“In the glorious expanse
of the seven heavens, there exists infinite amounts of incredible phenomena. The
third sphere of Heaven where those who love God and humanity dwell. The twelve
wise men in the fourth. The warriors in the fifth sphere and the righteous in
the sixth. The golden ladder in the seventh for those who devoted to prayer.
But in the higher spheres of the Fixed Stars, you may see Mary and other
saints. The highest sphere of all is the Empyrean, where angels dance in
circles of light around the Light which is God Himself. Divine white roses
flourish with life and positivity. Although Seraphim sing around God’s throne,
seeing the Empyrean and its angelic guardians is just as spectacular. One the
sabbath day, on the 7th day of the seventh month, our corner of
reality is treated to an incredible sight. For it is said that Jesus Christ Himself
will appear from a shining beam of light, bringing together souls from all
corners of Heaven together. A divine sermon takes place in the sky, where Jesus
and the Holy Spirit Dove will give each of us a divine message from God about
our futures. This advice will give us much to think about in our long
prosperous lives. Anyone can attend…” Yeshua’s Gist.”
Azrael, the Angel of
Death, narrated the scene, a Bible in front of him. The images showed the
Virgin Mary and the saints talking to various angels and souls. It showed Jesus
with long brown hair and a white face and him wearing a worn white robe with a
dove over his head. The sun, the moon, and all the planets aligned and formed
the seven heavens, while the stars and angels brightened the higher spheres. Azrael
curled up his hand and the images faded. An open Bible hovered in front of him,
surrounded by gold magic.
“Well, at least it’ll be
fun for the outgoing folk,” he mentioned.
He tucked in little
Quartet Enoch, the swan princess who giggled. Quartet had white feathery hair
and a dark face with green eyes. She wore a blue dress with halos on it. Her
mother, Flora, had long black feathers; she was an avian nature angel.
Quartet’s room was white
with blue trim on the ceiling. She had a princess bed with a gold sparkling
canopy, and a gold crown design on the headboard. An overhead mobile showed an
angel playing a trumpet, a star, a harp, and a flower.
“Daddy, can we go see it
someday?” she asked, eyes wide in wonder.
“Of course,” said Azrael.
“I promise. When the day comes, nothing will be able to keep me and your Mom
from seeing it with you. Goodnight, my angel.”
“Goodnight,” called
Quartet with a yawn. The Bible followed Azrael as he closed the door. Quartet
wiggled in her bed and giggled with excitement.
0 0 0
Many years later, a teen
Quartet work up, excited. On her calendar, she had drawn a Christian Cross and
the smiling faces of her and her father and mother. She put on her green dress
with black skulls on it, her gold crown, white jacket, and white boots. She
greeted some golden singing roses that were in pots along the hall.
“Hey, Mom! Hey, Dad!”
she called. The kitchen was empty. A halo flickered above her head.
“Mom?”
She looked on the
balcony. Black onyx pillars held several dome-shaped gazebos in a garden below.
There was a tricking of a gold fountain with a statue of a raised sword with
water gushing from the tip. No one save for a groundskeeper elf was present
there.
“Dad?”
Quartet walked all
throughout the palace, her hand on a golden rail decorated with eye designs.
She finally spotted them
out front in the courtyard. They were speaking in hushed tones.
They turned to her. “Oh,
hello ‘Tet,” said Flora, brushing a flower from her black feathery hair. Her
dress was various shades of green and made of feathers. Her angel wings were
folded back, and a halo hovered above her head.
“Are you ready to go?”
asked Azrael.
“Yes!” said Quartet.
“Go change into this,”
said Flora. She showed Quartet a beautiful golden dress with diamonds on the
front shaped like a Christian Cross between two white angel wings. There was
also a pair of white high heels and gemstones to attach to her wings.
“Huh,” said Quartet. “I
didn’t know it was that fancy. Still very nice.”
Quartet snapped her
fingers and lifted herself magically into the air. In a flash of light, the
fancy dress moved toward her and was on her. Her original clothes were back in
Flora’s arms.
“Better,” said Flora.
Quartet lowered to the
ground and smiled, but then spotted her dad walking away.
“Dad, where are you
going?”
Azrael turned to her
with a somber expression. “To attend to my usual duties.”
A bloody scythe appeared
in his hand and his dark wings stretched outward as thunder crashed in the
background for effect.
“But I thought you were
coming with us?”
Flora sighed. “There has
been…a slight change in plans.”
“Let me know how it
goes,” said Azrael before vanishing into the darkness.
Quartet gasped. “The
ceremony isn’t canceled, is it?”
“No,” said Flora. She
waved her hand and a portal appeared. Both of them stepped through it and it
closed behind them. They stood before a large gold palace with Hebrew letters
engraved into the ornate double doors.
“Mom, what’s going on?”
Quartet asked.
Flora gave her a look. “I
should’ve told you this sooner but…”
“But what?”
“You know that you visit
your father for the weekend once every other month, right?”
Quartet’s eyes went
wide. ‘Sugar honey iced tea!’ she thought. ‘I completely forgot!’ She
slowly nodded.
“Well, it’s that time
again.”
