Emunah

Por Gonan H. C.

After enjoying the first night of the most important festival in your city, three friends find a strange scroll that leads them to discover an unimaginable place in another dimension. After this they will learn the secrets that something called «Emunah» hides, which will awaken supernatural abilities in them. With the passage of time the boys will learn the great mission they will have in their life: «Save the natural world»; but not without receiving big surprises along the way.

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: Universo de Letras
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 4 mar 2022
• ISBN: 9788418856822

Gonan H. C.

Gonan H. C., nacido en 1990 en la ciudad de Santiago de Chile. También autor de la saga de fantasía Emunah. Escritor e influencer en redes sociales, dedicado a compartir mensajes de esperanza y fe al mundo. «El amor no es algo, es alguien. El amor verdadero no se corrompe..., es puro y no necesita demasiadas explicaciones. El amor clama por las calles queriendo ser encontrado. Espero que puedas disfrutar de esta expresión no convencional del verdadero amor, que rompa tus moldes y veas que aunque no lo creas, el amor siempre está allí para nosotros».

Vista previa del libro

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Emunah

The Guardian of the Scrolls

Gonan H. C.

Emunah

The Guardian of the Scrolls

Gonan H. C.

This work has been published by the author through the self-publishing services of EDITORIAL PLANETA, S.A.U. for the distribution and availability to the public under the publishing imprint Universo de Letras; therefore, the author assumes the responsibility for the content therein.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book, nor its entirety, may be stored in any retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise reproduced in any manner without previous written permission from the author. The infraction of these stated rights may be considered a violation of intellectual property (Art 270 and the subsequent Penal Code).

© Gonan H. C., 2021

Traslated from Spanish by Sarah Caré.

Cover design: Design Team at Universe de Letras

©Shutterstock.com

www.universodeletras.com

First edition: 2021

ISBN: 9788418675577

ISBN eBook: 9788418856822

I dedicate this book to my family and to all my brothers…

You made me believe in true superheroes.

1

Friends

Mankind lives with the belief that everything has already been solved. When we get up every morning, we think about the decisions we are going to make during the day, believing that we have our lives under control. Society progresses with its changes, which, depending on our culture, will define the way we believe. However, we don’t realize that we are constantly led by massive ideas. We think that we are the ones who freely choose, but in reality, we are full of paradigms. Reality… What is reality? We believe it is a set of truths that we individually create. They give each of us our own value and concept of justice, equity, and truth. Even though we believe that we have chosen our parameters, we all are monothematic, predictable, and easily influenced. Eventually, everything we choose will have consequences… They will seem unique to us, but… for the system it will only be a number in the statistics. Nevertheless, while we supposedly choose, a limitless dimension moves imperceptibly. What would happen if I told you that there is a place where lies the origin of the whole existence? A spiritual dimension. Where we would find the reason of all our decisions. Here is the true reality: each decision we make was first defined in the spiritual dimension, in the place where limitations disappear and eternity starts.

At that moment, the school bell rang: it was the end of the literature class taught by Mr. Gian. After he stopped reading, the teacher took his glasses off, put them in his glasses case, and added, This is all for today, don’t forget to bring your essays after the break. What I have just read is an example of an essay I wrote, fantasizing about a spiritual reality that controls our existence, but you can write about anything you want.

While the teacher was putting his essay in a file folder that he kept in his desk, and then the file in his characteristic black briefcase with golden fasteners, the students dragged their chairs and quickly gathered their things in order to go out and enjoy a short ten-minute break, the last of the semester.

It was a quarter past eleven on July 2, the last day of compensatory classes of the school year for three friends, Abel, Phoebe, and Zair. This semester had started a week later than usual because of a remodelling of the school. Therefore, they were retaking some classes.

Abel, Phoebe, and Zair were three sixteen-year-old teenagers who lived in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This was a special day for them, not only because it was the last day of school, but mostly because it was the first day of the biggest outdoor rodeo show in the world, the Calgary Stampede. They expected games, food, attractions, and a huge amount of tourists. Both the end of the school year and the Calgary Stampede thrilled the three friends because they could finally rest and enjoy this great celebration. They sat on the stairs in front of their building, and Abel, the leader of the group, started to organize the night.

