A new topic had slowly taken over the past two weeks. Nightmares.

'I had another one last night,' said Luke. He was outsourced as a site engineer to a major communications company. 'I can't remember everything, but I do remember the spiders.'

'I had one too,' Bill said. He had greasy hair that he slicked back and wore black thick-rimmed glasses that almost gave him a Buddy Holly look. Bill was the company nerd. A nerd's nerd. Justin found it hard to imagine that this man would ever admit to having nightmares. Too retro. Bill drained half his mug of coffee before continuing. 'I was trapped in a mental asylum with all these half-human creatures running around and hunting us down. Eventually I was the only one left.' He finished the last half in one gulp. 'Then I woke up.'

They all looked at Justin. 'And you?' Luke asked.

Justin hated being placed on the spot. He was the new guy. He didn't want to share his personal problems or experiences with them yet. He nodded. 'Same as yours, Luke, but with snakes instead of spiders.'

'Had the snake one last week,' Bill said.

The spotlight was off Justin again and moved to Rupert. He shook his head even before the question was asked. 'No nightmares here.'

'It's because you live so far,' Luke said. 'No reception there.'

Everyone chuckled.

'You might be onto something there, Luke,' Bill said. 'I can't help but notice that all the guys having nightmares live in more or less the same neighbourhood.'

'It's a government conspiracy,' Rupert said. 'They're testing their new brain-wave manipulators, and you guys are the lab rats.'

'Everything's a conspiracy with you, Rupert,' Luke said.

'Have you guys listened to yourselves the last two weeks? You all have bad dreams. You all fight with your girlfriends or wives. You all have a low sex drives.'

'That's because we're techies,' Luke said and everyone laughed.

'And it all started at around exactly the same time,' Rupert finished his thought.

For a moment there was an uncomfortable silence among the guys. Rupert had a good point supported by a valid argument.

'Come,' Luke said and crunched the remainder of his cigarette inside an ashtray before twisting it several times. 'Time's up. We gotta go.'

In less than a minute, everyone had separated and gone their ways; scattered from the lounge like roaches in a kitchen when the light goes on. Justin finished his coffee alone and then made his way back to the workshop.

* - - - *

Rebecca dipped her hand in the lukewarm bath water and moved it around to mix the hot and cold water properly. As she did so, she stared at her own reflection in the mirror. Was she gaining weight? Was she losing colour? The reflection that stared back at her was someone else. The hair was unkempt, and the cheerful glow in the cheeks, gone. She worried about the pregnancy; about the creatures she saw in the corner of her eyes, the nightmares, but most of all, Justin's strange—almost aggressive—behaviour since they heard that she was pregnant only two short weeks ago.

'Are you losing it?' Rebecca asked the reflection in the mirror. 'Are you going out of your mind?'

The reflection in the mirror didn't answer.

Once the bath was relatively filled up, she closed the taps and took off her gown. Slowly, one foot at a time, she got into the warm water and melted away into the thick, foamy bubble bath. She wet a face cloth and twisted it to drain the excess water. Rebecca then laid her head back on the rim of the bath and placed the damp cloth on her face. The warm water against her neck aided in relaxing her otherwise very tense muscles.

The analysis of your blood indicated the presence of the human chorionic gonadotrophin hormone, the doctor's words echoed in her mind as she thought about tomorrow's appointment. In other words, you're pregnant.

Rebecca let out a little chuckle. She was pregnant. Going to be a mother. The reality hadn't set in properly yet. Sometimes she didn't feel pregnant, but Rebecca knew that it would only be a matter of time before she would. She wondered if Justin felt like a father yet. If he did, he hid it very well. He didn't read the strategically placed magazines and parenting books she left lying around the apartment. He also didn't talk much—if at all—about the baby and their future as a family. Tiny bubbles popped softly in her ears and she sighed. Nothing relaxed her as much as a long, warm, bubble bath. Eventually the water cooled down and Rebecca used her foot to pour some more hot water. She re-dipped the cloth and twisted it again, placing it back onto her face. After she had repeated the process twice more, she decided that it would be best to get out and prepare dinner. Justin would be home soon. She drained the tub of its water and rubbed her hair with a towel. Rebecca wiped her hand over the fogged up mirror and eyed her fresh, rejuvenated reflection.

Definite improvement, she thought approvingly. She didn't notice the light fixture slowly turning above her head. She brushed her hair as she hummed softly to herself. The colour had returned to her cheeks, and she hoped that it wouldn't only be temporary.

The fixture above her head turned faster.

As she stepped into the cool hallway, a loud crash sound behind her made her shriek and jump. She turned around and stared at the shattered glass on the floor where she had been standing only seconds ago. She looked up at the glowing, naked bulb and shuddered at the thought of the fixture smashing on her head. She tried to fight the shock as mixed feelings of anger, fear, and sadness all overwhelmed her at once. She lost the battle and buried her tear-stained face in her hands as she slowly slid down the wall.

* - - \- *

'Please remember to keep the study door closed,' Justin said as he got into bed.

Why? Why must we always keep that stupid door closed? It obviously doesn't want to be closed to begin with. 'I thought it was closed,' she said casually instead.

'I just walked past it now. It was open.'

'Well, maybe the wind just blew it open or something.'

Justin nodded. He hadn't thought about that as a possibility yet. It could very well have been the wind. Maybe the door wasn't closed properly and a stray cat came in through the window and pushed it open. 'Was it the wind that blew off the light fixture too?' Justin asked and laughed out loud at his own joke.

'That's not funny, Justin,' Rebecca said. 'I could have seriously gotten hurt.'

'I know, my love,' he said. 'It was just a joke, okay?'

Rebecca didn't say anything. She merely nodded. Justin took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. He then read her a scene out loud from his mystery novel before they turned out their individual bed lights.

Soon, they were both asleep. Neither of them heard the study door down the hallway click off its latch and slowly swing open.

# Chapter 4

Justin and Rebecca waited. The doctor was running late with a patient, and so they found themselves waiting for almost forty five minutes after they should have been called in. Justin sighed and looked at his watch. It was an absent-minded move. He didn't take in the time, and had to look at the watch again before he registered the actual time.

'Could you pass me the Wonderfully Woman?' Rebecca asked and held out a magazine.

Justin shrugged and took the one from her hand and placed it on one of two piles of magazines on a small wooden table. He then leaned forward a bit more, picked up the requested magazine and shoved it into her hand.

'Thank you.'

Justin forced a smile and shifted uncomfortably in the little wooden chair that had been his prison for the past hour already. It creaked under his weight as if scolding him for not sitting still. Justin scanned his eyes across the room to see how many future mothers had been bothered by his shifting, but found none looking at him. He sighed again. It was so quiet that he could hear the seconds on the wall clock tick by.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

The phone rang and Justin jumped a little.

'Doctor Taylor's office,' the receptionist said. She listened for a while, and eventually Justin thought that she had fallen asleep on the telephone. He wouldn't blame her. 'Yes, Mrs. Goemans, we have a cancellation on Wednesday at around ten. Would that be okay for you?' She nodded and scribbled something down on her notepad. 'Wednesday, ten o' clock it is, Mrs. Goemans. Right. See you then. Good bye.' The receptionist put down the phone and without looking up, continued with what she was doing before the phone rang.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Justin shifted again. He looked at Rebecca who was deeply engaged in an article about babies or something. For a split second he wondered what would have happened if that lamp fixture had fallen and shattered on top of her head. The image of a blood coated Rebecca made him shudder. He then wondered if she didn't perhaps turn out the fixture and broken it herself in a desperate attempt for some sort of attention. Since he got the job at Cybernetics Computers he didn't get to spend as much quality time with her as he used to.

Maybe that's it, he thought, but decided to rather spend his thoughts constructively by reading something instead. The chair creaked as he leaned forward to pick up a magazine.

He looked up.

Nobody noticed. Nobody cared.

Good.

Relieved, he scanned the options of magazines. They were mostly family or pregnancy orientated. He selected a family magazine and picked it up. After three minutes worth of 'reading', he caught himself absentmindedly flipping through the pages. He wouldn't know what was on the previous pages even if he looked at it again. He breathed deeply and then decided to actually focus and read an article.

'Mrs. Greene?'

Everyone looked up.

Justin and Rebecca both put down the magazines and stood. 'Follow me, please,' the doctor said and Rebecca and Justin followed her sheepishly as she led the way to her office.

* - - \- *

'And how are we doing today?' Doctor Taylor asked as they entered her office.

'Fine, thanks,' Justin answered for them both.

'Please, have a seat.'

The two of them sat down behind her huge wooden desk.

'Are you still taking your vitamins?' she asked.

Rebecca nodded.

'That's good. And you haven't experienced any problems like cramps, for instance?'

She shook her head.

The doctor wrote a few notes in a folder. 'The last time you were here we did the ultrasound scan and could see the Amniotic sac, right?'

'Yes,' Rebecca confirmed.

'Well, let's take a look and see if we can see the baby this time, shall we?'

Justin and Rebecca followed the doctor's lead and stood up. She directed Rebecca to another room where she had to swap her clothes for a hospital patient gown. When she was ready, the three of them went to the ultrasound room and Justin simply had to look at the massive painting against the wall again. He wondered if he would be able to paint like that if he ever picked up a brush and just ran with it. He chuckled to himself when the probability factor entered his mind: less than zero.

'All right,' the doctor said. 'Let's see what we have here.' Like before, she lubricated the long electric toothbrush-looking gadget and then turned to face the screen. Justin turned too, and after a few seconds, a black spot appeared on the screen. 'There we have the Amniotic sac,' the doctor said, almost in a tour guide-like tone of voice. She twisted her hand and a few seconds later, Justin could see what appeared to be a small finger shaped object inside the black spot area.

'Is that...?'

'That's the baby,' the doctor said and Justin squeezed Rebecca's hand. The doctor zoomed in and clicked on two separate ends of the floating finger. The computer immediately spat out and estimated age. 'Seven weeks and two days,' she said. 'Now let's find the heartbeat.' For what felt like an eternity the doctor twisted and turned. She zoomed into the image and zoomed out. She frowned. Then she zoomed back in and twisted some more.

'Is there...a problem?' Justin asked.

'There is a heartbeat,' the doctor said as she twisted her hand again. 'But it's very faint.'

Faint? What on earth does that mean? 'Uhm...faint?'

'At this age the heartbeat should be much stronger. Faster.'

Well check again! What am I paying you for? 'How much stronger...?'

The doctor pressed a button and the machine spat out a copy of the ultrasound screen. She repeated the process twice more. 'A lot,' she said. Then she told Rebecca to get dressed.

Justin's mind raced as he walked back to the doctor's desk. He sat down and the two of them waited in awkward silence until Rebecca returned.

'It's still too early to know anything for sure,' the doctor said once Rebecca joined them. 'So I want you to wait until the end of the weekend and come back on Monday morning so that we can see what's going on.'

'Exactly what is going on, Doctor?' Justin asked.

Doctor Taylor looked at him like a mother would when trying to explain something to a child. 'The heartbeat is not as strong as it should be,' she said. 'This isn't uncommon for some pregnancies at this stage.' She sighed and placed her one hand over the other. 'You have to realize that one third of all pregnancies end in miscarriage.'

Justin almost choked. Miscarriage? What are you talking about? Justin didn't speak his mind. He just stared at her blankly.

'But like I said; it's still a bit early to know for sure. Make the appointment for Monday, and we'll see if there has been an improvement over the weekend.'

'What are the chances for an...improvement?' Justin asked.

Rebecca swallowed hard. Her hands were shaking under the desk.

'Sometimes there is an improvement,' the doctor said. 'But I have to be honest and direct with you and tell you that most often the pregnancy is terminated.'

Terminated? Justin placed his hand reassuringly over Rebecca's. He wasn't sure how much reassuring he was doing though.

The doctor made some notes in the file and tore off one of the pictures and handed it to them. 'I will see you on Monday then.'

Both nodded. Both felt light-headed. They left the office and made an appointment with the receptionist. Then they walked back to the car in stunned silence. 'It'll be fine,' Justin finally said as he opened the door for Rebecca. He took her in his arms and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. 'Everything's going to be okay. You'll see.'

She merely nodded.

'We're going to get here on Monday and everything will be fine, okay?' His words sounded hollow, but he didn't care. He would say anything—even tell a white lie—if it made her feel better. In his gut he felt strangely conflicted. He was relieved, yet also somewhat sad at the prospect of potentially losing the baby. It felt as if the enormous responsibility of being a father was lifted from his shoulders and he felt slightly less suffocated by the thought.

Without saying a word, she got into the car. The drive home was silent and awkward. Both of them were tangled in thought and inner conflict. Both were in denial. Justin realized that this was going to be the longest weekend of his life.

* - - \- *

Simon felt an urgent need to pray. He excused himself from the workshop and made his way to the little garden next to the canteen. He didn't know why, but he felt extremely sad. By the time he reached the tree under which he usually sat during lunch time, tears were blurring his vision. He blinked hard and sat down underneath the tree.

'Oh, Lord,' he said, but couldn't finish what he wanted to say. He choked up and cried; his body shaking as the tears just came out. 'Help them, Lord,' he prayed softly through the tears. 'Please help them.' He didn't know why he cried or who he was praying for, but he felt a lot better a few minutes later. Simon then stood up and walked to a nearby tap which he opened and splashed some of the cool water over his face before heading back. 'Please help them, Lord,' he whispered as he entered the workshop.

* - - \- *

'Why us?' Rebecca asked, barely audible through her sobs. 'What have we done to deserve something like this?'

'We didn't do anything,' Justin said as reassuringly as he could manage. His mind was racing and he wasn't sure whom he was trying to convince; Rebecca or himself. 'The doctor wasn't sure of anything, Becky, and neither are we.' He had to swallow hard at the lump in his throat before he could continue. 'Everything will turn out fine, baby.'

Rebecca nodded, but she wasn't convinced. Something in her gut told her that everything was not going to be fine. The realization was more a sort of instinct than anything based on solid evidence or facts. She just somehow knew, and therefore, all she could do was nod.

Although Rebecca nodded in agreement to what he said, Justin could see the doubt in her eyes. 'If we get there and there's no heartbeat,' he said and paused. He waited until Rebecca made eye contact before continuing. 'If we get there and there's no heartbeat, we will just have to try again.' He knew that there was a huge chance that there would be no heartbeat, and thus wanted to prepare her for the worst. 'We will not be less of a family,' he said. 'I will not love you less, and I hope that you will feel the same way.'

'Try again...' Rebecca repeated softly. The words left a bitter taste in her mouth.

'That's right,' Justin said and forced a smile. He lightly placed his hand on her knee. 'These things happen, Becky,' he said. 'We didn't do anything to deserve it. It just happens. That's life.'

Rebecca realized that there was truth to what he was saying, but truth is not what she wanted to hear. She wanted to hear that everything was going to be fine. She wanted to know that the baby would be okay and that when Doctor Taylor did a scan on Monday, she would find a strong heartbeat. But something deep inside her told her that it wasn't going to happen.

'We just try again,' Justin said softly, trying to muster as much compassion as possible. 'Everything's going to turn out fine...'

* - - \- *

'I'm so sorry,' the doctor said on Monday morning. 'But I can't pick up anything.'

Justin and Rebecca just stared at the ultrasound monitor, unsure of what exactly the doctor meant, but both too afraid to ask.

'There's no heartbeat,' the doctor clarified. 'On Friday it was weak, but now it's completely gone.' The doctor allowed Rebecca to get dressed as she guided a shaken Justin back to her desk. 'I'm sending you two over to Radiology for a second opinion,' she said, 'although I'm sure that they're probably going to find the same thing.' She saw the frown on Justin's face. 'They have much more advanced technology,' she added, trying to sound reassuring, but at the same time not trying to get their hopes up too much. 'If there's anything, anything at all; they will pick it up.'

'When should we go?' Justin asked, the reality of the situation making him feel light headed and sick in the stomach. He wondered how much extra this whole ordeal would cost them.

The doctor picked up the phone and dialled a short-code extension. 'Hello, Veronica? This is Doctor Taylor, how are you?' She paused to listen to the woman on the other end making small talk. 'I'm glad it worked out for you,' she said, and then got straight to the point. 'Ronnie, I've got a couple here that I'm sending over to you. I'm not picking up a heartbeat on the ultrasound and would like to know if you could take them for a second opinion.'

Justin stroked Rebecca's hand. 'It's going to be fine,' he whispered.

'That would be perfect,' the doctor said and scribbled something on a notepad. 'Justin and Rebecca Greene. Great! I'll send them over right away.'

Justin almost groaned out loud. He felt fatigued. No strength to go through this. He just wanted to lay his head on a pillow and sleep until all this was over.

The doctor placed the note in an envelope and sealed it. 'Take this,' she said and handed the envelope to Justin. 'Give it to the lady at the counter in the Radiology department. She'll assist you.'

'Where is the Radiology department?' Justin asked.

'When you leave this office, just walk straight down the passageway. It's the first entrance on your left.'

Justin nodded and stood up. He had to hold on to the chair for support as the blood rushed back to his head. Rebecca smiled weakly as he helped her up, but the redness in her eyes told a different story.

'Come back here when you're done there,' Doctor Taylor said.

'Okay,' Justin said coarsely. Holding her by the arm, he escorted Rebecca from the office. They slowly made their way to the reception desk at the Radiology department where Justin handed the note to the lady behind the counter. They were asked to wait, and a few minutes later they were led to the x-ray room. The coldness and emptiness of the room reminded Justin of a typical scene in from those old science fiction movies where the government stored and dissected alien beings.

'Lie down here,' an overweight nurse with a stern face commanded Rebecca. The process was similar to that at Doctor Taylor's office, but the equipment looked somewhat different. For the briefest moment, Justin felt a glimmer of hope when he saw a pulse on the screen. The Radiologist informed him that it was merely Rebecca's heartbeat. 'What we're looking for,' she said, 'are little colourful dots on the screen. That would be the heartbeat.' She pointed to a certain area on the screen. 'You see these pulsating dots here?' she asked. Justin and Rebecca both nodded. 'Those are her veins. You see them as coloured dots on the screen because of the blood pumping through them.'

'Okay,' Justin said.

'This is where the baby is,' she said and pointed at another spot. 'And as you can see, there are no dots.' She pressed some buttons and zoomed in on the image, but still there were none of the colourful dots near the baby's heart.

Justin swallowed hard at the knot in his throat.

Finally the doctor shook her head. 'There's nothing there,' she said. Justin noticed the lack of emotion and wondered how a person that did this for a living dealt with telling hopeful parents the same news every day.

The Radiologist signed a note and sent them back to Doctor Taylor's office where they waited another thirty minutes before she was free to see them again. Justin handed her the note and as she read it, her eyes saddened. Both Justin and Rebecca knew what she was going to say even before she spoke.

'I'm sorry,' she said softly. 'There was nothing.' She waited a while for the information to sink in. 'As I said before; one in three pregnancies end this way.' She said it as if it was supposed to make them feel better. 'We don't know why it happens. It just does.' Justin squeezed Rebecca's hand and she squeezed back. He couldn't begin to imagine how she must feel through the entire ordeal. 'You have two options,' Doctor Taylor said matter-of-factly. 'You can have the foetus removed surgically with a scrape, or you can wait for it to happen naturally.'

What kind of choice is that? Justin wondered. He bit his lip and saw a tear slide down Rebecca's cheek. 'What do you think, baby?' he asked her softly. He figured that it was her body and that she alone had a say in the matter.

'You could wait until the end of this coming weekend to see if something happens,' the doctor said. 'And then if nothing happens, we can do the procedure on Monday morning.'

'To see if something happens?' Justin asked, and for a brief moment he felt a glimmer of hope. 'To see if there's a heartbeat?'

Doctor Taylor sadly shook her head. 'There's no heartbeat,' she said as if telling him something new. 'Waiting the week would be to see if the foetus aborts naturally. If nothing happens, I will have to operate.'

'Do you want to wait?' Justin asked Rebecca. She didn't answer, but nodded slightly as she looked down to hide her tears. Justin looked at the doctor. 'We'll wait,' he said.

They thanked the doctor for her time, and left the office. When they got to their car, Justin turned around and took Rebecca in his arms. She couldn't keep it in any longer and burst into tears. Justin just held her tightly. He had no words of comfort. Nothing to say that would make it easier for her; nothing that would make the pain more bearable. So he just stood there, feeling small and powerless as he held his crying wife.

* - - \- *

Rebecca was silent on the way home, staring absent-mindedly out into the distance at nothing in particular. Justin desperately wanted to say something to make his wife feel better, but he knew that there was nothing; not one word or sentence would make this better for her, and so he decided to rather keep quiet. She did the same.

What have we done to deserve something like this? Her voice replayed in his thoughts. For a moment he wondered if there was indeed something that they—or he, for that matter—had done to deserve this as some kind of punishment; some way for the universe to get back at him for something that he had wronged in his life. Justin's knuckles whitened around the steering wheel. Possibilities and memories flooded his pattern of thought. Could it have been the night he kissed Megan? He shook his head to clear it of the thought, but it remained. Was it something Rebecca drank? Was it the food they ate? The air they breathed? The possibilities became more absurd with each new thought. He cleared his head and looked at his wife. She had her head turned away from him, pressed against the window. Justin could sense that she was crying. As a gesture of comfort, he placed his hand on hers. She pulled her hand back and placed it on her stomach. He got the message and continued driving with both hands on the steering wheel.

* \- - \- *

'Simon,' Justin said when he finally had a chance to be alone with him in the kitchen. 'I need to ask you something.'

'Sure, Justin,' Simon said. 'What's on your mind?'

Just then Sue from accounting walked in. The two men greeted her and took a step back. For a moment there was nothing more than an awkward silence. Simon tugged at Justin's sleeve. 'Come,' he said and nodded towards the door. 'Let's go.'

The two of them left through it after greeting Sue, and headed for the little garden next to the canteen.

'What's up?' Simon asked.

Justin looked around to see that no one could hear them talk. 'I'm not sure if I should be talking to you about this or not,' he said. He placed his hands in his pockets and jiggled his car keys.

'Don't feel pressured,' Simon said. 'You don't have to talk about anything if you're not ready.'

Justin took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Though still somewhat a stranger, he felt that he could talk to Simon about anything. Besides Rebecca, he hadn't felt this comfortable with anyone in his life before. Was it the man's friendliness? His charisma? Maybe his child-like innocence? Justin didn't know what it was, but he wanted to tell Simon things that not even Rebecca knew about him. 'It's about my wife,' he said.

Simon's eyes were focussed intently on Justin. With a non-threatening nod, he prompted Justin to continue.

'She was...pregnant.'

'Was...?'

Justin bit his lip and nodded. 'She had a miscarriage.'

'Oh man,' Simon said. 'I'm so sorry.'

Justin could hear the sincerity in his voice. He could tell that Simon was genuinely compassionate.

'We were at the doctor yesterday, and they couldn't see a heartbeat. We're going for a surgical scrape on Monday.'

'Does Lance know about this?'

Justin shook his head. He didn't want to discuss his personal problems with his brand new employer. The only reason that he spoke to Simon was because he needed a shoulder, and Simon was the only person that he felt he could trust.

'You have to tell Lance.'

'Why?'

'Because you'll need leave for Monday,' Simon said. 'And most probably on Tuesday and Wednesday too.'

'I do?' Justin asked. It only struck him then that it would be best to be with Rebecca during—and after—the operation, for both physical and emotional support.

'Don't worry about it. I'll talk to Lance if you'd like.'

'You would do that?'

Simon nodded. 'No worries. Leave it up to me.'

'Thank you,' Justin said and forced a weak smile. 'I guess it would really mean a lot to Becky, eh?'

Simon stared at the little waterfall for a moment. A leaf bobbed between the rocks and continued its course down the little makeshift river into the pond. 'How is she coping with it?' he asked, not taking his eyes from the leaf.

'She's all right, I guess,' Justin said. 'Sometimes I can't help but wonder why something like this would happen to us.' He looked at Simon and shrugged. 'You're religious, right?'

'I believe that God created the heavens and the Earth,' Simon said. 'I believe that He is the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. If that's what you mean.'

'Rebecca does too,' Justin said. 'I can't get myself to believe in something that would do this to someone. What did we do for Him to want to punish us?'

Simon didn't answer at first, and Justin wondered if he even heard the question. After a moment of thought, Simon said, 'It is not for man to know the reasons that God has for allowing certain things to happen. We are way too limited in our thinking. God created a self-sustaining universe. Everything interacts. Gravity ensures that what goes up, must come down. Volcanoes erupt naturally. Some people die because of that. Villages flood and people drown. We don't know why.'

'Does this God of yours have control over those who die and those who don't?'

Simon nodded. 'Yes.'

'So He ultimately decides who lives and who dies, right?'

'Yes.'

'Then why did He choose for our baby to die?'

Simon shook his head. 'I don't know,' he said. 'I don't think that anyone would be able to answer that question other than God Himself. One day, we will have a renewed mind, and only then, will we completely understand.'

'Do you think it might have been something that I did,' he asked and flinched when the evening with Megan surfaced from memory. 'Some previous sin that I committed?'

'I don't think so,' Simon said. 'But if you are aware of any sins that have not been forgiven, and you ask forgiveness for those sins, the Lord will remain faithful and forgive you.'

'And what if I haven't ever asked for forgiveness?'

'Then now is always a good time to.'

Justin weighed Simon's words for a moment. 'It's not that simple,' he said.

'Actually,' Simon said. 'It is.' He smiled. 'When you're ready, the Holy Spirit will convict you. Don't force it.'

