10/X-C. Is God Asleep? (Remastered) End of Arc 1

“Brother, you’re here, Jack…” Their hands touched each other’s and they both looked at each other’s eyes, for a minute, all of the malice in the world, all of the evil went away, he remembered the days he played with his sister in their home.

“Jamie, is… is that you, lil’ sis?” His sister got nostalgic memories as well as she grabbed the ice cream cone from his hands.

“Eddie, cover for me for a sec, okay?” Jack jumped out of the Cold Sweets ice cream truck and walked with his sister along the beach.

“Yeah, sure.”

The two walked for hours without opening their mouths, they wanted to ask each other what happened to both of them, dying of curiosity and awkwardness but still misses her brother, Jamie stepped in, “Uhm… so… what happened to you?”

“I… grew up. What about you? Tell me about your school, middle school, high school, how about College?” He jumped in the bandwagon, but instead of talking about himself, and his dark secrets, he bombarded her with personal questions, of course, even if they hadn’t been together for ten years, they’re still family, and she didn’t hold back.

“I’ve already graduated, junior and senior high school, Dad and Mom wanted me to pursue College, and here I am, already reviewing for college exams, on my high-school library and hoping to get more extra classes before College starts.” Jamie gladly shared every single thing that his brother missed on the past ten years that he was absent from home.

She went on and on about their amazing family trips, the highschool field trips, her amazing friends, her amazing life, nothing compared to what he had experienced in his childhood or his teen life.

The feeling of nostalgia, little by little, transformed into a big ball of fuzzy envy, it was her shining world compared to his dark, embellished muddy history.

Other than envy, he felt happy for her, at least, she was handed everything that he wasn’t.

Obsession soon noticed envy in his heart, he was already possessed with Pride and Revenge, but now, another came sticking in.

His negative emotions poured out and the demons enjoyed their feast. They ate away his humanity in every second, minute, and hour that passed by.

“What about you, Jack?” He snapped as he heard his name, gentle and soft, his sister calmed him down, surprisingly.

“I worked hard, I now own several of ice cream trucks in Santa Monica, thanks to my hard work.” Hard work, my ass, this was through selling drugs, I want to get out, Jamie, but… I can’t, the mafia already holds my life, and there’s no way out. When you’ve given yourself to the devil, there’s really no salvation.

“Your eyebags proves it. I see you’ve been working too hard, and too hard on yourself, brother. Have you been resting properly?” The wrinkles and crow’s feet at the side of eyes were too recognizable, he’s only twenty-eight, and yet, he looked like their father, in their late forties, the rough nights, and the sleepless violence around his ghetto apartment kept him up at nights, sometimes, days, and weeks, and due to this he had to succumb to the use of drugs as well to maintain his so-called, “sanity” and keep on integrating to the norms of society.

Her hands softly ran passed his cheeks in an attempt to comfort his brother, he slowly and gently met her hand with his hand, and they sadly looked down as they faced each other.

“I’ve missed you, come home.” She said, her eyes glistened with tears as his hands intertwined with her.

“I’ve missed you, too, but… Dad, and Mom doesn’t want me there.” His eyes began to tear up as well. It’s too late for me, and I don’t want to put you… and the two of them in danger.

Not parents, not dad and mom, his internal self already accepted the fact that they’re not the people who cared for him, really cared for him, no one did, but his sister.

“Of course, they want you to be there.”

“I’ve been in hell, figuratively, you can say, they weren’t there to save me, I’ve called a lot of times, I’ve… come to the house a lot of times, they wouldn’t even recognize me, their son, if I am their son.” Her heart constricted, she held her breathe, she had seen too many homeless people, and thinking and imagining what her brother might have gone through without any help or assistance living by himself, she just couldn’t stomach the fact that their father and mother didn’t even filed a police report for him.

“Jack…” She tried to caress his face once more, but his bitterness caused him to pull away, faced another direction.

“It’s understandable, I mean, I ran away. They’ve raised me for eighteen years, and I didn’t bother looking back. That was my karma, but I’m fine now.” His fake smile as he turned around to face again his sister turned out to the last pleasant thing that his sister will see from his face.

