Lemuria by Burt Clinchandhill (most popular novels of all time .txt) 📗

smile of his. “You will be fine.” Then he released me. Lucifer always swore that I slipped from his grasp, but I know he let me go.

I tumbled aimlessly through the void, although it was not as it was before. There was light, and even though I could not see him, I felt my father’s presence all around me. The last thing I remembered was hitting something, or something catching me. Then I went unconscious. I am still unsure how long I was out for, but I remember hearing my big brother calling my name.

“Gabriel? Gabriel, where are you?” Lucifer shouted. I slowly opened my eyes as my big brother descended upon me. “I have been looking everywhere for you.” Lucifer knelt beside me.

There was something different about Lucifer, but I could not place it. I was still disoriented. My ears were no longer ringing, but I still had trouble focusing because of the brilliant light from the sun. The significance of there even being sunlight had not yet hit me.

“What happened?” I rubbed my eyes.

“Well, I could tell you, or...” Lucifer extended his right hand. “You could see for yourself. Unless you want to lie around here forever, little brother.”

“I did not want any of this. If I remember correctly it was not my choice to be lying down here in the first place.” I smirked.

Lucifer laughed, helping me to my feet. I stood up and realized that I was no longer standing in a void. There was so much to see now. The yellow light from the sun above, the green grass beneath me, and the few colorful trees in the distance now decorated the darkness I was once in. I must have been unconscious longer than I could have imagined. There was so much to see now.

“So, this is the kingdom Father spoke of?” I studied my surroundings.

“Part of it. Father calls this place Heaven. This is the home he created for us.”

Us. The word sparked memories of my brothers being blown away before me. I had been so taken aback by my surroundings that I had forgotten about them. I looked around, but none of my brothers were in sight. “Where are the others?”

Lucifer pointed toward the east. “Most are over there. I will bring you to them, but first you need to cover up, little brother.”

That is when I realized what was so different about him. Lucifer was no longer naked. A white robe shrouded his body, and white boots covered his feet.

“This is from Father.” Lucifer handed me a robe and boots like his.

Both the robe and boots were weightless, and my wings were able to pass freely through the back. I was fascinated by this; I kept spreading and retracting my wings. Lucifer gaped at me as if I had lost my mind.

“Follow me.” Lucifer stretched out his wings.

I trailed my big brother into the air. Flying came naturally to me. The feeling of the wind coursing through my wings, the view, the freedom... I loved all of it. As we made our way to the others, I could not help but notice all the different creatures roaming on the ground. There were even other angels flying around, although there were two notable differences between them and us. These other angels had white wings and eyes.

Lucifer and I were not in the air long before we saw Raphael lying on a grassy hill by himself.

“What took you so long?” Raphael asked as we descended. “I was getting tired of waiting for you.”

“I can see that.” Lucifer glanced around. “I thought I told the others to stay here. Where did they go?”

Raphael pointed into the sky. “They wanted a better view of Father’s kingdom.”

“Is that so?” Lucifer stared into the sky. “What about Michael? Has he returned with Forcas yet?” Raphael shook his head. “Well, when they return, let them know where we are.”

“Sure,” Raphael answered sarcastically. “Not like I want to see the rest of Father’s kingdom too!”

Lucifer smiled and signaled me to follow him.

Before I joined my big brother in the air, I walked over to Raphael. “It is nice to see you again, brother.”

“It is nice to be seen again,” Raphael replied with a smile.

I followed closely behind Lucifer as we flew out of Heaven and into the darkness of space. Once there, I saw the rest of my brothers hovering complacently, marveling at the universe Father had created. It was an amazing sight, to say the least. At one point you must have gazed into the night sky and admired its splendor, so, I am sure you can imagine how it felt to be in our position.

From this height, I could see Heaven in its entirety. Unlike Earth, Heaven was set-up in levels, seven very large levels. Without seeing it for yourself, it may be hard to comprehend, but just think of Heaven as a mountain of plateaus or a giant staircase. Each step was a different level, complete with different environments and beasts. However, Heaven was just one of the many splendid sights to behold.

I can still remember the first time I saw Earth. I was unimpressed. It was empty, dull, and visually unappealing. I would have never imagined this barren rock would soon be the source of all our problems. However, despite its bare appearance, this tiny planet hovering far below Heaven captured our attention. Father was moving across the Earth. We could not see Him, but we could definitely feel his presence.

“I wonder what He is doing?” Xaphan asked aloud as he rubbed his chin.

“He did not say,” Michael answered as he, Forcas, and Raphael rose beside us. Raphael and Forcas looked just as captivated with their surroundings as the rest of us. “However,” Michael continued, “Father did say we should enjoy our paradise until he returns.”

“He did?” Metatron asked. “And when did he say this?”

Michael glanced at Lucifer with a smile. Lucifer smiled too. “While you all were resting,” Lucifer answered.

Somehow Michael and Lucifer had survived