Malakai stirred in his sleep. He awoke…

 Brandywijn was already awake . He felt numb, he could not move, he felt drained and utterly useless. Brandywijn smiled, her fangs on display, her mesmeric eyes seemed to hold him in his place. She dawned a deep red dress, her hair was impeccable, jewels adorned her wrists and neck. His inability to move persisted, he felt held by forces unseen. Her wide grin went from beautiful to dreadful. She did not laugh, she simply grinned at him and spoke.

“Malakai, I am so glad you’ve returned to us, I am glad you’ve found it within yourself to once again offer me and my children your presence, your light, it is after all truly valuable. You see…This large house, these nice things, my persistent, unending beauty, they are not exactly valuable…and yet…men from all over this world yearn for it, thirst for it, HUNGER FOR IT…Women far and wide , ENVY IT, pine for it, wish to get close to me for it…whether they truly like me or not they still smile and perform their performative niceties in order to GET something from me.”

 She gave a childlike giggle, one that almost perfectly feigned innocence and glee. She smiled again.

“Malakai, you gave effort, your attempt was genuine, it was not like the others because you didn’t expect anything from  me, you simply sought to do something good for me, and that is why your light is valuable to me. With your presence…this house is a home…but, well…I could never LOVE you. I could never see myself walking about in the moonlight with such a…well… less than high standard man such as yourself, I have appearances to make. You see I have a career in the Grand theatre here in town. My career as the lead actress for ‘Mephistopheles Broadstreet Theatre Productions’ is MY chance at a good life, the GOOD life taken from me by my enemies in my mortal life…But now, now I can be free to be the most beloved theatre actress in this land and across the world. Some may say it is shallow, but I do say it is JUSTICE SERVED. I deserve the good life, I deserve the finer things, I DESERVE to be loved by the masses.

Brandywijn, slipped on a long black velvet glove and did an exaggerated twirl and then jumped upon the bed and sat next to Malakai and continued.

“I need your genuine love, and of course me telling you this is not exactly an outage of my ploy to keep you locked in an undying loop of denied love, because my hold on you is complete once more. You did escape once, you were freed by that fool in town, the Witness of God, the one who taught you out of the Holy Book. However, when you went missing, he went in search of you…just like I did, but I found you first. You see… the legends would call me a succubus, a vampire of both blood and spirit. I can feed on the sacred liquid to satiate my body, and feed on your light to maintain my chokehold on immortality, so I can be a beautiful STAR my entire waking existence as I am today…

She leaned in, almost laying down next to him on the bed, her face inches from his and continued to speak.

“So, now that you are back, I had to make sure you accepted me again, I had to make sure you CHOSE to come lay with me again, then with that freewill, that choice, you would always be mine. After I leave here, you’ll drift back into a deep sleep and lay in this bed for as long as your mortal body can last. You’re like a source of something I cannot have or create on my own. Darkness cannot exist without light, I NEED your unique light, I need it and I WILL keep it this time. It seems like I’m doing nothing at all, I play innocent to your struggle… but I KNOW my eyes, these lips, this smile of mine, my grace, I know it will always pull you in to my grasp….So now…I’m off with my true love…WE will be back soon, tonight will be a night of revelry and celebration, it’s too bad you aren’t like us, poor fellow…oh poor, poor Malakai.”

Suddenly a man appeared from the shadow, his face was handsome, and his style was well curated, wearing expensive and fashionable formal attire. He smirked a fanged grin. He was nothing, just another shadow dweller, who fed off the light and blood of innocent admirers. She took his hand and smiled her dreadful smile once more and she left the bedroom with him.

Malakai was fighting his sleep, knowing if he fell back into slumber, he would forget the truth and be nothing more than a pawn in her grasp once again. As he slipped in and out of consciousness, he heard the sound of rain pattering on the bedrooms large window, the moon was bright and large in the sky, and upon gazing at the moon he felt a stir in his heart, a gentle tug, and the words, “..And from new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath, All flesh will come in to bow down before  me…”…It took just a stir to his heart and with that Malakai said his name, יהוה‎ … and in an instant, the sun rose…and the Son was there.

