Apocalypse

It's NEARLY done yet, but I wanted to know what people thought of it so far.

Apocalypse: a revelation; the expectation of an imminent cosmic cataclysm in which God destroys the ruling powers of evil and raises the righteous to life in a messianic kingdom. Doesn’t this occur every so often? Some lunatic has to say the world is coming to an end when the excitement of mass genocide or maybe just the criticism of celebrities isn’t enough.

Theoretically though; what if some number of years ago God instilled this need for this prophetic revelation in humans as a primal unconscious device to warn those with a mind for sacrifice to stop something like an apocalypse from happening. Maybe just some idiot heard the Mayan calendar stops at 2012 and decided that was the end of the world. Now some other equally idiotic person has to say take me instead, if something like this is coming, I’m guessing I know, take me and the rest of the world can live on. What kind of a deal is that? When and if that were to happen, the rest of society would have no idea that had happened. But perhaps going along with that same idea, God is both taking the sacrifice knowing that some of our debt is paid along with the fact that the one person that could have any proof, is in heaven; never to have the means nor the concern to return to tell the world. Firstly, it would be too easy to know that we have been saved; it would completely diminish the need for faith. And secondly, we could not comprehend that kind of information, because faith is both our blind loyalty, which in turn makes God infallible; but it is also our protection from the extremity of anymore than just that blind faith, to which we cling(even if so unconsciously) to for sanity and peace of mind.

Or to get more in depth with the story; say that every 12 years, God imposes an apocalypse. But, someone has always stopped it by some form of sacrifice. I wonder if this is exactly the case.

In 1723, Benjamin Franklin went to Philadelphia in search of renewal. Having no clue that he would some day be a founding father of a nation like America. But his presence later becomes an asset to the formation of this country. 1726; three years in and still very much there. The idea that America in all its splendor and promise of freedom, would overshadow the concept of God being the one true Idol. So, in his wrath, he proceeded to damn our existence every 12 years.

250 years later, the threat is bigger than ever. God has allowed us to live for these 250 years of sacrifice. And he has decided that no amount of sacrifice will stop the end of the world this time. The last four times especially have been enough. 1976; destroy the world because its 200 years after the rising of a false idol: America. Or, 1988; when technology came into the mainstream, and he knew we would destroy our planet. And in 2000; when the millennia finally came and we all were expecting the world to shut down when the clock struck 12. But, of all the times when he has seen the opportunity inevitably present itself, 2012 was most palpable of all. Of course, the world ends 250 years after America, steals Idolism; a time so big, even people who weren’t concerned with Y2K are packing a years supply of groceries away: the end of the Mayan calendar. The Mayans recorded thousands of years and then just stop on 2012. No one knows for sure, and the missing information about this otherwise boring piece of trivia presents the Mayans as somewhat omnipotent; allowing us all to be petrified about something because we have no clue about it. So, the date is set, and all of existence will be expunged.

Now, there are always solutions and other parts to a story. We’ve yet to introduce Mallenaudrix; an angel set on Earth to watch a blood line. All angels have someone they have to keep their eye on. Not necessarily to keep from death, but just to keep record. If someone dies, usually the angel doesn’t give it a second thought, moving on to the next person in line. And of course they are like every other human on Earth; no wings to flash, or harps to play. The only difference is information of a central omnipotence, and an immortal life span. Otherwise these creatures live day in and day out as every other person on the planet. They are the man or woman on the subway next to you, or the child in the wheel chair that you treat at a hospital. Whatever the situation it is, they inevitably find their way into your day to day life. And they, as humans for all intensive purposes, have an uncomfortably vast amount of information about you, which they are not allowed to reveal; otherwise they scare off the pathetically scare-easy human. This kind of information is the kind that can only be obtained through telepathy; something more than human, to say the least. So, it goes without saying that they usually have to keep their mouth shut. This isn’t too easy for our angel.

Mallenaudrix spends nearly everyday chatting away with random humans. She has been doing this for nearly a hundred years; when her assigned blood line became more distinct and developed. She would talk and talk, and then once she got too involved, she would change her appearance and identity completely and then proceed with her new life style, still wholly involved with the person’s life.