We’ve been waiting for so long for this day! Not so much for the rodeo… but rather for all the games and food that we will enjoy. Everything must be perfect!

Abel took a pencil and a notebook out of his backpack. His passion for soccer had made him slim and athletic. He was fair-skinned and had big brown eyes. His light-brown hair was cut short on the sides, and in the middle, he had a small pompadour that he combed with wax not to let any hair escape. He was extremely meticulous. He normally wore tight-fitting jeans, sneakers, and very well-ironed T-shirts. Everything had to be and look tidy, his appearance included. He was very perfectionist and self-demanding, which made him a brilliant student. He always carried around a notebook and a pencil to organize everything.

Why did you take this out? Phoebe asked, pointing at Abel’s pencil.

To organize our night perfectly! Abel answered, inspired. We have some money saved, and if we organize ourselves, it could be enough for the ten days.

Even to entertain yourself you have to be so organized? Phoebe questioned in astonishment. But you are right, last time we spent all our money on the first day, she added, laughing.

Phoebe was of medium height, with dark skin, long and wavy black hair, almond-shaped honey eyes, and a contagious laugh. She was the best in her sports class. Perhaps femininity was not her thing, since she was an only child raised by her father alone, and her two best friends were boys. She had only seen toughness in her life. She liked skateboarding, and she normally wore loose-fitting clothes. She never forgot her characteristic jockey’s cap. She had moved from Mexico to Calgary after her mother died when she was five, and since then she had lived in the same neighborhood as Abel.

I don’t know if my money can last the ten days, the food is always a huge temptation for me. The popcorn, the cotton candy… Ahh… Zair sighed. His stomach suddenly gurgled.

Are you hungry again? Phoebe asked.

Yes! I only ate three eggs and a glass of milk this morning, he answered with a smile.

Only that? I know you could eat more! Phoebe said ironically.

I’ll go to the store to buy something to eat. I’ll be back in a bit! Zair explained.

Zair, Zair… the third of the group of friends. A medium-sized chubby boy who didn’t like healthy food very much and hated sport. He was fair-skinned with brown almond-shaped eyes because of his Asian descent. He had short fuzzy dark-brown hair, and his clothes were always untidy. His typical characteristic: he was always in trouble, which was the reason why his two friends had to constantly keep an eye on him. He was very intelligent; he enjoyed doing crossword puzzles, and, above all, he loved drawing, but he was a tad childish, which made him unable to socialize with people his age. He was very fearful, mostly because he had problems with bullies.

When Zair had already gotten a few feet away, Phoebe sighed.

My chubby boy… He eats more and more every day! she exclaimed with a tone of concern, but also with tenderness.

Well, without his butt-cheeks he wouldn’t be our chubby boy, Abel answered with affection. By the way, while we are waiting for Zair to get organized… What did you think of Mr. Gian’s essay? he said, changing the subject. The story seemed interesting, well, until he said this thing about spiritual reality, then it became fantasy.

Don’t you think there might be something like a spiritual world? Phoebe doubted.

To me, this is nonsense. Mr. Gian himself said it was a fanciful story that he had invented, Abel remembered. He was skeptical and analytical and never believed what was not coherent. He had a firm personality, which made it difficult for him to change his mind.

Yes, I know it’s an invented story… but… It gives me the heebie-jeebies to think that there are ghosts or something from another world that are looking at us or anything like that. I sometimes feel like I’m being observed, but I was told that if I cross my fingers and close my eyes, it will go away, Phoebe confessed.

Ha ha ha! I’ve never heard such nonsense, Abel laughed.

Don’t make fun of me! Phoebe reproached him.

It’s fine, sorry. Don’t get mad, Abel apologized, and, taking advantage of his height, he gently poked her head. It’s just that you make me laugh with your superstitions.

