4/IV. Hold Up The Light (Remastered)

In the present day…

“I have already deleted all of the video recordings in the house that may have contained your…uhm…” Matthew discussed the CCTV recordings with Arthur and Johnny in the kid’s bedroom while they are having a hearty breakfast.

“No need, no need for you to dirty your hands doing all that.”

Arthur seemed to misunderstand, if people were to see those recordings, especially the police, he would be hunted to death.

Matthew’s anxiety clearly reflected on his panicking face, filled with sweat and flushed out from colours.

“What, no, your… uhm, must be a secret, you will be hunted by the humans, if you are not careful, especially with this day and age.” Matthew wanted to convince Arthur of the downside of the getting the recordings public.

“I mean, you don’t have to do that, my spiritual form disrupts any electromagnetic or magnetic device within the radius of 5 kilometers.” He further explained as he gobbled up some broccoli with cheese.

“I rarely use it. Besides, I can control my powers without having my spiritual form materialized.” He continued.

The only exception is when Eon is out and controlling my physical or spiritual body. He just thought to himself, as he couldn’t say that exactly to the human.

Almost all of the recording tapes were destroyed and only showed static lines when Michael materialized as the mist through the near arrest of the kidnappers.

The cameras ran back up as the police arrived, and arrested the prowlers that became deranged and insane due to seeing the angel.

“Ahhhhh, but then, why did you have to materialize your spiritual form in the hallway?” Matthew was just as curious as Johnny. They looked puzzled as they darted their eyes from each other to Arthur.

“Wouldn’t it be weird to have a small child telepathically stop all the bullets from multiple guns in the CCTV?” Arthur rolled his eyes and answered his question sardonically.

“Oh! So, you needed to materialize that ginormous… to disrupt all of the CCTVs to destroy that recording.”

He finally got it. The child smirked at the realization of Matthew.

Arthur nodded as he plucked an orange piece and plunged it into his mouth.

“Cool!” Johnny jumped in joy shaking the bed furiously.

“Nonetheless, I understand what you are saying- being hunted and all.” It’s a good thing that they were done eating, only the utensils flew off to the floor.

“What do you mean?” Matthew picked up the spoons and forks, and gathered the plates to the dining table across the hall.

“When I was still just an angel, I made a covenant to a certain person important to the world history.” Arthur jumped out of the bed and looked through the small library at the corner of the room and pulled out a part of the Britannica Encyclopaedia Series.

“Important?” Wide-eyed, Matthew scurried off to the bedroom of the kids. Arthur’s wordings and reply piqued his interests further.

“Yay! Yay! Yay! Story-time!” Johnny rambunctiously jumped up and down again on the fluffy bed, never-ending bouncing on the air, good thing that the ceiling was quite high, because that bed can be a trampoline nightmare.

Art seems to be more talkative after our encounter at the hallway, I really don’t see him as a monster, I realized he was the one always saving us from danger.

Matthew appreciated Arthur that much even his thoughts were ringing to Michael’s mind.

“It was Abraham Lincoln. I actually was the one who coined the nickname, ‘Abe’.” He laid the enormous book at the ottoman at the foot of the bed, and turned the pages to Presidents.

“Honest Abe? What happened? How?! HOW?! YOU NEED TO TELL ME NOW! NOW!” Matthew got seated on the floor-Indian seat style and Johnny followed suit.

Arthur pointed at the sixteenth president of America, the picture President Abraham Lincoln at the list of the Presidents in the book.

“Okay, okay… It was the night of February 25, 1861. A week before his inauguration…” Arthur began his story with the tails of the American politics.

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The two factions, the United States and the Confederate States of the governments of America just elected two presidents, Jefferson Davis, and Abraham Lincoln on the same month, resulting to a full-on Civil War within the country.

Michael went on to disguise himself as one of Lincoln’s attendants in the train that he took from Springfield to Washington.

Gabriel gave the order direct from the Throne Room, save Abraham Lincoln.

“Mister President, the Confederate States President already assigned three commissioners for the Peace Commission to be established and contact you once you are inaugurated.”

One of his secretaries just casually slides in the leathered seat of the dinner car in the middle part of the steam train.

Michael carefully listens as he sat down the plate of the secretary and the President’s favourite food – corn cakes.

