by Greg Ness
She paused. “How am I going to bring it home?”
It dawned on Moros that he would have to carry the flower all the way to her house. Perhaps he should have gotten her something else. Moros’s face contorted.
Elpis laughed again. “It’s okay, Moros. I love it.”
Moros dropped the flower to the ground with a thud.
“I got you something,” Elpis proudly declared. She removed two white straps from her shoulders and pulled a backpack off her back. She held it up for Moros to see. It was flimsy and uneven, made with a blue cloth material; it was an eyesore. “I made it!”
Moros forced a smile, doing his best to act excited. “Wow! …What is it?”
“It’s a pack that you can wear! You can put your stuff in it!”
Elpis handed it to Moros, who didn’t have to fake his gratitude. It was a touching gift, one he would treasure forever. It didn’t seem like something he needed, but perhaps he could find a way to make it useful.
Moros slipped the backpack onto his shoulders. It was feeble and appeared uncomfortable. “Looks good?”
Elpis nodded.
Moros looked into Elpis’s eyes. She looked into his. Elpis smiled at him. She was always smiling. Always full of life. The light inside of her was fantastically bright. Elpis was as pure as anyone he’d ever met.
Moros slowly stepped toward her. Elpis reciprocated.
They met in the middle and grasped hands, gazing into each other’s eyes. No words needed to be spoken. They both knew what was in the other’s heart.
Moros pulled Elpis against him and they embraced. They closed their eyes and relished the moment.
Michael stood in the distance, watching Moros and Elpis. Beside him was another member of the committee, Gabriel.
“Do you think your son will be willing?”
Michael nervously rubbed his chin. “He’ll have to be.”
Gabriel, a thin man with long, brown hair, reassured his friend, “The light in him is bright. I have faith in him.”
Michael smiled. He believed in his son too. But they were going to ask a lot of him. He undeniably loved Elpis. It wasn’t going to be easy.
“He is the last hope for humanity.”
Moros was a smart boy. Good-looking. Inquisitive. Trustworthy. And that was why the committee chose him.
35
Moros lifted his arms and swung again. Thwack! The axe pounded against the tree. Thwack! Thwack! Moros continued to strike at the bulky tree trunk and dented his way through.
“Almost,” said an encouraging Elpis. “You tired?”
Moros ignored her. He lifted his arms again and swung with force.
They were in the middle of an abundant forest. Plant life of all colors surrounded them, though the colors here were a bit more tropical and darker-shaded than the bright rainbow fields they frequented. The air smelled sweet with freshness and the animals sung in joy. The birds chirped all around Elpis when a hummingbird swooped around her and levitated in front of her eyes. “Hello!” Elpis laughed and held out her arm. The hummingbird gracefully landed on her. Elpis gently, with two fingers, stroked its head. The bird sung in delight as its head jerked around. “Go on,” Elpis said. The bird levitated off her arm and circled around her. It stopped in front of her eyes, as if to say goodbye, and flew away.
Moros continued to hit away at the tree. The cut was almost all the way through. Moros wiped the sweat from his forehead. Elpis rang out, “Hey Moros…”
He turned to see a brown bear standing on its hind legs, only feet from Elpis. The bear spread its giant mouth open and filled the air with a deep roar. Moros smiled and dropped the axe. “Perfect.” The bear landed on all fours next to Elpis, shaking the ground as it landed.
Moros yelled to the bear, “Can you help us knock down this tree?”
The brown bear exhaled heavily through its nostrils. Elpis rubbed her hand through the bear’s fur as it walked toward Moros and the tree he had been hacking at. The bear inquisitively looked at Moros. He pointed to the tree and the bear promptly carried its large body in that direction. It inspected the tree. Sniffed it. Then, it stood on its hind legs and pushed it. As the tree began to teeter, the bear applied the rest of its body weight, and it crashed down, rumbling the forest.
The bear removed itself from the fallen tree and looked at Moros.
“Thank you,” Moros said.
