Chapter 28 / Zabelton

28

Zabelton

 

Today, the third Saturday in June, was Breakthrough Day; beginning the week long Celebration of the 25^th Anniversary of the unsealing of the City Building of Manhattan.

 

Today, people would be celebrating the moment when two high school kids, named David Krendell and Karen Bennet first opened the Chamber Doors, and stepped out of the chilling darkness of the Lincoln Tunnel, into the warm fresh air and brilliant sunlight of the Wilderness.

 

Next Saturday, they would celebrate Reuniting Day, commemorating high school girl Louise Torelli’s opening the Chamber Doors, allowing Pastor Domnick Luzak and his niece Charlene Luzak into the world of the City Building; beginning the reuniting of the City Building People and the People of the Wilderness, along with the restoration of the Nation.

 

Beginning today would be one week long Celebration, lasting through midnight of the fourth Sunday in June.  Celebrations would be taking place in every community all over the Country.

 

This Saturday morning, 42 year old Dave Krendell drove his hovercar east, passing all the shops along the two blocks of Zabelton's Main Street.  He stopped for a red light at the crossroads, with the Presbyterian Church on his right.  When the light turned green, he turned right, then left, going into the crowded parking lot of the Glad He Ate Her Diner.  He managed to find an empty space where he set the car down.  Then he, his wife Karen and their daughter, 16 year old Alyce got out of the vehicle, walked across the asphalt pavement, and climbed the steps into the crowded diner, where things were unusually hectic.

 

Dave and Karen's former classmate Sarah Landis was behind the counter.

 

He called out, "Hey there Sarah!"

 

"Hi you two!  Alyce!  Larry's in the back!  He won't be able to join you today!"

 

"I figured that!"  He told her, "Looks like you're gonna be really busy all day; or at least before and after the Game!" 

 

"Right."  She told him, "The two dozen pairs of Chosen Warriors, will be fighting to the death in this afternoon’s Annual Combat Game.  I’m glad it’s the only Combat Game we have out here!"

 

The Krendell's found an empty booth beside a window, looking out at the Church across the road.

 

Sarah came over, handed them three breakfast menus, and filled their cups with coffee.   The menu featured dishes with variations of eggs, bacon, cheese, pancakes, waffles, and home fries or hash browns with onions.   Human sausages and patties that had been shipped out from the City Building were also included in the menu.

 

Sarah said, "Jimmy and Charlene won't be joining us either.  Every one of their 50 Motel rooms is occupied, by present day students or faculty members, from H.S. L-1378-55. They’ve come as supporters of our old Alma Mater’s Chosen Warriors.  Jimmy and Charlene have got even more on their hands than me and Larry."

 

Karen said proudly, “I’m glad our girl Alyce here is participating.  She’ll be fighting to the death as one of our local High School’s Chosen Warriors.  It's good for our kids to participate in an actual combat game, even if it is just one game a year, and the kill quota is much too low.  I also want Alyce's brothers and sisters to be taking part when it's their time, instead of just watching the Professional City Teams on TV."

 

"Mrs. Landis." Alyce Krendell spoke.  "Do you know if the Haskins' son Kevin's gonna be joining us for breakfast today?"

 

Sarah shook her head.  "I don't think so.  They're just too busy.  It looks like you won't be seeing your boyfriend until the Game."                             

 

The girl sighed.

 

"Don't worry Alyce."  Her mother assured her, "Whatever you two are arguing about, his parents have raised him to be a gentleman like his father.  He's still gonna be joining you at the Barbecue after the Game, and he'll still be f*****g you with love, before he brings you home on time."

 

Dave said, "Then in the morning, we'll all be going to Church, where everyone can repent, confess their sins, and you can go back to being a good girl."

 

The girl said, "It might not be that easy Dad.  'The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.'"

 

Her mother told her, "And the appetite makes the final decision.  That's why we need a Savior Alyce, and that's why we need Him on the Cross.”

 

Sarah spoke.  “Now look who’s just arrived.”

 

A dark haired, trim figured woman in her early 40’s had entered the diner, wearing dark glasses, shorts and a yellow tee shirt.  A teenage girl had come in with her.  The girl’s hair was the same color as the older woman’s, and she was dressed the same.  Printed in green, on the front of both their tee shirts, was the insignia “H.S. L-1378-55.”  

 

The two of them came over to the Krendell’s booth.  Both women wore human knuckle bone necklaces, and bracelets.  The older one also wore a pair of shrunken heads tied on her belt.  The girl had four shrunken heads tied on hers.

 

The woman said, “Hi Sarah.”

 

“Good morning Louise.”

