The Symphony of Death

by Matthew Newson

  “Don’t worry my friend, I have other ways of obtaining the information I desire to know. All I need to do is go to the source.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Lucifer chuckled. “All good things come to those who wait.” He pulled a bow and violin out from his chest and handed them to me. “You know all musical instruments of Heaven are set in my very being, and I would like to gift this one to you.”

  I looked upon the most exquisite hand-crafted violin I had ever laid my eyes upon. It was breathtaking, but still paled in comparison to the first one I had ever held with my own two hands.

  “Will you play for me one of your lovely pieces as I inspect our new piece of equipment?”

  “Of course, my lord.”

  I played to my heart’s content as I imagined how the glorious day would go when my destiny was finally fulfilled.

  Chapter Nine

  Paul Luca

  Heaven – Jesus’s Garden

  AS I THOUGHT OF MY home in Heaven, I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly. It used to take great focus on my part to move between realms, but now it was as natural to me as breathing. I opened my eyes and I was in Jesus’s Garden located somewhere in Heaven. As I looked to Jesus’s favorite rose bush, I saw him as he stood before the roses he loved so much.

  After he took in a deep breath of their aroma, he turned to me. “Hello, Paul, I have been looking forward to your visit. It’s good to see you again. We have so much to talk about, but first, how have you been doing?”

  I walked up to him and stood in front of the roses. They were beautiful, and I could see why he liked them so much.

  “Yes, because you already knew I was coming. You exist outside of time, and you also know what’s going to happen.”

  Jesus glanced my way. “Yes, and you can read how it’s all going to end in the book of Revelation. Here’s something that I know will amaze you. I didn’t just show John the events of The End Times, I actually took him to them and had him experience it all himself. That’s how he was able to write so vividly and compellingly on the matter.”

  “So, John is alive on Earth during the events of the book of Revelation?”

  “Well, after all, I did say to Peter what is it to him if I want John to remain until The End. I guess you will have to wait until then to find out for yourself. After all, you’re going to be a part of those events in one way or another.”

  I was taken aback by his statement. “What's my part going to be?”

  “That’s a story for another day. It’s not good for one to know too much of their own future. Especially when they have more immediate pressing matters to attend to like you, Paul. Come, walk with me. I want to show you a place I especially enjoy here. We can talk further there.”

  Jesus and I walked in silence as he smiled and led the way down the path made of gold dust. The greenest grass I had ever seen lined both sides and complemented the gorgeous pink sky. We passed rows of the Lord's delicious fruit trees and heavenly scented rose bushes, and all the while I continuously heard a voice singing holy, holy, holy are you, Lord, and found myself quietly singing along to the glorious song.

  Jesus led me to a beautiful pool that sparkled like a diamond, and there I saw the source of the singing. Before us was a giant waterfall, and as the water reached the pool below it sang out to the Lord. Jesus motioned for me to sit down on a rock next to him.

  Jesus thanked the waterfall, and it quieted down as he turned to me. “Paul, you came here today because of the vision I showed you about a possible end of the world by Lucifer and Death.”

  “Yes, that’s exactly why I’m here. Lucifer and Death have two pieces of The Life Giver machine. I tried my best to stop him, but Death was able to get into the chamber and release his plague into the room. I had to get Alec out of there, and when I did, Lucifer took the machine.”

  “Yes, I know, but you contained the virus Death released. By doing so you saved not only Alec, but everyone else in the warehouse as well. You shouldn’t be mad at yourself about that.”

  “I know, but Lucifer still got away with another piece because his Watcher showed up and tried to kill Alec.”

  Jesus lovingly smiled at me. “But you didn’t fail. Well, not yet at least. Lucifer still doesn’t have all the parts to the machine, so take some measure of comfort in that. You also figured out he’s using his Watchers to spy on you and Alec so you can’t say a word about the whereabouts of the remaining pieces—which can be a bit problematic So, I guess the only option you have is to take out all of Lucifer’s Watchers."

  “Is that even possible? How am I going to do that, Jesus? They can be hard to track, even for me.”

  “True.” Then Jesus stood, and walked to the edge of the water and beckoned me to join him.

  The water looked so inviting as Jesus continued to talk.

  “Paul, you’ve proven to me I can trust you with my power, especially after your battle in The Arena. So, I will gift you with more of my power. But before I do, I have one question to ask you.”

  “What is it?”

  “Paul, you know I love you, right?”

  “Of course, I know you love me, Jesus.”

  “Good, then you won’t mind if I do this.”

  “Mind what?” I barely got the words out as Jesus grabbed me, and effortlessly threw me into the middle of the pool. I went in headfirst, and immediately rolled as I entered the water. As I tried to swim to the top, something caught my eye. Everything was so vibrant under the water, it looked as if everything was made of light. The area under the water’s surface extended in all directions, much farther than I could see. It was literally a whole world in itself.

  Angels flew through the water like it was air. There were gems and all sorts of precious stones all around, and I even saw buildings below me. I wondered for a moment if this is what the stories of Atlantis were based off of, and then something happened.

