*song* “The Living Years” by Mike and the Mechanics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGDA0Hecw1k

The pen, the notebook…Onward…

Back and Forth they came across time…
From across the Stars…
Waiting, Watching…To seek out those
That would Dare to Stand to change the world…
So that they could change things,
Their world, all worlds…for the Universe…
A voice, and more…to join a chorus…

To move mountains…to move all things…
And challenge time…

The questions of Creation? The reasons of living?
We’re born, we live…we think, we feel…
The lucky love, we struggle, suffer…and die…
Concepts, questions…boundless…
Answers? Science to tame what can’t be tamed…
Faith to believe…

The truth? Physical…laws…
Natural…Supernatural…The Divine…

The Creator, absolute knowledge, peace
And wisdom are a blinding light that rule Heaven…
And Hell is everything else unto an abyss…

We are the inbetween…

Intrigued, I had their attention…
Ceres story had them moved, speechless…silent…
Then Vala, clear in the soft light, spoke first…
“I have the answer,” She said, the sparkle in
Her eyes flared wildly… “Ceres…In all the years,
I have misjudged you…You are greater, much
Greater than I knew…” Her eyes were glassy wet. “I
feel for you…your actions are inspiring…And I
Believe I now know…what to do…”

Rana then stood strong next, “I too must say
The same thing, Ceres...I do, I feel…But
Within me…my anger and purpose is stronger.”
Her eyes flared hot gold…she scared me, the look
On her face. “I won’t stay still much longer.”

“Thank you.” Ceres only said to them kindly…
She looked so sweet…her arms folded over her
Chest…Her expression…a million words.
“Some will understand, I hope.”

“Some? Will understand you hope?” Kierista
Gasped as she sat beside Evangella, who
Only quietly stared at the floor… “They are idiots
If they don’t…But then. For what I feel…
For what’s to come…the child within me…
The future has to change…For the
Generations to come…Who is but all safe?
Where? And for how long? We must
Make decisions today for tomorrow…We must.”

“Exactly,” Varence said, smiled…To each of
Them…then focused intently on me. “Do you
See why I challenge you now? You must
Keep going.”

“If you dare to raise some speech,” Rana
Said as she too folded her arms across
Her chest…only hers in anger. “I swear
I will smack you so hard…”

“Enough with the hitting, please.” Kierista
Begged.

“Thank you.” Varence said to her…he touched
His face…I think his cheek was still sore. He
Smiled at me, my written words. “He needs to
Do this…They told him it was his job...Those
Out there would only shut him up so they
Could rattle out their proverbial nothings…
Repeated words they reshaped in their own
Phrases…so they could raise themselves
Above others…This one only ever wanted to hide.
Too bad. The time has come…The point has
Been made…The ones that need to speak…have
Also been quiet for too long.”

“I am stunned,” Ceres said wide-eyed, “I must
Agree with him.”

“Fine then,” Rana said fiercely. “Make your
Stand then…But I still have more than one
Position here.”

“I need to address this,” Vala said intently…
She was deep in thought…Something building
Within her; I was waiting for her to start
Humming again…

“No, I need to resume the lead.” Varence
Insisted.

“As what?” Rana snapped. “The Chronic
Riddler? The Menace of Reason? Guiding him,
Guiding us with your mysterious words…I do not
Think you have foreseen as much as you think.
You are no seer…You steal glimpses from his
Mind to be a guiding light.”

“Time is critical,” Vala went on, “the alignment
Must be perfect.”

“That is why I moved the ship…” Varence said.

“You moved the ship?” I asked.

Silence…They hesitated, eyed each other…
They were planning things in my absence…

“I had to,” Varence responded carefully.
“The ship’s position is the link to our world…
Brishan and the others…can only precisely
Target the Earth by the ship’s position.”

“Why? What are they planning to do?” I asked
Silence…”Tell me.”

“You must understand,’ Vala said sweetly,
With a grace of good and something wild…
“The Earth is not a toy…Nor is she trapped
By devices anymore…” She leaned towards
Me…tilting her head, her eyes…glaring…
“So…tell me…How is the weather? The
Elements?”

“It’s crazy,” I told her, “Everything is crazy.”

“And the people…” Val began to hum again.
“Are they as calm and peaceful and brilliant
As ever?” She waited for my response…I
Said nothing. “Typical…Predictable…And
Your leaders and their countries,” she
Began to stroll around me, in a circle
Around the chair as I wrote…”The plots and
Plans…The secrets…The schemes of betrayal
To protect themselves just in case…Just in
Case it does not go their way…As though
This has never happened before to
Anyone else ever? To and for any other
World?”

