Save one.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the light through the open doors. And I wanted to go inside. I wanted to bathe in God’s glory like I was a child playing amongst his toys in a bathtub, but something didn’t feel right, and I was starting to learn to trust my instincts.
Not that anything was wrong with God, or my teammates, or Heaven, but I had never felt the pain of loss, and somehow, I knew that God would always be in the Throne Room from here on out - an ever-present Father for all of eternity.
And I would see Him soon, but I needed time to heal, for I may have been the only one who had lost a true friend that day. Not a comrade, an acquaintance, or a teammate. A friend. What was worse was that I had no clue where he was, or how he was doing or what he was thinking. I only knew he wasn’t here, and I had to find him. I hadn’t given up on him yet, even if everyone else had. I wished I didn’t feel that way, but maybe I still had a lot to learn about growing up.
“Lord,” I said to Him through the chamber doors, hoping He still accepted me, despite my hesitation to join Him. “I love you, and I thank you for saving me, but I cannot feel your embrace, while Vergil is lost. It wouldn’t be fair to you, for my heart wouldn’t be in the praise.”
The chamber doors began to close quickly, but right before they shut tight, a single ray of light shot out, slowed down as it neared my face, and splashed over my cheek. It warmed my entire body with love and grace and I nodded, knowing that God had understood, and accepted.
And so I flew away, leaving all of Heaven to rejoice without me, my mind still warring over a battle that had now become nothing, but history…
CHAPTER 13: Sharpeneth
“Raphael,” I said endearingly as I entered his hall unannounced. “It’s good to see you’re not sleeping on the job.”
“Yes, I have been slacking lately,” he laughed. We both knew that his being knocked unconscious by Lucifer had had nothing to do with sleeping on the job. “But on a more serious note, why aren’t you at the celebration?”
“I could ask the same of you.”
“Well, I received a message from a Glory that you were headed this way and that God asked that I meet you here. I didn’t mind leaving the festivities early to have a conversation with you. So you see, I have quite the excuse.”
“I can’t believe you made it here before me.”
“It being my house, I am fully knowledgeable about the shortcuts you have yet to learn.”
“I see,” I said, surprised. “Then I guess I’m in the right place.”
“Yes, you are…sorry for not being of much help during the war. I hear that your team fought Lucifer himself in my hall.”
“We didn’t win,” I stated flatly, “but we made sure to give your place some redecoration while we were at it…to be honest, I really wish it had ended then and there.”
Raphael shook his head.
“That’s not the right attitude, Lysander,” Raphael said, using his best empathetic tone. “At least you weren’t completely knocked out - you were able to fight again. That’s the most important thing. Imagine if you had been in my state...all the fun you would’ve missed out on. At least you contributed.”
“You were there with us too,” I admitted. “When it was just Vergil and myself left, your words were the only thing that helped me remember that Lucifer was wrong…but I was too late to save Vergil. Lucifer’s poison had gotten to him.”
“Yes…Vergil had a very troubled soul, and I was actually surprised he didn’t join Lucifer sooner. One of the reasons I thought he should work on a team was because of his personality. He was the type Lucifer attracted, those that are easily manipulated and want to belong to a group more than anything. And, as I hoped, you were able to keep him out of harm’s way.”
“Not in the end,” I replied. “It wasn’t enough. We didn’t have the time to strengthen our bond before the war happened. Maybe I didn’t talk to him enough. I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter now. I was too late. And now I don’t know where he is.”
“You want to find him.”
“Yes. Do you know where he is, Raphael?”
“Come here, young one.”
Raphael started walking down the hall and made a left behind the corner from where Vergil had once watched us, where the two locked doors were. Now, one of them was open and Raphael placed a hand on my back and pushed me forward, giving me access to his secrets. Inside was a large room with a low ceiling, turquoise drapes over bay windows and paperbacks on a bookshelf. I made a mental note to check those out later, and to ask Raphael why there were books in Heaven when we had an internal database.
In the middle of the room, there was a gigantic crystal-clear dome, hovering in the air above a circular bronze table. The table was about the size of a small lake and some kind of dim light was shining from the middle of the crystal dome. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the dim light was actually a small, round, holographic sphere, showing off the colors blue, brown and green. The blue, my database told me, was called water. And the brown and green were land. It took me only a second to come to a conclusion.
“It’s Earth,” I whispered to myself. “It’s really there.”
“Our mental database told us Earth would exist at some point,” Raphael said, coming by my side. “That time has arrived.”
“So it was being constructed.”
“Yes…though God is everywhere, and He could have stopped the war in Heaven at any time, He let it play out so that all those in Lucifer’s camp would reveal themselves. God did not want anyone singled out, so He waited until the last angel made his own calling and election sure, from within. At the moment God came and ended the war, there was no longer any gray. Each individual had decided in their own heart whether they belonged to God or Lucifer. In the meantime, God spent His full concentration and wisdom on constructing this world and the galaxies around it.”
“Is this where Vergil is?” I asked, afraid of the answer.