The double doors opened
and there stood a tall, elegant swan angel. His eyes glowed dark green and his
black feathery hair was in a tight bun. He wore a white suit with a high collar
trimmed with gold with his sigil on his suit. Two swan heads looped around his
neck. A red necktie was in the middle of his suit, and he also had a red cape
behind him. Hovering above him was a halo with a red carnelian crystal in the
center. His face was feathery white, and he had a hooked beak.
He revealed a small
smile. “Hello, Quartet. It’s great to see you again.”
Among other rooms in the
palace were other angelic members of the Shem HaMeporash. Some were humanoid
but manly angels had features of lions, lambs, doves, swans, eagles, and other
heavenly animals.
Quartet awkwardly waved
back. “Hello father.”
“I see Azrael has let
you slack off again,” Menadel muttered to Quartet as he strode forward. He
briefly looked at Flora. “You know, Flora…if your daughter ever wants to fulfil
her role better and spend more time with me…”
“That is, if you’re not
preoccupied with the angelic council and half a dozen other things,” Flora
remarked coldly. “I’ve said it before…Quartet stays with me and Azrael the
most, since I’m married to him.”
“Which is a big
mistake,” he seethed. “Falling for the angel of death who’s so unlike
yourself.”
“He loves me for who I
am. He didn’t hesitate to care for Quartet.”
“You were supposed to
raise her during the time I was gone,” said Menadel. “I wanted to be there with
you and her. But my duties to answer mortals’ prayers and monitor the inferior
race of the Goetia demons was paramount.”
“Two months! And you
called yourself a breadwinner husband,” Flora scoffed. “Just because we’re rich
doesn’t mean you can go off and put more things on all our plates! I’m
surprised you’re not on duty right now!”
“I wouldn’t miss this
ceremony for the world,” he said. “And neither should you and Quartet. You were
supposed to remain my faithful wife. If you were a mortal and cheated on me
like you did…well, just be glad you aren’t one.”
“How low of you to
suddenly degrade the very beings you try to help,” Flora narrowed her eyes.
“Mortals were made in His image too, not just us angels.”
“Sinful
mortals are like sinful demons…just as bad and more often than not, they become
demons themselves. Hence why we need Quartet to be diligent with ensuring that
no threats…”
“The
only threat I perceive is your overbearing, straight and narrow attitude,”
Flora spat. “She’s still a young teen!”
Quartet hid her face in her hands briefly as
she watched the argument. Quartet knew whenever she was with her dad, she
witnessed his detachment from her and his preoccupation with rules.
Hence when he said to
Quartet, “I hope you’ve been practicing for the ceremony. There’s much to do.”
“Sorry, Quartet,” said
Flora. “But you’ll be spending the weekend and ceremony with Menadel. I’ll meet
you at the ceremony later.”
Quartet glared at her
mother, who gave her an apologetic look.
Flora vanished through a
portal, leaving Quartet alone.
Half an hour later in
the ornate living room, Quartet’s back hurt as she stood rehearsing her lines
for the ceremony. Being a princess, if she decided to attend, which she was,
Menadel remined her of her important role to inspire her people. Quartet
enjoyed singing and praising to her Lord…but eight times in a row was getting
tiresome.
“He is Elohim, our
benevolent, all-knowing Creator. Jesus the Christ is His extension, the savior
of the human race and of Earth. Archangel Michael, He Who Is Like God, is His
angel general and supreme protector, sword of flame the bane of all evil.
Before there was only darkness, but God brought light and life. For all
who are lost…for mortals lost in sin and for the denizens of Heaven seeking
answers, you can always go to Him. Obey, pray, and serve each day…for He knows
all of us best. His light is brighter than a thousand suns, the whole of this
universe created by Him. Jesus devotes his life to Viv…”
Menadel raised his
eyebrow. Quartet cleared her throat.
“Um, I mean to give, all
He has to help rich and poor alike…”
“More passion. More faith,” Menadel pressed.
“Father, I’ve done this
so many times now…” Quartet groaned. She flopped on a couch made of velvety red
satin.
“It must be perfect, if
you are to attend,” he said. “Heaven counts greatly on the influence of the
Shem HaMeporash family. The ceremony starts in a few hours.”
‘Still cares about
status over his own daughter,’ Quartet thought. She
never thought she would have to do a speech.
“Can I take a break?”
she asked.
“Yes,” he said. “After
you finish your closing lines.”
Quartet sighed and
continued.
“Don’t forget your choir
song and pyrotechnic display afterwards,” Menadel reminded her.
After she finished,
Quartet raced to her room upstairs. This room was vaster and more spacious than
her other mansion room…not as homey. White pillars supported a large, curved
balcony that was all her own. A gold chandelier with teal glowing crystals hung
on the high ceiling. The ceiling itself was painted with Adam reaching out to
God. (A replica of a famous mortal work of art). White marble swan statues were
everywhere around the room and throughout the mansion, with Menadel’s symbol on
them. Her bed was queen-sized, no signs of her familiar nature posters. But
there were some posters of Jesus, clouds, and the Ten Commandments…almost like
her father set up this room for her (he did.) When she was younger, Menadel was
comforting in subtle ways, like when he sang the Lord’s prayer to her as a
lullaby. Or the times when he said he was proud of her after teaching her some
magic and flying. But Quartet figured that Menadel only saw her as a valued
member of the Shem HaMeporash…not who she was deeper down. The weekends she
spent with him were a tedious nuisance.
