Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 18:55:21 -0500
From: C. E. Jordan <c.e._Jordan@MailAndNews.com>
Subject: JACOB'S TEARS 4

Jacob's Tears
Copyright c.e. Jordan, 2001


     The girl halted mid-air, apparently baffled at the outburst, then she
looked down at the weapon she held in her hand as if she'd forgotten it was
there....then she laughed out loud. "Don't be afraid child, I shall not
harm you....this is for the others, the cruel ones...this thing is what
they hurt my Jacob with. It's only fair that I have the satisfaction of
revenge."

     To Brandon's ear her accent sounded British. But Jeb, eyes bright and
excited, was tugging at his arm, "Whut did you say her name was?"

     "Loreen..."

     "No...I mean, whut's her last name?"

     The girl-ghost and Brandon both answered, "Gresham."

     "That can't be.....that's MY last name. I'm Jebediah Gresham!"

********************************



JACOB'S TEARS 4


	The girl's mouth formed a pink `o' of surprise and she drew even
closer to Jeb looking him over carefully. This time he wasn't scared and
didn't move away. "Yes...", she mused, "I see...that's why you looked so
familiar to me--that hair and face is the image of my little brother
Paul. You must be one of his descendants..."

	Brandon was totally shocked. He tried to make sense of it
all. "So...we are related...Loreen and Jeb...me and Jacob
...and...and....."

	"And it is all as it should be." The ghost-boy spoke for the first
time.  Jacob had approached to hover near Loreen who once again put her arm
around him--just like Brandon constantly kept an arm around Jeb.  While
Jacob didn't physically resemble his distant cousin, his soft, gentle voice
was quite like Brandon's, just slightly deeper. Everyone looked at Jacob
when he spoke.  His head tilted away as if he was listening to something in
the distance.  "The drums speak to me," he said, "...they say this is
right...that this is the path to our final release."

	Brandon and Jeb were once again aware of the low rumbling from
somewhere far beyond the trees, and the faint acid tang of smoke hung in
the air.  Brandon frowned, trying to understand, "Final release?"

	"Yes," Jacob made a sweeping gesture with his handless right arm,
"a final release from this place of sufferin', a release from an eternity
bound to fire and water...I burn forever...except when Loreen holds me...I
warm her, and she cools my fire....."

	Jacob stopped talking, closed his eyes and lowered his head. The
boys were astonished to see the thin stream of moisture which rolled down
his ebony cheek...Jacob's tears. Loreen held him even tighter. And for a
moment their images wavered and they seemed to flow together. Then they
were abruptly `solid' again.

	The human boys were fascinated...and saddened, and nearly on the
point of sympathetic tears themselves. "What can we do to help you?" asked
Jeb.

	"I don't know...but we feel...drawn to you...we've been watching
you two ever since you got here," Jacob said, "and we saw everything you
did....it's a very strange thing...," gazing at the pair Jacob continued,
"a boy with a boy... but I can feel that you need each other, just as much
as Loreen and I have always needed one another."

	The sound of rolling thunder was loud again and Jacob paused,
listening carefully. Then he spoke, "This is what the drums say:

Beyond the rust of time, beside a lake of tears Is the green veil of smoke
and pain.  There, the mystery shall be revealed...

In a forbidden love, but true, shall be a final gift to you.  Your passion
lives on in the heart; it burns forever In flesh of your flesh and blood of
your blood.

Four into two becomes one, a sweet consummation...  Becomes the gate of
ecstacy, the key to freedom, Within the white light of eternity that
patiently waits."

	"That sounds real nice....but whut does it mean? Jeb asked ,
mystified.  They all turned to Brandon as if he was supposed to have the
answer.

	 Brandon felt a bit weird...and just a little bit pressured with
all attention suddenly focused on him, "You guys are ghosts and
all....aren't you supposed to know everything?" But Jacob answered
hesitantly, "I......we're...not quite sure what it means either..."

	"Okay," said Brandon. He slumped to a sitting position on the
ground, leaned his chin on his knees and thought hard, "I believe I
understand part of it..." he began, "this creek has to be the `lake of
tears' ...and...I guess we all know what the `smoke and pain' is all
about." Everybody nodded, "But," Brandon continued, "...I am not certain
what the big `mystery' is...yet..."

	Everyone stayed silent and waited patiently while the brown boy
closed his dark slanted eyes and thought for awhile.

	"`Forbidden love' has got to be me and Jeb, I guess most everyone
thinks it's strange for one boy to make love with another boy...but I dunno
how that could be a gift to you...and of course, since we are your
relatives, Jeb and I are the `flesh of your flesh and blood of your
blood'....."

	Jeb sat down in the grass beside his friend, his cute face was
screwed up in an effort to concentrate on this complicated puzzle, "Whut
does `consummation' mean?" he wanted to know. Brandon pulled the blonde boy
to sit between his legs. And Jeb leaned back, once again relaxing into the
tight comfortable circle of Brandon's arms.

	"Um....'consummation' means...ah....like...when something is
completed, or ended.....," and in a sudden attack of shyness, Brandon
lowered his voice to whisper into Jeb's delicate pink ear, "...and....I
think it also means when people have sex...and they cum."

	Embarrassed, Brandon could feel Loreen and Jacob's attention
focused on him, and he glanced up in time to see the couple smile and nod
imperceptibly at each other. But Jeb had more questions, "An' whut does
`four into two becomes one,' mean...that sounds stupid...how can four into
two make one?"

	The images of Jacob and Loreen wavered, grew unstable. Again they
seemed to melt together...for a moment, but they were quickly solid
individuals again.

	Loreen spoke this time. "We understand what the message means
now...why we are all here...and if you let us, Jacob and I can finally go
on to where we belong and find some peace.....but you will have to trust
us....and help us on the way....it all depends upon you...."

(to be continued)