“Your point?” Kierista asked.

“The whales…” Vala hummed…”And still
After all this time people assume they are
The highest intelligence on the planet…
Why because they build and destroy things?
Even your scientists know there are
Millions of pieces of information in the
Whales’ song, in how they communicate…
They are smarter than you…Even your
Conquerors know this. Think about that.”

I had to pause to think…I was feeling
Overwhelmed. I knew they were waiting
For a response. “I absolutely agree.”

“So your plan then?” Ceres asked as
She moved beside her.

“I’m tired of listening,” Rana interrupted…
Her expression, her eyes…hot. She joined
Vala and Ceres in front of me. “There is
A tomb of a lost Lion Man…They want it.
This lost tomb of their brother…is on Earth…
And if it has been desecrated…They will not
Be happy. If they lie and try to cover it up…
Or hide it…It will be bloody…And the
Countries involved will disappear.”

“What?!” I asked.

“The Lion Men will have their justice, I assure
You.” Vala told her true. “But there is much
To be righted here…Listen carefully…With
These first words I in action take…By the
Pulse…The Sun the Stars the Moon…partake…
Invoked upon them…those that hold things
Still…For their brains to fry…inside out…
The Dark Hearts that rule and scheme in
Lies must be, shall be held still with thoughts
That can’t think, or eyes that blink…
The stupor of fools plague the leaders that
Lie and try their schemes once more…
By and by…without end…Fry the minds of
The overseers…bind them with their own tricks…
Since power and gold is all that concerns
Them…then let their vaults flow freely
Like the water let loose out of control…
Let money have no meaning…let the wealth
Flow freely until it has no meaning…or leaning…
So that truth becomes the greatest value
And wisdom the most meaning of all. This
Must come so that one age can end and the
New begin…”

Ceres eyed me heavily, concerned…”What is
Bothering you so much? That look…”

“Them…” I confessed. “I can’t stop thinking
Of them…the Others…The ghosts of the Great Hall.”

They know what I was thinking, they
Always did, they were always reading my
Mind…Vala spun, like a whip…impatient,
Then pointed seriously at the view screen…
“Your world,” she hummed then immediately
The screen displayed the Earth, “Is it the
Center of the universe?”

“No of course not,” I told her.

“Then tell them to stop acting like it.” Vala’s
Expression was playfully wild as her lips
Curved into a smile at me, “Things will
Change…Do you know how many worlds
Wait for change, like yours? And more,
Even farther advanced than yours?”

Varence stepped forward then, “As I have
Been trying to tell you…And I am not
Saying it again…There is no rescue…it
Does not work that way…For some yes,
They will come…You know this, they know
This…the rest…are but players in the
Big game…”

“Faith and inspiration make the changes,”
Ceres said, “Remember that. Please, we
Are not trying to upset you.”

“We do have a plan…Or rather I do…”
Vala hummed, “Once the rest of my sisters
Come…but a great deal depends on what
Happens now…The reactions will determine
The magnitude of events…We can not
Keep explaining this…”

Ceres held up her hand, then appealed
More calmly to me…”Bill, I know you
Understand…You do. You have to stop
Allowing the pressure of the others to affect you.
Block them out…”

“What were you going to say?” Varence
Then added…he did seem concerned.

I tried to form the words…My mind
Was a jumble of things…”I’m just tired.
But the memories…the meetings…the
Ghosts never go away…”

“Alright then,” Varence nodded, “then
Say it…that is the part of the story
That are the events now.”

“They knew?” I asked…”Your people,
Or whoever organized this…The assembly
Of people…in the Great Hall…They knew.”

“Knew?” Varence went on.

“They selected these people…for what
Purpose? To die?” I told him, them…”I
Can only remember so much at a time…
It feels like its all been planned…long
Before it happened…And they, like me,
Like you…are only waiting to see how it
Works out.”

“True,” Varence said. “But I had no
Hand in that plan or selection…none
Here did…In many ways we are but
Pawns too…pursuing the next part.”

“Your stories and ours,” Vala hummed,
“Don’t you see…They come together…
Just know that soon…your part will
Be more than just words…”

“What do you mean?”

“You will see.” Vala smiled.

“Now tell me, Friend,” Varence went on…
“What has that box inside your head been
Telling you now…?”

Without further hesitation…I told him, them…

“The 5…They were always in the back of
My mind…That’s why I wrote the book…
Just as you challenged me to. I could not
Live…I couldn’t think freely until I put it
Down on paper…To free my mind.”

