Escaping Paradise

Waking Up

I stood in total darkness for countless hours. I knew that, somewhere, there was a team of surgeons standing around my body doing their best to mend my mangled form. It was unnecessary of course. I would heal on my own in a few days, but no having to live though that painful process was nice. What wasn’t so nice was where I currently was now. I turned my head to look around and only found darkness. My wings were gone.  The only light in the ‘room’ I was in came from my golden halo, which seemed to have followed me down to Earth. I shivered feeling suddenly cold and realized I was standing in nothing but a pair of Perry the Platypus boxers. I was about to be okay with this, since I was alone, when a white flash blinded me and sent me falling to my knees. I covered my eyes with my hands as they watered and tried to still my rapid breathing and escalating heart rate. I could feel another presence in the room moving closer, but all I could do was stay on the floor and cry.

“Your task,” the voice resonated around me and within me making it harder to stop crying. It held the emotions of a disappointed father and a heartbroken mother, yet the sternness of a drill sergeant and the sweet kindness of a nurse. There was a heavy thud as something was dropped in front of me. “Hurry back to me, my son.” Different emotions clashed inside of me making me shout in pain, anger, sadness, and frustration. I hated this…this….this being for making me feel this way! I hated them for choosing me, then tossing me aside, then offering me a way home, and not even singling me out by name. I hated them most for making me want to go back. A second flash took the being away and I choked out a last sob and scooted over to hug the bag it left behind.

“You’re not seriously going to do all that work, are you?” Another voice came without warning and pulled me to my feet. The genderless, attractive being gave me an ‘oh-you-poor-thing’ look and wiped one of my tears away. It couldn’t seem to decide on its appearance, shifting to change skin color, blinking to change eye color, and running its fingers though its hair to change its color and length. It wore nothing but jeans and a t-shirt and an air of ego.

“What are you doing here?” I spat shaking them off. The Devil gave me a mocked look of offence.

“Oh, darling,” Its voice shifted in pitch as it spoke. “I’m just offering you a way out of this!”

“I’ll be fine thanks.” I pulled the strap of the satchel over my head. The Devil shrugged.

“Oh well, worth a shot. Not like there aren’t others.” It turned to leave and glanced back. “You’re lucky I’m not pushy like God is. If you had been a demon…” It shook its head. “Who knows how long you would have been stuck in here having the Hell beaten out of you.” The devil cackled at its own joke and faded with a flick of its tail. “See you around…” I sighed and my vision blurred. I blinked and found myself lying back in the gurney. I found I could once again breathe with ease and sat up slowly with only a little pain. I looked around and realized I was in a room with two other beds, curtains pulled over to show they were occupied. The little girl from earlier sat at the end of the bed to my left watching her mother speak to a doctor. Once again she looked my way, though her eyes were filled with relief this time. Scrambling down, she fearlessly hurried over to me.

“Please help daddy,” she whispered. I blinked at her in confusion. “You’re an angel. Please help my daddy.” She started crying as I realized she was somehow able to see my halo. I wanted to tell her I was Fallen and there was nothing I could do, but wasn’t sure how. Her mother noticed her daughter had moved and hurried over to get her.

“I’m so sorry, she’s been waiting for you to wake up saying you’re and angel or something. I’m sorry about this.” She scooped the girl up and left without waiting for a response. I noticed she was on the verge of tears herself, but the doctor interrupted my train of thought.

“You are one lucky young man, son. Not many would survive your situation.” He shook his head and started checking all my vital signs. “Damn quick healer, too!” He commented as he examined. “Most people would need years of therapy to regain movement, but…” He shook his head in amazement. “Lucky lucky lucky…I can’t think of any other way to explain this. Well, I guess you’re free to go…” He gave me some papers to fill out, but someone called him down the hall and when he came back he announced it wasn’t necessary. I got a bad feeling about why, but couldn’t find a reason to argue. The doctor wished me the best and headed out to check on other patients. I rose and found the bag from my dream sitting next to my feet. I examined it closer and found it just to be a normal messenger bag, but when I opened it and reached in, I realized it held everything I needed. Slipping into the bathroom I changed into the clothes it offered me and looked at myself in the mirror.

I was pale, tall, awkward, skinny, with shaggy blonde hair, and sky blue eyes. I pulled on a tattered red beanie, baggy black jeans, a black turtleneck, and a jacket that matched the beanie in color and condition. I reached in and found a pair of black socks and Converse High-Tops, which happened to be a popular shoe brand on Earth and Heaven. I was about to leave, but found myself walking toward the bed the little girl was sitting by. A man lay bandaged and breathing heavily and with great difficulty. I inched closer and glanced around to make sure no one was watching. I carefully placed a finger on his sweaty forehead. My eyes opened and I suddenly found myself back in that same dark room, but this time there were more people. The man whose forehead I had touched was kneeling in between to figures, God and the Devil. I stiffened, but neither seemed to acknowledge my presence. They were too busy towering over the poor shaking form.

“You don’t want to go to Heaven,” the Devil scoffed, “it’s boring. Plus, there’s a chance that you could become an Angel.” The man looked up, despite his fear, and spoke.

“What’s wrong with becoming an angel?” The Devil blinked at him before laughed burst from its lips. God’s form glowed pure white with anger, but I noticed the light was dimmer than I remembered. Was it because I was no longer an Angel? Or maybe it was the Devil canceling out some of God’s power.

“‘What’s wrong with becoming an angel?!’ Not little ‘a,’ my boy! Big ‘A!’ Capital ‘A!’” It’s voice boomed still filled with humor. “Not that I’m saying a chance of becoming one of my Demons is any better, but at least most of them stay ‘cause they WANT to! Hell, most never leave my realm unless to take revenge on the living!” The Devil’s tail flicked side to side as it spoke.

“ENOUGH!” God’s voice shook the room and I stumbled almost losing my footing. “Make up your mind, Human! You only have two choices! You will either come with me, or be damned for eternity!” My fists clenched at those words and the Devil seemed to sense my anger. It looked over to me with a cocky grin that said ‘told-you-so!’ I ignored it and stepped forward.

“No, there is a third option.” Everyone turned to me now and God’s anger made me want to smile, say “just kidding,” and slunk back into the shadows, but I ignored it and stood tall. “You can-”

“NO!” The room shook and everyone but God lost their footing. The Devil shooting a hateful look as it stood up. “Don’t you dare utter another sound, Fallen!” I felt the blood drain from my face. In Heaven, if someone had called another a Fallen, it would have been brushed off because they had already finished their time on Earth. To be called Fallen on Earth was worse than being caught having sex with a demon. My jaw clenched and in the ultimate act of defiance to God, I offered the man my hand.