The night air kept my lungs frigid as I ran. I was blessed to have moonlight to guide my eyes, it reflected off the white walls of the Temple of Ba’al. I can’t believe Father’s in there, I thought. The Tower was long behind me now. Father had drunkenly forgotten to lock the door after providing me a slop of supper. A wild hare stuck its ears above a stone outlook in the wall. I caught the glint of its eye before it ducked down once more. My eyes squinted and watered as the wind kicked up the white sand on the road. I could hear them chanting now, and couldn’t resist. The evil Temple swallowed me up. No moonlight entered here, no torch could stay aflame in this pressing darkness. I clutched the cross I had made out of nettles, and pressed on.
Kneeling next to the open ritual chamber, I clasped my hands together to invoke God, the good God, Lord of the Israelites. In the open room I was next to, I could hear their prayers as well. They gathered, hooded and enveloped in a pressing darkness, and began their own unholy wish.
“A bull, O Ba’al, we will consecrate;
A vow, Ba’al, we will fulfill;
A firstborn, Ba’al, we will consecrate;
A flesh sacrifice, Ba’al, we will fulfill!”
I allowed my faith to flow, one with every God-given spark of life, I prayed until I heard no more sin, no more chanting, no more ancient hymns. I prayed until I heard screaming. Until I opened my young eyes and witnessed blood desecrating, no, purifying this Temple of Evil. Beautiful, shimmering, ambrosial dust flew through the chamber. The dust from which God rose Adam and Eve in the Ancient Times, the very soil of the Garden of Eden, protected by a twin-blade, a double-edged sword.
Men screamed as their chests were impaled by this vengeful new Ark. The dust took shape, into finger-like tendrils with dark, breathing openings. They drank the blood of the impaled men, and the dust shone its color. I could not take my eyes away from its glory. The Lord spoke to me then, I felt His Holy Presence within myself. He said,
“Be this, The Ark of Abras,
Let all know, He is a jealous God,
Let all know, He is salvation.”