Justin didn't like where the conversation was headed. He had been cornered by enough soul winners to know the signs of a coming conversion session. 'Thanks for the chat,' he said. 'I really needed it.'

'Anytime,' Simon said. 'Don't be too rough on yourself, okay?'

Justin nodded.

'In the meantime, I'll go talk to Lance.'

With that, they both re-entered the building and went their separate ways.

* - - \- *

Justin was conflicted. He didn't get the answers from Simon that he was looking for, but he could sense that Simon spoke from his heart. There was a certain sense of truth that echoed in Simon's words that Justin couldn't deny.

But if you are aware of any sins that have not been forgiven, and you ask forgiveness for those sins, the Lord will remain faithful and forgive you.

Justin's fingers tightened around the steering wheel. Do I have to be forgiven? He wondered. Was it that night with Megan? He didn't feel like confessing anything about that night to either to Rebecca or God. Justin figured that it was a stupid kiss and that telling his wife about it would most probably cause more harm than good, especially given her current condition. He figured that what she didn't know wouldn't break her heart.

Is it the fact that deep down I'm not ready to be a father yet?

The Lord will remain faithful and forgive you.

'I don't need forgiveness,' Justin mumbled.

The Lord will remain faithful and forgive you.

'It was a stupid kiss!' Justin yelled and slammed his palm against the steering wheel. Pain shot through his wrist and he instantly regretted his sudden outburst. It was then that he remembered. And with the remembering came the tears. Justin pulled off the side of the road, unbuckled his seatbelt, and then wept like he hadn't done in a long time.

* - - \- *

Far away from the Greene household, at the mouth of a cave stood a hooded figure, watching the night skies. The figure sniffed at the air, and once satisfied that everything was safe and secure, entered the cave.

'It is done,' the figure spoke from the middle of a clearing to seemingly no one. 'I have accomplished my mission.' For a moment there was nothing but a soft humming echoing off the walls of the cave.

'No,' a voice finally spoke. The voice appeared to be coming from the walls, and surrounded the lone figure standing in the clearing. 'It is not finished.'

'What do you mean?' the hooded figure asked. 'The birth of the child has been prevented. That is what you sent me to accomplish.'

More humming.

'Right...?'

'The child that you are referring to was not the one. The one we seek must still be born.'

'How could you be so sure?' the figure asked.

'Do you dare question me?' the voice boomed from all around the figure. 'Do you dare?'

The figure fell down on its knees. 'Forgive me, my lord.'

'You shall return,' the voice commanded. 'But the plan has changed. You are not to harm the child.'

The figure nodded. 'What am I to do, my lord?'

'Stand back until the child is conceived, then drive the woman insane and make the husband leave her. After the birth, we can dispose of the woman.'

'What if he doesn't leave her?'

Humming.

'Then kill him.'

The figure nodded. 'And the child?'

'The child will be raised by someone of my choosing. He will grow strong and powerful and will serve my purposes instead.'

'As you wish, my lord,' the figure said before standing up. After bowing deeply, it disappeared.

* - - \- *

Two months later

'Hey sweetie,' Rebecca said as Justin entered the apartment. He took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. She missed being hugged like this. 'Are you okay?' she asked.

'I'm fine,' he said. 'Come.' He took her hand in his and led her to the door. 'I have something for you.'

'What is it?' Rebecca asked, barely able to contain the excitement in her voice. It had been a long time since he surprised her with anything.

Justin led her to the car and opened the passenger door. 'A little something for you,' he said and took a step back. On the seat was something bulky with a blanket placed over it. 'For when I'm not around to keep you company.'

Rebecca lifted the blanket off the object to reveal a bird cage. 'Oh my,' She said and leaned forward to get a better view of the yellow Lovebird inside. 'It's beautiful, hun.'

Justin smiled. He was relieved that she liked the bird. He panicked on the way home, thinking that she might take the gesture the wrong way. If they lived in a larger apartment, he would have brought her the puppy she always begged him for. 'Its name is Lotus,' he said. 'But you could name him something else if you want to.'

'No,' Rebecca said and stood back so that Justin could pick up the cage for her. 'Lotus is perfect.'

'I'm relieved,' he said. 'Why aren't you dressed?'

'Dressed?' she asked, wondering if she missed something.

'For dinner,' he said. 'I'm taking you out tonight.'

* - - \- *

'So,' Rebecca said after they were seated at their table. 'To what do I owe the pleasure of this surprise?'

'I felt like taking you out,' Justin said. 'It's been a while since we've had a decent night out for ourselves, don't you think? Oh, and the fact that I'm getting a salary now also helps.'

Rebecca giggled. She liked it when Justin was spontaneous. The gesture with the bird warmed her heart and eased painful memories. He did care after all. Was there a certain sense of nervousness from his part? She couldn't tell. 'Yes,' she agreed. 'It's about time.'

'How's work?' Justin asked, trying to make small talk while they waited for their food to arrive. He wanted a Texan steak with fries, and she ordered the Chicken Schnitzel.

'Work is all right,' she said. 'I made double quota again today.'

'That's great, baby,' Justin said. 'When was the last time you reached double quota?'

'Oh, about two or so months ago.'

'Well, I'm real proud of you, Becky.' He said. It had been two months since the miscarriage and Rebecca was still not completely over it. His mind raced with potential subject changers. 'How's Tanya nowadays?'

'Oh, you know her. She's her ever cheerful self.'

The laughter was followed by a moment of comfortable silence. Rebecca finally spoke first. 'So how are things at your work?'

Justin's face lit up. 'It's great,' he said. 'I'm really making a name for myself. I don't think that they expected me to be that good when I applied.'

'That's good to know,' Rebecca humoured him. 'So you're still in the...'

'Workshop,' Justin finished for her. 'But I heard a bird sing about them moving me over to other projects.'

'Other projects?'

'Like onsite technician,' Justin elaborated. 'They'll send me to their really important clients to help out with workload when necessary.'

'I'm impressed,' she said. She knew that Justin fixed computers, but never saw him in action. She had no idea how good he really was. 'And you've managed to achieve this in the little time that you've been there.'

'It's not a big deal,' Justin said as modestly as he could manage. 'All the guys at Cybernetics Computers are very good at what they do.'

'Still,' Rebecca said and took his hands in hers. 'I'm very proud of you.'

You won't be if you know the truth about my past, he thought, but discarded the thought and forced a smile. 'And I'm proud of my little double quota girl.'

Rebecca giggled and just then their food arrived. Both enjoyed their meals. They kept talking to a minimum during dinner and Justin skilfully avoided the topic of her miscarriage. Justin just wanted her to relax; to take her mind off everything that's happened to them over the past few months. He hoped that this dinner would be a fresh start to a new season in their marriage.

* - - \- *

Friday nights were Simon's favourite. There was a certain smell in the air that one didn't get on any other night. It was a fresh smell, rejuvenating the soul after a long weeks' worth of work. He decided to spend the evening at the local mall where he would watch the people ice skate while he enjoyed a cold chocolate milkshake after which he would watch the new block buster movie.

Simon scouted the parking lot for an open bay near the main entrance, but wasn't surprised when he found none. He then drove around to the far side of the lot where there were a few available bays, and parked next to a huge truck. He stepped out and locked the door. There were no security guards this far from the entrance, and to make matters worse, most of the lights in this section of the parking lot were out, making this side of the lot appear eerie and somewhat ominous. Simon decided that he wouldn't let that bother him. He took a deep whiff of Friday night air and started towards the shopping mall.

That's a big truck, Simon thought as he looked at the massive sixteen wheeler parked next to his car. The top of the truck's wheel stood out well above the roof of Simon's car. Halfway to the entrance, Simon stopped.

Please Lord, he prayed. Please protect my car and all the rest of the cars in this parking lot.

Simon looked back and his heart skipped a beat. Next to the truck stood a man so large that the top of the truck only reached his hips. The man had massive, outstretched wings and brandished a huge flaming sword. Simon blinked once and the gigantic being was gone. After a moment he wasn't even sure if he had seen the angel at all. Simon nodded and continued on his way towards the mall, confident that the cars would be protected.

* - - \- *

'Becky,' Justin said and turned to face her. He had waited until they were in bed before he decided to talk to her. 'I have something to tell you.'

Oh no! Rebecca thought. I knew the dinner was too good to be true! She kept her expression as straight faced as possible. 'Yes sweetie?' she said. 'What's on your mind?'

'I don't know how or where to begin,' he said. 'I've never told anyone this before; and I even managed to somehow block it from my own memory until recently.'

'What is it, love?' she asked. Justin never was one for opening up to her, so when he did, she knew that he had something heavy to get off his chest. She stroked his hand. 'You can talk to me, baby.'

Justin took a deep breath. He managed to put this off for two months, but he wanted to tell her now and get it over with. He needed to tell her if they wanted to make headway and move forward with their lives. 'Becky, you know that girl I used to date way before I met you?'

Rebecca probed her memory. There were many girls in his past. She didn't want to make him feel guilty about it, so she didn't really want to guess. 'Um...'

'Sandra,' Justin helped her.

Oh no! 'Oh yes,' she said as if she was just about to say the name before he beat her to it. 'What about her?'

Justin wiped his hand across his face and sighed.

'You can tell me,' Rebecca encouraged. 'What about Sandra?'

'I...she fell pregnant while we were dating.'

Rebecca froze. She didn't say anything, but instead waited for Justin to go on.

'We were young.' Justin paused and searched his wife's eyes for any form of disappointment or anger. So far there were none. 'Stupid.'

'And...?' Rebecca asked.

'I couldn't handle the responsibility. I was young and stupid, and so I forced her...' Justin choked and swallowed hard. 'I forced her to have an abortion.'

Rebecca waited a moment to see if there was more to his story. When she was sure that there wasn't, she took him in her arms and held his head against her chest. 'We all do stupid things sometimes,' she whispered. She didn't know if Justin could hear her through his sobbing, but it didn't matter.

Justin pulled himself away from her. 'And now God,' he said and choked again. 'Now your God has punished us for what I have done by taking our baby.' He looked at her for a moment until the tears blurred his vision so much that all he could do was clutch onto his wife as he cried.

'Nonsense,' Rebecca said while gently stroking his hair. 'You know that's not true.'

Justin couldn't hear her anymore.

'It's fine,' she said. 'Let it all out.'

Justin twisted her shirt in his fist as he cried.

'It's going to be all right.'

* - - \- *

Justin couldn't sleep, so he decided that he would indulge in a cup of coffee while reading a novel until his eyes grew tired. Rebecca moaned softly and turned onto her side as Justin stood up and made his way to the kitchen in the dark. The only source of light guiding him was that of the full moon outside shining into the living room. He fumbled for the light switch, and closed his eyes as light flooded the kitchen.

But if you are aware of any sins that have not been forgiven, and you ask forgiveness for those sins, the Lord will remain faithful and forgive you.

Justin shook his head. This is stupid, he thought, although he felt a huge load off his shoulders since his confession to Rebecca. He felt that the abortion didn't affect Rebecca or their marriage directly, so he could tell her about it. But the incident with Megan could damage the foundations of their marriage, so about that he kept quiet.

The kettle boiled and Justin stirred the water into his one teaspoon's worth of coffee and three sugars. He finished it off with a good portion of milk, and on his way out, Justin flipped off the kitchen light. As he passed the living room, something caught his eye.

Justin froze.

In the darkness, at the back of the living room, he could make out the shape of a man sitting on the couch. It was too dark to be sure, but the moon cast just enough ambient light for Justin to be certain that someone was indeed sitting there, watching his every move.

'Who's there?'

No answer.

Justin's eyes narrowed as he tried to focus on the shape, and for a brief moment he considered switching on the light. He chuckled at his own paranoia instead. Becky's got me all worked up over nothing, he thought as he walked back to the bedroom.

In the living room, a shape stood up from the couch and in the darkness took two steps forward. Its eyes glowed brightly and it growled softly before stepping back and disappearing in the shadows.

# Chapter 5

'What's wrong?' Simon asked. 'More nightmares?'

'No,' Justin said. 'Just have a lot on my mind lately. It's been a little over two months now since the operation, and Rebecca still can't get over it. But now that you mention it, your question just made me realize that I haven't had a nightmare since the operation.'

'It's difficult to lose a baby,' Simon said. 'Even more so for a woman than for a man.'

'I guess,' Justin said and shrugged. 'It's just hard to go on with our lives when she's permanently stuck in the past. I'm trying to make things better for her, I really am. But just when I think we're making headway, something happens that reminds her and we're back at square one.

'Give her some time,' Simon said. 'All wounds take time to heal. It's only been two months now. Things will return to normal sooner or later.'

'If at all,' Justin said. 'Sometimes I just don't understand her at all.'

Simon laughed. 'Show me the man who understands the mind of the woman.'

Justin chuckled. Simon knew exactly what to say to lift his spirits.

'Tell you what,' Simon said. 'I'm going to a site next week. Would you like to join me?'

Justin hesitated. 'What are you going to do at the site?'

'Not much,' Simon said. 'It's a hardware audit mainly, but we need to also assist the onsite techs with some of their backlog calls.'

'And what about Lance?'

'Don't worry about him,' Simon said. 'In fact, it was he that told me to pick someone to assist me, so I'm sure he'll be fine with it.'

'I don't know if it's such a good idea...'

'It will give you experience beyond the scope of the workshop, and once you get your foot out in the field, it'll be easier to advance to your own sites. Besides, I'm sure that you and Rebecca could use the breathing space.'

Justin thought about it for a moment. Simon was right. Being alone to sort out her thoughts might just be the one thing that Rebecca needed at the moment. 'All right,' he finally agreed. 'When do you want to leave?'

'Great,' Simon said. 'I'll run it by Lance. Let's make it two o' clock on Sunday afternoon. I'll pick you up at your place and will drop you off again that following Friday afternoon.'

Justin nodded. 'I think you're right,' he said. 'I think that some time away would do a world of good; not only for Rebecca, but for me too.'

* - - \- *

'A week?' Rebecca's voice trailed off in a frantic screech. 'You'll be gone for an entire week?'

Justin sighed. 'It's important for my career that I go, Becky. Besides, I think that we could both use a little breather, don't you?'

'Why can't they just get someone else?' Rebecca demanded. 'And what do you mean with us both needing a "breather"?'

Rebecca wasn't taking this nearly as well as he had hoped. The conversation he had with her in his mind on his way home was by far more pleasant than this one. 'They most probably can get someone else, Becky,' he said and took a deep breath. 'But I said that I would go.'

For a moment Rebecca didn't say anything. 'You had a choice...?'

'I need this, Becky. For myself. I need to prove to myself that I have what it takes to be out in the field.'

Rebecca got up from the bed and without saying a word, went to the kitchen.

Justin followed her. 'I just think that you need some space; for you; to clear your thoughts. You know; stuff like that.'

'Clear my thoughts?' she asked and clenched her teeth. She turned her back on him and filled the basin with hot water.

Justin placed his hands on her shoulders. She closed the tap and just stood there, staring out the window at the darkness outside. 'All I'm saying,' he said and gently turned her around. 'Is that things have been kinda...weird between us the last few months. I think that a few days apart could help us both get over our pain. Don't you agree?'

Rebecca lowered her eyes. She nodded and swallowed hard. 'Just because I agree,' she said, trying her best not to cry, 'doesn't mean that I have to like it.'

Justin hugged his wife. 'I don't like it either,' he said. 'But it's short-term pain for long-term gain. Okay?'

She didn't say anything. She merely held him tighter.

* - - \- *

'All right,' Simon said as he heaved Justin's bag into the trunk of his car. 'We're good to go.'

Justin looked at Rebecca and stroked his hand gently over her hair. 'I'm going to miss you,' he said and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

'It was sure nice to officially meet you,' Simon said and shook Rebecca's hand. She had a soft hand that felt like it would break if he squeezed it too hard.

'You too,' she said and forced a weak smile.

'Don't worry about Justin. I'll take good care of him for you. I promise.'

Rebecca hugged Justin one last as Simon started the engine. Justin got in, and a few seconds later, the car drove off into the distance. Rebecca wanted to cry, but forced herself not to. It was the first time since their marriage a little over a year ago that they would go to bed without one another.

An entire week to myself, she thought. Whatever am I going to do?

She waved one last time as the car disappeared around a corner in the distance before heading back to the apartment. The living room felt cold and uninviting without Justin. It was almost as if the place could sense that he was gone. All the colour and life left with him.

This is nonsense, she thought and shook her head. She switched on the television for some background noise before heading to the bathroom. A nice hot bath, she thought. That's how I'm going to start my week alone.

* - - \- *

Rebecca sank into the bathtub filled with soft, foamy, bubbles. The warm water instantly refreshed her and she felt a little better about the coming week that she had to face alone. She thought about Justin's confession about the abortion and about how she would never hold it against him. She placed her hand over her stomach and rubbed it gently. To think that two short months ago, there was life. Now there's none. She bit her lip and closed her eyes.

'The thing that gets to me the most,' she told Justin just before the operation. 'Is that I still have morning sickness and all the other symptoms of being pregnant. The problem is that I'm going through it all for nothing.'

She had to admit that in the beginning Justin had been there for her more than she thought he would be. But there was no denying that he started drifting away only two weeks after the operation. He worked longer hours; slept with his back turned against her; and even neglected some of the usual chores around the house that he normally would do without hesitation.

A sound at the window made her open her eyes. She stared at the window for a minute, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, so closed her eyes again.

Thunk!

Rebecca shot upright and stared at the window again. This time she was certain that she heard something. For a while, nothing happened, but just as she was about to move, she noticed it. Outside the window, she saw something move. It's impossible for anyone to be out there, she thought. On the other side of the window was a small shaft where the drainage pipes from all the storeys of the building ran down into the sewage system below ground. The space was too small for a grown man to get into. Yet, there was no denying that someone or something was out there.

The shape pressed itself against the studded glass. Rebecca could clearly make out little hands and the shape of a head. She leaned forward to see if she could make out what or who it was. The figure moved and a gasp escaped from her lips. It slowly started climbing up the window like a gigantic spider.

Rebecca's heart bounced out of control. She used the towel behind her to rub her eyes, but when she looked again, the baby-sized figure was still there, slowly making its way to the small opening of the window at the top. Rebecca looked on helplessly as the figure reached the top. One by one, small, thin fingers curled itself around the opening of the window.

'Get away from me!' Rebecca screamed and ripped at the towel. She leapt from the bath, and flung the bathroom door open.

When she looked back over her shoulder, the figure was gone.

Something caught her eye in the fogged up mirror. It was a man standing in the hallway behind her, looking at her. Rebecca screamed. Her blood froze and her stomach flipped, but when she spun around, there was no one.

'What's happening to me?' she cried. She wanted Justin to be there. She needed his presence and his protection. As quickly as she could manage on the slippery tiles, Rebecca ran back to her room and jumped onto the bed. What's going on? She wondered as tears streamed down her cheeks. Oh Justin, please come home!

* - - \- *

'You mean he left you there for a week?' Tanya asked. Even over the soft crackle of the telephone, Rebecca could hear the surprise mingled with anger in her voice. 'He left you there alone by yourself?'

'It's for his work,' Rebecca tried to protect him. 'He also believes that the time apart will bring closure to the miscarriage incident.'

'Like that makes it better.'

'Well...'

'The hell it does!' Tanya snapped. 'You don't cut off your hand to get rid of the pain in your foot!'

Rebecca chuckled. Tanya always did have a way with words. 'I'll be okay,' Rebecca said. 'It's just for the week.'

'Still,' Tanya said. 'I'd like to have a word or two with that man when he gets back.'

Rebecca smiled at the mental image. She hesitated a moment. 'Tanya,' she said and paused. 'There's something that I've been meaning to talk to you about.'

'Is Justin hitting you?' Tanya snapped and Rebecca almost choked on her tea. 'Because if he is, I'll—'

'No!' Rebecca interrupted. 'He'll never do anything like that in his life. But something is definitely bothering me.'

There was a silence for a moment and Rebecca almost thought that Tanya had put down the phone. 'Why? What's wrong?'

'I'm not sure,' Rebecca said, trying to weigh her words before speaking. 'For the past few months I've been...seeing...things.'

'Seeing things?'

'Strange things,' Rebecca said.

'Like...?'

'Like the paintings that have been removed from the wall, but when I look again, they're back where they're supposed to be. Sometimes I see shapes out of the corner of my eyes, and other times I can see them clearly.'

'You lost me somewhere at the word paintings,' Tanya said. 'Take a deep breath and tell me what's going on.'

'Strange things are happening in this apartment, Tanya. But I'm not sure if it's really happening, or if it's all in my mind.'

'You need to get away from there for a while, Becks,' Tanya said. 'Why don't you come over for the week and stay with me? Just until Justin comes back, at least.'

'Thanks for the offer,' Rebecca said. Tanya was a good friend and she really liked her company, but she wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping over at another place other than her own without Justin. 'But I'm sure that I'll be fine.'

'You sure?' Tanya asked. 'Because you don't sound at all "fine" to me at all.'

'Just some jitters,' Rebecca said, trying to re-assure her friend. 'I'll get over it, don't worry.'

'Well, if you don't get over it, you let me know, okay? My offer stands. Always.'

'Thank you,' Rebecca said, and after some light-hearted conversation to lighten the mood, Rebecca hung up and headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

* - - - *

Rebecca was fine for most of the evening. She watched some television while eating a bowl of macaroni and cheese. It was when she got into bed that the loneliness suddenly overwhelmed her. She placed her hand on the empty spot where Justin always slept and fought back the tears.

I'll just lie down for a moment, she thought. Then I'll make myself a quick cup of tea and read a bit before turning in for the evening.

It wasn't long before she slumbered off into a deep sleep. In her dream she saw Justin. They were together, having a picnic next to a lake.

'I love you, you know?' he said while playing with a lock of her hair.

'I love you more,' she said and smiled.

They both leaned forward and kissed each other. The kiss was soft and gentle. She loved it when he kissed her tenderly. Since the wedding he didn't do it too often anymore. She missed the Justin from before the wedding; the Justin that could just sweep her off her feet and make her feel loved in a way that no one else could. Justin placed his hand behind Rebecca's head and applied more pressure to the kiss. It wasn't at all uncomfortable; just unexpected. More pressure still and Rebecca tried to pull herself away. Justin held her head firmly and she had to shove him hard on his shoulder to break his hold.

'What's the matter with you?' Justin asked. 'Isn't this what you wanted?'

'No, I...'

He grabbed her by the shoulders and flung her down to the ground. Rebecca tried to scream, but no sound escaped her dry throat. In an instant he was on top of her, forcing his lips onto hers while he pinned her arms to the ground.

'Stop,' Rebecca pleaded, but Justin ignored her. 'Please.' Justin still didn't listen. 'Justin, stop...'

Her request fell on deaf ears. Justin intensified his grip on her wrists.

'Stop it, Justin!' Rebecca screamed.

She woke with a start and gasped for breath. It took a few seconds to realize where she was. She tried to move, but couldn't. A heavy pressure on her chest forced her to breathe deeply. Slowly she became aware of her surroundings, including her aching wrists. It took her five minutes of active effort before she could sit up straight. She switched on the bed lamp and as light washed out the darkness, Rebecca's breathing slowly returned to normal. She glanced at the digital alarm clock. It was three in the morning.

A chill ran down her spine. She shot her eyes to the corner of the room and although there was no one there, Rebecca couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. She tried to shrug off the feeling, but it only intensified. She hated being alone and afraid and felt even more so as she stared at the place where Justin slept every night.

'Oh, Justin,' she said as she rubbed her stomach. Thoughts of the baby entered her mind and that was all she needed to release the built up tears. Rebecca got up from the bed, took her blanket and pillow, and made her way to the living room where she lay down on the couch. She was still crying by the time she fell asleep again.

* - - \- *

Simon's dream was disturbing; more so than any of the other nightmares he recently started having. The overall nature of the dream was always the same: angels doing battle with hideous creatures; demons from the depths of the abyss. It was the intensity of the dream that was different from the previous ones.

This time, Simon was one of the angels, fully equipped with armour. He brandished a flaming sword and next to him stood the angel he saw in the parking lot a few months ago. Together, they slashed their swords through the onslaught of attackers, slaying one demon after the other. Despite their aggressive defence, the monsters continued their attack. They were relentless, using human beings as shields while slashing at Simon and his companion with long, filthy steel-like claws. Simon and the angel kept slashing their swords. The demons kept growing in numbers; they kept spreading out.

Simon looked around him. They were outnumbered almost a thousand to one. From all sides the demons came, swinging their claws through the air as they advanced at lightning speed. Four came for Simon at once, and when he tried to back away, three more were standing behind him.

'Elrisk!' he shouted, but couldn't see his friend anywhere. 'Elrisk, where are you?'

The demon facing Simon raised its huge claw in the air and with one powerful motion slashed it down upon him.

'No!' Simon yelled as he sat upright in bed. His breathing was deep and uncontrolled. He placed his hand on his chest and was relieved to find it intact.

He forced his numb legs to move and slid out of bed. Kneeling down beside it, he prayed softly as not to awaken Justin who was sleeping at the other end of the room. 'Please Lord, help whomever You want helped. Please protect the person that requires your protection. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.'

'Simon?' Justin's voice cut through the darkness. 'Are you all right, bud?'

'I...I'm fine,' Simon said as he got back into bed. 'Bad dream, that's all.'

Justin mumbled something and turned onto his side. Moments later he was asleep again. Simon stared at the ceiling, replaying the disturbing dream over and over in his mind before; finally, he too succumbed to the clutches of sleep.

* - - \- *

'Is everything okay?' Justin asked at lunch time. 'I can't remember much, but I do recall that you had a bad dream or something last night.'

