Rapture (8 page)

The four settled themselves around the dinner table. Father Rainey, whether due to Hikari’s manipulations or poor luck, was sitting opposite him.

“Father,” said Hikari, “would you do the honours and bless this meal?”

The priest nodded, his jaw set. He made the sign of the cross. Sam, Hikari and Aimi bowed their heads.

“In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.” The priest then switched to Latin, a language that Sam was becoming reasonably fluent in thanks to Hikari’s tutelage. “Bénedic, Dómine, nos et haec tua dona quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. Amen.”

A normal food benediction. The father spoke in a strong, deep voice, like stones rubbing against each other. A voice used to public speaking. Sam was about to lift his head when the priest suddenly spoke again. He switched to English.

“And give us the strength to overcome the coming trials. Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the Divine Power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.”

This was highly unusual. A simple food blessing did not require this. Somehow, Sam knew that this blessing was directed at him. The priest knew who he was.

And what he was.

Hikari was staring at Father Rainey. Sam had never seen Hikari angry before but something about the set of his shoulders told him that Hikari was furious now. The priest matched Hikari’s stare for a moment and then looked away, embarrassed.

The meal was conducted in uncomfortable silence. First the miso soup, then sashimi. Sam always looked forward to sashimi – it was probably his favourite meal. Hikari’s knife skills were excellent and he was able to slice each piece of raw fish into wafer thin slices. Tonight though, Sam found himself unable to enjoy it with this man sitting opposite him at the table.

Even Aimi was uncharacteristically quiet and not full of her usual energy and good humour as she, Hikari and Sam cleared the dishes. Aimi insisted on doing the drying up. Sam could see she was worried. Suffering from his usual awkwardness, he didn’t know what to say her.

With a gesture, Hikari led the three males into the lounge. When they were settled on the couch, Father Rainey finally looked Sam in the eye.

“Take off your cap.”

Sam looked at Hikari who nodded. He did what he was told and watched as the priest’s eyes widened at the sight of his horns.

“So, it’s true then.”

Father Rainey stood and moved closer to Sam so he could examine the small black horns protruding from Sam’s unruly dark hair. He reached out a hand to touch them, had second thoughts and instead reached under his collar. He brought out a string of rosary beads. Attached to the end of them was a cross.

“Touch it.”

Sam dared not. He knew what would happen. When he was five, he’d made the mistake of touching the cross around Hikari’s neck. It was not an experience he wished to repeat. For the second time, he looked across at Hikari. Once again, with a resigned nod and obvious pain, Hikari gave his consent.

Sam reached out hesitantly. He noticed with some embarrassment that his hand was shaking. Regardless, he touched the cross. Instantly, pain shot through his body. It was as if some one had stuck a thousand burning hot needles into his body. The searing pain made him want to cry out. He did not. Would not. Instead, he held on.

“Let go, my son.” Hikari was sitting forward on the couch, Sam’s pain mirrored in his eyes.

He did, sagging with relief. The pain subsided quickly. He looked up and glared at the priest. The man nodded as if satisfied. There was a satchel on the floor next to the couch; Father Rainey reached into it and pulled out a leather bound bible, similar to the one possessed by Hikari.

“I am sorry, Sam,” said the priest, sounding anything but sorry, “but there is one last test.” He held the bible out to him.

Sam touched it. He was ready for the pain but this time, it was more intense than the cross. It took all his will power not to make a sound, and he gritted his teeth as the pain lashed him. He could feel blisters forming on the tips of his fingers , smoke rising from the contact points.

Aimi rushed into the lounge. “Leave him alone!”

She lunged for the book and suddenly, the pain was gone. The bible thudded onto the carpet, the last wisps of smoke wafting into the air, smelling vaguely of sulphur. The priest nodded again, picked up his bible and put it back in his satchel. He sat back down on the couch and considered the boy in front of him.

Aimi quivered by Sam, eyes wide in anguish. She bent down to examine the blisters on his fingertips.

“I’ll go get something for this,” she said. With a last backwards glare at the priest, she left the room.

