• Word count: 600
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Character: An angel
  • Material: A bottle of wine
  • Sentence: ” I didn’t mean to answer the call.”
  • Bonus: Your character is fearless to the point of stupidity.

“I didn’t mean to answer the call.”

“One could argue you had no choice. Voice of God and all that..” the sentence trailed off and he glanced around before taking another long pull from the wine bottle.
“Fuckin hell,” she laughed briefly at that. “When are you going to stop living in perpetual fear of being struck down? Once we’re out, we’re out, there’s no going back, which means there’s no one looking over your shoulder. He can create new minions if he cares to. He is so far beyond that. Caring, that is. And so am I. Pass that here.”

“Have you no sense of self preservation? Even though we’re not in there,” he made a furtive gesture, a head tilt toward his right shoulder. “It doesn’t mean that no one knows what we’re up to.”

“You’re right! That’s the trouble!” As her face lit up, the knot in his belly grew denser and he attempted to drown it with more wine. “No one knows what we’re up to besides a select few! Perhaps its time that changed.”  He shook his head wearily.

“You know how it goes. After three the multitude! Followed by disbelief, fear, panic, and destruction. Do you really want to invoke chaos? Are you crazy? Or just stupid?

“That ‘after three the multitude’ thing is a myth. Stories we’ve been told to keep us from engaging anyone. To keep them separated from truth. Look at them.” She gestured to the people walking past the low wall where they sat. Walking heavily, laden by baggage, whether they physically carried anything or not. Attached to screens and lost in thought, carrying on interactions that were connected to events far removed from where they actually were. “There is this constant impetus on the part of humans to ‘find themselves’ but then they spend money on distractions. They pay to be lost. I think it’s time they knew what was actually hiding in the shadows. Wouldn’t actual magic be more impressive than this pseudo technology they believe to be so impressive? Isn’t it time they found something worth believing in again?”

“I know what you’re doing. You’re trying to get His attention. You could just call back. It goes both ways, you know.” He pointed the neck of the bottle toward the cell phone sitting between them.

“Ha! That might be your game, why else would you be here except to curry favour. To try and persuade me to abandon my irresponsible plan to let humanity in on the cosmic joke. Hey! Ask me what makes me such a good comedian.” He sighed.

“What makes you such a goo-“

“Timing!” She exploded with laughter and a woman walking past looked up from her phone screen, startled. There was a brief moment when she thought there was something shimmering…but no. Just a low wall, with park stretching beyond. She smiled, suddenly realizing this was the park where they showed outdoor movies in summertime. She recalled seeing the Wim Wenders movie, about the angels, with Tomas. Remembered the way it felt to lean into him, the solidity of his arm around her shoulder. She wondered how he was, perhaps she should look him up, see how he was doing. With a smile dancing about her lips, she moved on.

“You did that on purpose! She was going to see us and you used her memories to distract her.” He pulled another bottle of wine from the bag at their feet. Her eyes narrowed. “Hang on. Is that why you’re here? Not to persuade but to distract?”

Smiling, He opened the bottle.