KEEPING THE FAITH

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JULIUS
Finally calming myself down, I looked towards my alarm clock and saw that it was 8:00 A.M. A light mist was falling on the window, whilst the sound of traffic bounced off the walls of the apartment buildings in my small hometown. Reluctantly, I slid out of my comforter and grabbed some random clothes from my dresser. I decided to take a shower before I head out to pick up Gad. He was placed in a foster home after Kedah's death.
Malachi came back with some shocking news yesterday. He told Gad, Kedah's little brother, and I that Kedah is actually alive. But she's missing, and no one knows where she is. He told us to meet him at the church's conference room along with Pastor Steele, my brother (who moved in a small house with his family), my sisters, my mother, Kedah's closest friends (Irena Carleton, Meraina Vaughn, and Georgie Sanders), and my closest friends (Joel Steele, Bryce Carleton, and Mauricio Vaughn) who would be just as curious. The people who captured Kedah sent a message to us- to me.
Just thinking about it makes my stomach churn. 

~•~

I leaned my head back on the headrest of the seat, listening to the rain patter on the roof of my car. I glanced over and saw that Gad was-

What?Why did he break his bedroom window?!Why on earth is he climbing out of it?! And why is he sliding off the roof?!Ouch! He landed in the rosebushes...I stepped out, but then Gad yelled, "GET IN THE CAR! I'M COMING!"
What is up with this kid?I happily obliged and got back in the car, now soaking wet.
He yanks himself out of the roses and ran towards the car. Flinging the car door open, he yells, "GO, JULIUS!"
He jumps in and quickly shuts the door.
"Gad, what's going-"
"JUST GO! HURRY!"
Suddenly, I hear glass shatter beside me. Gunshots from a man standing on the porch go off as I race to get us out of their parking lot. I decide to take smaller roads and not the freeway towards the church.
With a hint of fear, I ask, "What in the blazes happened back there, Gad?!"
Panting, he replied, " I woke up to get ready before you picked me up, and then I heard a crash downstairs. Honestly, I thought that Carrie dropped a pan again, but then I heard her and Ron screaming. I was going to check it out when I heard a gunshot. I just booked it from there."
His breathing started to slow down, and I looked in the mirror to see if we were being followed.
Okay, we're good. For now at least.
He continued, "I took my baseball bat and broke my window to crawl out. I almost ruined my Captain America bathrobe!"
I'm so confused right now...
"Okay so wait...why didn't you just open the window?"
"Are you kidding?" he scoffed, "when you live with foster parents only keeping you for the money while there are people out there looking for one of the Light's kin to kill and use as bait WHILE you have to deal with a sudden break in BECAUSE there are creeps out there trying to find you, THEN ask me why I used a stupid bat to break my window to escape."
There was silence in the car for a good while.
"Why do you still have that Captain America bathrobe?"
"You're lucky I escaped with this, Julius."
I shook my head, still feeling a little anxious about the whole deal.
"How are you not stressed out about this? I mean, they- or whoever broke in - tried to capture you to do who knows what to you and you're just sitting there as if nothing happened! I'm barely holding onto the wheel!"
He laughed.
He laughed.
What is wrong with this kid?
"I am stressed. It's just that I'm so stressed that I'm calm."
"Gad, that doesn't make sense..."
"At 13, I've passed beyond stressed, beyond insanity, into the foggy, miserable indifference of complete shutdown of all but emergency services in my brain."
Pulling into the church parking lot, I tell him, "You remind me so much of your sister."

Malachi stood at the very end of the table, holding a thick disk with a few small buttons on it. Everyone sat in their seats impatiently, waiting for Malachi's next words.
"Good morning, everyone. I have gathered you all here to share news about one of the Lights who is no longer thought to be with us today. As most of you know the story, Kedah arrived dead and Julius arrived in a very critical condition at the shelter ten years ago. Only a few people know about the true story. As they landed to retrieve Julius from his brother's apartment, someone broke into the helicopter and took Kedah's almost dead body. Ten years later, Mr. Vaughn received a message from her captors. This is directed to Julius."
Even though I knew about this, I was still shocked with fear.
Malachi turned off the lights, then a bright blue light escaped from the small disk. The image of a young- very young - man in a black suit appeared. His hair was golden blonde, his skin was suntan, but his eyes were the most fascinating feature.
The vibrancy of the color was filled with a lust for evil. They shined with a new darkness, as if he recently lost his sanity, and yet the wicked knowledge behind them was a thousand years old. The color scared the living daylights out of me. I've never seen a shade of green so evil before. But I was determined to keep my eyes locked with his, for Kedah.
"Good day to you, Mr. Jones. It took you long enough to find out that Kedah Bernstad is not actually dead. I suppose you are all wondering why I have her here with me. You see, my Master has been trying to take over her soul for a very long time. My grandfather, the most skilled devil here, failed to convince Kedah to join him time after time again. I believe you remember Chanter?"
Knowing he couldn't see me, I still nodded.
Chanter was an evil devil who tried to stop Kedah and I from fighting these monsters. I still could remember his lifeless eyes.
"My name is Kelligan Honor Mason. I'm here to instruct you on how to retrieve your...friend here."
He smiled mischievously.
"I must inform you that even our finest doctors were not able to recover the torn, infected flesh in her leg and arm from the fall, so they had to amputate the limbs from her body."

Hearing those words struck something inside of me.

Gasps of shock were heard in the otherwise quiet room.
"You are to arrive here in a span of two months. If you do not arrive here by then, Kedah will never have to suffer again. After all, they say that death is better than being disabled the rest of your life."

Anger. That's what struck inside of me.

"You will pass a series of tests, or trials, to determine of you prove worthy to have her back. These trials are temptations. They will start out relatively easy to handle, but as you get closer to us, they will become more...personalized. Your mission starts tomorrow, the 1st of March. Malachi will give you this disk containing a live, 24-hour video recording of Kedah. You can hear her and see her, but she can't hear you. She won't even know that you're watching. And every time you conquer a temptation, I will pop back up and let you know you did."
"Now, I would have killed all of you in an instant, but the KING and my Master have made that agreement. If you succeed, then you will have her back in one piece. If you fail...."
Kelligan scooted closer to the camera, making direct eye contact with me.
"If you fail, I will personally make her suffering end in the most colorful way possible. That's all. May your God be with you in your attempt to save your precious girlfriend."
The screen disappeared, and determination flooded my senses.
I will find Kedah. No matter what it takes.