'I'm fine,' Simon said. 'As you say; it was only a bad dream.'

'I had a few of those a while ago. Some really nasty ones.'

'What was yours about?' Simon asked.

Justin thought for a moment. He couldn't remember half the dreams that gave him so many restless nights. 'I can't remember the dreams all that well,' he said, 'but I think there was one of a guy in our house that wanted to kill us. Then there was the one where I got attacked by a dog. I know it sounds stupid now, but it was terrifying while I was having them.'

'Are you still getting them?'

Justin shook his head. 'No. They stopped a couple of weeks ago.'

'And the dreams were different each time?'

'Yes.'

Simon sat in deep thought for a while. 'When I have nightmares,' he said, 'it's always the same dream.'

'The same one?'

'Well, the setting is the same. It's the intensity of the dreams that change.'

'What's it about?' Justin asked.

'It's a battle. Angels against demons.'

'And it's the same every single time?'

'Only when God wants to tell me something.'

Justin frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'Whenever I need to pray for someone, God gives me that specific dream.'

'Pray? For who?'

'I'm not sure,' Simon said and shrugged. 'It could be anyone.'

Justin raised an eyebrow. 'You're not sure who you need to pray for?'

Simon shook his head. 'Nope.'

Justin pressed it. 'No idea at all?'

'I knew once before, but not in general, no.'

'And you're sure the dream means that you have to pray for someone?'

'Yes.'

'How do you know that's what you have to do then?'

'I'm not sure,' Simon said. 'I just do.'

Justin just shook his head. 'What about the time that you did know?'

Simon wondered whether he should tell Justin, but there was nothing in his gut warning him against doing so, and so he decided that it should be all right. 'Do you know about the boy that was attacked by a dog a while ago?'

Justin searched his memory. 'Little Timmy?'

Simon nodded. 'I woke up after having the battle nightmare and knew that I had to pray for him specifically.'

'He's still in a coma, right?'

'Yes,' said Simon. 'They don't think that he's going to make it.'

Justin sighed. 'It doesn't look like your prayer worked then, eh?'

'I don't question,' Simon said. 'I just obey.'

'That's what I don't like about your God,' Justin said. 'He's always so conveniently mysterious.'

'But you do believe He exists, right?'

Justin laughed out loud. 'Not really, no. Well, at least not in the same sense as you and Rebecca do.'

'Why not?'

'I don't know,' Justin said and shrugged. 'I guess I'm too smart to believe in man-made gods created to control the mindless masses.'

'So you're implying that I'm not smart?'

Justin was cornered. 'Put it this way,' he said. 'I grew up with Christian parents. My Christian father used to lift his hands to the Lord every Sunday morning, and straight afterward, slammed them back down on us. My Christian mother did nothing but look on.'

'So you're judging the entire Christian faith based on the mistakes of two people?'

'Just like you're judging me based on a single conversation? You don't know anything about me or my past.'

Simon could sense that he hit a nerve. 'I'm sorry...'

'It's okay,' Justin said. 'I don't mind people believing in their gods. Everyone I know have some sort of deity that they believe in and worship. It's just when they try to shove their beliefs down my throat that I become agitated.' Justin wanted to end this conversation as quickly as possible. 'People can believe what they want to believe. As for me, I'll leave that spiritual mumbo jumbo to the religious folk.'

'God spoke to me,' Simon said as he stood up. 'Do you believe that?'

'Saying that I do would mean that I acknowledge the existence of your God,' Justin said.

'I'm going to warehouse seven now,' Simon said. 'But I'd like to leave you with one thought.'

Justin squinted at the sun. 'Yes...?'

'If God doesn't exist, or can't speak to me,' Simon said. 'How was it that I knew your name the day we met in the coffee shop?'

With that, he turned around and left a dumbstruck Justin behind as he headed towards the warehouse.

* - - \- *

Rebecca opened the door to the cold apartment. She still couldn't get used to the idea of coming home to no one, and figured that she probably never would. She entered the kitchen and flipped the kettle's switch to kick start the afternoon-at-home-alone ritual she always performed. While the water to boiled, she entered the living room and turned on the television.

Nothing worthwhile showing.

She flipped through a few channels and then switched it off and made her way back to the kitchen. Halfway there the television switched on by itself; the volume turned up all the way.

Rebecca spun around. 'What?' she asked, but her voice was drowned out by the loud noise of the television.

The Lovebird jumped around in its cage, unsure of what was happening. Rebecca grabbed the remote and switched off the T.V. Her heart pounded in her chest and her hands shook as she placed the remote control down on the coffee table. After a few more deep breaths, Rebecca managed to calm herself enough to try and subdue the panic-stricken bird.

'It's okay, Lotus,' she said with a slight quiver in her voice. 'I'm sorry, but it was an accident.'

The bird just flapped its wings furiously and rammed itself into the sides of the cage.

'It won't happen again. I promise.'

The kettle switch flipped off. Tea would certainly calm her nerves. Rebecca walked back to the kitchen, still aware of the numbness in her arms and legs. The television sprang back to life, again at full volume. Lotus flapped around and almost killed itself against the side of the cage. Rebecca ran back and switched it off again.

What's going on? She wondered.

The television answered by switching itself back on. Rebecca jerked, and pulled out the plug at the wall. The sudden silence was almost just as unbearable as the extremely loud noise. The bird still slammed itself furiously against the side of the cage.

'It's okay, Lotus,' she said, trying her best to hide the fear in her voice. 'I unplugged it. It won't happen again.'

The television stayed off.

Rebecca chuckled nervously to herself. She shuddered and decided that her tea would need a substantial amount of sugar. Her nerves were shot and she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her as she made her way back to the kitchen.

A scream escaped Rebecca's lips when loud music suddenly blasted from the living room. She ran back to the living room and had to cover her ears with her hands. She stood in front of the television, confused for a moment as it was still switched off. Rebecca noticed that this time it was the radio, playing music at top volume. She promptly unplugged it too and fell back against the couch. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. She didn't want to be alone. She wanted Justin to be there with her, to comfort and protect her. She jumped again at the sudden shrill ring of the telephone next to her.

* - - \- *

'What's wrong, Becky?'

From across the room Simon looked up and raised an eyebrow.

'Okay, honey,' Justin said calmly. 'Just take a deep breath and tell me what's going on. Are you all right?'

He listened for a moment.

'Maggots in the food?'

He listened some more at her frantic ramblings.

'Television? Honey, I can't make out what you're trying to tell me.'

More ramblings.

'I can't come home today, baby,' Justin said with an intentional snap in his voice. 'I'll be there tomorrow.'

'I could take you back tonight if you'd like,' Simon said.

Justin held his hand over the receiver and shook his head. 'Rebecca, listen to me.'

She kept quiet. He never called her by her full name unless he really wanted her to hear what he was saying.

'Go to Tanya's place tonight. I'll come through as early as possible tomorrow, okay?'

He then finished his conversation as quickly as possible and hung up. 'Women,' he said and chuckled.

'What's wrong?' Simon asked.

Justin shrugged. 'I don't know, but she's been seeing weird things lately.' He did a little twirl with his finger next to his head. 'Frankly, I'm wondering if she's still all well "up there," you know what I mean?'

Simon ignored the comment. 'What kind of things?'

'You know,' Justin said as if Simon should indeed know what he's talking about. 'The usual. Ghosts and goblins. That kind of stuff.'

Simon didn't say anything. He merely remained in deep thought for a moment. 'When did this start happening?'

'I don't know,' Justin said, irritated that they were still on the topic. 'About a month or so ago. Maybe longer.'

'Before or after you got the job at Cybernetics?'

'I can't remember,' Justin said. 'Do you think that she's doing this to get attention?'

'I'm not implying anything,' Simon said. 'I'm merely trying to open your mind to all possibilities.'

'Maybe she is looking for attention,' Justin admitted. 'But it could be the whole miscarriage thing as well. She hasn't been the same since the operation.'

'Or maybe...'

'Yes...?'

'Maybe she really is seeing things. Maybe the ghouls are real.'

'Are you serious?' Justin asked and almost laughed. 'You're joking, right?'

Simon leaned forward. 'It could be a spiritual attack, you know.'

This time Justin did laugh. 'Are you listening to yourself?'

'Like I said,' Simon said and shrugged. 'I'm just giving you all your options. The possibility you choose to believe at the end of the day remains entirely up to you. Should I take you home tonight?'

'No,' Justin said. 'Thanks, but I'm sure that she'll be fine. Here's what I believe though,' Justin leaned forward as if to emphasize what he was about to say. 'I believe that Rebecca is making all this up. I believe that she is desperate for attention after the loss of our baby, and until I see books floating around in my house, I will refuse to believe anything else.'

* - - \- *

Despite Justin's suggestion to spend the night at Tanya's place and against her own better judgement, Rebecca stayed at home. She went straight to bed and got up earlier than normal so that she could leave the apartment as quickly as possible.

Because it was Friday, and the company was well ahead of the expected quota, their employer gave all the ladies an early afternoon off. Without anything in particular to do, Rebecca decided to spend the afternoon with a good book.

'A few of us are going to the mall for some window shopping and coffee,' Tanya said. 'Please say you'll join us. We'll have a great time.'

'Maybe next time,' Rebecca said. She did not have the energy to walk around in the huge mall. When she got home she first made herself some tea and then kicked off her shoes. Since everything electronic was unplugged, the only thing that Rebecca could do for entertainment was read. She was almost done with a romance novel and decided that today was the day that she would finish it. She scanned her eyes across the room.

It was tidy enough.

She'd just move some things around and pack a few magazines away and the rest of the apartment would appear to be tidy too. She slapped herself lightly against the forehead. She still wanted to wash the dishes before Justin got home. She put the novel down on the coffee table and headed for the kitchen. As she passed the hallway, a shadow against the wall made her stop.

Now what? Rebecca thought as she moved closer to the shadow. It stood out like a sore thumb and she would have noticed this particular shadow if it had been there before. But it hadn't. She moved her arm, but the shadow didn't change shape. Her own shadow was cast a bit lower and more to the right. Looking closely, Rebecca could clearly make out the shape. It was in the shape of a person. She spun around, but there was no one there. Looking back at the shadow she could clearly make out the arms, the head, the torso, waist, and legs. She even noticed bony fingers that resembled claws. A chill tingled down her spine as she reached her hand out to touch the wall. She brought her hand closer still and just before she touched the wall the shadow moved.

Rebecca screamed and ran for the door. She jerked it open and her legs almost buckled when she saw someone standing there.

* - - \- *

'What's wrong?' Justin asked. He could see from Rebecca's facial expression that she was terrified.

Rebecca merely cried and slid down with her back against the wall.

Justin dropped his bag and knelt down beside her. 'What's wrong, Becky?' he insisted.

'The shadow,' Rebecca said. She felt faint and her head was spinning. 'The shadow moved.'

'What shadow?' he asked.

She pointed in the direction of the living room.

'Wait here,' He said and made his way to the living room. Justin scanned his eyes around the room, but couldn't find what he thought she'd classify as a 'shadow.'

'Where exactly is this shadow?'

'Next to the...wall unit,' she sobbed. She got up and joined Justin.

No shadow.

'Take a seat,' he said. 'I'm going to get you something to drink.' She sat down as Justin went out to collect his bag and closed the front door. He then entered the kitchen where he filled a plastic cup with tap water and stirred in some sugar. Once she finished the water, Justin took the cup from her and placed it down on the coffee table. 'Okay,' he said. 'Now tell me what happened; but slowly.'

Rebecca told him about the shadow against the wall as well as the radio and television that kept switching on by itself.

'You mean there's someone in the house?' Justin asked.

'I...I don't know,' she said, unsure herself as to what was going on.

'Wait right here,' Justin said. 'Don't move until I get back.'

She nodded.

He went back to the kitchen and took a carving knife from the drawer. He then headed for the study, where after a quick sweep, he found no one. Justin then checked the bathroom, and finally their bedroom. Still he found no one. He returned to the living room, feeling foolish and relieved at the same time.

Rebecca looked up expectantly, but Justin's facial expression made her heart sink.

'I'm not sure what you think you saw,' Justin said, 'but there's no one in this apartment.'

Rebecca didn't say anything.

Justin sunk into the couch next to her and sighed intentionally loud. He picked up the television's remote control and pressed the power button.

Nothing happened.

'What's this?' he asked and slapped the remote against the palm of his hand.

'That's what I've been trying to tell you,' Rebecca said. 'I unplugged it.'

Justin looked at her. 'Unplugged what?'

'Everything.'

Justin put down the remote and walked to the television. He worked his way to the back and saw that she had indeed unplugged it. He then scanned his eyes across the room. Sure enough, everything electrical had been unplugged. The radio, DVD player, and even the lamp in the corner of the room.

'Why did you do this?' he asked.

'It goes on by itself,' she said. She rocked back and forth on the couch and a realization struck Justin. A thought occurred to him that Rebecca might not be doing this for attention at all. It suddenly dawned on him that his wife might indeed be losing her mind.

# Chapter 6

'Good morning, Simon,' the nurse at the reception desk greeted with a friendly smile. 'We haven't seen you around for a while.'

Simon nodded and returned the smile. 'I was working at a site,' he said and handed her a small hand-picked flower. 'This is for you, of course.'

The nurse took the flower and blushed. 'Why, thank you.'

'Can I see him?'

'He's waiting for you,' she said and winked. 'As usual.'

Simon thanked her and made his way down the long, cold hallway; his footsteps echoing in the hollow passageway. Finally he reached room 218.

He took a deep breath before entering and took a minute to look around first observe the minor changes since his last visit. There were new cards and flowers, but aside from that, everything was still the same. It was the same blue curtains, the same white and blue bed linen, the same cold chill in the air, and the same constant beep, beep, beep coming from the cardio monitor. Little Timmy still lay in the same position he had been in since Simon first went to visit him. His head and arms were wrapped in bandages, leaving only large enough holes for his eyes and one for the plastic pipe protruding from his mouth.

'Good morning, Tim,' Simon said and placed fresh flowers in an already-full vase. 'How are you today?'

The only response from Timmy was the steady rhythm of his inhaling and exhaling and the constant soft beeping.

'Got you some flowers and a card,' Simon said and placed his card next to the ever growing stack from people all over South Africa. There was a card from almost everyone in the small town of Kelwick. A self-made multi-millionaire created the Timmy Evans Trust Fund and donated six figures into the fund to get the ball rolling. Since then the trust fund has grown considerably, gaining support from schools, churches, corporations, and even international well-meaning folk. World renowned pastors and priests have swept up churches globally to pray for the boy.

Unfortunately there were those who wanted to exploit the accident for their own fame and fortune by claiming publicly that they could 'heal' little Timmy for extravagant amounts of money. Timmy's parents didn't take too kindly to them and promptly sent them on their way.

'I have another story for you today,' Simon said and pulled a chair next to the bed. 'It's the story of a man that died and came back to life a little over two thousand years ago.'

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Simon smiled. 'Not Jesus, no,' he said. 'I told you that one already, remember?'

Beep. Beep. Beep.

'It's about a man called Lazarus. Do you know about him?'

Beep. Beep. Beep.

'Well, he actually knew Jesus. They were good friends, in fact.' Simon sat back and made himself comfortable. 'Anyway,' he said. 'When Lazarus died, Jesus waited a few days before going to his friend's grave. The people weren't happy that Jesus came so late, because they believed that He could have healed Lazarus.'

Simon stood up and walked to the basin where he poured some water into a glass. He then returned to the boy's side. 'Now this is where the good part comes in,' Simon said after drinking some of the water. 'Jesus had healed so many people already that he wanted them to experience the glory of God by doing something different this time. He wanted to show the people that God's power wasn't just limited to healing only, but that it was more powerful than even death itself. Not only did Jesus restore his friend to full health, but he raised him from the dead as well. Isn't that just super?'

Beep. Beep. Beep.

'Yeah,' Simon said. 'I think so too.' He looked up at the monitor and then took the boy's bandaged hands in his own. Simon then lowered his head and softly began to pray until late into the afternoon.

* - - \- *

Justin's focus slipped. After re-reading the same paragraph for the fourth time he slammed the novel shut. He sighed deeply and ran his hands through his hair. Rebecca's strange behaviour occupied his mind as he lay on his back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

It goes on by itself. Justin chuckled at Rebecca's words, although he realized that his wife losing her mind was no laughing matter. For a moment he considered sending her to an institution for a week or so to get some much needed sleep therapy, but decided against it due to financial reasons.

Maybe she needs space, he thought. Maybe I should move out for a while and give her a few days to sort herself out. Justin was still contemplating when he fell asleep.

* - - \- *

Rebecca opened the shower taps and closed the door to allow some heat to build up first. Although Justin hadn't been very supportive of her situation regarding the strange happenings, his presence in the apartment made her feel more secure. She knew that when he was home, the strange things didn't happen as blatantly as when she was alone. Rebecca realized that she would have to speak to someone other than Justin about her experiences.

A Pastor? Rebecca wondered but shook her head. She figured that the only person she could trust enough to get an honest and un-biased opinion from was Tanya. Knowing her best friend, Rebecca knew that Tanya never had a qualm to speak her mind when it came to Justin. She didn't like him at all and would not choose his side by saying that it was all in her head.

It's that good-for-nothing husband of yours, she pictured Tanya saying. He's secretly making you crazy so that he can feel better about leaving you for someone younger. She smiled. Tanya never was one for tact. She always spoke her mind before her brain could process any damage her words could cause. A slam on the door made Rebecca jump.

'How long are you going to be?' Justin's muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

'I'm just about to get in the shower,' Rebecca said loud enough for him to hear her over the spray of water. She hated conversations from the bathroom. Too much echo.

'Are you trying to make me angry?' Justin shouted and slammed his fist against the door again. 'What are you doing in there?'

'I'm about to take a shower,' she said, trying to hide the quiver in her voice, but failing miserably. What's gotten into you?

'You're crazy!' Justin shouted. Rebecca could hear tension building in his voice. 'You're crazy, and I hate you! I hate you!'

'What are you talking about?' Rebecca asked and chuckled to show that she took his "joke" in good spirit. She didn't know what Justin was ranting about, but she felt a sudden relief that she had locked the door.

Justin now pounded the door with his fists. 'Come out here so I can teach you a lesson!'

'Stop it!' Rebecca shouted, her voice bordering on a scream. 'You're scaring me, Justin.'

The banging intensified. 'Come out!' Justin shouted. 'Come out and let me show you what I do to crazy people!'

'Justin,' Rebecca pleaded. A sob escaped her lips. 'Stop it! You're...'

The banging stopped.

'...scaring me...'

Rebecca moved closer to the door. 'Justin?'

No one answered.

Rebecca closed the taps. She pressed her ear against the door. 'Justin...?'

Still no answer.

Reluctantly she unlocked the door and opened it a crack. She peered out, but no one was there. 'Justin?' she asked, but yet again there was no reply. She opened the door completely and stepped out into the hallway. The apartment was empty and quiet. She moved to the bedroom where she found Justin on the bed, pretending to be asleep with a novel on his chest.

'That wasn't funny,' she scolded. Tears welled in her eyes and she had to fight them back. 'You really scared me!'

Justin slowly opened his eyes and rubbed his face with the palm of his hand. He used his elbows to push himself into an upright position. 'Huh?' he asked as he tried to focus his eyes. 'You finished your shower already?'

Rebecca clenched down on her teeth and balled her fists. 'Why did you do that?' she shrieked.

Justin sat up all the way. He looked around the room. 'What are you talking about, Becky?'

'Don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about, Justin Greene! Just tell me why you did it!'

'Becky,' Justin said and rubbed his face again. 'What the hell is going on?'

Rebecca stared at Justin for what felt like an eternity. She finally couldn't keep it in anymore and broke down and cried.

'What's going on?' Justin asked and moved toward her. 'What happened?'

'Nothing!' Rebecca snapped. 'Just leave me alone, okay?' With that she got up and ran back to the bathroom where she slammed the door closed and locked it again, leaving a dumb-struck Justin standing in the room, wondering what on earth he had done wrong.

* - - \- *

In her dream, Rebecca was in a hospital ward. She saw screaming babies everywhere she looked; babies on the counters, on the chairs, and even lying on the floor. All of them screaming.

'Poor babies,' Rebecca said and picked one up from the cold tiles. The baby continued screaming. She tried to sing to the little girl, but still the baby kept crying. So did the others.

'What's wrong?' Rebecca asked.

The babies kept crying.

Rebecca put the girl down on a chair and left her to get some of the other babies that had to lie on the cold floor. 'I'll be right back for you,' she said over her shoulder.

The screaming of the babies intensified.

'Why are you all crying?' she asked. 'Where are all your mommies?' She looked around, trying to see if she could spot anyone that could help her. All that she saw were more screaming babies. 'Stop,' she tried to shout, but her voice sounded faint and far. 'Stop screaming.'

The crying continued.

'Stop it!' Rebecca shouted even louder, but again yielded no results.

'Stop!'

She sat upright in bed. Justin moaned and rolled onto his side with his back turned against her. The cries of the screaming babies still echoed in her ears. It took her a moment to realize that the cries of the baby she heard was real, and coming from the study.

'Justin,' she whispered, but he didn't respond. 'Love,' she said and touched his shoulder lightly. He turned a bit more and let out a soft snore. She slid out the bed and slowly walked to the door. It sounded indeed as if the cries were coming from within their own apartment. She looked back at Justin through the darkness, but could see his silhouette in the same position it had been in when she tried to wake him. She then walked through the hallway toward the study, softly trailing her fingers along the wall as she went. A moment later she stood in front of the open study door.

She listened.

Yes!

There was a baby crying, and it was in the study. Rebecca instinctively flipped the light switch. The crying stopped as fast as light lit up the room.

There was nothing.

'Hello?' she asked and walked deeper into the study. 'Is anyone here?'

No answer.

A cold chill swept over her and she switched off the light and closed the door before hurrying back to the room. She turned on the bed lamp and shook Justin gently. 'Honey,' she said and shook him some more.

Justin moaned and finally opened his eyes. 'What?' he asked. 'What's going on?'

'Did you hear the baby crying?'

'What time is it?'

Rebecca glanced at the digital clock. 'It's three o' clock.'

Justin moaned again. 'Why aren't you sleeping?' he asked irritated. 'We both have to get up early for work.'

'Didn't you hear the baby?'

Justin sighed and sat up. 'What baby, Becky?'

'There was a baby crying in the study.'

He tilted his head to listen. After a moment he looked at his wife and asked, 'Can you still...hear...the baby crying?'

'Of course I can't,' Rebecca snapped. 'I'm not talking about now. There was a baby crying in the study. When I went to go and check, it stopped.'

'And...? Did you find a baby?' Justin asked. He couldn't hide the condescending bite in his voice.

'No,' she said. 'There wasn't anything...'

'That's it,' Justin said and got out of bed. 'I've just about had enough of this.' With that, he took his pillows. He walked to the closet where he pulled out a spare blanket.

'What are you doing?' Rebecca asked.

'I'm going to sleep on the couch,' he said. 'I don't know about you, but I have a rough day ahead of me.'

'Justin, don't—'

'No Rebecca, I will! This has gone on for long enough now. Either you sort out your issues, or I leave. Got it?' With that, he walked from the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

* - - \- *

'My wife said my name,' Justin said.

Simon looked up. 'Excuse me?'

'That day in the coffee shop. You knew my name because my wife said it out loud.'

Simon shook his head and laughed. 'She didn't say your name out loud,' he said. 'Not once.'

Justin thought back to that day but couldn't remember whether she did or not. 'If it wasn't her,' he asked. 'How did you know?'

'It was given to me,' Simon answered.

'Given to you? By whom?'

'By God, of course,' Simon said. His smile transformed into a sly grin. 'But since you don't believe in God, I'm sure that you'll be able to find a way to scientifically justify it.'

'You really believe that, don't you?' Justin asked. 'You really believe that you got my name from God?'

'That's right.'

'Was it a booming voice from heaven, or did He meet you for coffee beforehand?'

'You mock,' Simon said. 'But deep inside you know that I'm speaking the truth.'

'All right,' Justin said and cleared his throat to sound more serious about the topic. 'How does He talk to you?'

'It's not audible,' Simon said. 'It's more an inner knowledge that just occurs to me.'

'An inner knowledge?'

'Yes,' Simon said. 'I would know what the Lord wants me to know about a certain person or event. But outside of that I know you no better than you know me.'

A smile formed on Justin's face. 'Okay,' he said, 'what am I thinking right now?'

Simon chuckled. 'It doesn't work like that.'

'Come on,' Justin goaded. 'I'll make it easy for you. It's a colour.'

'I don't know the colour that you're thinking of,' Simon said and stood up. 'But I do know this.' He held up his index finger. 'One,' he said. 'It's not a good idea to move out. Rebecca needs you now more than ever.'

Justin's face dropped. 'How did you...?'

Simon held up a second finger. 'Two,' he said. 'Nothing is impossible for God to forgive. Not even an abortion. All you need to do is ask.' With that, Simon turned and left.

* - - \- *

Something bothered Simon. On his way to the hospital he wondered if it might be something about Justin or his wife. As he neared the hospital, the feeling intensified. Something was wrong with little Timmy. Simon could sense it.

'Lord,' he prayed as he parked his car in the visitor's lot. 'Please don't let anything happen to Timmy.' He got out and locked the door. 'Please let him be all right.'

The feeling intensified even more.

Simon headed for the reception desk. 'What's wrong with the boy?' he asked the nurse without greeting her.

'Oh hi, Simon,' the nurse at the desk greeted him. 'Nothing that I'm aware of. Why?'