“I want them back…The ones lost. I
Always believed I would meet them in
The waking world…as they did…but
They’re dead…And for whatever reason…
I am still here…There are 5 left…

“I know its final…whatever plan
They had is inevitable now…

“But the weird part is…The 5…
Didn’t become final until after 2012…
It’s like they…upstairs…whoever…
Knew that date was fake…misleading…

I remember…that August, last…or the
One before…time, it’s a mess in my head…
Time…its all mixed up inside me…
But I remember running…In a dream…
Being chased…running for my life…
Through woods and fields…
Being chased by these ships…
These giant intense eyes…
I couldn’t hide from them…
It’s like they were flushing me out…
To run…To move…

And there were war sounds…
Bombs in the distance…gunfire…
The sounds of jets…
Of thundering vehicles…
But nature was silent…

And I kept running from those eyes…
Terrified…breathing hard…
Everything echoed in the dream…
And then, running through the field
I came to a school…a place to hide…
So I ran to it…To the closest building…
To the gym…pushed the doors open…
Went in…The doors slammed shut…
Everything fell silent…
And I looked and there they were…
Like me, they had been chased…
The other four…

And this eerie, loud, reverberating voice
Said…”We have our final five.”

I felt confused, angry…pushed into it…
We studied each other…walked to the
Center of the gym…I had seen them
In dreams before…many times…

Now I know…Since writing
The Great Hall dream…
Who they were…
Before Kathy was there to remind us…
But she was gone now…
As were the others…

The details keep coming to me…
Jennifer…gone now…
She killed herself when she turned 30…
September 11th…right after…
She gave up…
Then John after that…felt it, but
Didn’t know it…Lost without her…
We began to crumble…

There they were…The other 4…
This was after Kathy died…
After 2012…They knew…They waited
For this…They still wait…

We were all in the same row…
Me, Jeff…Joe…Julie…Jacob…Jason…
Not their first names of course…

“You,” Julie said, panting…She
Had cut her hair…She had such
Beautiful long hair…”I know you…”
But I don’t know you. I can’t remember.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Jacob
Said.

“Me too.” Joe agreed…Terrified in shock.
“You people haunt me.”

“Why am I here?” Jason asked…He
Was the youngest, looked the most
Scared…This boyish look about him.
Though he was in his 30’s…We were in
Pajamas…He had brown hair and blue eyes.
I barely recognized his unshaved face.
He was so confused. “I shouldn’t be
Here.”

“I remember you.” I told them…”She
Gave me those memories…That gift of hers
To remember…I remember.”

“That girl,” Julie said curiously, “The
One who did all the talking…Who
Put us in that circle…”

“Yes,” I answered, “She had dark hair,
Blue eyes…She always explained
Everything…She’s dead now…Remember?
They’re all dead now…All the others
Are dead.”

“We’re the ones left.” Jacob said…
His face distant…he knew more than
He was telling…he knows more than
Any of us…even me, more than what
I’m writing…”The final five.”

“What’s this final five sh**?” Joe
Spat. “What’s going on? Why are you
People haunting me?”

“Don’t you remember?” I asked…as we
Relaxed…Then suddenly the sweat and panting
Were gone in the dream…”That dream
About the Great Hall? Years ago…being
Brought to that garden…to that place…
All those people?”

“Yes,” Jacob said, his voice deep…He was tall…
This Native American I knew as a brother…
“It wasn’t a dream, I remember…”

“You people haunt me,” Joe said…he
Had this disturbed panic look; he had barely
Aged…this giant. “I keep trying to forget
You…I can’t.”

“I shouldn’t be here,” Jason said in panic
Looking around, “This isn’t real…it’s in the
Computer.”

“What?” Julie asked…She scowled at him…
She had barely aged; everyone had barely
Aged? “I don’t know what this is—“

“You know,” Jacob told her, his voice
Firm…he was calm, cool, very collected…in
Control…The leader. “We all know what this
Is. Just accept it…” He looked all around,
Eyeing…listening…”They’re doing this…
They’re watching us right now…listening…
Whatever this is…We don’t have long.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Joe
Demanded…He towered over all of us, he
Had to be, 6 foot eight inches, or 6 foot ten inches…

“Stop fighting it,” Jacob insisted, somewhat
Angrily. “You’re wasting time…We need to
Figure this out…fast.”

Joe frowned…He turned to me, he was on my
Left…”You,” he pointed to me, “You I remember,
I remember yeah.”

“You changed your hair,” Julie agreed, “But
I remember you too…Jeff? Bill?”

“Yeah,” Jacob agreed, “You always change
Your hair…You look so different…That’s
The job they gave you…isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I could only agree, I did not know why.

