18 "Open the Door Please"

18

Invitation to the Wilderness

On Wednesday morning, the headline on the H.S. L-1378-55 Student's Newsletter declared:

"SECOND DEAD STUDENT RESURRECTS!"

Beneath the headline two photos were printed.  The one on the left showed Louise Torelli, lying lifeless on the floor the inside of the Yeshiva High Gym, after Sunday's game had ended, with a wide, deep, fatal gash between her bare breasts.  Beneath the photo were the words: 

"Among the wounded: 3:30 PM. Sunday".

The photo on the right showed a smiling Louise, standing alive in the crowd at the Glad He Ate Her Lounge.  She had her hands on her hips.  Her breasts were naked, with no sign of any wound between them.  Beneath this photo were the words:

"Among the wounded: 3:30 PM Monday."

Larry asked Sarah and Louise, "Aren't you two afraid that you're gonna get into trouble with Avery for this?"

Sarah told him, "We expect to get called into Avery's office any time now."

Neither of them was called to the Principal's office that day.  They weren't asked to speak with him on Thursday either.

On Friday morning, just before 3rd Period Gym Class, Louise entered the Girl's Locker Room.  Before she could change into her shorts and sneakers, Mrs. Ramierez came over to her.

She said, "Would you please come into my office Louise. There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Louise followed the Gym Teacher into her office, on the side of the locker room.  Mrs. Ramierez shut the door behind them.

The girl asked, "I'm not gonna be banned from the Team, and have my family's extra rations taken away, like happened to Karen Bennet, am I?"

"That is under discussion, but no decision has yet been made. 

"Louise."  The woman told her, "It looks like you, Karen Bennet and I have all had the same experience."

"The same?"  Louise asked, "You've been resurrected too?"

"Yes.  22 years ago."  The woman told her, "I was among the multitude of Jihadist Warrior girls and guys, who died in sacrificial Combat Games at the 13th Centennial Commemoration of the Final Sealing of the City Building.”

"Yeah, I've heard about that."  Louise told her, "I've heard that there were mass immolations going on, on every Level of the City Building that night."

"Yes.  A glorious time was had by all.  I was chosen to be among a dozen pair of Warrior Guys and Girls, who fought to the death in elimination rounds.  In the first round, all 12 pairs fought; and I killed my opponent.  In the second round, six pair fought, and I also killed my opponent.  Then in the next round my third opponent killed me, with a sword through my heart."

 Louise told her, "Then you were as dead as me and Karen."

“Exactly. I expected to be partying in Paradise, among the thousands of Warrior Guys and Girls who were sacrificed that night, while our meat was cooked and eaten by our fellow Jihadists.”

“Yours obviously wasn’t, Mrs. Ramierez.”

“Yes, ’obviously’.  There was also more to the Games, than just the combat sacrifices.  Once all the Sacred Combat Games ended, every Warrior Guy and Girl who didn't die received a full scholarship to any Jihadist School of Higher Education they chose. Along with that, their families received triple rations, for the full length of time that were covered by those scholarships."

"A full scholarship?  Triple rations for the full length of time?"

"That's why I volunteered to take part in the Elimination Rounds that night Louise.

"Well, about a half hour after the Game; the bodies of all of us who’d died were picked up by some of our fellow Jihadists.  They brought us to the Temple Arena’s kitchen, where our meat would be prepared for the feast in the dining area.  When they got to me and picked up my body, I started breathing.  I was alive and unwounded."

“This sounds very weird,” Louise said, “but it’s also starting to sound too familiar.”

 “Listen Louise’, her teacher said, “During the time that I was dead, I heard the voice of God. 

“He told me, ‘This is not your time to enter Paradise.  When you Jihadists leave the City Building, you will be the Chief Priestess, and you will provide a place for them to worship me beneath the open sky, when the moon and the stars are shining.’

“‘Beneath the open sky’?”

"After I revived, I also received the same full scholarship, as the Warrior Guys and Girls who didn’t get sacrificed."

"Oh, now I see what you're getting at."

"If a decision is made, to ban you from this School’s Combat Team, and take away your family's extra rations, I will recommend to the Jihadist Priesthood, that you be allowed to take part in the next Jihadist Scholarship Rounds of Combat.  All the Warriors who aren't sacrificed will receive full scholarships to any Jihadist School of Higher Education.  The score you already achieved, on your college entrance exam, will be enough to qualify you for admission to any Jihadist Institution; along with the same triple rations deal."

"I thought that those scholarships were reserved for Warrior Guys and Girls who are official members of the Jihadist Religion."

"You are welcome to convert at any time Louise."

"Thank you Mrs. Ramierez.  I'll wait to see whether or not my extra rations are taken away.  If they are, I'll think it over."

"That's what I'd expect you to do.  There is no rush.  Take all the time you want."

Louise spent all day thinking it over.

What she was thinking was "I can get that scholarship, if I agree to be one of 24 Warrior Guys and Girls who’ll fight to the death in elimination rounds, until only 1 survives.  That’s a chance of 24 to 1 against me.  How many rounds would I have to survive?  But if that’s the only way I can get a scholarship?  Would I come back a second time, like Karen did?  Or Mrs. Ramierez?"

