“Yeah. I was mostly talking about the little house part,” Eddie said, pointing to the rickety one-story building with a gable roof and tiny steeple that faced the clearing.
“That looks more like an old church,” Antony said.
“It is, or was, St. Michael’s Church,” Malika said. “It was built shortly after the gold rush, but it has been abandoned for close to fifty years.”
“Please tell me we don’t have to go to mass,” Eddie joked.
“You do not. The church will serve as your new home.”
“Good. ‘Cause I already did my time in Catholic school.”
Malika started for the church. Charlie and the other orphans followed her inside the neglected house of worship.
The interior of the church had held up only slightly better than the exterior. There were ten rows of pews that looked like they could be knocked over by a stiff breeze. They faced a tiny altar and stained-glass window that was missing half of its panels.
“Are you sure this place wasn’t abandoned more than fifty years ago?” Naomi said. She ran her finger across the top of a pew and picked up a Swiffer sheet’s worth of dust. “This looks more like a hundred years’ worth of dust.”
“I am sure of it,” Malika said.
“At least it has a bathroom,” Charlie said as he opened a door in the back. He immediately began to gag from the dank stench that he had accidentally unleashed. He slammed the door shut and let out a couple more coughs. “Never mind. That’s just a hole. We definitely want to keep that closed.”
“Great,” JP said. “It looks like we get to go to the bathroom in the woods.”
“I’ve always liked peeing outside,” Eddie said.
“I guess we’ll get to find out if Henry David Thoreau was right,” Antony said.
“Why? What did the guy that shot Lincoln say?”
Antony shook his head in disbelief. “He didn’t shoot Lincoln. That was John Wilkes Booth.”
“Oh, yeah, you’re right,” Eddie said. “He shot Kennedy.”
“That was Lee Harvey Oswald,” Charlie said.
“Thank you,” Antony said.
“Then who did that Henry guy shoot?” Eddie asked.
“He didn’t shoot anyone. He was an author, philosopher, and abolitionist. And he wrote the book Walden.”
“Are you positive he didn’t shoot a guy named Walden, too? ‘Cause only shooters and serial killers get three names.”
“Yes, I’m positive. Anyway, my point was that Henry David Thoreau said that most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. So we’ll get to see if that’s true or not.”
The other orphans didn’t respond. They just looked at Antony curiously.
“What?” Antony said.
“Are you sure you’re from South Central?” Naomi said. “‘Cause you could’ve fooled me.”
“Me, too,” Charlie agreed.
Antony chuckled at their questioning his street cred. “Yeah, I’m from South Central. I just used to read a lot. Like I said before, I’m not some stereotype.”
“I don’t think any of us are,” JP said. “And while that was a fantastic quote and all, I can’t imagine that toilets actually prevent the elevation of mankind. And even if they did, I’d rather hold humanity back than crap in the woods.”
“I realize this place is not perfect,” Malika said, “but it will be perfect for us. No one will think to look for you here, and the holy ground will provide protection from the Beasts.”
“Does that mean we’re finally safe?” Naomi asked.
“It does.”
“So you can tell us what the hell is going on.”
Malika nodded. “You all might as well have a seat.”
The orphans wiped the dust off of the pews up front before grabbing seats. Charlie went to sit by Naomi, but JP beat him to it. Charlie settled for a seat across the aisle next to Antony and Eddie.
“Are any of you familiar with The Great War?” Malika asked as she took to the altar.
“Are you talking about World War I or II?” Charlie said.
“Neither.”
“I doubt you’re talking about World War Z,” Eddie said, “because it was really good, but I wouldn’t say it was great.”
Naomi rolled her eyes at Eddie. “Can you not turn it off?”
“Not that I know of.”
“You’re talking about the war in Heaven, right?”
“Yes, I am,” Malika said. “The final battle of which is actually depicted on the mural behind me.” She pointed to the stained-glass window. Even with much of the glass missing, it was still possible to make out the image of Saint Michael defeating the Devil. “The Great War was the first war, and it forever changed both Heaven and Earth.” The heaviness in Malika’s voice and the weight of her words silenced the orphans, who remained rapt as she revealed the history of The Great War.
Malika explained that the seeds of the war were planted when Lucifer, one of God’s highest-ranking—and also most prideful—angels, first took exception to God’s unwavering love for mankind. What started out as petty jealousy grew like a weed in fertile soil to become complete resentment for all human life.
Lucifer detested the fact that the angels were tasked with protecting what he saw as such inferior beings. Eventually, he became so disillusioned with God and the kingdom of Heaven that he set forth to stage a rebellion. He was able to recruit many angels who sided with him.
One Sabbath morning, Lucifer and his army launched their attack. The war pitted friend against friend, brother against brother. The battles waged for years.
In the end, Lucifer and his army were defeated and banished from Heaven. Lucifer was so furious after his defeat that he slaughtered all of those who had willingly followed him.
