Reflections of the Abyss, page 11
I pause, trying to process his words. -So, is this place some kind of "The Threshold" for angels?
He nods. -Exactly. In the traditional structure of heaven and hell, this "The Threshold" serves as a middle ground. It is neither heaven nor hell, but a place of transition where wisdom is imparted and mistakes are corrected. Angels come here to remember the consequences of their actions and strengthen their resolve to fight evil.
Sometimes rookies make mistakes and have to learn, correct and pay for those mistakes, but you can't send an angel to the real hell of eternal damnation. So I ordered "The Threshold of Hell" to be opened. So when someone screws up, so to speak, he is taken to "The Threshold"! That is, he is dragged kicking up here hehehehe.
-You're evil! -I joke, although part of me is curious to understand how this "Threshold" fits into the traditional structure of heaven and hell.
-This "Threshold," he says, noticing my curiosity, "is not the traditional hell, but it serves as a reminder and training. Here, angels learn the consequences of their mistakes without eternal punishment. In other words, it is a place of learning, not perpetual damnation.
I pause for a moment, trying to imagine how this "Threshold" relates to the structure of heaven and hell that I had always known. Could it be that heaven and hell are not only final destinations, but also places of teaching and growth? The idea intrigued and puzzled me at the same time.
"The Threshold of Hell" itself is an amalgam of styles reflecting both decay and hope. The walls are adorned with murals depicting scenes of redemption and the fall, while the ceiling is covered with constellations that glow dimly. The tables and chairs are made of a dark, polished wood, with carved details that tell stories of old battles between good and evil.
The air is permeated with a light scent of incense, mixed with a hint of something spicy that humans cannot identify. The lights change color subtly, creating a sense of constant movement, as if "The Threshold of Hell" itself is alive and breathing.
I sit in a high chair, and I can feel the energy of this strange place buzzing around me. It's a mix of emotions: curiosity, fear and a strange sense of belonging.
-And you have the eyes of a cruel woman.
-It's not true! -I defend myself.
-Yes. You are one of those who take a man's heart, use it, use it, and when they get tired of it, they squeeze it, break it, make it into a ball and throw it in the wastebasket.
-It's not true! Who told you?
-No one told me, I know of at least one guy you did it to.
I remember. The mountaineer can't be because he left on his own. The photographer less so because he was the one who used me. And the rest were just stuck up. I don't find any that I did that, but he's an angel and if he knows something I don't?
-Who? -I asked worried.
-To me," he says with a seductive tone.
My heart skips a beat. I want to tell him that's a lie, that I would never do that to him, that I love him.
-It's not true! -I protest.
He shuts my mouth with a kiss, but such a rich kiss. He hugs me all affectionate. I drink that affection and that love more now that I know how he loves me.
He takes me by the hand and leads me inside "The Threshold of Hell". Inside it is huge, more than any earthly place I have ever seen. Inside "The Threshold of Hell" I noticed that there was a place similar to a bar. It has a multitude of bars and areas decorated in different styles. Most of the waitresses are cat women with very sexy and lascivious angel wings. She takes me to a wooden bar that is a little quieter (as everything else is full). I notice that some of them have some kind of drink and I am surprised to see several angels behaving as if they are drunk.
-The alcohol here is magical," he explains. -The Threshold," he continues, "especially this place, is not just a place for leisure, even though it might seem that way at first glance. Every drink and every interaction here has a purpose. Alcohol has a spell that allows the angels to experience the effects of drunkenness without the negative consequences, teaching them moderation and self-control. The challenges they face here are symbolic, designed to prepare them for the real tests in their divine mission.
I realize that the bar depicted in one part of "The Threshold of Hell" is much more complex than it appears. It is a microcosm of the lessons angels must learn to maintain balance in the universe. And thus better understand human behavior and bad decisions.
He continues, "It has a so-called spell that allows you to feel as if you were drunk. But as soon as you walk out that door the drunkenness will pass and you will return to your normal state. Or as soon as you wish, courtesy of Bacchus, the angel in wine and spirits, Gaby's apprentice. -Wasn't Bacchus the Greek god of wine?
