Anointed

  Anionted

  The Corporeal Pull

  Sara B. Gauldin

  Anointed: The Corporeal Pull

  Copyright© 2018 by Sara B. Gauldin

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All Rights Reserved. World Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the copyright owner, except brief quotations for the purpose of reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. The names and characters come from the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. Similarly, the locations and incidents in this book, which might resemble real locations and events, are being used fictitiously and are not to be considered as real.

  For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rules and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 NLT

  Chapter 1

  Korin could no longer afford to wait. The memory of the pained urgency that had taken over her friend Terra was quickly replacing the hurt and anger Terra had left her with.

  Why did I let Terra just leave like that? She isn’t thinking clearly. Korin swept her long brown hair away from her eyes, revealing her brow creased with worry. Her silent footsteps were silent and unimpeded. Her ability to take the shortest path, straight through any object, helped her to move rapidly. She had a feeling that she could not arrive fast enough.

  What can I tell Troy? Should I tell him that Terra has abandoned us? Should I tell him that she is putting her love for Liam ahead of all of humanity? If I told him that, would it be true?

  Korin glanced at a street sign. Thirty-Second Street: two more blocks stood between her and her destination. How far had Terra traveled? Terra could not move as quickly while she was in her human body. With her body, Terra could no longer target her charge, Liam, with pinpoint precision.

  She must have enough to go on; she believed she could find him. But how in the world am I going to find her?

  Korin darted through a crosswalk. The roar of rush-hour traffic could not drown out her thoughts. As she jogged across the street, a mini-van suddenly made a last-minute turn onto the roadway. Korin turned toward the oncoming vehicle; shock and dread etched on her face as the van closed in. No horn sounded. No tires squealed. Korin held her hands in front of herself: in reflex. She clenched her eyes — but the collision never came. The van passed harmlessly through the young woman who had long since been separated from her human body.

  I will never get used to that! Korin shook her head as she continued on her mission to find Troy. She did not travel far before she saw a scourge entity. It huddled in the shade of a shrub near the sidewalk. Korin dodged away from the thing, hoping it hadn't spotted her.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Troy might not hear Korin’s approach, but his trained eye did not overlook her arrival.

  “So you finally decided to join the troops for drills today,” Troy raised his eyebrows as he appraised his unlikely recruit.

  “Oh no, not I; I did my share of training by letting Terra practice Scourge hunting on me for almost her entire childhood. I think I’ve done my fair share for the cause.”

  "Alright, I get your point,” Troy laughed.

  A voice from across the parking lot interrupted them, “Hey Troy, are you going on this patrol or not? Our scouts spotted a group of Scourge creeps hanging around a church downtown. It’s time to rearrange their attitudes if you know what I mean.” The young man approached Korin and Troy with a wide grin that was his most-dominate feature.

  “I’d planned on it,” Troy said. “We need to try out the new method we have for scattering the pieces of the foul things, but right now, I have a visitor.”

  “I see, and a lovely one she is,” the young man said. His eyes rested on Korin with an expression of adoration.

  Korin smiled but glanced down at her feet, embarrassed. “I really need your advice, Troy. It’s about Terra. I’m afraid she’s making a terrible mistake.”

  Troy’s eyebrows rose. “Somehow I knew Terra would be at the root of this. She's not trying to get you to take over her body, so she can sneak back to visit Liam is she?”

  Korin shook her head. “That might have been a safer option, but you're right about one part: she's going to Liam as we speak.”

  Troy’s fists clenched. “She knows we’re outnumbered here. She's the only one who can actually destroy a Scourge entity permanently. And now you're telling me she is A.W.O.L. This is ridiculous. We're gathering here, training, so we will be ready to back her up…”

  “I know. It’s selfish and awful. She is the only one who can help any of us, and she just walked out. I told her how I felt about it.” Korin’s tone exposed the hurt she felt.

  “I get it; she’s afraid of losing Liam. He's her soul mate. But, he’s holding her back. She needs to focus on finishing these Scourge things off. Unless she has another army of guides that I don’t know about, she needs to be here, doing her part, or this world doesn't have a chance. I can’t believe how fast these things are spreading now!”

  “I've noticed that too. I can’t go anywhere without spotting them,” Korin said.

  “Which makes me wonder what was crucial enough to motivate you to come here alone. It was dangerous if you had come across a group of the Scourge…”

  “Believe me, I know the risk. If they can overwhelm Terra, then what chance do I have?”

  “A good one if you're not alone. Which is exactly the point I've been trying to get across to Terra,” Troy crossed his imposing arms across his broad chest. “So what has Terra all stirred up to get to Liam now? You said she's going to him as a human?”

  “She had another vision. She was out hunting and caught a Scourge entity. When she entered its thoughts to destroy it, the Originator spoke through it. The Scourge is going for Liam. They're using him as bait.”

