Category: Writing

Crime of Passion

“You have brought shame and dishonor to our clan! Tell me, comrade, how does one go from a state of taking pity on a deadly creature to thoroughly ravaging her body at your discretion?!” Lord Bilal raged.

“If it is the will that is at stake, then mine could not be bent away from hers. She was a helpless flower planted in a garden of destitution. I only meant for her to flourish elsewhere. My love came to manifest over time as I saw her demise was indubitable in the living world. I did not wish to see her suffer!” Vadiim proclaimed.

Lord Bilal sat at his marble desk and put his hands over his face and said, “You are not her overseer! You became over-indulgent and allowed her plight to guide you into a doomed fairytale. There is no romance in death. For you to meddle as if to be a savior is ludicrous. The fact is, your paths might not even cross after she takes her final breath. Take stock of the entirety in this situation; you lie in wait for her to expire from her living existence like a ghoulish stalker. You are not The Reaper. Therefore, you cannot claim possession of her soul once it has been released. You have violated many spiritual taboos. The verity that you love her is of no consequence.”

“I will take the brunt of the fallout of my actions! All I ask is that you allow me the opportunity to set this right.” Vadiim indignantly stated.

“You are mighty bold, expecting me to allow you anything. The only way to make this right is to end your tawdry affair with the human girl this instant. Is that what you intend to do?” Lord Bilal chuckled.

“It is not. If I leave her now, she will only suffer more at the cruel hands of her human counterparts. Her life has always remained between there and the spiritual realm. She can successfully pass over to the other side. Even if she is not to be with me as my lover, it would be far better for her to dwell in peace.” Vadiim retorted.

Lord Bilal stood to his feet. “Are you then going to contend with The Reaper to take her life away?” He asked.

Vadiim paused before speaking. “No, I would never make such a heinous mistake. I will wait as I always have. The time is coming for her to choose her own. Whatever has kept her bound to that feeble body must be loosening its grip. She has visited me more frequently in the past few days than ever in the decade since we met.”

Lord Bilal placed his hands on Vadiim’s shoulders. “Tell me this; if you wallow with her in true blissful love, why have you never revealed your real self?”

Vadiim also placed his hands around Lord Bilal’s shoulders. “Keinah has lived a condemned existence. She was never afforded the pleasures of stability, happiness, or love. Her world is consumed with despair, cruelty, and lack. In all of that, her heart has never been hardened. She freely accepted my offer of companionship without question. Not one time has she ever asked anything of me other than to see me again. It is almost as if it has never occurred to her to ask for a better life. As you said, there is no romance in death. I do not want to burden her knowing that our encounters are only because of her dances with death.”

Lord Bilal looked in amazement, “In all this time, has the Reaper been nearby to reproach you?”

“Never once have I sensed any other entity when we are together, nor has she,” Vadiim replied.

“I still cannot understand how you could dare to touch her, even if you say you love her.” Lord Bilal snapped at him while releasing their embrace.

“She has always been beautiful to me; her soul is so pure. That rag doll of a child became an exotic young woman. She freely gave herself to me, and I could not deny my desire for her. Our lovemaking is quite exquisite. Nothing can compare to my feelings for her.” Vadiim softly revealed.

Lord Bilal huffed, “Nothing you say; with all the scores of species you have known, this lowly human girl is the one you want to take the sword for?” 

Vadiim reminiscently spoke, “From the beginning, I was overwhelmed by her virtuous soul. I watched her from afar until the moment she crossed the first threshold of life and death. It seemed like a good time to take her with me then, but alas, I could not. I knew she would be back sooner than later. Her condition continued to deteriorate with each encounter. She was the first to declare her love for me. I had never imagined such an interaction. I was drawn in by her promise of love until before long, I was enthralled to the point of no return. Tell me, old friend; with all the species that you have known, have you ever realized such a thing as love itself?”

Lord Bilal thoughtfully replied, “I cannot say that I have. I have heard the word thrown around on occasions by the humans, of course. It never seemed to resonate with my stream of consciousness. To love this or that; it just causes a lot of commotion.”