The bear walked toward Elpis, whose arms were outstretched. Its heavy body swayed as it approached her. As she wrapped her arms around the bear’s neck, it rubbed its nose against her. “Thank you,” she whispered. The bear growled softly in return.
Moros looked at the tree stump now devoid of a tree. He looked at the sky that was now barer than before. Moros held out his hand and faced his palm toward the stump. He closed his eyes. The stump shook and a fresh tree ripped into the sky, identical to the one he had just cut down. The tree had instantly re-grown.
The stump was no longer devoid, the sky no longer bare.
Gabriel, finally finding him, emerged and smiled at the sight. “Hello, Moros!”
It was almost time for Moros to enact his plan. All he needed now was the book. The third chapter held crucial information. Since Wayne Ixley was X, he would surely have it.
A black force field surrounded Moros. He couldn’t see beyond it, and finally, it vanished. He found himself in a small room. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see anything. A dim blue hue filled the room, but it was too dark. Click. The room was suddenly illuminated. Below his feet, he could see the Occor that Wayne so generously offered him to use. Moros stepped out and gasped at the large crucifix scaling the wall. The sight of Jesus’s blank face impaled his heart. The nails embedded in his wrists and feet overwhelmed him. He brought his hand to the nails, fighting to hold back the tears trying to make their way out. Moros gently brought his hand to Jesus’s face and forced a smile. He caressed his cheek. “Fool,” he mumbled.
Moros turned his attention away from Jesus. He needed to find the book. He scoured the shelves on the adjacent two walls. There were a few Bibles, tabernacles, and other religious artifacts. Wayne’s collection was impressive. But there was no book.
He needed to find Wayne. If he wasn’t home, Moros would have to use the Occor again later and ask him about it.
Moros opened the ancient X-door. Before he walked out, he noticed a statue of a head of a man that stared blankly ahead. The familiar sight prompted Moros to smirk as he stepped into the closet. Reaching his hand on the wall, he felt for the light switch and flipped it. The light in the closet revealed an endless array of clothes and other junk. Moros sighed and headed for the door at the end of the closet.
As he opened the door, the light from the closet expanded into the pitch black bedroom and shed itself onto a sight he never expected: a girl with blood pouring out of her wrists.
The girl was a beautiful blonde. Her eyes crawled their way to Moros’s. It was clear she had been under a ferocious amount of emotional duress. As he looked in her heavy eyes, he could see the light inside of her. It was still bright, but had obviously dimmed significantly. Her wounds must have been self-inflicted.
If they weren’t killing each other, they were killing themselves.
The blood was pumping out of her wrists with every heartbeat. Moros got on his knees and picked up her arms. He squeezed his hands over the slashes on her wrists and closed his eyes.
The girl took a deep breath. The numbness was gone. The life slipping away rebounded right back into her as the deep wounds closed shut. She looked at the stranger in shock.
Moros asked, “What is your name?”
“Sara Ixley.”
Moros looked at Sara’s face. She looked eerily like Elpis, the girl he loved eternally, even still. His eyes wandered as he observed her. What he witnessed next caused his heart to fall through the floor: the E.M. ring on Sara’s finger.
Moros grabbed Sara’s hand and whipped it closer to his eyes. He simply couldn’t believe what he
was seeing. “Where did you get this?” he grunted.
Sara, still delirious, shook her head, attempting to rid herself of the inevitable dizziness that came with losing so much blood.
Moros grew anxious. He asked again, “Where did you get this?”
Sara looked in Moros’s eyes. They were dark; the light in them had gone out. It was like staring into the eyes of a stone statue.
Moros looked at the blood soaked on the floor around him. “You’re going to be dizzy for a while… You technically should be dead right now.” He got to the point. “I need to know where you got this ring.”
Sara, half-alive, mumbled, “Bruce Dennett gave it to me.”