  “Whoa, if Terra knows she's going into a fight, then why would she go as a human? I thought, well, never mind what I thought. Terra is young, and she's distractible. If the Scourge is on the move that's exactly what we've been training for, but going there as a human; she is going to get herself killed.” Troy’s jaw clenched with frustration.

  “That's just it,” Korin said. “She knows it’s a trap. She thinks that if she dies with Liam, then she'll be free of this. She thinks they would go back to the Tweens, and Liam would be safe.”

  “What makes her think abandoning us would fix anything?” Troy shouted.

  "Calm down, Troy. I thought the same thing. The Originator gave her a deal. He made her think he would let her kindly step aside and save Liam from his purpose in the process. That's always been her priority. That was the reason she came to Earth, to begin with.”

  “She knows it was never that simple,” Troy spoke from between his clenched teeth.

  Korin stood up straighter to meet Troy’s imposing gaze. “She knows it, but I think she's holding on to hope.”

  “You’re defending her when she left you here like this: separate from a body that she can help you reclaim. You've sacrificed for her and for her cause.”

  “I've tried to help. I can see the danger, but the world is crumbling around all the people who can't see the danger through their human eyes. There are so many people who have no idea what's coming for them. I was like them once.”

  “Yes, we all were sent here to Earth to be born and serve our purpose. We all were sent into a situation that the guides the
mselves did not see coming. And we were the ones who lost everything,” Troy said.

  “You mean you lost everything. You lost more than I did. You lost your body and...”

  “I lost my soul mate,” Troy said. “I watched her become a Scourge, and I watched her turn into nothing in Terra’s hands.”

  “She told me that once,” Korin admitted.

  “I’m surprised that she did,” Troy said. “You see my concern. I almost lost myself for the one I love. Instead, I lost my soul mate. This is different; Terra can’t cut the ties to Liam.”

  “It's hard for me to understand too,” Korin said. “I do feel hurt, but I know that Terra wants this to work out. She is just as trapped as we are, maybe worse. Being able to do the things she can have made her a target for the Originator.”

  Troy shook his head. "That's all the more reason to respond with a strategy and not emotion.”

  “I know,” Korin put her hand on Troy’s shoulder. “But I still need you to help me find her. After all, we've all made mistakes. It's human nature.”

  Troy met Korin’s gaze: “I may be able to give some advice, but don’t forget that Terra is meant to be a guide, not a human.”

  “I understand.”

  “Alright, well we know that Liam was living with the Conway’s, his last foster family. Do you know if he still lives with them?”

  “I think so,” said Korin. “But that doesn’t narrow it down, they could be anywhere.”

  “Well, I can’t exactly use my contacts at the police department to gain any leads.”

  “I have no idea where to begin,” Korin said. “I mean I've never even seen a picture of Liam. I can’t carry a map, and I don’t have the luxury of using GPS.”

  “I guess not. You said Terra took the bus? I would start there. Go to the bus station and see if you can get a look at the schedule. If you can narrow down the bus she left on, then maybe you can catch up with her.”

  “And you? Will you go after Terra?” Korin’s voice took on an accusatory tone. She put her hands on her hips before taking a step backward distancing herself from the imposing man who stood before her.” I mean she's going into a battle on her own. Isn't that what you're training for?”

  Troy met Korin’s gaze with no trepidation, “We're training for a battle, but it's all around us now. The Scourge cannot coordinate because they are self-serving, so our only strength is strategy and teamwork. Without a strategic advantage, we will have no chance? We’ll be at their mercy, and they have none.”

  “So you're turning your back on Terra?” Korin spat the words.

  “No, I am admitting that she turned her back on us and that we can't help her with this. I hope she's able to come through this thing and return. I really do; we need her.”

  “It's not that simple for me. I can’t just sit back and hope for the best.” Korin turned to leave. It was clear that Troy would not help her.

  Troy reached forward suddenly and caught Korin by the elbow. She gasped as the bulky former Scourge entity turned her to face him once again.

  “You're risking yourself by going after her,” Troy said. “Even if you can find her, what can you do? The Scourge isn't just going to let you tip-toe into the middle of their trap for some girl talk.”

  “What choice do I have? Somebody has to stop her.”

  “Do what you think is right, but know that you're going into a situation where Terra may not be able to protect you if she's that outnumbered…”

  “I know, but if I can stop her before she does something crazy, then I have to try,” Korin said.

  "Stay safe.” Troy pressed his lips into a straight line before he could say more.

  “I'll do my best,” Korin said. I still don’t know if it’s enough, she added silently, as she sprinted toward the bus station.

  Chapter 2

  The bus station was mostly empty, as one would expect it to be in the middle of a workday. A few bored-looking passengers waited on a hard metallic bench running the length of the industrial room. Korin approached the front counter with determination. The aging clerk stared at the screen in front of him as Korin looked at him expectantly.

  “Of course, you can’t possibly direct me to the schedule because you can’t hear me either,” Korin said. The man shivered, ran his hand over his bald spot, but kept his eyes trained on the screen at his workstation. Korin leaned over the counter to look for a printed copy of the schedule. “It has to be here somewhere!”

