Seraph

  “Anzu, I should have known. Ornias told me he was sticking his beak where it didn’t belong. He is going to pay dearly when I find him.”

  “Speaking of the devil, where is he?”

  “He spends most of his time in his throne room.”

  “Why would Ornias be in the throne room?”

  “He isn’t, that is where the devil is.”

  Kenneth realized his poor choice of words.

  “Right, forgive me. I meant where is Ornias?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Just then one baby cried loudly and another followed in a raucous duet. Lilith rose and saw to the crying babies. Two babies were crying, but the third, the boy whom she had delivered first, simply looked at her with his wide black eyes. Eyes blackened from the pupil to the iris and even the sclera. They looked as black as the Sea of Fire itself, and Lilith thought they were the most beautiful things in all of hell.

  “Babies? What are babies doing here?”

  Lilith ignored him completely. Shaziel limped to her side, sniffed, and licked the babes. Kenneth walked closer to get a better look.

  “Where did they come from?”

  “Earth.”

  “Where’s their mother?”

  “The woman who gave birth to them is not their mother. I am their mother.”

  “Who gave birth to them?”

  “You should know the answer to that question.”

  Kenneth looked puzzled.

  “How should I know?”

  “Because you helped us find her.”

  “Andrea? Wait a minute, where is she? What did you do to her?”

  Lilith turned to face Kenneth and shoved him lightly.

  “Why do you care so much?”

  “Because I love her!”

  “Love? Ha!” she said, shoving him again. “You could not love her—you don’t love anyone. Not even yourself. You claim to love her, but you beat her mercilessly, cursed her, and stopped her from being the one thing she wanted to be most, a mother. I gave that to her. I cared for her. I loved her more than you ever could, even in my hatred for her. If you truly loved her, you wouldn’t have helped us find her. She is no longer in the land of the living thanks to you.”

  Kenneth began to cry loudly.

  “No . . . NO!”

  “Yes! Oh don’t worry. Her suffering is over now, but it is time for you to begin yours once again.”

  “I thought you were here to save me?”

  “Oh come now, naivety is so unattractive.”

  Kenneth fell to his knees and cried profusely, begging not to go back to the coffin in the desert.

  “Please . . . please don’t s-send me . . . back to the d-d-desert.”

  “No, I wouldn’t dream of sending you back there. You have not outlived your usefulness. My children will need a steady diet if they are to grow big and strong.”

  “W-what?”

  “Shaziel.”

  Shaziel roared and mauled Kenneth, shredding him to pieces. Kenneth screamed and tried to get away, but he was powerless to fend off the mammoth beast. Shaziel ripped him open as if he were a rag doll, but she did not eat him. Kenneth was a disfigured, bloody mess by the end of the vicious attack.

  Lilith called off Shaziel and walked to the body with the three babies crawling behind her.

  “W-w-why?” Kenneth whispered.

  “Because this place is hell and there is no escape.” She spoke to her children without looking at them, “Eat my children. You must grow big and strong if you are to avenge your father.”

  The three Nephilim spawn crawled to the open body and ate Kenneth’s flesh, muscles, and even his bones. They ate as much as they could, devouring every part of him. Kenneth was in so much anguish that he would’ve screamed if his vocal chords had been intact. But they weren’t. Hell’s ritual of torture and pain had begun again, and Kenneth was the sacrifice.

  Lilith’s plans had changed and if she played her hand right, she could be nearly unstoppable. The potential of these babies was limitless. She was going to train them to be the most fearsome warriors in all of hell and when they were ready, they would carry out her vengeance.

  She walked up the grassy walkway, leaving her children to devour Kenneth. She looked at her vandalized cave. The only thing left intact was her throne of bones. She sat upon it and thought about Ornias, her companion for nearly 10,000 years. She put her hands on her head and wept bitterly for her fallen friend.

  The rain fell endlessly on the oak-finished coffin of Andrea Lewis-Rose. Most of the small town of Wilsonton were in attendance and paid their respects to a beloved friend. No one knew how she died or why her body was slightly disfigured, save for the Goodwins and Sally. The rumor floating through town was that she was in a head-on collision. The mortician believed she suffered that fate, and the family thought it wise to let him believe, neither confirming nor denying it.

  Black umbrellas, a sea of them, protected the heartbroken crowd from the elements, save one man standing in the back in a black trench coat. The rain fell on his brown face as he looked on in a blank stare with warm brown eyes, listening intently to the preacher’s comforting words.

  “Friends, family . . . we gather here not to mourn the loss, but to celebrate the life of our very special daughter, Andrea Lewis-Rose. To see her light snuffed out so soon is indeed a moment in life when we begin to reflect on our own mortality. Many of us are not only the same age as Andrea but also went to school with her.

