September Skies
Witness 1
In Jerusalem, the ten days of trial took a toll on the Two Witnesses. Both groggy and tired, they sat on the elevated platform on their end of the arena. A piercing white spotlight pulled them out of the dusk, and thousands of little red flames surrounded them from the lighters of the people in the stands. On the far side, Morning Star started to pace across his platform.
When darkness fell Molony pushed up off his knees, and walked to the edge of the platform. He stared off into the dark sea of people. A couple of short drum rolls rang throughout the stadium. Molony stood at attention, saluted, turned and started to walk around the platform. A guitar strum replaced the drums. He recognized the song: “Cherub Rock”, by the Smashing Pumpkins.
The bright lights made Molony squint. He held his hand up to see into the crowd, and as he walked, the drums joined back in. A few steps later and a guitar strummed. The crowd started to cheer wildly. He looked behind himself to see blue smog pouring from his footsteps. A third of the way around Molony timed an air guitar move when the heavy licks of an electric guitar joined in. It electrified the air.
Molony turned and smiled at Pastor Flynn, who was sitting with his legs crossed in the middle of the platform, looking around at the sound coming from their platform. Molony started to bob his head with the beat. He worked his way around the platform back to the front where he started. Illuminated blue fog poured over the edge like a circular waterfall. It spilled to the crowd creating a smoggy sea of waving hands and lighters.
Molony kept the beat in full dance. Pastor Flynn sat in the middle of the platform bobbing his head, half in prayer. Molony turned to the crowd and opened his mouth. A plume of yellow fire rolled down from the sky and hit the stage. Strobe lights flashed in the arena. Molony sang.
By the end of the song Morning Star’s pace turned to steady stomping back and forth on his platform. “You think you can mock me? Do you think this is a game?” His pride kicked in, and Morning Star caused lightening to hit Pastor Flynn and Molony at the same time.
The dark silhouettes of Molony and Pastor Flynn lay sprawled across the amber platform. The blue fog stopped flowing. The crowd stopped in silence.
Morning Star cleared his throat causing everyone to look at him. “These two dead bodies will be left on that platform forever! I don’t want anyone showing up next week claiming to be these two resurrected. They will neither rise, nor will anyone steal their bodies and awake them later like some say happened to me. They are there as a testimony that I am who I say I am.”
The crowd erupted in cheers, celebrating the crowning of their god. “My children. It’s almost time to rapture my believers away. I don’t know when, but my Father does. There are a lot of unbelievers who are going to continue here without us in a cruel and terrible world. We have to accept it. That’s why we lived in the flesh… to find out who would stay, and who would come with me. I’m so proud of you. All of you, because you found it in your heart to stay true to me.”
Morning Star sat in his throne centered on the platform. “Children of the world, we have so much to do and so little time. Now that these two annoyances are out of the way we have but a short time to reach out to those under their influence. Their biggest congregation is in America. We will march there and offer Salvation to those who wish to follow me. I ask my children in Mexico to rise and reach out to your northern neighbors. I ask Canada to embrace the Americans who join us, and help me help those who refuse. I ask Russia, my beloved Esau, to take Alaska and use its resources to rebuild your Nation. Long ago I let you sell it to America because I knew they wouldn’t touch it. But it’s yours. That is your lot. You can have it from today.”
Morning Star swept his opened hand in front of him, revealing a hologram. “As I speak to you now, I have sent hundreds of drones to form a fifty mile ice bridge crossing the Bering Strait. It will start at Cape Deshnev in Russia, and it will reach Cape Prince of Wales in Alaska. Our insta-freeze technology features structural assignment, so not only is it solid, but it is comfortable too.” He smiled. “We separate the salt from the water. The moon illuminates the bridge at night, and the salt is used to pave the path, making the journey easy on your feet. As it is written, the last will be first and the first will be last.”
He snapped his fingers and the hologram disappeared into a puff of smoke. He stood and pointed across the arena. “To the children of the world, I killed the false prophets. I won. I won for you. Won’t you take this last opportunity to join us? I still love you.”