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Chapter Two

Called

Two days later it was still dark out when Curse wakes up with a yell, his breathing rapid as he looks around, tail tucked in between his legs. Another nightmare about being in one of caves he used to live in, the dreading darkness in it mocked him as he whined and trembled. His breathing returning to normal, he gives a short whimper.

Again. Blast it. Have I done something wrong, Lord?

Looking around his den again, he folds his ears back, swallowing. Since when did the den walls seem closer in now? Shutting his eyes and shaking his head furiously from side to side, he reopens them. He raises himself on his haunches to then lean back and raise his hind leg to scratch his right ear ("Blasted fleas!"). Afterwards he sniffs himself only to pull back with a disgust expression.

Whew, I stink!

After stretching, he heads out of his den, facing Southwest where Jerusalem is, heading up towards North. The nearest water source is a stream from an hour away just by walking. Usually he runs, making it a half hour depending on his pace.

But still waking up, he decides to walk, though he swallows constantly, his throat dried and tongue hanging out, not having a drink from the stream from before yesterday evening. His stomach rumbles as well. Some of the caves - one being near the Jordan River and even has a small stream near it - that had been his home before had a small pond or a trail of river leading out, but growls in loathe for his fear of being stalked in the darkness at night. But he would look up at the sky and give thanks that he even has water and that it's not too far away. If the stream wasn't there, he would have to walk all the way to the river every time to drink or wash himself.

By the time he arrives the horizon has streaks of golden thin lines. Soon the black wolf feels the ebb of the night's claws of wind and is replace with a star's warmth.

Approaching the flowing stream from coming down a rocky hill, he looks up only for the ascending sun to blind him, forcing him to shut his eyes.

Ah, again!

Curse reopens his eyes after lowering his head enough where he can see the stream just by moving his eyes up. Reaching the bank, shutting his eyes, he looks up, feeling the warmth on his face and puts a paw over his eyes.

"Thank You for this water, Lord. If it pleases Thee, bless it."

Looking down at the water with eyes open and head lowering again, he drinks it for almost a minute. Taking a breath for a few seconds, he drinks again before the thirst is finally in paradise. It's then he jumps in, water splashing everywhere.

After he ducks his head for a quick moment and brings it back up ("Whoo!"), he hums as he swims around. One time the gray wolf had stopped by here and he cocked his head at the water. It was odd, Curse recalls. He didn't smell at all. When he had stepped in, he got near him and sniffed him, the black wolf had snapped at the gray wolf and instantly got out.

Stinketh scoundrel, Curse remembers thinking of the wolf that way.

Once Curse is done bathing, he gets out and shakes the water out of his fur. He looks at his reflection and sees some of his fur standing out, making him scowl. He looks around and growls, seeing nothing but dirt, furiously pawing down the fur on his head but it still stands up.

Wonderous, he thinks with a sigh, looking at his claws.I need a fur cut.

Turning around he decides to head towards Jerusalem.

Wanting to exercise his legs, he starts off into a fast walk. His eyes scan his front surroundings, nothing but rocks, dirt, sand, some plants here and there, and barely any grass. Nevertheless, it often gives him a psalm of his own, a story of his life. No one can understand the darkness in it, at least to him.

And that's when he scolds himself once again of his thought. Woe is not and has not always been about him. But there's that temptation. To think it, to believe it, to say it, to live by it. His self is self.

Come, Lord Jesus, Curse prays, sighing in his spirit. My darkness burns as fire within me.

Shaking his head, not wanting to dwell on it any longer, but it's nearly impossible. All those visions of sin imbrue into his blacken mind. His fellow sinners' offenses have become his memories over the past millennium. Well, except their thoughts. That's only God can see. His life before he became cursed was no different.

I was more than a fool, Curse remembers, stopping on a sand dune, exhaling softly. Breaking into a run down the dune now, I should not be living today.

With the endurance of his running the wolf arrives no more than an hour and half, slowing down at a few times to catch his breath. Stopping on a hill, panting with his tongue hanging out, he lays on his abdomen. The sun has already risen now, feeling the warmth on his back. He gazes at the city. How he wishes he can go in and explore it fully. The thought of it makes his tail wag.