“Jack…” She didn’t buy his fake smile. He can feel it too, but his awkward smile, and her pitying eyes, just made the conversation a lot worse than what it was.

“I don’t need anything. I don’t need your sympathy. I also don’t need them. I can live my life, perfectly fine.” He just wanted to ran away from the embarrassment.

“Jack, I’m here, okay, I’ll do anything to help if you need anything.” At least she offered something.

“I’ve lived for ten years without your help, I’ll do just fine. We can visit each other every now and then, but not too much, I’m swamped with work, okay?” And at the least that last remark saved the conversation from a total bombshell.

He thought of running away from the mafia a very long time now, but anytime was always a bad time to do that.

That day he followed her going home, stalker style, and he’s done it way too many times to be noticed by anyone, even his prey, but this time, it wasn’t the gentle hand, nor the soft caress that touched his heart, but a little bit of weed, vicodin, and LSD in a tripping and possessed creepy way of observing his family from out in the dark woods near the neighborhood.

“They’re having fun aren’t they… without me.” He’s talking to himself, he doesn’t realize it but a large part of him regretted taking drugs before following her home, but he needed a powdered courage, in contrast with liquid courage.

“Don’t you think they’re a bit too happy without you?” An inner voice started talking to him, voicing out his own thoughts.

“Too happy without me, yeah…” He casually answers the question thinking that it was his inner voice talking back to him.

An Obsession, a Pride, and a Revengeful Demon cling happily on his shoulders as he gnashes his teeth in anger and in frustration, the negative emotions and negative spiritual energy filled the bellies of the demons possessing and pestering him every day.

“I hate their laughter, their smiles, the realization that I am out of their lives relieves them, I hate them, I hate her.” And those words engrained to his heart even after coming back to reality.

“That’s right! I hated everything they did! They laughed, they smiled without a care in the world, without batting an eye that I left, without even submitted a missing person’s report, without even looking for me!” Jack flailed his hands and shouted violently at the twins, while Matthew appeared to remain completely still, checking the fire department team set-up the suicide pillow at the sides of the hotel.

The dispatcher instructed the fire rescuers to turn off the wailing sound of the truck as to not alert the suicidal man of their attempt the set-up the suicide pillow bag around the sides of the hotel, in case, the man tried to jump on other directions.

Arthur now see the three demons clearly and more visible.

Clinging to his shoulder and whispering in his ears emerged Admuiel, the angel of space, became the demon of Pride, Beliual, Thaliel, the angel of color, became the demon of Revenge, Wrayial, and Chadiel, the angel of Force, that materialized as the demon of Obsession, Periual.

The three revealed the darkness and evil in the man’s heart, clinging to his desires of chaos and murder, and beating him down in despair until the only answer to their evil intentions and suggestions appeared to be his only way out of his own misery.

They promised revenge, they promised a good life, and a quiet and playful life after their evil desires, pulling him into the darkness and despair the three demons likely wanted the end to be for this man.

He covered his face in shame, and disdain, he creepily pulled back his hands and looked at them as if they were covered in blood.

Arthur realized that Jack wrestled against succumbing to insanity and guilt of what he did to his sister.

He empathized with him about the guilt part.

He knew the fleeting feeling because he also once killed one, two or too many of his sisters and brothers in the Great Rebellion.

“That night… I reached out… still trying to get off my daze, I texted her, that I needed to see her, and I wanted to talked more…” He continued on his confession, the two police officers stood by at the back of the doors recording the confession as the kids faced the man.

His eyes widened in terror, he realized he brought his misery to himself. “We met at the school gate, and drove off to the beach, it was a dark night… I… blacked out… no, I…”

He couldn’t believe that his own hands pulled out that huge rock and repeatedly stomped it in his sister’s head. “I was awake, I didn’t do any drugs. I was so angry, she kept going on and on and on about their happy times without me. WITHOUT ME!”

From a guilt-driven confession to anger, his moods were swinging back and forth.

Jack continued to sweat coldly and shake violently thru the night. Arthur comprehended that the erratic behavior was the result of the drug withdrawal.

Surprisingly, Jack had stopped taking drugs before and after the murder, about twenty-four to forty-eight hours ago.

