The Torch Master

The Torch Master It was one of those classic hot sultry days known as dog days in the South. During these days of late summer people seldom stirred. Normally they sat under the shade of a porch, gazebo, or if nothing else a nice tree would suffice. But today was also Sunday and a day of thanksgiving. The heat was almost to the point of being unbearable. Nevertheless church was packed. Standing room only with twelve ceiling fans set on high. It was also a far cry from any typical day in Beaufort, South Carolina. Japan had just surrendered to the United State’s and World War II was over. Everyone was smiling and rejoicing. Even the church service was better than ever. Pastor Paul stood proudly over the record turnout. He was an incredibly handsome man with dark hair and blue eyes. His wife Emily was also a beautiful woman with hazel eyes and long red hair. She stood shoulder height to her husband, but she hovered twice as tall over their little six year old son Michael. Being an only child and a pastor’s son awarded him certain privileges. Michael learned at an earlier age that his mother was the least tolerant in the crowd. So at every chance he could slip away during service into some other yielding lap. Musical laps were his favorite game while his father gave his sermon. Michael also found out that a Chiclets of gum or candy were often the treats they used to settle his ambitions. Pastor Paul gave an incredible sermon. He told the story when he and Emily were college sweat hearts. Their colleagues often called Paul and Emily their Pentecostals who spoke in many tongues. Even though he studied Theology as a major both of them took language arts together and talked all the time about traveling. They were fluent in German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and now learning Korean. He also spoke about the world and how it needed to be free from politics just like the church. He expressed, “All people are the same, everyone cries, laughs, eats, sleeps, lives and dies; the only thing that truly makes us different is being separated by distance.” He then noted, “If we all lived together we would figure it out sooner or later and adapt to each other, because we are all the same”. He continued on a little longer, filling everyone with the new hope of world peace. After church Paul and Emily took their little six year old boy Michael to his first parade. Then later that night to a fireworks show. That whole week everyone celebrated with fireworks and dances. Even Pastor Paul and Emily danced like they had back in college. In fact Pastor Paul and Emily were somewhat famous in Tennessee, where they taught all their colleagues how to Shag. It was a South Carolina dance style that started in the thirties. They even taught little Michael how to Shag for fun and exercise. Only, two weeks later a group of the church leaders and the overseer came to visit Paul and Emily. They thought it was because they danced in public. Shagging wasn’t considered by everyone to be the most respectful or clean form of dance. But they came to ask Paul and Emily to become ambassadors from the United States to help reconstruct Japan and restore the good nature of Americans. The overseer asked them not to rush into a decision. Leaving their church, friends, not to mention their country had to the hardest choice and the most important decision in their lives. He left telling them he would fast and pray and encouraged them likewise to do the same. A month later at Sunday service Pastor Paul announced their decision. Paul, Emily and little Michael were headed to Japan as missionaries. This is only the first part of my opening chapter in The Torch Master. Little Michael is one of the main characters that is only six years old at this point. But, at twelve years old tragedy sets him alone, buried in the ruble of war, and starving. Here's the Prelude to the Torch Master. “The Boy” It had been five days since the blast and everyone was gone. The stench of death muddled with smoke filled the streets as seagulls fought over and picked at satchels left next to corpses. Then suddenly they stopped, alerted by movement they flew off a ways, and watched a bleeding hand clawing its way out of the rubble. It was only a short distraction before they landed and went back to fighting over things. A small fragile boy emerged from the debris he was bleeding and moaning, in unsure surroundings, and unable to remember anything. He noticed birds fighting over a torn open satchel with some food pouring out of it. His hunger drove him to leap and grab it, then filling his mouth with its contents. The seagulls reluctantly watched him eat but, his eyes fixed on them as if they were going to be his next mouthful. So they kept their distance. He Ignored the smell and his own pain then began unwrapping corpses and dressing himself in their fine apparel. Then he harvested every satchel he could find. With his arms full he buried his collection under stones taken from the walls of the broken fountain. The only wall that remained unscathed served as a base for a statue. With water pouring out of its mouth the boy drank. The water wasn’t pure it tasted a bit like oil. Now I will include my introduction to this book. Introduction “The Torch Master” This story begins were most stories end. Disaster claimed their entire city. The surviving men with two old monks searched for victims for two days until the shelling returned. Then all efforts ended abruptly. They escaped into the jungle leaving a young twelve year old boy buried in the rubble of war undiscovered. The boys name was Michael. He was the only child of missionaries that were headed to Japan when he was just six years old. Tragedy landed them in the ocean just off the Korean coastline, then into the gates of a hidden city. The discovery of it would turn out to be the first episode in a great, mystical journey, not only for him but many. The dreams of ten monks and fifteen families, the visions of a beautiful Priestess, and the records of a Head Monk that wrote every detail of them would all become reality. And little Michaels destiny would be to live on to become a protector of those set behind the flames as a Torch Master. Throughout this book there is twist and turns that will keep the reader in suspense. Love, romance, comedy, and horror surround each character. Their following adventures are all linked to fulfill a destiny. What destiny? God only knows. Our belief in God and heaven or nirvana in another life after death is common to all religions. But the hope for this world is not. While reading this story you may begin to feel as I do. That God may have seen enough violence someday to again intervene and force peace before we destroy ourselves. Though this story is fiction its hope is real.