Abel got serious and added, I admit that Mr. Gian is a great teacher, but I think that his essay could have had a more interesting ending.

I don’t know… He has always been my favorite teacher, so I don’t care about your opinion. To me, his story was perfect, Phoebe said, besotted with her teacher, who had been her platonic love since the beginning of high school.

The two friends, changing the topic, started to plan the coming night. However, the break was already over, and Zair wasn’t coming back, so they decided to go see him at the kiosk. They went down the stairs, walked through a corridor, and reached the main courtyard. The kiosk to which Zair had gone was at the end of the courtyard, but while they were getting closer, they realized that their friend wasn’t there.

They looked around, surprised. Phoebe suddenly saw, on the right of the store, next to the accessible toilets, the worst bullies of the school: Russell, Mason and Kirk. The latter was grabbing Zair by the neck. Phoebe ran toward them, and Abel followed her.

Hey, fatso! Why are you always eating? Russell told Zair, while Mason was taking away what he had bought.

Russell was a tall boy with red hair and a few freckles on his face. He was burly and aggressive, and everyone at school was afraid of him. Of course, he was more focused on parties and troubles than on his studies. He was in his senior year and considered himself the absolute master of the school, where Mason and Kirk were his faithful subjects.

Maybe there is no food to eat in your country? Russell insisted.

Zair was Canadian, but his father was Taiwanese. He was discriminated against for coming from an immigrant family.

Why are you always doing this to me? I’ve never done anything to you, Zair said, and his last word faded as he was running out of air.

Shut up, you idiot! We’ll do whatever we want! We hate you because you are a fat freak that shouldn’t be in our country, let alone in this school, Kirk replied. He was the typical, athletic young man who wasn’t very smart.

Is that what you bought, fatso? Mason asked, taking the cakes that Zair had bought out of the plastic bag and throwing them on the floor to crush them.

What do you want me to do? I just want to go back to my friends! Zair protested with tears in his eyes.

Be thankful that I crushed your trash, this way you’ll be able to get as fit as we are, Mason laughed.

I’d never want to look like you! Zair shouted, which made Russell so angry that he punched him on the right cheek.

Zair fell on the floor, and as the bullies were ready to beat him up, Phoebe appeared and kicked Russell in the back, making him hit the wall and then the floor. Abel took action and rushed at Kirk and Mason. He was strong enough to push them away from Zair and rescue his friend. In a swift move, Abel and Phoebe lifted Zair and ran toward the school. Russell and his friends recovered their strength, but when they saw that the three friends had escaped, they got furious and promised to beat them up the next time they would see them.

Learn how to defend yourself, coward! You got saved by the starving girl! Russell shouted. He was referring to Phoebe, who was Mexican. To them, she was inferior and from the Third World.

While they were getting away, Zair was losing his energy.

Come one, Zair! We’re almost there! Phoebe exclaimed.

I… can’t… anymore… Zair said, left breathless by the effort.

Relax, I don’t think they are following us, they know where we are heading. Abel slowed down.

How come you bumped into these fools again? Phoebe asked.

The truth is… that… I went to buy some cakes… I bought them… and they saw me when I was coming back… and they asked me to give them the cakes… Zair related. I begged them to please leave me alone, but they got even more furious, and they started to push me toward the accessible toilets… I suppose they chose this place because there’s almost never any adult there, but you arrived right on time.

I’m so sorry, Zair, this situation is very unfair, Abel stated, sympathizing with his friend and tapping on his shoulder.

Let me see your face, Phoebe asked. The right part of his face was swollen. This time we must talk to someone in charge.

When he heard this, Zair got scared of Russell and his friends’ possible reaction, and he asked his friends not to do it.

If I accuse them, sooner or later they’ll take their revenge. I prefer to leave it. I’ll be more careful in the future, and I’ll hide, he said.

But Zair, I think the best would be to talk to someone who could keep an eye on these idiots… Anyway, we finish school today, Phoebe added.

Yes, you’d better stay close to us until we go out. Today is a big day, and we’ll enjoy it so much that tomorrow we’ll have totally forgotten about all this. Abel cheered Zair up by poking him.