Vadiim chuckled, “That, my friend, can only be because you have never loved or been loved. Keinah is that opportunity for me, as I am for her. That bond that ties us together is miraculous.”

Lord Bilal took a more serious tone. “What will you do if The Reaper decides you must part ways?”

“I cannot know for sure that will happen. If it does, I will have to return to my original state and love her from afar. It pains me to think such things, but grieves me even more than her suffering has not yet end.” Vadiim painstakingly replied.

Lord Bilal sighed with exhaustion, “Entangling yourself with humans only seems to bring calamity and despair. Ah, but what of it? Ultimately, you may find pleasure in your eternal existence.”

“Does this mean you will help me?” Vadiim asked with excitement.

“I must be going soft. In any matter, you have intrigued me with your delight at this human girl. I am not one to stand in the way of good success. I will not turn you into the Celestial Triad guards. However, you must reveal your identity to your lover so that she can plead her case to The Reaper if she deems to do so. That way, it will be settled whether she will choose life or death, love or not.” Lord Bilal asserted.

“Then let it be so. Thank you for this gift.” Vadiim said with gratitude.

Lord Bilal shook Vadiim’s hand with a smirk and said, “Do not thank me now. We will see if fortune and mercy are in your favor.”

Lord Bilal had drawn his conclusion that Vadiim had no intention of revealing his true identity to Keinah, nor would he sever their ties. He kept them apart by tricking Vadiim into taking an assignment that sent him far away into the vast wastelands of a realm outside Imuiir. Reportedly, there was a host of rebel bandits from the Sapphire clan planning to attack their city. Vadiim was stuck in the trenches of this mission for approximately three years in human terms.

The Far Side of Hereafter, Ch. 5

The Emerald Kingdom

Vadiim and his kinsmen were known as Celestial beings. Their origin remains unknown, but there were four clans (Diamond, Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire). These clans existed within both the spiritual realms and among other species for eons. Their immortality allowed them to survey and analyze all aspects of life. Gifted with shape-shifting abilities, they could emulate any other species of choice, even if it was down to every single physical behavior.

These beings sought all aspects of pleasure as a coping mechanism for eternal life. Romantic intimacy was not an unfamiliar trait. Most clan members pursued an eternal mate or mates to fulfill their desire to connect with another. It was because they considered humankind to be fretful, delicate, and weakest among all species that laws prohibiting relations were created. This was a crime punishable by a crystallization sword that could turn them into stone.

Vadiim served as the General of the Emerald clan legionnaires and was considered a mighty warrior. His high rank and talents made him the most sought after among his clan for those seeking a mate. Though he had scores of lovers, he spurned them all by choosing not to commit himself to any of them. Instead, he dedicated himself to protecting and preserving his countrymen in the Emerald Kingdom.

 The Celestials had apathetic views on most things, but were always drawn to the possibility of discovering new life prospects. The essence of Keinah’s pure soul appealed to Vadiim’s interest, beyond the surface of amusement. He knew he would need to convince Lord Bilal, who was the newly appointed High Chief of the clan, that no harm had been done. The state of Vadiim’s eternal existence would be jeopardized otherwise.

The Emerald kingdom was a realm far across the sea from Keinah’s beach. The capital, Imuiir, was a magnificently picturesque city with buildings, infrastructures, and a majestic castle. Lord Bilal maneuvered his way into High Chief’s position by outsmarting the former chief and bribing the officials.  The two were comrades in arms with a genuine affection towards each other. Lord Bilal had intended to appoint Vadiim as his right hand, but he became enraged to learn that his long-time friend had abandoned his post.

The Far Side of Hereafter, Ch. 4

In the Still of the Night

By this time, Vadiim had fallen into a mad obsession with her. There was no limit to the lengths of effort he took to keep the ruse of being a young fisher going. A simple transformation of his appearance from a boy into a robust man with an athletic physique completed the task. He had broken many divine laws from his country land just to be with her, and knew that upon their first encounter, by partaking of the meal she prepared, he became bound to her. Their relationship had matured to where they often made love on the old sleep mat she brought with her.

