Redemption

Gleaming gold eyes raked the bright lights of the city below. Silhouettes of crooked trees distorted the shape of a winged human-like creature. A small smile formed on thin lips.

“It’s time for redemption.”

*******

“That was perfect! I’m sure you’ll do great on the test!” Amy praised the sixth grader. The girl beamed up at the student teacher and turned back to her work.

“Fabulous, Amy!” Mrs. Saison congratulated her. “I can tell that the kids will love you!”

Amy shrugged modestly. “I just love to work with them.” It was her third day as a student teacher and she was enjoying the pleasure of helping students learn. Her mentor began to say something else, but Mr.Quinn suddenly bolted into the room. His tie was askew, hair rumpled, and a wild light shone alarmingly in his eyes. The entire class gaped at the usually impeccably dressed math teacher, but he took no notice.

“Sarah, Amy,” he beckoned them to the bookshelf near the back. With a gulp, he whispered, "I was watching the news in the lounge. Two high schools and a middle school around here have been attacked. There were no survivors.”

"You’re joking, right?” Mrs. Saison looked at him dubiously.

He glared at her.“I do not joke about these things. I only joke about calculus.”

Amy paled as the news sunk in. “Are you kidding me?” she murmured. “What could have done that?”

Mr.Quinn twisted his hands. “Henry will be making an announcement soon. We will be evacuating to the gym. I have already alerted all the seventh and eighth grade teachers. Good luck and Godspeed.” He hurried out of the room, leaving everyone staring after him.

“Chop chop!” Mrs. Saison was the first to react. “Stand up everyone and leave your things here! We’re going on a trip to the gym!” The students rose slowly, confused. Just then, the loudspeaker chimed for the first time in the school year.

“This is not a drill. Please begin lockdown procedures and evacuate to the gym. This is not a drill!” Ear-piercing alarms sounded as students began pouring down the hallway.

Amy cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted to Mrs. Saison. “Lead them! I’ll stay in the back!” The teacher nodded and gestured for the class to follow. They did, too scared and confused to make much sound.

She prodded and pushed the last of them firmly down the hallway and then the staircase to the gym as she fought hard to conquer the rising tide of panic inside. “Stay calm,” she told herself. “If you lose control, what will happen to the kids?” She held on tightly to her unaffected demeanor, and some of the students seemed slightly reassured by her relaxed posture.

She spotted the thick double doors a few moments later. Assistant Principal Sandra stood in the middle, guiding the flow of human traffic. “And that’s the last of it,“she told Amy. “You’re the last class.” They entered the cavernous gym, keeping close to the left wall. Mr. Wall, the gym teacher, closed the doors behind them and locked it. A thick metal chain was looped around the handles and secured. A collective sigh of relief was heard. “One entrance, one exit,” Sandra commented. “The thing that got the other schools is going to have a hard time getting us.” They seated themselves on the floor along with everyone else.

“Who attacked them?” Amy asked in a low voice. She didn’t want anyone else to hear and panic. Sandra looked at her for a long moment, then sighed.

“I’m not one to believe in God and all that, but...”

“But what?” Amy prompted. Sandra gazed up at the high ceiling as if it held the answers to all her questions.

“But if the video cameras were right, then we’re about to be attacked by an angel.”

******

It had been almost an hour by now, and everyone was getting fidgety. Amy and Sandra had moved over to the large group of teachers, closest to the door.

“It can’t be,” Mr. Wall repeated over and over. “Angels don’t exist.”

“You might want to change your mind about that,” Mrs.O’Kiel, the eighth grade counselor, said dryly. “One’s about to kill us right now.” They all chuckled nervously.

“Anyway, the police are on their way,“Principal Henry said.“They should already be here, though. They’re always slow in a real crisis.”

Mr.Real, the seventh grade social studies teacher, frowned. “They know we’re here and the...angel is targeting us next. It’s almost been an hour. Why hasn’t anything happened?”

“That’s a good question,“Mrs. Saison shook her head. “I just have the feeling that there’s more to this. Aren’t angels supposed to be good?”

“Yes, but we don’t know about this one,” Mr. Quinn put a hand on the door. “These doors are sturdy, but the power this one exerts might break it.”

“I feel like I’m dreaming,” Amy murmured. Everyone gazed at the newest member of the staff with sympathy.

“Don’t worry,“Sandra squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll be all right.” Amy glanced at her gratefully, only to watch the doors blast open and her limp, broken form sail gracefully through the air. Screams were heard, only to be silenced by fear.