Simon ignored her and ran down the hallway to Timmy's room. He hesitated a moment before entering the room and when he finally did, it took him a moment to register that everything was fine.

'Why, Lord? Why would you allow anything bad to happen to him?' Simon asked out loud as he knelt down next to the bed.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

'Everything to the glory of God,' Simon said softly and took the boy's hand in his own. 'Everything to the glory of God...'

Through his prayers, Simon couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen to Timmy.

* - - \- *

'He's going to leave me, Tanya.'

'He's not going to leave you, Becks,' Tanya said. 'And if he does...good for you!'

Rebecca smiled. Tanya meant well, but she didn't always realize what she was saying. 'I can't afford to lose him,' Rebecca said after a moment. 'I can't begin to imagine my life without him.'

Tanya sighed louder than she intended to. It was clear to Rebecca that she saw them splitting up as a good thing. 'Why would he want to leave you? Because you're a bad wife, or because you claim that weird things are happening at your apartment?'

'I don't know,' Rebecca said. 'Perhaps I am a bad wife? He's been sleeping on the couch for almost a week now...'

'That doesn't make you a bad wife,' Tanya spat in her usual tactless manner. 'It makes him a crummy husband.'

Rebecca merely looked down without saying anything.

'In fact, I think he's having an affair.'

'What?' Rebecca asked and almost choked.

'Yes,' Tanya said and nodded as if to confirm her resolve. 'I think that Justin is having an affair.'

Rebecca thought about the prospect for a moment. 'No,' she said when she finally spoke again. 'I don't think so.'

Tanya brought the car to a stand-still at a traffic light and shifted it into neutral. 'Think about it, Becks. The long hours at work. Sleeping on the couch. The eagerness to go to what he calls 'sites,' and then the sudden urge to leave you as soon as you tell him that you're not having a good week?'

'That's not entirely accurate,' Rebecca said, although Tanya's observations did have a sad ring of truth to it.

Tanya ignored her. 'The evidence is there,' she said. 'And it's all pointing to one thing.' The traffic light turned green and as Tanya pulled away, she took Rebecca's hand. 'Denial is a terrible thing.'

Rebecca pulled her hand away. 'I'm not in denial,' she said. 'And Justin is not having an affair. Something is bothering him, but it's not that.'

'I just call 'em as I see 'em,' Tanya said and for a moment let go of the steering wheel as she held her hands up. 'You wanted my opinion and I gave it to you.'

'You don't know Justin the way I do,' Rebecca said. 'He won't do that. Ever.'

'I do know how people work. The symptoms are there. That's all I'm saying.'

Rebecca forced a smile. She figured it best to make light of the situation before the conversation turned into a heated debate. 'How do they say? If you want loyalty, get a dog.'

Both burst out laughing, instantly killing any tension that had been there mere seconds ago.

'Here we are,' Tanya said and looked at the grey building that was their office block. 'Another day of pushing pencil.'

* - - \- *

'He's dead, isn't he?' Simon asked the nurse at the hospital's reception. He based his assumption on a feeling that he started having two days earlier. The feeling only intensified and somehow Simon instinctively knew what had happened. She did not answer but merely looked apologetically at Simon. 'Are his parents here?'

She nodded.

Without saying another word, Simon headed for Little Timmy's room. As he opened the door, Simon saw a woman hunched over Timmy. She cried as a man next to her held his arms around her shoulders.

Timmy's parents.

The father looked up as Simon approached the bed, but he didn't say anything. The usual blip on the cardio monitor was gone, replaced only by a blank screen.

'Is he...?'

The father bit his lip and nodded. The mother continued crying. 'And you are...?' the father asked.

'My name is Simon. I am a friend of Timmy's.'

The father raised an eyebrow.

'Well, Timmy never knew me,' Simon said. 'I started visiting him here after reading about his unfortunate accident.'

'You're very kind,' the father said. 'Thank you.'

'Why is she crying?' Simon asked.

The husband frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'What is she crying about?'

The man twisted his face. 'Are you serious?'

Simon didn't say anything.

'Our son is dead, for crying out loud, man! Where's your sense of humanity?'

'Timmy is not dead,' Simon said before he could stop himself from blurting out his thoughts. 'He is merely sleeping.'

The woman looked up. Her eyes were as red as the corners of her nose. She had been crying for quite a while now. Simon could sense that she loved her son dearly.

'Is this some kind of sick joke?' Timmy's father asked.

Simon shook his head. 'It is the will of God that your son should live. For the glory of His name.'

Timmy's father advanced toward Simon at a threatening pace. 'Just who do you think you are to come waltzing in here and say things like this?'

'Let the man speak,' Timmy's mother said.

Simon nodded his thanks at her. 'It is not for man to question the reasons of God, but to obey His wishes.'

'What are you talking about, man?' Timmy's father asked. 'Speak English, for crying out loud!'

Simon merely stared at the man in front of him without saying anything.

'What should we do?' the mother's voice finally cut through the tangible silence.

'Pray,' Simon answered.

'And why should we trust you?' Timmy's father asked. 'How do we know you're not nuts? How much money do you want?'

'I don't seek money,' Simon said. 'Sometimes you have to take a chance, Rick.'

The man froze in place. He narrowed his eyes and studied Simon for a minute. 'How did you know my name...?'

'Sometimes you have to have faith and trust despite the overwhelming odds.'

'How did you know my name?' Timmy's father asked again.

'You're focussing on the wrong issue, Rick. Just like your father made the wrong choice when you were eight years old.'

Rick took a step back. 'You still could still have gotten my name from the hospital staff or the news, but no one knows about that...'

'Pray,' Simon said. 'For the glory of God to be revealed.'

Timmy's father said nothing. He covered his wife's shaking hands in his own.

Simon walked over to the door and closed it. He then made his way back to the bed and stood at Timmy's side. Locking his eyes with that of Timmy's mother, Simon asked, 'Do you believe that Timmy is only sleeping?'

She nodded.

'We do,' Rick Evans answered meekly.

'Do you believe that God can raise him?'

For a moment Timmy's parents just stood there, eyes fixed on this stranger that owed them nothing. Timmy's mother finally managed to pull herself from Simon's hypnotic gaze. 'I...we want to,' she said. 'We really do.'

Simon smiled and leaned forward. He brought his mouth close to the boy's ears. 'Wake up, Tim,' he whispered.

For a moment nothing happened and Tim's father exhaled deeply. He knew it! Another publicity stunt! A beep on the cardio monitor made all three turn and look. The static green line had a spike, and then another, and yet another; each with its own beep.

'What's going on?' Timmy's father asked, unable to hide the tremble in his voice. 'Is this some kind of practical joke?'

Timmy's eyes opened and searched around the room.

Both parents cried out. They held each other before Timmy's mother broke away from her husband and took her boy into her arms.

'Who are you?' Rick asked Simon. 'And what do we owe you?'

Simon didn't answer. He merely looked at the boy. Somehow he knew Tim was going to be okay, but he had no idea how he knew it. He was just as unprepared for what just happened as the parents were and emotions overwhelmed his senses.

'Oh, Timmy,' the mother sobbed and clutched her boy even tighter. 'You're okay.'

Timmy raised a hand to acknowledge that he was indeed all right.

The father turned his attention to his son. 'Hey there, sport!' Rick said. He took his son's hand into his own and for the first time in years, he allowed his tears to flow freely. 'Welcome back, son.'

Rick looked up to thank Simon, but the stranger was gone.

# Chapter 7

'Did you tell him?'

Rebecca looked up at Justin with a blank expression on her face. 'Huh?'

'Did you tell him?' Justin insisted.

'Tell whom what?'

'Simon,' he said with a slight irritation in his voice. 'Did you tell Simon about the thing I told you about my past?'

'What thing?'

Justin clenched his teeth. 'Remember how I told you about my past that night we went out?'

Rebecca thought for a few seconds and then her eyes widened. 'The abortion thing?'

'Yes. Did you tell Simon about it?'

'Of course not,' she said. 'Why on earth would I talk to someone I barely know about something so intimate?'

'Well, if you didn't tell him, how does Simon know about it?'

'He knows?'

'My question wasn't whether he knows,' Justin snapped. 'It was how he knows.'

Rebecca's defences shot up. 'What makes you think that I would know how he knows?'

'Because other than myself and Sandra, you're the only other person on earth that has this information.'

Rebecca flinched as if she'd been physically struck by Justin. 'Do you really believe that I would tell anyone about it? Is that the level of faith you have in me? Is that the level of trust?'

Justin didn't answer. He pursed his lips together and raked his fingers through his hair.

'Is that how well you know me, Justin?'

'I don't know what to believe anymore, Becky. I don't know who to trust and what to believe.'

'If you can't trust me,' she said and moved closer to him. She embraced him in her arms. 'Then you can't trust anyone.'

He returned the embrace. If felt so good to hold her again. He smelled her hair. Fresh shampoo. That two-in-wonder with the conditioner worked into the formula. Wild flower extract for that nostalgic smell of home. Justin was home. He was with the one person that fulfilled him in every single way. But there were too many unanswered questions; too many weird things happening. 'You're right,' he said. 'I guess I can't trust anyone.'

Rebecca broke away from the embrace. 'Does that include me?'

Justin didn't answer.

'Are you seriously implying that you can't trust me?'

'I don't know who to trust anymore, and your behaviour sure isn't making it easier for me.'

'Without trust, there can be no relationship,' Rebecca said. 'I might just as well move to my parent's place.'

'Fine,' Justin said. 'Go to your parents then! It saves me the trouble of moving out.' He walked from the room and sighed a loud Sheesh! as he slammed the door behind him. Rebecca sat there for a moment, replaying his words in her mind. A moment later she broke down and cried.

* - - \- *

Simon sat on the soft grass under the massive oak tree in the park, absentmindedly eyeing the families and friends that either picnicked nearby or just walked past, looking for just that perfect spot to unpack and spend the next few hours.

It was a good day. The leaves on the huge tree filtered the rays of the sun which made peculiar patterns on Simon's arm.

And why should we trust you? Rick's voice echoed in Simon's mind. How do we know you're not nuts? How much money do you want?

Simon sighed. He wasn't even sure at the time that little Timmy would actually open his eyes. He merely went on faith and obedience, fighting the doubt in his mind and the butterflies that fluttered furiously in his stomach. Even with all his faith, he too was just as amazed as Timmy's parents to see the cardio monitor beep to life.

'Why am I like this?' Simon whispered to the all-present Creator. 'Why did You give me these abilities?'

The wind passed through the branches of the trees, rustling the leaves gently.

Simon looked at the book lying next to him. He figured that there was going to be no reading today. One needed a certain motivation to pick up a novel and continue from where one left off. Simon had no motivation today. His mind raced with unanswered questions and doubt. The reality of what happened still vividly haunted his thoughts.

A shriek pierced through the void of Simon's thoughts and he looked up. The shriek was followed by the laughter of a little girl as she playfully ran away from her pursuing father. Without much effort the father scooped up the girl in his arms and whooshed her through the air much to her delight. She approved verbally with another shriek and more laughter.

Simon smiled.

Out there was a little boy called Timmy who would be able to share the same type of experiences with his father. He had been given a second chance, and Simon somehow knew that both the boy and the father would make the most of it. Simon blinked hard and wiped at the wet spot on his cheek with the back of his hand. He took a deep whiff of morning air and picked up the novel. He smiled. It seemed that today would indeed be a good day to read.

* - - \- *

Rebecca clutched the telephone receiver in her hand. She pressed the first digit and hesitated before killing the line. Calling her parents proved to be the hardest thing she had done in a very long time. She replaced the receiver in its cradle and sunk back into the soft comfort zone that was the couch.

Fine! Go to your parents then! It saves me the trouble of moving out.

Justin wanted to move out? Why hadn't he mentioned it before? Rebecca was forced to finally admit to herself that Tanya might have been right about Justin having an affair. Maybe there was someone else and he just needed an excuse. Who could it be? Someone at his work? Was she blonde? Justin's ex was blonde. Was he secretly seeing her again? Who was that person with him in the car when he went for the interview? She buried her face in her hands and shook as the sobs escaped from her mouth. It didn't take long before she regained her composure. She sniffed hard and wiped at her eyes.

'Oh, Justin,' she said and almost lost it again. 'Why?'

Rebecca picked up the receiver again and dialled the number. A moment before it rang she slammed down the phone and dashed to the toilet where, on her knees, she threw up.

* - - \- *

'Did Rebecca talk to you about the abortion?'

Simon looked up at Justin but didn't answer.

'Did my wife tell you about the abortion or not?' Justin insisted.

Simon shook his head. 'No,' he said. 'She didn't.'

Justin raked his hands through his hair and sat down on a seat across Simon. He leaned forward and with a lowered voice asked, 'Then how on earth did you know about it?'

For a long moment Simon only stared at Justin. He slowly raised a cup and filled his mouth with bittersweet coffee. Too much sugar; not enough milk. After swallowing the coffee, Simon lowered his cup and locked eyes with Justin.

'I don't know how I know these things,' he finally said and shrugged. 'I just do.'

Justin searched Simon's eyes for an alternative answer, but found none. 'Then what's the use?' he finally asked.

'I'm not sure I understand what you mean,' Simon said.

'What's the use of having this...gift or whatever, if you don't know how to control it?'

'It comes when it needs to,' Simon said. 'If I could control it, nothing would stop me from abusing it for my own personal gain.'

'Moral ethics would.'

'And if I were raised by immoral parents? Or if I had immoral friends?' Simon shook his head. 'Do not be deceived, for bad company corrupts good character.'

'Whatever,' Justin huffed and stood up. He turned to leave and then paused. 'I want you to switch it off when it comes to my private life,' he said over his shoulder and walked off.

* - - \- *

'So you're really considering moving out?' Tanya asked. Normally she would have been ecstatic about the idea. She would immediately offer up her spare bedroom and would elaborate on how much fun they would have living together. Her actual reaction was more serious.

Rebecca nodded.

'Does Justin know?' she asked and slowed the car to a stop in the parking spot in front of Rebecca's home.

'He knows that I'm thinking about it,' Rebecca said. 'He just doesn't know that I'm actually going to follow through with it.'

'This is serious, isn't it?'

Rebecca took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. 'He's changed,' she said. 'I can't keep up with him anymore.'

'What do you mean?'

'It's hard to explain,' Rebecca said. 'Since the miscarriage he's been so distant. You know about the longer hours he works. It's almost as if he doesn't want to come home anymore. And then there's the part where he doesn't believe or support me about the strange happenings in the apartment.'

'What exactly is going on in there?'

'Nothing,' Rebecca said. 'You'd only think I'm crazy too.'

'Nonsense!' Tanya said. 'Just because Justin is too blind to see something is going on, doesn't mean that I am too.

Rebecca wondered if she should tell Tanya. She figured that it could do no harm to try. 'I see things in the corner of my eye. Shapes standing there, looking at me. I see shapes outside my bathroom window. The light fixture fell down and almost crashed on my head.' She paused for a moment. 'You know, now that I'm saying it out loud, I can understand why Justin would think that I'm crazy.'

'Stop talking like that!' Tanya rebuked her friend. 'You're not nuts!'

'Well, I sure sound like I am; believing in the unbelievable.'

'If that is an indication of insanity,' Tanya said, 'then we are all insane.'

Rebecca looked at her friend. 'Why? What do you mean?'

'You remember Timmy?'

'Little Timmy that got attacked by the dog?'

Tanya nodded. 'Well, apparently he died the other day.'

Rebecca held her hand to her mouth. 'Oh no...'

'The insane part about it,' Tanya said, 'is that it turned out that he's not actually dead.'

'Wait. Is he dead or not?'

'He's not dead.' Tanya said. 'He was dead. But not anymore.'

Rebecca still didn't understand. 'How did he...what happened?'

'From what I heard, the kid died. Some guy just walked into the hospital and brought the boy back to life.'

'You're joking, right?'

'Nope,' Tanya said. 'It's been all over the news this past week. There's a case of fraud being investigated against the parents.'

'That's terrible,' Rebecca said. 'Who was the guy?'

'That's the strangest part of the story,' Tanya said. 'The parents claim that they can't remember his name or even remember what he looked like. That's why they're being investigated. According to a nurse, she saw the man every other day, but also can't seem to remember his name or even some of his basic facial features.'

'And little Timmy is better?'

'Not even so much as a scar on his face,' Tanya said. 'And that's exactly the point that I'm trying to make.'

'You are?'

'Strange and unexplainable things happen around us every single day. Just because Justin is too blind to see it doesn't mean it's not there. My personal opinion is that moving out might not be such a bad idea.'

Rebecca bit her lip and nodded. She knew that despite Tanya's grudge against Justin, she spoke the truth. Moving out might just be the best option after all.

* - - \- *

Justin sighed before turning the key in the lock. He was tired and just wanted to go to bed and sleep until the next morning. But he was also married and thus sleep wouldn't come for another six or seven hours. Maybe he could convince Rebecca to join him. Maybe she was just as tired and also needed some rest.

'That stupid bird just bit me,' Rebecca said as he entered the apartment.

Maybe not.

'It went ballistic for some reason and bit me.'

'Hold on,' Justin said and took her hand in his. He raised her hand with her index finger sticking out to about eye level and turned it slowly to estimate the damage. 'This is deep,' he said. 'What happened?'

'I don't know,' Rebecca said and flinched when he pressed the tip of her finger. 'I went out to feed Lotus and he went nuts. When I tried to calm him down by gently stroking him, he bit me.'

Justin walked to the bird cage. The yellow Lovebird—mostly quite docile—flapped its wings aggressively and rammed itself against the side of the cage. Something was definitely bothering the bird. Should they worry about it? Should they take it to the vet? Would the bird eventually tire and return to normal? Justin didn't know what to do in situations like these. He looked back at a terror-struck Rebecca and figured that he would have to attend to the bird's needs later. 'Come,' he said, and taking her hand, gently guided her to the bathroom. 'Let's first get this cleaned up for you.'

* - - \- *

Justin watched the news while Rebecca prepared dinner. As long as the dishes were done, his part of kitchen duty was fulfilled. The smell of home-made Lasagne flushed out the aroma of dirty socks and other damp smells. In the kitchen, Rebecca was softly humming to herself. An image on the television caught his attention and he turned up the volume.

'Rick and Martha Evans continue the battle with medical staff and lawyers even a week after their son, Timmy Evans, had allegedly been brought back from the dead by an unknown man.'

'Yeah, right,' Justin said.

'Discrepancies about the Timmy Evans Trust Fund will be settled by the High Court Judge this coming Friday.'

The telephone rang. Justin muted the television and answered the phone with a curt, 'Hello?'

'Hello, Justin?'

'Yes...?'

'This is Lance.'

Justin flinched. His boss calling him at home after hours could not be good. 'Hey Lance. What can I do for you?'

Lance hesitated. 'I...the company needs you to go to another site.'

Justin didn't say anything.

'One of the engineers on a mine that we do outsourcing for is going on leave for a week and we need someone reliable and able to fill his spot.'

Justin paused for a moment. Long enough for Rebecca's humming to fill his ears. 'By when do you need an answer?'

'Right now, if possible,' Lance said. 'Look, I know this is short notice, but we need the replacement on site by tomorrow morning.'

Justin bit his lip. Rebecca wasn't going to like this. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She probably needs the time alone anyway, he thought.

'Justin...?'

'I...erm...all right. I'll go,' Justin said. 'Where's the mine?'

'Wonderful,' Lance said and let out a sigh of relief. He supplied the necessary directions and contact names and numbers of people that Justin would be working with during the coming week. Justin scribbled it down as quickly as possible, making a mental note to write it over more intelligibly just before he went to bed. 'Just give me a call if you need anything, okay?' Lance said.

'I will; thanks.'

Justin replaced the receiver and drew another deep breath. Getting this past Rebecca wasn't going to be easy. He closed his eyes for a moment, and for that one specific moment in time everything was perfect again. He still had his old job. The two of them were still madly in love, like dating school children on a Friday afternoon. He missed those days where he was the man in the house, and wondered what went wrong. Losing the job was what went wrong. That's what! He opened his eyes again to the reality of his life and reluctantly made his way to the kitchen.

* - - \- *

He was right. Simon hated admitting it, but Justin was right. What good was Superman's flying ability if he couldn't control it? What good were any super hero's abilities without the means of controlling it? But Simon was no super hero. He was just an average Joe trying to get by each day, which brought him to his next question.

'Why me?'

The only answer to his question was the persistent howling of the dogs in the neighbourhood. Simon wished that he had the ability to make them stop. But he didn't. Not that he was aware of, anyway. He took off his shirt and placed a damp cloth on his face. The heat wave was slowly driving everyone out of their minds. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing, considering that no one could remember that it was he who raised Timmy from the dead. He wondered how much he actually had to do with any of it; both the resurrection and the people's convenient memory loss.

'Why am I so different?' Simon asked out loud. 'Why can I heal one person, and not another? Why do I have to know certain things about certain people?'

Simon took the cloth from his face and walked over to the mirror where he stared deeply into his own eyes. 'Who are you?' he asked. 'Why can you do these things?'

The mirror merely mimicked the same question, awaiting the same answers. Answers that didn't come.

* - - \- *

'So you're telling me that there is no one else that they can send?'

She took it worse than he hoped she would. Justin shook his head. 'I'm the only guy they trust enough to get the job done without losing the contract.'

'What about Simon? I thought you said he was good.'

'He's brilliant,' Justin said. 'But they got him working on a more important site.'

Rebecca turned her back on her husband. A tear streaked down her cheek. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. It was now or never. 'If you leave,' she said, 'I'm going to my parents' place, and this time I mean it.'

'That's actually a good idea,' Justin said and softly placed his hands on her shoulders. 'Getting out for a while might just be what you need at this point in time.'

'That's not what I meant,' Rebecca said and shrugged off his hands. 'If you go I'll leave. And it won't just be for a while.' She turned to face him. 'If you go, I'll leave and I will never come back.'

* - - - *

Becky won't really leave, Justin thought as he lay on the bed in the four star hotel room that Cybernetics Computers booked him into. She might go to her parents' place, but she won't leave for good.

He sat up and flung his legs over the side of the bed. He had a few minutes to brush his hair and teeth, get dressed, and have a rushed breakfast before taking the twenty minute drive to the mine.

Despite their few minor setbacks the past few months, there weren't any real concerns for either of them. All married couples had their bumps in the road. It was part of life. He didn't understand how Rebecca could get so upset about the whole on-site thing. It was just for a week. At least he now had a job. He didn't like the idea of going away any more than she did, but he had to do it. Everything he did, he did for her.

'What are you looking at?' he asked the reflection in the mirror with a frown. The reflection frowned back. Justin brushed his teeth and then combed his hair. It had grown quite a bit over the past few weeks. He would have to make another appointment with the barber sooner or later. Justin flicked on his watch and only then did he realize that his wedding ring wasn't on his finger.

'Now where did I put it?' Justin asked and looked around. He closed his eyes and tried to visualize what he did the previous evening. No. He could distinctly remember going to bed with it. He yanked the blankets from the bed and flapped it around to see if it didn't perhaps fall off while he was sleeping. Did he go to sleep with it on? Now he couldn't remember. Memories overlapped. It didn't make any sense. He knew for certain that he didn't leave the ring at home, because he could recall spinning it on the counter at the reception desk when he booked into his room. Or was it the previous time he booked into a room? He thought harder, but the more he tried to remember, the more images muddled his memory.

'Oh well. I'll have to look for it when I get back,' Justin said and headed for the door. The ring could have been in one of the pockets in the clothing he wore the previous evening. It could be under the bed; wrapped between the blankets. Anything. Perhaps room service would find it and leave it on the bed stand for him. No time to look for it now.

He was about to leave when his cell phone rang.

* - - \- *

'It's dead, Justin!' Rebecca shouted into the receiver.

'Calm down, Becky,' Justin said over four hours' drive away. 'What are you talking about?'

'Lotus! He's dead!'

'Take a deep breath and tell me what happened.'

'I...I don't know. I wanted to feed him this morning and he just lay that the bottom of the cage.'

'Are you sure that the bird is dead?' Justin asked. 'It might just be sick or something.'

'His neck was completely twisted around,' Rebecca refuted Justin's argument.

'It's neck?'

'Someone killed our bird!' she raised her voice almost to a frantic scream. 'Someone came in here and killed our bird!'

'That's absurd, Becky,' Justin said while trying to keep his voice as calm and collected as he could manage. 'Who would break into our apartment just to kill a bird? And why? Was anything stolen? Is there any sign of forced entry?'

'I don't know,' Rebecca said. 'Justin, please come home. I'm really scared. I don't want to be alone anymore.'

Justin didn't say anything for a while. 'I can't come home,' he said. 'Why don't you visit Tanya until I get back? In fact, weren't you supposed to go to your parents' place for the week?'

'I don't want to go anywhere,' Rebecca said. 'I want you here with me.'

'I can't be there right now, baby.'

'Then I'm leaving,' Rebecca said. 'I can't take this anymore.'

'Are you going to your parents' place?'

Rebecca didn't answer.

'Becky?'

'Yes,' she said. 'I'm going.'

'When will you be back?'

'I warned you before,' she said. 'I'm not coming back.'

'You're kidding,' Justin said. 'Becky, you know that we both need me to have this job. We discussed this, remember? Short-term pain for long-term gain.'

'Goodbye Justin.'

'Becky, I...'

The line cut with an abrupt click.

* - - \- *

She managed to avoid his phone calls for three days, but by Thursday Rebecca realized that she wouldn't be able to avoid him any longer. She needed to talk to him; not just about the work issues that she wanted to resolve, but because she needed to hear his voice. Somehow his voice always made her believe that everything was going to be okay, no matter how dire the circumstances.

