Chapter 13: The gathering of the four

Elisabeth had watched Karen with concerned consideration during the time she was under some form of hypnotic state inside the tent. She sensed it best not to wake her but remained vigilantly alert in the event she was needed. After Karen slumped to the floor Elisabeth helped her friend to the car and then drove them to Karen's hotel.

"I understand now." Karen told Elisabeth gravely as both women sat tentatively in Karen's hotel room.

"I know." Elisabeth responded with sincerity. She too had experienced some of the understanding. Not as much as Karen had, but enough to know that Karen understood.

Karen stood up and walked toward the large window on the other side of the room to view the city skyline. It was a rare night in beautiful downtown Fayetteville Arkansas. The usually overcast night sky seemed an almost royal black-blue illuminated by a full moon that also drenched the surrounding glass and steel buildings with a pale gold. Unlike her past self, this Karen could almost feel the warmth of the moon's rays through the plate glass window. She turned and looked into Elisabeth's dark eyes as she spoke philosophically. "If knowing is truth. I've lived a lie all my life."

"We all have." Elisabeth gestured with sympathy. "Want to fill me in?"

Karen snapped her mind back to reality and answered. "Sure. But first, can you tell me why you went to the tent. You were supposed to be taking a hot bath. Remember?" She already knew the answer to her question, but she wanted Elisabeth to reflect on the answer herself.

"Don't know." Was Elisabeth's simple response as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Hmmm ... you don't know? Come now. Surely there must be some explanation." Karen prompted.

"No. I can't think of one." Elisabeth shook her head holding her arms out in frustration. "I honestly don't know. One minute I'm getting ready to take a bath, the next I'm sitting in a cab heading toward Magnesia Springs."

"Well, knowing what I do now," Karen said thoughtfully. "it's a good thing you were there. If not, I would have gone in there to help that girl, and we both know how that would have turned out."

"Yeah ... I know." Elisabeth offered a weak smile. "There are forces at work here I don't fully understand. I guess it was one of those that put me in that cab."

"You know," Karen commiserated. "isn't it funny how easily you can come to except all this super natural mumbo jumbo stuff after it's touched you." The remarkable encounters both women had recently experienced had forged an even stronger bond of friendship between the two of them and Karen felt completely comfortable airing out even her most personal thoughts or dilemmas.

"I've always held a spiritual conviction about there being a God, but I've never really considered Satan as a solid entity on earth to be contended with." Elisabeth remarked casually, then continued in a more deliberate tone. "That's what he is you know, the anti-Christ ... or at the very least one of his disciples, here on earth to gather soul's." She paused and shook her head. "Just listening to myself, I sound crazy, but I know what I know. Just as you know Karen ... Just as you know."

Karen walked over to Elisabeth and stroked the length of her hair gently. "Yeah. I know." She said quietly. "I know."

"So what now Karen?" Elisabeth asked looking up into Karen face.

"Now we gather the four." Karen smiled down at her friend.

"The four?" Elisabeth questioned, as if the answer didn't make any sense, which it didn't.

"You and I my dear Elisabeth or two of the four it will take to destroy the thing that calls itself reverend Bishop." Karen paused momentarily and closed her eyes reflecting back on the moment of enlightenment inside the tent before she continued. "Inside that tent, after being forced to watch the blasphemous defilation of that poor girl, I understood clearly that I had not come to McNeil Arkansas on a mere whim. I was destined to be here at precisely this moment, just as my whole life was pre-determined for this moment. All the pain I endured as a young girl was intended to give me the strength and understanding of both you, and that poor girl in the tent's sufferings." She opened her eyes and smiled down at Elisabeth. "Just as you and I were predestined to become friends Elisabeth. You see, together Elisabeth we have become a force to be reckoned with. Together you and I are God's sword of light which shall devour the serpent."

Elisabeth didn't fully understand but she believed. Yes, she believed. "But you said four. Who are the other two?" She questioned.

"Aw ... the other two." Karen chuckled a little as she spoke. "The other two are the most unlikely pair of heaven's instrument's you could possibly think of. They followed me here to McNeil in search of something I took away from them. And like us, they too have a destiny to follow."

Something had been bothering Karen for some time, and she needed to get it out in the open. "Elisabeth, in the tent, the three men that were violating that girl ... you saw ... didn't you?"

"You mean Richard." The words caught in her throat making them sound gargled. "Yes, I saw." Her dark eyes glistened as moisture collected behind them.

"He had no more choice than you or I." Karen comforted Elisabeth as she drew her face against her chest holding her. "Just because he's a man doesn't make him stronger nor more able to withstand the evil strength of hell any more than we could."

"I know..." Elisabeth sobbed. "I know ... that's how I controlled myself up to now." Elisabeth threw her arms around Karen's waist and dug her nails into Karen's flesh. "This has got to end Karen. It just has to end. I'll go mad if it doesn't end soon ... I'll go mad, I know I will."

"The final chapter is about to be written." Karen drew Elisabeth even closer to her body. "You must keep faith Elisabeth, without you the sword has no edge. Your courage and strength are needed now, be strong my dear friend, and I promise you ... it will end."

Elisabeth released Karen and leaned back on the couch rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. "I'm okay now." She said smiling up at Karen. "I'll be fine. Sorry."

"I know." Karen said softly as she used her thumb to wipe away a mascara filled tear from Elisabeth's cheek. "Hey listen," She said in a lighter tone. "in the top bureau drawer over there is a key to one of the lockers at the bus station. If anything happens to me go get what's inside that locker. Okay?"

"What do you mean if anything happens to you?" Elisabeth cocked her head to the side looking nervously at Karen.

"I don't mean anything." Karen answered casually. "It's just important that you know about it, that's all." Then she quickly added. "It's the stuff I took from the other two, and some jewelry I purchased. Somebody else should know where it is."

Elisabeth wasn't completely comfortable with Karen's explanation, but she let it pass. "I don't know if I should go home or not. I'm not sure I could face Richard right now." She said turning her thoughts to the current situation.

"It's better if you stay here tonight." Karen offered. "You need to get some rest for tomorrow."

"Maybe I should call?" Elisabeth thought out loud.