Azrael may have been
gloomy and distant, but he had a softer, understanding side that seemed to be
absent in her real father. Azrael also didn’t emphasis the religious aspects
all that much. He mostly let Flora nurture her but was there for Quartet as
much as he could.
At least, Quartet hoped
Azrael was trying.
Quartet picked up her blue
backpack with stars on it and slung it over her shoulders.
She then picked up a
Bible on her dresser and flipped open the pages. There was no way she’d be
dragged along to the ceremony by Menadel. She could already see Menadel
parading her around just to make Azrael and other misunderstood angels uneasy.
She looked much more like her avian mother and father than she did to the
humanoid Azrael. Azrael was an archangel, similar to Samuel…important, but not
always liked.
Quartet looked at her
scroll of paper that read “Change Is Holy…the Benefits of a more Inclusive
Christianity.” She absentmindedly opened
a small portal and tossed the wrapped-up scroll through.
Then she concentrated.
“Take me to see my
savior,” she said, visualizing Jesus in her mind. Then her mind got distracted.
The Bible glowed golden,
and a white spinning cross appeared under Quartet. Tendrils of white spun and
danced around her. Quartet’s eyes briefly glowed white, and she walked through
the portal. The portal closed behind her.
0 0 0
At E.L.F. headquarters,
a calendar hung on the wall. On one square, Docile had written, “Samuel?” with
a drawing of a dark moon and a whip and a sad face. Others read “Jesus
ceremony,” “Calm Sunday,” “Choir Practice,” “Good Friday For Coffee,” “Eww,
Horses,” “All Complaints Day,” “Three Wing’s Day,” “Cash Wednesday!”, “Lent
Rent Pay Day,” “All Sols Day,” and “Symphony.” In several squares, Docile had
written “Have Them Talk.” That was circled in red on the current date. The
calendar had a picture of Docile and his friend Veronica together at the beach.
Docile wasn’t having
much luck in getting “them to talk,” a.k.a. Tirred and Timmid. They were still
sour after their breakup at Uris in the Chasity Halo.
Tirred and Timmid were
sitting on separate couches, arms crossed.
“Now guys,” Docile said
nervously. “You know that both of you still have to work with me to save
lives…”
The elves glared at each
other.
“I brought you two here
for a reason. We need to solve this dilemma so we can move forward. Let’s take
turns telling each other’s sides of the story,” Docile said. “Who would like to
go…?”
“I will,” Tirred
grumbled.
“You didn’t even let our
boss finish!” Timmid piped up.
“Who cares? I’d like to
apologize and get it over with.”
“You’re gonna need to do
more than apologize for spreading that nasty rumor about Docile!” she said.
“It’s true though, isn’t
it? You let yourself be punished by Samael?”
“Yes, but there was no
other choice,” Docile said. “His Bible is what allows us to get into the human
world. The only reason why I haven’t fired you is that I’m giving you one more
chance to prove yourself.”
“How so?”
“By not spreading any
more rumors. By being nicer to your ex-girlfriend and co-workers. By…going on
one more mission with us.”
Tirred smirked. “You’re
always gonna keep me, aren’t you? You need me as a healer and fighter.”
“Well, I…I could always
replace you!” Docile mentioned.
Tirred growled. “Replace
me?! With whom?”
Purring came from the
doorway.
Tirred fumed when Sunna
skipped into the room. She wore white pants, a sky -blue blouse and little blue
gems on her long brown braids. Her eyes were round and sky blue, her furry
brown cat face lit up.
“Wha…no, not…not her!
Are you joking?”
“Uh…” Docile looked over
to Timmid who gave a thumbs up.
“No, mister!” Docile
spat. “I’m not! It’s time for some tough love. Sunna’s a fantastic healer…her
purrs are enough!”
“She’s a ditzy hippie
and high on catnip,” Tirred scoffed.
“Go…back to your desk!”
“Urgh!” Tirred yelled as
he stomped off.
Sunna swayed with a
mystic air as she sang,
“All
souls come from the land of love
The
land of love, the land of love,
All
around us and above
All
souls come from the land of love”
“Before time, a realm
sublime
God made us all divine
Sent us down to explore
To create and love and
do it more”
“Make friends, make
amends
Our journey never ends
We do what we will
And we’re all loved
still
All loved still, all
loved still”
“Success to enjoy,
errors to solve
God is change, we all
evolve
We are harmony, we are
one
All shall return when
our lives are done”
“All souls come from the
land of love
The land of love, the
land of love,
All around us and above
All souls come from the
land of love.”
Sunna sat happily at her
desk as the three elves sat with open stunned mouths.
“She’s getting worse,” called
Tirred.
“You know, sir,” said
Timmid. “Adding someone new might be the right thing to do. It’s not good for
business with customers that depend on us saving lives for them to have a…”
She raised her voice,
“…selfish, inconsiderate bratty masochist in our office!”
Tirred seethed. “That
does it!”
Timmid and Tirred
stomped toward each other, Docile getting ready to separate them.
“Oh look, you have a
visitor!” Sunna called to Docile, pointing to the doorway. The elves paused.
Walking through a golden
portal was none other than Quartet. She froze as the portal closed behind her.