"Beautiful city," he admires in his ebbing pants.

"Yea, she is."

Curse turns to the direction of the well-known familiar voice and instantly stands up on his paws. Arching his back, he bows his head, seeing the nail marks in the feet. "Lord Jesus!"

"Hello, My friend."

He keeps his head bowed until the King tells him to arise. When he raises his head, he sees two cooked fish extend out to him. His tail wags, mouthwatering, wiping the drool off his mouth.

"Thank You, Lord!" But he doesn't take them from Jesus' hand.

"Take them."

Opening his mouth, he gently takes one and sets it on the ground. Taking the other one, he sees the nail mark, making him lower his ears.

My sins, he remembers, dropping the fish next to the other one.

"What of thy sins?" Jesus asks. He extends both of His hands out to Curse.

Blood, he thinks. Blood was shed.

The prophet Isaiah comes to his mind once again, of what God said to His chosen people Israel.

I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

"'Come now,'" Curse begins quoting, "'and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool'."

Jesus only nods. Curse eats the two fish, getting much as he can. When he was done, leaving only tiny pieces of meat on the bones, he licks his chops. Now if he could go to the stream again to wash it down, that will be blissful. But his need is not utmost as earlier this sunrising, so he can wait.

The Lord has been sitting since the cursed creature started to consume, staring at the city. "Thank You again for the fish, Lord."

Curse sits down close to Jesus on his haunches, staring at the city with Him. _ _The black wolf looks from it to Golgotha where the Lamb was slain. He can't believe been it's been forty-three days already.

His ears perk up when Jesus says his name. The wolf looks at Him. "Yes, Lord?" he asks, pushing the name out of his mind.

"I am leaving today."

Curse frowns. Leaving? Why, and where? "Lord, what about Thy kingdom? Art Thou going to free Israel from Rome and rule with a rod of iron?"

"It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power."

Curse doesn't respond, just looks back at the city. It's then he realizes that Jesus is going back to His Father. "What about Thy sheep, Lord? If Thou leaves this world, who will then guide them?"

"My sheep know My voice," Jesus reminds him.. "I will send the Comforter to you."

Curse fights the burning tears flooding his eyes. He does not want Christ to leave but knows he cannot say anything to change it. Do His disciples know about this? When He leaves, then the curse will be active again. Back to every eternal day seeing sin, spilling his own blood, and the darkness that holds him in its claw.

Chills prostrates his spirit.

"Would you like to be healed?"

Curse looks at his Shepherd with shock, his mouth slightly opening. Again? Like back in the wilderness? "Are You...?" he trails off.

Jesus nods. "I am." And there's that smile of compassion.

"A-a sec-second chance?" Curse stammers. "To be free of the punishment?" He just stares at the Lord, lost in thought. Of course, He's asking, so the choice is his again. After a minute, two, three, this moment breathes eons of time. Finally, the wolf gives Jesus a small smile.

"Lord, forgive me, but no. I still deserve this punishment."

The wolf swallows, thinking he might be rebuked. But his God does not say anything, just looks at him. Is He looking into my future, Curse wonders. You mutt, He knows what ye are thinking! I still deserve it. But...my choice must have. He looks down at his paws.

"Curse," Jesus starts, making the wolf jump at the name, "in this world My disciples will preach the Gospel. Thou will take it to other Earths."

"Other Earths? Lord, let not Thy anger kindled against me, but Thou utters as a mad man. Did Thou create them?"

"No," Jesus answers plainly.

Curse's mind erupts with this revelation. Other worlds? How is that even possible, he wonders. There cannot be another God, even a different version, for that would make the Almighty a liar. As his mind starts coursing for the only other answer, he has two questions in his mind.

"Can I be free of the punishment curse and go to these other Earths?"

"No."

There must be a multitude of them, Curse guesses why. If I am free, I can die or grow old and not go to all of these worlds.

"Lord, here I am, sent me." The wolf swallows, looking back at Jerusalem.

He's going to do this, despite the flames of anxiety rising in him. The loneliness, both the physical and the anguish of it. Is he going alone? It feels like it. He starts to second guess himself, for the safety of others. Should he go? All the sin he will see again however soon, remembering the lost sanity, the murderous goal to kill every sinner to not see wickedness anymore. What if that becomes him again?