“Both tests were necessary, I’m afraid,” said Father Rainey. “I had to be sure, you understand.”

Sam stared at the priest but said nothing. Hatred burned in his chest. It was only the presence of Hikari that stopped him tearing out the man’s throat.

“Years ago, when Hikari told me about you, I did not want to believe. In fact, I have gone to some lengths to keep my distance so that I would not be confronted with something I was not prepared for. Now that I can see it with my own eyes, I cannot deny the truth of it. You are what Hikari told me you were. A demon. A half-breed perhaps, but a demon nonetheless.”

Sam knew what he was. Even though, to be called such by a stranger – a priest, no less - hurt him more than he cared to admit.

Father Rainey sighed and ran his hand through his thick black hair as Aimi returned to apply salve to Sam’s injured hand. The priest waited patiently until she had finished. Sam could tell the priest wanted her to leave but Aimi stubbornly refused to move. She sat next to Sam on the couch, holding his injured hand.

Father Rainey looked to Hikari. Sam’s master shrugged and spread his arms wide. “Aimi already knows the truth, Tobias. She can stay.”

When it was obvious that Aimi had no intention of leaving, Father Rainey sighed again and continued.

“I have been putting this moment off. It is time for you to know the truth of your existence. Hikari asked me to come here today and speak to you. Your master and I have been friends for years – since Japan in fact, where I spent two years. After your mother was … seduced … by a demon and your subsequent birth, Hikari and I have been conducting extensive research. Your birth heralds a time that has long been prophesized by the Bible. I refer, of course, to the Rapture.”

Despite his anger, Sam nodded. He knew of the Rapture. Hikari had spoken of it before but Sam was keen to hear about it from a different perspective.

“The Rapture is, as you probably know, a time when the Lord Jesus will return to Earth. All worthy believers, dead and alive, will rise up in the sky to meet him. The innocent, such as young children, will also ascend to heaven to be with our saviour.

“The timing of this event has been subject to much debate. Most Christians, regardless of denomination, believe that Christ will return at some point and lead the devout to salvation. Of course, no-one knows when this will occur. Until now.

“Some years ago, I had a vision. In this vision, the Archangel Gabriel appeared before me and told me that the Rapture was almost upon us. She told me that it will occur well within my own life time and that we must prepare ourselves for what follows. My faith is strong, but I am not proud enough to assume that I was the only one chosen to see this vision. In fact, I would have doubted it had not Hikari had the same vision on exactly the same night.

“What follows the Rapture has also been debated. Some believe that there will be seven years of hell on earth. This is known as the Tribulation and is a time where the Antichrist will rise up. Some believe that the Tribulation will occur before the Rapture, some after and some at various times in between. Even my own Catholic church has different beliefs to my own. Many believe that the Tribulation will never even occur. I confess that until my vision, I did not know what to believe.

“Now, once again, although I am wary of appearing too proud, I believe that I, Hikari, Aimi and all other believers will be taken by the Rapture. Many will be left behind to endure the Tribulation - non-believers and those who have evil in their hearts.”

“What about me?” asked Sam in a voice so quiet that Father Rainey was forced to lean forward in his seat. It was the first time he had spoken since the priest began his sermon.

The priest shook his head and sat back. “No, Sam. You will not be taken by the Rapture. The higher order of demons were once angels. They were cast out of Heaven along with their leader, the Father of Lies. The same blood that runs in their veins also runs in yours. Like them, you are forever denied entry into Heaven. That is not your destiny. Your destiny is to provide succour for the good souls left behind. And there will be many.”

Sam felt his anger bubbling again. Why would the Rapture not take him? He was a good person. He believed. Would God really be so unfair?

“Why me?” he managed to ask.

Father Rainey nodded as if acknowledging a good question. “Because of your half blood. Because you will be one of the few true believers that remains behind. Because of your strength and your training. You are the only one who can possibly confront the evil that will emerge after the Rapture.”

“What about after the Tribulation? Will I be allowed into heaven after that?”