-Yes, among other things. He didn't win the tournament, but he had a blast.
A waitress approaches, a very pretty little angel.
-A Red Bull for me," he asks. What do you want?
-Can it be champagne? How much is it? -I ask (I don't even know what currency is used).
The waitress laughs.
-This is "The Threshold of Hell". Everything is free! Are you new?
-Don't ask," Fenix ordered.
She nods smiling and looks at him as if to say: Then I'll collect my silence in kisses.
-What about you? Mama-hada," the waitress nods, stretches out her hand, and a tray of drinks appears. She pours the Red Bull for Fenix, a glass of champagne for me, and leaves the other on the bar for the little fairy. She blows a kiss to my boy and walks away.
Seraphina gets inside the cup.
-Champagne! -she shouts, drinking, immersed in it.
-It's the first time I've seen her drink in eons. In fact, I don't remember ever seeing her drink.
I take a sip. It's very, very good.
-Don't be afraid," he says. The alcohol here is not alcohol. What is drunk here is not a sin, even if it is abused.
Snap your fingers.
-Lynda! Bring me a glass of wine from the wedding at Cana, please.
She nods, goes to a large barrel and pours a glass, which she hands to me. She gives him one of those looks that my mother used to say make you pregnant and walks away.
-Try it," he invites me. I try.
-Exquisite! I have never tasted a wine like this. And my father loved tasting expensive wines and he taught me, I have tasted wines of a hundred thousand dollars a bottle and they are nothing compared to this one.
-Yes.
-You don't test?
-No. I know him, and you just want to get me drunk so you can take me to that chapel over there," he points to a little chapel on one side of the bar called Las Vegas, "and get me married on the rocks.
-Well, it's an idea," I admit flirtatiously, "Are you going to love me for eternity like I saw you love me?
-I have no other choice. I am an archangel, my love is eternal. You are the human who has in her free will the ability to decide to stop loving someone. But we angels don't have that choice. Once we love, it is for eternity.
-Toast! -celebrates the half-drunk little fairy, raising her glass. I believe in fairies!
Several dozen chant I believe in fairies! raising their glasses. Me with them. Fenix too. I stare at him, plotting how I can break through that gentlemanly attitude and make him mine. But I don't have much experience with guys. If I want to flirt I just need to undo a button on my cleavage and they come alone (mostly to disappoint me), so I don't really know how to seduce. Isn't there a little angel specialist in seduction who can guide me?
-It sounds next to me.
I see a gorgeous cat woman, with a Brazilian accent, golden fur, cat ears, mustache and tail, but curves that would be the envy of any Playboy model.
-Hello, do I know you? Wait, did you read my thought?
Fenix laughs.
-I warn you that Gata is going to pervert you, as saintly as you are!
-Me, a saint? -I'm an internationally famous erotic model! How can you say I'm a saint?
-Compared to her, you're a real saint," he laughs. You don't know what a scoundrel she is.
-A little bit, yes," he admits with a rogue's smile that I wish he would throw at me.
-The little fairy exclaims, standing up in the champagne glass and leaning on the rim with her arms.
Far away on the stage, someone extremely similar to Elvis Presley starts singing a song of his that I don't know. I doubt, Elvis is dead...
-Cat, is that the real Elvis or an impersonator? -I asked in a whisper.
Then Madonna appears singing what is billed as a super hit in "El Umbral". Next, Jenny Quintero appears, who many say is the new Madonna and, as far as I know, she's alive. Then comes Mozart, who with an orchestra performs the Petita Serenata Nocturna (that's also new). Next, Shakespeare recites some beautiful poems and then the trio Los Panchos perform some beautiful love songs.
-I didn't realize! -Shall we dance? -he asks chivalrously.