The elves turned to look
in silence.
“Um…hello,” Quartet said
nervously. “I don’t think this is where the ceremony is.”
“Are you…Menadel’s
daughter?” Docile asked.
Quartet stepped back.
“Please don’t mention to him that I’m here! Sorry to bother you guys, I gotta
go.”
She looked at her Bible
pages, waved her hand again and another portal appeared. Her eyes turned white
and gold energy swirled all around her. The elves stepped back and covered
their eyes. Sunna looked on in curiosity.
‘Please let it be right
this time,’ she thought.
“Wait,” Docile called,
arm outstretched, “Maybe we should call…”
Quartet vanished and the
portal closed.
“…Azrael…he’s not gonna
like this,” Docile finished.
Docile grabbed Sunna’s
fish-shaped rotary phone.
“Hello…Lord Azrael? Your
adopted daughter just took a Bible and teleported to heaven’s knows where.
We’ll find her as soon as we can, but we’ll need some help. Okay, bye.”
Seconds later, the
office door opened by itself. There stood Lord Azrael, scythe and all.
“How did this happen?”
he asked as he ducked under the short doorway. “She was supposed to stay at
Menadel’s.”
“She just appeared in
our office holding a Bible out of nowhere,” said Timmid. “Said she was going to
a ceremony.”
“Hold that thought,”
said Lord Azrael. He vanished into black flames and headed to the ceremony.
Minutes later, he teleported right back, looking concerned.
“She’s not there,” he
said. “She’s not back at the mansion either. Where could she go?”
Sunna padded over and
sniffed the air. “N.Y.”
“Huh?” asked Tirred.
Everyone looked at her.
“What?” she asked. “I
have a good nose.”
“New York?!” Azrael
suddenly cried. “That’s in the mortal world! She could be in danger!”
“What are we waiting for
then?” asked Docile. “Let’s go find her!”
“Disguises first,”
mentioned Azrael. He chanted something and waved his hand. Teal light enveloped
everyone in the room, and they rose up into the air. After several flashes of
light, they appeared standing on the ground in their new human disguises.
Azrael appeared as a
tall man with thick long black hair, a black goatee, sullen eyes and wearing a
fancy all-black suit. He wore a skull ring on one of his pale fingers.
“Hello, Grimm Reaper,”
Docile remarked as he stared at his form. He wore his usual uniform but now had
white skin and short black hair and blue eyes. Tirred had white skin, thin
black hair and darker eyes. Timmid had slightly messy white hair and blue eyes.
Sunna, now an African American woman, admired her beautiful dreadlocks and
brown cat-like eyes.
Azrael opened a portal
and the group walked through. The portal closed behind them.
“Whoa,” the disguised
elves said as they stared at the high towering skyscraper buildings around
them. The Statue of Liberty stood radiant in the distance as people went on
boat tours. The usual crowds of people were heading off toward Times Square for
work, music, and shopping. Cars honked and yellow taxes maneuvered through the
busy streets. Several gift shops were selling “Big Apple” and “I Love New Yok”
shirts.
“The city that never
sleeps,” Docile said. “Entertainment, everyone always moving and moving. Not so
much different from Heaven.”
Timmid flinched at
several thugs smoking and spitting in nearby alleyways. “Except for all the bad
stuff.”
“And the misspelled signs,”
Tirred grumbled, observing the “Welcome to New Yok!” signs everywhere.
“Sunna, sniff,” Docile
said with a smile, marching forward.
Sunna intently sniffed a
bag of catnip she had brought with her. She opened it and poured bits of it
onto her tongue. Her eyes darted and her smile was one of bliss. A purr rumbled
in her throat. The other E.L.F. members gave her sideways looks.
“Not that smelling!”
Docile glared.
“Oh, right,” she said,
pocketing the bag. “I still can’t smell anything in this city.”
“Can’t you do anything
right?” Tirred spat.
“Can’t you be anything
other than a nuisance?” she retorted. Timmid snickered.
“The next person I hear
arguing will get a reduction in pay,” Docile warned. “Let’s go.”
The group walked by hot
dog stands and men playing guitars on the ground. They visited “Rockiseller Center”
where a beautiful Christmas tree was on display. Many people were laughing and
ice skating around in circles. Holiday music played from the speakers.
“Christmas in July?”
Timmid wondered. “I’ll take it.”
Timmid looked around and
spotted a guy selling art. “Oh cool!” she said.
“Get some art over here!”
called the bearded man. There were pastel oil paintings of dolphins and
sunsets. There were keychains of the Statue of Liberty, Oscar award statues,
palm trees, and a cartoon smiling glasses-wearing Vivziepop with blond hair and
pink highlights in it.
Tirred rolled his eyes.
“We’re on a mission, remember? That stuff is rubbish.”
“No, Tirred! I’m buying
these!” she said in excitement. She handed the man some dollar bills and took
several art and keychains with her.
“I’m a star at the
Oscars,” she sang, pretending to use the Oscar keychain as a microphone.
Tirred rolled his eyes
again and mentioned ahead of him. “Thanks to you, we just lost the group.”
“You’re no fun,” she
said. “Let’s go find them.”
0 0 0
“Hey guys!” Docile
called. “Check out this crazy costume!”
