No one believed me! I hadn't dreamt it, I could still remember the taste of his flesh in that place. There was the smell of Gardenias and Roses, floating around in the air as if to grace his presence. The light was blinding and yet not painful. I knew that where I was, was where I wanted to be. Not only with my love but with the one I should be with.
Let me start from the beginning, at the time I was 18 and I had moved out of the house to get started on my life, I was working as a Assistant Manager at a local bookstore, it was small but the only one in town so it was profitable. And the owner was my only boss, we were close. This small town was just like every other one in the world...except we did things slightly different when it came to rules. Or at least we did at "Between the Lines" bookstore. Including hiring people who were fifteen, it wasn't that it was very illegal but not highly done. That's where I met him; he was 15 going on 16. His name was Val, I wasn't positive of his real name but the rumors were that he was named after the Angel Valoel. I myself was named after an angel to, Leo, but our names are inconsequential at this point.
We had been off to a fast-paced relationship, as I realized that he liked me ever so fast. The day he told me that he thought I was cute, really helped out. It was an innocent relationship, we were falling in love and nothing was tainting the relationship. We hadn't had sex and had no plans to do it, especially seeing as neither of us cared for it that much. He had taken to staying at my house a lot, since he told his parents that we were lovers and they didn't take it too well.
But most of that has nothing do with the story. I was standing in front of a mirror adjusting my shirt; I was wearing a simple button up open with a wife beater on under it. Also I wore a pair of loose fitting jeans and flip flops, my favorite clothes for driving. We were going up to the lake to go swimming; it was about an hour away along a mountain road that made for a very scenic, romantic drive. My hair was blond and brown and kept slightly long. I was tall and skinny, I hadn't ever worked out but I did swim a lot so I had a set of abs which was nicely spaced in my stomach.
I was admiring myself when my tranquilizer walked in. He always had a way to calm me down and keep my humble. I knew I was hot, yet with him, I found a way to forget that and love everyone for who they are. His hair was short, brown and spiked, and his eyes were a sparkling green that would make any one melt. I smiled at him, his dressing was always so plain but he could make even the worst clothes look good. He walked up to me and wrapped his arms under mine. The hug was nice; it relaxed me, and made me smile.
We left my apartment and got into my car, a blue convertible, the car was tough...or so I thought. Driving was always something that put me in a better mood, more than anything except Val. I was relaxed and aware when driving, in control and powerful. So when we went around a corner and slipped the first time I quickly and smoothly corrected the slide and continued around the corner. I glanced at Val and he was gripping the handle next to his seat but he was smiling comfortably.
The corner that whipped between a mountain and the cliff looked to be smoother. I wasn't speeding, and the rocks seemed to be small and inconsistent. I went into the curve holding most of my speed, the car lost track on something and slid a bit, I gripped the wheel and held tight. When I thought I had the car controlled it was like a gust of wind came and pushed the car and made us slide again. This time I had no power over the car as it slid into and through the guard rail. I have never been so terrified in my life as the moment that we were bumping and careening down the cliff. I spared a glance at Val, a second, a split second before I lost everything and the world went dark.
My eyes opened to a grey fog, it wasn't a dark fog but it did cover the ground and as far up and out as I could see. I stood noticing no pain, and no cliff. I wasn't where I thought I should be, this wasn't the place where I had crashed. I think that I was dreaming, but I realize that it was all too real to be a dream. I looked around and wondered slowly where we were. We...
My head snapped around looking for Val, he was nowhere to be seen. Not this was something hard to do; the fog seemed to thicken as I looked around. It also seemed to be darkening; the fog had dark spots forming in it. The spots seemed to elongate, becoming shapes moving behind or in the fog. The shapes solidified as they walked out of the fog, I could see them now. They were people, shadows of people rather. Dark figures were moving toward me and began to speak.
"Good thing you're dead, you might have infected us all with your sinful ways."
"Queer!"
"Fag!"
"Stay dead you cretin!"
