Part 2 — All Good Things:

Enoch struggled as he was dragged into a back alley, several meters from the view of the Main Street of the village.

He kicked and screamed for help, but his voice was muffled by his captor’s large, calloused hand.

Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke out from a dark corner of the alley.

“Enoch, what are you doing here!” The voice scolded. 

He was immediately released from his captor’s grasp.

Enoch watched as his grandfather emerged from the dark alley. He immediately turned to find Sergio, his grandfather’s assistant, who was his captor.

Enoch ran to his grandfather and hugged him.

“I had a dream—a bad dream. Houses were burning, and…” Enoch paused momentarily and looked down at the ground. “…I had to come back, I’m sorry.” 

Pensive, his grandfather responded, “Tell me what you saw in your dream.”

Enoch was used to his grandfather’s inquiries about his dreams, but his request differed this time. Enoch shook his head and closed his eyes, “I don’t know… it was sunset, and I was atop a large hill. I watched as a village burned below. I was overwhelmed with a horrible sadness…” 

His grandfather quickly looked at Sergio and said, “Come now. There is much to discuss and very little time.”  

Sergio took the lead as the trio quietly continued down the back alley.

…

Enoch sat crouched with his grandfather near the back entrance to their home. At the same time, they awaited Sergio, who had entered first for their protection. 

Enoch took a deep breath and looked across the hillside towards the scattered homesteads. His grandfather’s house was a simple bungalow elevated atop a large hill. At this time of the evening, he could usually hear neighbors as they chatted in their yards, and the smell of cooked meats and spiced vegetables filled the air. Today, it was quiet; something was different.

Enoch looked at his grandfather. He wanted to tell him about his summer, his experience with Arthur and the mysterious artifacts they had found, and his friends Maria and Burto, but he did not dare speak as his grandfather was deep in thought and had a troubled expression. 

Enoch’s stomach turned as the image of the slain soldier suddenly reemerged in his mind.

Sergio rapped lightly on the screen door, “Pasar, come,” he whispered.

They immediately stood up and entered the house. Enoch followed Sergio and his grandfather quietly through the kitchen and into the living room.

“Sit down, Enoch.” His grandfather said as he quickly disappeared with Sergio into another room. 

Enoch took a deep breath; It smelled of home. 

His grandfather emerged several minutes later with a worn notebook. He placed it on the coffee table in front of Enoch. 

“What is this?” Enoch inquired.

His grandfather began to pace slowly with his cane. 

Enoch watched him quietly as the embers of his pipe illuminated the room with every inhale. 

He paused for a moment.

“What was the first scripture from our religion you were taught?” He said intently as he lowered himself onto his worn leather chair.

Puzzled, Enoch thought momentarily and began to recite from memory, “Before time and space, there were only the gods. They thrived happily in the dark abyss until one day they created the heavens from the darkness, the earth from the heavens, and the animals from the land and oceans…”

Enoch’s grandfather shook his head as he interrupted, “No, no, the story of Kol’wen.” 

“The ancient city that gave birth to our religion?” Enoch replied, puzzled.

“Yes, and do you remember what was so special about Kol’wen?” His grandfather said as he leaned in closer. 

Enoch frowned. He stood up to address his grandfather, “I don’t understand. What does Kol’wen have to do with our home right now? Are people here to hurt you, Abu? There’s a dead soldier in the street. I overheard the grocery clerk shout your name as he was being attacked!” Enoch exclaimed.

“Enoch, please sit down and answer my question.” His grandfather said calmly. 

“What was so special about Kol’wen?” He repeated.

Enoch moaned. He rolled his eyes as he sat down, “there was a great battle between the citizens of Kol’wen and the Gods.”

His grandfather nodded as he puffed his pipe, “and what happened after the battle?”

Enoch continued, “Kollen, the God who protected man, was mortally wounded during the battle. As a last gift, he gave his heart, the source of his godly power, to the people of Kol’wen. The heart was placed in the city’s center as a reminder that man should never seek to be as powerful as the Gods.”

“Good.” Enoch’s grandfather said with satisfaction as he leaned back in his chair and placed his emptied pipe into his shirt pocket, “Now, to answer your question. Whoever killed that soldier on the street today seeks the location of Kol’wen. They are here because they believe I know where the city is.”