'Rebecca darling,' her mother's muffled voice came from the other side of the door. 'Are you all right in there?'

'I'm fine, mother,' Rebecca lied.

There was a pause on the other end of the door and then her mother spoke again. 'Well, let me know if you need anything, okay?'

'I will,' Rebecca said; glad that her mother could catch a hint. 'Thank you.'

On her knees in front of the toilet, Rebecca thought about Justin before she jerked forward and once again, threw up.

# Chapter 8

'Justin,' Rebecca said and her grip tightened around the telephone. 'I...I'm pregnant.'

# Chapter 9

Robert almost didn't hear the knock on his front door. He looked up, but made no effort to get up. He didn't expect any visitors; neither did he want to entertain hawkers or door-to-door salesmen. He rubbed what little grey hair he had left with the palm of his hand and after waiting a moment, re-adjusted his reading glasses and continued filling out his crossword puzzle.

Another knock; louder than the first.

Robert looked up again and sighed. He rubbed the stubble on his face and frowned. 'Who's there?' he shouted down the hallway.

No answer.

'Whatever you're selling,' Robert yelled from his couch, 'I'm not interested! Now git!' There was a moment that nothing happened. Robert leaned forward and looked down the hallway at the door. He couldn't see the silhouette of feet in the thin strip of space between the floor and the door. Whoever it was must have left. Robert grinned.

A sudden slamming on the door, like someone banging against it with a fist made Robert's heart skip a beat. He fumbled with his glasses and threw the magazine on the table next to his couch. 'I'm coming!' Robert shouted as he made his way down the hallway towards the door. 'Hold yer horses!' He mumbled something under his breath as he pulled his robe tighter. He pressed his eye against the peep hole but couldn't see anyone. 'Who's there?' he demanded.

No answer.

Robert unlocked his door, but kept the chain on. He then opened it a crack and peered through it. 'Who's there?' he asked again. Again no one answered. 'Stupid kids,' Robert said and closed the door. He considered locking it, but waited a moment instead. He would catch them in the act and teach them a lesson. On the first bang Robert yanked open the door. The sudden silence was just as disconcerting as the fact that there was no one standing on the other side.

'What the heck—?'

An invisible force struck the door, breaking the chain right off and sending a stunned Robert flying through the air. He crashed into the floor with a sickening thud and struck the back of his head against the side of his wall unit.

The door slammed shut.

'Who...who's there?' Robert yelled. Someone was in the apartment with him. Even though he couldn't see anyone, he could feel it. He could sense the presence of something terribly evil. Robert dashed for the telephone and dialled an emergency number. Before it could ring on the other side, an invisible intruder ripped the phone from his hand and flung it across the room where it shattered as it crashed into the wall.

Robert clutched his chest. Pain stabbed into his left arm. He took one look at the pieces of broken telephone and dashed for the door. Halfway there, a frying pan flew out from the kitchen and smacked him on the side of his head. The force of the blow snapped his neck and he fell to the ground, lifeless.

* - - \- *

After a long week, Justin opened the door to a quiet apartment with a lingering odour. Instead of the cheerful voice of his wife as greeting, a damp smell and the overwhelming silence was his only welcome. He made his way to the living room and dropped his bags on the floor. The apartment seemed darker than usual, almost as if no light came through the windows anymore. Justin moved to the windows to open the curtains but was side tracked by the smell. It got worse the deeper he moved into the living room.

The bird, he thought and walked to the cage. There was no doubt about it; the odour was indeed coming from the bird cage. Justin held his breath and looked inside the cage. The bird was lying on the bottom of the cage; stiff and dead. Justin leaned forward to take a closer look. Rebecca was right. Its neck had indeed been twisted around. There was no way that a bird's neck could do that on its own. Justin took a few steps back from the cage and exhaled slowly. His stomach churned and he almost lost his lunch.

The place is a mess, he thought. Although no more of a mess than usual, the apartment had a dirty feel to it that he hadn't felt before. Dirty dishes lined the living room table, clothes were strewn on the floor, and the bed was unmade. This was the norm in the Greene household where both worked a full time job, but for some reason, it really bothered Justin. He picked up the plates and carried them back to the kitchen where he placed it in the sink. He ran hot water over the dishes to loosen up the hardened left-over food and would re-fill the sink with soapy water once he returned with Rebecca.

Now for the hard part. He took an old newspaper and breathing only very slowly through the mouth, made his way to the bird cage. Justin wrapped the newspaper around the dead bird and carried it to the garbage bin where he promptly disposed of it.

'What a dump' Justin said as he drew back a curtain. He wondered if it was the exposure to the overly-neat hotel rooms that made him aware of what a mess their place had been all along. How did that motivational speaker once put it? Those who have nothing to do are so busy doing it that they don't have time to clean up the mess that they live in.

'Indeed,' Justin said and surveyed the apartment. With the dishes stashed away and curtains now open, the place appeared somewhat better; but not a whole lot. Either way, it would have to do for now. It was getting dark and Justin had to meet Rebecca at her parents' place. He took the garbage bag and sealed it with a knot. When he returned from the garbage bins, Justin grabbed his phone and keys and locked the door.

* - - \- *

Something was wrong. Something evil was brewing. Simon could sense it, and so could the animals in the neighbourhood. There was something in the air; a sort of aura that made a person feel uncomfortable. Dogs became vicious, cats strayed further from home, and birds in the neighbourhood died in large numbers. Not everyone noticed this. Not everyone paid attention. Simon did.

What's the use of having this gift if you don't know how to control it?

Simon looked up at the skies. He wondered if God was up there, looking down back at him. 'Justin is right, Lord,' he whispered. 'Why give me abilities that I can't control?'

A dog barked and jumped up at Simon. A thin fence was the only barrier between him and the agitated animal.

Simon hunched down in front of the dog and established eye contact with it. It immediately stopped barking and backed down. Whimpering it ran back to the yard and disappeared into its kennel.

Something was bothering the animals, and whatever it was, it was getting worse.

* - - \- *

The demon needed human flesh to create a physical body for itself. Using a small piece carved from Robert Richardson's arm, the demon moulded a skeletal body for itself. Arms formed, and then legs. Veins and sinews raked along the arms and legs like thousands of miniature vines. As the arms and legs strengthened, the demon pushed itself up from the ground. It used a table to pull itself from the ground, and with the weight, the table tilted, sending a flower-filled vase crashing to the floor. The sound of the shattering glass overwhelmed the demon and it jerked up and fell back into a bookshelf. As muscles formed over the face, chest, arms, and legs, a thick liquid-like substance ran over the limbs, covering the muscles and veins. The liquid settled and became what appeared to be flesh.

Three blocks down a dog barked.

The sound ripped into the demon's mind. It hissed a coarse scream and flung some books off the shelf. The falling books exploded like mortar shells around the demon and it clutched its unformed ears in a vain attempt to filter out the noise. Two stories up an old lady burned cookies in her oven. The smell stabbed at every muscle and nerve ending. Next door, someone turned a key in a lock. An ambulance siren rang a few blocks down. Three houses down the road someone hammered a nail into a wall. The demon screamed, but again nothing more than a coarse hiss escaped its half formed mouth. The sound was lost in a dry gurgle because of a not-yet-fully-formed throat. Upstairs someone moved a chair. The demon slammed its first on the table. Nails, hair, and skin now slowly formed and the jaw snapped into place. Every inch it moved shot a whole new sensation of pain through its body.

A car engine exploded to life.

A few birds chirped in explosive stereo inside the demon's head. It smashed its fist through a door in the hallway. The pain stabbed up its arm and into the nerve centre of the brain. Someone a few blocks away flushed a toilet. The last piece of flesh formed around the demon's face. Gun shots from a television set at the old age home down the road.

Everything burning.

Everything exploding.

The taste of blood.

And just like that, everything stopped.

The demon fell to its knees and used its hands to keep it from collapsing onto the ground. It breathed heavily, each heartbeat an explosion in its ears. Then the exploding sounds faded and the demon opened its eyes. It could see. And just then, the demon remembered where it was.

* - - \- *

It took a fair amount of pleading and promises from Justin to convince Rebecca to move back. The only real reason she finally gave in was for the sake of the baby. She still loved her husband, but he had a lot of cracks to fix before he would be in her good books again. The first half of the trip back home was spent in uncomfortable silence where both of them waited for the other to speak. Justin finally caved.

'I got rid of Lotus.'

Rebecca looked at him. 'Did you see his neck?'

Justin nodded. 'There's no way a bird could do that on its own.'

'So you believe me?'

'About?'

'About the strange things that have been happening in our house lately.'

Justin threw a few possible answers around in his head. No reason to work her up on the way home. He could tell her that he believed her. He could just as easily tell her that it was she that did it for attention; or an alternate personality. He could also change the subject.

'I believe that someone killed our bird,' he said. 'I just can't figure out who or why.'

Rebecca didn't have the answers. She was hoping Justin would. Whenever something went wrong, Justin always had an answer. If there wasn't an easy answer for a problem, he would invent one. Now that safety zone had been shaken. There were no answers, right or invented. There was nothing to make her feel that everything was going to be okay.

'So tell me about the pregnant thing,' he said.

Rebecca's face lit up. 'I took two tests,' she said. 'Just to be sure.'

'And...?'

'They're both positive.'

'We should get another one,' he said. 'Just to be very sure.'

'There's one in my bag,' Rebecca giggled.

Justin smiled and for a long moment didn't say anything. They were getting another shot at the chance to become parents. This time, however, he felt ready for the responsibility. He couldn't pinpoint what or how, but something within him clicked in place and he felt ready for the challenge. 'How far along do you think you are?' he asked.

'I'm not sure,' Rebecca said. 'But I have an appointment with the doctor on Thursday. I think I might be six or seven weeks now.'

Justin worked it back in his mind. It was the night he gave her Lotus; the same night he took her to dinner. He smiled at her and for the briefest moment everything seemed perfect again.

'Where's your ring?' Rebecca asked.

Justin's perfect picture shattered and his stomach twisted. 'It's...I...'

Rebecca looked at him expectantly. There was no getting around this one.

'I lost it,' he said and turned his head slightly down and away from her.

For a long moment there was only silence. Justin could feel her staring at him. 'Okay,' she said with a voice far too chirpy to be trusted. 'We'll just get you a new one.'

Justin frowned. 'You're not angry?'

'No,' Rebecca said and then changed the topic back to the baby and how they were going to turn the study into the baby's room and which accessories they had to start saving up for. Only a wooden cot would do. 'None of those carry cot fold-it-ups in my house, thank you.'

Justin smiled and stroked her hand. Deep within he knew that everything was going to be just fine.

* - - \- *

Justin was still fumbling with the key when the door next to theirs opened. A young man with silky white skin and slick black hair stepped out and closed the door. He looked at Rebecca and smiled, and for the briefest moment, her legs went weak. She had never seen such an attractive man in her life before; had never been in the presence of a man with such overwhelming charisma.

'Hi,' she said and blushed. She shot her eyes to Justin. He didn't see. Good.

The man's smile disappeared and he just stood there, watching them both for what felt like a long time. Finally he smiled again. 'Hi there,' he said and extended his hand toward Justin. 'I'm Dominic.'

The two men shook hands and then Dominic stuck his hand out at Rebecca. She took it and felt a faint bolt of electricity shoot up her arm and into her body. Was this what it felt like when two people had a spark between them? She smiled at the thought, and if Dominic did not let go of her hand first, she would have stood there the entire evening, holding onto his elegantly soft hand.

'We weren't aware that Mr. Richardson moved out,' Justin said and Rebecca was instantly transported back to reality.

'I'm... his cousin,' Dominic said. 'I'm looking after the place while he's away.'

'Oh,' Rebecca said. 'I didn't even realize that he left.'

'He had urgent family matters to attend to in Italy,' said Dominic.

'Mr. Richardson is Italian?' Justin asked.

Dominic chuckled and shook his head. 'No, but his parents moved there a while ago when his father retired.'

'How long will he be gone?'

Dominic's smile faded. 'I'm not sure,' he said. 'A month, maybe. Might be a bit longer.'

'Well,' Justin said. 'It was nice to meet you, Dominic.'

'Likewise,' Dominic said as they shook hands again.

'You should come over for dinner one evening,' Rebecca interjected.

Justin shot her a glance and frowned.

'It is most kind of you,' Dominic said. 'I might just take you up on that offer. I don't know anyone here, so some company would be most welcome.'

'Very well then,' Justin said bluntly and opened the door. He made no effort to hide the irritation in his voice. 'I'll have my people call your people.'

Dominic merely smiled warmly and stepped back. With one final goodbye, the couple entered their apartment and closed the door. Dominic waited until the lock bolted before he moved. Not taking his eyes off their door, he slowly moved backward until he disappeared into the shadows.

* - - \- *

Demons fought against angels.

Swords clanged against swords.

Demons screamed and angels shouted.

Simon was alone.

He looked at the battle commencing around him. The angels were outnumbered.

Claws ripped against shields.

Simon looked down. He had a sword and shield in his hands. The demons grew in number, advancing at incredible speeds with unmatched ferocity. Simon spotted a demon with its back turned to him. He raised his sword in the air to strike, but at the last moment the demon turned around and used a shield to block the blow. Only it wasn't a shield. It was a human being. Simon couldn't stop the force of the swing. There would be no way to pull the blow enough for the human to survive.

'No!' Simon shouted and sat up straight in bed. The dream was getting worse; more intense. He raked his fingers through his drenched hair and tried to regain control of his breathing. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He just wished he knew what it was. He slid off the side of the bed and onto his knees, weeping as he prayed.

# Chapter 10

The heat was almost unbearable. To Simon the heat wave appeared to be restricted to Kelwick only. He got up and stepped out from behind the tree. Even in the shade it was too hot and humid to be outside an air-conditioned building. Simon figured that it could have been the heat that drove all the animals crazy, but deep down he felt that something more sinister was at work. He couldn't focus on his book, so he decided that it would be best to go home.

Pity, Simon thought. He wanted to see the setting of the lazy Sunday afternoon sun. After a long, drawn out stretch, he slowly started his stroll down the road back home. He was halfway when something tugged at his leg.

'Any spare change would greatly be appreciated.'

Simon looked at a homeless beggar and knelt down beside the man. It didn't take long to figure out that the man was blind.

'It doesn't have to be much.'

Simon reached into his pocket and retrieved a few crumpled notes that he dropped into the man's tin.

'Thank you,' the beggar said. 'May God bless you.'

Simon smiled and got up. He was about to leave, but the beggar grabbed Simon's leg again. 'Please don't leave,' he pleaded. 'Don't leave without giving me my sight back.'

'Excuse me?' Simon asked. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'Just say the word,' the man begged. 'Just say the word and I'll be healed.'

Simon hesitated. He looked down the road toward his home; his comfort zone. He swallowed hard and knelt down next to the beggar again. 'How do you know this?' he asked.

'I can sense it,' the man said and took hold of Simon's arm. 'I can feel that there's something different about you.'

Simon shook his head. 'I...I can't...'

'Yes you can,' the man said and tightened his grip. 'All you need to do is give the word.'

Simon broke free from the beggar's grip. A tear trailed itself down the man's dirty cheek. 'All you need to do is say the word,' the man sobbed.

Simon took a step back. 'I can't do it,' he said. 'You have me mistaken for someone else.'

Tears streamed down the beggar's cheeks. 'Please, young man. Just give the word!'

'I can't!' Simon shouted and with that he turned and ran. He could hear the man shouting something behind him as he ran, but he didn't hear what it was. He just wanted to get away from there as quickly as possible.

* - - \- *

'And how are you feeling today?' the gynaecologist asked as Justin and Rebecca stepped into her office.

'We're fine,' Justin answered for them.

'I'm glad to hear that,' Doctor Taylor said. The three of them sat down. 'You're still using your vitamins, right?' Rebecca confirmed with a nod. 'Well then,' the doctor said. 'Let's see how this little one inside you is doing.'

Justin's stomach twisted into knots. Was there going to be a heartbeat? Was everything going to be okay?

Rebecca lay on her back as the doctor applied the internal scan.

'Where are you?' the doctor asked and Justin felt his heart sink. On the monitor, Justin could only see a black spot. 'There you are,' the doctor said as something the size of a bean appeared on the screen. 'And just look at that heart!'

Justin looked at the monitor, but couldn't see any lines or blips that could represent a heartbeat. 'Is there a heartbeat?' Justin asked.

The doctor nodded and pointed to a spot inside the bean. Justin leaned a bit forward and focussed on the area that she pointed to. He almost cheered out loud when he saw the tiny black spot inside the bean shaped object fluttering at a rapid pace.

'That's the heartbeat,' Doctor Taylor said and smiled. 'And such a strong one at that.' She clicked somewhere inside the bean and rapid gwaap-gwaap-gwaap sound played through a speaker.

'So...everything is...okay?'

'Everything's fine,' she said and pushed a button on the machine. A black and white picture of the sonar popped out of the machine.

The machine is giving birth to a picture of my baby, Justin thought and chuckled at his own joke.

The doctor zoomed in and pressed the button again. Another photo came out. She then selected two points on either side of the bean image and pressed a button. The machine indicated that the baby was seven weeks old. Another press of the button produced the final photo.

Once the three of them were seated in the office again, Doctor Taylor handed them two of the photos and added one to her own personal file. Justin noticed sonar pictures of the first baby and hoped that Rebecca didn't see it. She was too busy studying the new pictures, and a sense of relief settled over him. There was a strong heartbeat. It appeared that the baby was going to make it after all.

'I'm prescribing Progesterone for you that I'd like you to take with your vitamins. Use the two together, okay?'

Rebecca nodded.

'Well then, I'd like to see you again in two weeks. Call me if you have any problems.'

Relieved and beaming, the couple left her office and booked their next appointment with the receptionist.

* - - \- *

Nothing in the world could put a damper on Rebecca's mood now. Justin dropped her off at home before heading back to the office. She sang and danced her way to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. There was a strong heartbeat. Everything was fine. The doctor would know.

'Everything's okay,' she told Tanya over the cordless as she flipped the switch to the kettle. 'There's a strong heartbeat.'

'I'm so relieved,' Tanya said. 'See? I told you that everything was going to be okay, didn't I?'

'Yeah,' Rebecca said. 'You did.'

'We should celebrate,' Tanya said. 'We can't just sit back and do nothing.'

'How about dinner at our place sometime?' Rebecca asked. 'Justin and I kind of invited the neighbour's nephew by accident and it would be perfect if you could join us.'

'By accident?'

'Long story,' Rebecca said and laughed.

'Becks, I don't do the blind date thing. You of all people should know that.'

'Oh no,' Rebecca said. 'It's nothing like that.' She paused. 'Although, you should see this man, Tanya. He's to die for.'

'You're married, remember?'

'I just said he's gorgeous,' Rebecca defended in a playful manner. 'I didn't say that I would actually do anything.'

Tanya chuckled. 'So,' she said. 'What's his name?'

'Dominic.'

'Has a nice ring to it. And you say he's good looking?'

'That's putting it mildly,' Rebecca said. 'I guess you'll just have to see for yourself.'

'Oh all right. When can I get to see him?'

'Hmmm... How about two weeks from now?'

'Two weeks?'

'Friday the twenty seventh, yes,' Rebecca said. 'That should be fine with everyone. It's after payday, see?'

Tanya sighed. 'You make me curious, only to tell me that the earliest that I can see this mystery man is in two weeks?'

'That's right.'

'I'll get you for this, Becks.'

Rebecca only laughed. 'Patience, my dear friend.'

'So I'll pick you up tomorrow morning?'

'If you don't mind,' Rebecca said.

'Not at all. Same time?'

'Eight.'

'Okay. See you then.'

They both hung up just as the kettle boiled. Rebecca put the phone down on the kitchen counter and got herself a mug from the cupboard. They weren't fancy enough to own a tea set, but Rebecca didn't mind. More tea in a mug anyway. A figure in the corner of her eye made her freeze. She could clearly make out the shape's head, arms, body, and legs. She took two deep breaths and slowly moved her eyes, but the figure quickly moved behind the wall and slipped into the hallway.

'Who's there?' Rebecca asked. Uncertainty and fear seeped through her voice.

No answer.

She opened the drawer and pulled out a butcher's knife. 'Hello?'

Again, no answer.

Slowly she made her way to the living room, scanning every inch of the apartment as she walked. She was distinctly aware of the fact that her heart was beating louder than normal. Her arms and legs felt numb, but she couldn't afford to be caught off guard, so she decided to use a more threatening approach.

'I want you to leave me alone,' Rebecca demanded.

A thud from Justin's office made her spin around.

The door was closed, but she was sure the sound came from within there. Her grip tightened around the handle of the knife and it made her feel somewhat more protected. Not a whole lot, but enough to make her advance towards the office.

A sense of fear gripped her stomach and got worse as she approached the door. Another dull thud and she took an instinctive step back. She drew another deep breath and then reached out her hand to the handle. The fear intensified.

Inside the office, a chair moved.

Someone's in there!

Rebecca's hand inched slowly towards the handle. As she touched it, a loud knock on the front door made her jump and shriek.

* - - \- *

'Hi,' Dominic greeted Rebecca with a perfect smile as she opened the door. She didn't hide her relief when she realized it was him. 'I'm Dominic from next door.' He looked at her facial expression and then at the knife in her hand. 'Is this...a bad time?'

Rebecca shook her head. 'Not at all. You come as if you've been sent.'

'How so?' Dominic asked. 'Is everything all right?'

'I think there's someone in the apartment,' she said with a hushed voice.

'What do you mean?' Dominic asked, also barely above a whisper. 'Like a burglar or something?'

'I don't know,' she whispered back. 'But I'm sure glad that you showed up when you did.' She stepped aside and allowed Dominic to enter.

'Want me to look around?' he asked.

She nodded. 'But be careful. I think he's in the study.'

'Wait here,' he said and made his way deeper into the apartment. He did a quick scan of the kitchen, and then moved to the living room. No real hiding spots there. He walked to the hallway and stopped in front of the closed study door, leaning forward to listen for any strange sounds. He couldn't hear any.

I'll save this one for last, he thought and checked the bathroom before entering the bedroom. Everything appeared to be in order. Only the study left. He then walked back to the study door and slowly opened it.

'Hello?' he asked loud enough for Rebecca to hear from the front door. 'Is anyone in here?' At first he didn't see anyone, but when he stepped into the office he saw the dark shape with its glowing eyes in the darkened corner of the room. The sunlight piercing the curtains weren't enough for him to see who or what it was. The huge shape growled softly and suddenly advanced towards him at a rapid pace. It stopped short in front of Dominic, towering over him. It was a bulky creature that reeked of scorched hair and had razor sharp claws.

'Well done,' Dominic said and grinned. 'You can go now.'

The creature let out a grunt and a snort and slowly backed away to the corner of the room where it sniffed the air a few times before it dissolved in the shadows.

Dominic left the study and closed the door behind him again. 'All clear,' he announced loudly as he made his way to the front door.

'I could swear I saw someone,' Rebecca said when Dominic joined her. 'I also heard something in the study.'

'I'm sure it was a cat or something,' Dominic said and smiled. The study window was open. Either way, whatever it was is gone now.

Rebecca couldn't help but notice how perfect his teeth were. 'Thank you,' she said and tried her best to supress the blush lighting up her cheeks. His mere presence made her feel comfortable and she couldn't tear her gaze from his face. 'How could I ever repay you?'

'Well,' he said. 'I came to borrow some sugar. But if there's a cup of coffee in your offer, I wouldn't mind having it here instead.'

'Done,' she said. 'Make yourself comfortable and I'll go make us some. How do you like it?'

'Black,' he said. 'Three sugars.'

She entered the kitchen and a short while later returned to the living room with two mugs. 'This one's mine,' she said. 'It's the tea I made just before you came.'

Dominic smiled and it felt like her legs melted.

'And this one is for you, my hero.'

'Thank you, my dear damsel in distress,' he said and tapped her mug with his.

Is he flirting with me? Rebecca wondered. Or is he flirting back? She couldn't tell. Right now that didn't matter to her. Here was someone that could keep her company and protect her from ghosts and goblins. Here was a man that understood that all she needed was a willing shoulder; someone that would at least try to understand. She smiled her best smile as she thought of topics that she could use to keep him there for as long as possible.

* - - \- *

Lance wanted to see Justin. Management requesting to see staff usually wasn't a good thing. Justin wondered what he might have done wrong as he walked to Lance's office. As far as he was concerned, he only delivered top-notch work since he started working there nearly five months earlier. He couldn't recall messing up anything recently. Finally he stood in front of Lance's intimidating office door. Justin paused a moment. I hope it's nothing serious, he thought and took a deep breath before knocking.

'Come in.'

Justin opened the door and stepped in. 'You wanted to see me?'

'Yeah, yeah. Justin. Come in, come in.'

Justin closed the door behind him and made his way to Lance's desk. Not too slow. Not too fast either.

'Have a seat,' Lance said and waved his hand in the general direction of where two chairs stood in front of his desk. He didn't look up. 'Won't be a moment.'

Justin sat down and scanned his eyes around the office. Mounted on the walls were various Achievement of Excellence awards; none of them made out in Lance's name. Two golf trophies stood next to what might have been his son's ice hockey trophy. Next to the trophy was a picture of Lance's wife and two kids. Justin figured the son at almost thirteen and the girl more or less two or three years older. He wondered if this is where the corporate ladder would lead to in about ten or so years and shuddered at the thought.

'Done,' Lance said and put down his pen. He looked up at Justin. For a moment there was a pause, almost as if Lance wanted Justin to start the conversation.

