Wizard of God - Ch. 6, Ch. 7

Chapter 6: The Keystone

The walk down the golden road became pointless. All I could think of was Elle alone in the void and it made my heart hurt. The pain centered in my stomach, clenching and sending nausea upward each time I pictured her silhouette in my mind. I had never experienced such loss. I could not think of anything worse, including being ruled by the storm I came from or the Witch that now chased me.

Slowly, just as before, our surroundings started to change. However, this time the white fog rescinded. We had made it through the barrier between the outer world and the Wizard’s Castle. I barely noticed. All my thoughts were still with Elle.

Despite my dark mood, when I looked up and saw the Wizards Castle I was spellbound. It was magnificent. It towered over us in a splendid glory that was both regal and powerful. It commanded attention and inspired positive thought. Though I did not want even one thought to stray from Elle, I could not help but be overwhelmed by a sense of hope and homecoming.

I could feel energy from the Castle radiating in all directions. I could also feel something inside myself answer its call. I realized then that the Castle and I were in some way or form the same. A piece of me was of the same material as the Castle. It was not stone or brick. It was organic and it yearned to grow as all living things do.

My gaze turned downward and I was shocked to see that several yards ahead of us the golden glowing road ended. There was a tremendous gate arching over the road, separating its end from the start of a winding path. The gate was enormous. Its golden rods were raised up high, open and inviting all to enter. The path beyond led to a large palisade and a broad door that must have been the main entrance.

“Shall we?” I asked my replicas. The second me had a wide smile on his face. The third me was trailing behind him. He seemed preoccupied with something else entirely. His eyes were fixed onto the sky above, as if he was waiting on something.

“Can I have my jar back?” asked the second me. “It’s the most important one.”

“You sure can,” I said cheerfully. I untied it from my waist and handed the rope and jar to him. “You’ve been staring at it long enough. Keep an ear out for my footsteps though. I wouldn’t want you to run into me and drop the jar.”

“Good idea,” he said. Amazingly he did not take credit for it this time. Instead he gingerly wrapped the rope around it and tied it to his waste.

We had nearly reached the gate and I was within feet of crossing over onto the new path. However, I noticed the third me had fallen behind and was still staring into the sky. I turned and began to walk back toward him. I forgot to tell the second me I had changed directions.

Before I reached him, the third me glanced down just when the second me, with the jar around his waist, was crossing the threshold.

“Now!” the third me screamed into the sky.

The next few moments unfolded like still images frozen in time as if they were pictures piled one on top of the other. Each image was separate. Each moment was terribly real.

Two claps thundering in the sky above began the turning of the pictures into scenes that would be forever imprinted in my mind. Burned and branded, my eyes would never be able to forget them.

The first one, along with the first thunderclap, produced the Black Witch. There was a strange green light connecting her and the third me’s staff.

The second scene, along with the second clap, came from the hands of the Black Witch. I saw her letting loose a bolt of lighting from two outstretched hands. The light given off hid her body, except for a small sliver that revealed her eyes. They were focused and cruel. They spoke of only death.

The next scene was confusing. The Black Witch’s eyes smoldered and her lips were drawn wide with pleasure. She did not notice the third me who had jumped high into the air, his hand inches from the staff that she rode.

The final scene blasted apart and can only be described as a collage. It also came with a horrendous soundtrack. I remember hearing screams from all directions.

The third me was holding both staffs, one in each hand. The Black Witch was looking down at him in horror. Her body seemed to be on fire. The third me’s eyes were wide and his mouth open in terrible pain. The strange green light from before was tearing through him, separating his body into a thousand pieces. Seconds later he would be scattered like coals in a fire.

I felt pain myself, a dull thudding pulse like a concussion. I then found myself sprawled face down on the golden road looking toward the Castle. The gate had fallen down. A man holding a jar to his chest was keeping it just off the ground. The second me was lying motionless beneath its heavy weight.

My vision became blurry and my eyes shut. I do not know how long I remained unconscious. When I awoke my entire body was on fire and my ears were ringing. Something about that blast transcended the world I was in. I knew right away no simple concentration trick would take the pain away.

The third me’s staff lay inches from me and beyond him the second me was still motionless underneath the gate. Though my entire body resisted it, I managed to stand up, grab the walking staff and shuffle as fast as I could toward the second me.

I got right up to the gate and fell to my knees next to his head. His eyes were open!

“Can you hear me?” I asked in a near panic.

“I can see you,” he whispered through labored breath.

“You what?” I stammered. “Oh buddy, no. I’m so sorry I got you into this.”

“Quickly,” he wheezed. “Go.”

Looking down at myself crushed beneath the golden gate, tears began to run down my face. I could not believe what was happening. I had caused only destruction to everything and everyone. Yet, the second me had a genuine smile on his face despite the obvious pain he was in.

I slid the staff below the gate and scooted my body underneath the threshold. The second me’s breathing was getting more and more laborious. As soon as I was across I stood up and grabbed the gate with both hands. I could tell as soon as I gripped it there was no way I could relieve any of the pressure on top of him, let alone lift it. It was just too massive.