Azrael and Sunna
snickered at Docile’s outfit. He wore a black jacket, a fake red pointed tail
and fake stripped horns on his head. His mask over his face was an imp face
painted red and white with fake sharp yellow teeth.
“This outta scare the
pants off of any thugs around!”
A nearby woman screamed
in happiness.
“Oh my gosh, everyone!
Look! It’s New Yok’s Star, Blitzo!”
Docile glared. “What the
buck is a Blitz…oh.”
In his costume, Docile
glanced up at a billboard. An add was displayed, showing a menacing imp with a
pistol and an open-mouthed grin. Flames were in the background and the imp was
riding on a brown horse. The title read in black, “HORSING AROUND: HOW TO GET
AWAY WITH MURDER! ™”
Docile was soon
surrounded by a large crowd, lifting him up. “Help!” he cried.
“I’ll handle this,”
Azrael grumbled.
“No killing!” Docile cried
to him.
Crew and guards held the
crowd back as a white van pulled up. A director with black hair and a black
beard was eating a granola bar.
“Blitz!” the director
called, flanked by towering agents. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you! You
were supposed to be on set five minutes ago!”
Docile took one look at the
director’s upside-down pentagram necklace and flinched. “No way! I’m not going
with you!”
“Very funny,” he said. “Now
get in the car.”
“No, put me down!” he cried
as one of the muscular agents picked him up. One of his fake horns fell off and
several fans fought over it. A boy tore off his shirt and his chest read “I LUV
HB!”
“I’m Blitz’s…agent,”
Azrael mentioned. “And I demand you…”
Azrael was also picked up
and both were tossed into the back.
“Sunna! Find Quartet!”
Docile called. Sunna nodded and leaped over the crowd.
Docile leaped forward, but the doors closed in
front of him.
Before long, they were
both dragged into the studio. Makeup artists began working on Docile.
“Let’s get him ready!
He’s on in five!” called the producer.
“Five what? I can’t be
on a sitcom!” Docile cried to no avail.
Docile was soon ready
and standing next to Azrael.
“Alright, you’re on in
10…9…”
The producer vanished
through the curtains.
“Why am I doing this? I can’t
be on stage!”
“Just blend in so we can
find Quartet,” said Azrael, pushing him gently forward. “Good luck.”
“And action!” called the
director as the lights came on. Guitar theme music played.
Docile was on a stage
that looked horrible. It appeared to look like a desert with cactus plants and
fake dead bodies near his feet. There was an animatronic brown horse off to the
side with one eye missing.
An actor with a demon
mask was pretending to groan in pain. “Oh…Blitzo you horrible scum imp…you have
any last mocking words?”
Docile froze on the
spot. Sweating.
“Say something,” whispered
Azrael as a teleprompter appeared.
Docile then read his
lines half-heartedly. “Oh yeah, uh…no, the ‘o’ is silent you…fucking…asshole.”
After a moment, the audience
laughed as screens overhead displayed “LAUGH” in green. Azrael laughed under
his breath.
Docile improvised. “B-but
don’t worry…God will take you where you need to be, away from your suffering so
you can repent for your sins!”
After an awkward pause,
the screens prompted the audience to laugh again, so they did.
Soon enough after half
an hour, the audience began to get bored with the show.
“Oh, Kniffty,” said
Docile, holding up a one-eyed black cat animatronic and reciting his lines. “You’ve
done it again! You’ve cleaned up every mouse in this here Hell hotel! Very nifty
of you to do so!”
The audience laughed
half-heartedly. The cat animatronic let out a meow. “It’s nice to meet you! I’ve
always wanted to make new friends!”
“Me too, kitty!” Docile
said with a smile. “In fact, how about it’s time I give you a new home. Find
someone to take good care of you!”
“We could take care of
her,” said an actor dressed like a tall red man with antlers. He was followed
by people dressed in black. “I always can provide a smile for those in need!”
Docile stared at the kitty
animatronic…and a flashback came to him.
0 0 0
Back in Heaven, he was
at a “HeavenCat Adoption Center.” There were kitty condos and fenced in yards
for them to play in. Docile stared at a humanoid black cat girl with angel
wings that looked like the animatronic. She only had one eye. Her furry
siblings smiled at him from inside a box.
“They’re all so cute.
And so…content. But…lonely.”
“Maybe you could adopt
this one here,” said a fat cheetah lady, pointing to another open-window condo.
“Long-lived, lanky and very low-maintenance.”
Docile peered into the
adjacent condo and spotted a hairless pink cat with bent whiskers and a fish
bone in its mouth.
“Uh, no thanks,” Docile
said. “Someone more family friendly?”
“No problem.” said the
cheetah lady. “We have a nice selection of other felines.”
“Who’s that?” Docile
asked, pointing to another condo.
“Oh her?” asked the
cheetah. “That’s Sunna. What a crazy little thing.”
Sunna was bouncing up
and down and playing with a live mouse, much to the distaste of the quiet cats.
“Serious hyperactive
qualities. I hate to say it, but once she turns 18 next month, she’ll be off on
her own,” the cheetah mentioned. “We
have food stamps and shelters though, so hopefully it won’t be too bad. Menial
work is just as important, so…as long as she behaves, she won’t go homeless…”
Docile freaked out at
the word “homeless.” He adopted her on the spot.