“We will not accept them, accepting the commissioners means accepting the government set-up by the Confederates. Owning a slave and slave-trading must cease at once.”

His strong dogma and his charming charisma were one of the reasons that Lincoln won that election.

Michael nonchalantly grinned and laughed as he ironically admired a human for the first time.

“Why are you laughing, are you a spy? Your attitude is a direct insult to our-” The President got curious at the man’s mind-set that he stopped his secretary.

Michael slowly set down the coffeepot as the train speedily chugs forward the capitol.

“I know your face. I remember your face…” The President turned his head and his eyes and carefully examined the man’s face.

He even wore his reading glasses just to make sure he is not mistaken.

“Pardon me, Mister President and Mister Secretary. I do apologize if my reaction insulted your resolve.” The man bowed with his arms folded, like bowing to a royalty, more to his mockery.

The secretary flew to an outrage, he gritted his teeth and crossed his eyes, prepared his fists as the insults continue to fly along.

“Do show some respect and restraint. This is the government’s train, and you –“

The secretary’s sour face has been more visible and the other passengers from the other tables were getting perturbed by the turn of events.

“Haven’t you cried out for Democracy, is there no freedom of speech?” The two met a twisted grin as Michael lifted up his face from his bow.

“You-” His body shows that he was ready to go for a punch right at Michael’s face, rising at his feet and brazing his shoulders.

The President stopped him completely by gripping his shoulders. Damn, that would be a hell of a bruise later.

“Now, now, the man is right, mister secretary.”

Awwww… Ouch. That grip was much more painful than he can imagine.

“But, mister Preside~nt…” Then, the secretary slowly backed down to his seat beside the President.

“Please, leave us be, I want to talk with this man.” He gulped right in front of the two powerhouses. The one raging with wrath in his face, the other mockingly smiles in front of the President.

The secretary hesitantly rose to his feet and left the dinner car and went on to the coach to see the view of the upcoming city.

“Who are you? I have remembered your face. You were with me, or around me, since I have begun my campaign to run for President. You… You are not here to harm me, that’s what I am feeling about you.”

His curiosity got the best of him. The pandora’s box, never to be opened, now on full-on view due to Michael’s reaction.

Michael took off the apron that he has and set it aside the table. He unceremoniously took up the opposite side of the booth and sat face to face with the President.

He heavily sighed as he turned his eyes towards the desert outside of the railways. He crossed his arms and legs as he commenced the conversation with Abe.

“Frankly, I don’t care about you humans…” He scoffed as he faced the President, eye-to-eye.

Humans?

“For my mission, I need to keep you safe, until you fulfill your purpose.”

Purpose? He talks arrogantly as if I am an object that has a purpose and can be discarded once the purpose has been fulfilled.

“My purpose? You people…” What kind of people refers to their own as humans and what purpose?

You can imagine the rapid and wild imaginations that the man was thinking, he has been the target of assassination since he ran for office, even now that he was President-elect, there’s no guarantee that he will live a safe life.

“Your purpose is to give freedom, to be the light of liberty, and to be the foundation of the unity of the States.” Michael angrily pointed at his ridiculous bowtie threateningly.

“That’s my goal… that has been my goal ever since.”

“That’s good and all, but I’m already losing my patience with you and every damn human there is.” This shocked the President as he knows that the man was clearly lying - his defensive stance, closing up and crossing his arms, the angry demeanour and the instances asking for a fight.

“I know that that is a lie. For one thing, I know that you are not telling me the whole truth.” The President demanded the truth.

“Truth… hahaha… HAHAHHAHHAHAHH!” Michael burst out laughing as he was astounded again by the bearded man.

“Interesting, you really are an interesting man.” The angel continued to mock him.

He stopped laughing but sneered creepily. It’s as if he’s planning something so outrageous.

“Then… what is your truth?”

“My truth? Let me show it to you.” He snapped his fingers and reality around Lincoln change in a blink of an eye, everything distorted, it was like he was on another dimension, is he hallucinating?

Is there some drugs on that coffee, what in the world?

“Wha-…” Abe quickly dropped his jaw in awe and wonder as flashes of history was reflected everywhere around him.