That’s long enough for withdrawal symptoms to show, and as his behavior continued to change and decline rapidly, Arthur appeared too careful this time as he has four living humans with him at the roof top.

He stopped in his tracks, Jack darted his eyes quickly to the child who resembled his sister, his eyes full of pity for the man, no, his eyes can only see the physical plane.

Arthur focused on his brothers, pitied them in skirmishing their way fighting the human’s will and overcoming and possessing it to be their own.

They’ve become parasites.

One of the most beautiful creations of God were the angels, their spiritual forms maybe a bit horrific for the human eye, however, they were made in intricate manner and according to God’s own heart.

But then, the Rebellion happened and all the Fallen became demons who feed off of the negative spiritual energy of the Earth, of things, of people, and anything they can get attached to., they cling to it like it’s the source of their life.

Matthew’s instincts ran wild, as he knew that look would get the man to charge at the kids. He readied his stance. He’s willing to tackle the guy if needed.

“What are you looking at? Why are you looking like you pity me? HUH?!” Jack lashed out at Arthur, and Johnny kept his distance behind him.

“I just realized… you seemed lonely and sad. Those many years trying to survive on your own, it must have been tough…” Arthur both spoke to Jack and his brothers.

“Do you think I wanted this?” / “Do you think we wanted this?” Jack and Wrayial shrieked in unison, the Fallen halted the whispers, barring the delusions caused by the demons.

Jack finally came back to his human senses.

“Don’t you think this is enough damage? You and the others were made by God, he fashioned each and every one of us. Please… stop this already. Go back to where you belong.” He tried to persuade his fallen brothers.

“Michael…” Wrayial and the three left the human’s body, along with the negative energy and emotions he had.

His eyes were opened to mercy, and as the demon flew out back to Hell, a threat ensued. “We’re not done, I know Samael’s not done as well with this silly game he has with you. Take care of yourself here.”

Just like the cold breeze, their spiritual masses dematerialized from Earth, and appeared before the gates of Hell.

Upon hearing Arthur’s words, Jack fell to his knees crying, sobbing, and apologizing, trying to reclaim back what he had lost, the innocence from murder, but he’s already guilty.

For the first time in his wretched life, he knew the word, mercy, and felt it in his heart. Having feeling unworthy of this so-called mercy, the warm emotion he felt…

“I… I don’t deserve any of this. I don’t deserve to live.” He quickly sprang to his feet and boosted his shaking body to the raised bar on the edge of the roof.

“Don’t come any closer.” Arthur exhibited the face of worry, Matthew, quite puzzled, resumed talking and stopping the guy from flooring it.

“Jack, look, you can still turn your life around. This isn’t-” The last words that came out of Matthew’s mouth as he tried to rush and grab the man as he slid downwards.

“Don’t!” Arthur jumped towards the edge of the roof and pursued the man falling from the building, the two police officers and Matthew did not anticipate.

“NO!” Greg slammed the other side of the roof door surprising Johnny and rushed towards the edge of the roof as well.

Matthew barely missed a second in clutching Arthur’s right foot as Arthur held Jack’s left foot as well in his right hand.

Greg slowly pulled Matthew as the human chain was seen clearly hanging from the front side of the hotel where the fire department just cleared off the cars and the civilians nearby.

“Pull it!” Gale gripped Greg’s torso in pulling backwards to the roof to make sure to pull out the human chain hanging off of the roof.

“Let me go, please.” Jack tried to wiggle his way out of the human chain, but cannot and chose not to kick the six-year old kid in his face.

“I will neee---- VER LET YOU GO!” Arthur held on to Jack’s feet more tightly as if crushing his heels.

He felt a slight discomfort for the squeeze but continued to wiggle his way out.

“Let me GO!” His wiggling may have been just as successful since the three pullers, Matthew, Greg, and Gale, slowly inches to the edge as time went by.

“Art, you have to let go… I can’t… hold…any long-” Matthew tried to reason Arthur out of the chain.

