As Rafa made it outside he couldn’t help but look off to the horizon, like how an actor would look at the crowd from atop a stage, except he was looking at where the red zone was. Even though the zone was more than 300 miles away, the effects of it could always be seen taking shape in red masses reaching through the air towards the heavens or the subtle red hue that stained the night sky. In this moment Rafa couldn’t believe his last days were already planned and laid out before him.

  “Can I at least leave a note for the recruiters, just in case they come by?” Rafa asked one of the church officials but their warm and empty smiles put up a barrier that not even he could hurdle.

  “You don’t need to worry! We left a note explaining how you’re making the ultimate sacrifice in honor of our lord! If they still have any need to relay something to you after they can call the church and we will pass along the message.” The official said as his smile grew bigger.

  The thought crept across Rafa’s mind, that he knew no one would bother leaving any messages for a dead man. But he pushed past the self-doubt and flashed a smile as big as the officials. “Splendid! Just make sure you have down that I go by ‘Rafa’ We wouldn’t want any lost messages.” Rafa laughed as he started to walk down the side of his apartment building, following the other church official towards where the parking garage was.

  After a few feet someone bumped shoulders with Rafa causing him to fall off balance. “What was that for friend?” Rafa laughed as he caught himself on the side of the building. His laughter quickly died down when he looked up to see it was Michael who bumped into him, the self-proclaimed angel had a sour look carved into his face.

  “I can kill them.” Michael said, his hand twitching towards his sword. This caused Rafa great distress as he rushed to Michael’s side to cover his mouth hoping he could reverse time and make sure no one else heard him say such things.

  Michael carefully grabbed Rafa’s wrist and lifted him up into the air so they could see into each other’s eyes. “It’s clear you don’t want to go, you don’t need divine sight to see that. So I figured the only thing stopping you from staying were the ones with guns.” Michael said before letting Rafa go to drop to the floor.

  “Hey! Are you two ok?” One of the officials called back causing Rafa to scramble to his feet.

  “Sorry I just had a trip! You don’t need to worry about us!” Rafa tried his best to laugh off the situation. The church official turned back around without another word, making his way towards the parking garage.

  Michael grabbed Rafa and spun him around. “Why must you lie about your feelings and about things that happened? You didn’t tell him I was the reason you were on the ground.” He said as his grip tightened slightly. In that moment Rafa could see that Michael wasn’t trying to be mean or cruel, he was like a child who just didn’t know what it took to be an adult.

  “You really are an angel aren’t you?” Rafa said softly as he rested his hand against Michaels.

  Michael seeing this as a tender moment quickly took his hand back and started to rub Rafa’s love off it. “Of course I’m an angel! I would never lie about such a thing!” Michael said. The two of them started to walk towards the parking garage as to not make the church officials upset anymore than they already were.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Once they made it to the parking garage a white minivan was the only car in sight. “Here we are!” One official said as the other climbed into the driver’s seat and started the car.

  Rafa rolled open the back door to the car and saw it was empty. “Where’s the others that you said you grabbed already? Where’s Gab?” Rafa said as his smile faded briefly.

  “You mean Gabriela and Scarlet? They were taken in the other convoy early since we have extra guests.” The one driving said shooting daggers at Zadkiel and Michael through the rearview mirror.

  Suddenly Zadkiel grabbed at his forehead and grunted in pain. Michael looked concerned and held Zadkiel close.

  “It’s time to pray brother.” Zadkiel said as they both folded their hands and bowed their heads. The two then opened their mouths and the sound of screeching tires filled the air causing some of the car windows to crack forcing the driver to slam on the brakes before they even made it out of the garage.

  “What was that!?” One official screamed. The other official grabbed his gun and was pointing it at the angels.

  Rafa quickly leaned his body over Michael to get between them and the gun. “I’m sure there’s an explanation for this! We’re all ok right? So just put the gun down please!” Rafa panicked.

  “We were praying, in the tongue of angels. Shouldn’t a member of the church recognize our voice since we were the ones the church has been speaking to while our lord is away?” Michael said squinting at the one holding the gun.

  “Just give us a warning next time.” The official said before turning around, hoping his gun didn’t magically disappear again.

  The city lights began to scan the car as they traveled through the night city. Rafa was secretly waiting and hoping there would be some type of parade showing the people who were drafted but he knew everyone else saw them as walking corpses.

  After some time Rafa leaned over and whispered into Michael’s ear. “These people are a part of your church right? Can’t you make god tell them to let us go or something?” These words caused Michael to lurch forward slightly out of surprise.

  “Has the church not informed you that god is not here?” Michael said in not a hushed voice causing the officials to raise an eyebrow. Michael noted that this news neither caused sadness nor anxiety from Rafa, it was just like a weather report to him.

  “What… does that even mean? Just fly up to him and talk with him, I really need to make it back home, oh and if you can tell him to let Gab go as well…” Rafa soft, tender whisper evolved into a hushed exclaim seeing that Michael isn’t one to keep secrets. But before he could finish his sentence Michael leaned forward in his seat and poked his head between the two officials seats.

  “Why are you keeping secrets about the church from the public knowledge? All of the followers of the church deserve to know that god is absent.” Michael said, slowly placing a hand on each of their shoulders.

  “I knew not following protocol would result in something bad. Look, we need some quiet time up here so we could… pray. You’re an angel right? So you understand that distracting questions like this would only stop one from concentrating on praying and driving right?” The official who was driving said while rubbing the back of his head with only one hand on the wheel, his tone shifted from overly happy to gritted teeth. Rafa recognized this scene as adults who just wanted to get their job over with.

  Before Michael could say another word Rafa grabbed him by his shoulder and drew him back in a hurry. “I’m so sorry! We will try our best to keep quiet back here we’re just tired, you know?” Rafa apologized with a smile.

  “Look, we’re only an hour out from the airport with how traffic is. Just take relax and take a nap, we will wake you when we get there.” The official said resting his head against the head rest.

  After some time Michael leaned over to Rafa trying his best to whisper but it only came out as hissing. “That is the third time you lied to defuse a situation. Do you not realize that is a sin no matter how good your intentions?” The question took Rafa by surprise, partly because of how not quiet it was. But then he remembered this was an angel he was talking with.

  Rafa dropped trying to be quiet and just talked in a normal voice. Rafa realized Michael had no idea how serious this draft was. “Would it not be a sin to argue with these two? And we all know if you got into that argument it wouldn’t end well and someone would end up dying. Would it not be a greater sin to spill blood?” Rafa rested his hand on Michael’s shoulder trying to physically ease him into this idea.

  “A sin is a sin.” Michael put simply as he crossed his arms.

  Rafa chuckled slightly. “Yes, that is true. But think of it this way. If I do it with a smile and good intentions doesn’t that make the sin a little better? If we just go along with what they are saying that gives everyone the opportunity to walk away from the scene and that to me isn’t a sin.” Rafa leaned his head back to stare at the car ceiling, his smile was absent for a moment.

  The car was silent as Michael took these words in, he searched Rafa’s head and came back with no real evidence of intended harm with this logic but found something much worse. “You said this ‘gives everyone the opportunity to walk away’ but that’s not true is it? You know you will not make it back alive.” Michael’s blunt question caused Rafa and the officials to flinch making their smile crack.