Earth to Gabriel

Chapter one

Bright lights. That's when I woke to a bright seemingly endless empty room that I don't even remember entering. I don't remember much of anything, I still have my core memories but I can't seem to remember the past day or maybe even month. "Hello Neil" that's my name, right? Where is it coming from? I scan the room trying to locate the abrupt voice and what I found neither perplexed me nor calmed me. It was an older man with softer features, he looked like a man who had seen something horrific long ago that aged him. I wasn't entirely sure that he was a man but I was sure he meant well for some reason.

"Um hi? do I know you?" honestly between the confusion and sudden appearance of this man I felt like I did. maybe that is just his effect. "no, but you do now. you can call me M for the time being." M? Like the letter M? Was it short for something? or was it just his name and I wasn't meant to know more? to me, the name felt like a gate. a gate that was locked that I didn't have clearance to. "ok Neil we have places to be, much to do. can't keep her waiting."

There was a lot to unpack in that sentence, but I didn't have the time to because within seconds M was gesturing for me to follow him through the building. Reluctantly I did. we walked for an unknown amount of time because there wasn't a way to tell time wherever were. I couldn't even feel time passing. everything here felt baseline, like this place was beyond space and time, beyond my understanding. "ahem so here we are" I took a look around and we were somehow somewhere else. this place was different but not too different. It was still big and white but it did end. it had a window looking down on a headquarters of some kind with a large globe in the middle. it honestly reminded me of Santa's workshop but, calmer and more tranquil.

"Hey, M? Where is 'here'" M looked at me almost sympathetically "Neil do not be afraid. You will know soon enough." Was that supposed to calm me? because it terrified me. We waited for another unknown amount of time for something. It all felt very vague and menacing which wasn't what I was supposed to feel. I don't know how I knew this I just did. After a while, a woman bathed in silver walked in. It was an odd juxtaposition to all the white. "Ok, Neil this is her" M half-heartedly introduced me as the woman gave him a disapproving look.

"fine, fine, Neil this is going to be a lot just please try to keep up. Here is where we are and here is the here and now and always more commonly known as heaven or paradise." this was it? I thought it was kinda bland for where it all ends. " and this my friend is the all mighty" I'm sorry what? That is god. she's so gentle and dainty. Not 'mighty' at all. "um hi? I'm sorry this is my first time being in front of such a high presence" She nodded. god nodded. and began to whisper to M, then it clicked M... Metatron... M was the Metatron. The only one truly able to hear god. honestly, I couldn't take it all in, but I could accept it. "She wants to know if you have any questions for her before we get into the real meat and potatoes of things."

    Here I was standing before god asking any questions I pleased. "I have a question for M first." M looked very disappointed with this response but also very knowing, like he understood what I was about to ask. "Who are you?" M sighed like this was the dumbest question he had ever been asked. "I am the Metatron, the voice of god and if you're wondering why she can't speak for herself, she can just not to you because quite frankly hearing her voice would turn your brain to absolute mush." The being I now knew as the metatron paused giving me room to ask some more questions but my brain could only procure one thing. "Why am I here?" Just as god began to whisper an answer to the metatron another person sauntered in.

   He was on the taller side, his hair was a midlength chestnut brown, but his most striking feature was his eyes. They were a beautiful soul-piercing blue that, quite frankly, struck a cord within my heart. Who was he? Honestly, I couldn't even begin to guess. This whole situation is very otherworldly to me. How did I even get here? How did I die? Why me, why am I in the presence of a higher power I didn't believe in before? Haven't I sinned? Shouldn't I be burning in hell for that? So why me? Before any of these questions could be answered my thoughts were interrupted by the Metatron's deep voice. "Ah, Gabriel! Welcome in, we were just beginning to explain things to Neil here."

   Gabriel extended out his lanky hand as an introduction. I reluctantly took it and offered up a firm shake. As I shook his hand he spoke. "Nice to meet you, Neil, I am the archangel Gabriel." He smiled a very dumb and bright smile. "Nice to meet you I'm Neil, but you already know that I don't know why I said it again..." I sputtered through my words nervously. "so Metatron why are we here?" the Metatron finally began to answer the question, the question to which I'd been pondering the answer since I woke up here. "well we have reason to believe the opposition" As the Metatron spoke the words opposition Metatron looked down hinting that they meant hell. "has been planning something big on Earth." somethings happening to Earth? why do they need me?

   "We want you two to go down there and obtain as much information as you can and bring it back to us. Now, Gabriel, we know you haven't been on Earth for some time, We are going to send Neil down as well to guide you." As the Metatron spoke it felt like all my questions were being answered except for the biggest one. "Why me? Why did you choose me?" Everyone looked at me as god and the Metatron turned to one another and began whispering, leaving me and Gabriel to stand there awkwardly staring at them. "she can't quite answer that yet Neil, but you will understand when it's time for you to." what the hell, quite literally. Just when I was confident I had all the answers, God leaves me with more. I assume that's her job. To keep us all guessing.