“You promised me you’ll believe me, you promise me you’ll help. Do as you have vowed! WHAT GOOD IS THE SMITH BUTLER, SHOW ME!” Matthew out a deep, gurgling screech as if releasing his muscles Hulk-way, but two minutes has passed, the adrenaline wore off, and-

-------------------- // --------------------

“Brother, please… what are you trying to do closing off the cave?” The trembling voice echoed in the cave of the Valley.

Cain pushed Abel further into the depths and darkness of the cave. It’s as if no one will see what they are doing or rather, what he will be doing in there.

“Come out, Abel, there’s no need to hide, I’m just here to play.” His playful words did not resonate with the meaning and the tone of his voice.

Abel heard clearly the grunt in his deep tenor, there were many times that he was tricked by that grunt, the tell-tale signs that his brother was lying.

“Please Cain, I know you’re upset, but you don’t have to do anything to me, I don’t want us to hurt each other, okay?” Still negotiating, Abel tried his best to hide in the dark, he tried not to use the spark stones that he has on his sling, to avoid being detected by Cain, and he knew that Cain’s weaknesses is due to his inability to adapt to situations.

“Come on, Abel, you know that’s already old news. Come out and play with me.” Somehow, his play on words becomes more horrific as time comes and as the light gradually went out from the sunshine.

“Mom and Dad will worry, we need to go home now, please.”

“Not until we play, ok—AY?!”

“Cain, please… I’m terrified of you… right now.” It’s not Cain, it’s not him, Cain loves me, Cain…if it’s not him, then… then I have to get the real Cain.

He stepped out of the darkness, and felt with his hands the rocks, the stones, and the path around him. He carefully surveyed the surroundings in the dark, but as he did, Cain did the same, he listened for Abel, he knew the silence meant Abel attempts to get away, get away from the darkness and get away from him.

He quietly stalked the sounds that he was picking up, and carefully navigating in the darkness, making sure he did not lose Abel in the dark.

And when he knew that Abel was right below him, he took one last deep breathe, and raised the heavy stone in his hands, and plunge it right back down with the force of gravity on the ground.

Abel did not know what was happening, but there was this instinct inside of him saying that Cain was near, but it was too late, the first plunge got his thigh, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!” A screeching sound echoed the cave as Abel felt the stinging pain in his crushed thigh.

The bats immediately flew out of the cave, in response to the shout of Abel, and upon the scream of his brother, Cain easily located his face.

Abel turned around and the sight of his brother, smiling with streaks of his blood on his brother’s face, turned him from terrified to horrified.

Abel’s eyes and teeth became the reference of Cain as to where to hit next, and he, without second thought, pulled up the big stone from Abel’s thigh and raised it once more, this time, he won’t miss.

“AAAAAAAaaahhhh! Cain Stop!” Abel raised his hands to protect his head, but it’s too late, and too heavy, the force of gravity upon all things along with Cain’s muscle force, the stone crushed Abel’s small arms, and directly hit his head hard that he stopped breathing.

His eyes wide opened, no longer life cultivating inside of him, and his spirit was the first spirit that Azrael had to guide to Paradise.

“Poor you. Your time has come, Abel.”

“Wah… what… Who… who are you, and why am I out of my body? Cain, is this really Cain?”

“I know you have so many questions. Come on, we need to get going.”

“But…”

“No buts.” Azrael dragged Abel’s spirit out of the cave, and told him about what happened.

“Every one of us has a spirit of God, and the soul that make us different from the animals.” Azrael continued.

“When the physical body dies, and is no longer breathing, the soul return to the Paradise or Hell, and the spirit of God returns to God.” She explained.

“You’re… beautiful, more beautiful than my mother.” Abel’s first time seeing other women from the Earth was at the time of his death and Azrael lead his soul to Paradise.

“Thank you.” She appreciated the thought, her jet-black hair, and white eyes were never complimented as beautiful in the Silver City as the Principalities are the Guardians of Death.

She was taken aback, but continued explaining the situation. “Since you have made the sacrifice to Father, you have made a connection with Him, and He decided for you to stay on the Paradise.”

They hovered next to the fields and he noticed his mother and father tending to the plants.

“But what about my mother and father, and… my herd… and Cain?” He tried to negotiate.

“You need not to worry about them anymore. Your physical body already left this Earthly plane.” She tried to console Abel’s soul.