Enoch was bewildered, “I don’t understand. Would they kill an Argentine soldier to ask you about Kol’wen? It is just an old story. The city may have never even existed!”

His grandfather frowned.

He stood up and slowly walked over to the fireplace, “I don’t know who has come, but they are dangerous. I fear they seek something that they cannot begin to comprehend.” 

Enoch’s grandfather turned back towards him, “We must protect the location of Kol’wen by any means necessary.” 

He rested his cane against the wall and reached up with both hands to remove a framed picture that hung overhead.

“It has been my life’s work to find Kol’wen. A passion that I have never shared with you. I always hoped it would be my final resting place, as it was for our ancestors.” He said as he carefully removed the map from the frame.

Enoch gasped. He had stared at that map for years as he sat by the fire. He had no idea what it was. 

“Sometimes the best hiding spots are those hidden in plain sight,” His grandfather said with a smile as he neatly folded the map into his palm.

Enoch’s grandfather lifted his cane and pointed toward the notebook on the coffee table. 

“Everything I have learned about the location of Kol’wen is in this notebook. The map is a visual aid to what I have learned,” he said.

His grandfather approached the couch, grunting as he lowered himself to his knees. He placed the folded map inside the notebook and pulled Enoch’s hands together. He gently rested the notebook across Enoch’s open palms.

“This knowledge is yours now. You must keep it safe.” He said sternly as he gripped Enoch’s hands. 

Enoch’s eyes darted back and forth, “I don’t understand. Why are you giving this to me?”

Sergio quietly entered the room and nodded at Enoch’s grandfather. 

Enoch watched as his grandfather’s warm expression faded.

“I knew this day would come, but I could never prepare for it,” his grandfather said, his voice trembling. Sergio is ex-military. He will protect you,” he said, lifting himself with his cane. 

Enoch was overcome with a horrible feeling.

“No!” He shouted.

Enoch stood up, “I’m not leaving. I won’t leave you here!”

Sergio reached out and rested a hand on Enoch’s shoulder. 

He pushed Sergio’s hand. “We can all leave together. All of us will be safe if we go now,” Enoch said as tears began to form in the corner of his eyes. 

His grandfather waved off Sergio and dropped to one knee. He touched Enoch’s shoulder and reached for his cheek to wipe away the tears.

“My boy, there are moments in life where we must look beyond our heart. Those are the moments that define who we become. I have laid a great responsibility on you, for which I am sorry. There is still much you do not understand and have yet to discover, but believe me when I say that your life is more valuable than this old man’s.” He said softly.

Enoch pulled his grandfather towards him, and they embraced for a moment. 

His grandfather quickly reached for his cane, “If they do not find me today, they will keep looking. You will not be safe if you are with me. Now go with haste!” he whispered as he shooed them towards the kitchen. 

Enoch shouted as Sergio grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back toward the rear entrance of the cottage. 

Sergio stopped suddenly as they stepped into the kitchen.

He covered Enoch’s mouth. 

“Shhh,” he said as he reached for a pistol tucked into his jeans. Enoch heard the slow creaks of footsteps from the wooden walkway, which ran outside the cottage.

Sergio looked back at Enoch’s grandfather and shook his head. 

His grandfather’s expression turned bitter. He motioned them back into the living room. 

“The hidden passage,” Enoch’s grandfather whispered to Sergio as he paced silently near the fireplace. Sergio quietly lifted the coffee table, rolled up a portion of the rug, and began to remove several loose floorboards. 

“Enoch, get in.” His grandfather commanded.

Enoch nodded as he crawled under the floor, clutching the worn notebook. The space was narrow. He lowered himself until the cool, damp earth rested upon his knees.

Sergio positioned the boards back into place. His grandfather grabbed Sergio’s hand just before he set the last floorboard, “No matter what you hear, do not open the floorboards. You must take the pathway underneath the house to the hills above the village. Do you understand me?” He said sternly. 

Enoch nodded as he was too scared to speak. Sergio set the last board above him. He tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness, but all he could see were cracks of light along the floorboards above.

He closed his eyes. For the first time in his life, Enoch felt alone, and he feared for what was to come.