Chapter 7

I visualized a strike of lightening causing her to arise into a seated position within the sarcophagus to embrace me once more again, but every time the fire flashed, the sapphire light only revealed to me again..., her sullen motionless face, only slightly hinting of light blue chalk. Though I felt the presence of her spectrum form, my mortal eyes beheld it not, nor any sign of it about. Had she appeared and demonstrated a terrifying rage, then I would have held her not in blame for doing so. Deep down in silence I prayed she would do such an act, or one even worse than that of my imagination...., but all I beheld was her ridged form of chalk and ash, only lying motionless there inside a silver sarcophagus enveloped within a silken interior of perfect calcimine, as if her very form was sealed there in incessant contentment..., for a duration of timeless infinity.

In the far distance from across the expanse of town, the majestic chime lulled the twelfth striking, the sound of which resembled a gargantuan bell that only tugged the droning chime out for enduring minutes with each thundering ring, shocking me back into the horrifying panorama now abruptly thrust before me, one I wished dearly would only vanish from before my eyes, never to return ... Only by this thundering announcement was I aware of times passage. As the bell continued to lull with a drone dominating all the air about, I perceived voices of numerous unseen spectrums, whispering in offending tones acknowledging my presence. On numerous occasions I perceived my name spoken aloud in a demanding voice, screaming for me to act in lieu of this horrible offending wrong done to one so divine and most innocent. I perceived her very blood screaming-out loud in a commanding condemning voice..., a voice looming distinctly in my very ear with each drone of the midnight chime.

On the outside beyond, I only detected the roll of thunder moving closer in upon us. In the far distance I heard the close of a door I intuitively knew was the only passageway from the inside of the chapel into the antagonistic outside beyond. I perceived the outside latch clink in its seal. The only light present was that from the fire of the sky through the elegant stained-glass windows, allowing me to view her face, again, and once more again repetitively in the abrupt brilliant sapphire glow. As I witnessed her figure in the flash of fire, I envisioned where she picked up her face, turning in my direction, but I could never deduce whether it was to embrace me out of newly aroused passion, or scorn me out of bitter derision.

Here it was, however, that I spent my last night in company of my dearly beloved, Thea, holding her lifeless form there lying motionless inside the eternal sarcophagus, through the duration of the candle lit night, the candles twain by the ends of the silver sarcophagus and the flash of lightning without. I, only weeping hot tears at my inability to feel her life-beat upon my breast once more again or savor the sensation of her warm breath upon my longing cheek. Even now, I feel as though I did not want to ever let go, but only longed to follow..., submit unto the ethereal journey into an expansive void of all time and space, but yet one in which I remained in timeless company with my dearly beloved.

"Oh, my dearest Thea," I whispered into her ear as she lay, "allow me to feel your life once more again... Appear unto me as I presently stand..., allow me to view your spectrum existence, only for one final time, then I can go on with my life knowing well of your comfort in that present state..."

I glanced over as the edifying fire flashed again, seeing only her ashen face enveloped in what was even more obviously now an eternal slumber with no end. There was no emotion from her, no hint of any to come... only the indigo flash and the rolling rumble bore any hint of possibility for a life beyond. The flashing of the fire seemed to acknowledge answer to my prayers and my earnest requests as I spake them into the ears of my lost love, now gone on beyond. I felt an unseen presence there within the chapel, but could perceive only an imperceptible void of timeless emptiness that was slowly robbing me of my calculating mortal sanity...

I could.... perceive an outside presence now gradually entering into the very being of my breast, however, that was replacing that of my very soul, causing my present sorrow to transform...; causing my mortal breath to gradually heave and my teeth to grind into a decisive determination, as I glared once again into her motionless face of cobalt chalk and ash while she lay....

I had sworn my pledge aloud unto the gods in heaven above, and my dearly beloved Thea, while she lay still yet alive... barely. I know not what shall follow except a vindication, a vindication for a massive wrong done without provocation, on part of neither myself nor my dear love, Thea. We only sought beauty, health and happiness in life, designing only for such, both in our lives and the lives of all others who surrounded us. We were members of our local parish church, our community outreach programs, we were the best of contributors into our local assisting charities and philanthropic agencies. We assisted not only with the gift of revenue, but with a generous gift of our precious free time. We allowed local children relief programs to make use of our estate grounds to accommodate the people involved with their activities and program hosting. We gave generously to assist the poor and those in abject need, financially, due to medical hardship. When the day came that we only needed medical services, behold, how we were allowed to suffer so dreadfully...!

