Earthed Heaven

Short story based on following writing prompt: You die. As you go up to Paradise, you notice it seems to be in ruins. Then you find the corpse of God.

Heaven was the most beautiful battleground. Birds flew as angels were shot out of the sky. The harps played adjacent to the screams. The blue skies were as clear as the blood on white clouds. If a believer on earth had seen what I'd seen, there would be a new meaning to the saying: heaven on earth.

Since my inception, I've been running from gangs of angels. Far as I can tell, each gang follows a disciple. It's been an adrenaline ride ever since my inception. From the shocking executions by St. Peter at the Pearly Gates to being beat up by St. Matthew's Tax Collectors, the first day in heaven has made me want it to be the last.

I hide in a church, hoping it still held sanctity from errant arrow snipers. The church is abandoned. Strangely, it is still ornate with candles and regalia. The only disarray is the corpse of a priest on the altar. Wait...who would be a priest in heaven? I walk to the corpse, ever wary of angels. At the body, I turn it up. I have seen God or what used to be.

"What happened below was not my choice. That... however, was."

I turn around and the son of god appears at the altar, his back towards me. Fear, anger, grief, I remain silent. I back away toward the entrance. The more I move, the more I see angels come out every church column. His angels stare at me, eager to cut me down.

"Like everyone else, I give you a choice. Bring me someone from the other factions and you may enter ours. And remember, being alone is the most lethal of choices"

I leave the church, its doors lock behind me. What is an angel to do without God? Even if I want to oblige one of the gangs initiations, I don't think I could without fighting skills? I ponder what should be my next choice. The next second decides that as an arrow rips into my arm. The shooter is just 20 feet to my right.

"Hey man, Jesus left me alone. He gave me a choice to decide." I shout.

"I know, but the offer of Jesus is not my offer. You have 10 minutes" he responds.

I run. I fly. Jesus's gang stays on me - not even sure they are Jesus's men. Escape is harder as I bleed and my headstart time is slowly running out. I jump from cloud to cloud until I miss my mark and fall off a cloud. I fall towards an abyss, so deep that the bottom cannot be seen. "Jesus'" angels lose interest, the pursuit of the dying does not intrigue them. After what seems like falling forever, I close my eyes.

"Wake up. There is no afterlife for the afterlife"

I open my eyes and see an angel, but he does not look like the ones in heaven. I go from laying down to at least facing my torso upright. A bed has been placed on me and medical attention to my arm.

I open, "what happened? Who are you?"

"Those guys from heaven are what happened. Judging from what they did to an angel, you, I am glad they have not come down quite yet."

"They are monsters, not benefiting of heaven. God is dead, killed by his own son."

"They are not monsters, they are simply ones who take certain choices."

"Angels do not kill each other. They do not enslave or fight for whatever it is they are fighitng for. I don't even know what they are fighting for. This is like Earth, but worse."

"Variety of things young wings. Too many motivations."

"Who are you again?"

"I am called Lucifer."

"We were told you were evil. The one to avoid."

"And they are right, although evil doesn't really mean anything if what is above is good."

I sit up, staring at Satan. I wonder if he has corrupted heaven. His exploits are many in the stories.

I break the silence, "I saw God. He is dead, in a church. Killed by Jesus."

"I know"

"How can this happen? God is almighty and would have fixed everything? Surely the creator had the power to enforce the goodness of heaven."

"He did"

"Then why are angels killing each other? Have you seen the s**t up there?! Why does not god enforce the rule, his rule?"

"The same reason why God spared me."

"Why?"

"free will"

Author's Note

Please read prompt before reading.