"I wish you were in a worse place then this..." This comment came from someone moving toward the front of the cue. My best friend, next to Val, had stepped out of the crowd and took steps toward me. My boss, my friend, someone that I looked to as a mother. She was my favorite person on the whole to be with, if Val was not available. My eyes began to water at the sight of her stand here calling out things that were meant to stab at me.
I stood up straight and gathered my strength, deciding that my pride was stronger than these ghosts of people I knew. This place whether it was what (or where) I thought it was or not, I would march through these people. I walked taking one heavy step after another. When I reached my boss she looked at me in the eyes. I knew that this was not her just a figment, her eyes were a solemn grey that I knew didn't belong to her.
Walking through the crowd the people began to fade, back into the fog, melting their gray figures becoming nothing more than darkened fog. I stood in this fog again when another dark shape moved through the fog. Val was walking toward me, shining in vibrant color, a great transition from the grey figures of before. I reached for this new illusion only to find a solid hand and a warm smile returning to me. His touch restored my comfort and more of my strength flooded back to me. The fog began to swirl.
The fog cleared rapidly and when I went to grip Val's hand it was gone. I was forced to my knees and my head was sent down. Kneeling I noticed the place brightening light streaming through a whiter fog. When I felt the pressure come of me I stood and realized that I was naked. I don't know if I was naked during my struggle with the grey shadows, but the realization was now. My body, as lean as it was felt heavy.
I walked toward the light that seemed distant but it seemed like something I needed to do. Another shadow was standing in front of me, similar to the lone shadow that turned out to be Val, I walked toward it again and it stood. It moved toward me swiftly and lightly, this time I stopped as it stepped clearly to me. It was a fully clothed Val, with a sinister sneer on his face.
"Val, what are you doing why did you leave me?" I asked slowly, my voice seemed to echo.
"Because you're pathetic, you have no right to love me." He said nastily.
"What are you talking about...?" I said shakily.
"You...I should have left you and moved away to be myself. You have always suppressed me, always kept me down."
"But you always smiled!" I cried out at him.
"My smiles were never for you, I smiled because I knew that I would leave you in pain one day." He said.
"NO!! This is not you, it's this place!" I walked up to him and slapped him across the face; something I thought would snap him back to reality. As soon as my hand connected with his face he faded, a quicker smoke like disappearance.
I looked around quickly and noticed crying and two dark figures in the fog. I turned and moved my now light legs toward them. Walking was more like gliding and when I got to where I was going I stopped behind what I assumed to be this place's version of myself. He was criticizing every little part of Val, and Val was on his knees crying into his hands.
I stepped up next to myself, and looked at Val, and when I spoke he jumped. "Ignore him, you have to believe that he isn't real, you know this isn't me." Val jumped when I said this and looked up at the two of us. His eyes were watering and large as he looked at the two of us, eyes bouncing back and forth.
"Ignore him, not me, you insolent fool." My crueler image said.
"No, listen to me, I am the one that loves you, this is just a figment of this place, it's not real."
"I am more real then you have deserved little fagglet!"I turned as he said this so fast and planted my fist into his face. I could see the ripple run across his head and he fell backward landing on the ground. He didn't vanish though, so I knew that we weren't through with him yet. I turned slowly and look at Val who had stood up gawking at, the me on the ground and the me standing naked before him. It was also the first time that I noticed that he was naked.
His body was perfect, petite and smooth. The only hair that was visible was on his legs and above his crotch. He had a natural set of lines that most people would call abs, and the lines of his muscles continued to his neck. His neck was smooth and unblemished leading to a beautiful face with a perfect pair of lips. Lips that were soon locking on to mine, as he jumped at me, our naked bodies touching.
As we kissed the world seemed to melt away, actually it did, I noticed out of the corner of my eyes. The fog was becoming thinner and the light blinding, I was squinting as we were kissing and I wrapped my hands around him tightly, afraid of losing him again.
When I opened my eyes, his weight was real, his touch was solid. He was still in my arms and his head was buried in my chest. A tear rolled down my cheek as everything that had happened in the last few minutes settled in...or had it been days? Time seemed to have passed differently, I could look back and remember what happened but it seemed like memory that was old, but I knew that it hadn't been that long.
