The Savior

Part 13

Semyon reached for the phone and dialed one number.

“Sol, you said there would be an eagle….There’s no eagle, there’s a leopard….I don’t know but he’s up and walking around. And he looks mean….Yes….Yes….Oh yes….Okay.” He hangs up and says “Come on. We’ve got to get out of here. The next beast we don’t want to see and we don’t want it to see us. Let’s go.”

They got into the limo which spun around and started back down the dirt road, disturbing flocks of startled sparrow as it went.

Back on the highway Adam said “Now what?”

Ron answered “I don’t know Adam. You tell us.”

“How should I know?”

“Well, you decided to come back, so now it’s your show.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Well it doesn’t surprise me that you’re still confused. Things have changed so much. Tell you what. Why don’t we take you back to your apartment. You can have a nice hot bath and think things through.”

“I don’t have a bath tub.”

“Yes you do.”

At that point Adam half expected that to be true. They rode in silence until they reached Adam’s apartment building. Ron opened the door and got out to let Adam out. Then he got back in but before closing the door he said “Don’t forget to be in church on Sunday. You’re expected.” The door closed and the limo left.

As Adam approached the door to his apartment he saw a man standing there holding a paper bag. “Hi” said the man. Are you Adam Zelf?”

“Yes.”

“Of course you are. I’m Murray Bonner. I’m on your list. Here, this is for you.” Murray handed the bag to Adam.

Adam took it and said “What’s in here?”

“A fishes mouth” said Murray, and walked away.

Adam carefully opened the bag and was stunned by what he saw.


(To be continued.)

The Savior

Part 12

“Oh an eagle” said Adam. “And what’s next, a pig?”

“No pigs”

“Then what will happen when the eagle gets there?” Adam wanted to know.

“They might dance” said Semyon.

“DANCE” yelled Adam. “I think you men are crazy. I want you to take me right back to my job. I’ve had enough of this prank. Let’s go.”

“Steady Adam” said Ron. “We can understand your concern and perplexity. It has been a great many years, a long time to be buried, but you will gradually remember and then things won’t be so confusing.”

“Remember what?”

“Who you are and where you’ve been” said Sammy.

“Who I am?”

“You will remember the nets and the olive trees and the two….”

“Look’ shouted Ron and pointed up the hill. They all looked up and saw a leopard crouching down next to the bear and staring down the hill at them.

“That is not what we expected” said Semyon

“What does it mean?” asked Adam

“Trouble.”


(To be continued.)

The Savior

Part 11

“What do you mean I picked you? I don’t even know you, how could I have picked you?

“Alright’ said Ron “then we picked you.”

“That’s right” said Sammy. “We are your angels. Sort of.”

“Angels! What are you talking about? Am I being kidnapped?”

“It’s more like you’re kidnapping us.”

Adam was now beginning to get frightened. They were traveling along a highway now and he was staring out the window at the land going by and wondering where he was and where they were taking him.

They traveled in silence for a while when suddenly the car turned off an exit. It slowed down and found a dirt road leading off into a forest area. After a while it stopped at the bottom of a hill.

“There’s the lion” said Semyon.

Up at the top of the hill was the lion standing and looking down at the car. “There’s a number to call if anyone sees it” said Adam.

“Be my guest” said Sammy and handed Adam the phone which was hanging up in the limo though Adam hadn’t noticed it before. He took the newspaper from his pocket and dialed the number listed.

After a moment he said “The number is out of service.”

“Of course it is” said Ron.

“Why of course?”

“That’s why” Sammy said pointing up the hill.

Adam looked and saw a large black bear slowly walking toward the lion. He expected a fight but when the bear reached the lion it sat down. The lion looked at the bear once and then back at the car.

“Come on” said Sammy. Both doors were opened and they all got out.

“Why aren’t they fighting?’ asked Adam.

“Because they know what’s coming.”

“What’s coming?”

“The eagle.”


(To be continued.)

The Savior

Part 10

When they left the building there was a limo waiting for them. Ron opened the door for Adam to get in. There was a big man with a long black beard smiling at him.