  “This tragic event touches us all so deeply, but I don’t believe that Andrea would want us to mourn for her in sadness alone. She would want us to rejoice in the fact that she was a good person. A person who touched all of our lives in extremely special ways. She gave what she could to charity and volunteered her time at out-of-town soup kitchens. She loved children and they loved her. She was a fantastic daughter to her parents, Paul and Ruby Lewis, whom she will now reunite with in God’s great heaven. As we mourn, the earth mourns with us.”

  After he finished his short eulogy, he ended with a simple prayer that he read directly from the Book of Common Prayer.

  “Forasmuch as it hath pleased almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear sister here departed: we therefore commit her body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body that it may be like to his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself. Amen.”

  After the prayer, attendees threw flowers on the casket as it was lowered into the ground and eventually dispersed, hugging family members as they left. Eventually all that was left were the Goodwins: Tommy, Kelly, and Sally. And the only other remaining soul was John, soaked from head to toe, letting the rain fall upon him as if he wanted it to wash his soul clean.

  “John, thank you for everything,” Tommy said through tears.

  “I wish I could have done more.”

  “No . . . no it’s exactly how it should be,” Kelly added. “For as long as I can remember I’ve been praying that she find Jesus as her own personal savior, and yes it’s tragic that it happened this way, but we know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. God used you to bring our long lost sister into the kingdom of heaven, and we will forever be grateful . . . if there is anything that we can do for you, just ask.”

  Tommy and Kelly hugged him and then walked off holding back tears, heading to their car to go on home.

  Sally kept quiet and was still in tears. She felt partially responsible because she advised Andrea to go. Though she knew it was foolish of her to feel that way, she simply couldn’t help it. John approached the grave where Sally stood crying.

  “I-I just can’t stop thinking that this is all my fault.”

  “Sal, what are you talking about?”

  “I-I told h-her she should go with that . . . demon.”
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  “Oh, Sally, there is no way you could’ve known what was going to happen. . . . They plotted against her soul since day one.”

  “I thank you for keeping your promise to us . . .”

  John looked at Sally.

  “. . . You brought her home.”

  John was silent.

  “I . . . I just wish I could see her again.”

  “You will.”

  “I know I’m new to this Christian walk thing, but I just can’t shake the feeling that all this was for nothing. . . . Why did they do this?”

  “They’re demons, do they need a reason? They’re evil.”

  “Yeah, but why?”

  John looked a little lost.

  “I just can’t help but think that something big is coming, and you need to be ready.”

  “I will be.”

  “Damn right you will. I can’t do much, but I’m learning how to talk to God . . . and I’ll talk to him about you.”

  Sally gave John a big hug and walked to her car where Officer Smalls was waiting. Andrea was buried and everyone was gone. John stood alone.

  He knew that Sally was right. Something was coming. David gave him a hint, and Sally gave him confirmation. He knew that whatever test was coming he needed to be prayed up and physically ready to take on the second part of Lilith’s plan.

  “Andrea . . . I’m glad to have met you,” John said. “Heaven gained a strong warrior, and I gained a sister. The enemy plotted against you and stole your life, but I’m going to make them pay. I promise.”

  The rain soaked his black trench coat and drenched his head. Tears mixed with rain. John bent his knees and flew high into the air. Through the pain. Through the rain. Through the clouds into the bright beaming sunlight that shone above them and flew home.

  By the time John arrived at his rooftop, it was well into the night. He was unaware of what was going on in New York (at his job that he was sure he had lost by now) or with Camilla. He was completely out of the loop and knew that she was going to give him an earful when he saw her.

  He opened the roof door and walked down the stairs to his apartment. He stuck his key into the keyhole and opened the door. Home sweet home. He missed the familiarity, his coffee table, his kitchen, his television that was being watched by Camilla.

  She looked at him, angry but relieved. He looked at her and she at him, but she didn’t say a word. John looked at her, sensing he was in hot water with the mixed beauty. He walked to his closet and hung up his trench coat and when he turned around she was behind him. How she moved without him hearing so much as a creek in the floor escaped him.

  John formed his lips to speak, but he was interrupted before he could utter a sound.

  “Two weeks. You’ve been gone for two weeks without so much as a phone call. I’ve been worrying about you nonstop. You’re all over the news . . . they don’t know it’s you, but I know that all the weird stuff has to be you.”

  “Weird stuff?”

  “Yeah, like a kid being found next to a tree that fell on her kidnapper, there weren’t any trees around. The little girl says it fell from the sky. There’s even footage of a ‘bright light’ shooting into the night sky and disappearing from the woods in Missouri . . . was that you?”

  “I can explain.”

  John didn’t right away, which prompted Camilla to roll her eyes and fold her arms over her chest.

  “I’m waiting.”

  John led her to the couch and told her the entire story, sparing no details.

  “Unbelievable.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Is your hand better?”

  She grabbed and inspected his hand.

  “Yeah, it’s like I never lost it.”

  “That’s some story . . . I’m sorry to give you attitude; I just missed you so much.”

  “I missed you too . . . more than you can even imagine.”

  “What is heaven like?”

  “It’s indescribable . . . but I don’t really know because I was only there for an hour and a half, and I was asleep for most of it.”

