Fateful Decision

A father has a choice to make that'll decide the fate of the world.

The archangel Mashhit came to visit me one day. I had no idea what he wanted and had never heard of him before, even with all of my studies of religion. He seemed like an interesting character and apparently he had been watching over me for quite sometime.

He told me "I'm sorry, but we're going to have to take your youngest son". I looked at him oddly, not sure what to think. Why would they take my son and why would he be the one doing it? I thought that was the job of the angel of death.

I in turn asked "Why are you going to take my youngest son?”

He replied, "Because that is what the angel of death has told me to do and that is all that I'm allowed to say." Being a practitioner of magic, I wanted to try to find a way around this. I would not just stand by and let this so called archangel take my son.

Therefore I looked up the name of Mashhit. I learned he was one of the archangels of punishment who worked under the angel of death. His job was over the death of children. But it really bugged me that he would come and tell me all of this if I could not change the fate of my son. I knew there had to be something I could do.

That's when I decided to contact a local high priestess for advice. During this I made sure that my son was kept under very close watch with people I trusted so as to protect him from his fate until I could figure out a way to change it.

When I went to visit the high priestess, she told me that there was something I could do. I could sacrifice my life in order to protect the life of my son. That was the only way I could protect him. This would involve a ritual to invoke the archangel and make a deal with him. If he would not make a deal with me or could not, then I was instructed to invoke the angel of death into my presence and deal with him. All of which was very risky.

Did I really want to sacrifice my life to save my sons? Would he be better off dead than without a father? Was it selfish of me to want him to stay alive? These were questions I asked myself as I pondered my decision of what to do. I really did not know what I was going to do until I did it. I had even thought of asking my son what he would want, but I could not put that on him.

Just in case I made the decision to sacrifice myself, I had made sure to get all of my affairs in order. They needed to be updated anyways, whether I lived or died. I also made sure to leave a recording for my son to watch in case I did decide to go for it.

I did not tell his mother what was going on. She would have only worried and might have decided to sacrifice herself before I could. I did not want to spend life without her and I knew that my son would be better off with her than with me. She was always the better parent.

Before I could make a decision Mashhit came to visit me again. He said, "So have you reached a decision yet?" I was shocked that he knew, even though I shouldn't have been. They are always watching us, waiting to see how we react and to collect our souls for their own masters.
I had replied, "What decision?" as I wanted to see if he was really talking about the same thing I was thinking.

Mashhit said, "Your decision to sacrifice yourself for your son. The decision needs to be made by tomorrow otherwise it'll be too late."

I then said, "Why do any of us have to die right now? Why my son? Why my sacrifice?"

Mashhit just looked at me in silence and said, "It's all part of the grand design. You'll have to take that up with Fate." Then as fast as he came he disappeared. I then decided to do just what he said. I called upon Fate.

I had never met Fate before, but I had heard she was quite a handful and hated to be disturbed. For this I had to get together with some of my friends because I was not powerful enough to call upon Fate by myself. Needless to say she was not very happy.

When she appeared before us, she said, "Who dare calls upon me and what do you want?"
I answered, "It was me. I want to know why it is your decision to take the life of my youngest son or have me sacrifice my life for his."

Fate replied, "Oh it's you, Mashhit warned me that you might call upon me. He said that you were quite stubborn."

I said abruptly, "Yeah I am and I want some answers." She looked around and sent the others away.

Then she said, "I already know the decision you shall make. It has been known and you have no control over the fate of it. It's all part of the grand design."

I replied, "What's up with the whole 'grand design' and why am I becoming such a big part of it?"

She sighed, "God this is going to take longer than I thought. You obviously don't know much. But in the future your son is very important to the side of good, as he will be more powerful than you and will have to fight a battle that you were originally destined to fight and lose, while he would be able to win it. Many want your son dead because of this, but he needs to stay alive, and the only way to do that is for you to die."

I did not know what to do. What sort of battle would my son have to fight? Did I really want to leave that on his shoulders? I'd much prefer to fight that battle for him and besides I could probably win it. I was not that weak.

I then said to Fate, "Who says both of us can't live and that I can't win that battle?"

She looked at me and said, "Your fate cannot be changed." and then she disappeared.

I was so angry with her at that point. I was left with so much to ponder and so little time to ponder it. I went downstairs, looked at my wife and kids. They were so happy just sitting at the table playing and drawing. My wife looked at me and smiled as she held our youngest son, the one I had to decide whether to save or not.

He looked at me and said, "Daddy look what I drew." I smiled at him looking at his drawing. It was a drawing of him, his mother, and siblings together.

I looked at it closer and asked, "Why am I at the top?"

He replied, "Because you're watching over us from above making sure we're ok." My wife looked at me and almost cried. That's when I knew exactly what my fate was and she did too.

Mashhit came that night and I told him my decision. I told him, "I have one request."

He said, "What's that?"

I said, "That I can make love with my wife one last time." He agreed to it and later that night I left my body in my sleep as I held onto my wife. I knew they'd be ok and that I would always be able to watch over them and visit them in the future.

Reviews

[ultra sepulchre]

I'm still abit curious as why the Archangel wanted the boy and why sacrificing his father's life would suffice the Archangel's desire. It was very contemplative, nonetheless. What would I do in that situation? Death has it's vice/virtue in this case. I'm abit curious about what would happen if the boy instead decided to sacrific his life. Would it bring the same comfort to his parent by him watching over them?

Nice work,
Sarah

[Ted]

I liked it