“I’m confused,” Naomi said after Malika finished explaining Lucifer’s massacre. “Angels can die?”
“In heaven? No,” Malika said. “On Earth? Yes, they can. However, not in the same way that you have been taught to think of death. All things born of God are divine. And that which is divine never truly dies. It merely changes form, or starts anew.”
“Can you repeat that in English, please?” Eddie said.
“They are reborn as new souls. And eventually humans, to work their way back to the highest levels.”
“Close enough,” Eddie said with a shrug. “Continue.”
“After killing his army, Lucifer set out to build a new army of followers. No longer bound by the laws of Heaven, he exploited his angelic powers to gain his legion, offering his assistance for their sworn obedience. His first recruit was actually someone that all of you are familiar with, especially you, Charlie.”
“Cain,” Charlie said softly.
“Yes. While Charlie’s house was most likely the first time the rest of you have seen him, you most likely heard about Cain from the Old Testament.”
“No way,” Naomi said. “The son of Adam? The one who killed his younger brother Abel?”
The other orphans shot Naomi the same confused looks that they had shot Antony.
Naomi shrugged them off. “Antony isn’t the only one who used to read. I did a couple years of Hebrew school.”
Malika continued, “Lucifer found Cain wandering in the desert. He had the mark of God on his face. It would look like an N to all of you, but it is really an aleph. The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. God gave it to Cain to force him to live with what he’d done, and to let everyone know he was the first—firstborn, and first to kill. But the scar isn’t his only mark. Lucifer gave him a branding of his own. The mark of the beast: three sixes over his heart. It was the number of angels who had failed him. He gives that mark to all who have joined him. To remind them of what happens if they fail.�
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“Sounds like a pretty crazy guy,” Eddie said. “I mean, obviously, he’s crazy.”
“After his army had grown sufficiently,” Malika said, “Lucifer retreated to the underworld. He left his army of Beasts to grow on their own, to recruit new members and do his bidding.”
“That still doesn’t explain why they came after our parents,” Charlie said. Even with everything that he had learned in the past week, the answer to his next question still evaded him. “What did they have to do with any of that?”
“The answer is twofold,” Malika said. “There are angels, like myself, who were part of the genesis of Heaven. But since the original creation of angels, all new angels were elevated through their works, through their lives on Earth, with only the strongest of souls ascending to the rank of guardian.”
“So our parents were on their way to becoming angels?” Naomi said, in awe of this revelation.
“That is most likely the reason they were targeted,” Malika said. “Not only do the Beasts gain strength from the power of the souls they collect, but in doing so, they prevent the potential creation of an angel. In addition, the lost memories that vanish with every stolen soul also weaken the collective spirit of mankind. This compounding effect decreases the likelihood of any future angels even more, which serves to expedite their ultimate objective.”
“And their ultimate objective is?” Eddie asked.
While Eddie needed hand-holding, Charlie had already filled in the pieces to the puzzle. “To launch another attack on Heaven.”
Malika nodded.
The orphans shook their heads in disbelief.
“Awesome,” JP said. “A second Great War. Do you at least have any idea when it’s coming?”
“Unfortunately, we do not,” Malika said. “All that is known is that the collective spirit has never been so weak, and Heaven has never been so vulnerable.”
“So in theory, it could come any minute,” Antony said.
“Yes, it could,” Malika said. “The likelihood only increases with each second that passes.”
“Well, that’s really reassuring,” Eddie said sarcastically, and then buried his head in his hands.
“I would encourage all of you to focus on that which is reassuring instead of that which is not.”
“What, exactly, should we be reassured by?” Charlie said.
“By the fact that there is something you can do about it,” Malika said. “When you succeed in destroying the Beasts and freeing your parents’ souls, you will not only save all of the other souls that are trapped inside and create new angels, you will also weaken Lucifer’s army and delay their attack. The more Beasts you destroy, the longer the delay.”
“What if we don’t delay their attack in time?” Charlie said. “What if they strike before we can save our parents? Then what happens to them?”
“You will still have the ability to save them. However, the task will become exponentially more challenging.”
“Hold on a second,” Naomi said. “You keep saying ‘you.’ What about ‘we’? When are the rest of our guardian angels, and all the other angels, for that matter, coming to help us?”
“Yeah,” Eddie said, ditching his doldrums and getting pumped up. “They need to swoop down here and kick some serious Devil ass!”
The other orphans excitedly agreed with Eddie. All of their spirits were lifted by the thought of assistance from the army of angels. It made everything that Malika had told them much more palatable.
“When are they planning on joining us?” Charlie asked.
“There are no such plans,” Malika said, matter-of-factly.
All of the wind was instantly knocked out of Charlie and the other orphans’ lungs. They didn’t consider Malika’s disclosure to be the minor detail that she treated it as. No, this wasn’t the kind of information that was just slipped in the back section of the daily paper. This was front-page news—and terrible news, at that.