  “An hour and a half?”

  “Yeah . . . their time, but for the little time that I was awake, I can tell you that it was the most magnificent place I’ve ever seen or experienced.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, I didn’t want to come back to earth.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yeah . . . There is so much love there, almost like that’s what you breathe instead of oxygen.”

  “Well, I may not be an angel, but I can give you a few reasons to come back to earth.”

  Camilla kissed John passionately. Her lips were soft and as sweet as the caramel her complexion resembled. He kissed her like he’d never see her again and almost got lost in her embrace.

  “Wait.” John pulled away.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “We can’t do this?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “We can’t have sex again.”

  “What?”

  “We have to wait.”

  “John, I don’t understand.”

  “We have to wait or my powers won’t work.”

  “I’m sorry? What the heck are you talking about?”

  “My powers, they don’t work if I sin.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. What . . . you have to be perfect now?”

  “No, no I can’t keep sinning. If I do, I’ll lose my power. That’s how I got hurt.”

  “So you’re trying to say that to keep your precious little power you can’t be with me anymore.”

  “Yeah, you get it?”

  “Oh yeah, I get it. I’m in the way and you don’t want to be with me.”

  “Yeah . . . NO! That’s not what I’m saying at all.”

  “No, I understand. You’re a real piece of work, John. I give you the most sacred part of me, the part of me I was saving for my husband, the man I hoped would be you, and you come up with this cockamamie story about how you can’t protect the world if you aren’t single, after you’ve already taken my most prized possession . . . I can’t believe you would do that to me!”

  “No, Camilla, let me explain.”

  “No, I’ve heard enough. Screw you, John.”

  It was too late. Camilla heard what she heard and was too hurt to comprehend or listen to any explanation John could offer. She took some of her things, said she would be back for the rest later, slammed the door, and left John’s apartment with tears streaming down her beautiful face. John held his face in his hands and collapsed in his chair. He considered chasing her but didn’t know whether he should or whether he should just let her go. This was their first fight, and he really didn’t know how to handle the situation.

  John was starving but had lost his appetite. Coupled with his extreme physical and mental exhaustion, he decided the best course of action would be to go to sleep. He’d deal with Camilla when he had the energy for it. Even though sleep wouldn’t come easy, it was the right choice.

  John had been asleep for nearly two hours after struggling most of the night, but when he finally fell asleep he slept soundly until the beautiful Camilla woke him. He saw her face, heard her voice, and felt her soft touch. They kissed each other passionately. John found himself doing exactly what he told Camilla he shouldn’t be doing until he realized something was wrong.

  “Camilla, what are you doing here? I told you we can’t do this, not like this.”

  “Oh, John, you’re so sexy when you resist me.”

  “What are you doing? Get off!”

  “Just relax, baby, I’ll make you feel good.”

  “Stop . . . no . . . ,” he whispered.

  “C’mon . . .”

  “I said NO!”

  He woke. John lay in bed, sweating and wondering what had just happened. He got out of bed and got a glass of water. It was one o’clock.

  When John went back to bed he was asleep again in minutes, yet he had another visitor. It
was the gorgeous Andrea Lewis-Rose, and this visit was more vivid than the first. He could feel her golden hair on his flesh and he even tasted her lips. Her thighs were wrapped around his body, and he was in utter confusion as to what was happening.

  “Andrea?”

  “John,” she said with a seductive smile

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I just want to thank you for rescuing me.”

  “You already did.”

  “No, I want to really thank you.”

  She kissed him deeply and John was confused. Why was she here? They had no mutual attraction for each other. He loved Camilla. Andrea put her hands on his body and began reaching down.

  “Don’t. No. Stop.”

  “Don’t you mean, ‘No, don’t stop’?” She giggled.

  “STOP!”

  Again he woke up. John was sweating even more now; that dream was more vivid than the first. He lay in bed but realized that he had to go to the bathroom, so he answered nature’s call, splashed some water on his tired face, and went back to bed. Two o’clock.

  Once again he found himself asleep and once again he had another visit, this time with the angelic Sophia. This dream was more graphic than the first two. He could smell her and feel the heat of her fire. He touched her and she touched him. Their bodies became a tangled mess.

  “Yes, John, take me.”

  “Sophia?”

  “Shhh . . .”

  “What is this trickery?”

  “This isn’t a trick.”

  “Have you been doing this to me?”

  “Yes . . .”

  “Why?”

  “I didn’t know if you would take me in my actual form, so I visited you as Camilla and Andrea.”

  “Why in the world would you do this to me?”

  “I’ve never been in love before . . .”

  “Love? You don’t love me. I don’t love you in that way.”

  “Don’t you think I’m beautiful? You want your whore, Camilla?”

  John realized this most certainly was not Sophia. How can an angel of the Lord speak against those whom she has sworn to protect in service to the Father?

  “I don’t know who you are, but I command you to leave. You just wait until I speak with Jesus about what you have done. Get out.”