Where are the cherub to plead our longing case for justice? Where are the angels who will stand throughout and morn? Indeed..., upon what hearth must one tread to invite all the spirits of the beyond, to advance forward in a manner that will cause the guilty to fear from the wrong they have so viciously committed?

The days following that final night spent with my dear love, Thea, only consist of a deeply blurred haze, combined both with my constant tears, my face plunged only into the depths of my pillow and the constant scourge of strong drink...hoping to drown out all of my sadness and the pain of my sudden lose. She had been stolen from me by that villain... that wretch...that pig of a being shaped as a human, but with the soul of a devil right out of hells horrible belly. How dare him strike a blow such as this, then endeavor to hide behind the protective covers within the same unchecked system allowing him to commit such felony offense! In the deepest height of my rage, my emotion would only collapse back into a grinding sadness feeling as though it would never end....

…. Then came that most horrid of days, that day of which I never longed for nor attempted to contemplate..., no, certainly not in music nor in word of the written page. I recall how her relations pulled me gently from upon my berth as I wept continuously, helping me to sup, assisting me to dress, then allowing me transport in their lavish car..., pausing before the elaborate cathedral door. I reluctantly passed over the threshold, passing through the huge thick wooden doors opened, then at the fore of the congregation hall... I beheld it looming from beyond as my heart sank into the depths of my gut... sitting beneath a huge radiating cross of illuminating gold.

I could not cease in my weeping as the silver sarcophagus simply sat there..., eternally motionless... before the looming cross in the backdrop. I dreaded the clearing of the wet haze in my eyes, for want of not viewing the silver sarcophagus; but as the congregation filled the hall, my eyes commenced to clear. I heard the drone of the huge pipe organ as it played the Latin Fiesta, which I knew to be her favorite, though somewhat haunting melody.

On the outside loomed the ghostly push and whisper of a once gentle but increasing blustery wind. Through the cathedral stained-glass windows flashed the cobalt flame; then following, the resounding rolling thunder. The design of the windows bearing the portrait of their stained glass, appeared to accommodate this flash of the fire in numerous instances, many of them changing their entire form and portrait, with the indigo flash causing some colors to blot out and others to transform in the instant, only to return into their original at the same instant of the flash ceasing.

The genius of the artist here being that he could actually design these colors to form completely new portraits by making use of this action in the flash. How many dreadful months did it take him to deduce which specific colors could be placed where, to accommodate this instantaneous action in light and then manipulate it into such an explicit, artistic manner as to organize a panoramic relaxing willow enshrouded water portrait or that of an exotic Elysium tropical garden with an instant flash of lightening?

The inside of the cathedral was now dark, with the drone of the organ looming hauntingly in the foreground until the last person entered into the congregation room. When the last individual entered inside, the doors eased shut with a snug sound of closure. Now it had begun to rain, first lightly, judging by the sound on the outside, of hammering on the stained-glass panes and slightly on the roof, then increasingly heavy as the shower of a huge down pour. A light abruptly beamed in the direction of the Priest standing with a thurible of incense, swinging it unto the left and the right sides..., then pausing before the podium, standing. He paused rigidly, then commenced speaking unto the congregation.

"Oh, my weeping blessed ones, we have gathered here to pay our respects to a dear one among us...; indeed, one who did not ask to be here before us presently, but was violently thrust before us by unfortunate circumstance... Please allow us to pause and contemplate her life and her passing. Allow us to gaze forward upon this dismal sarcophagus, radiating forth our pleasant thoughts and most respectful contemplations...."

The Priest swung the thurible of bronze again from the left unto the right. Now it appeared not as a simple lantern of brass, but as a roman styled lantern of the purest bronze. Later on, I was told where this type of lantern, in combination with the proper incense, allowed for a peaceful embrace of the soul as it transgressed from the present into the hither unto. He then chanted ancient phrases in Latin as he swung the timeless thurible.

Oh, my dear ones,

let's do remember our loved one on this moment.