Small and big screens, how there were many assassination attempts that happened, and he doesn’t even know about it.

“I am Michael, the Power of God, the Prince of Seraph, the Captain of the host of Heaven. A message has been delivered for you from the Creator, the Almighty.” The voice of the angel turned deep and coarse upon introducing himself to the President.

“You are… an angel?”

“I am indeed.” The cushions around them suddenly dissolved and the two were left standing in a sphere of visual screens.

“Then… what is His message?” The President seemed listless as the Dimension around him changed in front of his very eyes.

“God’s message is… ‘Liberate Everyone’.”

“Set them… free?” As puzzled as he was, Abe understood the message pretty quickly.

“Yes.”

“Then… then give me power, power to do the mission of God.” He desperately demanded from the angel, grabbed his thigh and hugged his lower torso.

“Wait, what…? I’m not…”

“Give me power, please, or promise me, promise me that you will give me power, promise! I will not let go, until you do.”

“What… I… You’re quite amusing and persistent at that, Abe. What if…” The angel created a blunt force to Abe’s hips severely cracked his ribs and temporarily injured his left lung due to the fractures.

This trial is nothing compared to what is ahead, my little Abe.

“Please… promise me.” A broken rib and a punctured lung, a broken hip and an injured skeleton, I wonder how many hours you can entertain me, Abe.

Tears started to show up in his eyes, reddish, and coughing up blood, he firmly gripped Michael with the intent of receiving power, or somewhat help from the Archangel.

From his childhood, the President always believed there is a God who watches everyone, who wishes peace as he does, and who is righteous is all of His dealings.

He believed the God that saved Joseph, the God that delivered Israel from Egypt and the God that sent Jesus to the Saviour of the world from eternal damnation.

“Please…” The President held out for three hours, and quietly fainted, and as fast as Michael broken his bones, he quickly healed them and restored everything back to its original state.

I have never been touched by humanity before since Adam. Noah was a remarkable man, but this man, Abe, he… he is on a different level. Noble in his cause, his actions truly justify him.

“Wha…” Abe slowly opened his eyes on the last car of the train with the bed spread out. Gasping for air as he fondled with his torso to detect any damage, yet he didn’t find any.

What was that? A dream? A nightmare?

“That’s your conviction.” He quickly turned his head to the right where a man with an apron slowly pours hot coffee to his lovely teapot next to the bed.

“You’re – “ Abe turned his body round and rose to his feet.

“Don’t… don’t do that… please.” He grabbed the coffeepot from Michael’s hand and stopped him from pouring the coffee.

“So… you are… the power?” Grabbing Michael’s hand as if grabbing the most important treasure all his life.

“My covenant is that I will guide and help you and the next presidents of this country in leading the people.”

“Yes! YES!” Abe jumped in joy, like a little child that’s holding a lollipop in his hands. He quickly hugged Michael as he happily throws his hands in the air.

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“After that vow, I… I have helped him through my spiritual form, and the next Presidents of the United States in their strategic decisions regarding the country. They would call me every now and then for some important decisions they need considering before giving the order. It’s a give and take situation, I help them, and they don’t talk about me or release the information to the public.” Arthur pin-pointed every President after Lincoln in the Encyclopaedia.

Call? How?

“Then… then, what is the connection of that story for being hunted?” Matthew and Johnny curiously looked at each other puzzled.

“There was one President, who wanted my blood, to create super soldiers.” His finger slide back down to the list, but not indicating which President.

“Super- wh wha -at was he thinking?” Disgust soon filled Matthew’s face as you can visibly see the wrinkles brought by annoyance and the absurdity of the fact that someone wanted to create super soldiers out of an angel hybrid.

“I guess, you can say, he was just thinking for the country.” Arthur tried to wash out the irritation from Matthew’s face.

“For the country? In the beginning, is that really possible?” Relief soon washed down on Arthur’s face, he never thought someone would take his side on this kind of debate.

“It is.” The disgust from Matthew’s face, suddenly turned ghastly, devoid of any colour, he was shocked by the truth.

“It… is?” Puzzled with Arthur’s answer, he wanted to know more about it, but didn’t press him any further.

“Angels does not have the capability to reproduce with our main form, of course as we are genderless, but we do disguise ourselves as human to interact with the world.” Arthur clarified it himself.

