“Did you see any of that?”
Zion look at Bella, confused. “See what?”
“Those dogs,” Bella said pointing, “cornered me over there.”
“No, I didn’t. Sorry.” Zion looked over his shoulder at a man walking farther along up the tower’s path. “Sebi needed my help.”
Bella shrugged. “Have you worn this belt?” She pulled on the rope Zion had given her.
“Yes, I have my own.” He showed Bella his rope belt.
“Is it magic?”
“No,” Zion said.
Bella rubbed her hands across her belt. “How did that happen? The man in light looked like Jesus!” Zion smiled.
A strong wind blew over them.
“How?”
“Bella, my new friend. There’s more than the belt. Come on, let me show you.”
Still awestruck from the experience with the man shrouded in light, Bella didn’t push for answers to her question.
The tower path led Bella higher and higher. She guessed they were only about a quarter of the way to the top. Looking over the edge, a wonderful sight spread itself across the landscape below. White birds, elegant doves, perhaps. The delicate creatures flew in a wide circle around the base of the tower. The villagers down on the ground stopped what they were doing and made a human chain around the tower by linking hands.
“Zion, wait!”
The boy stopped. “You okay?”
“Yes, but what’s going on down there?”
Zion inched his way to the edge and looked over. “They are thanking the gods for favor in the building of this tower. The stories handed down say that Noah saw a dove when the ark landed. You know, a sign of peace.”
Bella considered Zion’s words and the two circles of birds and humans. “God, not gods, saved Noah.”
“The people here in Shinar find their identity in each other. When they make that circle, they experience a sense of unity.” Zion finished his lesson and continued on his way up the tower path.
“But that’s wrong! People can’t find their identity in—” Bella stopped, thinking about how she too found her identity in others. If she was honest, the people who subscribed to her writing channel on YouTube were like mini gods that made her feel important every time they “liked” one of her posts. Each subscriber made Bella feel a little more fulfilled. A little more complete.
God saved Noah, not gods.
As she continued climbing the tower, Bella’s brain made a crazy connection. These people were making an idol with this construction project. They worshipped only what they could see and create with their own hands instead of what they couldn’t see and who created them.
God, please help me!
She saw Zion slip into an opening in the tower. Bella hurried behind him, but when she reached the opening and walked inside, she couldn’t find her friend.
“Zion?”
A maze of stone rooms and hallways filled the tower’s interior. Bella turned in a circle and eventually spotted Zion climbing a set of stone steps that had been built into the tower wall.
“Zion!”
Bella hurried down the halls until she reached the stairs. She navigated the steps two at a time.
Zion slipped out of another opening in the tower wall. By the time Bella caught up and made her way back out onto the walkway, her friend had disappeared.
“Watch out!”
Bella didn’t recognize the voice as she was shoved out of the way by a large man carrying a load of bricks.
“Zion!” She called, even though it did no good.
Her mind started racing. What was she doing here? Where was Zion?
She turned and started back down the walkway. Hundreds of people going up gave her impatient looks as they pushed by her. Bella convinced herself that getting down off the tower and finding a way back to Chicago was her best plan. Getting out of Shinar had to happen sooner than later.
But Bella hadn’t gone twenty steps before the belt began vibrating around her waist. It crackled and came to life. Bella felt like it was tugging on her, pulling her back in the direction she had come from.
The belt wants me to go back up the tower? I’ve officially lost my mind.
She kept walking down the tower path, resisting the urge to turn and go back up. Yes, she was going to miss Zion, but this whole thing was probably a dream anyway.
How could it be a dream? You were standing on the observation deck with your family. Wide awake!
The belt tugged her back, stronger now. The crackling hiss louder than before.
That’s when Bella saw the lady named Evangeline. She was coming up the tower path, holding something small in her hand.
“Bella?”
“Hi.”
“Are you leaving already? You were brought here for a reason.”
Bella gave a quick recap of what had happened on the tower since the last time she had seen Evangeline. “It’s not safe for me here. I really need to find a way to get back home.”
“Sweet child, let me teach you something more about faith. Here, hold this for a minute.” Evangeline handed her the small object she had been holding. It was a small stone. Just like the one Zion had pulled out of the bright blue vessel, this one also had writing on it.
PR16:9
The rope belt vibrated once more. It crackled some more staccato beats. The stone felt warm…warmer than the other. After a few seconds passed, it too softened as the other had done, into a puddle of new words…
The mind.
Plans.
Way.
The Lord.
Directs.
Steps.
Like the first time, Bella kept her hands open and watched the words swirl. She was not familiar with this verse, but from the letters it had to be from the book of Proverbs.
Bella waited. She looked back down at her hands.
The brilliant light returned, but not covering the beautiful man. This time, the light covered the ground.
As Bella turned and started back up the path of light, she felt that wonderful electric-alive-loved sensation!
Evangeline pointed at the glowing path.
“Dear child, Proverbs 16:9 says, ‘In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.’ ”
At that moment, like before, Bella felt complete. She didn’t have that desire to leave.
Follow me.
Bella headed back up the tower path. It didn’t matter that she didn’t have all the answers. Her heart told her that she was still needed here.