When we finally pulled apart, I noticed we were wearing clothes now, at least something. I don't know if you could call a blazing white toga, clothing at least not what we were used to.
Looking around I noticed that the fog had cleared to give full view of what now seemed like an amphitheater like area. It wasn't as large as an arena, but about the size of a court room with nine silver seats set upon stone pedestals, rising well over our heads. There were two gates, one to the left of the center pedestal, black and free standing. The second gate stood to the right and it was gilded with silver vines growing around the bars.
As I made to approach to stone plinths, bursts of light exploded over my head. With comet balls of light careening over our heads we ducked and cowered together. I chanced a look up and counted eight balls before they streamed toward the chairs, I thought they would collide and explode. However the lights sat and seemed to swirl in the chairs, as they swirled they began to solidify. Beings, human in form, that were wearing white gowns that flowed down well below the edge of the chairs. Only eight chairs were occupied the ninth and center was empty. The one to the right of the center sitting just over the golden gate spoke. I noticed that he was wearing what seemed to be armor, silver shining armor for battle. He glared down at me...
"You have come before us, because of your performance in the trials and your life upon the heathen planet." His voice echoed and rang through my bones.
"Who are you?" I uttered quietly but they seemed to hear me.
"We are the council of Nine...well eight...I am Gabriel Arch Angel, but it is not us that we are concerned with. It is you...We have assembled here to cast your punishment, your sin has been seen and weighed and the black gate awaits you." There was a whisper among the other angels when he said this.
"Gabriel! We must listen deliberate before make such judgments!" A softer looking almost feminine angel smiled down and me and continued. "My name is Uriel, and we have decided to look into your lives and decide which light you shall follow." She gestured toward the two gates.
My eyes followed her hand to stare at the two gates. The light seemed to warp around them, bending between and through the bars.
"You have been charged with the sin of loving another male!" It was Gabriel again.
"What?! Since when is that a sin!" Val screamed.
"Since the word has been decreed by the Almighty! I believe in your reference it speaks of this in the book of Leviticus." He looked toward a more librarian looking angel, at the far end, and she nodded.
"No, Loving is NOT a sin!" Val screamed as a tear fell from his cheek.
There was a resounding chorus of argument among the angels as this new motive provoked both sides to argue on the decision. The arguing continued until Gabriel spread his hands and silence spread. We looked up expectantly and scared.
"The decision has been reached that your destiny shall be with the black gates." Gabriel sneered down at us.
"I don't think so..." said a cool, calm voice from behind us. We spun to see where the voice was coming from as the angel had shocked looks upon their faces. A tall slender man was making his way toward us. He was wearing nothing more then what we wore, a simple white toga, but his seemed to reek of whiteness. I had the urge to bow to him as he walked by me but I resisted.
"You have judged them wrongly, my friends!" He called up to the plinths. "Even you Gabriel cannot see past the old covenant. I thought that surely Malachi, you would have fought for them seeing as you are the newest edition to the Council. For any reason that you may see these to as guilty then you yourself are guilty. Have none of you ever loved, it is love that our hands reach out and it is in love that we find our way to the light. You have no power to judge these two on your claims." At this he turned his back and came to us. "Walk with me."
"Thank you, I wanted to ask, who are you?" I said slowly.
"I believe you know who I am, and a name can be so inconsequential, just know that your love for him and his for you, are nothing compared to that which I have given the two of you. Your gift from me is to pass through the golden gates to your destiny."
We looked at each other, my brown eyes meeting his green, and we shared and nervous smirk. I took his hand and we followed our guide back around to the gates.
"Do you have any questions before you leave?" He smiled at us.
"Who was the ninth seat for?" I said slowly.
"Oh that would be Lucifer...ahh...you know that story I assume." He smiled at me. I nodded and turned back to the gate, hand in hand with Val. The gate swung open, bathing us in the same light that seemed to emanate from the man behind us. We slowly and carefully stepped into the light and fell.
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