0 0 0
“No, no, no, no,” he
said, back in the present. “You can’t have her. She’s my kitty and I love her!”
“The audience went “AWWW”
as the signs flashed the message.
“Alright, Blitzo,” said
an actress with a cigarette in her mouth. “Let’s finish up this show so Hell
can get more ratings and sinners…”
She grabbed the
animatronic but Docile held on tight.
“Let go of her!” he cried.
He cradled the cat in his arms. He tossed off his mask, tail, horns, and
costume, leaving his regular clothes on. The audience gasped as his human disguise
fell away as well.
“Ahh!” the audience cried.
“It’s a booger elf!”
Docile narrowed his
eyes. “Really?”
The animatronic cat scampered
out of his arms.
“Wait, come back!” he cried.
The crew and producers
tried to grab him, but Docile sent them back with light blasts from his scepter.
Azrael shoved more people aside and grabbed hold of Docile. “Let’s go find our
daughters.”
The animatronic cat
laughed evilly and with a paw swipe, cut one of the wires near the curtain. The
prompting screens changed from “LAUGH” TO “AWW” to “FUCK,” in red.
To Docile’s horror,
everyone in the audience stripped off their clothes and pounced on anyone
nearby. Moans and groans and the sticky scents of semen and sweat filled the
space.
It was pure chaos!
“I think I’m gonna barf,”
Docile groaned as Azrael carried him outside the door into the blissful fresh
air.
Docile jumped out of
Azrael’s arms and hurled onto the pavement. He accidentally slammed the end of
his scepter down onto the street.
The studio building
erupted in a set of flames and explosions.
Docile and Azrael stared
at the burning building in disbelief. After making the sign of the cross over
their chests, Docile and Azrael hurried on.
0 0 0
Quartet looked around at
the vast city she now found herself in.
“Where am I?”
“Hello!” called a man
dressed like a duck. “Great costume!”
“Uh…thanks?” Quartet
blinked, before brushing herself off and following the crowd of people.
“Excuse me?” she asked,
several people who ignored her and walked on by. “Can anyone tell me where to
find Jesus?”
“In Heaven, sinner,”
replied a gruff old man who bumped into her on purpose. “The unworthy have no
hope of seeing him.”
Quartet asked around
some more. “Where can I find Jesus?”
“In your heart, of
course,” said a blonde woman wearing a Christian Cross necklace and a red
shirt.
“Where can I find Jesus?”
“He will come on the
final days of Earth,” said an elderly woman. “He’ll save us all…I hope. Just be
patient.”
“Where can I find Jesus?”
“Jesus? He ain’t real,”
said a black guy. “Get your religious propaganda out of my space!”
“Where…can I…find…Jesus…”
asked a tired Quartet.
“He’s over at this
church of Latter-Day Saints,” said a red-haired man. “They do sermons every
morning.” He handed her a church pamphlet.
“Thank you!” Octavia
called. She raced over toward the church building and sat on a bench. A child
next to her gave her a weird look.
“Don’t stare at the
creepy bird lady,” said the child’s mother, pulling her child closer to her.
The sermon and lecture
went on and on…but still no sign of Jesus.
Thoughts raced through Quartet’s
mind as the pastor talked and talked.
“What kind of sermon is
this? No music, no standing and clapping. No loud and proud ‘Praise Jesus!’ and
harp playing like in Heaven! This is church, not a high school lecture! You
humans are so boring.”
“Ugh, talking about
funds for the church again? Don’t you people realize there are hundreds of
starving and homeless humans out there? You have plenty of money…use it!”
“I already know my Bible
verses and history. You don’t need to repeat the same thing three times.”
“Enough with the talks
about Hell! Positivity is what makes people want to get closer to God. God is
perfect and good; thus He should not be feared! No, don’t you dare teach
children under five about Hell…heck teens can get traumatized by that crap.”
“Politics again. Abortion
is bad? No gays here? Modern up, Christianity…Jesus accepts everyone!”
“You keep saying ‘Jesus
will come!’ Well, where is He? I’ve been sitting on my feathery bum for hours…”
Quartet covered her
mouth as everyone glared at her. She had accidentally said her last thought
aloud.
“Heh, heh. May the Lord
be with you, amen.”
Quartet scurried out of
the church, groaning in frustration.
She continued walking
until she spotted Altar-P, a Christian-themed clothing store. There was a
beautiful art print of a swan resting in a golden fountain. A cross stood in
the background on a hill as golden rays of the sun lit up the whole area.
Quartet admired the art
and took a selfie. She posted on Gracebook, Heaven’s version of Facebook:
“Found this amazing art
print in the window of Altar-P. Whoever made this masterpiece rocks!
#earththings.”
The locations on her
phone were Earth, Chasity Halo, Patience Halo, Humility Halo, Kindness/Loyalty
Halo, Charity Halo, Temperance Halo, and Diligence Halo.
About half an hour after
Quartet left, Sunna spotted the swan art print. She happily took a selfie and
posted her picture on Gracebook:
“What a beautiful piece
of art! You never know what you’ll find in the mortal world! #earththings.”