“There was a time, after our brethren rebelled and fallen into the Earth. They wed human women and transformed themselves as human men, and they gave birth to abominable beings, evil to their core, like their fathers.” As soon as Arthur mentioned about his fallen brothers, his eyes were filled of sorrow, his brows curled, and he gritted his teeth as if supressing all the anger and frustration inside.

“Nephilims.” He continued, his eyes full of despair as he clenched his jaws.

“They’re half human and half angel, which proliferated Earth and subdued almost all humanity.” Arthur turned the pages of the Encyclopaedia to the letter F for Flood.

“Cannibals, giants, abnormal men, they lived off of misery of others, truly wicked. We were able to exterminate a few according to the law of physics as they weren’t human, and we weren’t bound by God’s ultimate law, but killing them all under the boundary of the laws of universe were quite impossible.” His glassy eyes were visible with the light striking at every angle.

“They were breeding pretty fast, so… Father decided to hit the reset button.” His eyes lingered on the pictures on the book.

“Reset?” Johnny stayed eerily quiet as he tried to assess Arthur’s emotional state as he continued on the story of the angels.

“He… He sent a great flood to kill everyone and everything.” Arthur strokes the picture of the Flood on the book.

“The Great Flood, from the story of Noah.” Matthew noticed the pictures that Arthur fixated his eyes on. It was the prehistoric flood that even atheists and historians cannot disprove.

“Yeah, that’s for another time, but yeah, it is possible to make super soldiers, but not out of my blood, but reproducing with a human woman will do, that man didn’t know that, as I transformed to my Physical form to get introduced to his generals as his excuse, he… he and the Secretary of Defence plunged a needle directly to my nervous system and I went out for a day.” He closed the book as soon as he saw Matthew lingered his attention to it.

“What happened next?” Matthew’s curiosity changed to anxiety, his face showed too much emotion especially when it comes to the two children.

“I already know from an oracle that that man will not be living long, I haven’t yet informed him about that before the incident, after what happened, I woke up, run amok, and buried the lab underground, along with the thousands scientists that were working on my blood.” Arthur described nonchalantly what he did to the despicable people who tried to experiment on him.

He wanted to test Matthew’s reaction after hearing all of that.

“I buried them alive. I got the whole lab teleported to the centre of the Earth. And teleported out of there directly to the white house, with my eyes white as snow…” Eon… the bastard just kept popping up whenever I…

Speechless, confused, and surprised, Matthew drew back a little, with his eyes and mouth wide open as he gulped.

“I informed him about his fore-coming death, and I didn’t show up until the next President was inaugurated.” Arthur scoffed as if he enjoyed that scene.

He looked directly at Matthew’s eyes as the man felt the chills on his skin for the second time.

It really did not hit him hard the first time that he saw the angel on that hallway since he was used to seeing Arthur, the little child, but when the child opened up his experiences as an angel to the butler, everything hit him hard like a large stone rolled down the mountain and hit him head on.

He couldn’t think of anything else. Arthur can only read his empty mind, but seeing the sweat drop down and his pupils dilate, he can tell that terror overcomed the man.

“What happened with the scientists?” Johnny tugged Arthur’s shirt as he wanted to know everything. This kid’s curiosity knows no bounds.

“You don’t wanna know.”

“Th- th- then… what happened to… to the President?” Matthew stuttered trying to keep his sanity.

“It’s written in history. The only one person who knew what happened to the lab and the one person still living now is the secretary of Defense, General Frederick Thompson. The president -he died a deserving death.” Arthur grinned creepily as the two shivered to their core.

He opened another page in the encyclopaedia and turned on to letter “A”, his fingers run down the words, assassin, assassinate, and assassination.

“Deserving? Who… who decides that?” The butler tried to shake away the creepy grin of the child and moved away from the topic.

Matthew continued to question Arthur about his history with Heaven, and God and angels. His curiosity was something that Michael wished for a long-time.

“Punishment?” Arthur inspected Matthew’s thoughts after telling the story of the President who imprisoned him for his blood.

He… genuinely wished to know about Heaven and Hell and sin’s punishment.

