As Michael and Lucas were exiting the Temple doors they noticed with growing alarm the dusk like daytime had faded away and only deepest darkness remained. Their journey to the temple had taken far longer than Michael had anticipated and his ears perked up on edge listening for even the slightest hint of where danger lay.
The deep of night was the bad time and Michael had never allowed himself, let alone his younger brother, be caught in its deadly grasp. But he was greeted with a haunting silence which he took to be the calm before the storm.
Night time was when the mass rioting and looting commenced in Lullaby Falls as roving gangs roamed to and fro seeking whom they might devour in their path. Standing at the top of the 101 steps Michael cast his gaze about him and he turned in a complete circle. Just before he was facing forward again something caught his attention. There was a light like a pinprick in the cover of night. It had never been there before to greet him in the darkness.
What could it be? Lucas bubbled with excitement and squealed out “its da sun Michael we go der now we go”! Michael quickly doused his brother’s enthusiasm with a warning not to be too loud just because they were lucky so far there was no need to test that luck by drawing unwanted attention their way.
Michael thought Lucas was right, his brother was seldom wrong about these things. The light had a positive feeling about it. But before they made this journey they would need some more provisions, especially water. After all, man could not live by bread alone.
They made the agonizingly slow trek back home in record time. Was it pure luck they had seen no one in the dead of night? Why was the whole town so quiet today? These questions only bred more questions and no answers.
Entering their family’s courtyard Michael had Lucas stay by the well as he ventured to the barn. On a wall he found some supple leather water skins. He also took two blankets off of a hay stack. Their animals had been stolen and eaten years ago so there would be no one missing these things now. While Lucas used the well oiled hand crank to bring up some water to fill the skins Michael decided to check on his parents one last time.
Just as he suspected they were still in bed. How many days had it been now since they had arisen? It must have been almost two whole days. How long could a person live without food or water?
Michael did not know the answer to this question but he was determined to complete his quest before all was lost. With a cool wet cloth he wiped the sweaty brows of his parents. Neither of them so much as blinked at his ministrations. The time for questions was past.
Michael helped Lucas fill the second water skin to near bursting. They both dawned a blanket to protect them from the cutting cold of night. After leaving their family courtyard for perhaps the last time, the pair turned towards the new North Star so dim in the distance. Michael turned to Lucas, “Little bro, tonight…we fly”.
Their long journey began.
