“Fallen”

    Peter stirred lazily in his bed. His alarm clock was going off, screaming the most annoying sound in the world repeatedly, urging him to wake up for work. Peter groaned, silently cursing the clock he so hated. He rolled over, his arm snaking outward from beneath his blanket to slap the off button on the clock.

“Shut up dammit. I heard you the first time.”

    Peter hated that clock, or maybe he just hated mornings. Probably both. Peter didn't go to school for four years, and get a degree in computer engineering to have to sit in a cubicle all day long helping idiots learn how to not get a virus from opening spam emails. He sat on the edge of his bed, his eyes heavy and bothered by the sunlight shining through his window. Peter yawned and got up from his bed, wearing only plaid boxers and began his morning ritual. He walked slowly to the bathroom.

    Peter flicked the light on, blinking repeatedly as the bathroom light hit his iris’s. He definitely wasn't a morning person. It always took awhile for him to wake up. He grabbed his dull, blue tooth brush, and used the same crappy mint toothpaste he’d had all his life to brush with. He spit, almost spitefully as he finished with the old brush.

“Wish she’d buy something else, just once. I hate mint.” 

    He was referring to his Mother, whom he had moved back in with shortly after college. She always told him the same thing when he asked her why she bought the same toothpaste every time.

“The dentist says that's the best brand for your teeth, so that's why I get it.”

    Would be her response.  A twenty six year old man, still living with his mother and arguing about toothpaste. God Peter really hated his life sometimes. He rinsed his face off in the sink, and then washed his hair a little bit, just to get it wet and comb able. He stumbled back to his room, awake, but annoyed. He found his jeans where they always were, lazily thrown at the foot of his bed, nearly falling off the bedpost to the ground. Then he walked to his closet, opening the door to reveal a barren room. Nothing occupied his closet save a few t-shirts, and his collared work shirts.He never liked wearing the blue work shirts, even though his mom always said he looked great in blue. He didn't like the button shirts, they felt too constricting to Peter. But a job is a job, and he had to help support his mom as long as he was living here. 

    Peter was always surprised at how easily his mom took things, even dad’s death. A car accident on the way home from the factory one night, hit by a drunken idiot. Both of them died in the resulting crash. Peter had been furious, cursing the man’s family for his mistake. But his mom was calm, and tried to calm him.

“I know it doesn't make much sense, and we don’t have to like it Peter. But John is with God now. He’s in a better place, and we have to live knowing that. It’ll help Peter, I promise.” 

    She told him with a smile, but even he could see the pang of sadness in her eyes. No matter what went wrong, she was always strong like that. Peter had trouble understanding how she managed to do that. Her faith was like some well of infinite strength and patience for her.

    Peter stared into his mirror, as he buttoned his shirt up. He mixed two buttons up, and had to redo them. But as he dressed for work, he continued to think of his mom and her religion as he got ready. He thought of it as her religion because Peter had given up on religion along time ago. Sure Peter went to church when he was younger, and believed. But just like the rest of his generation, Peter grew away from religion as he realized that god never acts in your life. He never does anything for you, he’s simply another empty ideal that doesn’t put food on the table. Peter shook his head, snapping back to reality from his thoughts. He grabbed his cell phone to check the time. Eight thirty, he needed to leave or he’d be very late for work. He left his room, dressed and ready for work. He walked downstairs, his mother was already up and in the kitchen, making coffee.

“Hey mom, I gotta leave or I'll be late.” 

“Well at least have some coffee before you leave Peter, I know how you are in the morning.” 

She said with a smile.

    He shook his head and chuckled, she always knew how to improve his mood. He grabbed a cup, and drank the semi bitter fluid. She had put some sugar in, but not too much, just the way Peter liked it. He smiled and felt better, finally ready to leave for his dreaded job. He stepped outside, staring into the drive at a gorgeous blue Mustang. Peter would never not be excited to see this car, a graduation gift from his dad and grandfather. It was the greatest thing he’d ever own. He hopped into his car, and headed off to the office.

