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Patrick could see the cat. He realised he was floating above it and looked down at his body lying on the ground. He felt so light, and sensed no fear, no bombardment of thoughts, no limits. Freedom. The chains had gone. So this was death. Why did people fear this?
Still staring at his body, Patrick sensed something coming close to him, a powerful energy. He felt no fear and turned his head towards the energy source. Before him stood one large being, with another emerging from behind some invisible realm. The two beings slowly turned their heads, taking in the surroundings. They nodded to each other, maybe a signal that all was okay.
Patrick nodded his head in recognition. He knew they were angels.
The angels smiled. The leading angel spoke.
“Patrick, we are here to take you home to paradise. To guide and protect you, for the trip is through regions unknown and unsafe.”
They came to each side of Patrick, tucked their arms in his and directed him towards the invisible realm. Patrick looked back at his physical body, still on the ground, as he entered what appeared to be a passageway. They passed a black wall of some kind, and Patrick heard screams.
An angel spoke, “That is what the lost have to fear, Patrick. Behind that darkness is a place of torment.”
The angels moved their bodies closer to his. Their power enclosed him. Patrick felt God’s peace upon him and knew that he was on his way to heaven. He thought of Jill, and Aaron. He thought of Jack and knew he would soon see him.
Chapter 2
Sunday, 5 November, Townsville, Queensland
AARON FITZPATRICK STOOD ON a pathway, staring at the imposing outcrop of Mount Stuart as it presided over the city of Townsville. The city was situated in the tropical north of Australia, some thirteen hundred kilometres from Brisbane. From the top of Mount Stuart, the pristine waters of Cleveland Bay could be seen, along with boats returning from their trips to the Great Barrier Reef.
Aaron pondered the similarities between the mountain and the ruggedness of life. Some climb, some watch, some do nothing. He sought purpose to life, some meaning, a goal. The mountain kindled those thoughts.
The huffing and puffing of some joggers going past took his attention away from the mountain. Their sweat showed through the back of their singlets; Aaron could smell it. He watched as they turned on to the track that ran along the Lavarack Barracks’ boundary fence. It was a long fence, as Lavarack Barracks was the largest military installation in northern Australia. The joggers were fit, and so was Aaron. He was a soldier.
When in his uniform, some of the old school saw his dad. They all knew his dad, an elite military man. Aaron was slightly taller than his dad but had a similar, solid build. The army stories Dad told Aaron and Jack had a lasting impression on both of them—more so Jack. His mother expressed her concerns. She believed this war stuff ran in the family genes and had told them that a few times.
Aaron’s thoughts went to Jack. He closed his eyes and pictured Jack before the accident. Aaron missed his brother. The accident was a wake-up call. He realised that the world was not such a pretty place after all. Would he ever forgive that drunk driver for slamming into Jack’s car? Aaron’s parents had but that was due to their belief system. It was all still confusing.
Aaron hadn’t planned to join the army. That was Jack’s dream. Aaron enlisted for his brother and Dad—he thought it would help the grieving process. He didn’t take into consideration Mum’s views on war and death, not purposely.
Aaron missed his brother. Death was so final.
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After his reflective time with Mount Stuart, Aaron headed to the mess complex for the regular Sunday drinks. He took one more glimpse of the mountain. It wasn’t escapism, more that he drew energy from nature. At the mess complex, he got himself a drink and walked out and joined his mates on the timber deck. Taking a sip of his lemon, lime and bitters cooled his dry throat. The grog was no longer a friend—it was the cause of his brother’s death and he didn’t like the strange things it did in his head. He preferred to be in control of his thoughts.
Aaron’s phone rang.
He picked up his phone and looked over at his mates.
Nathan, about to take a sip of his beer, guffawed, “It’s her ringing, mate.”
Aaron would have been pleasantly surprised if it was Mackenzie. His mates referred to her as Aaron’s sought-after but never caught girl. He had told them too much already and regretted it. He checked who the call was from, and felt guilty when he saw it was his mother.
“Hi, Mum.”
“It’s not his mum, he’s having us on,” Nathan said.
Aaron whispered to Nathan. “It is my mum.” He gave Nathan a wink and nodded to the others as he left the mess complex and headed in the direction of his accommodation.
“I’m sure all’s okay, Mum. He might have just fallen. See if Mackenzie’s parents are home and then walk the jogging route Dad usually takes.” Aaron kicked a stone off the path. What did Mum expect him to do when he was so far from home? “Make sure you take your phone in case Dad has had an accident or something, and take a torch. I know the track is well-lit, but take one anyway.”
“I’m sorry for calling you, love. I know there’s not much you can do, but I’m worried.”
Annoyed with his attitude, he searched for something else to kick. “It’s all going to be fine, Mum. Probably a twisted ankle and he’s hobbling home now. If you don’t have any luck locating him, go to the police station. They could help locate him.”
Aaron opened the door to his unit and walked in, listening.
“Mum, everything will be fine. Make sure you call me as soon as you know something.”
He placed the mobile on his bed, disturbed, went out to the balcony, and lifted his face to the breeze. Yes, he was a long way from home and did feel a little helpless, but there was nothing he could do about that. Dad’s running routine worked like clockwork. He would be fine; he could look after himself. But soldier’s intuition hinted something was wrong.
All he could do now was wait until he got the call telling him all was well. Dad would turn up, but the situation reminded him that Dad wasn’t immortal. He felt the metaphorical shoe on his foot now—his parents had to deal with the possibility of death with Aaron serving in war-torn countries. He told his parents not to worry. Dad displayed the same anxiety as Mum, which always surprised Aaron—Dad had been there, done that.
He started calculating when he would get a call. It would probably take them an hour or so to walk Dad’s running route, so Aaron decided to take a walk. He always thought of the tropical north landscape as lush green canyons with raging waterfalls, but here at the base, there were only pockets of greenery with some parts resembling the outback desert. But it was all still nature. He took a deep breath. His energy needed a top-up.
He returned. Hot and sweating after his walk, he opened the bar fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. His phone rang. He walked over and picked it up. Mum.
They hadn’t located his dad and were heading down to the police station.
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On Sunday evening, a loud clap of thunder shook the car Lucas Fell was dozing in. He woke with a fright and heard voices, dark evil voices. But they were retreating now, getting softer. Just to be sure, he turned and looked behind him, but there was no one there. He was alone. It was stuffy, so he wound the window down a little. The sound of noisy crickets entered the vehicle while the stale smell of marijuana smoke drifted out.
Lucas didn’t know where he was. A drink bottle lay on the passenger seat, so he grabbed it, had a sip, and laid it back down on the seat. A moment later, he wondered about the cold feeling in his throat. He stared at the drink bottle. Did he just have a sip of water? Wow, what kind of state am I in? He sat for a while, then wound his window all the way down. He rested his arm on the window, and realised he was in the blue security car. Images of a big star on the front doors and roof popped into his head. Where was he? It was quiet, but slowly the sounds of birds were picked up by his senses. He looked out the window and saw the steps leading up to the house and worked out that he was at the property.