"I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," Jesus promises. "I am with you alway, even to the end of the world." He then looks at the wolf's eyes. "And I will wipe all tears away one day."

Curse looks away, shutting his eyes so the tears can't bee seen. Stop. Just stop. Why make these promises to me?

"Curse." The wolf looks at His Creator. "I am not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

He wants all come to salvation, Curse realizes. He then remembers his other question. "Lord, where is Icy? I hath not seen him since before Ye were arrested."

"That matter is not yours to know." After Jesus gets up, He tells Curse, "Go to the mount Olivet." And He vanishes out of the wolf's sight.

Instantly Curse rises from sitting and runs to the mount. It takes around an hour to walk from Jerusalem, but at his pace it takes him less than that. His mind wanders about the gray wolf. Where is he?

Once he arrives there is no one in sight. What's he supposed to do? Just wait until he sees the Lamb? He heads over to where the shade of a bush and several trees are one. He swallows saliva down his dried throat, panting now with his tongue hanging out.

His ears perk up almost an hour later when he hears footsteps coming up to the mount, hearing Jesus speak. He slightly pokes his head out of the bush and sees them. Jesus turns to His eleven disciples as they ask Him about the kingdom.

"Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?"

"It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the Earth."

And right then after He speaks, He ascends up to Heaven and a cloud hides Him from view. Curse and the disciples continue to look up, the wolf's mouth half open.

Two men in white apparel abruptly appear beside them, looking at the disciples. "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven."

Curse watches the disciples leave with great joy, making the wolf grip the dirt with his claws as he forces a smile. He shares their joy, but they all have each other, he thinks. Seeing that companionship afflicts his spirit.

Stop it, he growls at himself.

The two men vanish and Curse brings his head out of the bush. Now what? When does this journey to other these Earths begin? The black wolf sighs as he asks himself these questions.

I suppose I will wait, he figures as he heads back to the stream.

***

A week has passed and it is now the Feast of Weeks, or the day of Pentecost. Jews out of every nation under Heaven has come to Jerusalem. Curse is sitting on the same hill of his last encounter with Jesus.

Over the week he has gained some weight back by eating a lot the past few days of what he could find, usually being skinny. There have been times when he was just about almost all bones. He has considered when he gets to the first different Earth he will start a fast. The wolf plans to go for five days but will try to push to seven as before.

He tilts his head to the side, thinking. What will these other Earths be like? No imagination forms in his mind. He tries to, but his head starts hurting from thinking too hard. Growling lowly, he tries to let it go, but still can't help but wonder.

I wonder how Icy would think if he found out about these other Earths.

Probably would still have his calm expression, Curse thinks. Does anything surprise him?

A strong, rushing mighty wind abruptly picks up, his fur blowing furiously, ears perked up. What in all the creation is this, the black wolf wonders.

There is a cry when he starts to levitate off the ground, whimpering as he tucks his tail in between his legs. Slowly he lifts higher up to the firmament, looking down at the city.

Farewell, ye ants.

Now the slow levitating seems to be swift like a lighting strike. Curse is push into space, then seems to float for a moment. A gasp is exhaled as the wolf sees the Earth.

The book of Job and Isaiah was right! The Earth hangs on nothing and it is God who sits upon the circle of it. And we were wrong. The stars do not go around us...Oh, do not look at the sun. Seeing the stars and other planets, Glory to God for His imagination!

And it all vanishes from his sight as a force grips and moves him with posthaste farther away at the speed of light, making him scream in fright. Turning around he sees the asteroid belt, swallowing. The force makes him dodge from any that he would hit impact. Why are there rocks in space?

Passing through the field he goes deeper into space, and he's not sure if he's going straight ahead anymore. So rapidly but yet slow enough where he can the heavens, planets, stars far beyond his reach. So infinite. Why is the Lord showing him all this? He wonders if there is other human life on these planets.

Probably not.

Up ahead some sort of round window appears. It has a surface like water, but Curse can see some kind of city in it as he reaches closer. Tall towers, seemingly to be made of glass perhaps, Curse thinks. A portal, though he is ignorant of this.

He enters inside of it and vanishes, the portal instantly closing.