    As he drove through town, Peter happened to notice a large mob outside the Hospital he passed every day on the way to work. He slowed down a bit, staring at the signs the people held. “God hates whores!” “Abortion is Murder!” “Atheists want dead children!” Oh god, a christian hate mob. Peter remembered a few months ago, he’d heard a news report saying that Angel’s Mercy Hospital would start providing abortion services at a new clinic, and the Christian right had ignited like wildfire. These people, definitely from the American Testament church, were here to protest and heckle innocent people. Peter didn’t really care about the clinic, he was a single guy and thought what did he have to worry about unplanned pregnancy for? But he hated these people, and how they came out just to harass the doctors, or worse, the woman coming here for what was their business and theirs alone he thought. Peter couldn’t believe people would treat each other like this, with pure contempt and hatred, no matter the reason. He sighed and sped up, this had cost him time and he was running late. He pulled into the lot at Revelations Tax Incorporated.

    What a lame name for a tax company, Peter thought. Who would associate a biblical term with money and their taxes? He sighed and left his car in the lot, heading for the door. He saw the guard, Tommy, who greeted him as he usually did.

“Hey there Pete, a little late today aren't you?” 

“You know me Thomas, always making Andy wait a bit.”

    Peter said with a fake smile, he knew Tommy hated his full name and preferred to be called Tom or Tommy. He walked past quickly, hoping Andrew, his supervisor wouldn't be too pissed at him for being late. He opened the door to the IT department’s office, and saw Andy staring at his television. Peter stared, Andy usually chewed him out, but he was entirely distracted today.

“Yo Andy, I’m here. Totally on time even!”

    Peter said checking to see if Andy was paying attention or totally engrossed in the boob tube.

“I’m sure you’re like five minutes late at least Pete.”

    Andy said without looking back at Peter.

”Just get started Peter.”

    Peter smiled, spitefully. He was at least fifteen minute late, but whatever if Andy didn't care. Peter walked to his desk, and saw the request light on his phone was already blinking. He sighed, time to get to work he thought as he picked up the phone.

“Hello, this is Peter in IT, how may I help you?” 

    He heard the response and knew exactly who it was.

“Hey Petey, it’s Steve from accounting. My computer’s running pretty slow, and I keep getting these pop up ads, could you help a guy out?” 

    Steve said, calling in with the same problem he usually had.

“Sure Steve, just let me log in.” 

    Peter responded as his hands began to clack away at his keyboard, putting in his password for the remote log program. He typed in Steves IP number, which he had practically memorized at this point and logged into Steve’s desktop. As soon as he got in, he cursed having known it’d be this problem.

“Freaking Idiot.” 

    Was all Peter said, Steve’s computer was infested with pop ups for “hot eighteen year old action” Steve had a pretty bad habit of looking up porno at work. A fucking company named after the Revelations, and Peter had to spend his days fixing computers full of damn porn spy-ware. Was mankind so lost that it couldn't pay for a damn money shot and not ruin expensive computers with titty pop ups? He sighed and began his anti-virus program, clearing away the infectious programs. It’d take at least twenty minutes, considering all the shit Steve had logged into on his work computer. Peter would wonder why Steve wasn't fired for this shit, if not for the fact that the branch manager often called in with the same problem. Only it wasn't young girls gone wild, but instead hot “man-girls” interfering with his most important auditing software. Peter hated this job, and all the idiots that came with it.

    It was getting close to two o’clock now, Peter wanted to take his break and get some lunch. But as the thought crossed his mind, he heard Andy’s voice calling him over to the television.

“Dude Pete you gotta see this!” 

    Andy shouted as if he’d just seen something amazing.
 Peter raised an eyebrow, interested and walked over to Andy’s TV to see what the fuss was about.

“What is it Andy, I wanna take my break.” 

