The Lights Over Jupiter Point: Book 1 Read online

  Mateo could feel the other wolves move in behind him. Soon they were all growling.

  Suddenly Chi-Chi let out a long howl. The other wolves lowered themselves onto their bellies in fear.

  "Mateo is our friend. We don't attack our friends. He is a victim too."

  Mateo put his palm on Chi-Chi's gigantic head and caressed it.

  "Close your eyes, my friend. I will heal you."

  The beast moaned as Mateo laid his bare hand upon his wound. Soon Mateo's eyes and hands began to glow a fluorescent green. All of the wolves darted into the forest and stared at the two from a safe distance. Within a few seconds, the wolf's whole body became engulfed in the green light. Gradually, the light faded and finally disappeared. Chi-Chi rose to his feet.

  "Thank you, friend," said Chi-Chi. The other wolves poured out of the forest, barking and howling in celebration.

  "Where is the girl?" asked Mateo. Chi-Chi led Mateo to a tree sitting at the edge of the forest. With his teeth, he pulled back a giant leaf. Vanessa was soundly asleep underneath.

  "She is unharmed," said Chi-Chi. Mateo lifted Vanessa from the ground and cradled her in his arms and turned to leave. Suddenly Alexis walked in front of him.

  "Mateo. Please forgive me. You are my friend, and I know you would never hurt us," the great beast said as she nuzzled Mateo's leg.

  "Alexis, I am grateful for your apology, but it isn't necessary. You have been my friend for many years. Nothing will change that. Go in peace, my friend."

  Just as Mateo turned to leave, Chi-Chi spoke.

  "Mateo, my friend. I must deliver a message to you on behalf of the evil one. Zagan said you broke your agreement with him. He says that if you do it again, he will take your soul."

  Mateo stood in silence for a moment before speaking.

  "I will consult with the necessary authorities before I proceed. Feel better, my friend."

  Mateo carried Vanessa into the forest and disappeared.

  Chapter 24: The Soul of the Unborn

  Mateo opened the door to Vanessa's bedroom and gently laid her on the bed. Her parents' home was much different than the house she shared with Ben. There were soft pillows scattered about the room. Photos of Vanessa's family were on the nightstand. There were other photos of a younger Vanessa with a group of teenagers. In another image, Vanessa held up a trophy in celebration of a track and field victory. There were first place ribbons and flowers taped to the walls.

  Mateo smiled. He knew that it was the right place for Vanessa. This place felt like a place she would call home. Mateo was confident that she would be nurtured and protected here.

  As he turned to leave, Mateo was startled.

  "Are you a bad person?" asked a voice from the darkness. Mateo turned to see Vanessa sitting up in her bed.

  "No, I'm not."

  "Why are you here?"

  Mateo remained silent.

  "I remember you from the forest with the wolves. At first, I thought I was hallucinating or dead. But now I know you are real."

  "Yes. I'm real."

  "Can I ask you a question?"

  "Yes."

  "Why did you bring me to my family's home? I appreciate it, but I feel like something's wrong – like I don't belong here."

  "It is the best place for you."

  Vanessa paused for a moment.

  "Are you God?"

  "No. I'm not."

  "If you're not God, why are you trying to make decisions for me?"

  "That isn't my intention. I am only trying to protect you."

  Vanessa shook her head.

  "No. You're not trying to protect me. You're trying to protect you."

  "What?"

  "My mind tells me that Ben abandoned me, but I feel that it's a lie. Part of some deeper secret. It all relates to you."

  Mateo moved to leave. Suddenly, Vanessa jumped up from the bed.

  "Tell me the truth. Why are you hurting me?"

  Mateo turned to face Vanessa.

  "I'm not hurting you."

  "Ben was a lot of things, but he would never abandon our baby and me. Never."

  "He was a sinner."

  "I thought you said you weren't God."

  "I'm not."

  "Then what gives you the right to judge my Ben?"

  "He has done some bad things. I don't want to judge him. It is my duty."

  Vanessa walked towards Mateo. Slowly, she reached out and grabbed his hand. Mateo tried to pull his arm away, but Vanessa guided it to her belly.

  "This child came from love. Do you hear me? Love, not sin. How can you hurt an unborn child?"

