By the rivers of Babylon Chapter 1

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By the rivers of Babylon

Chapter 1

Richard Carter heard the voice of his wife, as if from a long distance away.

“Ricky! Ricky, wake up!” she shouted

He shook himself out of the dream, and woke to find her shaking him.

“Wha ... what is it?” he asked, blearily.

“You were having a nightmare.” His wife Anne said, worriedly.

Richard shook the sleep out of his eyes, and sat up.

He was debating whether to tell his wife about the dream when she surprised him, saying, “Hon, I ... you weren’t the only one with a dream. I had one, too.”

“What did you dream about?” Richard asked.

“I dreamed of Iraq. Of you, in your uniform. Except it was like I was seeing everything from your point of view.”

Richard looked at his wife, and started to be afraid.

“What did you see?” He managed to ask.

“I saw a temple, Ricky. And a madman trying to use your men as a sacrifice to a god.”

“I haven’t been talking in my sleep, have I?” Richard asked.

“No. I’m telling you that I just dreamed this. Is that what happened?” Anne said.

“Yes. that’s exactly what happened.” Richard replied.

“So, how did you get away?”

“Well ... here’s the thing. We didn’t. Not really.”

“Okay, I think I need to hear your side of the story now.”

“It was ten years ago, during the war to get Sadam out of Kuwait ...”

Richard, Ten years ago on the Iraq-Kuwait border ...

Command had spotted what looked like an abandoned building not far from where our unit was. So they sent three of us to go check it out - Me, Corporal Donald Ford, and Specialist Mitch Woodward.

However, as soon as we were out of sight of the unit, a freak sandstorm kicked up, blinding us temporarily.

The sand was blowing so hard, I could barely make out my squadmates.

“Where the heck did this sandstorm come from, Sarge?” Donald asked me.

“Do I look like I’m a weatherman to you, Corporal Ford?””

“Sir, no sir!”

“You get anything, Woodward”?” I asked the specialist.

“Nothing, sir. Communication is out.”

“Keep trying. I’ll feel happier about not being able to see an inch in front of my face if I know where our unit is.”

Then the wind died, and I could see a building in front of us.

The corporal whistled, and said, “Look at that place!”

“Looks like a temple of some kind. Maybe something from Babylonian empire days.” Woodward stated.

I gave him a look, and he actually blushed, and added, “Bit of a history and archaeology buff, sir.”

I knew I’d have to make a decision, and quick. These two young men were counting on me. So I said, “Okay, we can take cover at this ‘temple’. Woodward, with the storm gone, keep working on radio contact as we go, and if you get through, tell them that’s where we’ll be. Ford, you take lead, keep an eye out for hostiles. I’ll be covering the rear. Move out!”

It didn’t take us long to reach what looked like the main entrance to the place. We hustled up the stairs, and reached the front door, and I realized I had another decision. Saddam could have stationed a unit or even several, here, and I had a feeling it might be a while before any friendlies joined us.

On the other hand, staying outside wouldn’t be much safer if anybody inside was alerted to our presence, so I said, “All right. We’re going to go in stealth, get a scan of the entry area, and if possible establish a hold point there, preferably one where we can see anybody coming before they see us. On three, go in. One, two, ...”

Ford opened the front door quietly and smoothly, and the three of us slipped in, and quickly closed the door behind us. The entryway had two alcoves on either side, so I had Ford set up in one, while Woodward and I went to the other. Quick looks out seemed to suggest that no hostiles had noticed us, so far, and I let a breath go I didn’t even know I had been holding in.

I watched Woodward work while keeping an eye out for any company. He’d managed to set up a system so he didn’t even have to whisper to try to send messages, reducing the chance of giving our position away.

Meanwhile, in the other alcove, I saw that Corporal Ford had put on infrared goggles, and then take them off, shaking his head. I knew what he meant by that. The place was dim with the door closed, but there was obviously enough light coming in to make the goggles less effective. Still, I was pleased he had at least tried them, to be sure.

For a moment, all was quiet, and then I heard a voice. I couldn’t understand what it was saying, but something about it caused me to step out of the alcove. I was so focused on the voice I that barely noticed that Ford had also stepped out, too, and we started walking toward the voice. Behind us, I heard Woodward calling our names, and then cursing as he followed us, but I couldn’t seem to make myself care. I didn’t pay any attention to our environment, so I can’t describe the temple, but soon we found ourselves in a room with a lowered section of floor that looked like a bowl, and on the edge of the bowl was a man standing at a small altar speaking in a strange language.

Even in my blissful state, and even though I couldn’t understand the language, something about what he was saying sent a shudder through my body.

That shuddering got worse when I realized a shape was taking form at the bottom of the bowl. Despite the fact that the shape started to look more like a beautiful woman, I wasn’t getting less scared.