Sunna scrolled through
the posts on her phone. Her username was “Sunlightpurring777.” Her “friends”
were Veronica, Portal99, and Cool Cat. When she saw an identical post from
Quartet, she gasped. She looked at Quartet’s profile. “Tet,” “Happy,” “Lover of
Life” were her profile descriptions with angel emojis. She had 77 followers and
followed 256 profiles.
Sunna noticed Quartet
posing in front of a mansion that looked like a castle with towers. She headed
over to it, but Quartet wasn’t there.
She traveled all over “New
Yok,” looking at Quartet’s posts, trying to figure out where she was. She read
Quartet’s posts and traveled to the various places.
“So, this is the Statue
of Liberty! Wonder why it’s so green? #earththings.”
“It’s Christmas in July!
Saw some beautiful lights and Christmas trees on display. Went ice-skating
today, tried to do a spin…gotta see if I can magically heal my bruised knees. #funearththings.”
Sunna thought she saw
Quartet ice-skating. She carefully went onto the ice but let out a cat-like
yowl as she stumbled and waved her arms. “Whaaaa!” She slid on the ice on her
belly…seeing the figure as just a teen girl with a wig and large glasses.
Sunna laughed nervously
and got up on shaking legs. She had forgotten that she briefly didn’t have her supportive
cat claws anymore.
Another post from
Quartet:
“Why is New Yok called
the Big Apple? I don’t see any apples around…save for that rotten one that guy
is holding over there. #grossearththings.”
Sunna hissed at a
hobo-man who had tried to snatch her catnip.
“What a weirdo,” several
people muttered at Sunna.
Sunna spotted a Baset figure
on display at another store. She was tempted to buy it…until she spotted a
smiling Jesus figure with sunglasses near it. Knowing she could only honor one,
she decided to skip it. She tossed in several coins and dollar bills into a
homeless man’s cup. He promptly used the money to buy cheap beer.
Quartet’s next post:
“The people who
destroyed the Twin Towers are probably sulking around as demons in Hell. Nice
memorial wall, though. #sadearththings.”
A picture of a tired
Quartet sitting on a bench:
“This city could use a
proper clean-up and noise cancellation. Lots of crime, too. This world NEEDS
Jesus, y’all! #whyearththings.”
Several dogs on leash
barked loudly at Sunna, causing her to jump in fear. “Ahh! Stay away!” she
hissed.
“Scaredy cat! Or should
I say, scaredy bitch!” several men laughed as Sunna darted away from the
growling dogs, her hairs on end.
Sunna was panting in
exhaustion by the time the sun had set. Under an indigo sky was a golden church
with a water fountain in front of it. The fountain had a spinning globe in the
center, supported by two statue hands. She raced toward the church and turned a
corner. Sunna arrived at a curved flight of stairs.
Sunna glanced at Quartet’s
final post:
“Apparently, Jesus is
supposed to make an appearance at this gold church, where he will come down and
do His speech. Don’t want to use my Bible and accidentally travel to somewhere
else unknown again. As a resident of Heaven, He should be able to see me.”
Sunna looked at the church
in the background of Quartet’s picture…and it was the same one!
Just then, Sunna spotted a figure at the top
of the stairs in a prayer position. The moonlight highlighted a familiar figure
with feathery hair!
Quartet!
Sunna sighed with relief
and transformed back into her normal cat form.
“Hey,” said Sunna,
walking up the stairs.
Quartet turned around,
tears in her eyes. “Hey. How did you find me?”
Quartet stood up as
Sunna walked over.
“Your Gracebook,” Sunna
replied with a smile. She held up her phone and scrolled through the church
pictures. “Nice pics by the way.”
“Oh, thanks,” Quartet
sniffled.
“Are you okay?” Sunna
asked.
Quartet sat on the ledge
as Sunna did the same. Quartet’s Bible and bag were next to her. “I can’t
believe I was so stupid! I’ve been wandering all over New Yok City to find
Jesus! I thought that I could find a spot where it’d be easier for Him to
travel down to Earth. Now I’ve probably missed that fancy ceremony! And all I
have now is this…smog-filled busy city!”
“Well, it’s not that
bad,” Sunna replied. “It may not be like Heaven, but it’s unique in its own
light. I mean,” Sunna shrugged, “It was kind of fun exploring around outside of
home for the first time.”
“Yeah…you’re right,”
said Quartet. “Oh, my dad’s gonna kill me!”
“Um…which one?” Sunna
asked.
“Menadel for sure,”
Quartet grumbled. “I’ll probably have to repent for my sins and stay grounded
for a century! And…”
Quartet sniffed again.
“What?”
“My other dad…Azrael…he’s
so busy with work like Menadel, he doesn’t even care! I’ve waited for years to
go to this ceremony, but now I won’t get to go with dad and mom.”
Sunna put a comforting
paw on her shoulder. “Let me tell you something. Azrael may be busy a lot, but
he is very worried about you. He’s here.”
“Here?”
“Looking for you right
now,” Sunna mentioned. “Your mom probably is wondering where you are as well.”
“Urgh, now I feel so
bad,” Quartet sighed.
“We all make mistakes,
it’s okay,” said Sunna. “Azrael, Flora…and yes even Menadel…they may not always
get it right when it comes to parenting. But I assure you…all of them are trying.”
“Y-you sure?”
“I know it,” Sunna said.
“Divorce…meeting Heaven’s rules and expectations…not always easy at all. But
love always wins in the end. You know my song?”