    Peter stared at the TV, apparently that mob he’d seen this morning was indeed from the American Testament Church. That church was what came about from the Tea Party movement a few years back. A bunch of angry zealous Christians who wanted a return to good wholesome American values, like lynching homosexuals, and outlawing reading of anything that didn't praise god’s name. Oh and of course, accusing the president of being the anti-christ whenever they could. The mob had lost it when a pregnant woman arrived at the clinic shortly after he’d passed, and started a riot. They stormed the hospital and assaulted some doctors before the police could be called in to stop them. The reporter went on about how this was the fifth riot at an abortion clinic in the last two months, all initiated by American Testament people. Peter was shocked, he knew these people were zealots and nuts, but they were still Christians right? Though deep down, Peter felt like he should expect this from the Christian right. Even as a child, his Pastor had been outspokenly anti-gay and wanted his church to help harass the local gay community. And of course supporting a proud Christian government. He’d spent his whole life seeing tidbits of how hateful religious people could be, so why should he be surprised that they’d finally lost it? Peter continued to think as he watched the report intently. The next headline truly broke his spirit though.

“There seems to be a single casualty.” 

    The reporter said, his voice droning on without any emotion. “A young pregnant woman who was seeking an abortion at the clinic was killed during the riot, trampled upon by rioters. She died before paramedics could get to her.” The reporter finished soullessly.

    They killed a pregnant woman, Peter almost instinctively cried out for some form of justice, knowing nothing would happen. God, these “Christians” were the only evil he could think of right now in the nation, turning the very word religion into an almost synonym for crazed cult. He wondered how his mom would take it as he stumbled back to his desk. An innocent woman murdered, all because of her personal choices, in the name of “god”. Times like this made Peter wonder how his mom could remain faithful and hopeful.

    Peter got back to work clearing virus’s and spyware, clacking away silently for the next few hours. Peter stretch, it was getting close to five now, time to clock out and head home for the day. He cleared his phone, tying up any loose calls and got up to see Andy. Andy literally had not left his television alone at all during the entire work day. Some supervisor he thought.

“Andy it’s five man, I’m heading out.” 

    Peter said to the back of Andy’s head. He shrugged and started to leave.

Andy said something as Peter neared the door. “Looks like the President is gonna give an address about the riots Pete.” Andy said without looking at Peter.

    Peter wondered what he would say. President Jude A. Simons was the first atheist president of the United States of America. Peter was surprised when he’d won the election as an independent candidate. People had lost faith in the Democratic party as it became more complacent, and had steered heavily away from the Republican party as it began to border on fascism and religious zealotry.

    This had allowed something people claimed impossible to happen, a third party candidate managed to take the polls and win. Peter thought President Simons was a pretty damn good president too. He’d gotten the economy out of the gutter and cut the unemployment rates across the nation by two thirds. He’d worked out deals to get the price of gas lowered to three bucks a gallon for at least five years. He’d also legalized abortion in all fifty one states however, which sent the christian right into a frothing rage. This had caused the first abortion riot months ago, when a local church had set the clinic on fire during the night. Since then, acts of American Testament terrorism had been happening for five to six months now. It was getting worse too, considering at first they targeted just buildings and such. And now they were killing freaking pregnant women. Peter decided he’d wait to see this address, hoping the President could talk some sense into these people. Peter glanced at Andy as the address began.

“Wonder how the crazies will take it.” 

    Andy said, looking briefly at Peter.

    The President walked out slowly from the White House, surrounded by men in black. He took to his podium naturally. A crowd had gathered before him, of reporter and civilians, and of course, dozens of protesters. They clung around the White House lawn like the pews of a church to the President’s cathedral.

