37/XXXVII. The I Of The Storm (Remastered)

“How long do you plan on staying here?” Raguel retorted as he landed on his feet just beside Raphael convincing Michael to go back home.

“Michael, we need you up there.” Raphael struggled to persuade the Captain to go back home.

Gabriel gave a clear order when he handed Michael that order. “Protect and guide God’s Chosen.” And clearly, Abram was the one chosen by God- set apart for His glory.

Michael swished back and forth from the physical to the spiritual realm when he gets bored in just surveying Abram’s every day mundane life.

There were the occasional events, but the most notable ones were the Pharaoh’s advances to Sarai, the war between the plain’s kings, the separation of Abram from his nephew, and the birth of Ishmael, apart from that, everything remained peaceful as is.

“I have not yet received an order to retreat back home.” Michael sadly looked upon his reflection in the stagnant river, perhaps, just like river of Tigris, his heart stopped a long time ago.

“Michael, stop avoiding us.” Raguel’s agitated voice can be clearly heard.

He wanted to avoid the Captain at all costs, he feared him after the massacres of the rebels, and even more so when the angel of mercy used Oracle on him in the most harsh way.

But this time, not seeing him for thirteen years was a bit too much. He only was ever able to evade his presence for about a month or two, the longest previously was one year, but this was the longest by far, thirteen years.

“You were the one who was avoiding me.” The angel of mercy muttered and whispered under his breath.

But the other two could hear his whispers, Raguel diverted his gaze far from Michael, he didn’t want to feel guilty hearing that statement from him.

“Michael…” Raphael fought the urge to cry, and pleaded with the eldest angel once more.

“I have a mission here, and this is one of the reasons I’m not yet going home.” Michael faced the two head on, turned his eyes straight to them, but Raguel was still avoiding his eyes.

“What are the other reasons?” Raphael inquired innocently.

He didn’t want to leave without at least spending time with Michael. He knew the feeling of isolation and the power of socialization.

“Don’t you know, already?” Michael hinted Raphael as he gazed in his empty eyes.

Raphael dropped his jaw, stunned, and defeated. Raphael has the power of Telepathy that he can use with the plants.

Telepathy stems from the Oracle prowess, and the only angelic one he can use the Oracle is on Michael, and as he fixed his eyes onto his beyond the empty void, he discovered Michael’s ultimate weakness.

He saw Michael’s memories – the saddest ones.

He went home within those thirteen years. He did not leave them high and dry, but he went home, invislble from everyone’s eyes, he treaded the Silver City, sneakily and undetected.

“I’ll ask the Captain to train the new fledglings.” Jophiel discussed the training of the newly created angels with Raguel in the throne room.

“Are you sure?” Raguel questioned that suggestion.

“What do you mean?” Jophiel wanted to clarify that question with Raguel. She knew that Raguel has been avoiding Michael because of the Oracle incident, but she hoped that she’s not thinking too much about Raguel’s conduct and words.

“Look, Michael… has a- a tendency to go overboard, you know that.” He answered.

And what she heard became a disappointment for both Michael who was nearby, invisible, and to Jophiel that believed into the extremities of the actions of Michael lately.

“I… I’m growing afraid of him, Jo.” Afraid.

That was the right word, and Michael grew disheartened as he walked away.

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A shadow lurking and observing Johnny’s weird obsession with the dressers and the equipment, quietly moved about.

Unawares of the danger preying around, Johnny continued his investigation.

SFX: *Ring! Ring!

The ringing of his phone startled the young man as he turned the corner and avoided a circuit camera.

“Yep?” He softly whispered as he answered the phone.

On the other line were Jackson, and Eddie who were still waiting and stationed at the entrance of the studio.

“Where the heck are you?!” Aggravated, Jackson shouted directly at the microphone.

Johnny had to held the phone far from his ear from that awful ear-drum tearing shout.

“I’m still inside. I haven’t got anything on JP or JW with the dressers I went through. I’m still observing things here. How about you, any updates?” His silent whispers caught the attention of the lurker just as it peeked from the other side of the hallway.

Listening to every word and trying to comprehend the sentences of the call, the lurker drew closer, and closer, until he can hear his whispers.

Engrossed in the conversation, Johnny continued to trail inside the hallways.

“We’re outside, they’re already wrapping up.” Eddie tried to butt in. Jackson’s lost grip of the phone as Eddie grabbed it from his hands.

“COME OUT ALREADY!” His deafening shout hurt Johnny’s ears, he had to pull the phone away directly from his ear.

The hallways to the dressers were long, winding aisles – lit by the white lights commonly used in a hospital that can be dimmed and controlled by the main control room back at the main production floor.

“Shut up! I’m still investigating.” He cowered in the corner of one of the halls.

“Investigating?” The shadow heard it clearly. The growing suspicions were confirmed with that one word.

A spying eye that forgot to shut its loud mouth.

His eyes peeked at the end of the hallway and noticed a ‘Personnel Only’ room. A restricted room, a challenge, he saw it as a way to prove himself at the least.