Quartet shook her head.
Sunna’s eyes lit up and
she sang a slower softer version of her previous song:
“All souls come from the
land of love
The land of love, the
land of love,
All around us and above,
All souls come from the
land of love.”
Quartet’s eyes lit up as
she heard the glorious sound of a choir from inside the church. The vocals supported
the rest of Sunna’s song. Quartet leaned in for a hug and was further comforted
by Sunna’s purrs. Her eyes closed.
“When you feel like the
world breaks
Know that God forgives
all mistakes
There is always love
around you
Your soul family has
found you
Let the loving universe
guide you
to the truth that’s
always inside you
The souls and stars are
your friends
In a sea of love that
never ends
That never ends.”
The girls hugged for a
while, then separated.
“Thank you, Sunna, that
was beautiful,” Quartet sniffed. Sunna felt like a comforting sister.
Sunna held out a paw and
Quartet took it. “You ready to go?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s get you home,” smiled
Sunna.
Both of them opened the
portal together, appearing in Central Park.
Docile gasped in
happiness. “Sunna!”
Sunna and Quartet walked
through, hand in hand before it closed behind them.
“Oh Dad!” Sunna raced
over and hugged Docile. “Thank goodness you’re alright.”
From the shadows, a gang
member pointed a gun at the turned heads of Sunna and Docile…
Slash!
Azrael waved his scythe in
an uppercut motion. With a scream, the gangster’s body tore in two and the two
halves landed in a gory thud onto the grass.
He turned around, making
his bloody scythe vanish.
“Quartet!” Azrael
exclaimed.
Quartet lowered her head.
“Hey, dad.”
Azrael pulled her into a
hug. “Your mother and I were so worried about you!”
“I’m so sorry,” said
Quartet.
“Why did you run away
from Menadel’s? You know he was counting on you to be at the ceremony. And you
know I haven’t taught you spells like that yet.”
“I didn’t want to go
with him! I wanted to go with you and Mom! I tired traveling to the ceremony
but…heh…it didn’t seem to work out…”
“Yeshua’s Gist. Oh,
Quartet I’m so sorry…I thought that you going with Menadel was the right thing
to do…since…he’s your real dad…”
Quartet hugged him
again. “You’re my real dad! I’m just glad you’re here!”
Just then, under the
moonlight, a man dressed like Jesus was surrounded by a crowd. He had a guitar in
his hands and was singing “New Yok.” A bold “I’m J#1!” tag was on his chest
along with a red apple sticker. A band sign read “Jesus and the Three Kings”,
with a drummer, a keyboardist and a bassist playing beside him with crowns on
their heads.
Several fireworks shot
into the sky.
“If I can make it there,
I’m gonna make it anywhere, it’s up to you! New Yok! New Yok!” he
sang.
The crowd clapped and
sang and danced along. Soon, Quartet and Azrael found themselves dancing to the
music.
“It’s Jesus!” Quartet
smiled in amazement at the guitar-playing saint. “It’s a miracle! I can’t
believe He had time to come down to Earth for a visit!”
Azrael chuckled with a bit
of an eye roll. “Still want to ask him about your future?”
“You know what? I’m
happy knowing about the now,” Quartet said, staring into her dad’s eyes with
love.
Sunna and Docile smiled
happy tears and danced as well. Docile did a mental count and froze.
“Hey, where are T and T?”
0 0 0
Meanwhile in an alley,
Tirred tapped his foot impatiently in front of the portal. Timmid was dragging
a heavy bag full of CDs, art, Oscar statues, medals, trophies, and the like.
“Art is heavy,” she
grunted.
“March, miss!” Tirred
spat.
His eyes then went wide
as he spotted a shadow figure point a gun at an oblivious Timmid. It appeared
to be a gang member. From his scepter, Tirred fired a bolt of light at the
figure and the figure dropped dead. More angry footsteps were approaching.
Timmid looked around. “What was that Tirred?”
Tirred grabbed Timmid
and carried her through the portal. She cried for her merchandise, but the
portal closed.
0 0 0
Menadel tapped his foot
impatiently. His eyes widened as Jesus gave out future advice to the last
person.
“It’s an honor to see
you again, sir,” Menadel said. “Perhaps you could grant me your wonderous
wisdom?”
Jesus chuckled softly. “Sorry
Menadel, but that’s all the time I have. I only get to the people that I feel
called to.”
“B-but I’m the most
prominent well-respected member of the Shem HaMeporash!”
“There were lots of
children who needed my advice more. Even I can’t read everyone!” Jesus
responded.
“Please, sir, I am
worthy to be read!”
Jesus paused. “Say…it’s
a shame your daughter couldn’t be here. I heard she had a great speech planned.
Something about “a more inclusive modern Christianity?”
“Um…that’s the wrong
script…”
“Is it? Because I think
she sent me a draft earlier today.” He held up Quartet’s scroll. “I, for one,
am super impressed! She’s truly a tremendous force…born under a great celestial
alignment like Octavia from Hell. Here’s hoping she can make Heaven an even
better place for all. Anyway, have a good day, Menadel!”
“Wait, sir…!”
He vanished.
Menadel stood in
disbelief. He growled and seethed. “Noooooooo!”