The day continued with the very last class of the semester, which was science class. They arrived late because of the altercation, but since Ms. Charlotte knew she wouldn’t see her students’ faces for a few months, she was in a good mood and let them in.

The classes ended at 1 p.m., and the three friends left the school carefully, checking if the bullies were waiting for them. After confirming that there was no danger, they quickly got away from the place. On their way home, they saw people decorating their houses as well as advertising signs on every second street lamp. Wherever they went, the city was celebrating.

Since the big festival of the Calgary Stampede would take place only a few blocks away from their neighborhood, they took a small detour to see the progress of the festival. At this time, they could see several stages ready for the shows and concerts programmed for the following days, game booths and food stalls, cowboys, music, and a lot of movement everywhere. A lot was still missing though: rodeos, bumper cars, and, the most thrilling of all, the Stampede Park, a huge amusement park that made it impossible for anybody to consider not participating in this festival.

They kept walking, and despite the festive atmosphere, they couldn’t help noticing the state of the abandoned house at 312 Azusa street, a house that was on their way home, a few blocks away from the event. It contrasted with all the other houses around, which, because of their proximity to the festival site, were trying to be in tune with the theme.

Everything is so beautiful, but nobody takes time to decorate this old house or at least clean it. They don’t even do it for tourists, it really ruins the image of the place, Abel commented with a disgusted sneer.

Well… It’s because nobody wants to touch this house. Legend has it that there lived a woman who became crazy after World War I, waiting for her husband to come back… but he never did. Since her death, people have heard heartbreaking crying and screaming… It could be the ghost of this woman, Zair narrated with a frightening expression.

You are trying to scare me! Phoebe exclaimed with an exaggerated scream. But it’s true… They also say that sometimes there are lights inside, especially at night. I was passing by one day, and I saw them, she added while walking toward her neighborhood.

Naw, don’t believe these stories, it’s nonsense. Besides, if there are lights inside, it’s probably because some kids enter with flashlights, looking for al ghosts. Then passers-by see them and think it’s something else. This is how myths are born. Do you seriously believe these stories, Zair? Abel asked.

"I don’t know if I believe them… but I can’t discard them. Did you hear Mr. Gian’s essay? The way he read it was impressive. Imagine this was real!" Zair declared.

But it was only an essay! Is it so hard for you to understand that this is only literature? In general, I think that believing those things is a complete waste of time, Abel explained categorically. Now let’s go, I want to take a nap, I went to bed late yesterday.

The three friends arrived at the bus station at 1112 Awakening Street, at the intersection of their three streets. Abel lived at 3101 North Pensacola, Phoebe at 2960 South Pensacola, and Zair at 1740 Awakening Street, street that crossed Pensacola Avenue. This was always their meeting point.

So, let’s meet here at 6? Abel asked.

Yes! It’s the perfect time, Phoebe confirmed with a leap.

See you then! Zair said, already feeling better from the hit he had received.

Each of them went home, forgetting about the hard time they had had at school and thinking that it would be a wonderful day.

Abel arrived home and walked through a beautiful garden full of flowers that his mother Sophie liked to look after. He observed that his father Dries was in the garage, ordering his tools.

Hi, dad! I see that you came back to have lunch at home.

Hi, son! Yes, I had to come pick up some tools, so I took advantage of the opportunity to have lunch here, Dries explained while grabbing a drill. How did your last classes go?

Great, interactive as usual! But in literature they asked us to write an essay during the vacation, Abel announced.

Well, that’s great! You won’t get rusty during the break.

That’s true, you’re right… I’ll go in, dad. I’ll be waiting for you in the kitchen.

Good, son, I just have to finish organizing my things, and then I’ll come.

Abel’s family was small and very close. There were only his parents and him. Since they had had their son quite late, they could not have more children afterwards. Dries was a hardworking man who had dedicated part of his youth to the army, and after his retirement, he focused on his passion: construction. He was tall and strong, and his son took after him. He kept his dark hair cut very short just like in his military days. He was devoted to his family and quite down-to-earth. In fact, Abel had inherited his skepticism from his dad, who had always taught him to see life in a rational and logical way.