The priest sighed heavily. “You must remember, Sam, that God sees all. He has a plan for all of us and is aware of Satan’s machinations. You are part of that plan. The son of perdition seeks to pervert the path laid down by the Bible. That was why you were born. To be the Antichrist. Satan’s plan failed, however. He under-estimated the goodness of your human side. That is not to say he has given up on you. He will watch you, always hoping that your demonic side will triumph.”

Sam sat perfectly still, stunned by this revelation. He had been born to be the Antichrist! It was astonishing, almost unbelievable. But … no more unbelievable than him being half demon, he had to concede. If Sam hadn’t seen his own horns and gazed into the blackness of his eyes in his bedroom mirror, he would have doubted his heritage. But still – the Antichrist?

There was complete silence in the room. He was aware that Father Rainey, Hikari and Aimi were watching him carefully, seeing how he would react to the news. With an effort, he managed to rein in his anger. His head swam with everything he had just heard. His world view had just changed dramatically with the utterance of that one word. It was too much to take in; the walls around him were closing in and his heart fluttered wildly in his chest. He couldn’t breathe. A wave of dizziness washed over him and then passed just as suddenly.

Regaining control, he breathed in deeply, swallowed heavily before speaking. “You didn’t answer my question,” he said, sounding far calmer than he felt. “What happens after the Tribulation?’

Father Rainey sighed and looked down at his lap for a moment. When he looked up, Sam could see fear in his eyes.

“That is something we are unsure of at the moment. According to the Bible, Satan will be banished to Hell for a thousand years by the son of God leading an invincible army. Jesus will then rule here in an earthly paradise. Satan, however, has no desire to be banished for a thousand years. He will be denied human souls for all of that time and will diminish in power and be unprepared when the final battle comes. Clearly, that is not in his best interests.”

The priest shook his head. “So to answer your question – I truly don’t know what will happen after the Tribulation. All I know is that you must be prepared. I know from talking with Hikari that your training is progressing well. That is good, because I believe we do not have much time left.”

Sam removed his hand from Aimi’s grasp and stood up angrily. “So what you’re saying is that while you and all the other believers enjoy heavenly paradise, I’m stuck down here protecting those who hate me. How am I meant to protect them in the first place when they run at the first glimpse of my horns?” Anger was threatening to take over.

Hikari saw it too. He rose from the couch and placed a gentle hand on Sam’s arm. Next to him, he could feel Aimi’s tiny hand worming into his.

Father Rainey looked Sam squarely in the eye. “Yes, that is exactly what I am saying to you, Sam. Satan picked you as his champion and Antichrist. Fortunately for us, his plan failed. Instead, you will become the champion of God and protect the innocent. This is what Gabriel told me.”

“What? All by myself?” Sam’s voice was beginning to rise. It took all his willpower not to shout.

The priest shook his head. “Oh, no doubt you will find others that will help you during your travels. Some won’t trust you, others will hate you and spurn your offer of help but that is your cross to bear.”

“And I won’t get to see Hikari or Aimi again? How can that be fair? What have I done to deserve this?”

“It’s not what you’ve done, Sam. It’s who you are. You are destined for greater things because of who you are. Destined to fight and suffer for the cause of righteousness while the rest of us enjoy paradise. I know this sounds awful but you must hold onto your faith. As I said, God has a plan for you. Do you really think your sacrifice will go unnoticed?”

Sam shook Hikari’s and Aimi’s hands off him. He was shouting now but he didn’t care. “Do you think this matters to me? What about what I want?”

“I understand …” Father Rainey brought his hands up, placating him. “But I have one more thing to tell you, Samael. Something that is more important than what any of us want. Listen to me. The last thing Gabriel told me is that during the Tribulation, you will have a mission.”

Despite himself, Sam found himself listening.

Father Rainey took a deep breath. “She wants you to kill someone. To kill the Antichrist that has risen in your stead.”

It was too much for Sam to take. Without a backward glance, he fled through the backdoor and out into the night.