Excerpt
It came suddenly without warning!
The day had been typically pleasant with a clear blue sky. The gentle breeze, which had been constant for several days, turned into a driving force and the rain (that’s what Noah called it) began. It was the very first rain that ever fell from heaven. Only moments before, Jareb had stepped outside the tunnel gate (the only entrance to The Caverns) for a respite. As the rain fell, he paused and looked up. So this is rain! And it is raining like this throughout the whole world. Surely this will put fear into the people’s hearts. Then maybe they will listen to me.
Several of his men were standing beside the Spider’s Web tree near the edge of the cliff. As he joined them he noted that they were staring down at the town of Uruk. Grabbing hold of a tree limb because of the increasingly violent wind, he studied the town. The streets were rapidly filling with people coming out of their homes and shops to enjoy this ‘rain.’ Somebody started dancing and singing lustily with others quickly joining.
The people of Uruk were unafraid. They had been celebrating for the past seven days in anticipation of this event. Now, as they danced wildly with the wind tearing at their clothes, they gaily sang a song: “This is the flood spoken of by the old man Noah. Shall we run in fear? Shall we hide? No, No, No! We shall drink of this water; we shall celebrate in it joyfully.”
In response another group would sing a chorus: “Go away old man, go away.”
The people drank, danced, sang and rejoiced. Spirits were high, immorality higher. But Jareb knew better. Noah had predicted this rain. The flood would surely come.
A few of the revelers in Uruk remembered Noah’s prophecy. But this time with startling clarity. Jareb watched as many of these men, with their families, were now headed towards Noah’s Ark. Yes, now you fear. But it is too late. Noah won’t let you into his Ark. Come to me and I shall offer you refuge. Their tortured journey towards the Ark was barely visible to Jareb and his men. The surrounding darkness would have prevented both the travelers and their observers from seeing anything except for a light that seemed to envelop the Ark. It let up the whole area, including Majestic.
“Look,” hollered one of Jareb’s men, pointing down the trail. Jareb and the others turned and looked. Some of the townsfolk must remembered Jareb’s invitation that the Caverns would protect them and they could come. A small group of people were leaving the city and heading for the Cavern Trail. Although the waters were only a foot or two deep, it impeded the hastily loaded carts, which sank into the mud. Since both rain and mud were new experiences (except by the river’s edge), they were unprepared for the difficulties. But in these early stages of the flooding, people worked together, helping one another. They had a common goal: reach the Caverns.
All dancing had stopped and panic set in. Jareb watched as the crowd turned into a mob. The swirling water was getting deeper every moment. He couldn’t hear because of the wind and rain, the light revealed the catastrophe in stark reality.
Some mounted their horses, but were quickly thrown off by their frightened mounts, which refused to let anyone ride them. So the people were forced to wade through the rising, swirling waters toward the Ark, which was about three miles north. No longer was the Ark to be mocked, now it represented salvation!
Now there was a steady stream of people striving to climb the Cavern Trail. They were struggling with one another as well as with the wind. On a horse, they could have made their way up in a few hours. But afoot, beset by ferocious winds, they were making little headway. It would take all day and most of the night for them to reach The Caverns.
But the panic below had taken control. The mob, for that was what they’d become, fought with one another. Knives flashed, blood flowed as they jostled on the narrow trail. Jareb and his men watched in horror as these battles took place. But there was nothing he could do as some were thrown over, falling to their death and others died of knife wounds. A few, he noted, had surged ahead, but were still hours away.
Jareb turned back and watched as the Ark was free of its’ constrains. Almost immediately it seemed to buck like a wild horse. The waters grabbed at it, pushing, and pulling. The crowd of people who’d been around it and had climbed up towards the door, fell off.
He’d seen enough! Turning, he signaled the guards and entered the tunnel.
The four guards followed him into the tunnel. They pulled the heavy door shut and secured it. Jareb pulled the lever and the secured chamber was filled with pitch, gravel and sand. They they passed through the second door and secured it. Jareb again pulled a lever. This action was repeated through the third and fourth doors. The entire tunnel was now filled with pitch, gravel and sand, effectively waterproofing the tunnel.
Jareb smiled. The Caverns assured their safety. Noah had his Ark, but Jareb had his Caverns. “We are safe now!” he declared.
Then the upheavals came. Great explosions that shot geysers of water, mud, and rock high into the air only to fall back down upon the populace. Uruk’s southern wall split and fell. The waters rushed in through the split, catching the people who had trusted in the city’s walls. Another ruptured in the center of town. Half the town disappeared in a moment!
Jareb awoke with a start. He looked around and saw that he was alone in his own home. He sighed. Just a dream!