Abel walked through the white door of his house, left his backpack on the coat rack, and went directly to the kitchen where his mother Sophie was.

Hi, mom! he greeted her, kissing her on the forehead.

Son, you’re back already! Stay here, I’ll serve lunch in a bit, Sophie requested.

It smells good! What did you cook?

Something quick because I am finishing the last costumes I was commissioned to do for the festival.

Anything is fine with me, mom. I saw how much you had to work, Abel replied with affection.

Sophie was affectionate, and she dedicated herself to tailoring in her free time. She was thin, and she generally kept her dark blond hair up in rollers in the morning to have lovely waves in the afternoon. She loved reading. Abel had acquired this habit from his mother as well as her beautiful brown eyes.

While they were having lunch, Abel told his parents what had happened with Zair in the morning.

They tried to beat Zair up again? Society is currently in a very bad shape. In my days everything was fair, we would fight one-on-one, and we wouldn’t hit when the other was on the floor, Dries remembered while bringing his fork full of spaghetti to his mouth.

Oh, Dries! Violence has never been a solution, neither before nor now, Sophie reprimanded, before asking Abel, Didn’t you advise Zair to go talk to someone in charge?

Yes, we did, but he is afraid of reprisal.

I feel sorry for this boy; his parents are a real disaster. Besides, in these schools people generally discriminate against students with a scholarship. Anyway, don’t leave him alone, you must always take care of your friends, his dad urged.

What did you say about his parents? Abel inquired.

I shouldn’t have said that… but you might as well know. Well… The thing is that the other day I saw Zair’s dad lying on the street, drunk… And later I found out that his wife decided to leave them.

Seriously? I didn’t know… Zair didn’t tell us anything.

I suppose he feels ashamed, his mother said.

It’s possible… but I’ll take care of him. These boys only pick on him because they are stupid.

After they finished their lunch, his dad went back to work, his mom to her sewing, and Abel went about his day. He climbed the stairs, brushed his teeth in the bathroom on the second floor, and then he went for the nap he was longing for. He let his shoes under the nightstand and looked around his room to check if everything was organized. Suddenly, he looked at his closet and realized the door was open. Abel was so meticulous that he got up to close it after admiring with satisfaction every single one of his items of clothing tidy and ironed. He came back to bed, lifted his blue blanket, and lied down on his right side because he had read that this position prevented gastric discomfort. After a few minutes, Abel was sound asleep.

Meanwhile, Phoebe’s father Enrique was expecting her at home. She had lived with her father since she was five after her mother passed away. When she got home, she walked passed him and headed toward her room upstairs.

Hi, she greeted him coldly.

Hi, Phoebe, how was school? Enrique was setting the table for lunch.

Good, I’ll go rest.

Your lunch is ready, do you want to eat?

No, I want to sleep.

But you have to eat… or else, you can’t go to the festival tonight, Enrique noted, serious.

Why are you always so apprehensive? Let me be! I’m not a little girl that you can control anymore! Phoebe reproached him.

Well, do as you wish, but you won’t go anywhere if I see that you haven’t eaten your lunch when I come back, it’s my final warning.

Phoebe climbed up the stairs and walked to her room furious at her father because she thought he was always trying to control her. Ignoring her dad’s warning, she decided to take a pleasant nap. Phoebe didn’t know why, but as far as she could remember she had never had much in common with her dad. Consequently, their relationship was distant and cold, and they were always fighting over trivial things. As she knew how to defend herself, Phoebe had always disliked the idea of a protective father, and she was constantly disobeying him.

Zair also arrived home, which was empty. Not only had he been harassed at school for several weeks, but his mother had also decided to leave the house with his two younger brothers. He was alone with his father… who was surely drunk or vomiting somewhere near.

