The Angel of Death Knocks

The Angel of Death Knocks

She was feeling invincible today, as if life was eternal on earth.  To her dismay, she found out differently. Rhianon, and her four best friends,  felt the aliveness of spring lingering in the warm air.  Rhianon was playing with the steering wheel, weaving in and out across the yellow line.  The tire found the edge of the pavement, slipped off, blew the tire, and sent her and the other four passengers sailing across the road, sideways, turning them around facing the opposite direction.  Screams of panic filled the interior of the car. They went hurtling sideways into a road sign.  It seemed, at first this would stop their dooming descent down the steep hill.  The sign failed to stop them.  The bright, little yellow dodge colt went rolling down the hill.  Three times it went end-over-end landing top down, into the icy cold creek, deep after a drenching spring storm.  She knew somewhere, in her subconscious mind, she was no longer invincible.  Death would knock on her door, this day. 

Rhianon felt out of sorts and not quite herself.  She still felt as if her body were solid, but she was noticeably, transparent.  She felt as if she were floating in mid air.  She peered beneath her.  Horror struck her as she realized her body was in the car below her, upside down in the creek.  More terrifying was the fact that she could see her friend's bodies, unmoving, as well.  Something was wrong! 

"Oh, God.  What have I done?!"  Remorse surged through her.

Rhianon, knew she was having some sort of out-of-body experience, or worse, she was dead.  To add to the confusion of the moment, there appeared to be an old wooden door  floating in front of her.  As her mind started racing for answers, someone was knocking loudly on the old door .  THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!  THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!.  Was she to open it? This was crazy!  The sound of rapping echoed a deafening, threatening noise. 

"Whooo iss it?"  Rhianon squeezed out words with very little volume, stuttering.

The reply was very threatening and demanding.

"YOU MUST OPEN THE DOOR!  OPEN THE DOOR...NOW!!!"

Rhianon dared not disobey. Maybe whoever was behind the door could explain what was happening to her.  She placed her fingers around the brass knob and an icy coldness spread through her.  Closing her eyes, she turned it slowly, not sure if it was really the best thing to do.  The door's hinges squeaked, the noise somehow made her feel even more nervous. The door opened. 

She could feel a sense of dismal misery  engulfing her.  Frozen with fear, she looked upon a blackness that encompassed the entire space around her.

"I have come for you...Rhianon!" The voice sent electrical charges clear through her.  For a moment she could not speak as she gazed upon what appeared to be death itself.  The creature was at least eight feet tall, cloaked in black with black wings spreading across the universe, blocking out any hope of light.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Rhianon screamed from the very center of her being.  This creature could not steal her away!  It must be some kind of ghoulish nightmare.  She was not ready to die.  Not today.

"You have no choice!"  The voice echoed through the void.  "You made your choice long ago.  You are destined to live in eternal darkness!!!  COME NOW!!!" 

The dark angel floated  toward her, a bit.  Not daring, however to go through the door to where Rhianon was now floating.  Rhianon  had to find the courage to inquire as to why the creature was to take her
anywhere and to where they might be going.  Instinct told her, it was not a pleasant place.

"What do you mean, I have already made my choice long ago?  What choice have I made?"  Rhianon practically spit the words out, forcing them into a coherent sentence, despite the fear continually rising up within her.

Rhianon was unable to look the dark angel in the eyes.  Unbeknownst to Rhianon, if she had done so, the  Angel of Death would begin putting her under her spell. 

Rhianon had noticed a slight tug at her heart.  Something pure and hopeful, but she did not consciously know what it was. 

The dark angel started to show signs of agitation, which made Rianon very uncomfortable.  The blackness became overwhelming for her.  She began to long for the light.  She silently began to pray.  Something she had refused to do for twelve years.  As she began uttering words to herself, the tug in her heart became stronger, and as the tug in her heart became stronger, the  Angel of Death became more and more restless.

Then, directly above Rhianon’s head, was a luminous fountain of shining splendor.  Rhianon  slowly lifted her head and saw a figure of brilliant radiance, directly above her.  The figure’s hair seemed spun from the rays of the sun and her face glowed with a serenity and peace that warmed Rhianon’s soul.  The creature’s angelic gown was pure white with silken grace, flowing in a mesmerizing rhythm.
Her voice sounded as if it were carried by an orchestra singing in perfect harmony.

