Nephilim

(Continued)

Chapter 8

The Protection of the Righteous

Do not neglect to show hospitality

to strangers, for by this some

 have entertained angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2

Ayâl and Mâalâlâel were captivating in their simplicity and hospitality. They introduced themselves to Abelard in a very nice conversation.  Since Abelard was good at asking questions, he asked the antediluvian brother and sister many things.

Abelard knew that they were near Mount Hermon, which was the center of universal battles.  Opposition to the Nephilims could not be declared, otherwise it would be suicide. Yet there was opposition.  A simple comparison of what the Watchers and Nephilims had done elsewhere would reveal the difference.  Their progress in that region was far from being considered satisfactory.  Many surrendered to them, especially women.  On the other hand, Egypt was one of their greatest achievements in other regions of the Earth.

“It is because of Enosh, the first human to build altars dedicated to the Most High.  Enosh taught that there was one only God.  We respected him very much when he was still alive.  Enosh was Enoch’s grandfather,” Mâalâlâel said.

“When Enosh was alive the Watchers served the Most High.  But when Enosh departed they invaded the world,” Ayal added, with a certain air of a teacher of foreigners.

“How was the world before them, Ayal?” Abelard asked.

“It was inferior to the Garden of Eden, but yet beautiful, she explained. “All is different nowadays.  There are many weird things: death, scared people and nightly terror.  The Earth looks like hell.”

“I’m here because Enoch invited me,” Abelard said.

“Do you really mean Enoch? Are you sure that Enoch invited you?” both of them asked.

“Yes, I was sent here to help him.  He’ll be back at any moment and I’ll join him,” Abelard said.

“And where are you heading to?” Ayal asked, while Maalalael would put more wood to the fire.

“We’ll meet the Watchers and the Nephilims and tell them how grievous their sin is and how the world will become devastated because of them,” Abelard said.

Mâalâlâel asked, “They do respect Enoch; and they do not touch him or any of his descendants.  You are aware of that, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not. Why do they respect Enoch and his descendants?”

“Because they respect righteous people, but they do not fear the sword, science, wisdom, or whatever.  They are more skilled than human beings.  However, since they fell, they are not sincere in their hearts.  That is why when they see a sincere human, when they know his ways and how he does what is right, they avoid this human and even fear him.”

“What about you Ayâl, have you ever seen them face to face?”

“Yes, I frequently run into Watchers and Nephilims who devour me with their lustful eyes, but they’ve never touched me.  They try to bewitch me, but I keep my eyes towards eternity,” Ayâl said. And her brother added, “Since they fell from eternity, they respect those who walk towards eternity.  They conquer most people with their gifts and magic.  Furthermore, if a woman lies with a Nephilim, she will cease to desire a man.”

 “Such women usually avoid men.  They only seek men when there are no Nephilims available,” the beautiful young man from the Mountains of the Lebanon said.

“And how do they treat Enoch?  They respect him very much, don’t they?” Abelard asked.

“Yes, they respect Enoch very much.  They know that Enoch speaks to the Most High and that if they do something to him; judgment will come soon.  Enoch is between the Creator and the Watchers.  The same happens to the Nephilims.  The Watchers themselves would kill one who hurt Enoch.”

“This is the law of the righteous and the powerful.  They have broken many laws, but not this one,” Ayâl concluded.

At this point of the conversation, Abelard felt free to tell them that he belonged to the future. Ayâl said, “So, you belong to the future? The future does not exist, only today exists.”

“For me, future, present and past are the same, Ayâl.  In the world of the spirit, there is no difference.”

For the first time, since he had left home, Abelard talked about his new heart. He also said that maybe Veronica was the reason why he had taken that trip.  Somehow, Veronica was participating in all that he was going through.

That was too much for Ayâl and Mâalâlâel to understand.  However, contemplating Abelard’s eyes, they could see that he was one of these ambiguous children of sincerity.  Far from being perfect, Abelard could not live without seeking truth within himself.

Abelard said, “You know what?  The Nephilims can’t see me.” 

“What? They look at you but they can’t see you?” Ayal asked.