“Who denies me entrance?“a quiet voice echoed through the gym. Amy and the rest of the teachers scrambled away from the smoking ashes of the charred doors. Mr. Quinn lay under them, almost unrecognizable.

“What are you?!” Principal Henry shouted. A musical laugh was heard.

“I will not answer that question yet, ignorant human. I suppose that I could ask what you are too, but that would be redundant, would it not?” the voice mused.

A dark cloud of smoke obscured the hallway past the empty door frames, but a hazy figure could be seen.

Amy gathered the measly remains of her courage. “Who are you?” she quavered. Mrs. Saison glared at her and mouthed ‘shut up’.

“Ah, finally someone with manners.” The smoke literally parted and the figure stepped through. Amy froze.

It was a character straight from her worn old book about the stars and heaven. Curls of spun gold framed beautiful yet terrible eyes, a silver cross shimmered in the dim glow of the emergency lights, and actual ivory wings lay folded against a waterfall of pearl white cloth. About seven feet tall, it towered over the cowering humans. Then it relaxed.

“Greetings all. Please pardon my rude entrance.” It smiled as if it hadn’t just killed two people with a fireball. Amy gulped. A cold, calculating murderer she could predict, but a psychotic, fireball throwing angel was a whole different story. Oh, why did she have to become a teacher in the first place?

“What are you and why do you want to kill us?!” Mr. Wall demanded. The angel sighed and flicked a finger. Gold flames erupted around the gym teacher with a roar. Mrs. Siason made a whimpering noise in the back of her throat as her colleague burned to death. She and several others moved to help him, but froze when it spoke again.

“I do not accept impudence. Any more foolishness and I will kill you all.” Mr. Water tumbled onto the floor with a thud. The angel tilted its head. “Although that is what I came for, hm? I cannot spare any, for then the survivors would carry on lying, cheating, and stealing for the rest of their miserable lives.”

“You tell us not to do that, but here you are staining your hands with blood,” Mrs. O’Keal spat. The earth shook as it drew itself to its full height.

“Do not put yourself above me,” it warned. “I am doing you humans a favor; cleansing the population. Your life is but a flash in the eternity of your death, yet your species are the cause of thousands of negative events. Death by an angel’s hand is not as cruel a fate as one you would bring upon yourself.”

“Why, though?” Amy trembled. “Why go this far?” It turned to look at her.

“Ah, Amy Ionel. You were orphaned at two, I believe? You humans have souls meant for love and peace but are attracted to hate and destruction. Weapons that massacre your own kind when they were meant to gain meat essential to survival. Horrendous crimes that only a millennium of punishment can atone for. Obliteration of land that is sacred to this planet and my brethren’s domain. Why DID you go this far?” Gold eyes softened as they witnessed her tears. Then they hardened.

“I will take the children. The young. The hopes and futures of this world. Then you might learn your lesson and have a chance at redemption.” The students in the back gasped, and a few began to cry. The angel raised a hand and an orange flame blossomed on its palm.

“Wait!” Amy cried. “Don’t hurt them. They’re harmless. Take me instead.” She felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

“Take us, the teachers, the ones who taught them wrong,” Mrs. Saison said firmly. “We have sinned, not the children.” Behind them, every member of the staff nodded in silent agreement.

The angel hesitated. Amy held her breath. Then it shook its head. “I will take you all,” it repeated. “Why should I spare the children if they have been raised wrong their entire lives? They will grow up to be hateful and no better than their ancestors.” Mrs. Siason sagged against Amy as her plan backfired. The orange flame flared up once again. Then it vanished with a puff.

“I will spare only the teachers. After all, you humans place such a huge importance on life that I simply cannot bring myself to punish those who are willing to give it up for others.” It smiled a terrible smile. “I really do wish that I had encountered this in the other schools. I hope to see it again on my journey. Perhaps I will. There are thousands of other schools in this world that I must pay a visit to." It spread its hands. "Farewell, children. I will see you again in the palace above the clouds.” It spread its hands and a hail of orange and red flowers exploded in the air. Orbs of fire rained down upon the students, setting them aflame. Ivory wings stretched to their full extent and the angel soared away.

“Ohmygosh...“Amy jumped up and dashed over to the nearest student, beating out the fire with her sweater. Screams, wails, and acrid smoke filled the air. She looked up desperately and saw the angel.

That moment she would remember her entire life. It floated fifteen feet up in the air, surveying its work. A deceptively neutral face was cast halfway in shadow, robe stained crimson by the light of the fire that would eventually kill dozens, and scarlet feathers rippled in a nonexistent breeze. It smiled down at her.

“Angels always help.”