“But… that’s… I was just born, how can I be...”

“Dead? Didn’t you see your murder scene? Cain killed you.”

“No, no, no, you’re mistaken, that’s not Cain, that’s someone who looked like him with three monsters whispering in his ears.”

“That’s Cain, and those three monsters are the angels like me that fell from the grace of God.”

“Angels? You’re an angel? Just like Mikhail?”

“Of course!” Abel was just so worried about his family, he did not notice until now that the creature leading him away had armour, black-jet armour and six black wings as well.

“Oh… yeah.” He spotted Michael nearby, with his golden armour, his back turned on them, Abel tried to get his attention by shouting but-

“Don’t… It’s not yet his time to find out that you left this plane. Soon, don’t worry.” Azrael quickly flew outside of Michael’s eye and hearing range.

The flapping of the wings of the bat covered her wings going upwards out the Earthly plane.

“Wait, I have yet-” Abel’s soul tried to stretch out his arms only to see the fleeting image of Michael and his mother and father turn into ants and dots as they leave the Physical plane to go to the spiritual plane outside the dark space.

The bats out from the cave alerted Michael nearby, at first, he did not pay attention to it that much since it was a common occurrence when they go out and hunt, but he felt a familiar aura from nearby the flying bats, he sensed it about a minute, trying to locate it, but was not able to, then it was gone.

“What is happening? Why are you out of the cave?” He telepathically sent a message to one of the bats. It flew out of the herd to approach the angel.

“My liege, there were humans in the cave, and they disturbed our rest by letting out a horrifying scream.” He answered.

“Humans, what do they look like? I was just there a few minutes or maybe hours ago, there were no humans” His voice rattled upon knowing that there were humans in the cave, Abel frequented there with his herd. He also visited the cave a few hours ago, and there was no one.

“My lord, I’m sure there is now, we only saw, from their smell, they’re definitely male.”

“I missed them…” He dashed to the cave with all his might, even tried to teleport, but he has not been inside all places in that cave, he only explored where Abel took the herd and found the missing sheep.

The angel cannot teleport to a place where he has not been yet before.

He dashed from in of all sides, crook and crannies of the cave, and when he trenched down at the deepest most part of the cave, he heard this repeating sound.

It sounded like a wolf or a fox scratching the soft ground, digging a hole for their home, and that was quite impossible as the floor was covered with stalagmites and stalactites all over.

He stepped down, and he jumped out of surprise, there’s water flowing at the deepest part of the cave.

He followed where the water flowed and much to his anticipation- there was an oasis underneath the cave out to the waterfalls across the Valley and into the sea.

The light poured in the oasis as a sign of a geyser nearby shoots out and the warm steam of the spring nearby the oasis.

Forgetting momentarily about the digging sounds, he observed the wonderful creation of God at a distance, then returned to his senses.

SFX: Chuck, chuck, chuck

At the near distance, at the right side of the oasis, Cain bent over and dug with all his might, the demons still on his shoulders, detected Michael nearby and poof! Gone as the wind blew coldly from the outside of the cave into the refreshing oasis.

Michael attempted not to alert Cain, and slowly approached him and to his horror, did not expect a lifeless, cold body, besides the stones at the far north of Cain.

“ABEL!” He dashed to Abel’s lifeless body, and held the small kid in his arms. Cain stopped digging as he realized that everything he did to hide what happened was all in vain, since the strongest angel showed up.

“Abel, please wake up, please… Cain, what did you do?!”

In his feeble attempt of denial, he replied with, “What? Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The ground cried out, the cave disturbed, the negative energy of the Earth, and the trail of blood was all it took for Michael to deduce what happened, “The blood of your brother cries out in agony. What did you do?!”

“I…” He came back to his senses, when the demons disappeared, but there’s already no way out, no excuse will justify what he did, no tantamount mercy will save him from punishment.

“WHERE IS ABEL?!” The thunderous clouds surrounded the Valley, as God brought forth the pillar of fire and clouds above the cave where the three are currently inside.

Michael grabbed Cain’s hand, and he teleported them out of the cave into the open at the highest spot in the Valley and called on to His Father.

