by Melody Anne
“I could agree to that but to make this more fair, only one from each side will know what’s truly going on. You may pick one of your most trusted Angels and I’ll pick one of my Dark Angels to consult with. They won’t get to run interference with the others but they’ll keep an eye on things, making sure you don’t cheat. My demons will whisper in one ear, while your Angels whisper in the other. I guarantee if you aren’t there to guide your people, they’ll choose my way every time,” Vyco said with evil glee.
“Vyco, you have such little faith. You think all humans will take the easy way out. You believe they’ll steal instead of pay, or hate instead of love. You’re wrong. If they have the choice to choose love or hate, they’ll choose love,” Josiah said with confidence.
“I disagree, Josiah, but if you’re so confident bind this agreement and we’ll see what happens to your planet,” Vyco said eagerly, while pulling out the golden rope. If they bound the agreement, it was done and neither of them could break the bind or true death could follow and they’d cease to eternally exist. They would be pulled before the higher council and whatever decision they made would be final. There was no such thing as an appeal in that realm.
“I see you’re hesitating, my brother,” Vyco said once again with glee. Josiah did have faith in his people but to not help when they called would kill him. To have Vyco out of their lives for good would mean a whole new world, though.
“There needs to be a time frame, Vyco. If there’s still a draw in the end, then you depart,” Josiah said. He wouldn’t bend from that condition. Vyco hesitated. He knew the stipulation could end up costing him everything but then again he had nothing to lose. He’d seen what was in the human heart. There was far more evil than good.
“Ten years, Josiah and you’ll watch the fall of your humans, though I’m sure it will take far less time,” Vyco stated viciously. Josiah once again hesitated. He closed his eyes, praying for wisdom. Would it be the right thing to do? Would he be damning his children, or setting them free? He felt warmth spread through him and knew he had his answer.
When Josiah’s eyes opened, Vyco once again took a step back from the power and beauty shining through him. Josiah knew Vyco was rethinking his plan in the face of Josiah’s power. He also knew the demon would never back down, for fear of seeming cowardly in his own eyes.
Josiah extended his arm and waited. The decision was now up to Vyco. He could back down and crawl away, or step up and bind their agreement. Josiah pulled his own binding rope out, shining brighter than earth’s sun.
Vyco finally stepped forward and grasped Josiah’s hand. He withered a bit from the pure light and power shining from Josiah. He couldn’t pull free, though, as the binding had begun. They both wrapped the cords around their joined hands.
“It is bound,” Josiah stated with all the power of the heavens. Vyco nodded his acknowledgement. The ropes tightened, shooting off a ray of light before they loosened, once more. Vyco gave one more vicious snarl before he disappeared in a ring of fire and smoke.
Josiah called in his most trusted Angel, explaining what was done. She immediately asked him how he could possibly make an agreement like that.
“This planet has always been a test for me, Chastity. I needed to see if people from many worlds could live together as one. I wanted to see if they’d be able to get along. It seems as if the test has failed because there are brothers against brothers. Family means nothing to them. They watch as a stranger dies on the street from cold or hunger, or a child starves. I’ve tested them in many ways and yet they reject me so I’ll let them fight this out. I’ll see what becomes of this planet. I won’t step in and stop it,” Josiah told her in his awe inspiring voice.
She knelt before him, tears falling from her eyes. She knew it was going to be a long and hard road but she also believed it had to be done. She honored him by weeping at his feet. Josiah honored his children when he wept with her.
“If you’re going to do this, I must stay on the planet and help them,” she pleaded with Josiah.
“If you make the choice to help them, you will be on your own. I vowed not to step in and I can’t send other Angels with you,” he told her.
“I understand what you’re saying, and I know the choice I’m making,” she said. She in no way wanted to leave her home, but she couldn’t stand by and watch people be slaughtered. She knew if Josiah wasn’t stepping in, Vyco would cause a variety of chaos. “I will leave right away,” she finished speaking. The decision to leave was even harder since she could see the pain in Josiah’s eyes. She knew how much he loved her and the people of Earth, even when they disappointed him.
“Go safely then, my child. Please don’t lose sight of what you’re doing. Please, return home to me,” he pled. She nodded at him and turned to look back at her home. She fell to her knees as her body fought her mind in the decision to leave home. She stumbled to her feet, then looked behind her one last time, threw out her hands and fell. It would be a long while before she woke again.