    “Greetings my fellow Americans. The riot today has brought one of the saddest days in recent history upon our nation. In the days following the legalization of abortion, many Christian Americans have voiced their disagreement with my policies in many ways. But none so wrong as the recent riots instigated by New Testament church groups. These riots are acts of terrorism, preying upon innocent woman and physicians. I understand that we can’t all agree on my policies, and I take criticism as well as any man can. But these acts of American on American violence have to stop. When I declared an end to war in the Middle East, it was to bring peace to all Americans. And so I ask you now, can’t we put an end to this mindless hate, and seek a peaceful solution for a better America?”

    The President said with awe like poise.

Bang. 

    Was the only sound that followed the powerful speech as the sniper’s bullet entered President Simons’ head and splattered his brain matter across the White House lawn like a visceral halo. His guards went into a panic, knowing it was far too late to save the great leader’s life. The crowd stared in panic, half of them screaming out, the other half dead silent. The first atheist President had been assassinated, just like a scene in a movie. A man who saved the economy, ended a aimless war peacefully with the capture and imprisonment of terrorist leaders, and even begun talks at NATO of reconstructing Palestine. He had been killed with a single shot, in but a moment.
Peter gasped aloud, he couldn’t believe he’d just seen this. A man who wanted nothing but good for America, who strove to make life better for all at the cost of his own time and effort. A hero to millions, maybe billions, and his lifetime of benevolence was brought to an end like that.

“Holy shit...” 

    Andy said, his world shattered as well by the death of President Simons.
 The world stopped for a moment, as billions of people stood in shock from the event. A man ran from the bushes, a heartless buffoon who shouted with glee.

“I did it! I killed the anti-christ! God be praised!” 

    Was the last thing the assassin ever said as his body was riddled with righteous bullets from the Secret Service. They swarmed the body of the killer, meanwhile the crowd had broken upon hearing gunfire, sliding straight into a full blow panic and starting a riot. The news station began rerolling the footage and repeating the line.

“The president is dead, a nation is left in shock and awe.” 

“Holy shit Pete, they...they fucking killed him. I mean they’re crazy, but nobody is that crazy...right?” 

    Andy said, staring at his employee, his mind still reeling from the reality of the situation.

“ I don’t know Andy, I mean holy fuck, that wasn't a protest, or a riot. They fucking murdered him, cold blooded murder...” 

    Peter replied to Andy.



    Peter wasn't sure what to think, he’d always thought of Christians as this sort of hateful hypocritical group, but never as straight murderers. He watched the footage again, the image of the President’s head exploding would never leave his brain. A flash forever burned into his mind’s eye. The new stations were all exploding now with coverage. Some ran bits of information on the killer, others the footage of the death. And one managed to run a release from the leader of the assassin's church. An American Testament church.

Peter nearly vomited at the hateful bullshit leaving the man’s mouth. The Pastor began talking about the assassin, a personal member of his congregation.

“The man’s name was Phillip. He was a wonderful member of the congregation, always on time, and always donated for the betterment of the church.” 

    The Pastor went on.

“Now nobody is saying what Phillip did wasn't wrong. But he did what he thought was best for the nation. Our church has always disagreed with that President and his Christian oppressing policies. The man promoted murdering babies, how could we not dislike him?” 

    Peter felt himself wanting to vomit as this man spewed his ignorance onto national television.

“That Simons was nothing short of a liar, an atheist, and a God hating man. Murder is never right, but Phillip was only trying to save the souls of Americans from that man’s satanic regime.” 

    The Pastor finished with a straight face. Even the reporter looked like he wanted to break the man’s jaw.

“FUCK YOU!” 

    Peter screamed at the television with pure contempt.

Andy stared in disbelief.

“They’re gonna let him say that? Really? I mean I don’t go to church anymore, but is this what became of Christians?” 

    Andy said to Peter, feeling just as much anger as him.
 Peter didn’t even respond, he simply walked off and out the door. He had to get home, away from all of this. His mother, he wanted to see her. She always knew how to make him feel better, when the world was a dark place, she was the angel on his shoulder showing him where to go to get away from it all. He passed Tommy without a word, and quickly hopped into his car. He revved up the blue mustang, trying to drown out the world around him, and pulled out speeding, heading for home.

