"To Never Be" - Time of Need

       “No! NO!” I shouted, screaming into the open cathedral door. My vision had changed again, reverting back to its original state. The light radiating from Nicene was gone, as well as Kristi and the seven glowing men.

       Nicene had jumped when I shouted. I can only guess my sudden screaming startled her. I stopped for a moment, staring as the door to the cathedral closed it self, and I knew she was gone.

       “Stephanie!” I shouted turning around to face her. “Stephanie, please, do it again. I have to speak with her again!”

       Stephanie looked at me, with a worried look on her face. “I can’t Tobias. I never should have done it in the first place.”

       “Don’t give me that! You can do it again! Do it!”

       “Tobias, I can’t, I’m sorry.”

       I rushed towards her, grabbed her by the shoulders and screamed into her face, “Liar!”

       “Tobias!” Nicene was shouting my name from behind me. “Tobias, what the hell are you doing?!”

       I stood still for a moment, staring down on to Stephanie’s face. She turned my sudden confusion to her advantage by twisting out of my grasp and pushing me away.

       “I’m sorry.” I whispered, looking down to avoid Stephanie’s gaze. “I miss her so much, I just want to see her again Stephanie.”

       “I can’t Tobias. You know I can’t” Stephanie said.

       Nicene walked up behind me, and placing her hand on my shoulder said, “It’s alright Tobias. It will be okay.”

       I turned in her direction, still looking towards the ground as I began to speak. But as I did, she moved her hand from my shoulder, placing her fingers over my lips to quiet what I was about to say. I looked up from the ground, but when I looked into her eyes, all I could see was fear. She did not move, she stood reaching out to my face, paralyzed with a look of fear. Her mouth was shaking as tears began to roll down her face.

       “Nicene, what’s wrong?” I asked, with a frightened tone to my voice. “Nicene!” I shouted, turning to look over my shoulder at Stephanie. As I turned, I heard Nicene suddenly begin to scream. I quickly turned back in her direction, and as I did I noticed she was now trembling. With her arm still extended, her entire body was shuddering so hard that it broke her scream into rapid pulses. I grabbed Nicene to try and steady her, as Stephanie came rushing into my view to stand beside Nicene. As the two of us tried to comfort her, her screaming continued as if we were not even around. Finally, as her breath ran out, she began to quiet down.

       Stephanie grabbed Nicene’s face, placing both of her palms against Nicene’s checks. “Nicene! Calm down, it’s ok. You’re safe, nothing’s wrong.”

       Stephanie spent the next few minutes talking to Nicene, as we both held her trying to still her shaking body.

       As she calmed down, she began to whisper pieces of incoherent sentences, still being distorted by her quivering body. “Crosses. They are all buried under crosses. So many crosses.”

       “Who’s buried Nicene?” Stephanie asked.

       “No, no no. This city ate them. The concrete flowing like a wild river. The Earth reclaims the mountains. The sky sets the land aflame.”

       “Nicene what are you talking about?!” Stephanie asked, shaking Nicene as she spoke.

       “Stephanie!” I shouted, “Let her calm down.”

       “Right, okay.”

       “So many dead. The survivors buried the dead. So many crosses.”

       The three of us slowly sank to the ground, resting on the brick pathway leading to the Cathedral’s doors. Nicene had shifted her weight, and was now completely resting in my arms. Stephanie sat down beside us, and was lightly brushing Nicene’s arm with her hand. Nicene continued to speak, short fragments that neither Stephanie nor myself seemed to understand.

       Stephanie raised her head, and while still stroking Nicene’s arm, spoke. “She doesn’t know it, but she touched you exactly as that girl had.”

       “What do you mean?” I asked.

       “We all have something to hide Tobias, maybe Nicene got a glimpse of what that girl was hiding.”

       “I don’t know.”

       “Hopefully she will be able to tell us soon enough.” Stephanie said.

       A little time passed, and Nicene had begun to quiet down. I looked at Stephanie, and as she looked back into my eyes I asked, “What are you?”