  "I don't…"

  "If you took my child's father away, you are hurting our child."

  Vanessa lifted Mateo's hat from his head and let it fall to the floor. As she looked into his eyes, she smiled.

  "You are in pain. I can see that."

  "Can you?"

  "I don't need special powers to see pain."

  Mateo looked away.

  "What are you asking of me?"

  "Tell me the truth. All of it. Give my child the respect you have denied him."

  Mateo corrected Vanessa.

  "Her."

  Vanessa's eyes widened, and she touched her belly.

  "A girl?"

  "Yes."

  Tears flowed down Vanessa's face. She looked into Mateo's eyes.

  "Tell me the truth. What happened to Ben?"

  Mateo sighed.

  "Sit, and I will show you."

  Vanessa sat on the edge of the bed.

  "Close your eyes," said Mateo. Vanessa breathed deeply and closed her eyes. In seconds a green light enveloped her head. As she watched the images of Ben, she began to cry. She saw Ben and Norman entering homes for robberies. Vanessa jumped when she saw Norman murder while Ben ran out of the house. Soon the light dimmed, and Mateo removed his hand from Vanessa's head. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

  "He's dead?" she asked through streaming tears.

  "Not dead. I am holding Ben's soul for judgment. His lifeless body remains in the trailer."

  Vanessa stood and stamped her foot.

  "You fix this. Now!"

  "I can't fix this without…"

  "Mateo! Ben was struggling and tried to support his family. It is wrong for you to do this. He tried to escape that man. You saw that!"

  "Still, he played a part in the death of an innocent."

  "He didn't know that Norman would shoot that woman. This punishment isn’t right. Why are you doing this?"

  "I don't have a choice."

  "Bullshit! Everyone has a choice! You're choosing to hurt my baby and me for no good fucking reason!"

  "But my f…"

  "Cut the bullshit, Mateo! You fix this. Take me to my home! My real home! And go get Ben!"

  Suddenly Vanessa doubled over in pain.

  "Aaaaah…" she moaned. Mateo attempted to touch her, but she pushed his hand away.

  "Don't you touch me with your hell-magic! Leave my baby and me alone!"

  "But I can help you."

  Vanessa lay back and slowly lifted her legs onto the bed. She grimaced as another thrust of pain rushed through her stomach.

  "You want to help me, Mateo? Prove to me that you are better than that man that hurt Ben and me. You say you're not evil. Prove it. I'm going to lie down on this bed. When I wake up, I want to be in my home with Ben. That is the only way you can help me. Otherwise, you have to live with the damage you did to me and my daughter!"

  Mateo walked to the bedroom door. After placing his hat back on his head, he turned and spoke.

  "I'm not him, Vanessa."

  As he walked out of the room, Mateo snapped his fingers. There was a flash of green light and a loud swooshing sound behind him in Vanessa's bedroom. Satisfied with what he had just done, Mateo smiled. As his body became bathed in a green light, slowly, he disappeared. A few seconds later, Vanessa's father screamed down the hallway.

  "Who's there? I've got my shotgun," the old m
an warned. Slowly, the man rolled out of his room in his wheelchair and down the hallway to Vanessa's bedroom. With the muzzle of the rifle, he pushed Vanessa's bedroom door open. There was no one there. Vanessa was gone.

  Chapter 25: Clarification

  Mateo parted the broad overgrown weeds and stood in silence. There it was, just as he remembered it. Although years had passed since he'd left, it was surprising to see that the hole hadn't changed. Mateo walked to the edge of the hole and looked down. He could still smell the stench of the little girl Nixi floating to the surface. Calmly, Mateo stepped off the edge of the hole and dropped down.

  After landing in the cavern, Mateo immediately walked to the wall where he had last seen his family. He pressed his hand against the smooth surface, and instantly he could see the bodies of his family floating in the fluid. Mateo felt someone walking behind him.

  "Don't worry. Your family is in the same state as the last day you were here. There hasn't been any aging," said Nixi. Mateo turned to the little girl.

  "There has been an…issue."

  "Ahhhh…Zagan. Mother and I knew he would be a problem."