Malakai felt dreary, the sun was beaming through the windows but there was another light…A light in the figure of a man stood at the side of the bed a few feet away from where Malakai laid. Malakai wept, his chest heaved, his heart raced, he felt washed, by this presence, he felt found…The figure appeared clearer. His skin was like bronze, his hair wisping white, where his face should have been, there was none, there was only a blinding, shining light, brilliant, and powerful. He wore white robes, and upon his head was a brilliant crown…then a voice…

“My brother…you’ve gazed into the dark far too long. Do not lay there, I command you up!…”

The brilliant figure pointed upwards and at that Malakai sprung from the bed and dropped to his knees, he prostrated, he planted his face to the ground, he wept, deep and hard. The brilliant figure lowered himself and ministered to Malakai. The figure lifted him up and stood him still, Malakai averted his eyes for the figures face was far to bright to gaze upon…The figure spoke once more…

“My brother, my obedient friend…You are to stand, for you are my soldier and my soldiers do not waver, they do not yield, for the source of your strength is unwavering, unyielding, from everlasting, to everlasting. Walk therefore, from this pit, go forth, be wise, understand the love that has been given you. The dark has no authority in you, the lecherous abominations of our enemy have no command of your spirit. You did not give it, it was grasped at, coveted by forces that lurk in the shadow. Go now, flee…you needn’t fight, you are commanded to flee. Vengeance belongs to the one greater than you…than one greater than I, your God, My God, your Father, MY Father. You will walk from this place and see, there is no struggle, it is already done…Tell me…in your heart, do you believe the victory is ours?”

Malakai stiffened himself and nodded his head yes.

The brilliant figure pointed to the bedroom door and said. “Go therefore and trust in the truth, keep your wisdom bound around your neck until you see me once more, up on high, ready to Judge and do the will of our Father. Go…”

The figure gestured once more towards the door and Malakai obediently stood straight and walked out of the door…

As Malakai walked out of the door the house felt different as the sun light shone through the windows. As he winded through the seemingly endless hallways and corridors he came upon a final foyer area with a large double door. He walked to the door and pushed it open. He stepped outside, the sun was bright in the sky, the birds sung sweet songs in the tree tops, and he walked out into the large front courtyard towards a long winding path. In the courtyard was a carriage, and on the side of the carriage were two large piles of ash, upon one pile was the dark red dress  and jewels Brandywijn had been wearing, and upon the other ash pile was the classy formal attire the man she left with was wearing. Malakai felt a pang of pity, two creatures who relied on others to survive in a way that was parasitic and low.

We all rely on one another as people, but these creatures preyed on people in insidious ways, the use of charm and conniving false smiles to keep their victims bound. They most likely had many victims; many had been fooled. She was using Malakai as a special source, though she feigned ignorance to his love she did enough to lure him in, to keep him in a stupor, so he’d always come back. He glanced at the piles of ash for a second longer but then resolved himself to forget them where they lay. He then heard a stirring from the front door of the house. He saw them, the two girls peeking at him from the shadows of the houses foyer area. He felt a pang of guilt, they were like memories, a part of him, they were half of him after all, but their other half was unrelenting dark just like what their mother held inside her until her bitter end. He decided he would visit them often. He would try and help them if he could, but for now he had to flee as he was commanded. So, Malakai walked toward the path ahead of him…resolved to ask for guidance on this next journey of his life, wherever it may take him. He sighed relief, because he knew, no matter what, if he kept The Father, “He who causes to become”, and his Lord, “The Son”, close to his heart, he would walk upright and avoid the perils of the shadow but he must continue the good fight until his Lord made the final answer.

Written by Marcos Lopez – 12/1/2024