“Hello” said the man.

“Hi” said Adam.

“Hello Sammy” said Ron as he got it and closed the door. “Adam meet Semyon Zastov, he’s also on your list. Adam and Semyon shook hands. “Sammy here is a great bear hunter” Ron went on to say.

“I’m confused” said Adam. “You said I had a better job. Is killing bears a better job?”

“Just one bear” said Sammy “and we won’t kill it.”

“We just have to see that it appears” said Ron.

“Yes. You see, the lion is out and so it’s time for the bear” said Sammy.

“No I don’t see” said Adam. “I don’t understand any of this.”

“You will. Eventually” said Ron.

“The others felt it was too early, but I insisted. As long as you have joined us it seems right to go for the bear.”

“Joined who?” asked Adam.

“The other people on your list” said Ron.

“I don’t know any of the people on this list except the two of you. How could I have joined you? When did I join you? Is it a club or something? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you do. You picked us.”


(To be continued.)

The Savior

Part 9

“Wait a minute, I can’t just leave my job.”

“Why not? You’re not wanted here anymore. You’re boss has already forgotten about you, or he hasn’t. There’s another bookkeeper on the way in to take your place, or there isn’t. It doesn’t matter. You have a better job now.

“What?”

“You’ll see.”

“Will it pay me more money than this?”

“Money is no object.”

“I don’t like this. Too many strange things have been happening to me lately.”

“I know. It was my dog you fixed yesterday.”

“Who are you?”

“You’ll find me on your list as R. Levine.”

Adam looked down at the list and found R. Levine, then asked “Who are these other people?”

“Adam Zelph I expect more answers from you than questions. Why don’t you just come with me now and start finding out those answers.”

“Where are we going?”

“Bear hunting.”


(To be continued.)

The Savior

Part 8

“Yes sir. But what should I do about this”

“Let me see it.”

Adam handed him the document and said “It says ‘Dismissals’ at the top. I don’t know what that means. And my name is at the bottom.”

Al Fischer stared at the file and then said “Where did you get this?”

“The woman gave it to me.”

“What woman?”

“The woman from the other accounting firm that you now say were not here.”

“Hmm. I don’t know who these people are. I know a Keefer, but he isn’t S., he’s Larry Keefer. And we aren’t doing any work for the Babylon Bridge Project. Whatever that is. You say some mysterious woman handed this to you yesterday?”

“Yes sir.”

“Well, put it aside and go back to work. Maybe she’ll mysteriously reappear and take it back.”

“Yes sir.” Adam left Fischer’s office and started to go back to his desk. But on the way he stopped and thought a moment. Something told him to copy the file. He went to the copier and made two copies of it. Then he went back to his desk.

When he got there he found a man sitting in his chair reading the newspaper.

“Excuse me. That’s my desk.”

“No it’s not, it’s the company’s desk and you’re all finished here. Come with me and bring the Babylon Bridge document and the two copies you just made.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Ron” said the man. “I’ll explain everything. Eventually. Come-on.”


(To be continued.)

The Savior

Part 7

When Adam got to work the next morning there was a newspaper on his desk. He didn’t subscribe to a paper. Someone must have had an extra one, he thought, and gave it to him. On the front page the top story was about the police arresting a hit and run driver. The driver had run into some school children seriously injuring one of them. The incident was reported by a bystander and the car was later identified. There was a photograph of the car and it looked very much like the car that hit the dog last night.

Under that was an item about a lion that had escaped from the zoo. An exhaustive search was on and there was a phone number to call if the lion was seen by anyone. Adam jotted down the number just in case.

After that was a notice that Archbishop Califano would be visiting Saint Joseph’s Church for the Sunday Mass.

At the bottom was a title that read “Chernov asteroid behaving erratically NASA scientists say. Story page 4”

Adam put the paper aside and opened his desk drawer. He removed the file and looked at it again. “Actuarial Report for the Babylon Bridge Project” He opened it and there was the list of names under the title “Dismissals” with the name A. Zelf at the bottom.

