Hereafter

Hereafter: Part II Graduation Day, Chapter 26

26

I SOON FELL INTO adeep sleep. A dream began to unfold, playing on the screen of my meditating mind like a movie, and in Technicolor. A beautiful angel, clad in glowing, flowing white robes, wings slowly moving behind her, began talking while showing me images of what our world could be like if people accepted God’s basic spiritual values. It was Gloriana, but in my current incarnation, she was a stranger to me.

Though any sense of a mission agenda was still buried deep in my soul’s subconscious, it was slowly unfolding as I passionately found myself drawn to the principles of Justice, Freedom, Equality, and Sharing. For some inexplicable reason they came to mean so much to me that I was willing to risk everything rather than continue living in a society without them.

This was different than any other dream I’d ever had. Then this being I assumed was some sort of fantasy or illusion began a conversation with me.

“Madison, you don’t know me . . . but I know you. I’m your guardian angel, Gloriana, sent to watch over you and help you with your quest to help your people,” she began, then, paused to wait for my reaction before continuing to convey her sacred message.

This was all very strange. An angel—I suppose I’d heard of some mythological creatures that might have inhabited the same ethereal spirit-being space as this fantastic animated form now part of the active dreamscape inside of my mind. How could I be sure I wasn’t hallucinating? On top of everything going on in my real life, this was just too much.

“Angel . . . what is an angel and just how do you know me anyway?” I felt compelled to ask.

Regardless of her origin, Gloriana was a magnificent creature, radiating breathtaking beauty and warming my heart with her abundant unconditional love. I was basking in the bliss of her presence. Everyone knew that the Beltans believed in the spirit realm and predicted that there was a magical peaceful place for the souls of people to go when they die. Maybe there was something to their beliefs. What I was feeling in the presence of Gloriana certainly felt like what such a place might be like. I pushed aside my skepticism for the moment and decided to engage my new angel friend in a more welcoming manner.

“We angels, as you can see, are not from your physical world. I can’t tell you too much right now, but just know that the Spirit Being who created you, who created everything in your world, and I mean everything everywhere, is pleased with what you’re trying to accomplish for your people. Your anguish and suffering have not gone unnoticed. The day of deliverance will come, but someone has to lead. Madison, you have been chosen to lead your world into the Light,” Gloriana, the messenger angel shared, dutifully fulfilling her mission.

“Wait a minute . . . you can’t mean me . . . there’s no way I can have any impact of the brutal evil forces that have enslaved my people. Did you see what happened in the square today?” I challenged, not wanting Gloriana to waist such an important calling on someone who I believed didn’t have a chance to succeed.

“Madison, we both know better, you can meet this challenge. All you need is a weapon to overcome their guns and bullets,” Gloriana cryptically replied.

“A weapon . . . you mean you’re going to give me some kind of overpowering gun so that the next time we’re fired on by Citadel forces we can win the firefight instead of being forced to flee helplessly into the sewers like a pack of rats?” I questioned, angry and disgusted with what I’d just been through, but now my mood was improving with the possibility of being able to force change on the Citadel.

“Not exactly . . . let me explain. A gun is only dangerous if someone decides to pull the trigger. The weapon I’ve been sent to give you will present these people you fear with a choice they’ve never had before. The sacred words you share will begin to change them from the inside so that you won’t have to confront them from the outside,” Gloriana began to explain.