The Unforgiven Sin

by R. Twine

  At last we approached a giant blue planet surrounded by a silvery ring. Other creatures came flying to meet us; they took my sphere over and carried it into a blue abyss. The color of this planet was rich: it was the first time in my life that I had seen such beauty. We were flying between light-blue bubbles with extra-terrestrial creatures inside them….

  Those who accompanied me didn’t have wings but nevertheless they traveled through space at a considerable speed. They wore blindingly blue garments and when they touched something I saw weak discharges flashing out. Their eyes sparkled with deep blue color. The extra-terrestrial creatures were humble and blessed with rare beauty.

  I saw a huge throne in the distance; sitting on it was a creature of giant proportions resembling from far-off a man with long hair cascading down onto his shoulders. The throne was carved out in a huge crystal boulder which gave off an opalescent glow that changed its color constantly as if adjusting itself to its Master’s mood. In his hand the Mighty Creature held a white staff crowned with a jewel of incredible proportions; the jewel emanated a powerful glow. The Giant was breathing slowly, sending into space billions of white sparks which were shaking in the air and then falling down to his giant whiter-than-snow feet. The Giant was clad in bright garments on which small stars would occasionally flicker on and off, still incapable of independent existence. Was he asleep? Or was he thinking of something, head lowered onto his chest?

  Standing motionlessly at a safe distance from him were angels, their heads lowered meekly. Some of them held fans in their hands, slowly fanning the shimmering Giant. I saw other heavenly servants in the distance – there were hosts of them there, but each of them was in a predetermined place carrying out his work. No one dared approach the Giant, fearing that He would involuntarily crush to pieces anyone who happened to be too close to Him. It looked as though this domain had no boundaries at all; the planet itself seemed to be merging into the Universe. No one was able to come here freely. This was the Center of the Universe where everything was created and born to live and then perish into the memory of the Universe when the time comes, sinking into non-existence.

  Who were the ones kept in other bubbles, found here in great numbers? This I didn’t know. Who was he, this enormous elderly man sitting asleep on his throne? And why was it that nobody could or dared to approach this grey-haired master?

  I was alone in my shell; it hung in the air, rocking slightly and waiting for its turn. Everybody seemed to be under strict supervision there, and it looked to me as though time weren’t counted there at all. Sometimes angels would come to collect the bubbles with creatures in them, and then merge again into a bluish haze.

  The Giant raised his head. Everything around him froze. His eyes, as dark as night, were looking thoughtfully into space. Suddenly he stood up abruptly, sending powerful vibrations through the air. The master of the planet was so enormous that it seemed to me he could collect all the stars in the skies with his hands. Could it be that this mysterious Giant was the Lord of the Universe in person?

  Two strangers, clearly the local inhabitants, took my sphere and put it inside another one which was bigger than mine and rotating. My body hung in the air. Thousands of threads began permeating me, examining every particle of my body. They enwrapped my hands, my legs – all of me. After my heart was examined to its last millimeter, a transparent shell was put on it. Small crystals were implanted into my eyes. My belly went cold. I closed my eyes and sank into oblivion…

  The Giant was staring at me from far-off with his dark eyes. Creatures were rotating around him in their bubbles; sometimes he would cast his glance at them as if evaluating the work done. Was he thinking about something else or deciding my fate? My visions disappeared, and I sank into shining depths which enwrapped me and started preparing me for my new life on Earth.

  ‘Miriam,’ I heard the powerful voice. ‘How do you feel?’

  At that moment it seemed to me that everything happening to me could only be the product of my imagination or the result of my subconscious mind functioning.

  ‘I cannot feel my body but my soul is with me,’ I replied without opening my mouth.

  ‘The Threads of Light will be protecting your body on Earth after your return. But don’t forget to take care of yourself, make sure you don’t get severely wounded because your body must stay intact,’ he warned me and then added benevolently. ‘You may take a look at what’s going on in this forbidden Kingdom.’

  The transparent shell which contained my body ascended slowly and started drifting through the air.

  ‘We’re engaged here in creating and strengthening the creatures that live throughout the endless Universe,’ he explained. ‘It is here that new Creations appear; later on they descend onto the planet where they will live. We monitor their development.’

  I gazed at “God’s creations”, so different in their size, kept in their transparent bubbles just like I was.

  ‘But what if these creatures don’t correspond to your plan?’ I asked. ‘What fate will await them in such a case?’

  ‘They will be stripped of their future,’ he answered. ‘They will be stripped of their right to propagate, and in time they will disappear, to be replaced by new ones. Only those who really deserve it have the right to live. We support only those who have managed to climb to a higher evolutional level having endured all the trials they’d undergone in the course of time. Everyone, without exception, has the initial data of creation embedded in him but few are capable of making use of it. No planet where life exists has positive sides only. We make sure everybody undergoes trials! Strong civilizations knowledgeable in the principle of propagation can sink into non-existence making way for a new civilization, only to make sure the new one reaches a higher evolutional level. Thus, we can evaluate the capabilities of this or that civilization. Sooner or later, all inhabitants of our Universe go beyond the boundaries of their particular planet to find out if there are inhabitants other than themselves. Sure enough, there are a lot of various inhabitants in the Universe. And only those who undermine the balance will be doomed to perish forever, turning into energy accumulations and sinking forever into the memory of the Universe.’