Their time spent together on the black sanded beach was almost endless. The exception, of course, was always when Keinah’s tortured body retrieved her soul back to the living human realm. One night after a long swim, the lovers nestled together under a large palm tree. A shooting star blazed across the dark skyline like a firecracker. The pair indulged in the light, salty aroma, which drifted everywhere. Vadiim calmly stroked Keinah’s hair as she rested her head on his bare chest. “Do you ever desire to sleep in a bed?” he asked.Keinah broke from humming her tune and slightly perched her head up. “Why do you ask?” she replied.Vadiim gently cuffed the back of her head to pull her back to his chest. “No reason. I just wondered why you insist on bringing your old sleeping mat to rest on,” he said.

Keinah sat straight up with her arms folded in protest. “Does my old sleeping mat offend you?”

He sat up attentively once he sensed her displeasure at his dig.
 “I am not offended at all. I just wondered if you desired to have nicer things,” he said and quickly tried to diffuse the flame he caused with a tug at her hand.

Keinah refused to entertain his playful gesture. Instead, she turned her back to look out at the ocean.
“What is the point of desiring nicer things when there is no personal attachment to them? You mock my old sleeping mat; you didn’t know that my dead mother made it a long time ago. This item miraculously has been passed down by all my older siblings. It is the only thing I have left from her; and it is the only thing that is truly mine,” she said with a tearful strain.  

Vadiim pulled her closer to him and whispered in her ear. “My dear, I meant no harm. I did not intend to mock your precious sole earthly possession. I merely meant to imply that you deserve to have more.”

Her irate glare at him clarified he had not smoothed the slip of tongue. “More than what?” She demanded. “If this is all the happiness that I am allotted, who am I to begrudge it?”

He cuffed her face with his hands and smirked indignantly. “You cannot possibly be serious.”

She nudged his hands away and asked, “Can’t I?” Suddenly, she stabled the tremble in her voice. “I know there is supposed to be more to life. More money, more food, more everything. I see people all around me who crave that or even have that. Most of them are miserable. They lie, cheat, and steal from one another. It’s never enough. Which is precisely why I feel like whatever is given to me is my just due. At the very least, I have your devotion. You have stayed with me for ten whole years, and never once looked down on me. I love you for that. I feel rich in being with you. The love from the storybook can’t touch what we have,” she said.
Vadiim sat quietly in awe of her. As always, Keinah was sincere. The nature of her pure essence intrigued him even more. He knew she truly loved him with all her heart. Their expressions of affection towards each other over the years grew into an unchangeable pattern, which always gave him an unusually warm sensation that he was not accustomed to. He conceded and cradled her in his arms as she resumed her tune. He heard this same distinctive melody over the entire span of observing her. Earlier on, she mentioned she believed her mother sang it to her as an infant. Keinah’s song was soothing to him, for he knew she only sang it when her heart was content.

From the far side of the shore, waves of Grandmother’s calls out to her echoed loudly. The couple buckled under the weight of their anguish. Their time to be together had once again concluded. Like always, he resisted the urge to ask her to stay with him. It was not her time to die, after all. She passionately kissed him goodbye and went on her way. He remained listless as he watched her vanish in the mists.

Suddenly, a fanfare of trumpets rang in the distance. Vadiim looked above his head to see a cluster of Emerald clouds forming. He instantly bowed onto one knee and said, “Lord Bilal, High Chief of the Emerald Clan; to what do I owe this unexpected call?”

A thunderous voice roared back, “Vadiiamonial; General of the Emerald Clan Legionnaires, you have rashly forsaken your post. Return to the capital at once!” 

With that, Vadiim transformed into his Emerald celestial form, and the clouds departed from the beach.

The Far Side of Hereafter, Ch. 3

Sweet Slumber

Upon their second encounter, the Presence was inaccurate in his supposition that their reunion would be swift. In fact, after that brush with death, Keinah’s grandmother reached out to anyone she could find in the province. An older sister took heed and sent money for medicine to heal her.  Keinah became a well-child and entered the domestic duties of helping her grandmother clean houses.

