Autumn buried her face in Devon’s shoulder and shivered. “I can’t watch anymore.”
Devon stroked her back in an attempt to comfort her, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the angel and Alex.
***
Satan saw Jesus Christ’s feet touch the Mount of Olives before he heard the low rumble that shook the entire Earth. When he looked up, he saw an angel flying toward him. The angel carried a key and a great chain. Satan trembled. The key. That was the key to the bottomless pit. He tried to flee, but he couldn’t move. He glanced around for someone who might help him, except the Earth was opening up and the fallen angels and super soldiers were falling into the great chasm that grew wider and wider.
The angel reached him and bound him in the chain so Satan couldn’t escape. As Satan cursed God, the angel flew him into the abyss that awaited him. He passed others of his kind who were being bound by other angels, and further still he went until he was in the bowels of the Earth and secured. He continued to curse God while he gnashed his teeth in pain.
***
Alex sprung for the angel’s sword, but the angel flew into the air. Devon couldn’t be sure, but it didn’t seem like Alex even knew there was an angel in the vicinity. He seemed to be led completely by the grey.
Devon didn’t notice the rumbling sound at first. He thought it was his imagination. But the Earth shook beneath him and the grey yelled and cursed something in a language Devon didn’t understand. The ground split open where Alex stood, and though Alex made a move to run from the chasm forming beneath him, a screaming fallen angel reached out and grabbed his ankles. Alex dug his fingers into the dirt and tried to claw his way from the chasm, but the fallen angel overcame him. With a shriek of despair, Alex fell into the flames the leapt up to receive him.
In the next instant, the Earth closed up, and Devon remained still, not sure if he trusted his senses to tell him what was going on anymore. Everything he’d seen was unreal. All he could do was hold Autumn and hope it was over.
The angel went over to him and smiled. “It is safe for you to go back to Bismarck. When the Lord steps into the Temple, the sun will light the sky once more.”
Devon watched as the angel flew into the dark sky. He wasn’t sure what to expect from this moment forward. But he knew Autumn would be with him, and for now, that was enough.
***
The Earth’s chasm closed up on Megiddo and all that remained of those who battled the angels and saints were human and horse carcasses. The field ran red with blood. It was a somber moment for all who remained and took in the extent of the violence done on the Earth. But a new day had come. As Jesus Christ led his horse forward, the saints and angels followed, singing His praises.
Epilogue
Six months later
Given permission to travel to Bismarck, she did. As she left her post, she took the time to examine the Earth, noting it was still healing from the bitter wars fought over mankind’s history. But this was a new day, and this time, war had ceased for the Prince of Peace ruled from Jerusalem. She thought it was a beautiful sight to see people of all nations joined with the angels in giving glory to Jesus Christ. All of nature was at rest. The lion and lamb shared the same space without thought to how things had been when Satan and his minions led the affairs of the world.
She was eager to see her sister, but she didn’t want to rush her trip. Upon her return to Earth, she had many things to do in Washington DC to help establish the new ruling body to serve under the King of Kings that she didn’t take a good look at the planet. Now, as she did, she noted the clean air and water, the mountains and plains, the flowers and trees. In many ways, the Earth was different, and yet, it was the same.
And then the day came when she arrived in Bismarck. Her white robe and crown told everyone who saw her that she had been a part of the church age in human history. She could have taken a cab to reach the residence she needed, but she opted to walk. Her new body resembled her old one, minus the weaknesses. She could walk and never grow tired. She didn’t need to sleep or eat, though from time to time, she chose to. All of her senses were sharper than before, so she chose to use her sense of sight to find the house she needed when she reached the beginning of a street in a suburban neighborhood.
She found the yellow house and smiled, her heartbeat picking up at the realization she would finally see her sister again. As she neared the house, she realized her sister was outside, tending to some flowers. Wishing to surprise her, she kept her footsteps silent as she walked up to the front porch.
Unable to hide her excitement any longer, she called out, “Autumn?” in a soft voice.
Autumn looked up from the flowerbed and gasped. “Marianne?”
She laughed, even as tears came to her eyes. “Yes. It’s me.”
Autumn rushed forward and hugged her.
Marianne wrapped her arms around her and cried, holding onto her for a long moment. Even if it’d been years since they last saw one another, in many ways, it felt like it’d been in the blink of an eye. Pulling away from Autumn, she wiped the tears from Autumn’s face. “I thought this was going to be a joyous reunion.”
Autumn chuckled and nodded. “It is. Oh Marianne, I never thought I’d see you again. It’s been so long since the vanishing, and I wanted so badly to see you.”
“I wanted to see you too. I’m glad you’re here.” She clasped her sister’s hands and noticed the protruding belly. “Autumn, you’re pregnant?”
With a shy smile, she rubbed her stomach. “Six months along.”
“That’s wonderful. And I told you it would happen for you, didn’t I?”
She rolled her eyes. “I guess that goes to show that you know everything.” The front door to the house opened, and Autumn took Marianne’s hand and led her forward. “Marianne, this is my husband, Devon. Devon, this is my sister, Marianne.”
Devon walked down the porch steps so he could shake her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I hope it’s been good things,” Marianne teased.
“Only the best,” he assured her. “It’s nice to finally put a name with a face.”
She smiled from Devon to Autumn, noting the way he slipped his arm around Autumn’s waist and the glow on Autumn’s face and rejoiced that her sister was doing so well. “So, what do you two do?”
“I’m in charge of making sure the local government structure acts according to the King’s laws so corruption doesn’t settle in,” he replied.
“And I don’t work retail,” Autumn added.
Knowing how much Autumn dreaded her job at the mall, Marianne laughed.
As the three continued to talk, the angel flew by, close enough to enjoy the reunion but not so close as to interfere. He smiled, lifted his wings, and traveled higher into the air, content to look down and see the many others who were being reunited with their loved ones. And then he spanned the sky where other angels flew to enjoy the peace that had finally come to Earth. After watching the fallen angels meddle in human affairs, it was nice to see God in control. Content, he continued his flight toward Jerusalem to receive the next message he would deliver.
Return of the Aliens Page 32