  The Shimmering Giant moved carefully around the Universe, trying not to brush against planets and galaxies which looked like dwarves compared to him. His heavenly throne in the center of the Universe was the very point around which the planets moved along their predetermined paths against the background of darkness. The entire surrounding world had been commanded to live, evolve and move constantly.

  I was standing by the window. It was dark outside. My hands were emanating a slight glow. My body hadn’t changed; it remained the same as it had been. I didn’t know yet what’d happened to me, but I already sensed the changes within me, an invisible force lurking inside.

  I went out onto the terrace, sat on the sofa, stretched out my legs and began marveling at the panorama of a star-studded night sky. I watched a weak shimmering light in dark-blue skies thinking about the faraway blue planet where the process of creating new inhabitants of the worlds went on; these new inhabitants being added every day to the living beings already existing in our boundless Universe.

  Chapter 35

  ‘Miriam,’ I heard the familiar voice.

  ‘Archangel!’

  ‘The first-ever people had the Threads of Light in their bodies, and the human body was immortal. But after the expulsion from Eden the threads were destroyed, and human bodies have suffered death and burial ever since. Now your threads have been reestablished; they give you the opportunity of having the same immortal body you had from the moment of your creation. Besides, the Threads of Light,’ he went on, ‘can serve as a protection against the Dark Forces. But if your vital organs happen to get critically damaged, your body will die, but will not decay!’ the Archangel warned me. ‘Take care of yourself, Miriam. The first-ever people were punished, for they had disobeyed their Creator by following the Serpent’s advice. But i
t wasn’t this original sin alone that became the burden of mankind; people also had to carry the burden of innocent Abel’s blood spilled by Cain,’ the Archangel went on. ‘A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, but these two sins still continue to plague every human being. In order to stop the stream of blood being spilt ever since, we need to create a civilization capable of conquering the gene of destruction lurking within itself. It is only in this way that man will be able to put everything in reverse and to return to the time when he had been living in peace with himself, unaware of sin and violence…’

  ‘Do you mean all those living on our planet have to perish? Or a minority of them shall remain in order to set up a new civilization? But it looks very much like what Satanail’s trying to achieve! Do you want the same thing?’ I asked.

  ‘Your civilization is in for major changes,’ the Archangel explained. ‘You need these changes to either survive or die out completely. Mankind is the master of its own fate! Initially, you have the basis of goodness and the gene of holiness embedded in you which help you in your fight not only against Satanail, but against yourself, too. And this fight is going to decide which one of them will take the upper hand: humanity or the Prince of Darkness! From now on you will be able to start to accomplish your main mission. But always keep in mind the following: the Black Angel is very dangerous, if he feels that the longed-for purpose of absolute power is becoming unattainable, he can take extreme measures against not only your loved ones but against you as well. Satanail can turn into anybody; he’s capable of turning even into me, if he wishes it. He can easily manipulate those who surround you,’ the Archangel warned me once again.

  I nodded in agreement and said, ‘Poor Michael, he won’t believe it… Natalie’s still in a coma… Is there any chance of her surviving?’

  ‘Yes, there is.’

  The Archangel went silent again and then said quietly after a long pause, ‘Miriam, your parents died in the car accident set up by Satanail. By doing so, he wanted to get closer to you. Once you were alone, you became more vulnerable to his encroachments.’

  Having learned that my parents had died because of the rivalry between the two Kingdoms, I felt ill at ease. The old wound opened and began aching again.

  ‘Why didn’t you prevent that car crash from happening?’ I asked him.

  ‘Nothing happened to you, and this factor was the most crucial for us,’ he replied, avoiding a direct answer.

  ‘The accident Satanail had masterminded was carried out by human hands, wasn’t it?’ I asked. ‘Besides, there once was an accident in which Samuel could have died as well… Who are those people that serve the Prince of Darkness?’

  ‘The course of your life is the main thing for us: from the moment of your conception to the moment of your passing on. You were the first-ever woman: it all began with you, and with you it all will end,’ the Archangel said, unfazed, without answering my questions.

  ‘It all will end?! But what specifically will end? Why don’t you want to free mankind from Satanail now, from his influence and from the fiery abyss awaiting us all?’ I yelled.

  ‘Because it is you who must cast Satanail into the fiery abyss,’ he replied. ‘It’s either you or your descendants who must do this…’

  ‘Me? My descendants? But it sounds absurd!’ I said.

  ‘The process of getting rid of Satanail shall begin as early as now. And this job will have to be done by you, humans, not by us, the heavenly forces. Otherwise, if you don’t accomplish your mission, you will undergo punishment! From now on, only your intellect will be capable of finding the right solution to this problem!’ concluded the Archangel and disappeared.