The second me pulled in as much air as he could and lifted his head. With his last breath his eyes locked onto mine and he said, “Thank you.”

His head hit the ground hard and his body went limp. There was nothing I could do for him anymore.

As I picked up the staff I glanced at the label on the jar.

“Impossible,” I muttered out loud.

I crouched closer and read it. ‘Holding the gate open for myself.’ I had never noticed the label on the jar. I simply picked it out at random. The second me said it was his most important one. It was probably the only unselfish jar in his whole store. It occurred to me then those jars held the memories of his entire life, including the future. That memory must have been the only one strong enough to hold open the gate in order for me to get underneath. I wondered if he knew what it meant when we left. Either way, he held up his end of the bargain and he got his sight back. I did not know whether or not it was worth his life but he obviously did. He sacrificed himself for me. Gave himself for this journey that I was forced into what seemed like years ago.

I stood up with more determination than at any other point.

“This Wizard better be home,” I said through clenched teeth. I left the second me there beneath the gate and headed through the palisade to knock on the front door.

Chapter 7: Everything

Whatever awe I had for the Castle died with the second me. I still could not believe the third me double crossed us and conspired with the Black Witch. He obviously had motives of his own. She seemed to be caught off guard just like the rest of us. What he thought he was going to gain certainly backfired on him. I had a certain amount of joy thinking of him scattered across the golden road.

I raised the staff in my hands as high as I could and used it to pound on the door. The top of the staff still did not reach a third of the height. The door must have been forty feet tall. I wondered how something so big could even open.

There was no answer. I was about to slam the staff again when a small door about the size of my head opened up at eye level.

“There is a door bell you know,” said the man whose face appeared in the small door. He had sparkling eyes much like Patricia’s. His face was warm. It was adorned with small rimmed glasses hanging low on his nose. He had short gray hair and a beard.

“Where?” I asked at a loss for words.

“Right there,” he said as he lifted his hand so I could see it and pointed to my right. Sure enough there was a door bell along with a small sign with an arrow pointing downward stating ‘Door Bell.’ I was almost positive that wasn’t there when I walked up. The amused look in his eyes gave me the suspicion it may have just appeared.

“Can I come in?” I said flustered, trying not to lose my temper.

“Sure,” he said with a smile.

There was a pause. He did not move or say anything else.

“Well, are you going to open the door?” I asked.

“There is a door bell you know,” he said again.

I stopped myself from jabbing the man in the face with the staff. It probably would not make the Wizard happy to give his butler a black eye. I leaned over to smash the doorbell with my palm but it was gone.

I looked back to see the little door was closed. The man was gone. I lost it. I had not come all this way to be belittled.

I smashed the staff over and over again into the door until it broke into pieces.

The little door opened again and the same man reappeared.

“If you say I should have rang the doorbell I’m gonna reach through and wring your neck,” I said before thinking.

“That sounds unfortunate,” said the man. “Especially since we don’t have a door bell.”

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open.

“What are you here for?” he asked after a moment.

“To see the Wizard?” I said.

He raised his head and looked at me through his glasses. “Ring the door bell when your ready to answer that question truthfully.” With that, he shut little door again.

“What!” I yelled. “Hey, open this damn door. I’m serious.”

I looked over to see that the doorbell had reappeared. I pushed it over and over again until the little door opened.

“So, you figured out why you’re here?” he asked.

“No. I mean yes,” I sputtered. “Look, please don’t shut the door again. I don’t think I can handle it. I just watched myself explode and get crushed by a gate. All I want to do is get out of this crazy place.”

“Now I’d like to see that,” said the man jovially.

“What?” I asked.

“Exploding and being crushed by a gate,” he said smartly. “That’s one hell of an accomplishment.”

I did not take kindly to his last statement but before I could object he said, “You don’t need any help getting out of this crazy place. You get an A+ in crazy. But I appreciate your honesty. Come on in.”

He looked down and I heard a jingle. A regular sized door surrounding the little one opened up.

“My name’s Gary,” he said outstretching his hand. “Nice to meet you Matthew. The Wizard has been hoping you’d show up for a long time now.”

“He knew I was coming?” I asked amazed.

“Of course,” he said. “He’s been watching you closely.”

Gary ushered me into the Castle. It was completely dark save for a small parlor area with a large dining table directly in front of us. The table and the chairs around it were lit by an unseen lamp overhead. The light casting downward shed just enough to give some definition to the massive Castle surrounding us. I thought I could make out at least three different staircases leading up to three or four different levels. If I was correct, the stories above opened up in a circle around the parlor we were now standing in. There were railings around the edge of each level. Beyond that, I could see nothing.

“How big is this place?” I asked.

“I’m not sure,” said Gary. “That’s what you’re here to figure out.”

“What do you mean? And where is everyone? The court and jesters?” I asked.

He chuckled. “There is only the two of us,” he said with a grin. “You’ve run everyone else out of here by now.”

“I’m so confused,” I said to Gary as we took a seat at the table.

“Where do you think you are?” asked Gary.

“In the Wizard’s Castle,” I responded automatically.

“O.K.,” he said, his eyes rolling upward as if he was reading a teleprompter in his mind. “Where is the Wizard’s Castle?”