'You wanted to see me?' Justin asked again.

Lance shuffled in his chair. 'Oh, yes,' he said as if he needed reminding. 'We've been keeping a close eye on your progress at the sites and in the workshop,' he said.

Justin also re-positioned himself in the chair.

'And I must say that we're all very impressed with your performance thus far.'

Justin exhaled slowly and felt an enormous pressure relieve itself from his shoulders.

'The clients are ecstatic about you and even told us that they'd only like to work with you in future.'

'I try my best,' Justin said as modestly as he could manage.

'That's a great attitude to have,' Lance said and then got to the point. 'That's why we need to send you back to the mines for a week.'

There was a long moment of silence as Justin processed the information. He couldn't believe that they would do this to him. 'Sir,' he said. 'With all due respect; I specifically asked not to be sent to any sites until after the first trimester of my wife's pregnancy.'

Lance nodded. 'I do understand your concern,' he said as if he actually did. 'But you blew them away the last time you were there. They simply don't want anyone else but you. Hell, I even offered them Simon.'

'And...?'

'Only you, Justin. They want no one else.'

Justin didn't know what to say. He specifically asked them not to send him to a site, but he had never received a compliment like this before. He wanted to say, 'Sure, why not?' yet at the same time wanted to beat the man to death with his own golf trophies.

'It's only for a week,' Lance said. 'Before you know it, you'll be back with your wifey.' He lit a cigarette, took a long drag and then thoughtfully blew the smoke at Justin. 'Tell you what,' he said. 'We'll even slap in a small bonus to help you guys out with the pregnancy. How's that?'

Justin clenched his teeth and sighed. 'When do I leave?'

'You have to be there tomorrow morning.'

This last minute notification thing would have to stop! 'And when do I get back?'

'You'll be back next week, Friday.'

'And can I have your word that I won't get sent to another site for at least four or five months?'

'You have my word,' Lance said and smiled his million dollar PR-smile.

Justin sighed again. 'All right,' he finally said. 'I'll do it.'

'Atta boy!' Lance said and stood up to indicate that the meeting was over. 'I'll mail you the details in a minute. Let me know if you run into any problems, okay?'

'Will do,' Justin said and headed for the door. He should have felt pleased about being the only one that the executives at the mines insisted on; but for some reason he felt conned. If they wanted him so badly, they should prove it with money, not compliments. He hoped that the "bonus" would be substantial as he closed the door behind him.

* - - \- *

Nothing is impossible for God to forgive, Simon's words replayed in Justin's mind. Not even an abortion. Justin flinched. How did Simon know all these things?

All you need to do is ask.

Justin shook his head. It wasn't as simple as asking forgiveness as Simon suggested. Justin realized that you simply can't ask forgiveness if you didn't believe that there actually was someone able to forgive. He would thus first have to acknowledge the existence of God before he could ask. So instead of trying to prove God's existence to Justin, Simon merely pointed out man's inability to be complete without God.

All you need to do is ask.

Justin turned up the volume of the radio. Simon's voice flushed out of his mind. When the song became repetitious, Justin turned the volume back down and forced himself to think about Rebecca and what her reaction would be when she hears that he's going to yet another site.

You promised! She would say.

But it's only for a week. And when it's done, they won't send me again for at least five months.

You have no backbone, Justin Greene.

Becky, they specifically requested me. Do you know what an honour this is for me?

It's always about you, Justin. Isn't it?

Up went the volume of the radio. Sometimes—when he had bad news to break—Justin fought with Rebecca in his mind. It softened the blow when the real discussion came up and she didn't react nearly as hysterical as the Rebecca in his mind. Rebecca once admitted to doing the same thing.

Justin pulled into the drive-way and killed the engine. For a minute he just sat there. After he played out a few more scenarios, he got out the car and headed for the front door. The sound of Rebecca's laughter came from the living room as he opened the door and for some reason it immediately irritated him. Did they have guests that she neglected to tell him about?

'Hi baby,' Rebecca said when he entered the living room.

Justin scanned the room. The black-haired next door neighbour kid was sitting in his couch. The young man stood up and extended his hand toward Justin. What was the guy's name again? Roberta? Sonja? He could recall it being a woman's name. He took the hand and shook it.

'Dominic was just telling me about his antics as a teenager in boarding school.'

Dominic! That's it!

'Actually,' Dominic said. He smiled a perfect smile and even Justin wanted to like him. 'I was just leaving.'

'You don't have to leave,' Rebecca said and jumped up from the couch.

Yes you do, Justin thought. He made a mental note to kick himself later for not actually saying it.

'As much as I would love to continue our confabulation, I do have a few errands to run,' Dominic said. 'But I'll be sure to be here on the twenty seventh.'

'The twenty seventh?' Justin asked. 'What's happening that day?'

'Remember that dinner you and I invited Dominic to?'

You did! Not me! 'Yes...?'

'Well, we're having it then. Tanya is also coming.'

'Just swell,' Justin said, purposefully trying to sound sarcastic. 'I can't wait.' He started walking Dominic to the door. 'I guess we'll see you then.'

'Splendid,' Dominic said. He stuck out his hand at Justin. They shook once. 'Thank you for the delightful conversation,' Dominic said and winked at Rebecca. He then turned and walked down the hallway to Robert Richardson's apartment.

Justin closed the door. He was relieved to find her in a good mood for a change, and decided to wait until they went to bed before hitting her with the news.

* - - \- *

'I want an answer,' Simon said. He stood in his apartment and stared up at the ceiling above him. 'Answer me!'

No answer came. There were no flashes of lights or angelic choirs; no booming voices from the heavens that shook and tore open the earth. There was only the silence of the apartment.

With a powerful sweeping arc of his arms, Simon swept everything off his living room table. Plates, knives, forks, and glasses all crashed onto the ground.

Still no answer.

Simon rubbed his face with the palms of his hands. 'I want to know why I have this ability,' he said. 'I want to know what I'm supposed to do with it.'

No answer.

Defeated, Simon fell to his knees and knelt forward. 'I just want to know, Lord.'

The soft crunching of glass underneath a shoe made Simon look up. He could see legs in a pair of dirty shoes and instinctively jerked back and away from whomever was in his apartment. He lost his balance and fell backward, cutting his hand on a piece of broken glass. Simon flinched and jerked his hand back. The pain was excruciating. He clenched down on his teeth and tugged at the piece of glass protruding from his hand. In one swift motion, he yanked it out. Only then was he able to shift his focus and look at the man standing not too far from him.

'Who are you?' Simon asked as he pressed his palm against the wound to apply pressure.

'You wanted answers,' the man said calmly, unhindered by the blood.

Simon tried to remember if he knew the stranger in his apartment. He didn't. 'How did you get in here?' he asked.

'You will get your answers, Simon,' the man said.

'How did you know...?' Simon found it ironic that it was a stranger that knew something about him for a change.

The stranger didn't say anything. He merely looked at Simon and smiled.

Simon recognized the man, but couldn't place him. 'Where do I know you from?'

Glass crunched as the man walked towards Simon. He hunched down, took Simon's bleeding hand, and covered it with his own. 'The answers are coming, Simon,' the man said and let go of Simon's hand. Simon turned his hand around and studied his palm. There was no trace of a cut ever being there.

'How did you...?'

He looked up.

The man was gone.

* - - \- *

'Promise you won't be mad,' Justin said as he got into bed and wrapped his arm around Rebecca's waist.

'How much did it cost?' she asked.

Justin laughed. 'No,' he said. 'It's nothing like that.'

Rebecca turned around and faced him. 'What is it then?'

Justin sighed. 'They're sending me to a site again,' he said. He studied her face for any hint of what she might be thinking, but found no clues.

'When?'

'I leave tomorrow morning.'

'Are you taking the car?'

'No,' Justin said. 'I'm going with a guy called Clyde. He'll pick me up first thing in the morning.'

'For how long?'

'Until Friday afternoon.'

'So you'll be here for the Friday evening dinner?'

'Yes,' Justin said. He realized that this stupid dinner might just be his saving grace.

Rebecca smiled. 'Okay then.'

What? That was it? All this stress for nothing? 'Um...you're not angry?'

'Nope,' she said in an almost playful voice and turned around.

'Are you sure?' Justin asked and tried to lean over her to see if she was crying. 'After this week, they promised that they wouldn't send me for the next five months.'

Rebecca looked up at Justin and smiled. 'It's okay, baby, really.'

'Uhm...Okay. Thanks...' Justin said and kissed her on the cheek. 'Is it okay if I invite Simon over for the dinner thing?'

Rebecca nodded. She didn't mind Justin leaving for a week. Her main problem with him leaving was that she would have to be alone most of the times in what she believed to be a haunted apartment. With Dominic there she would have someone to turn to if the going got tough.

'Good night, love,' Justin said and kissed her on the cheek.

Still thinking about Dominic, Rebecca switched off the bed lamp. 'Good night, Justin.'

* - - \- *

'So Justin's gone again, huh?' Tanya asked rhetorically as she chopped the onions. She invited Rebecca over for dinner at her place so that they could—amongst other things—chat about the next door neighbour's nephew, Dominic.

Rebecca nodded. 'It's not so bad this time,' she said. 'The weird happenings around the house aren't happening as frequently as they used to.'

'But they're still happening?'

'Yes,' Rebecca admitted. 'But this time, when they do occur, it's more intense.'

'Like what?'

'Oh, nothing really,' Rebecca said. 'It's all quite silly.'

'Tell me,' Tanya said.

'Well, in the past, the things I saw didn't affect me physically.'

Tanya looked up. 'They do now?'

Rebecca nodded.

'How?'

'I'm not sure if I want to talk about this,' Rebecca said, but deep inside she realized that she actually wanted someone to talk to about it.

'What happens?' Tanya insisted. 'You can tell me.'

Rebecca hesitated. 'A few days ago something invisible pushed me into the wall unit.'

'What?' Tanya exploded. 'Are you all right?'

'I'm fine,' Rebecca said. 'But I was a bit rattled when it happened.'

'And the baby?'

'The latest scan showed that everything's still fine.'

Tanya sighed relieved. 'Could you feel whatever pushed you?'

'Yes,' Rebecca said. 'It felt like a normal person shoving me real hard, but I couldn't see anyone.'

'That's freaky,' Tanya said.

'It happened again yesterday.'

'Again?'

'Well...I wasn't pushed like the previous time, but that same invisible thing pushed my head under water while I was taking a bath.'

'Are you serious?'

'I thought I was going to drown.'

'Did you tell Justin?'

Rebecca almost laughed out loud. 'What do you think?'

Tanya frowned. 'Good point.'

'But I'm okay,' Rebecca said. 'When someone's around, nothing ever really happens.'

'But now with Justin being away...'

'Dominic is there to keep the ghosts at bay,' Rebecca finished Tanya's sentence.

Tanya giggled. 'Speaking of which,' she said. 'Tell me more about this mystery man.'

Rebecca's face lit up. 'He's handsome,' she said. 'Really handsome. And he has the most charming smile.'

'Is this something you would say in front of Justin?'

Rebecca shook her head. 'Of course not, but it's not like he'd care anyway.'

'Why? What do you mean?'

'Can you remember when you said that he was having an affair?'

'I implied that he might be having one, given the evidence. I never actually said that he was having one.'

'Well, I'm starting to believe that he is.'

Tanya scooped the chopped vegetables into a bowl and looked up. She wiped her forehead with the back of her wrist and then wiped her hands with a damp cloth. 'Really? What makes you think so?'

'For one,' Rebecca said. 'His inability to say "no" when sent to a site. How sure can I be sure that he really does go to a site? Where does he live when he's there? Who does he have to keep him company?'

'My sentiments exactly,' Tanya said.

'Last week he came home from one of these so-called sites without his wedding ring. He claims that it disappeared into fresh air while he was sleeping or something.'

'And you haven't considered that he might actually be telling you the truth?'

Rebecca laughed. 'Are you running a fever?' she asked. 'You of all people, defending Justin?'

'I'm not defending him,' Tanya said. 'But this is a serious accusation. It's good to have all the facts before taking something like this to court. Don't get me wrong, Becks, I'm behind you one hundred percent on this. What does he have to say to his defence?'

'I haven't spoken to him about it yet,' Rebecca said. 'I'm waiting for the right moment. We don't talk as much as we used to since the...'

'The miscarriage?'

'Yes.'

'Well, I think that you should confront the man.'

'It's not that simple.'

'Of course it is. How hard could it be to grab the cheating scum by the collar and insist on decent conversation?'

Rebecca giggled at the thought. 'Well, maybe you can help me,' she said.

Tanya raised an eyebrow. 'Oh? How?'

'Next Friday evening, when we're having dinner, you could bring up topics that Justin and I could discuss afterward in private.'

'Like the ring thing?'

'Exactly.'

'I don't know...'

'Come on,' Rebecca pleaded. 'You're the only one I have that can help.'

Tanya mixed the vegetables with the stew and turned down the heat to let it simmer. 'Okay,' she finally agreed. 'I'll do it.'

* - - \- *

Dinner was good. It was better than Rebecca thought it would be. She needed the chat more than she realized, and was grateful that she decided to finally give in and visit Tanya. Between Dominic and her colleague, she figured she would have the perfect balance of quality time she needed so desperately while Justin was away. All she wanted was a little bit of attention and someone to pamper her every now and again. Sometimes she wondered if Justin still remembered that she was pregnant. The thought of Justin immediately made her wish that he was there with her.

The dark and twisty back roads from the plot where Tanya leased her shoddy three-room apartment was the last place on earth a woman should be alone on in the late hours of the night.

The car sputtered and jerked forward.

No! Rebecca pumped the gas pedal furiously. Not here! Not now!

'Oh no,' she said and pumped the gas pedal again. 'This isn't happening!'

The car didn't care about her concerns and promptly cut the engine.

'No, no, no!' Rebecca cried out as she pulled the car over to the side of the road. Her legs felt unresponsive and her heart beat around wildly in her chest. The car finally came to a complete stop. The back roads in this area had no street lights, which left Rebecca alone and engulfed in total darkness. The only source of light came from the car itself. She tried to start the car again. It merely huffed once or twice and then died. She turned the key again, but this time she didn't even get a half-hearted huff.

Justin, I need you!

Rebecca took her cell phone from the glove compartment and searched for Tanya's number. She hit the dial button but immediately received an error tone. She looked at the screen and the words No Reception made her stomach twist into knots.

'Stupid cell phone!' She shouted and threw the phone down on the seat next to her. She tried to look at the surroundings outside, but the interior roof light inside the car blinded her.

Rebecca switched off the roof light and the headlights, and for a moment, was totally blind. As her eyes grew accustomed to the dark, she could barely make out the silhouettes of trees and electricity poles against the cool blue night sky.

Rebecca shifted in the seat. Something was wrong. The feeling started as a faint tingle crawling down her spine, but soon grew into spasms of fear. She tried the key again, but again, nothing happened. Rebecca could sense that something of pure evil was lurking out in the darkness. Eventually it felt as if whatever it was, was coming closer; moving in for the kill. She could feel it and the feeling intensified as whatever it was closed in on her. She felt nauseous. She tried the key again, but fumbled and it took a moment before she could turn it in the ignition.

Nothing.

'Please help,' she said and almost lost it. 'Anyone. Please!'

She tried the keys again.

Still nothing.

A silhouette somewhere in front of the car made her freeze. Was someone there? There! She was sure of it. It moved! Someone or something was approaching the car.

'Start, you stupid thing!'

The car still didn't respond.

Rebecca felt useless and powerless as the fear inside her clutched her heart and numbed her legs. She flicked on the headlights and screamed when she saw someone standing in front of the car. The person moved to the side and around to her window. Rebecca screamed like she hadn't done in her life up to that point.

'Calm down,' a muffled voice spoke from outside the car. 'I'm here to help you.'

It took a while for Rebecca to regain control of her emotions. When she finally did manage to calm herself, she took deep panic breaths until her heartbeat returned to more or less a normal pace. She turned her head slowly and cried out with relief when she saw Dominic standing there. She turned down her window.

'Looks like this whole saving you business is becoming a habit,' he said with a smile.

'You...' she said and took a deep breath. 'You scared me.'

'I scared you?' he asked. 'Your screaming scared the hell out of me!'

Rebecca chuckled. She was relieved that someone she knew turned up to help her in the middle of nowhere. 'Wait,' she said. 'What are you doing here? How did you know where I was?'

'I didn't,' he said. 'It's quite an embarrassing story. Really.'

'Oh? How so?'

'Well, I drove around the neighbourhood to try and get to know the area. Before long, I was lost. I tried to back-track, but only managed to mess things up even more and eventually ended up here.'

'Where's your car?'

'Oh, just down the road,' Dominic said. 'I mistook the lights of your car for that of a house and began walking to save what little fuel I had left. When the lights went out, I tried to follow the road blindly in the dark until I almost walked right into your car. Imagine the fright I had when your lights went on right in front of me, followed by the screams of a banshee.'

Rebecca laughed, but her hands still shook. 'What are the odds? You really are a miracle sent from above.'

Dominic smiled. 'You got car problems?'

'You might say that,' she said.

'Pop the hood. I'll check it out for you.'

'Are you sure you know what you're doing?'

'Pretty much,' Dominic said. 'I'm no mechanic, but I know my way around.' He raised the hood of the car so that she couldn't see him anymore. She could only see his hands through the tiny gap, working here and there; pulling something and then turning something else. 'Okay,' he shouted. 'Give it a try.'

Rebecca turned the key and the car sputtered and whined before the engine growled to life. 'It's working!'

Dominic slammed the hood shut and pushed his chest out triumphantly. 'Mind if I catch a ride with you to my car?' He asked.

Does the sun rise in the mornings? 'Not at all,' she said, almost too enthusiastically. 'I can't thank you enough. You're a Godsend.' She dropped him at his car and he followed her home. After a quick cup of coffee that turned into an hour's worth of conversation, Dominic said goodnight, kissed the back of her hand, and left.

* - - \- *

There was a knock at Simon's door. He took a bite from his dinner and stared at the door in dismay. He wasn't expecting anyone and was also not in the mood to make small talk with strangers today. Someone knocked again and Simon sighed.

'Coming,' he shouted down the hallway as he made his way to the door. 'Who is it?'

No answer.

Simon unlocked the door and opened it a crack.

'Could I interest you in some Bibles?' a man asked. It was the same man that was in his apartment only two days ago.

Simon flung open the door and pulled the man inside. 'Who are you?' he asked.

'I'm here to tell you what you've been yearning to hear. I'm here to give you the answers that you've been looking for.'

'Fine,' Simon said as he led the man to the living room. 'Let's hear what you have to say.'

* - - \- *

'This looks delicious,' the man said as he passed the table with Simon's dinner on it. 'Mind if I have some?'

Simon shrugged.

The man took a slice of bread and dipped it in some gravy that Simon prepared for the beef. 'This is lovely,' he said after swallowing the last piece of the slice.

Get to the point. 'How did you do that the other night?' Simon asked.

The man sat down on a couch. 'This is comfortable,' he said.

Simon clenched his teeth, and nodded. 'So answer my question and stop stalling. Who are you, and how did you do it?' he asked again.

'Do what?'

'Heal my hand,' Simon said. 'Before you vanished into thin air.'

The man smiled. 'The same way you brought that boy back from the dead, Simon.'

Simon's heart skipped a beat. 'How do you know about that...?'

'The same way I know about everything you've done to date.'

'This is insane,' Simon said. How can he possibly know everything? Does he also have a gift from God?

'You can call it a gift if you like,' the man said. 'But it's actually the power of the Holy Spirit. The gift, as you like to call it, is being used as a vessel for the Holy Spirit to work through.'

'You know my thoughts?'

'When I'm allowed to,' the man said. 'There is very little that I don't know about you, Simon.'

Simon probed his memory. He couldn't shake the feeling that he knew the stranger from somewhere, but couldn't for the life of him remember from where.

'Have you ever wondered why you are so different from everyone else?'

Simon pondered the question. 'Only recently.'

'Did you grow up with religious parents?'

'Not really, no. But I don't see...'

'And yet you've had a close relationship with the Lord from a very young age, right?'

Simon nodded.

'There has never been a single doubt in your mind that God exists, even though no one formally told you about Him.'

'Who...Who are you?' Simon asked.

'You're focussing on the wrong questions, Simon. The question is not who I am, but who you are.'

'Me...?'

The man nodded.

'I'm...Simon...'

'Perhaps in this realm you are known as Simon.'

'This realm?' Simon would have asked him to leave by now; but this man had intimate knowledge about him and seemed to have the answers to the questions that have plagued him for years; so he took a deep breath and tried to keep calm while the stranger steered the conversation.'

'You wanted to know.'

Simon's mind raced. This realm? Who was this man? He closed his eyes and visualized the stranger's face. Nothing came up. 'I don't...' Images flashed through his mind and suddenly he remembered. 'You! You're that angel I saw in the parking lot; the one that stood next to the truck.'

'His heart is open,' the man said. 'Now we just need the eyes.'

'You're an angel...'

'Once again, the focus should not be on who I am, old friend.'

'Old friend?' Simon asked. He closed his eyes again. More images flashed; images from his dreams. This man was the angel that fought next to him in his dreams. Simon shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. 'Are you telling me...?'

The stranger said nothing. He merely smiled.

'Are you telling me that I'm...an angel?'

Satisfied, the stranger nodded. 'That's right.'

Simon's head spun. It felt like all strength had left his arms and legs. 'It can't be,' he said. Memories of his childhood flashed through his mind. 'I was born. I had parents. I have a job; a home. I bleed when I accidentally cut myself.'

'You're right about everything except being born. You weren't. Your parents adopted you as a baby from an orphanage that found you "abandoned" at its front door. That was all part of the ruse,' the man said. 'For the mission to be a success, the enemy could not know about you.'

'Ruse?' Simon asked. 'What mission? What enemy?'

The man stood up and entered Simon's kitchen. A moment later he appeared with two glasses of water. He handed one to Simon and then sat down on the couch again. 'A baby will soon be born into this world. When he is older, he will lead millions of people to Christ.'

Simon drank some of the water. His throat was parched and his mind still raced.

'A conspiracy was conceived in hell to kill the child and a very powerful demon was sent to complete the task. But there was a plan to misguide the demon into thinking that it had succeeded.'

'And did the plan work?'

The man shook his head. 'Somehow the evil one found out and the plan changed. Instead of trying to kill the baby, the demon now seeks to divide and conquer the parents, driving them apart so that it can take possession of the child. The evil one believes that he can use the child to serve his purposes and if he succeeds, instead of leading millions to Christ, this child will grow up to lead millions to their slaughter.'

'Would it be possible?' Simon asked.

The man nodded. 'Because of free will, it would; yes.'

'Assuming that what you're telling me is true, why didn't God just blind the forces of darkness until the child fulfilled his destiny? How did they find out about the plan to misguide the demon in the first place? Wouldn't God have known that the original plan wouldn't work?'

The man smiled. 'You have a lot on your mind,' he said. 'You of all people know that we don't always understand why the Father does what He does. We don't see the entire picture like He does. I'm sure that everything eventually turns out the way it's meant to. Remember that the Lord's plan to misguide the demon did not just affect the demon itself, but the parents of the child as well. Who knows how many people's lives were influenced in ways we can't possibly know or see? Who knows what happened to the hardened heart of a doctor in the Radiology department in that split second in time that her eyes locked onto those of a terrified mother?'

'None of this makes sense,' Simon said. 'What do I have to do with all of this?'

'To catch the enemy unaware and save the child, an angel was required to give up his life in the Kingdom and spend life on earth as a human being. Only one volunteered for the responsibility.'

'Me...?'

The man nodded. 'It was the perfect cover. The demons suspected nothing. They still don't. Simon, you are to use your gifts discreetly to avoid attention, for the time of your encounter is near.'

'This isn't real,' Simon said. 'None of this is real. You are not real.'

The man didn't say anything.

'This is ludicrous! You're lying!'

'I am incapable of doing so, Simon.'

Simon stood up. 'Get out of my house!'

'You wanted to know the truth...'

'Get out!'

The man stood up. 'Nine weeks and two days. We'll show you the pictures once we're finished with dinner.'

'What?'

'I'm sure that he will make you both very proud,' the stranger said, and with that, disappeared.

Simon fell back into the couch, wondering if anything that just happened was real. The two glasses of water that they were drinking from were still there, both very real.

'Why God?' He asked. 'Why me?'

No answer.

His mind reeled. No! This can't be happening! Simon kicked off his shoes and lay down on the couch. This is insane...

Minutes later, he was fast asleep.

* - - \- *

He was charming.

He was attractive.

He was always there when she needed someone.

Rebecca looked at Dominic and the two of them embraced. They both closed their eyes, and for a moment their mouths only searched. He pulled her closer and pressed his lips tightly against hers. Her knees weakened and buckled, but he held her upright and kissed her even more intently.

'I...I can't do this,' she said, but didn't do much more to discourage the man that held her so firmly. She longed to be held like that for a long time now, but Justin didn't hold her like that anymore. He never kissed her anymore and never made an effort to make her feel attractive. So she kissed Dominic without much resistance.

'Yes you can,' he said and picked her up and carried her to the bedroom where he gently lowered her onto the bed. He leaned forward and kissed her in the neck and she was lost to him.

It was then that she woke up. She breathed heavily in the darkness of the room and felt with her hand at the empty spot where Justin would usually be sleeping. The pressure on her arms, wrists, and chest subsided a little, but not a lot. It still felt like someone was holding her tightly and she sat up straight. In the corner of the room she could sense someone standing there, watching her in the darkness. She switched on the bed lamp and squinted at the sudden light.