One evening, Keinah attempted to wash windows in a rich man’s house with a high vaulted ceiling. She did not make sure the balance beam was stable before walking across. Her weight caused the structure to collapse, and she hit her forehead on a large stone once she crashed to the floor.

In the meantime, the Presence waited patiently for Keinah’s return to the ocean shore. It was of no consequence that nearly a year and a half had passed. Suddenly, the evening breeze brought in a familiar, vividly sweet honey-dew fragrance. The Presence immediately recognized that Keinah had finally returned. It was a startling revelation to see that she was no longer the frail tot in a dingy blue dress. She was lanky and wore proper undergarments for a girl her age. She no longer had matted braids, but a few loose plaits on top of a crown of frazzled, flowing long curls.

Impulsively, the Presence almost revealed himself to her without taking human form. She turned to see where the noise came from. He hid behind a tree, then consciously transformed his appearance to imitate her physical development. Once he felt satisfied with the improvements, he eased from behind the tree and quick-stepped after her.

“Perhaps she has passed away by now.” He thought to himself.

Keinah skipped over to the water.

“I’ve never seen the water at night. The stars shimmer like a thousand diamonds.” She marveled.

He stood beside her and grabbed her hand again. “Do you like gems? Emeralds are by far superior if the dazzle effect arouses you,” he boasted.

She tilted her head with squinted eyes in confusion. “You are not from around here, are you?” She asked.
 “No. I am from far away, on the other side of the se, “he chuckled with delight. She tightened her grip on his hand and pressed for more answers. “What is it like way over there?”

He pulled her into the warm water until they were waist-deep and replied, “It is majestically beautiful and mostly peaceful. You would love it, I am certain.” 

He had become intoxicated by her scent. To his kind, it would be blasphemous to concede that he was now infatuated with this human girl child. He resolved to hide the truth from her for as long as he could. “I am a fisherman. I rake this side of the sea for fish,” The Presence answered and hoped his false tale would quench her curiosity.

Fear was not an emotion that he had ever confronted. From this encounter alone, he considered the risk of revealing his dispiriting secret. He did not have the courage to break her heart. “If she knew the whole truth, she might distrust me, and thus refuse to journey over the other side of the sea.,” he thought.  

Abruptly, a loud cry drifted from all over the beach. It was Keinah’s grandmother. The gut-wrenching wails rested heavily on their hearts. Keinah leaped to her feet, sorrowfully looked at Vadiim and said, “I must go now, Grandmother is calling for me.” As she turned to walk away, Vadiim stopped her for a last embrace. She tearfully said goodbye and pulled away from him. Not long after, she vanished into the air.

Unbeknownst to them, Keinah slept in the local infirmary, knocked unconscious for nearly five days. Soon she would learn that the blow from her fall brought an onset of epilepsy because of the brain trauma.

The Far Side of Hereafter, Ch. 2

In The beginning

Within the slums of a small  Caribbean village, a girl called Keinah grew. By the time she was roughly the age of six her life began to shape. She had twelve elder siblings who were either married off or joined the militia by the time she was born. When she was two-years-old,  her mother died from hard child labor with a set of twins. Her father became betrothed to a wealthy woman who had no interest in raising a child, not of her own. Four years later, Keinah went to live with her maternal grandmother in another province by the sea, far from where she was born.

For Keinah, it was easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the living. She dwelled in poverty, ignorance, and neglect. Without her knowledge, her pure soul could drift between the living human world and that of the spiritual realm. She did not know the difference. The summer heat made it too hot for work in the mid-day. Grandmother often sent Keinah to their hut to rest on the floor. Many heatwaves caused her to lose consciousness.

Keinah did not like to leave Grandmother’s side, and she hated going back to the hut to rest. She often pretended to sleep, and when no one was watching, she would head to the shore with a flask of fresh tea and the remaining breadcrumbs from supper. 