 

The woman in the tee shirt and human bone jewelry looked at the people in the booth. 

 

“Good morning Dave.  Good morning Karen.”

 

Dave said, “Hi Louise.”

 

Karen said.  “Good morning Louise.”

 

Karen spoke to her daughter.  “Alyce.  This is Mrs. Louise Torelli-Avery.  She is a former classmate of your father and mine.  She is also School Board President, of all the Schools on Level 1378 of the City Building of Manhattan.”

 

Mrs. Torelli-Avery said, “I am also married to the son of our former High School Principal.  This beautiful girl beside me is our daughter Carlotta Avery.  She is a member of our former Alma Mater’s Chosen Warriors.  She has come to fight to the death, against one of this Town’s Chosen, in this afternoon’s Combat Game.”

 

Karen told her, “And this is our daughter Alyce, who is a member of our Town of Zabelton’s Chosen.  That means it’s possible, that both of our brave and beautiful daughters might be fighting each other to the death, this afternoon.”

 

Alyce looked at the four shrunken heads on the other girl’s belt, while the other girl looked at Alyce’s belt, from which nothing hung.

 

“More than possible.”  Louise told them, “It’s definite.  I made sure of that Karen.  I made sure that your daughter and mine will be having the bare b**b chick fight to the death that you and I should have had, when we were their age.”

 

Carlotta spoke smugly to Alyce.  “Welcome to Paradise girl.  Are you a real warrior girl, ready to kill and be killed at any moment, or are you a wussy p***y?”

 

“Welcome to Paradise yourself.”  Alyce replied “I’ve been wondering that about you.”

 

Carlotta told her, “I am also a Jihadist Priestess; a Warrior Priestess.  Everyone who I kill in a combat game is a Sacrifice to God.  Are you ready to be one yourself?”

 

“I am.”  Alyce said, “Are you?”

 

“I am.” 

 

Now Dave spoke.  “It’s obvious that neither of you is a wussy p***y.  You’ll both be brave and beautiful ‘Angels of Death at play, when in our combat game you slay’.”

 

“Right.“  Carlotta’s mother told both girls, “Whichever one of you dies this afternoon, will be angel meat; the tenderest and tastiest of all.”

 

Alyce told Carlotta, “Sexy meat to cook and eat; both of us.”

 

Sarah said, “Oh I’ve got a customer.  I’ll be back.”

 

The Diner’s busy hostess hurried over to someone who’d seated himself at the counter.

 

Now the Zabelton warrior girl told Carlotta, “After the barbecue this afternoon, the one of us who’s not in Paradise, meaning me, will be f*****g my betrothed with love.”

 

“Wrong.”  Carlotta smirked.  “At the barbecue, I’ll be the one eating your barbecued meat. Then tonight, I will be the one who is f*****g your betrothed.  If love is included it’d be nice, but it’s not necessary.”

 

Now Karen said, “Maybe.  Louise, remember what happened when Dave prayed for the two of us?  What happened to you and I, might happen to your daughter or mine.”

 

This year’s Annual Combat Game, between the Chosen Few from the visiting H.S. L-1378-55 Team, and Zabelton’s Chosen Few, began at 1 o’clock that afternoon.  More than 2,500 people were seated in the bleachers on both sides of the Charles Avery Memorial High School athletic field; about 2 miles north of the Zabelton Crossroads.  They sat sweating in the 92 degree heat of the early Summer afternoon; under the heavy sun which blazed in a deep blue but partly cloudy sky, surrounded by the tall, rounded green mountains of northeast Pennsylvania.  

 

The School’s band played the “Stars and Stripes Forever” March. 

 

On the Home Team’s side of the field, the Zabelton Cheerleaders leapt and whirled about, waving their pom-poms and chanting.

 

“More meat to eat!

 More meat to eat!

 More meat to eat!

  More meat to eat!”

 

The entire crowd joined in the chanting, while clapping in rhythm.

 

Out on the field, 12 pairs of Warrior Guys and Girls from both Schools fought with swords and shields, going at each other fearlessly, all bare above the waist.  One Visiting Team Warrior Guy had been killed so far, and the crowd had shouted “Welcome to Paradise!”

 

He now lay dead on the grass, with his sword and shield beside him.  His victorious opponent was Kevin Haskins, the son of Jimmy Haskins.  His mother was the former Pennsylvania State Warrior Girl Champion, Charlene Luzak-Haskins.  Kevin was also betrothed to Alyce Krendell.  He now stood alongside the edge of the field, joining in the chanting and clapping. 

 

The crowd had also begun chanting,

 

               “Welcome to Paradise!

Welcome to Paradise!

Welcome to Paradise!