“Father, we are here. I… found… what was Abel.” As Michael called out, the pillar of cloud and fire burned out hotter as it approached the three.

Michael kept his head and knee bowed down, as he laid Abel’s body in the ground. The angel gently closed his eyelids and it was as if the boy was just sleeping.

“WAS?!” Cain appeared distraught for what he had done, he is a human after all, much more gullible to guilt and conscience, the trembling voice of the pillars brought forth more anxiety as his knee gave out as he looked at his brother’s cold, and lifeless vessel.

“The land cried out, one of my previous little ones has been taken away from me.” Father wept for the second time. First, was the disobedience of Adam, and now the murder of Abel, humans really are special to him.

Michael looked away in envy. His facial expression showed both envy, and wrath about what happened with Abel.

“FOR WHAT YOU DID, CAIN, YOU SHALL BE CURSED, ANYONE OR ANYTHING THAT WILL SEE AND KNOW YOU WILL TRY TO KILL YOU ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE.” The thunderous voice covered the flames from the pillar.

“Do-… don’t you think that’s too harsh for what I did? I just…”

“Anyone who will be successful in killing you will be cursed as well as their bloodline. NOW GO! DEPART FROM ME, YOU MURDERER!” Michael looked away in fear, horror, and disgust.

He didn’t bat an eye for Cain, nor did he attempt to lighten the punishment as he did for Adam.

This time, he felt, that the curse and the punishment needed to be that heavy.

Cain hesitantly left the Valley and Plains, and headed west. Michael didn’t hear much from Cain since then.

The pillar of cloud and fire also disappeared from the Valley as Abel, the first man of sacrifice, died in the physical plane.

He gently lifted up Abel’s body and flew down the Valley to the plains where Adam and Eve where and articulated what happened and the two took it to heart, their heart heavy, buried their son near the farm where Cain’s handiwork was displayed.

It was not until seven years later that they decided to procreate another human to call, “Son”, again.

-------------------- // --------------------

“ART!” Johnny’s horrified screams echoed the cold air breeze that filled the room, Matthew no longer had the power to hang on, and for a moment, his hand slipped a little bit.

“Matt, let go.” Arthur gave a new order.

“What? NO! You told me to hang on.” He attempted to pull him up again.

“Now LET GO!” The child insisted on the order.

“NO!” Matthew was not able to see what’s beneath the building, and shouted in frustration.

“DO YOU TRUST ME?” Arthur shrieked back.

“YES.”

“THEN DO IT!” The moment he did, Arthur boosted himself and hugged Jack the way down.

“No! Why did you come with me? This is death, this is-” Jack closed his eyes all that time, he never wanted to see the way down.

“I told you, I won’t let you run away again, Jack.” For a moment, the mist behind Arthur transformed into the liking of his sister, Jamie, her sweet smile telling him to live, and let go of the past.

“I have to save, at least, you.” He realized the situation they’re in.

Ten seconds passed, but he hasn’t thought of a way yet to save the young lad, but he’s desperate, they’re falling to their deaths, and he needs to-

SFX: PLOOSH, PLOOSH, ploosh!

The suicide bag cushioned their fall. “Ahhhhhh.” The kid emerged from his belly unharmed, and relieved.

“Don’t run away again, okay?”

“I won’t. I promise.”

Terrified and horrified by the turn of events, Matthew, Greg, and Gale sighed and sat down as their knee gave out.

Johnny ran towards Matthew and hugged him tightly as they bent down to see that Arthur and Jack was rescued by the suicide pillow situated and placed by the fire team at the same spot where Jack jumped earlier.

Arthur bought time by clinging to Jack and the three adults continued to buy time for the fire brigade set-up to be successful.

“I still can’t believe that happened. Those kids are…”

“Incredible?” Greg finally convinced Gale about the amazing intellect and emotional quotient of the kids.

“Yeah.”

“Matt, thank you for everything.” Greg kowtows to Matthew as they rode the elevator down to the lobby.

“No, don’t please, it’s all on Arthur.” Matthew gave all the credits to the angel.

“He’s an amazing kid, you mentioned Guardian, but he blurted out Butler, who are you really?” Greg wondered the same questions as Matthew did.

“I’m wondering as well.”