One day, after she had already prepared a meal for her basket and bucket for collecting shells, she planned her escape. The other frail children from the village had already fallen asleep inside the one-room shack. There was a senile old nursemaid who was often chastised for neglect in tending to her chores. She rested on a wicker rocking chair in front of the main entrance. Keinah rolled her raggedy sleep mat to use as a rope to lead her out of the only window in the room. Once she hit the trail, she made haste towards the shoreline.

She merrily skipped and hummed along. Before she knew it, she had reached her destination. She arrived at a deserted black-sanded beach that ranged for miles, lined with an enormous amount of palm and coconut trees. The ocean was a beautiful, deep, bluish-green sea.

Without her knowledge, a presence had been watching her every single time she made the trek to the ocean shore. It noticed how tiny and sickly she always looked. She wore the same dingy blue tattered dress that was nearly a size too small for her body. Her black braids laid matted, and her dark ebony complexion was smooth, but ashy from dryness. The Presence had also noted how free and at ease she was as she played in the water and collected shells from the beach. Not even the sand in her hair caused her to fret. She hummed a simple tune and seemed to be uplifted by the sound of the waves.

Suddenly, Keinah stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. “Are you going to stand by and watch me?” She asked.

The Presence paused. “She can’t be speaking to me, can she? There is no one else around. She definitely has addressed me at this moment,” It thought. The Presence took pity on her, knowing that she was that much closer to death because she could now sense it. “I must introduce myself, but in a manner not frighten her,” It decided. The Presence disguised himself as a human boy with straight long silvery-white hair that  hung halfway down his back, piercing green eyes, and a bronzed skin tone. He appeared to be around ten years of age.

The Presence made his way down a coconut tree and stood before Keinah. She gasped at first, from shock. The Presence did not know if his appearance was pleasing or a terror to her. He quickly checked his attire to ensure his swimming trunks fit him presentably.

She softened her disposition and said, “My name is Keinah; how do you do, Sir?” She stuck out her hand to shake his. He shook her hand but did not speak. “Do you come here a lot?” She inquired.

Again, he did not speak. She smiled and included, “This is my most favorite place in the entire world!” His silence gave her a frosty chill of concern. “What’s wrong? Are you mad or something?” She paused to study his unreadable expression. “You don’t like me much, do you?” In that moment, she concluded that she had been rejected by the strange boy. “ That’s Ok. I’m used to it,” she sniffled and sauntered away in defeat.

The Presence became alarmed and stuttered until he could finally speak.

“Please, don’t go,” he shouted. The Presence reached for her arm to turn her around towards him, then looked into her big brown eyes.  Her eyes were swollen with tears.

Her somber mood crushed him as hard as the waves that crashed against the rocks at the edge of the shoreline. During all his observations, he had never seen her in a distraught state. It did not sit well with him that he was the reason for her discontent.

Keinah snatch her tiny arm away and bawled, “If you’re going to be mean, then don’t pretend you want to play with me.”  

The Presence stood shocked and taken aback. He had not intended to cause her any distress, and in fact, only meant to bring comfort.

“Please forgive me, Keinah. I did not mean to make you cry,” he calmly explained as he pulled her into his embrace. “ Of course, I will play with you,”

Keinah dried her tears with her dress and she looked up at him with a half-smile.

“Are you hungry?” She asked,  remembering her basket. She broke away from his arms and ran to fetch it. Then, she unrolled her raggedy sleeping mat. plopped down, and opened the contents of her basket.

“The way she proudly brought her goods over, one would think it was a feast fit to serve a banquet of guests,” he chuckled to himself.

Keinah pulled out the flask of tea and handed it to her new friend. At first, he did not want to drink but also did not want to risk another offense. The Presence took a small sip from the flask. His reluctant eyes met with hers, as she eagerly sought approval.

“I made it myself, with some tea leaves I stole from Grandmother’s garden,” she said.

“It is very refreshing,” he said with confidence. 

Next, she handed him a napkin with breadcrumbs inside. “Don’t be shy, I already ate some on my way here,” she giggled. The Presence hesitated for a second before scooping a handful of crumbs into his mouth. He smiled back at her elated face.