“Lysander, listen carefully. What I’m about to tell you is not easy to hear, but it’s the truth. Lucifer, and all those associated with him…are banished. They will no longer be angels in Heaven and this will never again be their home.” I was silent for a moment, coming to terms with what Raphael said.
“Earth is their home now?”
“For a time, but it gets worse. As of now, they are able to roam the Earth, and Lucifer will rule that world for a time, but afterwards, he and his followers will be thrown into a place called Hell.”
“What is Hell?”
“The very opposite of Heaven, designed specifically for them. When their time on Earth is finished, they will be cast there for eternity, and words cannot describe the torture and suffering they will endure. The presence of God that we’ve all felt, that soothes our longing? They will have the opposite. They will feel cold and alone at all times. The warmth, comfort, and pleasure that we’ve experienced? They will only feel burning and pain. Just as we are in the midst of ecstasy in God’s presence, they will constantly be on the verge of insanity.”
Pain. Torture. I knew these words, but I would never feel them. Never truly understand how horrible they were…and this Hell that would become the home of my fallen brethren, would be of the worst kind.
Vergil…what have you done? If only you had held out a little bit longer, you would be okay…
My love for God had not changed or diminished. On some level, I understood why He had created Hell…to not only punish Lucifer and his followers for the chaos they had caused, but to also ensure that such an uprising would never happen again. But still…to be eternally damned…the thought was overwhelming. Eternity? Was this right?
But one thing was certain.
Vergil wouldn’t have to go to Hell yet. Maybe there was still a chance I could save him and bring him back. I just had to find him and be that voice of reason once again. After being kicked out of Heaven, surely he’d see my side of things.
The thought gave me new ho
pe and I eagerly looked at the globe, spinning in its glass shell. Raphael studied me, and I was sure that he knew what I was thinking. He probably pitied me, assuming that what I imagined was impossible, but it didn’t faze me. I was determined to save Vergil.
“There’s more to Earth than just Lucifer and his fallen angels,” Raphael said abruptly, breaking my thoughts.
“There’s more?”
“I can’t talk too much about it…but God has made new creations. And they’re not angels.”
I knew what they were before he could tell me. After all, they took up a considerable amount of my database.
“Human beings,” I said, and Raphael affirmed it with a nod.
“Yes. They are more fragile than us, but made in the likeness of God Himself. They live on Earth, and already God has had a lot of interaction with them. Fascinating creatures. Very intelligent, but I worry about them, even now.”
“Why is that?”
“Because, Lucifer is down there as well, along with his entire army. You saw what he did in Heaven. What will stop him from figuring out how to ruin peace on Earth too? I fear he will try to bring the human beings to his side, and do everything in his power to prevent his fate of going to Hell.”
I heard his words loud and clear. In only a short amount of time, Heaven had gone from a majestic wonderland to a raging battlefield. Within days, we had been at each other’s throats, trying to destroy one another like we were bitter enemies.
Lucifer was crafty…and he was there on Earth, seductive words and all.
If he could persuade a third of Heaven to join his cause, what could stop him from persuading the young humans that now inhabited the planet below? How could they fight against such manipulation? What would stop them from making the same mistakes Vergil did?
God could protect them at all times, but that was not His way. He had kept everyone in Heaven that had wanted to be with Him. No one had been forced to choose Him, and I was sure the same type of care would be given to the humans. How long would it take before they grew weary of His distance? How long before they rose up with Lucifer to try to destroy us entirely? No. This could not happen again.
“There are only two of them right now. Adam and Eve,” Raphael said. “But there will be more.”
I felt my wings surge with energy, my body swell with excitement. I had found a new purpose. Another reason to live…and I would not fail this time. I would do everything in my power to save them all – each and every one.
“They need to be protected,” Raphael mused, seeing my spirit ignite with determination.
“And protect them, I shall,” I said boldly, my body rigid with fervor and dedication. Lucifer would undoubtedly try his tricks again, but I would be there this time, stronger than ever, ready to thwart any plan he had the audacity to form…
The war in Heaven had ended, only for the war on Earth to begin…
The next installment in the Angel Story Saga is now available HERE:
Angels of Eden
(Angel Story, Book 2)
The Angel Story Saga
{An angel wakes up in Heaven as the War between God and Lucifer begins}
End of Angels (Book 1)
Angels of Eden (Book 2)
Angels and the Ark (Book 3)
An excerpt from
THE REST DIE TOMORROW Part 1
Now Available: HERE
PROLOGUE
“Ladies and Gentlemen, to best sum up the man we are commemorating, it is appropriate at this time to discuss his character first…and upon great reflection, I can give no better caricature than this portrait, painted through his own words: ‘Even if I end up in Hell…I will have all of eternity to outsmart the Devil.’