In addition to all that, when he went to his room to check the money he had saved for the festival, he realized that his piggy bank was empty. Zair turned everything upside down and suddenly found a five-dollar bill under the nightstand. He guessed what had happened: his dad had taken all his money. Zair was tired and all this made him feel that his problems could not be solved. He started fantasizing about the relief he would feel if he stopped living.

He was constantly trying to fight against those thoughts he had regularly been having. Because of that, he had become an expert in crossword puzzles, but this only prevented the immense pain he felt in the solitude of his house. That day it was different. Zair was more affected than usual, so he promptly went to the kitchen, took a knife, and started to make it run on his arms as if he were unhinged. He didn’t want to do it, but he couldn’t stand the pain anymore. Driven by his anguish, Zair was about to hurt himself, but something inside him stopped him. After that, he cried bitterly and fell asleep on the kitchen bench.

During his nap, Abel had a somewhat confusing dream, with images that were repeated over and over. In that dream, everything was dark, and he was walking on an old moth-eaten wood. He walked through a door and entered a living room with a tree in the middle. It looked like a nightmare: the image abruptly changed, and he was holding something shiny that was leading him to a cube. When he turned his hand, the cube disappeared, and he could see two luminous rolls that looked like scrolls. At this moment, Abel woke up. With his eyes half-open, he looked around his room, adjusted his pillow, and went back to sleep.

Then he dreamed of the exact same things, except that this time they were more detailed. Once again, the old moth-eaten wood, a few spider webs… The image was fading away and coming back. Abel entered the same room and saw the tree, but this time there was a light in its center. The image suddenly changed back again to the dark place, and now Abel was touching the walls, which seemed like old brick. He saw the cube again… He was holding a small metal device that he introduced into a hole in the cube and turned it inside. The cube opened up, and Abel saw the two scrolls. As he was about to take them, a creature with paws instantly appeared and started to strangle him. Abel woke up with a start, frightened.

Ahh! Phew, what was that? he wondered, anxious.

Abel woke up for good, but an awkward sensation remained. He never had this kind of dreams; in fact, he couldn’t even remember the last time he had dreamed at all. This sensation was unpleasant, and he spent a few minutes sitting at the edge of his bed, trying to bring back the images from his dream. As it often happens, he quickly forgot them, but the weird feeling stayed. A tree, a light, a dark place, a sort of monster, but then he lost the image. He tried to keep remembering, but he couldn’t anymore. Although Abel didn’t believe in these things, for some reason he remained pensive.

He looked at the clock on his nightstand and realized that he was already late. Thinking about the dream had held him up! Without wasting more time, he decided to get ready to meet his friends.

It was a quarter past five, and he still needed to have a shower. He always stood out for being punctual, which is why he entered the bathroom, had a quick shower, got dressed, and went downstairs to the living room where his mom was sewing.

Mom, I overslept!

But, son! Sophie laughed. You should have told us to wake you up! At least I have finished all the costumes. I can finally have some rest.

That’s good, mom, I’m glad for you. You worked very hard.

It reminds me… Sophie got up and grabbed a jar that was at the top of a cupboard. Take this, son. Have fun, she said, giving him one hundred Canadian dollars.

No, mom! I appreciate the intention, but I can’t accept it. I worked in my free time with my friends and I have some money saved. You made so much effort these days… How could I use this money to have fun? Abel said, touched, giving his mom the bill back.

Son, this isn’t only from me, we talked about it with your dad. You are an excellent student, and we want to reward your constant efforts, Sophie insisted, putting the bill into Abel’s pants pocket.

Really? Thanks, mom, it wasn’t necessary, but I appreciate it very much, Abel said, touched by his parents’ gratitude.

I love you, son. She hugged him tenderly. Shouldn’t you be going now?

Yes! Please, thank dad for me.

The entrance door slammed. It was Dries, who hung his coat onto the coat rack and yelled at Abel, You can thank me yourself!

You came back early today! Abel said, pleased.

"Yes, we finished a piece and decided to go home so that everyone can enjoy the festival.

Comentarios para Emunah

[steban.f77 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Great book!! an excellent reference from the spiritual world! :D