“So why are we here?” Jacob said in
Control…

“What this final five crap?” Joe added…

“They planned this…” Julie went on as
The conversation continued in a circle…”They
Let everyone die…to plan this…”

“You’re all figments of my imagination!” Jason
Kept insisting…”It’s in the computer…
You’re trying to confuse me…”

“What is he talking about?” Julie asked…

“The guy is nuts,” Joe said with a grunt,
“He’s whacked in the head. I ain’t in
Any computer.”

Jacob studied him…Everything was
Happening fast…”He’s talking about the
Matrix…that movie…He thinks that’s
What this is!”

“Oh please,” Julie groaned. “You’re kidding.”

“Yes, you are, you’re all in the computer!”
Jason insisted. “You’re trying to make me
Believe so I’ll tell.”

“Tell what” I asked…

“I’m telling you,” Joe said leaning towards
Me, “He’s whacked in the head, look at
Him…he’s out of his mind. I had an aunt
Like that…I know.”

“Jason what are you talking about?” Jacob
Tried reasoning with him.

“Don’t call me that!” He shouted. “My
Name’s not Jason! That’s my middle name!”

“Ok ok,” Jacob said, “Relax, ok?
Just listen to us please.”

“No, you’re trying to play games with my head,”
He only insisted, “You’re in the computer.”

“Stop saying that, would you,” Julie told
Him…She was a force to reckon with for
Sure. “We are not in the computer! Can’t
You remember us?”

He looked stressed out, strained to the
Brink of breaking…his eyes wild, like
He hadn’t been sleeping…”You,” he said
To me sadly, “I remember you…I thought…
I thought you were going to come for me…”

“You did?” I was confused.

“Bill…go with it, he’s responding to you,”
Jacob told me; kind of ordered me…”Talk
To him…”

“What are you talking about?” I asked
Him as kindly as I could. “We’re here…
I’m right here, it’s ok…Talk to me.”

He looked ready to cry. “I can’t…”

“Yes you can, come on,” I said, “Talk to me.”

“I thought you would find me.” He
Slowly answered; he was going to cry any
Second. “I waited…”

“Jason…Tony, is that your name?
What’s wrong Tony?” I asked.

“Man, you are good at that,” Joe said
As he playfully slapped my shoulder, “That’s
How I remember you.”

“Tell me, tell us,” I said, “What’s wrong?”

“The computer…It’s in the computer,”
Jason, Tony, only insisted, “It’s there…”

“He did something.” Jacob eyed me, then
Everyone…He took a deep breath, but
Thought fast…I have to say he looked so
Cool with his long black hair and intense
Expression…even if he was wearing a dirty
Old T-shirt and a pair of sweat-pant shorts.
“Let’s think this out…Fast…We don’t have
Much time…”

“What do you mean , Tonto?” Joe asked…

Jacob ignored his sarcasm and went on,
His expression so intense, “You…” He
Pointed at me…”You’re the artist…And
Write…You write stuff…”

“I remember that!” Julie exclaimed…
“Yes, I remember!”

“You…” Jacob pointed to Joe then…”You’re
The football player.”

“Was the football player.” Joe corrected. “Been
Having health problems…stomach
Problems…I had to quit for now.”

“You’re having stomach problems?” I asked
Him then. “Me too!”

“Really?” Joe was amazed.

“Me too…” Jacob admitted, also stunned.

“Me too.” Julie confessed.

We all turned to Jason last…waiting…before
He finally confessed…”Me too…me too. Why
Didn’t you come for me? I waited.”

“Jason calm down.” Jacob said plainly.

“I told you it’s not Jason! Stop calling
Me by my middle name!”

“You’re Hollywood!” Joe said to Julie then…
“Man I remember you! Penthouse, or was it
Playboy? I’ve seen you on TV too!”

She rolled her eyes…Strange how she was the
Only girl. “You’re sick.”

“We’re here, we’ll figure this out.” Jacob
Told him…

“No time…” He weakly said… “The
Computers…It’s in the computers…Have
To shut it down…Have to stop it.”

“Who?” Joe asked him…

“They designed it…The company…The
Project…It’s a secret.” He admitted to us
Crying…”To change the world.”

“You work for somebody who is going
To do this?” Jacob asked…

“He works with computers,” Julie said
Reading him…”Some kind of computer virus.”

“What, like some kind of Doomsday
Program or something?” Jacob asked…

My jaw dropped…”You have to stop it, you
Can’t let them do that!”

“What kind of virus?” Julie asked.

“To shut down everything,” he told her,
“Everything.”