There was no one there.

She breathed deeply and lay down again. It wasn't long before she slumbered off with the light still on.

# Chapter 11

'I think it's Simon,' Justin said as someone knocked on the front door. 'He's usually early.' Justin opened the door to a smiling Tanya. 'Oh,' he said and his face dropped. 'It's you.' He opened the gate and half-heartedly hugged her as she entered the apartment.

'Disappointed?' She asked, but did not wait for an answer. She immediately made her way to the kitchen.

'Oh, no,' he said as he closed the door and followed her. 'I thought it was Simon.' He quickly tried to change the topic. 'Long time, no see, eh?'

'Indeed,' she said and then dispersed of the small talk. 'Becky!'

The two women greeted one another as if they hadn't seen each other in years.

Justin rolled his eyes and retreated to the living room. He was halfway there when someone else knocked on the door. He sighed and made his way back. 'Hey bud,' he greeted Simon as he let his colleague in. 'Glad you could make it.'

'Thanks,' Simon said.

'Make yourself at home. Rebecca and I will make us something to drink. Would you like some coffee?'

'In the middle of a heat wave?' Simon asked. 'No thanks. Although a glass of water would be great.'

'Done,' Justin said and joined Rebecca in the kitchen. 'Go meet my friend,' Justin said and nudged Tanya from the kitchen.

'We are discussing something important,' Tanya said.

Justin ignored her. 'That's nice,' he said and gently shoved her towards the hallway. 'I just need to speak to my wife quickly. You two can go on yakking in a moment.'

Tanya pulled a face and then headed for the living room where she reluctantly introduced herself to Simon.

'What is it that you want to talk to me about?' Rebecca asked once she was sure that Tanya was out of earshot.'

'Nothing,' Justin said with a sly grin. He took a glass from the shelf and asked Rebecca to hand him some of the water in the fridge.

'So why did you chase her away?'

'Because,' Justin said and his grin grew, 'I wanted your single friend to meet my single friend.'

'Oh,' Rebecca said and giggled. She flipped the switch to the kettle and took a few cups from the cupboard. 'That's thoughtful of you.'

'I have my moments,' Justin said proudly and both chuckled.

'Would you mind if I made myself some tea?' Rebecca asked.

'Sure,' Justin said. 'Would you mind making me some coffee while you're at it?'

'Ahead of you,' she sang and waved his mug around. She missed this type of interaction with him. This was the Justin she knew and loved. This was the Justin she married and missed. 'Are we going to show them the sonar pictures?' she asked.

'Of course, Justin said. 'I'm just relieved that everything's still okay in there. Must admit that I was worried when the doctor did the scan.'

'Me too,' she said and allowed him to rub her stomach.

'To think that soon there will be a huge bump there,' he said as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. 'We're having a baby and so far everything is growing fine and looking strong and healthy.'

Rebecca smiled. She didn't want this moment to end. 'I love you,' she whispered.

'I love you too.'

A knock on the door interrupted their perfect moment.

Justin sighed. 'I'll get it,' he said and went to open the door.

'Sorry I'm late,' Dominic said as Justin let him in. 'I was making the pudding and got a little carried away. My sincerest apologies.'

'Not at all,' Justin said. 'Come in and meet the others.' He introduced Dominic to the two making small talk in the living room. 'I'm going to help Becky with the coffee.'

'Oh no you don't,' Tanya said. 'I'll help Becks with the coffee. You men sit here and entertain one another. We'll be right back.'

Before anyone could object she was up and out, leaving the three men standing there alone, each one wondering what on earth they could talk about.

* - - \- *

'And...?' Rebecca asked. 'What do you think?'

'Oh wow,' Tanya said almost too loud. She stole a quick glance around the corner at the three men in the living room. 'Did he fall from Heaven? Because he's an angel.'

'Justin thought you might like Simon,' Rebecca said and giggled.

'Oh, not him,' Tanya said with a hush. 'He's okay, but I'm talking about the other one. The one with the dark hair.'

'Dominic?'

Tanya nodded. 'You're married, so he's legally mine.'

'I told you that you'd like him.'

'Becks, if I had any idea he would be like this, I wouldn't have waited two entire weeks for this dinner.'

Rebecca grinned. They poured the coffee and then joined the men in the living room.

* - - \- *

'This is delicious,' Dominic said as he finished the last of the chicken on the plate. 'Mind if I help myself to some more?'

'Not at all,' Rebecca said, pleased that someone at least enjoyed the fruits of her labour.

'I agree,' Justin said. 'This really is lovely, Becky.'

Rebecca smiled. Too late. No prize for second place, honey.

Tanya said something with her mouth full which no one caught. She swallowed hard and then smiled sheepishly and asked Dominic to pass her the chicken when he was done with it. She also couldn't resist a second helping.

Justin placed his hand on Rebecca's knee and took a deep breath. 'We went to the doctor today,' he announced.

'Really?' Tanya asked. 'And...?'

'Nine weeks and two days,' Rebecca said.

Simon looked up at Rebecca and his heart skipped a beat.

'We'll show you the pictures once we're finished with dinner.'

Simon mouthed the words as she spoke them. The angel's words echoed in his mind. He felt too weak to even lift his fork.

I'm sure that he will make you both very proud.

'Congratulations,' Dominic said. 'I'm sure that he will make you both very proud.'

'Thank you,' Justin said.

Simon's thoughts were racing. 'What makes you so sure it's a boy?' Simon asked.

'Excuse me?' Dominic asked. 'I'm not sure I understand the question.'

'You said 'he' as if you know for a fact that it's going to be a boy. How would you know something like this at only nine weeks?'

Dominic looked at Rebecca who only rolled her eyes. 'It's just a manner of speaking,' he said. 'I apologize if my choice of words offended you.'

For a long moment Simon only stared at Dominic. 'Would you all please excuse me for a moment?' he asked.

'Sure bud,' Justin said. 'Is there anything you need?'

'Just directions to the bathroom,' Simon said and got up.

'The door right in front of you as you enter the hallway.'

With a quick nod to Justin, Simon went to the bathroom. His hand shook as he closed the door behind him and locked it.

His legs felt weak, and his mind numb. Looking in the mirror he could see that his face was almost completely drained of colour. Was it perhaps the chicken? Something else? He didn't know, but whatever it was; was poison to his system.

* - - \- *

'Well,' Dominic said and pushed his chair back. 'I'll use that note to go fetch the pudding at my place.'

'Need a helping hand?' Tanya asked.

'It's okay,' Dominic said. 'It's right next door, so I'll only be a moment.' With that he stood up and left the apartment.

* - - \- *

Simon splashed his face with water. His stomach twisted and churned.

I'm sure that he'll make you both very proud.

He drank some water and when he looked back up into the mirror, he saw someone standing behind him. Simon spun around and stood face-to-face with Dominic.

'How did you get in here?' Simon asked.

Dominic brought his face close to Simon's and sniffed like an animal. 'There's something about you that I don't like,' he said and sniffed again. 'I can't put my finger on it, but your mere presence makes me feel ill.'

'The feeling's mutual,' Simon said and took a step back. 'Now would you please leave?'

In a flash Dominic was upon Simon. The young man grabbed Simon by the throat and slammed him into the wall. Dominic brought his face close to Simon's and sniffed again. 'Who are you?' he demanded and pulled his upper lip back into a snarl to reveal razor sharp jagged teeth. The irises of his eyes glowed bright yellow as his grip tightened around Simon's throat.

Simon tried to speak, but the pressure on his throat was unbearable. His head spun and consciousness was slowly slipping away. It would only be a matter of time before everything would fade to black.

'Who are you?' Dominic insisted.

'Urk—'

Dominic lessened his grip on Simon's throat. 'Speak now, or I'll kill you where you stand.'

A knock on the door.

Dominic looked over his shoulder at the closed door and then back at Simon. 'You're lucky this time,' he hissed. 'Next time you will not be so fortunate.' He then released Simon's neck, took a step back, and vanished into thin air.

'Simon,' Justin's voice came from the other side of the door. 'Are you okay in there?'

'Hgnnn...'

'Simon?'

'I...I'm fine.'

With fumbling hands Simon unlocked and opened the door. 'In fact,' he said, still trying to catch his breath. 'I don't feel too well. Would you take offence if I left?'

'No problem, bud,' Justin said. 'Can I give you a ride home?'

Simon declined, and after greeting Rebecca and Tanya, he left.

Just then Dominic entered the apartment with a warm tray. He smiled cheerfully. 'Pudding anyone?'

* - - \- *

A conspiracy was conceived in hell to kill the child and a very powerful demon was sent to complete the task.

Simon picked up his pace. He had walked to Justin's apartment just as the sun was setting, but now wished that he had rather driven.

Nine weeks and two days.

Instead of trying to kill the baby, the demon now seeks to divide and conquer the parents, driving them apart so that it can take possession of the child.

Simon decided on a short cut. He took a side street and quickened the pace.

Only one volunteered for the responsibility.

'It's not true,' Simon said with what little breath he could muster. He was almost running now. 'It can't be...'

You wanted to know the truth.

'It's impossible!' You're lying!

I am incapable of doing so.

Simon stopped running and leaned forward against a wall to regain his breath. Dominic's face with the yellow eyes flashed through his mind. He could still feel the heat of the glowing eyes on his skin.

There's something about you that I don't like.

'How can it be true?'

A scream nearby broke his chain of thought. Simon froze. It was a woman, and came from a construction site nearby. The woman screamed again and Simon instinctively moved in that direction.

'It's no use screaming,' a man's scruffy voice taunted. 'No one can hear you here.'

'Please,' Simon heard the woman plead in the darkness. 'Please don't—'

'Shut up!' Another man said and slapped her.

'Step away from the woman,' Simon said as he walked around the corner.

The two men squinted in the darkness. 'Who the hell are you?'

'What difference does it make?' Simon asked. His heart pounded in his ears. His entire life, he always opted for the diplomatic solution to any confrontation. He wasn't used to showing anger or giving in to aggression. But something was different this time. He could feel it. He tried to supress it, but he realized that he couldn't.

Not this time.

'I want you both to leave; now!'

'Or what?' one of the men said and pulled out a pistol. 'What are you going to do, tough guy?'

The scruffy man moved to the left of Simon while the one with the gun approached him head on. He raised the pistol and pressed it against Simon's forehead. 'Or what?' he asked again.

Simon didn't answer.

'Shoot him!' the man to Simon's left encouraged.

A brilliant light at Simon's feet drew the men's attention. Simon instinctively reached to his side and the men only saw the glowing sword for the briefest moment before it swung through the air and slashed through the man with the gun. Another lightning fast flash and the thug to Simon's left also fell to the ground; dead.

Simon stared at the sword in his hand. The light pulsated and after a moment faded and vanished along with the sword. He looked at his shaking hands in disbelief and then remembered the woman.

'Are you okay?' he asked as he rushed to her side.

She was trembling with fear and bordered on shock.

'Please don't kill me,' she pleaded.

Simon looked at the two lifeless bodies not too far from them. 'I won't harm you,' he said. 'Now go.'

The woman side-stepped one of the bodies and then ran from the construction site, leaving Simon there alone, looking at the dead men and wondering what had just happened.

* - - \- *

He kissed her in her neck and she loved it. Dominic then carried her to her room where he gently lowered her onto the bed.

'We can't do this,' Rebecca said, but showed no resistance.

'We can,' Dominic said and kissed her in the neck again. He then kissed her on the mouth, almost forcefully.

'My husband,' she said. 'Justin...'

'He doesn't love you anymore,' Dominic whispered softly in her ear. 'Not the way I do.'

'But I'm pregnant with his baby.'

'He doesn't care for the child. I will take care of both of you.'

'I...I can't...'

With that she woke up and opened her eyes. In the darkness she could see Dominic hunched over her. Again she felt the pressure on her arms and chest.

'Dominic?' she asked and instantly the silhouette was gone.

Justin murmured something and then turned around and placed his arm around her waist. She removed his arm and lay there in the darkness, wondering about the strange young man next door and her fascination with him before she finally succumbed to a deep, dreamless sleep.

# Chapter 12

'What am I supposed to do?' Simon asked. 'How can I defeat this person, this...thing?' He paced up and down between his kitchen and living room. No answer came to mind. 'Show yourself, angel!' he commanded. 'Tell me!'

'Do you think you'd be able to handle the truth now, Simon?' a voice asked from the couch in the living room. Simon closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before entering the living room. The man smiled as Simon approached him. 'Think you're up to it?'

'It's that Dominic guy, isn't it? The Demon?'

The man nodded.

'And it's Justin's baby that he's after?'

'Correct.'

Simon rubbed his face with the palm of his hand. 'This is surreal,' he said and sat down on the couch. He sighed deeply. 'I killed two men tonight.'

'I know.'

'That makes me a murderer; not an angel of God.'

'Do not deceive yourself, Simon, for God cannot be mocked. You are a powerful warrior of the Most High. Those men overstepped the boundary of holiness and paid the ultimate price. Much like the one hundred eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp put to death by the angel of the Lord.'

Simon shook his head. 'I'm losing my mind.'

'Quite the opposite, my friend,' the man said. 'You're renewing your mind.'

'I don't know if I'm up to this,' Simon said. 'Why don't you just take him out?'

'There is a certain threshold that angels cannot pass,' the man said. 'Nature sometimes just has to take its course.'

'And that's why you needed human intervention?'

The man smiled and nodded.

'So you're telling me that there is no angel that can stop this demon?'

'Oh,' the man said and a grin formed on his face. 'There is one.'

'Me...'

'Correct.'

'This is unreal.'

'You're our only hope, Simon,' the man said. 'The fates of millions lie in your hands.'

Simon waited a long moment before he spoke again. He stared blankly at the wall in front of him as thoughts, questions, and doubts shot through his mind. After what felt like forever, he swallowed hard and asked, 'What happens if I fail?'

'I don't think we can begin to understand the terror that will be unleashed on this world. If he grows up in the company of the wrong kind of people, he will be responsible for the largest slaughter in human history.' He paused for a moment to let his words sink in. 'But if you succeed, the result would be quite the opposite. He will be responsible for leading millions to our Lord, Jesus Christ.'

'And all of this will happen?'

The man nodded.

'Through this one child?'

'Hard to imagine, isn't it?'

Simon was dumbstruck. The fate of millions of people rested upon Justin's unborn son as much as on Simon. If he managed to stop the demon, everything would be fine. If not, hell on earth would be unleashed. Simon looked up at the angel in his apartment. 'What about Timmy's parents? They're being accused of fraud for something that I did.'

The man shook his head. 'It is not my place to know how this will all turn out,' he said. 'But everything works out best for those who love the Lord.'

Simon knew the scripture. He thought about the task at hand and his encounter with Dominic earlier. He had to focus to keep himself from becoming nauseous again. 'This demon,' he finally asked. 'What type is it?'

'It's one of the dark one's highest ranking,' the man said and the grave expression on his face revealed his concern. 'An Incubus.'

* - - \- *

All you need to do is ask.

Justin wondered if there was any alternative. He could think of none. The past bound him, preventing him from having a fulfilling future with his wife. According to Simon it was as simple as asking for forgiveness. According to Justin, that in itself wasn't as simple as it sounded. He knew that Rebecca believed in God, Jesus, and the whole 'salvation' thing, but because he insisted, she never spoke about it out loud.

It was even before they were married that he put his foot down on any talks about religion or politics, and for the first time since then he wished he hadn't. He longed to know more about her religion and what fuelled her faith. He wished he knew more about her dreams and goals for the future. He realized that he stood on the brink of divorce with a woman he didn't really know half as well as he should have. He felt selfish and ashamed for the first time since their marriage.

All you need to do is ask.

He saw Simon sitting underneath a tree in the little garden and walked over to him.

'Hey,' Simon said as Justin approached him. 'You're just in time to join me for a sandwich.'

Justin sat down in front of Simon on the soft grass and crossed his legs. 'I need to ask you something,' he said.

Simon nodded. 'Shoot.'

Justin took a sandwich from Simon and took a bite. He chewed a while and swallowed. 'I really need your honest opinion. It's matter of life and death.'

* - - \- *

'Dominic?'

Justin nodded.

Simon pondered the question for a moment. 'Do you want my honest opinion?'

'Nothing less.'

'I don't like him,' he said and bit into his sandwich. 'Not one bit.' He studied Justin for a minute as he slowly chewed on the sandwich. 'Why do you ask?'

'Not sure,' Justin said. 'There's something about that guy that creeps me out.'

'Yeah, me too.'

'And I think he's messing with my wife.'

Simon paused in mid-bite and slowly took the sandwich away from his mouth. 'Why do you say that?'

'I don't know,' Justin said. 'It's just a feeling I get. You know? Almost like those you got about me.'

'Did you speak to Rebecca about it yet?'

'Not yet, no.'

'Well, I think you should.'

'I wish that I was as laid back about everything as you are,' Justin said. 'Things just aren't that simple in real life, you know?'

Simon laughed. 'I wish that we could exchange shoes right here and now, my friend. But we can't. You have your quest to fulfil, and I have mine.'

There was a moment of silence between the two and in the silence; Justin pondered the actual reason for striking up the conversation with Simon. 'This whole sin and forgiveness issue,' he asked. 'Is it really that simple?'

Simon nodded. 'It is, yes. People tend to over-complicate the matter, and in doing so manage to make Christianity a burden not only on themselves, but on others as well.'

'But there are all these rules,' Justin said. 'All these rituals and dogma.'

'Not so,' Simon said. 'Do you know what the biggest rule of Christianity is?'

Justin thought for a moment. 'Thou shalt not kill?'

Simon shook his head. 'The biggest command to a Christian is to love the Lord your God with your whole heart and mind. The second biggest command is to love your neighbour as yourself. The foundation of Christianity is love.'

Justin didn't say anything. He merely finished his sandwich and allowed Simon to continue.

'God is able to love in a scale that human minds simply cannot comprehend. It is for that reason that Jesus Christ had to die. So that we don't have to. You're a father, Justin. Imagine if by the painful torture and death of your only son, you could ensure the survival of the human race. Would you allow it?'

Justin thought about the miscarriage. 'I don't...know.'

'Well, God made that sacrifice for you. The best part is that you don't have to do anything physically to earn it. You merely need to accept. All you need to do is ask.'

Justin felt convicted for the first time in years. The feeling was alien, yet not at all uncomfortable. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stood up. 'I have to go now,' he said. 'Thanks for the chat.'

'Anytime,' Simon said.

Justin turned to leave.

'Oh, and Justin?'

'Yes?'

'Good luck; and God speed.'

* - - \- *

Rebecca opened the door. 'Dominic,' she said. 'What a pleasant surprise.'

'I thought you'd be in a desperate need of a coffee break.'

'I don't drink coffee,' Rebecca said. 'But I do have a craving for some tea. Please, come in.'

Dominic entered the apartment and joined her in the kitchen as she boiled the water.

'Your husband still at work?'

'I'm afraid so,' she said. 'Traffic usually keeps him on the road until about seven.'

'That's just terrible,' Dominic said. 'I'll simply have to keep you company until then.' He said, but hesitated. 'That is, if you don't mind.'

'Not at all,' she said. She felt doubly blessed. Not only did she not have to be alone in the apartment, but she had the companionship of one of the most attractive men she had ever seen in her life.

'Does he work late often?' Dominic asked as they sat down in the living room.

'It's not really working late,' she reminded him. 'It's the traffic.'

'Oh yes,' Dominic said as if he had forgotten already. 'You must trust him an awful lot then.'

Rebecca frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'The traffic thing,' Dominic said. 'You must trust him a lot to think that he actually sits in traffic.' He shrugged. 'I don't know about him, but if I had to sit in traffic, I'd rather find something to do or someone to visit until most of the traffic's died down. Why sit in rush hour madness and frustrate yourself if you could just wait it out?'

'Someone to visit?'

'Oh, you know. People around the office, perhaps. Maybe a friend?'

'Like a lady friend?'

'Perhaps,' Dominic said and nodded.

'He doesn't have any female friends...'

'None that you know of,' Dominic said. 'Do you really think that you're the only female companionship he has?'

'Well...he knows Tanya...'

'True,' Dominic said and rubbed his chin. 'Well, it was just a thought. I could be wrong, of course.'

Rebecca thought about the past few weeks; Justin's constant late working, him losing his ring, going to sites, and his mood swings. She also remembered her discussions with Tanya, and slowly, a fear started becoming a reality. 'Are you implying that Justin is having an affair?'

'Not at all,' Dominic said and laughed heartedly. 'I'm merely saying that there is a gap for opportunity, wouldn't you think?'

I think he's having an affair, Tanya's voice echoed in her head. The evidence is there, and it's all pointing to one thing.

'I...I don't know what to believe anymore...'

Denial is a terrible thing.

'Again, I might be wrong,' Dominic said. 'But I'm just giving you a man's perspective on the situation.'

For the first time since she suspected Justin having an affair did Rebecca actually feel angry. She felt like a blind fool, being mocked and duped in front of the world while blindly following the man claiming to love her. She was angry and for the first time she actually considered divorcing Justin Greene.

Dominic placed his hands over hers. 'I didn't want to mention this,' he said and hesitated. 'But I can't hide this from you anymore.'

Rebecca didn't say anything. She merely waited for Dominic to continue.

'I've been having these...strange dreams about you.'

'Dreams...?'

He nodded. 'Well, they were dreams at first. After I've gotten to know you better I realized that these dreams were mental representations of my actual feelings for you.'

Rebecca just sat there, dumbstruck. She felt faint, unable to process the information. Finally she conjured the strength to speak again. 'Feelings...?'

'I like you, Rebecca, I really do,' Dominic said and—holding her hands in his—shifted a little closer to her. 'I've never felt like this about anyone else before.'

Her mind reeled; her heart beat faster than ever before; her breathing was short, and her stomach tightened. 'I...I'm married...'

'To what?' Dominic asked. 'A good for nothing, cheating husband that doesn't care about you or your baby?' He established eye contact with her to make sure she soaked in what he said. 'I, on the other hand, care greatly for you and your baby. I will always be with you and will never leave or forsake you.'

Rebecca wanted him to embrace her. She yearned physical contact. 'You...you have to leave,' she said.

Dominic gave her hand a slight squeeze before he got up. 'Think about what I've said.' He headed for the door and gave her one last look before leaving through it.

Denial is a terrible thing.

To Rebecca, everything between her and Justin was spinning out of control: their love life, their communication, and their marriage. 'Oh, come home, Justin,' she whispered, and then she cried.

* - - \- *

Demons battled angels. Simon was surrounded by the foul smelling creatures. They advanced at a rapid pace, all baring fangs and waving swords.

'Elrisk!' Simon shouted. 'Where are you?'

The demons advanced quicker.

'Elrisk!'

'Right here beside you, my old friend,' a voice spoke from his left.

Simon looked to his side and saw the man that had been in his apartment only a week ago. The man was clothed in robes of gold that radiated light. He brandished a flaming sword in his hand and had huge, powerful wings.

'Looks like we have company,' the angel known to Simon as Elrisk said and pointed at the advancing horde.

Simon didn't make a move until they were almost upon him. He instinctively reached for his side and unsheathed a flaming sword. With one forceful arc through the air, Simon slew four demons at once.

'Welcome back, Yuriel,' Elrisk said and laughed out loudly.

The two of them slashed their way through hordes of demons until, finally, there were no more to slay.

Simon looked at the angel next to him. 'I accept,' he said.

'Accept?'

'The truth.'

Elrisk didn't say anything.

'I accept the truth and embrace the knowledge of who I really am.'

Elrisk smiled and his teeth radiated a blinding light that engulfed Simon. He woke up and slid off the bed. On his knees he prayed while the tears flowed. But they were not tears of sadness. They were tears of victory and joy.

# Chapter 13

'You what?' Justin asked louder that he intended to. 'You gave me your word!'

Lance frowned. 'I know I did,' he said. 'But I would really not have asked you if you weren't my only hope.'

'Is there no one else in the entire company that can go?'

'This is our biggest paying client,' Lance said. 'We simply can't afford to lose them. Richard made such a mess of the site that they're threatening to cancel the contract, and if that happens...well, then who knows how many people we would have to lay off.'

'That's not my problem,' Justin said. 'You gave me your word that I wouldn't have to go.'

'You're up for a review next month,' Lance said, ignoring Justin. 'Just imagine to what advantage it could be, career wise, if news would reach the board members that you single-handedly saved the company.'

Justin bit his lip. He wanted to single-handedly smack Lance across his large desk. But there were bills to pay, a wife to take care of, and a baby that would soon need a lot of diapers. All of those things meant money, and money was something that Justin could use more of.

'It's all in your hands now,' Lance said. 'You alone control the fate of this company.'

Justin thought about the comment for a while. 'And who controls the fate of my marriage?'

Lance smiled. 'I know you'll sort something out with the wife,' he said. 'You always do.'

Justin wanted to strangle Lance with his own tie. Why don't you go, mister family man, he wanted to shout as Lance's face turned from red to purple. 'I'll see what I can do,' he said instead.

'You do that,' Lance said and exposed his teeth in his perfectly practiced corporate grin. Defeated, Justin took a deep breath and left the office.

* - - \- *

'I don't think you should go,' Simon said, 'I really have a very bad feeling about this.'

'So do I,' Justin said. 'If I go, Rebecca will leave me. For good this time. I know it.' He sighed. 'But if I don't, the company will lose its biggest paying client and most likely fire or retrench me; something we can't afford now that there's a baby on the way.'

'They can't put that kind of pressure on you,' Simon said. 'Is there no one else they can send instead?'