 Welcome to Paradise!”

 

Dave and Karen Krendell were seated in the bleachers with the Home Team Fans.  They, along with Alyce’s five younger brothers and sisters, also joined in the chanting and clapping. 

 

Their attention was focused on Alyce and Carlotta, who were out on the field, dressed in only sneakers and very short skirts, fighting fully bare breasted, going at each other fearlessly with swords and shields.

 

“You were right Dave.”  Karen said, “Our daughter is a truly beautiful and brave Angel of Death!”

 

She shouted eagerly, “Kill her Alyce!  Kill her!”

 

Dave and all their children repeated, “Kill her Alyce!  Kill her!”

 

Out on the field, Carlotta managed to get her sword around Alyce’s shield, stabbed her under her firm left breast, and drove the blade up into the girl's heart. The girl made a single, brave cry.

 

Carlotta laughed.  “Welcome to Paradise!”

 

In the bleachers Carlotta’s mother shouted, “Good kill Carlotta!  Good kill!”

 

In the Home Team Fans’ bleachers, Karen spoke softly.  “Die brave Alyce!  Die brave!  You’re entering Paradise!”  She prayed, “And please God, don’t let her resurrect!”

 

The Zabelton girl sighed and collapsed, falling away from Carlotta’s blood stained sword, and lay stretched out dead on the grass.

 

The crowd shouted, “Welcome to Paradise!” 

 

Then Carlotta backed away from her dead opponent, while her Visiting Team fans cheered.  She bowed smiling toward them.

 

The Krendell family all stayed in their seats, cheering on the Zabelton Warriors for the remainder of the Game; as did all the families of those who were killed.

 

The Game ended.  People were beginning to come down from the bleachers.  Louise Torelli-Avery headed across the field, approaching the Krendells. Her daughter Carlotta walked beside her, carrying Alyce’s head in a clear plastic bag.   Karen came down from the bleachers, while Dave and the kids headed to the family car.  She stood alone waiting for both women who came up to her.

 

“So Karen,” Louise smirked. “Your beautiful daughter is now fresh killed, tender and tasty p***y meat.”

 

Carlotta laughed, “When I stabbed her under her b**b, just before I shoved the blade up into her heart, her final words were, ‘My p***y is coming.’  That means her meat will be very sweet.”

 

“That’s good.”  The dead girl’s mother spoke proudly, “My Warrior Girl daughter died brave and beautiful, and entered Paradise in ecstasy.”

 

Louise Torelli-Avery patted the plastic bag her daughter carried, containing Alyce’s head.  “All is right with the World.” 

 

Now Carlotta said, “That means that I’m the one who’ll be f*****g her betrothed tonight.  That’ll be after he and I have eaten her very sweet, ecstatic meat at the Barbecue.”

 

Karen asked Carlotta’s mother, “Are you planning to attend the After Game Barbecue?”

 

“I certainly am.” Louise replied, “Fresh meat and fresh vegetables.  There’s no way this City Building woman’s gonna be passing that up.”

 

Carlotta had turned and now gazed out across the playing field, where she saw Kevin Haskins standing beside the bare breasted headless body of Alyce Krendell.

 

The girl grinned, “There’s no way I’m passing that up either.”

 

“Wait.” Karen pointed toward the plastic bag Carlotta carried.

 

She asked, “Will you please give me my daughter’s head?”

 

“No!”  The girl pulled it back.  “Her head is mine!”  She said scornfully, “I’m adding it to the other ones on my belt!”

 

Karen spoke to Louise.  “I don’t know if you remember what I told you when we were back in High School.  I said that Dave was the one who God has chosen to raise the dead through prayer.”

 

“Right.”  Louise told Carlotta, “Give Mrs. Krendell here, her daughter’s head.”

 

“Mom?”

 

“Do what I tell you.”

 

“Okay.” 

 

The girl from the City of Manhattan Building handed the plastic bag with Alyce’s head to the dead girl’s mother.

 

Then Mrs. Karen Krendell headed out across the field toward Kevin Haskins, who stood beside her daughter’s headless body. 

 

A very puzzled Carlotta asked, “Raise the dead Mom?  What’s going on?”

 

“Be still and behold what God might do.”

 

Out on the field, as Karen approached her daughter’s body, carrying the girl’s head in a plastic bag, she began to sing.

 

“I am a Warrior Girl!

A brave and deadly pear!

Angel of Death at play…

“No.” 

Karen’s singing ceased.

I’m not an angel of death.  

She continued to walk.

 “Alyce arise” the woman said “and choose life, so that you and your children will live, and possess the land, that the Lord your God has given you."

End of Story