He picked it up and went looking for the woman who had given it to him. He walked into the word processing department but didn’t see any faces he didn’t recognize. He checked into the conference rooms which were empty. Finally he went to Al Fischer’s office and asked the receptionist if he could go in.

She buzzed and said Mr. Zelf is here to see you.”

“Yes” came the reply over the speaker.

Adam went through the door. Al Fischer was a neat and fastidious person. His office was bare except for the necessary furniture, but it was clean and tastefully painted.

“Yes, Zelf. What’s the problem?” said Fischer.

“One of those visiting accountants gave me this to check but it’s all names.”

“Visiting accountants?”

“Yes, sir. Yesterday.”

“There were no visiting accountants yesterday.”

“You said yesterday that there were some visiting accountants and that they might give me things to check and one of them gave me this.”

“I never said any such thing Zelf. You must have dreamt it. Now go back to work.”


(To be continued.)

The Savior

Part 6

Returning to his apartment Adam took a shower, checked his boots which were dry and a little stiff from the water and made himself a light dinner. After dinner he sat with the remaining beers and pondered. He was very perplexed at what had been happening. He thought about that list of names, with his name at the bottom. “Dismissals.” What did that mean? An injured dog healed immediately as he held it. Blood in his boots but no wound to his feet. A strange phone call. The weird man in front of Saint Joseph’s. None of these events were explainable. Adam was a bookkeeper. He dealt with facts and figures, with assets and liabilities, he balanced books. Now nothing was balancing. He needed some explanations. Something solid to go on. Tomorrow he would find that accountant and talk to her about the list of names, maybe she gave him the wrong document. Maybe it was a different A. Zelf on the list.

He thought he might go into Saint Joseph’s the next Sunday and see if he could locate the stranger who gave him such an unsettling look. What else could he do?

It was late. Adam finished his last beer and was about to go to bed when the phone rang. He answered it. “Hello.”

“Adam Zelf/” It was the same voice as last night.

“Yes.”

“We’re ready for you.”

“Who is this?”

But the caller hung up.


(To be continued.)

The Savior

The Savior

Part 5

Adam’s first thought was that he was losing his job, but none of the other names referred to people who worked for Zebb & Fischer. What did this word “Dismissals” mean? and why was his name on the list and who were these other people? Adam wondered, perplexed.

He closed the folder, unlocked the desk drawer, slipped in the folder and closed and locked the drawer. Then he got up to go. He didn’t see the woman who had brought him the folder. In fact there was no one in the office. It seemed everyone had gone for the day.

On the way home, as he was walking down a side street, a small dog came out of nowhere to cross the street. Just at that moment a black car came rushing down the street and hit the dog. The dog yelped and was thrown several feet. The car didn’t stop.

Adam watched as the dog painfully made it up to the curb dragging one bleeding leg behind him. As Adam approached the dog it whined and looked up at him with a pitiful expression.

He stopped, reached down and picked up the dog to take him to a vet, if he could find one. The dog licked his face and then struggled to get down. Adam put the dog down and it ran off completely healed. No blood, no broken leg.

Adam looked at his hands.


(To be continued.)

The Savior

Part 4

Adam was a bookkeeper for the accounting firm of Zebb & Fischer. He was good at his job and enjoyed it, mainly because he was left alone and not expected to make any decisions. He began work at precisely 9 a.m. Sitting at his desk there was an in basket to his left , a calculator to his right and an out basket beyond that. In front of him was a cup of red pencils, a pencil sharpener and a clock.

He took a folder from the top of the in pile, opened it a read “Billing for The Nasser Installations” He turned the page and began adding up the figures and checking them against the type written sheets.

At about 9:30 his boss Al Fischer cane to his desk and said “Zelf.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We have some accountants visiting us from another firm. One of them may bring you some figures to check.”

“OK sir.”

Al walked away. Adam continued to work.

At about 11 a woman came up to his desk. “Excuse me.”

“Yes” he said.

“Mr. Fischer said to bring you this. There’s no rush. Any time tomorrow.”

“OK.”

She put it on top of the in pile. “On the bottom please” he said.