  My attention was drawn to a large blue gem that floated to my right and hovered, unattached to any structure. It was about half my size, and the manifest presence of the Lord flowed from it much like it did from the Lord. I heard it call to me, and as I got closer, I saw the intricate design and its flawless cut. I unknowingly reached out and touched it, and it began to glow. Then my hand got pulled into the gem. I tried to pull it out, but it was firmly stuck.

  Then the gem began pulling me into itself.

  I fought, struggled, and called out for Jesus to come and help me, but the gem was stronger than I was and pulled me all the way into itself. I shouted out and caused all the power in me to well up to attack, just as I was completely consumed by the gem. Suddenly, I burst out the top of the water like a bomb. I stood suspended in the air as I spun all around to try and stop the gem’s next attack.

  “What are you doing up there, Paul? Come down here,” Jesus said from the shore.

  “Something attacked me down there, didn’t you see it?”

  “Nothing attacked you. I gave you something, now get down here.”

  I was surprised by Jesus’s words as I descended and stood in front of him. “What do you mean you gave me something? What did you give me besides a heart attack?”

  “Don’t be so dramatic. You’re immortal, remember? Besides, I gave you something precious. You will now be able not only to see where all of Lucifer’s Watchers are, but also where they are hiding. Even if they are very far away.”

  “Wow. Thank you. But I have to ask, was throwing me in the water and having that gem thing appear like it was trying to hurt me necessary.”

  “Oh no, it wasn’t, but I thought it was funny. You seemed like you could use a laugh.”

  “Ha. Ha. Ha,” I said sarcastically.

  Jesus smiled and laughed at my comment. “See, there you go.”

  “Okay, Jesus, all jokes aside what did you give me?”

  “A piece of me.”

  “What piece?

  “My faith,” Jesus said.

  “But I have faith
in you, Lord.”

  “True, but not like this. You had a level of faith when you were alive on Earth which I gave you as well, but since you came here, your faith was replaced with a knowing.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You didn’t really need faith because you knew I had given you the power to defeat your enemies, but now since you have proven yourself worthy, you have stepped into a whole new territory.”

  “And what territory is that?”

  “The End times. Lucifer hasn’t stopped since his banishment to bring about the end of existence outside of my Word. He thinks if he can, then he will escape his sentence to burn for all eternity in The Lake of Fire. I showed you what he and Death are planning, and you need my faith in order to believe you can stop it from happening. Walking in this power is new territory for you, Paul.”

  I was floored by Jesus’s words, but he didn’t stop there.

  “When I made you, The Man Wrapped in Darkness, it was for more than just saving the Williams family, and because of your faithfulness, that assignment is coming to an end. I’m preparing you for what lies ahead. I watched your battle with Lucifer and Death, and have you realized that you physically tacked Death to a wall using your darkness?”

  “Everything happened so fast that I hadn’t given it any real thought yet. I simply reacted to what I thought was needed in that situation.”

  “Yes, you did. You know I gave you that ability as well, and a knowing in your spirit of its existence and how to use it. You can use your darkness now as a weapon, whereas before, it functioned mainly as a covering. I have also given you another ability.”

  “What else did you give me?”

  “Look at your hands.”

  I looked at my hands and saw they were covered in blood, but I wasn’t startled by the sight. “What is this?”

  “My Blood, and it will now flow from your hands. This is a mighty tool with many different ways to use it in the spirit realm against the enemy. I want you to use it to blind all of Lucifer’s Watchers.”

  “Thank you, Jesus, but it will take a while to track them all down even with the ability to see where they all are hiding around the spirit realm.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I have it taken care of. The Watchers have their own citadel hidden in The Second Heaven. As we speak, I am causing all of them to assemble there. They believe Lucifer is calling a meeting, and when they all show up, you will be there to blind all of them with my Blood. They will be permanently blinded, and they will never be able to spy for Lucifer again. Then you can continue your mission with Alec to find and destroy all the parts to The Life Giver machine.”

  I looked up from my hands with a smile. “Your will be done, Lord. There’s something else I need to know before I go.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Where are Lucifer and Death hiding the parts they have already taken?”

  “Someplace on Earth. It’s kind of a funny story, really. Lucifer believes he created a place hidden in the spirit realm that I can’t see.”

  “That’s impossible. You see everything and everywhere.”

  “That’s true, and when the time is right you will know where Lucifer is hiding the machine. His belief in that area has unknowingly cost him so many victories. For the time being, it’s important for him to continue believing I don’t know where he’s hiding. But for now, go and blind all the Watchers, and then go and find the rest of the machine. I don’t think I need to show you again what will happen if you don’t.”

  “No Jesus, but what do I do after I’ve destroyed the other parts of the machine. Lucifer will still have two important pieces of it. I’m sure he will have someone reverse engineer the parts he’s missing, and one day be able to turn the thing on.”

  “Don’t worry about that right now, for when the moment comes you will know exactly where he’s hiding. Now go. Almost all the Watchers are there, and their time for judgment has come.”