    As Peter drove away from the office in silence, feeling nothing but contempt. A gold star appeared in the sky, and fell towards the Earth somewhere in the distance.  Peter was coming up on the Hospital, Angel’s Mercy, police cars were still about, and he could see the aftermath of the riot. As he stared, remember the event which eventually lead to the death of America’s greatest leader, a twinkle appeared in the corner of his eye. He turned to look, but his world was rocked by a massive explosion as a meteor smashed into Angel’s Mercy, demolishing the hospital. Peter stared in disbelief.

“What the hell! Is the world freaking ending?!” 

    He shouted as he pulled off and sped away from the carnage. He watched in his mirror as the hospital was licked with flames, and burning down to the ground, a few cops running around in a panic. He careened for home, only to look into the sky and see more stars appear, and then fall. He couldn't see them hit, but knew that something impossible was happening. His phone suddenly went off, and he jumped, scared of even that annoying sound that so reminded him of his alarm clock in the mornings. He was about ten minutes from home as he answered the phone.

“Hello, it’s Peter...” 

    He started to say but was quickly interrupted.

“Oh God Pete, oh God oh God! You have to come home, it’s the End of Days! The sky is falling and I’m scared Pete! People are dying everywhere, oh God why is this happening!?” 

    She questioned, crying, he could hear her tears and panic.

“Whoa mom, what’s falling? The sky? I see em too, its like meteors or something” 

    He tried to comfort her, he’d never heard her cry, never heard her panic. For the first time, his mom had been shaken, her will broken. And Peter was terrified.

“I’m almost home mom, just stay safe, I’ll be there. I promise.” 

    

    Peter said to her, suddenly his fear turning into determination. She needed him. Peter could see his home now, that old two story house his dad had bought when his mom was still pregnant. A home picked just for him to grow up in, he’d never realized how much this house meant to him...or to his mother. Peter watched horror as the sky lit up, the light burned his eyes like the early morning sun, a corona of terror. He watched as a star fell from the sky, and smashed the home he grew up in like the fist of an angry god. He screamed aloud.

“Please God NO! Let her be ok, please don’t take her from me...not her, God...”

    Tears ran down Peter’s face as he sped into his driveway, and literally jumped from his still running car to run into the wreckage of his house. Peter hadn't prayed in over fifteen years, but his heart called out to God right now, begging for anything he’d give. He must have been sprinting like an Olympic runner, because he was from his car into the house in the blink of an eye. Smoke and fire rose from his house, destroying his childhood memories forever, but all that mattered was her. He screamed.

“Mom! Oh god mom be ok! I’m home, please say anything!” 

    He screamed into the smoke, as his lungs began to ache from demonic ash.

“Pete? Oh God Pete! I’m stuck in the kitchen, the house is destroyed and I can’t get out!” 

    She cried out in a panic. Though she was terrified, her words soothed her son’s beating heart. Peter rushed into the remains of the living room, a small piece of floor and a massive crater now, and looked towards the kitchen. However, his eyes never made it there. In the center of his home was a massive crater, where the star had fallen. He felt a pang in his body, no his soul, a feeling he had never experience before as he looked down into the crater. His vision was clouded as a cascade of feathers blew across the crater in the wind. His pupils widened and questioned the very reality before him. The majesty of the creature laying in the crater.

    She was beautiful, an elegant form wearing torn silks and golden armor, curled up in the fetal position at the center of the hole. From her back extended huge majestic wings, coated in the most perfectly white feathers he’d ever seen. She was like nothing of this world, and as he stared, she turn her gaze to meet his. The beautiful angel stared at Peter, and that pang in his soul grew, a feeling unexplainable in normal words. She cried tears of blood, a horrifying river of beautiful crimson that ran down her alabaster cheeks. She spoke, her voice shattering his soul forever. A single sentence that defied all comprehension.

“God is dead”