“Oh, sure” she said, picked up the large stack of folders and put hers on the bottom. “Thank you” she said and walked away.

Adam worked continuously throughout the day, stopping only for lunch. Now and then someone would come by and pick up the finished work from the out basket.

When it was almost closing time he had finished all the work except for the file the woman from the other accounting firm had left. He thought of leaving it for the next day but since it was about 7 minutes to 5 he took it from the in bsket out of curiosity. When he opened it the title page read “Actuarial Report for the Babylon Bridge Project.” He turned the page and was surprised to find, not a list of facts and figures, but a list of names in alphabetical order.

At the top of the page was the title “Dismissals” and following that were a group of first initials and last names, “J. Andropolis, M. Bonner, J. Isko, S. Keefer.” He scanned down the page and gasped when he reached the bottom. The last name on the list was “A. Zelf.”

(To be continued.)

The Savior

Part 3

Adam stood holding the phone for a few moments. He was in a mild shock. Who could that be, he wondered. A man’s voice and it sounded very authoritative. “We know who you are.” What could that mean?

He eventually hung up the phone and went into the bathroom to wash out his socks. He looked at himself in the mirror. Who am I, he thought, that someone would say such a thing.

He hung his socks on the shower curtain pipe to dry, put on his pajamas and his bathrobe, took a beer and put the rest into the refrigerator.

He opened the beer, poured it into a glass and sat staring at nothing as he pondered the events he had just been through. A fire truck that seemed to come out of nowhere when he was about to cross the street, A man in front of the church who gave him a weird look. His boots full of blood but no cuts on his feet or legs. A strange voice on the phone saying “We know who you are.” Who are the “we” who know who I am, he wondered.

Adam kept drinking. He had two more beers before he felt sleepy enough to go to bed.

He awoke in plenty of time to get dressed and go to work, where hw would eventually be stunned by another unexplainable event.

(To be continued.)

The Savior

The Savior

A story;

Part 1

Adam Zelf stepped out about to cross the street when a large red fire truck came screaming by with its red lights flashing, After it passed Adam crossed the street. He walked a short distance to the Bethlehem Diner entered and sat on a stool at the counter. Stella, the waitress came by.

“You’re lookin’ mighty pretty tonight.”

She smiled. “Thank you, sir. What can I getcha?”

“Franks and bean, whole wheat toast and coffee.”

“Comin’ up.”

When he had finished his dinner Adam went two door to the superette and bought a six pack of Budweiser to take back to his apartment. He crossed over again and stepped up on the curb. His feet hurt him a little bit. His new boots weren’t completely broken in yet.

As he passed Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church the congregation was just coming out. One man looked at Adam with a strange expression. The others paid no attention to him. As he neared his building he felt an odd squishing sensation in his boots. He thought he might have stepped in something on the side walk but there was no bad small as he rode up in the elevator. He went into the bathroom to remove his boots. The bottoms of both boots were filled with blood.

(To be continued.)

Part 2

Adam quickly put his boots in the shower and turned the water on. He pulled off his blood soaked socks and threw them in as well. Then he carefully examined his feet to see where the blood was coming from.

He thought some of his toe nails, which he hadn’t clipped lately were probably digging in to his toes and making them bleed. But he carefully examined all of his toes and found no cuts. He removed his trousers to see if the blood was coming from somewhere else but there was no blood on his legs.

He removed the rest of his clothes and got into the shower. He cleaned out his boots, wrong out his socks and tossed the into the sink to be cleaned later. He took a shower and as he finished he heard the phone ringing.

That’s strange, he thought, as he got out of the shower. No one ever calls me and it’s too late for the telemarketers. It will probably stop ringing before I get there, he thought as he dried himself off.

As he entered his room the phone was still ringing, so he answered it.

“Hello?”

“Adam Zelf?”

“Yes.”

“We know who your are.”

The caller hung up.

(To be continued.)

Brian and Christine

Brian and Christine is now in ite proper order on The Brian Saga. The first two sections are together, the third one can be read by clicking "older posts."

DB