  "Yes. I'm not sure how it happened, but we crossed paths. Zagan wanted to take the soul of an innocent – a pregnant woman and her unborn daughter. I wouldn't do it."

  "You have to understand. While we share an agreement with The Dark Sector, their mission is drastically different than ours. Their goal is not to liberate anyone. Their true mission is to kill God. That's it. There are no acceptable areas of negotiation."

  "You told me that we would work together. But how is that possible when The Dark Sector isn’t aware of our true mission?"

  "It is a delicate scenario. A secret that must remain hidden at all costs."

  "If he discovers the other mission, he's likely to try to kill us."

  "Yes. My mother and I have thought about this. It is in our best interest, and yours, to maintain this secret. If he finds out the true nature of your mission, your family is in grave danger."

  "He hurt one of the celestial beings in the forest – Chi-Chi."

  "I'm aware of the incident."

  "He may attempt to hurt the others if we cross paths again. Is there any way we can avoid one another? You know, hunt souls in a location different than his? Just as a way to avoid contact?"

  "I'm afraid there's nothing that we can do. You both hunt souls through dreams and sins. There is nothing we can do to change that. The hunt is the hunt."

  Mateo touched the smooth rock and watched as his mother smiled.

  "What about moving my family to a safe location?"

  "Mateo. Your best move is to avoid interfering with Zagan. When you were attempting to capture the soul that you call Ben, you sensed Zagan. Am I correct?"

  "Yes."

  "Why did you choose to ignore his presence?"

  "I guess I understood what he wanted, and I disagreed. Taking the soul of innocents is wrong."

  "I think you need to adjust your way of thinking, Mateo."

  Mateo turned to face the child.

  "My way of thinking?"

  "Look. Just because a soul gets taken doesn't mean automatic death. We don't know what The Dark Sector is doing with the souls they collect."

  "But judging on the vicious nature of their primary mission, is it wrong to assume the worst? I mean, they're trying to capture and kill God. God!"

  "And we are trying to capture a small piece of God's sympathy. Even in the abstract, our missions remain tangled in theirs."

  "I know you're forcing me to complete this mission. But I need to be honest about something. I don't want to be a part of this partnership with The Dark Sector. God is my father - father of the world. Betraying him to assist in his killings?"

  "You don't have to do our mission. You can simply allow your family to perish."

  Mateo turned away from the child.

  "What a little bitch you are."

  "Look, Mateo, you want your freedom, and we want ours. Is it so wrong for us to help one another?"

  "You just don't get it. There are parts of my heart that will forever belong to God. He made me. And now you expect me just to ignore that?"

  The little girl walked to the rock.

  "You can ignore those thoughts. But ignoring your family won't be so easy."

  Nixi touched the glass with one of her fingers. Suddenly Mateo's brother Leonardo began thrashing around in the liquid as if he were drowning. He clawed at his throat, and his eyes rolled back in his head. His mother shook violently within the fluid.

  "Mateo! Baby! What is happening to us?" Camila's voice whispered in Mateo's head.

  "Stop this, son!" yelled his father.

  Mateo turned to the girl and yelled.

  "Okay! Okay! Stop this!"

  Soon Mateo's family was back to their previous vegetative state. Mateo pressed his forehead against the cold rock.

  "You aren't different than the others. You're just as evil."

  "We just want to be free," whispered Nixi.

  Mateo stood in front of the child.

  "You may get out of this dungeon, but you won't escape judgment for what you're doing to my family. I promise you that."

  Mateo touched the rock where his family was.

  "I will be back for you. I promise."

  With a burst of wind, Mateo elevated himself out of the hole. After looking down sadly into the darkness of the tunnel, he walked away into the brush.

  Chapter 26: The Souls of Tabitha and Trevor Pt.1

  "The question remains, what are you willing to do to get it?"

  Tabitha sat in the office chair in disbelief. Nervously, she tucked her hair behind her ear and sat up straight in her seat.

  "Excuse me, Mr. Donavan. What did you say?" she asked.

  The slowly graying middle-aged man stood up from his chair. One of his leathery, wrinkled hands tugged at his expensive tie while the other hand popped open the top button on his executive dress shirt. Slowly, he walked around the mahogany desk to the empty chair seated at Tabitha's side.