Let's put out our right hands forward,

toward the dreaded sarcophagus,

to embrace the soul as it moves forth on its timeless journey. May she go forward in company of the one most divine, always,

for the duration of a most blessed infinity.

Amen.

Then the priest commenced to speak those anointed words, causing minds to swoon and recollections to fill with reflections of a life now passed on into infinity.

"We gather here today not out of condemnation, but out of reflection alone and our condolences for those now consumed by their moment of dreadful loss. For those of who knew of Thea Selenofotos, then you were well aware of the living angel who walked next to all that was divine in her daily life, in every way. Those of you who did not know of her delightful charm, so blessed with divine elegance in her mannerisms and methodologies, then take thy comfort where the person lying now before you... was one who could be adored by all, on grounds of her active community endeavors alone, if not by her personal charm. She lived as a friend of all, from the gentle child right on up to the eldest adult. Most surely her greatest love was that of the people who surrounded her and the Lord God of heaven, who she most righteously adored. Let it be stated here on this very evening, dear Thea, that on this very moment, wherever it is that you now walk..., that you are in fact, not walking alone..., for by both your side and that of our Lord walks the projected spirit of this entire congregation... So, in the name of us all..., fare thee well, dear Thea Selenofotos from Nymphania on the hill! Fare thee very well for all eternity, as you go... Amen and Amen."

A flash of fire heralded the last sentence of his words, then came the rolling rumble following the Amen. On the outside rain fell in extremely heavy sheets, as if some sort of rare raging storm fresh from the tropics had moved in to settle upon the city. The wind picked up as the rain fell. Every now and again the wood structure within the stone walls sounded as if it were moaning from the force of the wind without.

Then came the thunder of the massive pipe organs to expunge all other sounds. The tune was Bach, Toccota and Fugue in D minor, and we all stood with the astonishing announcement of the pipe hymn. I saw them close the sarcophagus, locking the lid down firmly into place, concealing the chalk face of my dearest Thea, from view of both my eyes and the eyes of an imposing world without. My head commenced to swoon, my breath stumbled..., my eyes clouded from the shower of tears as they wheeled the sarcophagus passed and on down the aisle. Now I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, that my dear Thea was fleeting from me and my adoring grasp, soon to be gone from both me and the earth for all eternity. My heart could not tolerate the throbbing pain and my knees soon collapsed with my weeping, heaving sobs... to the point that I was assisted by three attendants walking beside me on both sides, and one behind to catch me when I fell.

I walked underneath an umbrella that they held for me as I made my way behind the sarcophagus. They thrust it into the transporting vehicle as I stepped into the vehicle following. My head swooned as the majestic chime looming in the distance across town lulled the twelfth stroke of midday..., again..., and again..., then again..., and on for the next twelve minutes. I wept in a continuous flood, for I knew now that truly my well wishes were for all eternity, and the mere thought simply shattered my poor heart into a thousand painful fragments.

I do not recall how long it was I traveled... On the next instant seemingly, we were driving through the graveyard on the hill. At the backside of the huge graveyard was a shallow pond born from a small flowing creek, with a willow canopy beside a pond that shaded over into the graveyard. It was here that her new crypt was situated. The land area was not flat but consisted of a gentle roll there on the hill summit, upon which sat her new mausoleum crypt. I saw them take her coffin out of the transport vehicle, open the door of the crypt, then slide the coffin inside. A heavy metal door was closed behind the coffin, above which would eventually be placed a permanent concrete seal. Above the door was chiseled these words in stone:

Thea Selenofotos,

from Nymphania on the hill.

Born 19--, Died 19--.

As the wind whispers through the trees by the gentle flow of the creek, so shall her spirit abide in blessed paradise for all eternity. May the Lord, therefore, be so kind as to allow her splendid memory to thrive among men for as long...

I can vividly recall the gathering by her crypt, but I heard not nor could decipher the meaning of the words thereof. I beheld the Priest as he read the words and spoke the wisdom allowing a certain permanence in closure for most minds present. In the midst of my tears, there was no time nor space, or meaning to any of it. The meaning of my standing there before the crypt held as much standing for me as the rain drops did in the tunes they splashed out as they fell upon the earth around me...