“This is nuts!” Joe yelled.

“Listen to me, Tony,” I said calmly
“You have to stop it. That’s not the way.”

“Maybe it is though…” Jacob said to me…
“Listen…We…They did this for a
Reason…Picked us…for some reason…
To do something…special…”

“Not that!” Julie insisted. “Not that!”

“Bill, I thought you were supposed to
Get the ball rolling?” Jacob asked…then
Froze and said. “I have no idea why
I said that.”

“Because you’re f**k*d in the head
With some Mother Alien Mojo crap,
That’s why!” Joe laughed.

“I did…I was…I am…” I answered…

“How exactly?” Julie asked.

It felt like a trance…”I write posts for
The internet…I post them each Thursday.
Riddles…predictions…poetry…short
Stories…”

“What?” Julie was shocked.

“No kidding.” Joe added.

“How?” Jacob asked…

“When Kathy died…” I told him…flat,
Calmly…”Something inside me snapped…
I stopped painting…and turned to
Writing.”

“Who told you to do that?” Julie demanded.

“The voice…” I told her, them…

“Oh, the light,” Jacob went on, “That’s
Right, the light the angel put in your
Head…It spoke?”

“No,” I said in a voice beyond my own,
“Another voice…someone else…I don’t
Know yet…Well, and the little old
Asian man.”

“Little old Asian man?” Jacob asked.

“Yeah, the Ascended Master.” I
Told them. “Didn’t he come to you?”

“No…” They all said together.

“He said I had to…He showed me this
Thing with lottery numbers…He summoned
Me to his house in a dream…spoke to
Me…said I had a job to do, stop wasting
Time and do it…So when Kathy died…
I wrote these posts for the internet.”

“Do you have any idea what those
Nutjobs out there in the world will do
To you?” Julie asked angrily. “They will
Kill you for it! You just put a huge target
On your back.”

“It was either that,” I said angrily,
“Or they were going to kill you…And the
Whole thing starts over…Someone had to
Do something!”

“No no,” Jacob held out his hand, “It’s
Perfect…Think about it…”

“What did you write about?” Julie asked.
“Us…”

“Not yet now.” I answered; this was long
Before.

“Did you write about the deaths?” Julie
Went on…”Jennifer?”

“You know I could never write about that!”
I scowled. “I couldn’t do that!”

“No, it’s perfect…Everyone listen,” Jacob
Said…”There’s no time…They’re coming…
We’ll wake soon…” Jacob ordered…
He pointed to me hard. “Bill, you keep
At it for as long as you can, ok?
Ignore everyone in your way. Wait
For the call…Read the signs…You’re
Connected to it…we all are…Wait
For the call…The Bell…” Jacob paused…
“The Bell Tolls…I don’t know why I
Say that…but you will…The Bell Tolls.”
He pointed to each of us…”We agree…
No one speaks until the end…let
Them pull us together. Don’t tell
Anyone else the details…The Bell
Tolls…We’re waking up…Can you feel it?
Wait for the call. Wait for it.”

The meeting ended…
The mission continued…
With twists and turns…in words online…
Obstacles…by persons possessed to interfere.
Events to come…
The Pulse…The Plan…

Now Vala’s voice…”There will come a
Time…The Gathering…” She was humming
“The selections were long made…”

Evangella…quietly, secretively…spoke
Then mysteriously… “The children voted
For this…on all worlds. For what they’ve
Seen…The vote then was measured
For a cleansing.” She was sad. “A
Cleansing will come.”

“And so the purpose will be fulfilled…”
Vala hummed her siren’s song..,. “The
Rest of our sisters will come, I will bring
Them.”

“But the ship has moved,” Ceres said, “The
Coordinates.”

Vala laughed. “I will bring them.” She
Laughed and sang…”Destiny shall have
It’s way…The fools will play out their
Parts…So that the right pieces can
Come together. Does anyone understand
At all what a puzzle is?”

“Bill,” Varence smiled mysteriously…
“A million pieces may build a bridge…
For then only 1, 2 or 3 to cross it.
That’s how things are made…Look at
Your history…Listen to me. Please.”

“No clues here,” Vala hummed…
“They are and will only be sent to
The ones the Heaven’s choose…They
Can whine all they want…It
Was decided long ago…Now finish this.”

“Before you go,” Ceres smiled…”I should
Like to offer you this…I would like to
Tell you the story next time…Of how
The Tuatha came to Earth…”

Varence laughed. “Oh she could not
Resist that! Go now…Rest…You can
Stop writing now.”

Tick Tock.

Valiant.
my artwork: Alignment