Tiptoed on the carpeted hallway towards the room, Johnny turns off his phone in case someone tries to contact him, a precaution when spying.

As he approached the door, he carefully leaned in his hear to the door, checking if there was someone on the other side.

The shadow peeked from the corner where he just came from and emitted a threatening intent that Johnny felt it for a second.

He jumped on his feet and quickly darted his eyes to the corner, surprised, and all his hairs standing up, but seeing nothing out of ordinary – no person, no security, no CCTV.

All that’s left was the dreading feeling that someone’s drilling their eyes on him, creeped by the instinct that someone’s been spying on his spying on the place, he slowly knelt on the floor and laid his hands on the carpet.

He attempted to feel the vibrations on the floor to see if someone really was nearby. Nothing. One more – nothing.

This time, he prompted on opening the door as quietly as he could, and turned the knob and swung the metal frame gently.

The shadow turned back to the production floor, near the props, and asked one of the props men.

“Pssst, where’s the props for chems?” The dim lights cannot make the face of the man who whispered.

The PA squinted his eyes as he held the list of the props for today, and sighed, he couldn’t see the clear face of the man, but the voice was familiar.

“At the corner of the props room, they’re already labeled, so make sure that they’re not lost or anything for tomorrow’s shoot.” The PA raised his brows, but didn’t press any longer, he just shook his head and went on his merry way.

“Sure, Boss.” A creepy grin can be seen within the shadows as the man smiled from ear to ear as he head to the props room.

As Johnny entered the “Personnel Only” room, he was met with a ton of lockers from all sides.

The light from the locker room reflected in the silver-ish locker doors that stood seven feet on the tiled ground.

Each locker was tagged by the initials of the name of the crew and Johnny treaded the maze of the locker to find Pauls’ and Williams’.

As he searched for the golden goose, a man emerged from the shadows and entered the props room.

A bookshelves of chemicals welcomed the open door, while an anatomic model dawned itself on the right side of the room, and different ‘blood’ packs and colored water on the left side.

The smell of ammonia filled the air as the man confirmed the contents of the chemical bottles.

“Authentic, huh.”

His hand slid on the tags and labels of the bookshelf, as he smiled creepily and stared at each bottle with a killing intent.

Then he suddenly stopped at one of the bottles that read, “Trichloromethane” and a small caps lettering below it, “Chloroform”.

The man inhaled and appeared to get ready for action, grabbed the bottle and rushed quietly back to the halls with a handkerchief on the other hand.

The PA looked back from the production floor and saw the shadow marching towards the halls towards the personnel only room, with a bottle on hand as a light reflected on it.

He looked doubtful, that very man was the one who asked about the chems. He decided to follow his gut feeling and just ignore the man.

There’s no good in minding another man’s business.

Johnny, inside the restricted room, continued to carefully search for Williams’ and Pauls’ lockers.

Pauls was a contestant, but they may have given lockers to the contestants, or it maybe that he has his dressing room, or contestant’s room?

Johnny’s thoughts continued to linger as he checked for the locker’s initials.

J… J… J… W… W… Where? Johnny went further and further from beyond the vision of the exit. And as he further his search, the shadow that approached earlier entered the room as quietly and sneaky as he can.

Johnny didn’t detect nor heard anything.

Each part of the corner of the room has mirrors that reflect the halls that extend the lockers to the other side of the room.

This fact was known to the unknown man, and he checked the mirrors and located Johnny.

He then prepared his concoction and poured a large amount to the handkerchief that it started dripping.

Johnny heard the water droplets but found it usual and common since he’s in the locker room. He just hoped that that someone with him in the room won’t be able to catch on that he is not ‘personnel’.

There were no cameras in this room as to protect the privacy of the crew as they bathe and clean in the locker room.

The room has two doors, one for the entrance, and one for the exit directly connected to the back.

The shadow carefully and quietly sneaked from behind Johnny and as soon as he can reach the kid, he pulled in his soaking handkerchief and covered Johnny’s nose and mouth.

Without tolerance from the drug, and surprised by the sneak attack, Johnny hyperventilated and inhaled as much Chloroform the handkerchief had.

He gagged and vomited as he leaned forward and passed out in the hands of the unknown man in the darkness of the dim-litted part of the room.

Arthur, who was searching his way in the restaurant without much attention, felt something happened to Johnny and half of his human body shook and cringed in fear.

“John…” He stopped in his tracks just as he’s on the door, and looked back and rushed into the back of the alleys into a place where no cameras can see him, and teleported back near the production area.

“It’s too late… I know you’re searching for me, and Williams. You’re gonna have to come with me, little guy.” Johnny’s consciousness awoken from hearing those sentences, he tried to wake up, but everything’s blurry as he attempted to open his eyes, and the man again put the piece of cloth in his face, he struggled to lift his arms to put up a fight against the medication, but once more, he passed out cold.

“John… John… where are you?” The panic starts to set in, Arthur knew something happened, but he’s not sure yet. He can only feel the dread overcoming him, overcoming his heart.

Am I too late?