  I was sitting beside Natalie. At first sight it might have seemed as though she were sleeping the eternal sleep, and only by her chest that was heaving slightly could I see that she was alive. That she was breathing.

  ‘Natalie, I miss you so much,’ I whispered, stroking the violet threads of veins on her hand. ‘Please, don’t leave me; I need you so badly…’ My tears were falling down onto the back of her hand. It hurt. I didn’t want to accept the fact that I may never see her again. ‘I’ll be waiting for you, Nat. You’re going to pull through, and everything will be all right – as it has been before. You’ll see it for yourself. We all love you very much, Nat, please, don’t go away…’

  There were two figures standing on both sides of the bed. One of them was clad in translucent shining garments, and his face emanated calmness, mercy and humbleness. The other one was too familiar to me not to recognize him at once: it was the Angel of Death. He was wearing a long black cloak with hood so low that I couldn’t see the face.

  Tears went streaming down my cheeks. I didn’t want to let Natalie go.

  ‘Is it within your power to leave this woman alone?’ I turned to the Angel of Death. ‘Natalie’s the only daughter of her parents; they won’t endure such grief. Why do they have to suffer only because someone decided that I should become completely alone? Please, don’t take her away from us!’

  The Angel of Death kept silent. Desperate, I took Natalie’s hand and exclaimed. ‘Natalie! Take my strength! Let it help you survive and recover! Please, come back! Don’t go away!’

  Veins in my body stirred, and I saw the Threads of Light creep through my skin and bite into Natalie’s hand. Then they spread, crawling all over her body, filling every particle and every cell in it. Her deathly white skin began gradually turning pink.

  ‘I heard you talking. Is there anything wrong?’ asked the nurse, entering the ward.

  ‘Don’t worry, it happens to me sometimes,’ I said and quickly left the room.

  The insistent buzzing of my telephone could be heard even through the closed door. I ran into the house and picked up the receiver.

  ‘Finally, oh, My Miriam! I’ve been trying to get through to you all day! You haven’t been answering any of your phones since yesterday!’ I heard Samuel’s worried voice. ‘How are you? Is everything all right? I miss you so much; do you mind if I come see you for a couple of days?’ he fired away in one breath.

  ‘Of course, I don’t mind,’ I replied. ‘Sorry for not calling you before. I simply couldn't. How are you, Sam? How’s your father? You said he’d been sick. Any news?’

  ‘My father is already on the mend. Guys like him don’t get sick that often,’ Sam replied, and then asked. ‘How’s Natalie doing? Any changes?’

  ‘Unfortunately, everything is just the same as before, but I hope for the best,’ I said. ‘How’s the filming going? I can tell by your voice that something’s wrong. Am I right?’

  ‘I’m all right, Miriam. I’ll tell you everything when I get there. I don’t want to talk about it over the phone,’ he replied. ‘If only you knew how much I missed you… I want to see you very much… I love you so much, Miriam…’

  ‘I love you, too. See you soon,’ I said, without believing my own words. I hung up, sighed heavily and collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted.

  I didn’t believe Samuel’s words either because there was something in them he was holding back; and I somehow got the sensation he was playing a double game. Could it be for this reason that I was never able to fully believe that he really loved me? And why did I continue playing this double game of his?

  Then I heard the answering machine. Michael had left several messages. His voice was jittery and annoyed. The calm and reasonable man he had been had turned into a paranoid maniac prone to see an enemy in every human being he came across. I still had passionate feelings for him and I knew perfectly well that without timely help he could lose his self-control. And that was something Satanail was waiting for. So I decided to act solely according to my own plan, without letting anyone in on the details.

  ‘Michael, my darling, how are you doing?’ I asked.

  ‘I’m so happy you called me, Miriam! I’m going crazy, I can’t live like this any more! My life has turned into a nightmare…’ Michael talked very quickly without stopping. ‘I n
eed you! We have to meet because there are things I can’t tell you over the phone.’

  ‘Michael, I’ll come to Paris myself. Please, calm down. This is the only thing I want of you now.’

  ‘All right, call me when you are about to leave,’ he said, and the line went dead.

  I didn’t know what to do. Desperate, I was running about the house trying to find some distraction and quell the dark foreboding that was growing inside me with every passing day. Suddenly Phil’s diary caught my eye and I grasped it as if it were a lifejacket.

  “It’s impossible to determine the line Satanail and his entourage will not dare to cross. I have serious grounds to believe that all the manifestations of evil encountered in the Universe are tightly interconnected, and the most terrible thing is that there is no red line evil wouldn’t dare to cross…”

  ‘Michael decided to leave, having severed all ties with me, but it’s not me he’s running away from, he’s running away from himself… Whichever country he chooses to go to, his fate will be the same. And, in time, it will get increasingly complicated: he will go on losing the people he loves…’

  I felt sorry for Michael but I didn’t know how he could be saved from such a lot. Were his children doomed to die, too? And what was I to do if all this concerned me as well? Phil knew about it and clearly wanted to share some very important information with me. Could he really have predicted that Michael and I would meet?