Amber by Dan-Dwayne Spencer (e book reader .TXT) 📕

does feel like we're floating in the swimming pool—huh?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“No, but you thought it.”

And indeed I did. “Listen. Do you hear that?”

“It’s a car motor. It sounds like it's moving fast.”

A terrible screech of tires on pavement broke the calm.

“That was unnerving.”

“I agree.” I looked at my wrist. I had on a new wristwatch, or should I say, it was an old one. The thing looked like an antique. The face glowed like it had real radium paint on it. It displayed the time—4:55. The watch vanished.

“Geeze, it went away. I liked that watch.”

“At least you got to see what time it is.”

In the distance, I heard a door slam, then another. In a moment, another door slammed.

“I didn’t see three doors. Did you?”

“I didn’t see any doors at all.”

Another door slammed.

“Make that four doors.”

The watch reappeared on my arm. The glowing display lit up with the time—5:00.

“Time flies when you're having fun. You are having fun, aren’t you, Arland?”

I suppose I was. “It certainly beats fighting fires or worrying if we were going to escape a horrid demon curse.”

The silence carried every noise like it came out of an amplifier. Click, clack…click, clack…click, clack. Then more silence.

A jingling of keys echoed over the sea of blackness.

“Unmistakable. That sounded like your dad’s keys when he can’t get the front door unlocked.”

“He’s your dad too.”

“If you say so.”

Another door slammed, followed by a flutter of wings, and yet another door slammed.

The watch reappeared on my wrist.

“What time is on your watch?

“5:03—why? Are you taking medicine?”

“No. Don’t be silly. I was just wondering.”

Another door slammed, only this time it was followed by the sound of broken glass. In the distance, a building appeared on an island so far away I had to squint to get the details. From what I could tell, it was a metal building with brick trim. The low porch led to double glass doors with a forest green canopy overhead trimmed in creamy beige. I could hear Mama Cass Eliot singing Dream a Little Dream of Me as the entire island sank into the blackness of the water. When the water covered it, building and all, the music faded away and we floated down past where the island had been—we swam, comfortable and carefree, in complete silence.

“Lay back and rest. It’s been a long day, and morning will come fast enough.”

Chapter Seventeen

Unexpected Intervention

Darkness covered the Roundhouse like a warm velvet blanket. It lured me back into the euphoria of sleep, even though I knew we had to get going with the plan. I got up, pulled my Bruce Lee T-shirt over my head, and worked at folding my blankets. Lingering in the moment, I put the pillowcase to my face one last time, and inhaled. They used some kind of delightful lavender laundry detergent. I hesitated, then resumed my folding.

The rest of the commune would be there later for breakfast, and I didn’t want my bedding scattered across the cot. Even though I was fifteen-years-old, I wasn’t a slob. Well, not all the time anyway. Jimmy and Roger were barely dragging themselves off their cots.

I looked up toward the top of the eastern treehouse. Flower was standing there. I yelled up to her. “Hey, where is the restroom. I’m going to have to hit-the-head pretty fast.” The lifeguards called the restroom at the swimming pool the head and I thought it sounded cool.

Ignoring my request, Flower called down to us, “Have any of you seen Rose this morning?”

“How should I know?” Roger yelled as he turned back over. “What time is it?” He looked up. “It’s still dark out.”

I answered, “It’s 3:45 in the morning. We need to get going with the plan for the day.”

“Oh, Geeze.” Roger flopped back over, face up. “Yeah, the plan.” In moments, he started snoring again.

“Hey, Roger, get up.” I shook my head and pulled his lanky leg off the cot.

Jimmy replied, “I just opened my eyes. I must have slept hard because waking up was like crawling out of Neverland through a tiny tree trunk tunnel.”

I made a mental note: Jimmy had just made a literary reference. The Jimmy I knew wouldn’t be caught dead with anything but a textbook in his hands, he’s too busy practicing for one sport or another.

Jimmy yawned and stretched as he sat on the side of the bed. “Arland’s right, where is the restroom? That’s my priority.”

Flower sounded more urgent, “I can’t find Rose anywhere.” She wrung her hands in worry. “I haven’t seen her since Jimmy went—” She caught herself before she gave the plan away. “Since we all went to bed. Arland, she’s missing.”

An icy breeze blew through the Roundhouse. I reached up and shielded my eyes from a flash of brilliant light erupting from the center of the room. Flower turned away and back again. There before my eyes was a familiar sight…the angel Reuwel stood in the Roundhouse. His wings tinkling like tiny bells as they gently quivered.

We all went wide-eyed with amazement.

“Hear me, hear the voice of Reuwel, he who bestows wisdom to men.” He flexed his six wings outward, and those eyes appeared between his colorful feathers again. His voice resonated with harmony, like several people speaking at the same time, “I bring a word of warning. The woman called Rose is in the hands of the enemy. The servant of Venus you call the Sheriff has abducted her. He will ask for the talisman in exchange for her safe return. Prepare yourselves.”

Jimmy yelled at him, “This is bullshit. Why should we fight your battle? It’s not mine or Rose’s battle. Why don’t you fight the angel Venus yourself and get it over with?”