Then, the women she watched got pregnant. This was wonderful news until she held the baby and felt an electric shock, like a wave of impending doom, but so much more powerful, and not quite as horrible. She was only barely able to chalk up the sudden emotion as tears of joy for her friend. Then, she switched identities again and watched from a farther stand point. She hoped everyday that the woman would bare another child. For she only knew that feeling in her stomach was bigger than she wanted, and hoped never to have the unfamiliar feeling again.

I never wanted this when He first assigned it. I didn’t think it would be fun or wonderful at all. But it was after I got started, for about the first 100 years. Then, He assigned me the boy. I didn’t know how to respond, except to bow as He left. But, in truth, I don’t think I’d have it in me to say no to Him. Maybe because of our playful camaraderie before he made humans, or perhaps just because of my position; only an angel. Of course, I’ve known from the second I was created that everyone, everything, and every time is an “only” compared to our Father. So, it never bothered me that I look up to Him so. And I would never place the word, “grovel” on my actions towards Him. It’s merely our relationship. So, of course, He knew how I felt, and insisted I serve as I have for the last 100 years.

I sat down when he left and proceeded to dress for “work”. I actually work for a church (imagine that) part-time and my full job, I work as an assistant. Both of these jobs were very closely picked. The boy I was assigned, Veldon Lavion, is 20 now. He took over his father’s business. He started at Harvard at the age of 16, and just got out of college. I was a little amused by the “take on the family business” thing. I thought that was cute.

But, condescending thoughts were shoved aside immediately when, I heard I would be his assistant. I didn’t realize I would be so close to him. Not to mention that I’ll be working at the church he goes to every Sunday and Wednesday. St. Patrick’s Cathedral; that’s where I’m working. I’m dreading having to go and listen to peoples wrong assumptions and the thoughts of those who may never get into Heaven because, they don’t even believe in the wrong assumptions, let alone the right ones.

I locked up my apartment; not that I worry; it would just seem weird for a girl in Manhattan not to look somewhat concerned for her well-being. I walked down the three flights of stairs from my apartment, and then went around the corner to the office.

Veldon was already there, of course. From the sounds of his previous accomplishments, he’s a bit of an overachiever. I went in completely prepared as well. I greeted him with a great amount of chipperness; not a surprising amount for a Friday, but surprising enough for a morning. He responded just as gaily and shook my hand.

“You must be my assistant, I’m Veldon Lavion.”, he greeted and sat down in his nice leather chair, “My father told me you were new here, too; just came here today? May I ask where?” The wave crashed over me just as sharply as it had 20 years ago, but more so because I couldn’t help but feel the firmness of his handshake, and wondered very much how strong he was. However, his last question launched me out of my daze long enough for a little hysterical giggle to tumble from my lips as I responded.

“Yes…um…I’m from…” I stumbled for a place, any place, and found it on his desk, on a brochure: a little town called Lake Havasu in Arizona. I remember having to live there a long time ago when I had to watch Veldon’s great-grandmother. She moved when she was ten, had an indiscretion from the trauma of the move, bared only one child and then died tragically from the epidemic or typhoid in 1912. These kinds of memories are haunting and one of my less favorites to dwell on. The entire exchange in my head and enough information of the town that I recalled took all of two seconds. “From Lake Havasu City, the one in Arizona.”

“Well, you’re a long ways away from home, then. Do you miss it?” He asked with interest.

“Everyday.”

“Why’d you leave?”

“It was time for a change.” I only barely was able to keep the conspiratorial grimace off my face as I thought, it’s the truth. He misread my grimace and changed the subject.

“So, I guess we should get started. My father left me with more cases than I can handle, and there are more files that come along with them, that you and I will ever be able to look over.” He laughed, and so did I, only at myself hatefully so for relishing in the sound of his voice. I have been in the mind of every person I’ve ever come across. So, I knew already to well, what was to ensue this kind of feeling. He was right; we had to get started on filing away, more than just the papers that were strewn athwart my desk.

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~Thank you for reading~

-catfood