Moros stared in the distance. Bruce Dennett. If Bruce had the ring then he had to know Elpis. Were they friends? Lovers? If Bruce was helping Elpis, that made him an enemy. This changed everything. All the work Moros had done over the last two years was for naught. He’d need to learn everything about Bruce Dennett. His motivations, his fears, his tendencies… and his friends. This was an unwelcome distraction indeed, but he’d have to deal with it… and maybe it would end up helping him.
Moros gave his attention back to the recuperating Sara Ixley. “Your life is indebted to me. When the time comes, I am going to ask for your help. Until then…” Sara’s resemblance to Elpis tugged at his heart. “…Take care of yourself.”
Sara grabbed his hand. “Who are you?”
Moros told her the same lie he always told.
Moros gently whispered, “I’m an angel.”
“Would you be willing, Moros?” Gabriel asked.
Elpis looked at Moros with great concern. Moros looked to Elpis for an answer, but she simply didn’t have one. If he wanted to go through with it, it would have to be his decision.
“I can’t go myself?” Moros asked.
“No. He needs to be one of their own. To grow up and live amongst them. It is the only way. Just be sure you understand… you will never be able to see him.”
Moros demanded, “I want to be a member of the committee.”
Gabriel sighed. It would be permissible. “If you do this, you will be a member.”
“And Elpis.”
Elpis’s eyes widened. She looked at Gabriel, who rubbed his forehead in frustration. Gabriel responded, “She won’t be a member, but we will give her access to Earth.”
Moros stared at him. If they needed his help, they were going to give him what he wanted. “You will never interfere with me and Elpis. We will spend as much time together as we desire.”
Gabriel reluctantly agreed. “Alright.”
Moros smiled at Elpis. They could be together forever. Elpis beamed. She loved him and now there was no question: they would have a happy ending.
Moros asked Gabriel, “Have you found a woman on Earth already?”
Gabriel nodded.
Elpis asked, “What is her name?”
Gabriel deflected the question by answering, “She is young. Healthy. Pure. The light inside her is brighter than any person we’ve ever seen.” He could see Moros was not appeased. Gabriel continued, “She is from a place called Galilee.”
The committee’s secrecy irked Moros. “So what do I have to do?”
Gabriel held out his hand, with his palm facing Moros. “Place your hand against mine.” Moros did just that, extending his fingers and holding out his palm. Gabriel added, “Now close your eyes.”
Moros closed his eyes as Elpis watched intently. A bright light grew between their hands. In a flash, the light erupted. Elpis used the palm of her hand to shield her eyes.
As the light subsided, Moros opened his eyes to a smiling Gabriel, who said, “That’s it. Now I just have to meet with her and hope she is as willing as you are.”
Elpis walked over to Moros and leaned against him, squeezing his hand and curling her fingers into his.
Gabriel said, “Now that you’re both going to have access to Earth, we’re going to need to teach you how things work there. It’s very different.” Gabriel looked at Elpis. “Especially for you.”
Moros and Elpis were intrigued. Moros asked, “What are we to them?”
Gabriel chuckled. “They have come to call us angels… but if you’re in the committee, we typically tell them we are…
“…Archangels.”
36
Stephen Pandora was at the fair with Lisa Binsby. They, along with the enormous stuffed pink dog at his side, were getting drenched with the water falling from above.
Stephen gazed into Lisa’s green eyes, “You know, I met you on a roller coaster, so I figured the right place to do this would be… on a roller coaster.” Lisa shook her head, not understanding what he was getting at.
Stephen reached into his pocket. “I love you.”
Water dripped down her face. Her long, flowing, brown hair was soaked. Her clothes grew wetter by the second. The light in her eyes illuminated the darkness around him.
Stephen pulled a tiny square box out of his pocket. He got on one knee and snapped it open. A ring sat inside. “Lisa Binsby, will you marry me?”
Stephen took the advice of Ronnie Russell. If Lisa accepted, he would marry her and move to Los Angeles.
Lisa’s eyes filled with tears. She put her hand on her heart to stop it from leaping out of her chest. Her lips pulled back and revealed her teeth as she smiled at him.
