The Gates

NaNoWriMo... aaahhh... well, I'm not doing so hot at it right now - but I'm attempting to get my book working. Yes, I'm still plugging away at it after my car was broken into, after suffering from horrible heat stroke on Friday from a stinking hot heatwave; and yes, even when my mother landed in hospital with her heart problems (they still don't know what's going on - which is a worry). But here's the 1,000 words of 'The Angel Wars' - a continuation from 'Angel Love'... yep, I found a darker side to them wingnuts up there. 

Enjoy.

He didn’t know what he hated more, the fact that he was stuck on Earth with the stinking mob of Humans or the that he knew someone was behind those gates.

He looked at the large padlock with Enochian engraved into it, and knew deep down that only one being could put that there: God.

“You’re gutless.” He whispered and the gates moved slightly, as though where had been a breeze where there never was one. Stepping back, Michael looked up at them as they rose up and disappeared into the cloud above him, “You’re too scared to come out here and talk to me, Father! To tell me the truth of why you threw your warriors to the wolves, without warning and without their consent, their Graces being ripped out as their wings burned painfully from their bodies! This caused such an upheaval on Earth that you brought forward an Apocalypse forward by thirty generations!”

The padlock snapped opened.

The chains rattled off and fell to the ground.

The gates opened for the Archangel to step through.

Heaven was a wasteland. He moved through the Time-Keeper’s Quarter and peered through the massive door to find The Great Hall empty of souls.  Looking up at the large Chrystaline-Opal Timepiece, Michael noticed its face was shattered stilling its hands at 5:15pm – the time of The Fall.

Tears filled his eyes as he realised that it had all been planned… the question that bothered him now was: how long did God know?

“I knew from the very beginning of placing Humans on this Earth that this was to happen, Michael.”

He turned to see him, his Father, everyone’s Father, standing behind him. It was the first time, he had met him in his long existence, and Michael wasn’t pleased nor impressed with this little, ordinary-looking man: “So, you’re him.”

“I am so sorry, my son…”

“Don’t call me that!” he snapped, “I stopped being your son when you slammed the gates of my home on my arse – and my brothers and sisters arse’s as well – and shattered the Chystaline-Opal Timepiece!”

“I wanted to be alone with my thoughts.” The older man said, “Is that such a crime?”

“You’re our creator.” The Angel growled, “Whatever happened to nurturing your Paradise?”

“Paradise?” the man’s eyes widened, “You call that war torn craphole down there a Paradise?”

“No, but they were trying. They prayed to you and us, and what did we do? Nothing. You ordered us to do nothing but listen and just be there for them! What use is that?” Michael spat. His anger began to turn the surrounding clouds dark as lightning spattered around them and thunder quickly followed. The first diamond raindrop plinked against the glass of the small room.

“So, I was supposed to just fix everything just because they complained and bitched to me about their pain and they blew each other up?” God asked, “And what of Gadreel? His crime was…”

“You saw what he did. You could have fixed it, but you didn’t!” the Angel fixed a glare on his Father who turned away from him, not wanting to know – wanting to ‘be alone’.

Michael knew it… his Father was ashamed of everything he’d ever done. It still posed the question: why?

GOD

This place was once a place of wonder, of beauty, of creatures which were just starting out.

It was his Paradise on a brand new planet.

His best work yet!

It was how he created Earth in the first place that was great. He didn’t plan this world – unlike the others – instead, just making sure he was in the right place at the right time. He was around when this planet was just settling in to the right spot as it was born, as it was cooling down, while it was still smouldering and had that brand new smell about it… he loved that smell about a new planet.

Then, he did the stupid thing and put them on it.

Them = Humans

He thought it was a good idea at the time, and they did well for a few thousand years. Then the serpent was let into the Garden by Gadreel because they wanted to know everything – and he was young, inexperienced and stupid too – and they went and overdosed on the evil and serpent seduced them with.

First it was Eve and that damned tree!

Then, Kane killed Able – he’d never known anything so dreadful in all his life! It was the very first murder – cold-blooded, calculated and mindful in all its ways – and yet, it was over the one brother who was talking to Lucifer, while the other made a deal with that Angel himself to save Able’s soul so it would come to Heaven.

Personally, that was the worse deal to make.

Kane still walked the Earth – but he was in hiding; not even God himself could find him. And the weapon forged to kill anyone or be used on his children.

He sat in The Great Library as the fires burned low. It was quiet here now there was nobody around to bother him about anything… too quiet… but he’d gone and done the one thing he’d promise himself to never do.

He thought throwing everyone out of the Garden was a good idea. But they cried and pleaded for his help. They killed each other in cold blood. They created false idols and built things to worship instead of him because he decided it was a good idea to leave them alone.

Now, he thought it was a good idea to throw his Angels out of the only home they’ve ever known and make them lose their Grace – what in all Hell was he thinking?

“Father?” Michael had followed him to The Great Library, “Do you need help with this?”

He looked up from the large, overstuffed chair, “Michael, it’s been so long since I walked amongst my children on Earth.” Tears blurred his vision as he gestured to the chair across from him for his dearest son to sit, “How to make this right?”

“Let me help you.”

The old man nodded, “I thought…”

“I know.” He reached out and touched his hand, “We could bring them all home together and make Earth better again.”

“So, what now?”

“You have to let the Angels come home – that’s the first thing.” He said.

The man looked up at the domed roof of where the diamond rain fell overhead, “But they all lost their Grace.”

“You can work with that – you created us.” Michael stood, pulling on his hand gently.

His Father cringed, “You don’t understand, son, I haven’t been on Earth since Jesus was born.”

The Angel let go of his hand, “Oh I see. Okay, if you come with me, I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

“How?”

“I’m your son, it’s my duty to make sure you’re safe.” Michael replied, “I’m not leaving this place without you.”

The old man shot him a filthy look, “You’re not giving me a choice?”

“No. Your children need you. Your warriors need you. That’s all there is to it.” He said, “Come, don’t come, see if I care.” Michael walked to the door of The Great Library, opened the door and turned back to him, “But if you stay here, and they find out you didn’t come, you will be labeled a coward. Nobody will want to come home, nobody will believe in Heaven or Hell – or you.” He turned to leave, when he felt a hand on his arm.

“When do we leave?”