I grab her hand and thank Gata with a wink. They just start playing a waltz. He dances like angels, and floats me around the dance floor. More than seducing him, he seduces me, and for the first time in my life, I have clothes and everything to spare. I feel fire in my heart and in my belly, I feel intoxicated with passion, love and everything. His hands caress me, during the dance, like feathers. And when the music ends, I beg him: Take me home. He agrees and goes to the bar. He grabs Seraphina, by the wings, and gently pulls her out of the glass.
-Can you fly straight? -he asks.
-Yes," she says in a drunken voice.
He drops it, its wings don't move and it falls like a stone. I grab it in the air half a meter above the ground.
-Straight, but down! -he laughs.
-Come on, come here and sleep," he says affectionately, grabbing her and holding her to his chest, holding her down with fluffy clouds that stick to her skin and form a kind of fairy bed.
The little fairy cuddles up to him, enjoying herself, and falls asleep. Gata recovers her golden form, with her little tail raised, and we walk out of "El Umbral".
-We're a bit far from the sky," he says. We'd better fly, do you think you can fly?
I look at my back. My wings are a little older. I can move them a little (like an arm), but more than that, nothing. I shake my head. So he grabs me in his arms (doradita jumps to my chest) and takes flight.
The view of the sky from above on the way back is spectacular: streets of light filled with happy angels living among them in perfect harmony, parks of sacred white light with families playing and laughing, rivers of light filled with fish of the most beautiful colors. We flew above that beauty, until we reached a beach. A beach like in the Caribbean, with white sands, fine, soft as silk, almost infinite, with a blue, crystalline ocean, rocking in soft waves to the rhythm of a slow breathing. We landed next to a palm tree.
-How beautiful! Do you live here?
-God made this beach for me. A place of rest, beauty and meditation.
-It's beautiful, and it's all yours? Because it's huge.
-Yes, it is. Dad spoils me a lot.
I look around; no one is visible.
-And don't you have something with walls?
-Why do you want walls? -he asks smiling. Of course he knows!
-You'll be bad! -I whisper softly.
-You're just going to sleep.
A magical light emerges from her hand, hits my head and I fall asleep instantly. The last thing I hear is doradita saying:
CHAPTER VIII: THE HOLY SPIRIT
I wake up incredibly rested. Between yesterday's drinks, the spell and the fact that I'm back in heaven, I slept like the angels (who sleep better than I thought they would). The sand beneath me is softer and smoother than the best mattress on earth, and unlike human sand, it doesn't stick to the skin or make a mess. On the contrary, it seems to clean and tastes fresh and ready to use.
The sun is shining on the blue sky, and the sea and the beach are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The sea breeze brings a smell of salt that dazzles me, and I feel on my skin the pleasant mixture of the warmth of the sun and the freshness of the wind. Next to me, my angel sleeps with an innocent face, his little fairy cuddled up to him. I had no idea that Death slept, but he doesn't seem to be able to get a fly out of his way.
I gently caress his cheek, it's soft as a teddy bear, and he smiles in his sleep. What is he dreaming about? It doesn't look like scythes, more like cottony clouds. Suddenly, a little door opens in the palm tree next to me and out comes a squirrel stretching.
-A new day, a new adventure! -she exclaims with her little blue eyes. She pulls out a toothbrush and begins to wash her mouth. Hello, Angela, your body is fine! My little sister is taking care of it.
-Thank you! You are very kind.
-You're welcome! You know what they say: today I scratch your back and tomorrow you scratch my tail. Have you had breakfast? Do you want an acorn? They're good, imported! -he says, offering me one.
-No, thanks, I'm not hungry.
-More for me! -he laughs and begins to gnaw it with a face of enjoyment.
-Little friend. This place is amazing. Where are we?
-You are in a corner of paradise," replies the squirrel, "a space where souls come to rest and find clarity.
Angela sighs deeply, feeling a peace she hasn't experienced in a long time.
-What should I do now? -he asks, looking around.
The squirrel settles down on a nearby rock and answers him wisely:
-Here, you can reflect on your journey, find answers in your heart and prepare for what is to come. This is a place to heal and to learn. Take this moment to connect with your essence and with the nature that surrounds you.