In fact it was the opposite ...

She began speaking in the same language as the man at the altar, but somehow, my brain started translating what she said into English.

“You have summoned Negal, mortal,” she said to the man at the altar.

“And I see you even brought me a present” She added, looking at Ford and I.

She licked her lips, and sweat started seeping from my brow ...

Then she looked behind us at Woodward, and hissed.

“No! No female can be present during this ritual!” She shouted.

And just like that, she was gone.

Before I could even ask Woodward what that was about, the whole place shimmered, and flickered.

“We have to get out of here!” Woodward shouted at Ford and I. He grabbed the two of us by the arm, and pulled us out.

The next thing I knew, we were just outside the temple, and it looked totally different. Besides the door and entryway with the two alcoves, almost the whole building had collapsed. Worse, it didnt look like it had just happened, instead it looked like the kind of damage on a ruin you’d expect after three or four thousand years had past.

Had we somehow been pulled into the past, and now returned to the present?

I had no idea.

My thoughts were interrupted by Woodward’s communication set starting to work, as Command asked for a report.

Woodward somehow managed to sound perfectly normal as he told Command that we had found only ruins, and no hostiles, and were returning to base.

So we walked back, and I asked Woodward about why that creature had talked about a female in the room, and he told me about feeling like more of a girl than a guy, that he had joined the army to “man up”, and that because of what had just happened he was going to leave the service as soon as the war was over, and find out how much of a woman he ... or she, I guess, could become.

Today

Anne listened thoughtfully to Richard’s description of what had happened, nodding as she realized it matched the dream she had just woken from. Then she said, “That was what I dreamed, Rick. I can understand why you might dream of it, but me ... Rick I think the dream was a warning, and a summons. Can you get ahold of Ford and Woodward?”

Richard nodded, and said, “I still have contact information for both, I think.”

“Good,” His wife said, then she added, “you find those contacts, and I think I better pack. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling we’re going on a trip.”

To be continued ...

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Comments

Really Great Start!

Awesome beginning, Really caught my attention and I can't wait to read more :)

We the willing, led by the unsure. Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

thanks, Nuuan!

glad you like this first chapter

DogSig.png

Nic start...

I'm hooked

More please :-)

More please :-)

Polly

I'll do my best, Polly

I wanna know where this one goes too!

DogSig.png

Interesting start, Dot.

I know I'll be watching for more of this story!

thanks hon.

I'll try not to make you wait too long!

DogSig.png

by the rivers of Babylon...

What song is being required Dorothy? A good start and I've bitten the hook. I'm in for the story.

Jessie C

Jessica E. Connors

Jessica Connors

thanks for sharing the song...

Nice how many different voices get to lend their voices

Jessica E. Connors

Jessica Connors

Unusual Occurances in the Desert

laika's picture

Intriguing start; I can't imagine what will happen, but suspect the magic might have followed them home. That song was on the first reggae album I ever bought back in 1972---Jeez, I was still in high school!---the soundtrack to the Jamaican film THE HARDER THEY COME. And it sounded like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NcbyzqILd8&list=RD3NcbyzqILd8 ///// Some kind of Rastafarian take on the Old Testament, I suppose...
~hugs, Veronica

It's Biblical...

Psalm 137, according to Google.

(The rivers, of course, being the Tigris and Euphrates -- though I've read that "waters of Babylon" is a more accurate translation. And IIRC that's the way Kenny Edwards sang it in a one-minute song leading off an old Linda Ronstadt album.)

Eric

Negal

Variant of Nergal/Nirgal, the Babylonian war god? Also seems to have ruled their equivalent of Hades. But I haven't seen him depicted as female.

Would the summoning have killed them if Negal hadn't rejected the "gift" and sent them back?

Eric

Nergal

I found the name on a list of Babylonian goddesses, so maybe sometimes he goes back and forth ...

If the "gift" had been accepted, they probably would have died, and possibly the whole American army would have faced some kind of supernatural threat.

Thanks for commenting, Eric!

DogSig.png

Great Start

And it was only yesterday that I saw an advert for a 'BoneyM' concert. :) :)

Sir no Sir

dani4familyfun's picture

any SGT would have taken him down a notch for that comment.
Dani

Dani4FamilyFun

I'm with the others

It's a great start and you've hooked us. We're waiting to read what happens next. Incidentally 'By the waters of Babylon' (Psalm 137) appears near the start of the choral work 'Belshazzar's Feast' by William Walton. I know because I sang it once in a performance conducted by the composer no less!

Bum-mer

Jamie Lee's picture

A line tied to a baited hook is thrown into the water and there's nothing to do but wait until another fish might come along.

Guess it might be good to find another interesting story to read while waiting.

Others have feelings too.

I'm working on it, I promise

I'll do my best to have another chapter for you soon!

DogSig.png