  “He won’t answer you, Miss.,” a small voice behind Korin made her turn suddenly. She stepped away from the surprising acknowledgment and partway through the counter which had separated her from the unsuspecting clerk.

  “Who said that?” Korin demanded.

  “I did,” the child’s voice said. Korin immediately readied herself for an attack. An entity that could see her was more likely to be a member of the Scourge ranks than not. She scanned the area, but she only saw living human beings. “I’m right here,” the child’s voice said from behind her.

  Korin swung around, putting her back against the counter. A few feet away a living human boy stared at her intently. He crossed his arms over his chest. “You? You can see me?”

  “Of course, I can!” The boy took a step toward her. “I’m here to pick up my grandma. She should be here soon.”

  “Who are you talking to?” the woman sitting next to the little boy asked. She looked annoyed.

  “My imaginary friend, mom,” he answered.

  The boy’s mother shook her head and went back to chasing after the toddler girl who was taking up most of her parenting resources.

  “How is it possible for you to see me?” Korin asked. The child’s bright eyes focused on her without any sign of fear. Korin was instantly reminded of another child she had met several years ago, who strangely could see her when no one else could: Terra.

  “I don’t know,” he whispered. “I see people all the time who don’t have their bodies anymore.”

  “Are you... well were you a guide?” Korin asked.

  “A guide? No, I’m just a kid. Is that some kind of scout group?”

  “No. I guess I should really ask how you can see me?”

  “My grandma says I have “the touch" like she does. She says it skips a generation. Mom doesn’t believe her. She says grandma’s crazy and needs to go into a home for old people. She thinks I’ll end up insane like her.”

  “That’s terrible,” Korin said. “I’ll tell you what; maybe I can help you and your grandma while she's in town. Could you do me a favor right now and get me a bus schedule, so I can see it?”

  The child scrunched his eyes and put his hand on his hip. “Why would you need to take a bus?”

  “I don’t. My friend Terra may have left town on a bus. I think she's heading into trouble, and I really need to narrow down where she may have gone,” Korin said.

  “Your friend took a bus? Look, I know you don’t run into many mediums, but I think you should know that I'm not buying your story of ghosts taking the bus. Even the deformed ones get around without vehicles.” The young boy crossed his arms in front of him. His almond-shaped eyes gazed at Korin unapologetically.

  “You’re a medium. I thought that was just something on T.V.,” Korin said.

  “And you’re a ghost, but I know that's real, not just on T.V.,” the boy said with a smirk.

  “Xavier, you had better not be over there talking to yourself again,” the boy’s mother called out from the bench. As she spoke the little girl in her sundress, and tight new braids wiggled from her mother’s grasp and took off across the room giggling with glee. The woman sighed and resumed chasing her determined daughter.

  “I’m not a ghost. My body was stolen from me by one of those deformed entities you just mentioned. It's still alive, and so am I. I'm just not currently with my body.”

  “Stolen? How does your body get stolen?” Xavier asked.

  “By surprise; now can you help me with the bus schedule?” Korin p
ointed impatiently at a small rack of pamphlets at the other end of the counter.

  “I still don’t see why your friend needed a bus, to begin with,” said Xavier.

  “Because she’s alive, she has a human body. She was a guide in the Tweens, but she came here to save her, well, somebody she cared about a lot,” Korin was careful to direct her answer to a level a child could understand. “She has a body, but she can see me and the others like you can.”

  “A guide can’t come to this plane of existence,” the deep southern voice of an older lady behind her made Korin jump. “Be careful who you talk to Xavier. Many of these new ones are dangerous. Your mother should do a better job of watching you.”

  Korin whirled around and came face-to-face with a tiny, wizened lady. She was bony and frail, but her stature suggested confidence and an unspoken power. Her gray hair was artfully arranged away from her face in a cascade of braids that hung down her back.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Xavier replied with downcast eyes. “But you know momma can’t see them.”

  “No, I guess not,” the woman said, “but it looks like I came at the right time.”

  Korin held her hands up in front of herself defensively. “I’m sorry ma’am. I really don’t mean to offend you, or to bother your grandson. He spoke to me. I didn’t even know he could see me until he did. I’m just here trying to find my friend because she's in danger.”

  The lady began to sway and hum. A twinkle in her eye cast away any hope Korin had of her just being infirm. She reached into her handbag as she mumbled some words to herself that Korin could not understand.

  Korin took several steps back to distance herself from the lady who was completely comfortable with confronting an unseen presence.

  “What kind of danger?" Xavier asked. He shuffled behind his grandmother who did not seem to notice.

  “She's going into a trap. The Originator, the one who is changing all the entities you see into evil things wants her gone. She's the only one who can destroy an entity. She's in his way, so he's going after her, err friend to hurt him. Maybe even kill him. It is all just to draw her out. And she's crazy enough to take on an army of these Scourges by herself.”