Philip Simpson - Tribulation

He jogged towards the sign, conscious that he didn’t have very long. There was a church nearby — he could sense it — which meant that demons wouldn’t be far away. His guess had been a good one. It was the office. Behind the counter he found a row of hooks. Three of them still had keys on them. He grabbed all of them and walked back along the line of doors, trying any that were locked with all three keys. Finally, one of them worked.

Not willing to throw caution to the wind just yet, he checked out the room carefully, including the bathroom. Caution was one of the reasons he was still alive. The one time he forgot it, it would kill him. The room was empty and surprisingly, rather clean. Sam suspected that it hadn’t been opened since the Rapture. There was a light film of ash and dust on the bedspread but he shook that outside first, making it relatively dust-free.

He stood outside the door for a few moments, relishing the gathering darkness. The dark was still his time. It still filled him with a sense of power. Under other circumstances, he’d be out in it, but he had priorities. A job to do. He couldn’t shirk his responsibilities. In the distance, he heard a howl. Lemures. They were out, and not too far away either.

With a sigh, he returned to the room and locked the door, ensuring the curtains were pulled so that no prying eyes could see inside. It was almost pitch black. Perfect. He sat on the bed and settled himself into lotus position, mentally preparing himself for a good three hours of intense meditation.

A noise roused him out of his trance some time later. He checked his internal clock. It had only been just over an hour. He scanned around with his senses. Nothing… but something felt amiss. Something was different and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. And then he noticed it — a slight glow from behind him.

He rolled and drew both swords in one graceful movement, landing in a crouched position facing the shimmer of light. What he saw made his heart lurch and then almost burst. Unnoticed, his swords clattered onto the carpet, swords that usually no man could knock from his grasp. But this was no man and this certainly was no combat situation. It was something he wasn’t and couldn’t prepare himself for. Something that he’d prayed for during the last three and a half long, long years.

“Hello, Sunshine.”

Sam didn’t know what to say. His tongue felt thick and swollen in his dry mouth. He felt dizzy. He didn’t know what to do, how to act. It had been so long. And then, his body started moving of its own accord as if it, and not his brain, knew what to do. He walked towards her and into her welcoming arms. Into the arms of the only woman he’d ever loved. The woman he’d grown up with, spent his childhood with, and whom he’d thought lost to him forever when she ascended to heaven.

Aimi.

“ Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" Genesis 3:1

H e lost himself in the embrace for what seemed like hours, hoping and praying that she wasn’t just a figment of his imagination. He had to stop himself from actually pinching his arm to confirm that she was real.

Aimi. Here. With him.

She squeezed him back just as tightly, her tiny frame stronger than he remembered. She pulled her head back slightly and their lips found each other. Their first kiss in years. At first he felt clumsy and awkward. Sam had only ever kissed one girl — the very same girl who was locked against him now. He wasn’t exactly well-versed in the passionate arts. He began to panic, worrying that he was doing something wrong, that she would leave him again because of his inadequacy.

He sensed humor emanating from her mind and tried to pull back, suddenly angry and embarrassed. She was laughing at him — at his kissing technique. After all this time, he’d ruined everything. But she didn’t release him and his resistance and anger was only half-hearted. He really did want to kiss her and he realized that she was only laughing because he was so anxious.

Just relax, Sunshine. Everything is fine. I’ve missed you so much.

Sam pulled back, this time too strong for her, and looked at her in amazement. Her beautiful, gentle brown eyes stared back at him, eyes that he remembered and yet were somehow different. He hadn’t been wrong. He’d definitely heard her voice inside his mind.

Yes, you did.

He heard her again and checked her face. She was smiling at him. He had so many questions that his mind was almost overwhelmed. But they could wait. All he wanted to do right now was kiss her. Kiss her and never stop.

He fell back into her embrace and hugged her fiercely to him as their lips met again, this time with more passion. He let go of his inner turmoil, self-doubts and just went with the feel of Aimi’s mouth on his. Maybe his kisses were clumsy but he no longer cared. He just wanted to be with her again. He sensed her becoming lost in the passionate moment too, and he moved his arms from her waist, further up her back. And then his roving hand found something unexpected. He stopped suddenly, frozen in shock for the second time in minutes.

He couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed earlier but his attention had been captivated by her face and all the features he knew and remembered. His conscious mind had simply ignored the fact that she was slightly illuminated in the darkness. He’d failed to notice the silver armor and the sword belted at her waist. And, of course, he hadn’t been able to see the wings arching over her back — feathery wings, whiter than anything he’d ever seen before.

He staggered back from her, uncertain and confused, and crouched on the carpet, panting like he’d just run several miles. “What…” he managed to croak.

She stood before him, radiant and beautiful, so beautiful it made his heart ache. He’d never seen her look so stunning before. She’d been sixteen when the Rapture had taken her and didn’t look like she’d aged a day. He guessed people didn’t really age in Heaven. And not only that. She was happy. Content. Just looking at her made him want to cry with happiness. Not that he could, but he needed to vent his feelings and confusion somehow.

Aimi smiled at him reassuringly. She hadn’t moved from where she stood beside the bed. This time, when she spoke, the words came from her mouth.

“I know this is hard to understand, Sam, but I’ll explain everything. It’s going to be ok.” She beamed at him again, erasing some of his doubts, easing the swirling sense of panic fluttering in his breast. As she sat down on the side of the bed she turned her sideways to him, revealing the true extent of her wings. She patted the place next to her. “Come and sit with me.”

Without knowing that he was moving, he was suddenly next to her. Her hand was in his and the feeling brought back a rush of warm memories. She used to do this when they were younger. Almost without him being aware, her hand would find its way into his. The feeling was almost as satisfying as the kiss they’d just shared.

They faced each other in silence, faces only inches apart, the only light coming from the faint glow of her body.

“I… I thought I’d never see you again…” he began.