“I don’t know,” I said resting my arms on the top of the table. “I was snatched with my house and transported out of that storm.”

“Were you transported out or in?” asked Gary. He looked at me but his focus was not on my eyes. He seemed to be looking just past them into my thoughts.

My mind was tired but a few things started to make sense. “You’re the Wizard aren’t you?” I asked.

Gary smiled. A light just beyond us flickered and turned on. It lit up the room a bit more and illuminated the base of one staircase.

“I am a Wizard,” he replied. “But I am not the Wizard of this Castle. I am merely a guide.”

His words were slow and brimming with meaning. There was an answer, some awareness, at the edge of my mind that was sparked. It was staggering in its implication.

“Am I the Wizard?” I asked, not believing the question.

Lights across the entire parlor snapped on at the same time. It was startling at first but the area seemed to warm up immediately. It was beautiful. If the rest of the Castle looked like this it was surely a place I could fall in love with.

“Patricia sent me a good one,” Gary said. He was not surprised. His expression was more like proud.

“If I’m the Wizard,” I continued, “why did I have to go through all of that to get here.”

“We all do,” he replied. “It’s all part of the journey and one you’ll have to make each time you come back. The Spirit Center is a mirror. It focuses, like a projector, the most powerful personalities within us.”

“But none of my personalities made it this far,” I said sadly, remembering the first and second me.

“They could not,” he said. “Their traits were the exact things blocking you from entering the Castle.”

“What happened to the third me?” I finally asked. “He exploded when he held his and the Black Witch’s staff.”

“Ah, the leveling of pride,” he responded. “Let me ask, who is above you?”

“You mean above him?” I considered, still not making the connection between my personality and the replicas. “No one I guess. He was too conceited for that. The rules didn’t apply to him.”

“What would happen, do you think,” explained Gary, “if someone were to try to rule over both God and himself?”

“He would explode?” I half asked, half stated.

“Be destroyed for sure,” he said laughing. “You’re the first one I’ve met that actually exploded.”

“Patricia said the Wizard asked just one thing in return for his help,” I said, moving on to another burning question. “Any idea what I’ve got to give up?”

Gary became serious and said, “Everything.”

I contemplated what that entailed. At first I only considered my belongings but those seemed to no longer have value to me. The term everything was too abstract for me to wrap my thoughts around. I was just going to have to speak with the man in charge.

“Well if I’m the Wizard,” I thought out loud, considering his response, “I’m assuming there’s someone else other than you that is demanding everything.”

Gary simple continued to look at me. It was obvious he was not going to fill in the gap for me. I looked beyond him to our surroundings again. The lack of light was hindering my vision and it seemed to be stifling my comprehension. This moment was more than just important. It was a turning point. I could either embrace a new way of thinking or fall back asleep.

I closed my eyes and immediately felt a presence within. It was the same one I had felt beyond the Castle. Within the walls however, it was much stronger and vibrant. The center point within myself was inextricably connected to the Castle around me. They were one and the same. The spirit within me cried out in joy. I was home.

“It’s the Castle isn’t it?” I said opening my eyes. “I may be the Wizard but this Castle is something different. There is a power here far greater than me.”

More lights around us turned on. Gary leaned back, his eyes closed, and spent a moment basking in the new light.

“That’s my favorite part,” he said. “When the lights come on.”

He opened his eyes and focused them again on me. “This is the Castle of God, your inner perfection. You’ve neglected it far too long. The world outside of this Castle is made up of all the things that keep you from God. You may be the anointed Wizard of this Castle, but you have a long way to go. You will find new versions of yourself each time you come here. The Black Witch has many sisters. You will never be rid of her. There are also certain requirements that you must meet in order to restore this Castle to its natural brilliance.”

“Everything?” I said thinking I was finishing his thought.

“Well, yes,” he replied. “But let’s be a little more specific shall we. The first order of business is to clean house. It’s your duty to go through the entire Castle, turn on all the lights and sweep out anything undesirable.”

“Sounds difficult,” I said looking around, projecting on how many hundreds of rooms there were.

“Says who? It’s simply different,” he said.

I smiled. I liked that phrase. It did not have to be difficult if I did not want it to be.

“How long will it take?” I asked feeling a little overwhelmed.

“That’s up to you,” he said. “You are embarking on a journey to go where no man in your family has gone before. It’s not better, just new. The journey will be a different kind of storm than the one you were living. If you so desire it will never let up. You will never be comfortable not changing.”

His words lit a fire within me that burned me to my feet. I stood up from the table to greet the most important moment of my life. There were so many things in my life I had never taken responsibility for. There was so many broken promises. If this journey had taught me anything, I finally knew it was time that I made a fist pounding decision. It was time to bring light into the foreboding darkness around. Even if it meant stumbling fearlessly in the dark, I was resigned to the task of a searching inventory of the entire Castle.

There was no reason to wait or consider anything else. I felt from deep within that it was time for action. Within God’s Castle, I knew I could not be steered wrong.

There, in the only brightly lit room within the Castle, I closed my eyes and braced myself for the coming wind.