Angela feels these words resonate deeply within her being. She closes her eyes and allows the soft sounds of the stream and birdsong to envelop her, bringing her into a state of meditation and serenity.
-Remember, Angela," the squirrel continues, "true strength and wisdom come from inner peace. Take the time to find it here.
Angela nods, grateful for the little squirrel's guidance. She feels ready to face whatever comes next, with a renewed heart and a clear mind.
Suddenly, the angel opens his eyes.
He turns toward the sea, diving into the water, then my Phoenix emerges from the ocean cleaning his teeth.
-. Well, and back to work. God said to start by seeing the archangel Gabriel.
Where are we going?
-You let yourself go," he says, grabbing my hand and helping me up.
It takes me to the ocean. The water feels warm and very pleasant (what wasn't cold?). It takes me deeper and deeper. I take some in my hand, smell it - is it fresh or salt water?
-It is magical, heavenly water. It will be sweet or salty as you wish, cold or hot as you need it.
I take a sip, it's salty. I take another sip, it's sweet! It goes all the way to my chest.
-This water is breathable. Well, actually you are a soul and you don't have lungs. You only breathe out of habit. But, even if you did, this water would still be breathable. You just breathe out all the air, stick your head under the water and breathe in normally, okay? Trust me.
-If you'd give me a little kiss to get up the courage I'd do it easier," I argue. You haven't given me a hug all day.
He laughs, comes closer. He hugs me well, kisses me with affection, now I'm in heaven! I drink his affection. He doesn't hurry me at all. He hugs me and fills me with kisses, until I'm ready. I nod and breathe all the air out. I sink. To be honest, it's a little scary to breathe water, but I trust him and fill my lungs hoping it's not a joke. It's amazing! I hardly notice any difference, this water breathes beautifully.
-I told you," he smiles.
-And can you talk?
-It's all the same. Only, instead of flying, you swim," he assures me. He takes my hand and we swim forward together, to the deepest part of the water. Doradita and the squirrel have signed up for the adventure and swim alongside us. I am amazed at how easy it is to swim here. You don't push yourself, but rather tell the water which direction you want to go, and it pushes you with a gentle current.
The little fairy wakes up, disguises herself as a diver and accompanies us diving happily. After a while we reach a more illuminated area, there I see a blond angel with blue eyes. He is more beautiful than a Greek god, with huge wings of more than 5 meters and 55 centimeters, has a perfect musculature and incredible golden curls.
He is totally nude, except for a cloud that floats around his waist, blocking the view of that area. I think he should be a model.
-Hello, brother! -greets my Fenix very affectionately, kissing him on the cheek. Hello, Angela! -he kisses me too. She is as soft as a teddy bear. The kitty purrs down his legs and the squirrel high-fives him. Seraphina eats him with kisses.
-Do you know me? -I asked in amazement. There are more than seven billion human beings. You can't know them all, or ....?
-All angels, but especially the archangels, are one with the one," he explains. What God sees and knows, he allows us to know. That is why we know his order to explain the precepts to you, even if he has not come to explain them to us.
-Ahh! Is it something to do with the holy trinity? Because you are the holy spirit, right?
-At your service," he confirmed, very gallantly. Father will explain the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity to you later. I will begin my lessons with another precept. Just let me get dressed, you caught me in the shower.
He snaps his fingers and the cloud transforms into a beautiful angelic robe.
-Do you know your human rights?
-They were read to me at school," I admit. I more or less know what they are about. But not from memory, not the articles.
-Perfect with that. I don't expect you to memorize articles or quotes from the bible, but to learn concepts and integrate those concepts into your being," he explains. Look, article 1° of human rights declares by law, that human beings have the duty (the obligation) to treat others with fraternity. That is, with brotherhood, with affection, with education, with respect, with chivalry, with gallantry even, with kindness. With kindness. Do you understand? It is the same as Christ commanded: you shall love others as yourself. That is to say, the golden rule: you shall treat others as you like to be treated. Have you noticed?