..... Inside my mind I could vividly recall how the security allowed me to walk on back into the medical facility, with no checks to govern my actions, nor to search my person. I could vividly recall how I noticed the security all throughout the facility, everywhere from the lobby on back into the surgery room...and that picture kept flashing in my tortured mind... again....and again, nay and even once more AGAIN, like the blue fire in the sky above....

.... Time transpired; I know not how much. I can recall making my way down into the lawyers' office, reported to be one of the very best on the entire island, inquiring with him concerning my rights to combat the evil done and protest what had occurred inside the facility, in the name of my dearly beloved Thea, who has now so divinely departed.

"Look, Mr. Fortunato, you know the accused surgeon owns this town, and is even a large contributor within the nation as a whole. There is no law made that can touch him, to be quite blunt about it..., unless it is that you can prove infraction beyond the slightest question. I must inform you that I know him very well and who his attorneys are, and to try and fight the system, in this case..., is useless. I mean, to be honest about it and dirt specific, fighting it is hopeless... All you'll do is lose tens of thousands more drachma, eventually impoverish yourself. and sadly, then be just as far along with it as you are right now. Matter of fact, once you have reached that state of being financially incapacitated, it could be that then, in-fact, YOU would be the one charged with false accusation and slander..., which is a very serious offense here. The best thing you can do, sir, is simply pick the pieces up and move on with life. I hate to say it like this but let the dead die ...and simply move on, sir. I believe you and understand your situation, and you are not the first addressing these concerns with me under very similar circumstances, but honestly, fighting is useless.... I will say it again, let the dead be dead..., and move on with life, Mr. Fortunato."

Move on to where? I can recall thinking. Move on to where without the company of my dear Thea, and the love so divine that she had to offer me? What kind of man am I is it who cannot vindicate the great transgressions made against her? Where then lies her precious honor without proper vindication...?

Many months passed, I cannot recollect how many it was, since my mind has continually been consumed by a heavy haze induced from constant frustration and heart wrenching emotional pain... I can only recall putting in with the security company for work there at the infirmary.... I worked very well on the job..., taking notes, observing, recording every event, collecting identification from visitors, regulating traffic and issuing parking tickets. I was literally thrown the keys and told I owned the place, and to go anywhere and observe. Doing so was in-fact, my job, so I was told.

I did so with pride and a newly radiating joy... I walked the floors and made every note. I logged in the time he arrived there at the facility, the times he made his exit, where specifically it was that he parked, and where it was that he parked most of all. I knew well where it was that he came from and was going to. I knew where his personal workstation was, his personal office, the specific elevator he took to go from the basement onto the third floor of the surgery room, and exactly how to make use of it... In fact, I learned every specific detail about him....

.... I arose very well rested on that fateful morning.... I merrily dressed into my usual security uniform. Upon the drink stand by my bedside lay my stainless razor-edged dirk. I seized it up...., dropping it into my hip pocket. .... In the air all about me I could perceive those sweet songs being sung by my dear Thea, as she whispered her tunes of adoration into my wanting ears while I labored dutifully in my efforts. All was like a foggy haze on that day..., the lightening flashed, the clouds above blocked my view of the sun, but one which glowed most brilliantly toward me from a spiritual apex rather than a secular one...Behold...the whispers of spirits riding on the very wind spoke echoing words of approval to me as I went along. I went into to my place of work on that day, as I can recall well..., and it soon became time for me to make my rounds...

.... In the distant beyond, I thought I heard that pipe organ playing the same concerto by Bach, the Toccota and Fugue in D minor. Then it was that I witnessed the villain enter into the facility. I beheld his sick smile, though he failed miserably to recall who I was, it appeared. He passed me and paused by the elevator door... I quietly walked and paused immediately behind him. He stepped through the door, then I silently stepped through...The stainless-steel double doors closed. I heard the voices of spirits in heaven welcoming me home, then I also heard the voices of demons in hell urging me forward into my new endeavor....

...I glanced upward toward him, then I beheld that split second in time where the moment was absolutely perfect, like no other before nor any other arriving ever afterward, I knew it! The most perfect moment shinning brilliantly in such a way that I knew it would never shine again... It was like an invisible raging spectrum seized my wrist and right hand..., another powerful force possessed my very body and soul..: but I witnessed the right hand do the dirty deed with my own eyes...and the exposed shinny razor sharp blade sink deeply into his coarse neck at the base on the back side.., then the razor edge slashed with an exact perfection rivaling even those of his own...!