Abelard told her about what had happened at the Dan River and how he had escaped without being noticed. He also mentioned that was seen as a jellyfish-man.  The three of them laughed at the idea of walking around looking like that.

“Do you eat meat?” Abelard asked.

“No,” Ayâl answered. “We do not eat meat because there is blood in it and blood is life.”

“My sister is right.  If you eat animal meat, you receive the animal’s body and instincts.  If you eat human meat, you become a monster,” Mâalâlâel said.

“What about you, Abelard? Do you eat meat?“

“I’ve eaten meat since I was a child, Ayâl,” he answered.  “Besides, as I said, for me it’s about more than eating human flesh:  I have a human’s heart beating in my chest.  I wonder what would happen if the heart that beats inside my chest were not Veronica’s. Instead of taking this trip, I could be traveling to the core of hell.”

“She gave her heart to you; you didn’t kill her to steal her life.” Ayal said these words so sweetly that Abelard’s heart rate increased.

Many hours passed, and Abelard was so comfortable that he did not think of leaving. He then asked, “Where are your parents?”

“Our parents lived for more than seven hundred solar years and went to eternity.”

“Ayâl, is it true that life lasts long here?” Abelard asked.

“What do you mean?” Mâalâlâel asked.

“How old are you, Abelard?” Ayâl asked.  “I mean, how many solar years have you lived? I would say that you are around five hundred.”

“Five hundred?  Come on!  Do I look five hundred years old?  I am just a 50-solar-year-old child,” Abelard answered with grace and an enormous smile on his face.  “If I stay here, I can easily reach one hundred”.

 “One hundred?  How tragic!  Who would die so young unless attacked by a beast or fallen in an abyss or cursed by the parents?” Ayâl asked with genuine curiosity.

Abelard just laughed. Mâalâlâel asked, “What about the duration of life? Why do you, in the future, live less than we do? Do you die before the day has come? Tell me what you know, please.”

“Mâalâlâel, it’s that the world where I come from has changed a lot,” Abelard explained. “There will be a great deluge on the Earth in a few solar centuries. The world will end, but Noah, one of Enoch’s descendants, will be saved along with many animals and plants. Noah will build a great floating house in the North and those who fit in it will be saved.”

“We all wait in Enoch’s descendants and we know about the Great Waters, too. We believe that the Most High will wash the Earth. But what does it have to do with dying early, like you?” Ayal asked while putting water and herbs in a clay pot.

“After the Great Waters, the sky will change. The strong protective fog that covers the mornings will disappear. The sun will emit more heat on the Earth, and life will suffer as a result.”

There was reflective silence for some instants. Afterwards, Abelard resumed the conversation: “What about you? How old are you?”

“Ayal does not like to talk about that, but we are twins and we are two hundred fifty years old. She was born before me.”

“You two are so good-looking that it won’t be difficult to get married. Won’t you get married?” Abelard asked.

“No one thinks of getting married so young,” Mâalâlâel answered. “Besides, there are many risks; we are part of this resistance. We have decided to wait without any hurry. They say that the Great Waters will still take a long time to come.”

The pilgrim of time and eras listened to Mâalâlâel’s answer with close attention. As he observed them, he felt that he could live with them forever. If he were not married and had no children, he would not hesitate to propose marriage to Ayâl and spend the rest of his days with her and her brother. Ayâl shined with appealing innocence. Abelard, who was not exactly either a saint or a sinner, appreciated the female beauty very much, but he was especially attracted by the charm of women who attract without intending to or realizing that — as Ayâl did.

Suddenly, Abelard looked at them and noticed that a water blade covered them. They looked at him and exclaimed: “You are becoming a ‘jellyfish’!” They tried to touch Abelard, but their hands crossed his body, which became less and less dense and eventually disappeared.

The aromas of the Middle West gradually transformed into the aromas of the enchanted forest, his homeland, the place to which he always returned. He opened his eyes and saw a tall adult man with the face of a boy. He looked around again and saw another man who was short and a little overweight. He also saw a beautiful, lively brunette, who seemed to be taking care of him. Nevertheless, he did not see his friend Isaac Port.

*  *  *

 (To be continued)