Justin shook his head. 'Not according to Lance, no. I'm the chosen one that will save the company. The corporate messiah.'

Simon didn't laugh at Justin's joke. 'Have you spoken to Rebecca about your concerns with Dominic yet?'

'I haven't, no,' Justin admitted. 'Didn't have the time to do so yet. She was troubled about something when I got home the other night, so I didn't want to upset her any more than absolutely necessary.'

'When are you going to the site?'

'Tomorrow afternoon; after work. Just have to shoot by the apartment to pick up some stuff and say goodbye to Becky before I leave.'

'Will you be able to talk to her tonight?'

'I don't know,' Justin said. 'I guess I could at least try.'

'I still don't think you should go,' Simon said.

'Tell that to Lance.'

Simon rubbed his face. 'This is really bad.'

'Why couldn't they just send you?' Justin asked. 'No offence.'

'I have that roll-out to finish,' Simon said. 'It has to be done by Friday, and there's no way that anyone could be brought up to speed in time for me to take over your site.'

'This sucks,' Justin said. 'Guess I have no choice but to face the music then, do I?'

'Everything will turn out fine,' Simon said. 'I'm almost sure of it.'

Justin shrugged. 'Tell that to my wife,' he said and walked off.

* - - \- *

Rebecca sat on the couch with her face in her hands. She didn't know what to believe anymore. Was Justin having an affair? Should she just leave him and get it over with? Did Dominic really care for her and the baby as much as he claimed that he did, or was it merely an infatuation? Did she really like Dominic enough to cheat on her husband? Tit for tat, Tanya would say. Rebecca switched on the television. She desperately needed companionship right now.

'People of Kelwick are baffled about the heat wave that has been ravaging the small town for the past five months. Many have been hospitalised due to dehydration and heat stroke, and many more have been treated with severe sunburn.'

She muted the television. White noise would have to do.

A soft knock on the door made her jump. She instinctively knew who it was, and as she walked down the corridor she secretly hoped that she was right. She opened the door to find flowers blocking her view from whoever was at the other side. So many flowers.

'A kiss-and-make-up present for the most wonderful lady on earth,' Dominic said.

Rebecca held her hand to her mouth and then stepped aside and let him in.

'Where can I put this?' he asked.

She had no idea. 'Put them on the table for now,' she said. 'I'll deal with them in a moment.'

'Do you like them?' Dominic asked.

'I love them,' she said. 'Thank you.'

Dominic just smiled.

'What on earth are they for?'

'Just a gift,' he said. 'It's my way of apologizing for upsetting you the other day.'

'No need to apologize,' Rebecca said. 'I just had a lot on my mind lately, that's all.'

'That's a relief to know,' he said. 'For a moment there I figured that I lost a wonderful friendship.'

'Not at all,' said Rebecca while she smelled the flowers.

'I'm glad you feel that way,' Dominic said. He extended his arms for a hug and Rebecca accepted. The hug went on for longer than it should have. She felt butterflies in her stomach and her heart pounded her chest. When she looked up at him she was still held firmly in his embrace, and he in hers. Without saying anything, the two of them brought their lips together and kissed.

* - - \- *

Justin came home with a small bouquet of flowers; substantially smaller than Dominic's.

'Oh my,' Rebecca said when he gave her the flowers. 'What are these for?'

'Just because I can...' Justin said. His words trailed off as he spotted the two vases filled with flowers on the dinner table. 'What's that?' he asked.

Rebecca hesitated. Her stomach churned and it felt as if Justin could see right through her. She wanted to confess to kissing Dominic, but for some reason didn't feel that she had to justify herself. 'These were from Dominic,' she said as casually as she could manage.

'Why?'

'Not sure,' she said. 'I think it might be to thank me for dinner the other night.'

Justin clenched his teeth and for a moment it felt like they would snap off in his mouth. 'I want you to take it back,' he said. 'Tell him that you can't accept it.'

'I already did accept them, Justin,' Rebecca said. 'He didn't mean anything by it.'

'Oh no?' Justin asked. 'And how would you feel if I gave another man's wife all those flowers?'

She hesitated. 'It's different...'

'Really? How?'

'It...just...is...'

'How Rebecca? How is it different? You're married. Men shouldn't be giving you flowers.'

'Well, you're married too,' she snapped back. 'You shouldn't be spending time with other women.'

'What?' Justin asked. 'What the hell are you talking about?'

'Don't pretend like you don't know. The 'late' nights at the office. The constant 'sites' that you have to go to. Your lack of physical attention. The lack of emotional attention. The missing ring that you never bothered replacing. The list goes on, Justin.'

'What are you on about?' Justin asked. 'Do you seriously believe the things you're saying?' He didn't wait for an answer. 'I've been breaking my back to put food on the table, Becky. I've gone to the sites so that you might have a better life. And you know damn well that I'm waiting until payday to replace the ring.' He paused to regulate his breathing and regain control of his voice. 'Wait...are you implying that I'm having an affair?'

Rebecca pursed her lips. 'Are...are you?'

'Of course not, honey,' Justin said. 'That's absurd! I don't even have time to focus on you and our baby properly, let alone anyone else.'

'I...I don't know what to believe anymore,' Rebecca said. Justin took her in his arms and gently stroked the back of her head. Her lip quivered. 'I'm sorry that I'm such a terrible wife.'

'Nonsense,' he said. 'You're not a terrible wife. It's me that's the terrible husband.'

'You're not,' Rebecca said and bit her lip.

'You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Becky. Don't ever forget that.'

Rebecca looked up at Justin. She wanted to tell him so desperately about her mistake, but couldn't find the strength or courage.

'I know that I haven't been much of a husband to you lately,' he said. 'I'll make it up to you.' Might as well go all the way. 'The first thing that I'm going to do when I get back from the site is get myself another job.'

Rebecca pushed herself away from Justin. 'Another site?'

Justin frowned. 'This will be the last one,' he said. 'I promise.'

'You promised before,' she said.

'This time it's different. I'm going to quit when I get back.'

'Why don't you just quit now?'

'It won't go down too well with management. I need them as reference when I look for another job. If I burn my bridges now, all my hard work to date would have been in vain. The time away at sites; everything I've done would have meant nothing.'

'I need you more than you need them,' she said. 'You can always get another job somewhere, with or without their reference.'

'Becky, it took me months of actively searching to get another job after I lost the previous one.'

'Well,' she said. 'You have to decide now, Justin Greene, which is more important. Your job or your wife. Because it appears that either way, you're going to lose one of them.'

* - - \- *

Despite the numerous amounts of explaining Justin did, Rebecca couldn't understand why he would choose to go to the site instead of staying with her and their unborn child. Did they mean so little to him?

'I'm going to resign,' he said after he finished packing his bags. 'This time it's for real.'

You might as well not come back, Rebecca thought. All your belongings are already packed. She just stared at him. She wanted to be tough, but couldn't stop her lower lip from quivering.

'We're going to work something out,' Justin said and hugged her. She didn't want to let go of him, for if she did, he would leave. She clung to him. He gently pushed her back. For just the briefest moment in time, she managed to make herself believe that he didn't really have to go; that they would have a nice relaxing evening in front of the television. He broke himself free and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. 'When I come back,' he said, 'we're going to sit and work through this. I promise.'

She waved as he drove off until the car disappeared around the corner, and then with tear-filled eyes returned to the cold emptiness of the apartment.

* - - \- *

The woman entered the large empty room with a huge pentagram painted in the middle of the cement floor. She walked around the pentagram and placed a black candle on each point of the star while she chanted something in a foreign language. The cloaked woman then lit the candles and stepped inside the circle painted around the pentagram and walked to the middle of the five-pointed star. There, she sat cross-legged and chanted for a while longer. She suddenly stopped and opened her eyes.

'Oh, prince of darkness,' she said while forming various patterns in the air with her hands. 'Hear me and guide our chosen one to complete his appointed task in this final hour.'

Invisible demons danced around the circle and chanted along with the woman.

'Oh, lord of darkness,' Tanya said. 'Hear my prayers and give strength to our champion.'

* - - \- *

Simon watched the skies as dark clouds formed rapidly over the town of Kelwick. Something unnatural was brewing. He could smell it in the coming rain. Something of un-imaginable evil was on the verge of happening.

'Dear Lord,' Simon prayed. 'Please protect Justin from any harm on the road.' Images of a horrific head-on-head collision involving Justin and a pick-up truck flashed through Simon's mind. 'Please protect my friend.'

* - - \- *

Justin wanted to send a text message to Rebecca, but just as he was typing it, his battery died.

'Nuts,' he said and flung the useless phone to one side. Much needed rain was coming. Clouds billowed thick and dark at a rapid pace. Wind kicked dust into the air, lending a certain purple colour to the late afternoon skyline. Justin switched on the headlights of his car.

Although he was confident that he would sort out everything with Rebecca when he returned, something gnawed at his stomach. Something made him feel uncomfortable.

Well you have to decide now, Justin Greene, which is more important. Your job or your wife. Because it appears that either way, you're going to lose one of them.

Justin shook his head. It wasn't fair.

It's in your hands now. You alone control the fate of this company.

Justin knew that he had an obligation towards his employer. He bit his lower lip. He also had one towards his wife. Justin hesitated a moment longer and then pulled off the side of the road.

Just imagine to what advantage it could be, career wise, if news would reach the board members that you single-handedly saved the company.

'I don't care,' Justin said out loud. 'My wife needs me.'

It's in your hands now. You alone control the fate of this company.

'I-don't-care!' Justin shouted and slammed the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. He took a few deep breaths, weighed his options, made up his mind, and then made the U-turn back home.

* - - \- *

Rebecca opened the door. Dominic's pleasant smile was a warm contrast to the cold and lonely feeling in her heart.

'I need you,' Dominic said.

Rebecca hesitated, and just stood there, holding on to the door without saying a word. The wind ripped it from her hand, but Dominic grabbed it in mid-swing. He stepped inside and closed the door.

'I can't...do this...' Rebecca said.

Dominic placed his finger over her lips and brought his mouth close to her ear. 'You deserve more, Rebecca,' he whispered. 'You deserve better.'

'Better...' Rebecca repeated. She felt her legs buckle from beneath her, but Dominic's powerful arms kept her from falling to the ground. He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom where he gently lay her down onto the bed.

'Am I dreaming?' Rebecca asked in a daze. Her head was spinning and her breathing felt deep and forced. 'Is this a dream?'

Dominic leaned forward and kissed her passionately. 'This is no dream, my love,' he said. 'Let go of your fears. Free yourself.'

'Free...' Rebecca whispered. Dominic's voice echoed in her mind. Darkness slowly engulfed her vision as she slipped deeper and deeper into Dominic's trance.

'Free yourself from the bondages of marriage. Save yourself from the clutches of Justin.'

'Justin...'

'Let him go.' Dominic brushed her hair gently. 'Let go of Justin and come with me.'

'Let go...'

Rebecca's eyes rolled back into her head. When she spoke, the sound of each word came out hollow and empty.

Dominic kissed her again. 'Come with me and leave all this behind you.'

'Leave...'

'Come with me.'

'Come...'

Rebecca closed her eyes and a moment later opened them again. They were devoid of any sign of emotion or self-control.

'Come,' Dominic said and took her hand. He gently guided her from the bed. 'Follow me.'

Sheepishly, Rebecca obeyed.

Lightning flashed outside as the two of them walked hand-in-hand from the room.

* - - \- *

Justin couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was going to happen. He almost crashed the car into a wall as he pulled in to park it. The wind ripped at the door as he opened it, but he tightened his grip. Sand peppered his face from all directions. Now and again he felt a raindrop hit random parts of his body.

Justin had a hard time hearing anything above the wailing of the wind. He ran to the apartment, his jacket snapping in the wind. He reached the door and was surprised to find it unlocked.

Rebecca will be equally surprised when she sees I'm back, he thought, feeling relieved that he ultimately decided to go home instead. Lightning flashed as he opened the door.

* - - \- *

'What are you doing here?' Justin asked as he entered the living room. 'And what the hell are you doing with my wife?'

Dominic's facial expression made it obvious that he was caught off-guard. 'You're not supposed to be here,' he hissed and shook his head. 'It doesn't matter. She is no longer your wife,' he said. 'She's coming with me.'

Justin couldn't believe that this puny excuse for a man would even dare challenge him. 'Like hell she will,' He said and charged at Dominic. He slammed his fist into Dominic's face, sending the young man tumbling backward into the couch.

'Rebecca,' Justin said and shook his wife gently on the shoulders. 'What's going on here?'

'Leave...'

The wind howled. Dominic looked up and snarled.

Justin looked at Dominic and his blood froze when he saw the glowing eyes and the razor sharp jagged teeth. Teeth like a shark! Justin thought. Before he could blink, Dominic was upon him and had his throat clamped in a vice-like grip that was meant to crush.

'Urk—!'

'You should have been dead by now,' Dominic hissed. 'Smashed into a truck. I don't know how you managed to survive that, but I can promise you that you will not survive this.'

Dominic flung Justin across the room, and his huge frame smashed into the wall unit with enough force to shatter every bone in his body. Only the angle that he struck the wall unit with was what spared him of that fate. In a fraction of a second Dominic was upon Justin again. He lifted his claw-like hand into the air.

'In the name of Jesus Christ,' a voice at the door shouted above the wind. 'Leave that man alone!'

An invisible force flung Dominic from Justin and sent him sprawling into the couch again.

'This has gone far enough, demon,' Simon said.

'You?' Dominic sneered with a snarl. 'A mere human? You think you can threaten me?'

'I'm warning you,' Simon said. 'Stay away from these people.'

Dominic jumped up and sprinted towards Simon, his teeth bared and his claw-like fingers ready to rip apart whatever it grabbed hold of. At the last possible second, Simon side-stepped him and shot out the ridge of his hand into Dominic's throat, sending the man toppling head over heels before slamming him into the ground.

'You will not harm this family,' Simon said. 'You will not lay your dirty hands on their son.'

Dominic stood up and growled like a lion. His eyes glowed like burning embers from his darkened sockets. 'This is where you die,' he said and charged at Simon again. Once again Simon side-stepped but this time a brilliant sword appeared in his hands with which he slashed out at Dominic, cleaving the man's stomach from side to side.

Dominic held his hand over his stomach and looked down. The wound was fatal. He realized it. Slowly the flesh on his hand and around the wound dissolved. He took a step closer to Simon.

'Get her out of here!' Simon shouted at his friend. Justin wrapped his arms around Rebecca and picked her up. He ran for the door and Rebecca moaned softly as she slowly started to break free from her trance. At the door Justin looked at Simon, still wondering what on earth was going on. 'Go!' Simon insisted. That was all Justin needed to nudge him out the door.

* - - \- *

'We need to get away from here,' Justin said as he strapped Rebecca into the passenger seat of the car. He ran around to the driver's side and got in. The raindrops were coming down harder now, slapping the windshield with a rhythmic patter.

Rebecca moaned. 'Away...'

Justin tried the ignition. It failed. 'Come on, you stupid thing!' He tried it again. Still nothing. On the third try the engine growled to life. Justin sighed, reversed from the parking space, and then sped down the main road without looking back.

* - - \- *

Muscles peeled off as more flesh over the body dissolved. Dominic took another step toward Simon. A bony claw shot through the flesh that only a moment ago represented a human hand. Large sinewy fingers with long, sharp nails replaced the fingers that once were. Another step closer. The face split with a snap and the demon tore the remaining human tissue from itself. Its eyes blood. Its fangs steel. It took another step, and then another one. Before Simon could react, the demon slapped away his sword and grabbed him by the neck.

Simon managed an 'Ung—!' as the demon twisted its hand and snapped his neck. It threw Simon's lifeless body to one side and let out a powerful roar.

* - - \- *

'Stay with me, baby,' Justin said. He placed his hand on her leg and shook it a little. Rebecca moaned again and opened her eyes. Her vision, although still blurred, was slowly returning to normal. Justin's voice was still a distant, unintelligible echo in her ears. 'Focus on my voice.'

She closed her eyes, swallowed hard, and then opened them again. 'Where...where are we...?'

Justin flipped on the windshield wipers. The rain pelted down hard now and the wind jolted the car across the lane every now and again. Justin clutched the steering wheel tightly, trying to keep control of the vehicle while he tried to make up as much distance between them and the apartment as quickly as possible. 'We're in the car, honey,' he said.

Rebecca sat up and rubbed her face. 'Where are we—?'

Thud!

The car shook as something heavy struck the roof. Rebecca screamed. Justin jerked at the wheel to swerve the car out of the way of an oncoming truck.

'Hang on, baby,' Justin said and stepped down on the gas pedal.

'What's going on?'

'I don't know!'

Justin jerked at the sound of metal tearing right next to his head. A rotten claw ripped through the roof and grabbed hold of Rebecca's hair. She screamed out in panic and Justin swerved the car hard to the right to try and shake off whatever was on the roof. It didn't work. Justin over steered and for a split second time stood perfectly still.

Everything paused.

Rebecca's panic-stricken face was the last thing Justin saw before he closed his eyes.

Sound, motion, wind, and rain all returned at once as the car veered off the shoulder of the road, crashed into a log, flipped over, twirled through the air, and smashed into the ground with a sickening crunch.

Then everything was silent again aside from the soft hissing coming from the torn-apart wreck.

* - - \- *

Justin groaned as he tried to move. The rain relentlessly slapped his face. Slowly he moved his head, then his arms, his legs, and finally his torso. Everything felt in place, yet his body was wracked with pain. Slowly, he managed to sit upright. He had been flung from the car when it struck the log. His vision was blurred and his forehead throbbed. He rubbed his hand though his hair and looked at the crimson stain on his palm in disbelief as the rain washed it clean.

Blood!

'Rebecca...?' he rasped, and as he tried to stand up, his leg buckled underneath him and he crashed face-first into the muddy earth.

You should have been dead by now.

Justin tried to structure his thoughts.

Smashed into a truck.

'Rebecca...?'

I don't know how you managed to survive that, but I can promise you that you will not survive this.

Justin used a tree to pull himself up. He scanned the terrain. There was no sign of Rebecca anywhere. He looked at the wreck not too far from him. Blood and rain trailed down his face and dripped off the tip of his nose and chin. He wiped his face with a muddy hand.

'Rebecca?'

He limped towards the wreck, flinching each time he moved a limb. Halfway there he made out a shape that churned his stomach. He saw Rebecca's blood-cloaked arm from behind the metal frame of the car.

'Rebecca!'

Pain shot through every nerve as Justin quickened his pace. His leg buckled once, but he got up again and finally reached his wife. Justin's initial reaction to the sight that awaited him was a combination of shock and sorrow. He cried out and fell down next to Rebecca. She was pinned under the wreck, crushed from the waist down.

'Baby...' Justin said, but the wind drowned out his words. 'No...'

Rebecca's eyes slowly opened. She looked up at Justin and he could see from her facial expression that she was in great pain. He could also tell that she knew she was dying. 'You...came back...'

Justin nodded. Tears welled in his eyes. 'I don't want to lose you. . .' The last words were chocked off as tears mixed with rain.

Rebecca forced a faint smile. 'I...love...'

'No! Hang in there!'

Rebecca tried to move her arm. She desperately wanted to touch her husband one last time, but she had no strength left in her. She tried to force a painful smile to re-assure her husband, but she couldn't even manage that. She wanted to close her eyes—only for a moment—and rest for a while. She strained to keep her eyes open. Her mind flashed random images of her life. Rebecca tried to construct a complete thought, but couldn't. Finally she closed her eyes as she exhaled her last breath.

Justin cradled her head in his chest as he protected her face from the downpour. 'Stay with me, Becky,' he tried to motivate her. 'Hang in there.'

No response.

'Becky,' Justin said and shook her lightly.

No response.

He felt her pulse.

Nothing.

No! This can't be happening! Justin tried to breathe into her mouth, but even as he did so, he realized that the attempt was futile. 'No, Becky! No, no, no...' He lay her on the ground and hunched over her as he cried. 'NO!'

I'm sorry that I'm such a terrible wife.

Justin broke down and sobbed as the reality of losing his wife and unborn child struck him. He touched her face and wished that they were home; cuddled under a blanket in front of the television. He lost the only thing that ever mattered to him in the blink of an eye.

Lightning flashed.

Thunder rumbled.

Something behind Justin stirred.

Justin looked up in time to see a claw grip his neck.

* - - \- *

A short rib snapped as Justin struck the tree not too far from where the demon had flung him. He fell to the ground and coughed and wheezed as he tried to realign his thoughts. In less than a second the demon was upon him again, slowly crushing Justin's throat in its grip.

'Hnggg—!'

The demon smashed him into the ground with a force that completely knocked the wind out of him. Justin was on the verge of losing consciousness. He didn't have the strength or will power to fight back. Even if he did, he would be no match against the monster that flung him around as if he weighed nothing at all.

All you need to do is ask.

The demon lifted Justin off the ground with one arm and again tossed him against a tree. Another blow like that would kill him for sure. Justin realized that the monster would not let up until he had breathed his last breath.

The claw gripped around his throat again and squeezed. His breath was running out. His peripheral vision blurred and then faded to black. He could eventually only see the face of the demon and he knew that it would only be a matter of seconds before that too, would be replaced by darkness.

All you need to do is ask.

'Forgive me...' Justin rasped with what strength and breath he had left. 'Please forgive me, Jesus.'

The demon screamed and dropped Justin to the ground. Justin's lungs burned and his throat felt raw. The demon recovered and reached out to Justin, but a blinding light made it pause and look back. It only saw a glimpse of the glorious angel before a sword slashed down and dismembered its head clean from its charred body.

The light grew in brilliance until Justin could see nothing but white. The demon's remains fizzled and dissolved in the intense glow and once every trace of the demon was gone, the light faded, and with the light, the rain subsided.

Justin sat against the tree, breathing heavily as he wiped water, blood, and mud from his face. A man hunched down in front of him.

'Are you all right?' the man asked.

Justin swallowed hard and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the blurred image came into focus. 'Simon...'

'No sudden moves,' Simon said. 'You're banged up pretty bad.'

Justin's head swirled. He coughed up a thin trail of blood. 'Rebecca,' he said. 'She...she's...'

Simon lowered his head. Sadness filled his eyes. 'She's gone,' he confirmed.

Justin's throat was on fire. He couldn't scream. He couldn't shout. He merely shook as he cried. Simon gently placed his hand on Justin's shoulder. There were no words that could heal the hurt in Justin's heart. No thoughts of comfort that would replace the aching void.

'Wait here,' Simon said and stood up. He walked to the wreck where Rebecca lay and knelt down on his knees. Simon looked up at the skies and prayed. 'Lord God. Please help me this one last time before I come home.'

Justin strained to keep his eyes open. It felt like he was trapped in a nightmare that he couldn't wake from. His thoughts jumped around as he tried to remain conscious.

For a moment nothing happened. Simon stood up and walked to the car. He took a deep breath and then picked up the wreck as if it was made of mere cardboard and tossed it to one side. He then focussed his attention on Rebecca.

Justin figured that he was definitely dreaming. He shook his head and tried to stand up, but a sharp stabbing pain in his chest made him reconsider the thought.

'Rebecca,' Simon said as he knelt down next to her. She was pale and limp, her lips purple. Simon held his hand over her eyes. 'Lord Jesus,' he prayed. 'Please restore your child. Please give them back what Satan stole from them.'

Rebecca's finger twitched slightly. But nothing more happened.

Simon's appearance transformed back from human to angel. As before, pure light emanated from his skin and as his wings unfolded, the light intensified until it completely engulfed Rebecca. For a moment it felt like everything in the universe stood still and focussed on the event until—a moment later—the light faded away.

'Rebecca,' Simon said and took his hand from her eyes. 'Wake up.'

Justin crawled toward the spot where Simon hunched over Rebecca.

Rebecca gasped and then slowly opened her eyes.

'Thank you, Holy Spirit,' Simon breathed softly.

'Simon,' she said and swallowed. Simon nodded. She tilted her head and saw Justin. 'My love...'

Justin reached out to her. She reached back and their hands touched. Both cried.

Simon stood up. He took a step back and allowed Justin to embrace his wife. 'The ambulance should be here soon,' he said.

Justin looked up at Simon. 'You're...you've...'

Simon smiled. 'Take good care of your wife and son,' he said. 'It's been an honour to know you.'

Justin didn't know what to say. So many thoughts. So many feelings. So many questions. He merely nodded. 'You too, Simon.'

Lightning flashed.

Simon was gone.

Justin sat upright with Rebecca and embraced her. 'I don't ever want to lose you again,' he said as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Rebecca smiled faintly. 'Neither do I,' she said.

In the distance, the sound of sirens grew gradually louder.

# Epilogue

'Are you sure you guys don't want to stay?' Tanya asked. 'Kelwick really isn't such a bad place.'

'Nothing in hell could keep us here,' Justin said as he loaded another box into the truck.

Rebecca giggled at his pun.

Tanya sighed. 'Promise you'll e-mail me every day,' she said as she hugged Rebecca.

'I promise.'

'We'll invite you for a week once we're settled that side,' Justin said.

'I'll take you up on that,' Tanya said and for a brief moment there was a comfortable silence where no one said anything.

Justin figured that the time for small talk was over. 'Come, Becky,' he said. 'Let's hit the road.'

Rebecca nodded and gave Tanya one last hug before getting in the car. Justin closed her door and walked around to the driver's side.

'Oh yes,' Tanya said before he got in. 'If anything should ever happen to you two, I'd be more than happy to take care of your son.'

'You're the best, Tanya,' Rebecca said through the open window. Justin started the car and both waved at Tanya as they drove off into their new lives.

# To be continued...

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