He proudly spoke these words in the midst of adversity, and they are a perfect picture of who Vincent really is. Arrogant, selfish, narcissistic – these are not traits worthy of honor and respect. As it stands, we are continually struggling to remove those of similar qualities from our leadership positions and political offices. Far too many of our very own children idolize men of this caliber and invest their futures in practices that destroy our society every day…
“So, you may ask, why are we here? Why is this despicable man worthy of our attention? Because, without him…many of us would not be here today. In a time when our world needed change and revolution, but we were too lethargic to take a stand, he decided to do it himself. And if you knew Vincent like I did, then you understood that when he said something, he meant it, and unlike many others, he had the ability to back up his words. This was a dangerous man, who could have easily exploited our hard labor for himself. But he sought out a legacy, one to leave behind when he would die, and this dream, despite its selfish intentions…saved us all.
“He was tested and attacked on all sides, but today we are the results of his ordeal. Results that reveal that no matter how one is perceived, it is only a snapshot of the album that is one’s life, and Vincent, with all of his contemptible attributes, still had a heart. Is this man worthy of our respect? Does he deserve to be remembered? Allow me to expound further on the subject, and I’ll let you be the judge…”
From a speech given by Katherine Alexander at the 35th annual Think-Emergence Convention
CHAPTER 1: GROWING PAINS
No one is born evil. It is a slow cook, a dish bred of a chef’s lack of attention. It takes time to become the man people are disgusted with, the monster they pray they will never become. I wish you could just turn off who you are like a machine – press a button and immediately you’re not tempted by all the forbidden things people don’t like to admit they enjoy, like money and power. But life isn’t that simple.
I tried simple once. After all, it was my security blanket for the first thirteen years of my life. But at each rite of passage, every step toward adulthood, the blanket began to tear and degrade. Back then I still believed in the world like Santa Claus – jolly, fat, full of opportunities… I never really saw any danger, my head always found buried in my books and not in the game. If I had been more vigilant, maybe my life would have taken a more appropriate turn. I could’ve become a fireman, or an astronaut – any number of jobs that kids dream about when they’re young.
But I wasn’t attentive, and I didn’t see him coming at all – a disturbed and malevolent classmate of mine who decided to force his way into my humanity and refashion me to his liking. I tried to hold on, preserve my innocence as long as I could, but no one can keep a grip on what they love forever, and eventually I had to let go, and wake up to reality.
“Vincent, wake up!” she shrieked, slamming the palms of her hands onto my desk, her massive wedding ring creating an unnecessary knocking sound that made me wince.
“I told you the answer was fifty-seven,” I said coolly, turning my gaze back toward the windows. Of course I had not said anything prior, but with the right answer plowing through her ears, any comeback she had was now void and forgotten.
“That doesn’t mean you weren’t daydreaming just now,” she accused me correctly. I wanted to do many things to her right then, all of them unacceptable by my school’s code of conduct, but I maintained my composure and once again donned the cloak of the ignorant child.
“You’re right, Mrs. Larson,” I replied believably. “I should have been paying attention. The only reason I knew the answer was because I went ahead in the workbook. It’s no excuse really. I’ll start listening.”
She rose from my personal bubble with a smug look on her face as I returned her authority and power willfully. I could see the forgiveness on her lips before she even spoke.
“It’s okay to daydream, but there is a time and place for everything. You’re in school to get an education, which won’t magically appear when you decide to grow up and pay attention. Look outside.”
I obeyed, for the sunshine dancing and glittering amongst the leaves was so much more inviting than my academic prison.
“The time you put in now will pay off later. Just becau
se you want to make a million dollars and be like those famous rappers all you kids are into these days, doesn’t mean you will. It takes hard work that many of you are not accustomed to.”
By now, my classmates were staring at me intensely as if I were a lab specimen while Mrs. Larson was yammering on and on about the economy and self-entitlement. Jason, two seats diagonally to my right was shaking his head in amusement, a silly smirk developing with the full intention of making me laugh. I bared my teeth at him inconspicuously, letting him know I wanted him to stop and he shrugged his shoulders in response. I didn’t want to chuckle and get into further trouble.
“Don’t worry. She’s gone,” he mouthed silently, making the universal sign of insanity toward his right temple.
Gone she was, for now she was throwing her hands into the air, walking back to the front of the classroom where she had now transitioned from teacher to preacher, bringing down the fire and brimstone while we were berated for simply being children. I allowed myself to look around the room, ignoring the forty desks that crowded most of the space or the dirty blackboard that had been stained to the point we could barely read anything from it. The unswept floor, the lonely walls, the donated outdated technology – these were all too familiar and common for their existence to hold any weight in my thoughts, so I turned to my classmates. One caught my attention in particular, sitting a seat diagonally to my left.
He was a joke to the whole “made in the image of God theory,” having a visage that resembled a pit bull’s and repulsively dirty blonde hair - rustled and untamed, aimlessly reaching to the sky in all directions. His skin brutishly complemented his colossal frame which was aged beyond its years. His eyes were listless and dark, and his very presence was foreboding.
Why he was staring at me at that moment, I could not know, but I was determined to find out.
The Works of Julius St. Clair - 2017 Edition (Includes 3 full novels and more) Page 79