Stephen anxiously awaited her answer. Of course she would marry him. She had never met anyone like Stephen. When she was around him, she felt lighter. Her insides felt… brighter. She loved him.
And she was going to marry him.
Lisa smiled and opened her mouth to affirm his offer.
But before she could say anything, petrified screams rang out in the distance.
Moros was not pleased. “I’ve been in the committee a long while. I’ve yet to attend any meetings and I still have not been permitted to visit Earth.”
Raphael, another member of the committee, all-out laughed at him. Raphael was an excitable man, and surprisingly, didn’t take much of anything seriously.
Moros stood stoically amid Raphael’s laughter. “I don’t see what’s funny.”
Raphael calmed himself. “I’m sorry, Little Moro, we’ve just been busy.”
“Thanks to me,” Moros shot back. He looked at Elpis, who sat peacefully on a rock beside a stream that flowed past them. They were in front of a series of small waterfalls that gracefully dropped water all around them.
Raphael held out his arms in defense. “We haven’t interfered with you two, right?”
Moros was annoyed. “I never see my father anymore…”
“He’s been watching over his grandson, who, you need to remember…” Raphael whispered, with a flash of seriousness, “…you are not allowed to interact with.”
Moros replied, “I know. Can we just get this over with?”
Raphael jiggled a dance, shaking his hips and extending his arms. Elpis laughed, prompting a disapproving glare from Moros.
“Let’s do this!” Raphael yelled. He rubbed his hands together.
“The first thing you two need to know is on Earth, people are not like us. They’re instinctual. Primitive… dangerous.” Raphael winked at Elpis and she giggled in return. “Externally, the first thing you’ll notice about them is they age quicker than we do. A hundred times quicker. In a hundred years on Earth, we will only age the equivalent of one year. So many people will be surprised to see you stay the same as they age.
“Internally, they are only in their infancy. What you need to understand is people aren’t as advanced as we are. They aren’t linked with their surroundings. They aren’t even linked with each other. Spiritually, they are dead. They are too busy dealing with the realm of the physical and flirting with the darkness to even realize the importance of the light that’s inside of them. Their light, even at its brightest, does not compare to ours. Unfortunately, it’s only getting worse. People aren’t anywhere near where we anticipated they would be.
/> “Hopefully, he can help them with that. Earth is worth saving. The people can be like us. They just need some help.”
Moros asked, “What if he doesn’t pull it off?”
Raphael’s exuberance vanished. “Then the committee has decided Earth will have to be destroyed. We’ll have to start over somewhere else and learn from our mistakes.”
Raphael looked down in despair. There was no telling if he would pull it off. Raphael noticed the stream gently flowing beneath his feet. “Water. Earth is covered with it.”
Elpis’s eye grew wide. “Really?”
Raphael once again grew in excitement. Water was his favorite part of Earth. “Yes! It’s everywhere!”
Moros grumbled. “What’s so great about water?”
Raphael slyly responded, “You’ll figure that out someday.”
Moros smirked. Unlikely. Water was water.
Raphael continued, “Because the light inside of us is so much brighter, because we are directly connect to The Most High, we are able to do things that are unfathomable by people on Earth. Some of our abilities are perceived as ‘miracles’. Our closeness with our surroundings, our relationship with nature, is simply nonexistent with them. That’s why I need to teach you about Earth. So you don’t go down there, start doing the unexplainable, and draw the attention of the whole world. When I’m done with you, you’ll know how to fit in.”
Hours passed. Raphael equipped them with all the knowledge of Earth they could possibly need. Moros and Elpis learned of their limitations. They learned of Pythors and Occors, two distinct methods of transportation. They learned of people: their capacity for good, and their capacity for evil.
Raphael said, “When you are there to help them, you are to tell them that you are an angel.”
“Why do we have to do that?” Moros asked.
“That is how they know us. Telling them we are from another planet would simply confuse them.”
Raphael stood up. He was a bit sore. It had been hours since he’d been sitting, after all. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need a private word with Elpis.”