I saw the dark blood gush...! I saw him collapse into a wreathing heap onto the floor without even uttering a single sigh... I beheld the hand slash and stab nine more times until the involuntary contortions ceased. Inside I felt the tension of intense anger pleasurably exhaust itself with the expenditure of all might into the slashing stabs..., and the body then lay perfectly still inside puddles of thick crimson syrup bearing the pungent scent of freshly butchered pork.

...Carefully I wiped the blade off onto his own clothes, replacing it into the skin sheath inside my right hip pocket. The elevator paused, then the doors opened into an empty hallway. I simply pushed the button to go back down into the basement, and the elevator did so, without any pauses. I walked out of the medical facility, easing back into my car. The radio was on and playing the fifteenth concerto. I drove my car back to my home on the hill, parked it. I said my goodbyes, then proceeded to walk down the hill to where my broken pony was still tied and tended. I untied it, saddled up, and commenced riding the horse back out toward the edge of town. The wind picked up dramatically and I was soon riding back out into the vast tree scattered, sand swept wilderness surrounding the town and virtually covering the huge island.

...As I moved along across the sands through the scattered forests, all I could behold was the spectrum figure of my dear Thea there in the distance before me. She was beckoning me to follow, to romp with her through the Elysium fields of precious Netherlands, and to savor the company of all those whom I now only thought were lost for a timeless infinity. There was one place that I sought to go here in the wilderness. A lone chalky cliff side, some half a kilometer high above a gentle purling creek of the purest perfect sapphire. Though the creek appeared shallow and narrow from high above, that appearance was an evil illusion. Actually, the creek was somewhat vast and very deep, more akin to a river than a simple creek.

On a ledge high above the creek, I nestled. In my backpack I had plenty of food stored..., so I waited for them..., until they came for me. On the ledge..., at long last divine... it was that I spent my remaining days in company with the spectrum of my dear love, Thea... Though she existed within the realm of what for mortals was unattainable, yet by her own determined force in free choice of will..., she transcended through the thick gray misty gulf separating the mortal from the immortal...We loved a love of the purest delight there on the ledge, which was far more intense, even more so than any I had ever experienced with her during her secular years...Now beyond question, I knew it was that I could never live again being absent from her company... I yearned now more than ever before, to love a love not simply for the momentary, but for the blessed eternal divine...

.... On the hill in the distance, I could perceive their raging blood hounds and their rasping imperceptible shouts. I heard the clamor of horse's hooves on both sides high above me. In the distance a lone voice yelled, "there he is, do you see him through the binoculars? There he is..., right there on Calypso hill's eastern ledge below...!"

Then spoke another strange harsh voice from above on the cliff summit behind me...

"Get the army rifle my avenging companions...! We have him now and there is no escape for him what-so-ever...! He'll pay the maximum right here and now for his cold calculating, dastardly deed... Who does he think that he is to commit such a vile act against one of our finest, and please pause just moment to consider..., while he was residing right here in our own nation?! Just who is it, that these foreigners daring to come here, think that they are?"

I heard the sharp thunder and the singing glance of their lead. A thick haunting smoke-like mist then rolled inward from across the expanse, beyond the jagged chalk of the white cliff and the ravine below. As I glanced below into the shimmering depths, I viewed the circling swarm of what appeared to be thousands, if not millions, of welcoming cooing snow doves, freely offering forth their sweetest of exhilarating serenade...

I heard the sharp thunder and the singing whine of their lead as it glanced from upon the cliff walls immediately above my head...

.... Then the thick veil of gray mist finally moved across the expanse to consume me, hiding my fleshly form from their tainted view, as my body lifted up into the awaiting arms of my dearest beloved..., my most cherished blessing from holy God in heaven above..., Thea' Selenofotos in spectrum. As we flew together, the angels from deep within the invisible depths of the hallowed void, screamed their cheers of exalted welcoming as we entered into that most divine haven of the immortal realm..., only to love a perfect unadulterated love entwined together, embracing arm in adoring arm .... for the duration of a most blessedly glowing infinity.