“There’s one answer to your question, but most of the people twist the truth to accommodate their views.” Arthur’s attitude transformed to a sincere and caring tone.

He slowly closed the encyclopaedia and stood up and went near the dressers and pulled out another book he had been hiding, the book had a large inscription on the cover page that said, “The Holy Bible”.

Matthew scoffed and laughed, “Are you going spiritual on me, now?”

Arthur stopped in his tracks, the Bible already in his hands, “Do you seriously want to know? Seriously?”

Matthew felt ashamed that he had scoffed earlier, and as Arthur repeated the question, a heart-felt apology came out of his mouth, “I’m sorry… yes, I… I seriously want to know.”

In a way, he caressed Arthur’s heart. Doubt began rushing in Arthur’s heart as he heard Matthew laughed, but as he apologized, joy replaced the doubt from his mind.

“Sin… no, death was not decided by Father, by God, but rather, it is the separation of man from the Spirit of God.” Arthur opened the Bible carefully to the Book of John.

“Why death?” Matthew wanted to follow-up that question, but Johnny, silent and intently listened, barged in.

“Yeah, why… that?” Matthew was shocked by the child’s inquiry that he can only mirror those words.

“As God is light, the life, and holiness, sin is the opposite, death, darkness, and wickedness.” Arthur retorted. “No one decided what evil is, but since good was already created, there was already a standard set for what is harmless, and anything opposite to good, then, is evil.”

Johnny’s eyes dilated widely in discovering more about the principles of the Bible.

“God created order, while sin created chaos. God created life, while sin fashioned death, God created Heaven, while sin designed Hell.” He turned the pages to the pictures in the Bible about the Heaven, and Hell.

“But where does the devil come in? Your brother, I mean… uhm, Samael?” Matthew instinctively remembered Michael and Samael’s backstory regards with the Bible’s history.

So you were listening that night, too, Matt, interesting.

“If God was the beginning of life, Samael was the beginning of sin.” Arthur became visibly upset talking about his angelic twin.

Of course, the devil is the one who tempts everyone to sin.

“Then… why did God, or why did your Father created Samael in the first place, since He knows the future? Why didn’t He just, you know, not create the start of sin?” One of the greatest mysteries of the universe, and he just casually asked an angel.

“We were all given free will, freedom of choices, Father, uhm, the Almighty, out of all those choices, He knows the thousands and millions of outcomes, by saying He knows the future means, He knows all of the outcomes of your choices.”

Matthew jaw dropped as he think of many scenarios of his choices, many consequences of his choices, and many “future” possibilities.

“That’s… that’s what He meant, by knowing the past, the present, and the future, the literal term of Omniscient?” His eyes glimmer in curiosity and his thoughts wander in awe and excitement to know more and more.

“Yes, though, there are times that the Almighty creates circumstances leading us to His will, there are many times that we push everything to our own will, ultimately creating our own path, even if that is the case, Father still knows the outcome of our decisions.” Arthur continued to open the Holy Book in the first book of Samuel.

“Then… you and the others… you are free to do what you wish to do?” Matthew’s interest greatly aroused, especially when discussing about the angels.

The angels has powers beyond imagination, especially, Michael, as the firstborn and the Captain of the Host of Heaven, he held all powers of the angels.

“Yes, however, disobedience and wickedness does not come without a price.” Arthur pointed at the picture of Hell, at the end of the book.

“Since Samael was the beginning of sin, there was no going back, no repentance, no… redemption, and every rebel were put down to Hell, imprisoned for the next seven thousand years.” He continued.

“If that is the case with angels, then… what of humans? Will we also be thrown down?” Mathew quickly raised his concern, his anxiety was visibly showing with a red-blushed face.

“Humans… are of different situation.” The child tried to explain.

“When Samael introduced sin to the humans, they were only coaxed or lied to, to begin with, as this is the case, humans who believed in God and did not severe their relationship with holiness and with God, were delivered in Paradise.” Arthur began stroking the picture of Heaven in the book.

“Paradise? Why paradise? Not Heaven? What was the difference?” As the trail of thought wanders far off, Matthew was filled more with questions than answers.

“The difference is Him.” Arthur turned the pages again back to the book of Matthew in the Bible, the New Testament, and pointed to the name of ‘Jesus’.

