29th November, 2021 - 10:05am.
“Jeremiah. Right?” Miss Kim asked.
“Yes, uh…yes that’s my name” Jeremiah replied, nerves written all over him.
“Why don’t you take five deep breaths…hmm?”
“It’ll help calm you down” Miss Kim suggested.
Jeremiah nodded and began to breathe deeply. In and out, in and out, in and out.
“There” she smiled “You feel better right?”
“Just a little bit, but yeah” Jeremiah smiled.
“Alright then, let’s begin shall we?” Jeremiah swallowed hard, he took deep breaths and nodded.
“Yes. Let’s begin.”
“Let’s start from the beginning,” she suggested.
“It started when my mom started to get disturbing calls every day….” Jeremiah began.
14th November, 2021 - 08:00am.
“Jerry! Breakfast!” Mrs. Michaels Jeremiah’s mother called out.
“Mom! You’ve got a call! It’s a private number! I’m coming” Jeremiah replied as he ran down the stairs with his mom’s ringing phone clutched in his hand.
“Give me that. Hello?” then she went quiet, so quiet that Jeremiah noticed. The smile that was on her face was gone and her eyes suddenly looked empty. It worried Jeremiah.
Finally she spoke…
“Yes I understand,” the call ended.
“What’s the matter Mom? You don’t look so happy.” Jeremiah asked.
“Hmm?...oh…it’s nothing sweetie.” She tried to reassure him but he wasn’t buying it.
“I’ve noticed that you have been getting these strange calls Mom. Please tell me what is wrong.”
“Are you being threatened? Should we go to the police?” he asked.
“Huh? No need for the police sweetie” she hugged him “Everything’s fine, trust me.”
“Eat your breakfast darling, I have to go” she blew him a kiss and left, her plate of food untouched.
Something is amiss, he thought, and the thought bothered him as he ate his breakfast.
18th November 2021 - 11:50pm
“Please…please…I’ll do whatever you want.”
Huh, Jeremiah thought. Who’s Mom begging?
He walked slowly and quietly towards his mother’s room listening as hard as he could, trying to figure out what was going on.
“Please! I need more time…I…please more time” she begged in harsh whispers. The line went dead and she began to sob quietly.
Jeremiah stared helplessly trying to figure out what the hell was going on with his mother. Things did not seem right.
He went into the kitchen to get a drink then he heard his mom let out a tiny scream as she ran out, fear in her eyes and her hands shaking furiously.
“Sweetie w-we… need t..to… leave now.”
“Why? What’s going on mom?” Jeremiah demanded.
She began to bite her nails and rock herself on a spot.
“It’s coming f-for m-m-me son. They’re coming for me” she cried and pulled at her hair, her movements jerky. Jeremiah could only stare in shock, he couldn’t see his mother in the woman standing before him.
“Mom, I need you t—“ he stopped, his mother had gone white he thought she was going to have a seizure, then he heard it. A muffled bang though not quite loud, it caused enough stir to make the windows rattle.
Suddenly, all he could see was light, light, light everywhere. Light so bright it hurt the eyes. He heard his mom scream.
“Jeremiah! Help me! Don’t let them take me away” fear evident in her voice. He stared on in shock trying to process what was going on. He saw two figures step out of the light and heard his mom’s screams increase, he had never heard his mom scream like that before. It was terrifying.
He tried to get up but his body couldn’t move. “Mom!” he shouted in his head as his voice seemed to have failed him.
He watched as his mom tried to run but was caught and dragged into the light her screams filling the air. And then, the light vanished plunging the kitchen into absolute darkness.
Mom…
That was his last thought before he passed out.
29th November 2021 - 11:10am
“….and you know the rest of the story” Jeremiah finished on a deep breath.
Miss Kim heaved a sigh.
“I guess it’s time you knew who we are” she said.
“WE call ourselves LIGHT SEEKERS. You are not the only individual who has witnessed what we like to call a LIGHT ARREST. Countless others worldwide have witnessed such similar to yours too. It’s just unfortunate it had to be your parents”.
Jeremiah stared.
“Your Father and Mother belonged to a cult called THE FADE. It is the most feared and wanted cult in the world plus they have worldwide membership. Recently, we found a pattern in the mysterious disappearances of members of THE FADE. Each mysterious disappearance is a LIGHT ARREST.”
Jeremiah placed his head in his hands.
“What is this light that took my mom away?” he asked “And my dad?”
“THE FADE is well known for various barbaric practices and so people believe the light to be angels sent by God to wipe out THE FADE away, but we haven’t confirmed that theory yet.”
She paused and looked at him.
“What?” he asked.
“You are next Jeremiah, the light is coming for you. You have their blood in you so it’s inevitable. You are going to be arrested by the light and we the LIGHT SEEKERS will finally witness such wonder.”
She laughed happily.
Jeremiah could only stare.
The End.
As inspired by this week's prompt Season of light.
Thank you for reading.