Gabriel's Story - Part 6
Writing fiction is nothing if not a good avenue for putting flesh on controversial cannon.
“Pastor Sean was on fire this morning, wasn’t he!” The elderly woman meant no disrespect. She appeared earnestly excited about the sermon and the passion with which Sean delivered it. She was actually a convert, one of the few who voted to replace their former minister with someone – more seasoned – is how Gabriel remembered her saying it. He also remembered thinking at the time how interesting, and forgiving, the church family could be. Ageism like that voiced by Cathy that day was excused as many in the congregation exercised their own form of ageism in brushing off Cathy’s sentiment as outdated and irrelevant.
Gabriel nodded in agreement and accepted Cathy’s weekly hug, although he had to admit he was a bit distracted. More than a year after meeting Sean and witnessing for the first time the battle between good and evil take place just outside his lawn, Gabriel stood in the church entrance wearing his Sunday best and shaking hands with his fellow congregants as he, senior usher and part-time preacher, was running the gamut of emotions from disillusion and abandonment to overwhelmed and confused. He put on a smile and pulled out his most polite voice, but inside Gabriel was a mass of confusion. Since that engagement at his living room window until today, Gabriel hadn’t heard the inner voice, hadn’t seen any more visions, nor had he seen, felt, or heard a peep from the angels and demons he now knew walked among us – until today.
As the last of the regular parishioners exited the church, Gabriel locked the front door and turned quickly to run down Pastor Sean. Before he could take a single step, he was floored by the overwhelming smell of sulfur and feces. Standing in front of him, on what Gabriel had previously thought was holy ground, was the demon from that night that stood outside his window. Without warning, Gabriel’s mind flashed back to his arrival at church just over two hours ago and the startling revelation that maybe even the church wasn’t safe.
***~~~***
Gabriel nearly crashed his truck after coming around the corner and seeing the gaggle standing outside the church foyer. There were at least two dozen of them all pacing, some smoking, and seemingly unconcerned over the cold rain that fell in late October. Completely distracted and admittedly scared, he hadn’t realized he was stopped in the middle of the road blocking traffic until he heard the car horn from behind. A quick glance in the mirror showed his friend, Steve, feigning anger and then smiling. Gabriel read his lips, “Move along, Gabe.”
Gabriel crept up the street and eased his truck into the back of the parking lot, careful to keep one eye on the group of visitors and the other eye on Steve. Unlike Gabriel, Steve parked close to the church to minimize the rain. A good man, he got out first and held the umbrella over his wife Nancy’s door so she wouldn’t get wet. He then led his wife and two young children straight through the new group without as much as an excuse me.
“These two are mine. Anybody wanna help?” Looking around and finding no takers, “OK. Suit yourselves.” Gabriel was first startled that he could hear the conversation from inside his car, and then appalled as the speaker tossed his cigarette into the grass and followed Steve’s family into the church. What was worse, though, is that it seemed the children were his target.
Possibly realizing that Gabriel was aware of their presence, Abaddon snickered and snapped his fingers. “Get inside before Sean gets here and makes things difficult.”
“What about that one?” Gabriel saw a smallish demon pointing at him. “He still off limits?”
Abaddon nodded his head and tossed down his own cigarette. “For now. But that doesn’t mean we can’t put on a good show for him, maybe sow a little doubt into that fledgling faith he’s struggling so hard to hold onto right now.” He turned and ushered the group, all twenty demons and devils, into the foyer as Sean pulled up and parked next to Gabriel. When he got out of his truck he started into the church like he hadn’t seen Abaddon’s group.
Gabriel jumped from his truck and shouted at Sean, “Hey, Sean.”
Sean stopped. “Gabriel. Are you ok?”
He bit his tongue before saying something stupid. ‘Sure, considering I just watched two dozen of Satan’s finest bolt into God’s church!’ Instead he tilted his head and considered that either Sean hadn’t seen them – or that he saw them every Sunday. “Uh, no. I’m not ok.”
Sean glanced at the church and back at his lay minister in what looked like a moment of revelation. “You saw them go into the church for the first time today, didn’t you?”
The realization hit Gabriel like a ton of bricks. He was seeing them here today for the first time. Sean saw them every time. It now made sense why Sean had been so fiery from the pulpit lately. “How long for you?”
Gabriel watched Sean consider how to answer the question, and again looking deep into Gabriel’s eyes for an uncomfortable amount of time. When he spoke, Gabriel thought maybe, finally, he knew why.
“I didn’t want to tell you before you were ready, but Abaddon has been attending services here for years.”
“How long?”
“At least as long as Pastor Dave has been preaching.”
***~~~***
The light switch flipped in Gabriel’s head. He was back in the foyer. Sean was at the end of the hall. And Gabriel now understood why Pastor Dave’s cancer had come on so quickly.
Abaddon!
Gabriel wasn’t sure how righteous anger worked. All he knew was that he was angry enough to cuss and the target of his anger stood right in front of him. His face must’ve given away his intentions because Abaddon took two quick steps back and belted out the most evil laugh Gabriel had ever heard. Before Gabriel could move any closer to the demon, he heard the spirit announce his failure to the world.
“He didn’t know!” Abaddon grabbed his mouth with one hand and his stomach with his two other working limbs before doubling over in laughter and repeating his revelation. “He didn’t know! Oh my god.” He looked into Gabriel’s eyes, into his soul, and pointed an accusing finger as he stepped closer. “You didn’t tell him!”
