Tales of Light

THE GRIM REAPER

THE GRIM REAPER

My cave, my secret hideout here in the heart of the Mystical Jungle, was dark and musky. Huge black bats hung upside down on the dripping, moss-covered roof. They have been my only companions for ages since I was banished here.

No spec of light penetrated this space. My sockets were already accustomed to the darkness so I could see without trouble.

No living soul had ever been here. Any soul that came here was either brought in forcefully by me as a captive or sent by the One Up High.

Time made no sense here. I was banished to eternal damnation, and rightly so. This was the dark pit where I had been reserved until the final judgment. I still shudder just thinking of my fate.

While I detest this place, it fills a malevolent craving in me birthed on the day the dark lord Lucifer stirred a rebellion in the High Heavens. Lucifer gave promises and I conceded. Even though Heaven was amazing, I wanted more; I wanted to rule too.

Tired of sitting for so long in a single spot on my rocky throne and twirling my custom-made dagger, I heaved my lean body up and went to admire my trophies for the thousandth time.

The chains that hung over my dark, flowing robe, clattered to the floor with a cha-ching sound. I levitated to my carved shelf.

A crooked smile that almost reached my ears slithered slowly across my face. I relished the salivation that dripped down my fang-like teeth as I touched and examined each artefact that graced the shelf: spliced bones, a human skull, a chopped heart, a jar filled with mashed brains...

"My beautiesssss," I croaked. My voice sounded coarse even to my ears.

I've been loitering for how many decades now? I craved to feel the flow of blood through my scythe again. When was the last time I drank any liquid other than blood?

Almost immediately, as if in response to my wish, a blinding light exploded in the cave.
My bats that had been roosting on the ceiling, scattered every which way in a flurry of beating leathery wings and shrieking calls.
I groaned in pain and doubled over, covering my face at the intensity of the glare.

A slice of trepidation, which was not an alien emotion to me, coursed through me.
Once upon a time, I had emitted and dwelt in this kind of glory, but that was in the past now.

"Who dares to trespass on my territory? Reveal yourself," I managed to say.

The intensity of the light lessened till I could manage to bear it.

I squinted my eye sockets as I took in the stance of the intruder. It was an angel, no surprise there.

I knew this particular angelic messenger too well.

"Longest time, Abaddon," the angel said in that annoyingly serenading voice of his.

I deadpanned.

"This is not your playground, Jeiel. Neither do we have time for pleasantries. Go straight to the point. Why are you here?"

Jeiel straightened and turned serious.
"Well, well, it's been almost six centuries since you've been lying dormant here. Let me quickly update you about what's been going on in the land of the living before I deliver the message."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed.

"After your little stunt during the great flood, man has once again multiplied and covered the earth. YHWH chose a special set of people, separate to Himself. Somehow, they ended up in captivity. Now, YHWH is determined to free them to serve Him. However, the principalities of Egypt have been proving very stubborn. YHWH is ready to pull out his trump card and give them his final blow.

"YHWH needs your expertise." Jeiel wiggled his eyebrows at me as he said that. I gave him a disgusted look.

"He has asked me to fetch you immediately."

I knew it was foolishness to do so, but I had to let this nitwit know that I wasn't some piece of tool that he could just come to command. I was once his superior, you know?

As an eternal being, I am not afraid of death. After all, Death is one of my titles. Some know me as Abaddon, Apollyon Destroyer or the Grim Reaper.

"I'm busy," I said.

I tensed my shoulders, ready to deflect whatever form of painful blow this messenger of light would deal me. Instead, I began to hear his peals of laughter.

Now, that was a strange response. When was the last time I felt rapturous enough to laugh? Before the dark days fell when I was among the lead warrior angels in Prince Michael's battalion.

Jeiel laughed while I stared blankly at him, irritation boiling inside my gut.

"You're busy. Oh, really? Perhaps you were counting your bats?" he said between hiccups of laughter.

I thought of several ways I could decapitate this mewling angel. I could slowly crush all his bones, freeze his nerves, or pluck out the feathers of his wings, one by one...

As the malevolent thought formed in my mind, indescribable pain descended on me. The chains that plagued me were eating into my leathery skin and, at the same time, strangling me.

"Make it stop!" I screeched, tormented to the core.

Jeiel had calmed down by now, aware of my punishment. He sighed and shook his head with a tsk. He raised his face upward in what I recognised as The Petition.
Seconds later, the pain subsided.

"When do we leave?" I said in defeat, through gritted teeth.

"We leave immediately."

I nodded grimly.

With a thought, my personal effects-my sharpened scythe, my hood, and a few trusty bat friends that accompanies me on all my missions-came to me. I levitated to Jeiel's side.

Like the wind, we travelled through a portal that cuts through time and space. We appeared, hovering over a very long river.
The first thing I did was to take in the glorious scene before me. This was Egypt? Well, well, the human species were surely getting more advanced.

"Okay, so what am I to do?"

"See those group of people on that side, busy killing lambs? They're God's people. They've been instructed to put blood over the lintels and doorposts. You are strictly prohibited from striking any house you see the mark of the blood on."

I remembered the day my power was officially unleashed. The One Up High gave me the power to destroy man's flesh because of the curse of sin. I never really went out of my confinement unless it was a major project. My minions, aka my demonic bats, gladly did the petty job of killing.

"On this other side are the Egyptians," Jeiel continued. "They're your main target. You are to kill every firstborn in every unmarked house, male or female, man or beast. Without mercy."

"Easy peasy," I thought.

"Before you gloat, let me inform you that you'll have confrontation from your counterparts.

"Immediately the final threat from YHWH was delivered, the demon gods of the Egyptians have been invoked on their household as a form of pseudo protection. I believe you know what to do with them."

I smirked and licked my parched lips. A challenge from other demons? Bring it on!

"This is going to be interesting. Let's do this."

~~~

Author's note: It was a creepy thing to write in the 1st person POV of the angel of death, but I wanted to paint the picture of the events leading to the Exodus of the Israelites from a spiritual angle. 🙀

How was it?😶

Would you be interested in seeing this story till the moment when Abbadon completed his work on the host of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea?🙃

Your votes and comments will let me know. 😊

Thanks for reading. Hopefully, you'll have no nightmares 'cause of this story. After all, I trust that if you're reading this, you're already under the blood of the New Covenant, yeah! 🩸
God bless. 😇