After eating, the two cohorts walked hand in hand along the beach. Keinah merrily hummed her tune, as the Presence took stock of the glorious occasion. The sun hung low over the horizon to make way for evening. He sighed and gently scooped her up in his arms, as he was ready to take Keinah with him to the other side of the sea.

 “She is happy and content. There could be no better time to take her away from her suffering.” He thought.

Just as he was about to make his plans known to her, a faraway voice bellowed over overhead, like a dark cloud. “Keinah! Come now, Keinah!”

The pair froze for a moment, then took a seat in silence on a large moss-covered rock.

“That is Grandmother calling. I have to go now.” Keinah mustered with a whimper.

The Presence realized that Keinah was still within an inch of her life, which meant it would not be the right time to take her.

 “Will I see you again?” She asked, with a blank gaze toward the water.

He gently kissed her forehead and whispered, “I will be here waiting for you to come and go with me.”

She smiled, kissed him back on the cheek, then hopped off the rock. “Before I go, you must tell me your name?” She asked.

The Presence paused for a minute to stare hopelessly at the prized child. “I will tell you my name on your next visit, which I am certain will soon be,” he replied.

Within a blink of the eye, she vanished before him

Ch. 1, The Far Side Hereafter

Severance

Alëxios sent the lead physician to treat Malaykah with medicine to help her rest comfortably, though he was unsure how well the antidote had taken effect. His severe headache made it clear that he was no longer privy to her thoughts. It would be impossible to know whether Malaykah made that choice on her own or if it was due to the pregnancy. Two things he knew for sure; she was in excruciating pain and terrified of something at the same time.

Alëxios demanded a conference with The Jade Rabbit and Lady Rüvym to get to the bottom of it all. He was enraged and worried for Malaykah’s safety. When the two entered his study, Alëxios verbally pounced on ‘Yù tù.’

“I demand you tell me the meaning behind Malaykah’s condition at once! Has she been ruthlessly sabotaged by The Moon? I believe she was set up and impregnated with an evil demon,” he said.

‘Yù tù’ became indignantly offended by the accusations hurled at him.

“How dare you speak of such vile things regarding the pure intentions of The Moon and her innocent children! We may have your ancestor, Lord Chiyou, to thank for the queen’s present state. All who knew of him declared him a monster, and it is written in the Sacred Scrolls as well. However, let us not forget; it is your seed that was merely fertilized with The Moon’s essence,” he replied.

Alëxios raised his voice loud enough to shake the entire palace.

“All that I am sure of is that I refuse to rear a motherless child! Malaykah had better be revived back to health promptly!” he exclaimed

The Jade Rabbit bounced high in the air, then on a long desk.

“Or else, what?” he asked defiantly.

By then, Lady Rüvym had enough of the shouting match.

“Stop this madness, this instance! Both of you shall put aside your enormous egos in favor of reason. Queen Malaykah is half-human. In truth, we all were concerned whether she would even successfully conceive, let alone carry Alëxios’s offspring to full term. Couple that with the essence of The Moon. Her children are the most powerful elements to be manifested within the realm. Malaykah’s divinity has never been questioned here, but her humanity is what is at odds. Her human traits have been dormant all the while, but now it appears the matter must be reconciled as she prepares for the birth of a triple-divine heir,” she explained.

‘Yù tù’ gasped, “Ah, now that made perfect sense!”

Alëxios sat in his chair with his head buried in his hands.

“I do not understand. The Moon specifically chose her for this surrogacy. Why would she do so with the awareness that it might harm Malaykah.”

“The Moon saw this plan as a perfect solution. She would not have made the demand if she thought it would not succeed. Malaykah is stronger than you give her credit. We watched from afar while she was in the Tri-cities. Her displayed divinity, compassion, and tenacity (be it a human trait or not) made her the most admirable and desired creature in the realm to The Moon,” ‘Yù tù’ chimed.

“Unfortunately, we shall all have to wait this out and pray Malaykah can survive this daunting task,” Lady Rüvym replied.

~Ch. 31, The Realm Beyond the Stars and Sea~