“Rhianon, listen closely!”

“No!” Shouted the Death Angel exclaimed with a booming force. “She belongs NOT to you.  You can no longer interfere.  She dismissed you years ago.  SHE IS MINE!”

The Dark Angel’s voice shook Rhianon so much that she imagined she would shatter into a million tiny pieces.

“She has called me back.”  The angelic angel replied with as much force as the other.  However, her reply had strength and courage in it.  While the dark angel’s was laced with putrid disgust.

“I am her Guardian Angel.”  The light around the guardian angel grew more intense.  Her light began pushing out the invading darkness of the dark angel.

Rhianon suddenly realized what was occurring right before her eyes.  They were fighting for her immortal soul.

“She knows she is guilty.  Guilty for the death of  her sister twelve years ago, and now guilty for the deaths of those on the ground below us now.  She has no hope or faith.  She deserves her punishment.” 

The dark angel spoke words that brought feelings of deep self hatred to Rhianon.  She had caused her sister to fall off of a cliff because she had been daring and dangerous and  thoughtless and put the both of them in harms way.  She had prayed for help and none came.  She hated herself for it and had never forgiven herself for the accident.  She had cursed God and turned her back on any form of faith whatsoever.  She realized, at that point, she had done it again.  Rhianon was filled with an overwhelming remorse.  She knew she now deserved death and punishment.  Nothing could help her now.  She began moving closer to the door opening.

The guardian angel quickly intervened.

“Rhianon, you have called me for a reason, you want forgiveness and  are deserving of forgiveness.  You are not deserving of eternal punishment.  All you have to do is ask, all you have to do is forgive yourself.  You made a mistake.  The light replaces the darkness and guilt and self hatred are part of the darkness.  Come back into the light, it will save you and your friends if you will just believe.  You are forgiven.  Don’t stop praying Rhianon.  Your sister had another path to travel down.  She is now where she brings much joy and peace to others.  She is always with you.  She forgave you a long time ago.”

“You speak lying words, angel.  She deserves no such thing.  She belongs with me in eternal darkness….”

“Turn and look at me now, Rhianon!”  The guardian angel surprised Rhianon with her voice.  It became loud and  commanding.  Rhianon turned to look at the guardian angel.  As the brightness moved away from the angel’s face to reveal her features more clearly, Rhianon began to see a familiar resemblance.  To her surprise, as well as the dark angel’s, Rhianon saw an image of her sister standing in the luminescent light.  Her guardian angel was her sister.

“Trickery, I say.”  The dark angel was ranting and raving.  She knew Rhianon’s soul would slip through her  hellish grip.  The door slammed shut.  The angel and her consuming darkness were gone.

“I love you sister.  I am your protector now.  I am always with you. Remember…now GO!”

Rhianon lost consciousness.  Everything went black.

She was feeling invincible today, as if life was eternal on earth.  To her dismay, she found out differently. Rhianon, and her four best friends,  felt the aliveness of spring lingering in the warm air.  Rhianon was playing with the steering wheel, weaving in and out across the yellow line.  The tire found the edge of the pavement, slipped off, blew the tire, and sent her and the other four passengers sailing across the road, sideways, turning them around facing the opposite direction.  Screams of panic filled the interior of the car. They went hurtling sideways into a road sign.  The little yellow dodge colt slammed into the road sign. The sign slowed the car.  The car flipped over…once and stopped.  Rhianon and her four friends were hanging upside down.  When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a small card with The Lord’s Prayer on it, lying on the ceiling.  It had fallen out of the glove compartment somehow.  She had forgotten she carried it with her.  It had been her sister’s.

“Is everybody ok?” She blurted out, quite shaken.

Her friends all crawled out in one piece.  No one was injured.  Not even a scratch.  A sense of déjà vu passed over her.  Rhianon picked up the card off of the floor and decided today was a good day to say a prayer of thanks and to be grateful for every waking moment.  And, driving a little more sensibly, might not be a bad idea either.