“Him? There are many religions based off of his life, what is his role in all of this?”

“.ישוע המשיח מנצרת” Arthur spoke in his mother tongue – Celestial language.

[Translation-ישוע המשיח מנצרת: Jesus Christ of Nazareth]

“What was that language?” The intonation were different from any terrestrial language on Earth, but sounded similar to Hebrew tongue.

“Celestial, it means, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The reason why God put the first believers in Paradise is because the curse of sin is still in their core, sin is still on Earth.” Arthur pointed at the picture of Hell.

“Then, does this mean, that Christ removed sin from their core? From… from Earth? Is that what He did?”

“No… He removed the curse of sin, which is death. He paid the penalty of sin through dying on that cross that day. The Heavens, and the angels wept in mourning for three days and celebrated in joy after His resurrection.” He turned the pages to the pictures of the cross and the grave in Calvary.

“The curse of sin is death, then… why do people still die?”

Arthur suddenly laughed as he was hit with the absurd question.

“Father didn’t come here and died for humans to be immortal, he came here to cleanse and revive the spirits of the believers.” He stopped laughing as soon as he explained it further.

“Revive? What do you mean?”

“Every creature has the spirit of God - you, me, Johnny, everyone.” He pointed at their hearts.

“As sin entered the world, and the universe, the spirit of God in every living thing died, and with that curse of death of the spirit, no one can enter the Heavens, the people who regained holiness and connection with God revived their spirit and in return, on their physical death, was able to live in paradise, any one with their spirit dead, after their physical death will live in Hell for eternity.” Arthur’s eyes weren’t as calculating as earlier. It’s softer and gentler as he looked on into Matthew’s reaction and curiosity about salvation.

“Then… anyone who has lived and died physically, if their spirit is dead, then… they will be directed to Hell for eternity?” This realization must have hurt Matthew in the most unexpected ways.

“Yes. Ignorant of this principle or not, they will still go directly to Hell.” That blunt answer hit him like a train head on.

“Why? Then, that means, my dad, and my ancestors, they’re all…” Matthew was suddenly overcome with grief and regret as he remembered his family.

“Your father, he asked of me, to tell you the same salvation that I have told him.” Arthur smiled sweetly as he looked directly at Matthew’s eyes.

Sal- salvation?

“His spirit was revived…” He continued.

“Then…”

“Yes, if your spirit is revived too, then, once you physically die, you’ll meet up there.”

“H… ho-… how can I?” Tears started to flow right this man’s cheeks, the child beside him followed suit.

“In the face of repentance, ignore everything, and accept that you are a sinner, with this, repent from wickedness, and believe that God, no, that His Son, Jesus Christ, came, and was crucified, and resurrected for the penalty of your sins.”

“I… I am a sinner, I know that I cannot find forgiveness for those sins, but… I believe and I pray that I can live a holy life, transforming myself to the likeness and holiness of God and believing that Jesus paid for every sins that I have made.” Matthew wailed and cried as he accepted salvation that day.

Though Johnny was still a child, he understood what sin was and so the two lead Johnny also to salvation.

With the two revived, they wanted to know more about the Bible and the God that created everything in the universe.

“Art… No, Michael. Thank you for telling me about this. I was not aware of everything until today, I thought…” He trying to find words to describe his feelings.

“It’s easy to conclude, but… I am glad that you have followed the footsteps of your father, Matt.” Arthur held his hand.

“How about your physical mother and father, don’t you want to let them know about… about… this?” That question from Matthew turned his sweet smile into a sour face. It wiped the smile off of his face.

“I will discuss it with them if they wish to talk to me. I… I don’t want to force people into belief and faith, I…” He simply answered.

“I understand, I’m sorry I asked.” Matthew understood the child. He remembered that Edward only comes home once or twice a year, and Emily dismisses him every day.

“No, please… don’t, please ask. Whatever it is that you wish to ask, always ask, that’s how I lead you here, right?” He raised his brow and smiled at him again, taking a positive light into everything.

“Thank you.” Matthew, teary-eyed, grinned back to the child in joy and rejoicing. The message of God was delivered in the Smith household once again.

“Father… what you did… for humans that day, still resonates in every heart, even in my-”