Isaac

The intro chapter for Isaac.

 

            Isaac Smith slept alone in the back of a westbound Greyhound bus, burning off time until his arrival.  He did not stir one inch for the entirety of the night on the bus, despite the rough roads the bus had been forced to take due to a rockslide in the Rockies.  In spite of this delay, however, he is not worried.  He has no timetables to keep, no itineraries to follow.  The only goal in his life was to follow where he was told by his visions.  On this night, he was headed to a small California town, with a name he had forgotten since he boarded; only knowing it was the last stop for this bus.

 

***

 

            He had started having these visions eight months ago, on a cold December night in Illinois, shortly after Christmas.  He had found himself within the dark expanse of a cathedral sanctuary, kneeling down in front of the twenty-foot-tall cross that was mounted at the front.  “Why?!” he screamed to the air, his voice trembling, “What did I ever do to you to deserve this?  I know that I didn’t believe you, but I never spoke against you. Why would you do this to me?”  Tears formed in his eyes as he cursed out God for ruining everything in his life, for destroying everything he had worked so hard to create.

 

            On Christmas morning, his wife of almost twenty years, Alisha, had died when an arsonist had burned down his house at two in the morning, leaving only an empty basement and a burnt out frame.  He, however, had been at a late meeting with his lawyer after he had been laid-off permanently that winter, and was now facing bankruptcy with the bank threatening to take everything.  Everything that they wanted, however, was now a pile of smoldering ash.

 

“She was the only thing I had left for me, you b*****d!  When my entire life was already crumbling around me, you had to take the only person I had left!  What the hell did she ever do to you?  She went to church every week.  She lived life by your rules.  She didn’t deserve this!  Why didn’t you make me die?  I am the sinner here, not Alisha!  She was innocent!  Why did I have to live?”

 

            He let out a blood-curdling scream as he bent down, a cry choking his plea.  All sense of direction for him was lost, and he was now using the only chance he had.  Although he had declared himself atheist many years ago, he could think of nowhere else to turn but to the very God he had abandoned.  Isaac could now only hope that God would forgive him for his betrayal to him and help him now in his time of greatest need.

 

            He cried for another hour until he had worn himself to sleep.  He had been staying in the church since his house had burned down by the grace of the priest.  Although he normally fell asleep in the choir rehearsal room, tonight he did not really care anymore.  He planned to wait in the sanctuary until God gave him an answer.  He did not, however, plan on the means that it was brought to him

 

***

 

            Isaac grabbed his cane and pushed himself upright in the rear seat of the Greyhound.  A loud crack in his back caused him to cringe momentarily, although more from the noise than the pain.  He looked out the window and saw the sun starting to rise as he passed the sign that told him of his arrival into Gigante.  Gigante! That was what it was called! he thought to himself, laughing at his poor memory.

 

            The bus made its final stop outside of a local burger stand in the town of just over six-thousand residents.  The smell of the ocean was faint, drifting in from the coast about 20 miles down the freeway.  He wiped his eyes as the heat dried them out, his tears working in vain to adjust to the dryer air.  The back of his throat burned as he inhaled airborne sand.

 

            As soon as his vision had cleared of excess tears, he walked around town in search of a hotel to stay in for the next few nights as he planned.  He was not going to fail in his mission, which would leave him without meaning once more.  He had promised himself and the memory of his wife that he would do whatever it takes to regain his happiness, no matter the consequences.

 

            He came upon the Sandy Suites Hotel after about an hour of wandering the streets, more trying to learn the layout of the town than find his hotel.  When he walked in, Michael Ramos, the hotel owner, was at the front desk, absorbed in paperwork for a construction permit for improvements on the building.  He only glanced up at Isaac for a moment before going back to work.  “Can I help you?” he asked, feigning interest in what Isaac had to say, his voice trailing at the end of his sentence as he focused on the forms in front of him.

 

            “I need a room for a few nights,” stated Isaac, trying to stay polite despite Michael’s rude approach to business.

 

            “Well, that is usually what people come to a hotel for, my friend,” Michael said, a slight sarcastic tone in his voice as he looked up to meet Isaac’s gaze.  “I apologize for my attitude right now.  I am having a bit of trouble with the bank and the city council right now.  But enough about my problems.  How long will you be staying?”

 

            “I am only planning to be in town for three days, two nights.  I can take the cheapest room you have.”

 

            “Well then, that will be one-hundred dollars.  Your room will have only one bed and a small table, if that is okay?”

 

            “It will be perfectly fine.  By the way, do you know where I can find a good meal?  I haven’t eaten in a couple of days, so I am a little hungry, as you can expect.”

 

            “I would suggest Erikksen Burgers.  Best fried food in the state by my opinion, if you like that kind of meal.”  Michael then noticed Isaac’s cane.  “Would you like it if I brought your suitcase to your room, sir?”

 

“I would greatly appreciate it, thank you,” Isaac smiled and turned to the door, “I will be back in a few hours, so you can just hold my key until I come back.”  Isaac limped to the door and leaned on it until it started to open, then walked through the small opening.  Maybe I will spare him after all, he thought as he tried to forget about the bad first impression in the presence of the kind service.  But then again, maybe he deserved to die.  Maybe he did not deserve to be spared as Isaac was.

 

***

 

Isaac had awoken after about two hours to a loud crack that echoed in the sanctuary.  He sat up quickly, disoriented from waking up so suddenly.  He scanned the room slowly, searching for the source of the noise.  After finding nothing out of place he laid back down to sleep the rest of the night.

 

He jolted to attention again when he heard a loud creak and the sound of popping nails.  It was then that the moonlight shone in through the stained-glass windows of the sanctuary and illuminated the wall where the giant cross was mounted.   And was now falling down to crush Isaac.  He tried to scream, but his intense fear had paralyzed every muscle in his body.  He could only watch as the religious symbol rapidly approached him.

 

The cross shattered as it hit the floor of the cathedral and sent shrapnel flying.  Then, as if guided by the hand of God, one splinter shattered the window and set off the church’s alarm system, alerting the authorities.  Isaac was only conscious long enough to hear the alarm sound before his world went black.