Lemuria by Burt Clinchandhill (epub e ink reader TXT) 📕

Just like before, that same bright light flashed in four separate spots behind Father, blinding us. When I regained focus, four more angels stood in front of us. These four seemed quite different from the rest of us, with more than physical attributes making them special.

Two of these newly created angels were more unique than any of us. Abdiel and Sariel looked exactly alike, identical twins as you would say. Nathaniel was just as big as Sandolphan and Douma, but his black hair hung down to his shoulders. Uriel was built just like Michael with short red hair. Something about these four angels vexed me. They all had an emotionless look about them. I was not the only one with this odd feeling.

“Ramiel,” Raphael whispered. “What do you think about them?”

“I do not know. Something about them does not seem friendly at all.”

Raphael glanced quickly at the four angels. “They are probably no fun to be around, but what is wrong with those two?”

I assumed the two Raphael was referring to were Abdiel and Sariel, since they were the most unique.

“Raphael, if you have something you wish to know about us... ask us, not him,” Uriel stated.

“Us...” Raphael said in a confused tone. “I was not saying anything about you.”

“No?” Uriel asked with an attitude. “You were just talking about Abdiel and Sariel, so I repeat, what do you want to know about us?”

“Ooh, he is a touchy one.” Ramiel chuckled.

I could tell that Raphael disliked the way Uriel was speaking to him. I would not have liked it either, but before an argument could start, Lucifer stepped in. “Calm yourself, Uriel. Raphael was just thinking about Abdiel’s and Sariel’s appearance. Gabriel was wondering the same thing too.”

My brothers stared at me. I looked to my big brother, curious how he knew what I was thinking. Lucifer just smiled at me and pointed to his head. Mind reading was probably one of his most impressive talents.

“Does our appearance bother you, Raphael?” Abdiel broke the awkward silence.

“No,” Raphael replied. “I was just curious why the two of you look exactly alike.”

Abdiel glanced quickly at Sariel who remained ominously quiet and then back to Raphael. “Why do you look the way you do?”

Raphael thought about it for a short time. “I do not know. This is the way Father created me.”

“Exactly,” Abdiel snapped.

Uriel, Nathaniel, Abdiel, and Sariel were definitely a different breed from the rest of us. One thing I knew for sure was that they were not fond of Raphael, nor was Raphael fond of them.

“Father,” Raphael called to him with a smile. “Are we not enough to watch over your magnificent kingdom of nothingness? Was it really necessary to create them?”

“Yes,” Jehovah answered without hesitation.

Uriel glared at Raphael. “Do you have a problem with us?”

“No.” Raphael shook his head. “I just do not like you!”

I found Raphael to be funny while Uriel, on the other hand, did not. My brother glided towards Raphael, but before he could do anything, Lucifer moved between them.

“I told you to calm down. I will not tell you again,” Lucifer ordered sternly.

Heeding Lucifer’s words, Uriel returned to Nathaniel’s side. Raphael gave Uriel these weird looks, sticking out his tongue and whatnot. Raphael stopped when he noticed Lucifer eyeing him. That was the kind of presence our big brother had. We all respected him, but there was something else about Lucifer that caused us to fear him too.

At the time, I found it odd our big brother and not Father ended the bickering. Jehovah did not seem bothered by it. In fact, Father was so busy doing something with his hands that I do not even know if he noticed the squabble.

“Father, what are you doing?” Xaphan asked.

“Planning,” Father answered as he vanished without a trace. None of us knew where Father had gone, but a moment later we heard his voice. It was so loud that it echoed throughout the endless void. I will never forget what he said.

“Let there be light!”

Again, that familiar bright light shone in the far distance. The light grew brighter and brighter, and then boom! It happened so fast that I was unsure what hit me first—the blinding light or the deafening noise. I did not know whether to hold my eyes or my ears. Regardless, in the blink of an eye, I became deaf and blind. This was merely the beginning.

As I held my eyes, a force pushed against me, subtle at first and then intense. Instinctively, I spread my wings to brace myself. While I struggled to stay in place, my sight slowly returned. My brothers were using their wings to support themselves too. Well, not all of my brothers. Raphael had his arms wrapped tightly around Sandolphan’s waist, and Ramiel grasped onto Raphael’s legs. At the time it was not funny, but now that I reminisce, it was amusing to watch those two hold on for dear life.

Raphael’s grip loosened and then came apart. The two were sent twirling into the unknown. Forcas was the next one to succumb to this force. Rampel screamed his name as Forcas disappeared from sight. One by one, my brothers were sent tumbling through the void until there were only four of us left: Lucifer, Michael, Rampel, and myself. I was unsure how long I could keep withstanding this energy. It felt like my body was being pulled toward something I could not see. I grew weary. By the look on Rampel’s face, I knew he was no better off than I. Lucifer and Michael, on the other hand, seemed to be hovering complacently.

Rampel was the next to go. I trembled in fear for the first time as I watched my brother get blown away. I knew my time was coming shortly. My weary wings could no longer support me. Before I shared my brothers’ fate, Lucifer reached out and grabbed my hand. I held on as tightly as I could.

“Do not worry, little brother,” Lucifer said with that