“It is much too risky,” Malika added. “Because of the work of Lucifer and his army, there has not been an angel created in over one hundred years. Any meaningful loss suffered would only tip the scales in the balance of good and evil even further, and ensure that Lucifer would be victorious when he eventually attacks. It was for this reason that Michael the Archangel barred any angels from coming to Earth.”
Antony was the first to get his breath and voice back. “I don’t get it,” he said. “If angels are barred from coming to Earth, how did you get here?”
“I broke the rules to save all of you. I will face severe punishment upon my return, and possible expulsion. It was a choice that I made, but I do not expect any of my brethren to do the same.”
“So what are you saying?” Charlie said, choking on his words as he struggled to get the clarification that they all needed. “That all the other angels are just gonna sit this one out. That, besides you, we’re on our own.”
Malika didn’t say a word; she simply nodded.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The orphans were speechless. None of them could believe that they were expected to take on Lucifer’s army alone. That more than just the fate of their parents was depending on them. That potentially, the weight of the world and the heavens above rested firmly on their shoulders. It was unfathomable. It was unrealistic. It was—
“Bullshit!” JP snapped. “This is bullshit!”
“Yeah,” Eddie said.
Charlie was about to agree when JP chimed in again.
“I didn’t sign up for this,” JP griped.
“Me, either,” Naomi added.
Charlie zipped his lips. He knew that if he spoke, the attention would shift to him, and most likely so would the anger. After all, he was the one who had gotten them into this situation. It was his post that had brought the orphans together. He was the one who deserved their vitriol and blame, not Malika.
Charlie couldn’t blame the others for being upset, either. None of them had officially agreed to his proposal before they were forced from his house. And even Charlie wasn’t sure if he would have agreed to the mission if he’d known then everything that he knew at that moment. A large part of him regretted ever making the post and reaching out to the others. He wished he could just take it all back.
“You realize we don’t stand a chance, right?” JP said.
“You are correct,” Malika said. “If you believe you do not stand a chance, you most certainly will not stand a chance.”
“Great pep talk,” Eddie said, sarcastically clapping his hands. “You’re a regular Vince Lombardi.”
“I am not giving you a pep talk. I am merely giving you the truth.”
“Well, for future reference, in situations like this, most people prefer pep talks.”
“What makes you think we can even do this?” Naomi said.
“I have seen it done,” Malika said.
“So there were other kids like us?”
“Not kids, and many years ago, but yes.”
“So they were older than us and they still lost, right?” JP said. “Obviously, they had to—otherwise we wouldn’t be here right now, and our parents would still be alive.”
“Their past holds no bearing on your present or your future,” Malika said. “I will teach you everything you need to know to rescue your parents’ souls. I will teach you to believe.”
“This is crazy,” JP said. “We should just quit while we’re ahead. Or at least before we get even further behind.”
“No,” Antony said, finally jumping into the conversation with authority. “We should let Malika finish explaining. I don’t like this any more than you guys, but she was right about what she said before, there is no going back. So we might as well go forward and at least hear what she has to say.”
JP, Eddie, and Naomi quieted.
Charlie sighed inwardly, rel
ieved that the tension seemed to be subsiding and that the finger-pointing had not made it in his direction.
Antony nodded for Malika to continue.
“Thank you,” Malika said. “Each and every one of you has the potential to unleash unlimited powers that will allow you not only to battle Lucifer’s Beasts, but to be victorious.”
“Let me guess,” Eddie said flippantly, “everything we need is inside us, right?”
“Actually, it is. There is no better way to doom someone to failure than to convince them that they do not have control over their success. The world you live in has done this many times over. However, the reality is that you are the most important factor in determining your success. When you come to accept this much as fact and truly believe in yourself, it creates the opportunity for unlimited potential, and you can do wonders.” Malika surveyed the orphans’ faces, all of which showed varying degrees of uncertainty and skepticism. “Right now, the path as you see it may appear to be unnavigable. But I implore you to focus on the first step that you must take and not the last. For the road ahead is anything but static and will most certainly change course many times along the way.”
“What’s the first step?” Naomi said.
“Accepting the challenge. You must willingly choose to follow your path.”
“We can’t go home,” Eddie said. “And the other angels are in Heaven picking their butts. So it looks like we don’t have much of a choice, do we?”
“Yes, you do,” Malika said. “You always have a choice.”
“Well, not a good one.”
“That is a matter of perception, which in itself is also a choice. There is only one way for all of you to succeed at this, or at anything that you truly desire to accomplish in your lifetimes: You must be 100 percent committed, and you must be willing to put in the necessary work.”
“I’ve already made up my mind,” Antony said. “I’m gonna save my dad. I’ll put in the work. I’m 100 percent.”
The Orphans (Orphans Trilogy Book 1) Page 14