On Friday evening, around 6:30 PM, Louise hurried into the Glad He Ate Her, which was as crowded as usual.  Alyce and Jimmy were already there, sharing a booth with Larry and Sarah.

Louise came down the steps, and hurried through the crowd to their booth.

"Sarah."  She spoke before she even sat down.  "Get ready to make journalistic history.  This time the world really is about to turn upside down, and you'll be first reporter on the scene."

Larry asked, "What's this, another vision?"

"Not a vision."  She told her friends, "A phone call."

She slid into the booth beside Alyce and Jimmy.  Then she took out her multi-tasker, put it on the table, and switched on her cell phone.

"Now listen to this."  She told them.

She turned on the amplifier, and a recorded voice spoke.

"Hello Louise.  This is David Krendell."

Now everyone in the booth leaned toward the cell phone.  They continued listening to Dave's recorded voice.

"Karen and I are back in that place we told you about.  Weehawken.”

Larry repeated, “Weehawken?”

"We have other people with us.  They've been given official authority to enter the City Building, but it's like I told you, the airlock can't be opened from the outside.  We need someone on the inside to open it for us.

"Please give me a call as soon as you can."

The recording clicked off.

"You're right Louise."  Sarah spoke.  "The world really is about to turn upside down."

Jimmy said, "Or get blown to bits."

"Don't exaggerate Jimmy."  Louise said, "All that's gonna happen, is that three dozen people are gonna be contributed to the food supply."

Alyce asked, "Have you called Dave back?  What did he say?"

"I haven't called yet."

Louise now picked up her multi-tasker, dialed Dave's number, put the device to her ear and waited.

Then she heard Dave's voice.  He sounded tense.  "Hi.  Louise?"

"Hello Dave.  What's going on?  You're allowed to get back inside now?"

"We can, but we need your help."

"Just who do you mean by 'we'?"

"Well there's me and Karen of course.  Then there's a clergyman from Zabelton, Pennsylvania.”

“Zabelton, Pennsylvania?”

"Yes his name's Domnick Luzak."

"Pastor Domnick Luzak?"

Larry asked, "What does that mean?"

Louise told him, "I wasn't hallucinating.  It was a true vision."

Dave spoke again; "He wants to talk to you."

Now a man with a voice that she'd heard before spoke over the phone. 

"Miss Torelli?"

"Yes sir."

"I am Pastor Domnick Luzak, from Zabelton, Pennsylvania.  I've come to speak with the Government of the City Building of Manhattan.  It concerns the future of both the people outside the City Building, and those inside the City Building itself.  According to your friends, Mr. David Krendell and Miss Karen Bennet, we are going to need your help, to enter the City Building.”

"Yes Pastor Luzak."

Louise looked at Jimmy and said, "We have to let them in.  It's too important not to take the risk." 

"Okay."  He shrugged.   "We're a Warrior Team.  We always contribute more than three dozen people to the food supply, every other weekend anyway."

She again spoke to the Pastor.  "Can I talk to Dave?"

"Yes Miss Torelli."

In a moment, Dave was back on the line.  "What is it Louise?"

"Dave.  It's after 6:30 in the evening.  I don't know what time it is out there, and I don't know how long it'll take for me to get to you.  I also don't know exactly how to get to you."

"It's okay Louise.  It's getting late out here too.  I'll give you directions now, and in the morning we'll be waiting for you, just outside the airlock."

Now Louise spoke softly.  "I love you Dave."

There was a silence at the other end.

She asked, "Did you hear what I just said?"

"Yes."  He spoke with hesitation.  "I heard what you said."

"Is Karen standing there, right next to you?"

"Yes.  She's right here."

"Okay.  We'll discuss it, when I see you tomorrow."

Dave then gave her detailed directions, telling her exactly how to get to where he and the Delegation would be waiting.

Then she told him, "That's an awful long trip.  It could take all morning to reach you."

"Right.  So give me a call when you get to the fire doors on Level 10.  It took me and Karen about two hours, to get from there to the airlock.  So I'll say good-bye now."

She again said softly.  "I love you Dave."

His cell phone clicked off.

Then Louise told her friends at the table, "I'm gonna be getting up very early tomorrow morning.  Maybe 5:30.  I'll be going down to open the airlock for Dave and Karen, and this Pastor Luzak, and anyone else they might have come with.  Would any of you like to come along, and take part in one of the most important moments in history; or do you plan to go shopping instead, like last time?"

Larry said, "Well Jim and I had planned to go to one of the Amusement Centers on Level 700.  They got a place where you can watch them shoot string bikini tops off women, with crossbows."

Sarah snapped at him.  "Larry!"

"It's a Lottery.  Takes place every Saturday at noon.  You bet on the ones who you don’t think are gonna get nailed.  If you get at least four right, it starts paying off."

Jimmy added, "It's 90 girls out of 100 who die, and the Lottery Girls who don't get nailed, get paid really good."

Sarah said, "I don't believe it!  You two are passing up..."

Larry chuckled, "We're just kidding."

"That's good to know."

Jimmy said, "But if we can get things done early..."

Sarah sighed.