Josiah watched his bravest and most loyal Angel fall to earth. He’d known Chastity wouldn’t observe people getting tortured and killed. He’d known he could count on her to stand up for mankind. He trusted her beyond any other angel.
He bowed his head and whispered the words Chastity would need. She would keep her powers and he’d make sure she didn’t forget home. She just may be the savior of the world.
“Please don’t lose your way, my daughter. Please, return to me,” Josiah prayed and then sunk to his knees and wept more.
There was a very real chance Chastity would get lost once she lived in the human world. Chastity didn’t realize the power Vyco held within the fragile planet. His whisper could quickly become a scream in your ear, urging you to adapt to the ways of the darkness. If there was any Angel up for the task of defeating Vyco, it was Chastity.
While Josiah knelt, watching the fall, he felt a hand on his shoulder. No words were spoken but he heard his angels weeping. As much as he controlled, even he didn’t know what would happen next.
Chapter Two
One year later
I was eleven years old when it all started. I remember thinking the world would end in a huge explosion from a meteor, or possibly the sun shooting its beams in a super nova. I’d been told in church the Messiah was going to come and strike all the sinners down and only those who were good wouldn’t die.
When I was younger, I stole a piece of bubblegum from the store and was terrified I’d be struck by lightning or a ray from the sun? I must not have been too scared, though, because I stole it anyway and then enjoyed the burst of flavor as I bit down on the soft piece of what I considered heaven.
My parents didn’t let us have candy, gum, or soda, as they said it would rot our teeth. Little did they know, John and I snuck into it every chance we got. Our father is a doctor and our mom is a vet and they’re all about the healthy crap.
I guess I’m getting off track a bit. Like I was saying, I always thought the world would end with a big bang and it would come from the heavens. I was wrong, so very wrong, as were many other people. The world didn’t end that way at all, it ended with a lot of small explosions. They were far deadlier than any meteor could’ve ever been.
There was all this hype about the end of the world happening in the year twenty-twelve, which my parents said was a joke, even though they are pretty religious. Many people said it was a joke but what those people didn’t realize was where there’s a prophecy there are many fanatics determined to make that prophesy come true.
I remember back to those days and how my parents started leaving the house, often. At first they’d be gone for a weekend and then a week. They hired a nanny for the first time in our lives, which was absurd, considering I was eleven and my brother was sixteen. John had a real fit about it but my parents said there were bad people in the world and they didn’t want us home alone.
The nanny pretty much just cooked for us and cleaned the house. She didn’t real
ly tell us what to do. We were good kids, well, as good as could be expected when we had the lay of the house. We went to school, did our homework and always came straight home. We really didn’t even notice the nanny much.
John got in a huge fight with our dad one night. I was paralyzed, listening to them scream at each other in dad’s office. I’d never heard my father raise his voice before but they were really going at it. John told dad he was a terrible parent, always leaving us behind. I know I missed them, but would’ve never confronted them about it.
Dad yelled back at John that he was doing important work and all would be revealed in time. John ended up stomping out of the office, not noticing me as he slammed out of the house. My dad found me crying in the hallway and scooped me into his arms.
He told me he was doing what had to be done to make sure we’d be safe. I trusted him, of course. He was my dad and he’d never lied to me before so why should he start? I’d fallen asleep that night with tears still wet on my cheeks.
Something I found odd in those years was my parents always being glued to the television when they were home. It had rarely even been turned on when I was little. I hated what they’d watch. It was always so depressing. There were buildings being destroyed and people lying dead on the streets. Dad said it was the news, which I decided to never watch when I grew up. I thought there was no way any of it could happen in real life.
My parents were always whispering together as men in suits would stand at podiums and talk about fixing problems and for the people not to panic. It all seemed so far away and my parents never said anything to John or I, so we just went on with our days and never worried much about it.
I wish I could go back to those times of innocence, those times when the world revolved around me. That was when the biggest thing I had to worry about was if I would get a new dress for church, or the pretty back-pack I wanted for school. I wish I could go back to being that spoiled little girl. It would make the endless days and nights of my life now, much easier to bear. Dreams seem the only escape for me anymore.
I’m sure you’re a bit confused right now but I’m not a writer or anything so I apologize. My name’s Phoenix Light and I’m writing all this down so if I die, maybe someday I’ll be remembered. I have an amazing family and I’ve known so many people who should never be forgotten. Things have gotten really bad here lately and I feel it’s all coming to an end.
The thought of simply disappearing is unacceptable, so whoever finds this, please know there was an extraordinary group of people who survived for years, against all the odds.
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