  Chapter Ten

  Paul Luca,

  The Man Wrapped in Darkness

  The Second Heaven

  The Watcher’s Citadel

  I TOLD JESUS GOODBYE as I departed down into The Second Heaven. As I descended and hovered in the acidic atmosphere, the stench of filth and perversion surrounded me. Once I knew there wasn’t a group of demons nearby waiting to ambush me, I sank deeper into the abyss. The once beautiful realm was now tainted by Lucifer’s machinations and further exacerbated by the fall of man when they gave up their birthright to rule over all creation.

  The once gorgeous landscape was now filled with jagged mountains and lifeless valleys which contained the stolen blessings and revelations the demons robbed from the people on Earth when they gave up believing that God was going to come through for them. When I was alive on Earth, I had no idea what surrounded the world in the spirit until the day I died. I didn’t think anyone knew the constant dangers that surrounded them. The place was a cesspool, and I truly hated having to go there.

  As I descended lower, I stopped for a moment and surveyed my surroundings. I kept my darkness tightly wrapped around me to keep me hidden from the various groups of demons. I could tell Lucifer had them all looking for the machine as I watched some travel to Earth, while others stealthily patrolled for any angelic activity. I had never seen that many demons in The Second Heaven at one time. I had to be careful, because if I was spotted or picked a fight, I’d miss my window to take out The Watchers.

  I proceeded with caution and carefully made my way past the various demonic groups. There were the bat-demons that shrieked in all directions to pick up any trace of a being that wasn’t a demon. I timed their screams so I could easily slip by and avoid their detection. I was sure my darkness prevented them from knowing where I was, but I didn’t want to test that theory as I passed by them. I purposefully stayed clear of The Place of Meeting, and I carefully avoided even the outskirts of the area. If I came too close, my presence would be revealed to all who were around because no one could hide there. I flew past a group of spider and imp demons, carefully outmaneuvering their prying eyes, and then I saw my prize. A group of Watchers flew together, and I followed them while I kept a safe distance from the pack.

  After all the time I spent traveling about The Second Heaven, I had never seen The Watchers Citadel before, and when the group landed on the open balcony, I finally knew why. Their Citadel was a mobile fortress. It resembled a giant ball with a balcony that wrapped all the way around it with numerous windows. I assumed the Watchers used them to find the people they were assigned to on Earth before going in close to spy on them. I stood at a distance and waited a while to make sure all the Watchers had shown up before I made my move. When they finally closed the door, I knew all were present and accounted for.

  I quietly landed on the balcony, and I didn’t see any signs of curses placed on the door that could try and stop me from entering. As I moved toward the door, I quietly fazed through it to the other side. There was a short hallway which led to a large open room with a vaulted ceiling, and the walls were intricately painted with images of The Four Living Creatures from the throne of God. I didn’t know what to make of them. I expected there to be images of blasphemy all around, and I wondered if they had taken that fortress over after the fall and just never got around to redecorating.

  As I stepped closer, I decided to stay hidden in the hallway and observe what the Watchers were doing. I saw the large group of them all wearing their black armor that allowed them to blend in with any unholy darkness or shadow. Their armor was a dangerous weapon, and I would have to be cautious since they had filed every side to the sharpness of a razor's edge so they could cut their enemies to shreds during a battle. I was caught off guard by the small number of the group which appeared to be about only a hundred men. I thought there would be more, but they were very powerful beings. As they gathered in front of a stage to hear their leader, they all took off their helmets and suddenly it all made sense. Their abilities to see al
most everything, and all the pictures of The Four Living Creatures painted on the walls was because they were once a part of that group. With their helmets off, I saw their heads were covered in eyes.

  The one on the stage who I assumed was their leader was larger than all the rest, and he addressed everyone in a voice that echoed off the high ceiling. “Good evening, brothers. Thank you all for getting here so quickly, and on such short notice. Now, who here knows the reason why Lucifer has summoned all of us together this day?”

  The group looked around at one another, and then to the leader as one shouted back to him. “Abush, we thought you summoned us. But, if you didn’t, why would we know the reason for the meeting? You’re the one who Lucifer communicates the most with.”

  So, I had the name of their leader, Abush. I summoned my darkness to form a protective barrier outside to trap us all in. Then I summoned The Blood of Jesus to cover the palms of my hands as I clenched them into fists and stepped out of the shadows and my darkness to address the crowd.

  “It wasn’t Lucifer who called you all here today, but Jesus himself, and it appears your time is up.”

  The room of Watchers spun around and looked at me with hatred in their many eyes.

  “Kill him,” one yelled out. “He has violated the sanctity of our fortress.”

  “No,” shouted Abush. “No one touches him until I say so. I will have a word with him first. Now move aside and make room, for today we have been blessed to have The Man Wrapped in Darkness in our midst.”

  The room parted like the Red Sea for me, and as I made my way to the center of it, I knew they planned to trap me. But they didn’t know the power I now had at my disposal. I stopped in the center of the room. “Thank you, Abush, and thank you to everyone here for having all eyes on me. I’ve never felt so honored in all my life.”