  "How long have you been with the bank?" Mr. Donavan asked as he stared at her. Tabitha began shaking; she could feel his hungry eyes crawling up her thighs. Quickly she pulled down on her skirt and adjusted her sitting position with her legs away from him.

  "I've been here for three years," she responded. Mr. Donavan licked his lips.

  "Three years? That's a mighty long time to only be a part-time teller."

  "It's not that long. I don't mind the job. I like what I do."

  "Wouldn't you be more at home on the platform, helping clients? I see big things for you. You could manage a branch one day – if you play your cards right."

  Tabitha looked at Mr. Donavan. There was no doubt in her mind about what he wanted - sex.

  "Look, I work hard. I only want to be judged on that."

  "Is that so?"

  Mr. Donavan stood up and walked over to his desk. Tabitha was disgusted. He didn't even attempt to hide his excitement poking from the front of his pants. He walked over and grabbed a manila folder from inside his desk.

  "Tabitha, you've had fifteen cash shortages in the last six months. Care to explain that?"

  Tabitha was flustered.

  "I…I…"

  "You know, I'd hate to call bank security to come to the branch tomorrow and do a personal audit on your work. You may have done everything by the book. If you have, we greatly appreciate that. But who knows the strange things those cameras pick up? Nobody's a complete saint. And if we find anything, we have no choice but to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

  Tabitha began to panic.

  "Wait, Mr. Donavan. I need this job. My boyfriend and I are planning…"

  "I know you need your job. I know."

  Mr. Donavan walked to the front of the desk and sat on the edge, his genitals a few inches from her face.

  "Help me to help you, Tabitha. I don't want to be the bad guy here. Don't you want to move up?"

>   "Yes, but…"

  "This can be the difference between getting a pay raise and getting fired. You're in control of your destiny."

  Tabitha shook her head, and her eyes became watery. Feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place, she finally relented.

  "Take it out," she instructed him.

  Mr. Donavan quickly stood up from the edge of the desk and unbuttoned his trousers.

  Chapter 27: The Souls of Tabitha and Trevor Pt. 2

  Tabitha sat in her warm bath, sobbing. Although she'd scrubbed her body from head to toe, she still felt filthy. Her moment of weakness replayed in her head like a horror movie. How could she allow someone to take advantage of her in such a way? How could she explain this to her boyfriend? If he ever found out, he would never forgive her weakness. Slowly, she splashed the bathwater on her face over and over.

  "Hey, babe. How much longer are you going to be in there?" asked Trevor from outside the bathroom.

  "Give me 15 minutes," Tabitha responded. Although her voice was thick with emotion, she did her best to conceal her torment.

  "How was your day, babe?" Tabitha asked.

  "It was okay. Busy as hell, though. But I think we're going to get that Anderson account."

  "That's awesome, babe. You worked so hard for it."

  As soon as Tabitha heard Trevor move away from the bathroom door, she covered her face and began sobbing again. The heaviness of what had happened was too much for her to bear. After crying for a few more seconds, she wiped her face.

  "Come on, Tabitha. Get it together," she whispered to herself. She couldn't let her boyfriend know that she had been crying. That would quickly set off all kinds of alarm bells that she was far too weak to fend off. She quickly rewashed her body and pulled the drain stop out. As the water spun in circles as it left the tub, Tabitha threw her bath sponge against the shower wall. She, too, felt like she was in a cyclone, being spun by things she couldn't control. Tabitha had assumed Mr. Donavan would stop with oral sex. But after he grabbed her and hiked up her skirt, she kind of blacked out. She didn't remember the whole ordeal. The entire thing only lasted 5 minutes. She only remembered that smothering feeling, like a massive bear climbing her back, breathing heavily in her ear. She remembered seeing a picture of his son on the wall; he was smiling as he stood next to Mr. Donavan in the middle of a stream. They were fly fishing. She remembered how the photo moved in her vision with every thrust he made. That's it. There were no moments of pain or no moments of pleasure, only the feeling of being on the outside of her body watching the photo while something pressed against her. That was all there was. She was sure she screamed, but there was no one in the bank to hear her cries. After it was over, she ran from the building as fast as she could.