As I open my eyes the very first thing I see is a pair of eyes looking right into mine. These eyes are the same as Ella’s with one major exception these eyes have a cross but with an extra horizontal line below the first one making it appear as if a cross is standing on top of a T. Around the eyes is what can only be described as a beautifully stunning face. Long black eyelashes surround the eyes slowly closing and opening. Luscious lips part and breathe warm air on my face. All in all a very beautiful face is very close to mine.
“Good morning dear, how are you feeling?” the woman said in a wonderful voice.
“I’m… okay? Last thing I remember is that stupid angel saying she couldn’t land…Not that I’m complaining but where am I?”
I look around to try to determine my location. I’m lying on a soft bed with a beautiful woman laying down next to me. The room has two silver windows and a shut silver door. The walls and floors are all made of those ridiculously solid golden clouds. I guess they don’t have any other material to use other than clouds.
“Hmm let’s see… That stupid angel is my daughter ha-ha. Sorry about my daughter she’s been spoiled by her father since she was little. Oh yea she’s your guardian angel right?”
As I sit there with my mouth hanging open I notice the door open slightly and two silver eyes peer through it. The upper part of Ella’s head pops out from behind the door and she looks at me.
“Mom… is he okay?” Ella asked worriedly
“Ha-ha let me check.”
Ella’s mom moves her face in real close and pulls me into a tight hug.
“Mother!! Let him go!” Ella said
She runs over to the bed and tries to pry her mother off me. Her mom just nuzzles deeper and pulls me tighter into her embrace.
“Oh no… yahha...” a very embarrassing moan escaped from my lips
The reason behind my embarrassing sound was the lick that I received upon my ear from Ella’s mother. She flashes me a quick smile and releases me.
“Mother!!” Ella said while pouting.
“Ha-ha just teasing him a little… So you're alright then?” she asked
“Well, I guess I’m pretty good for someone who is already dead.” I answered while blushing
I look my body over quickly rubbing and patting for any injuries, luckily I find none. Even the large bump on my head has disappeared.
“Oh, that reminds me I forgot to introduce myself! I’m Maron and this is my daughter Ella but you probably have already figured that out. Welcome to our home!”
I sit up and smile at these two beautiful angels before me.
“Well, it’s good to be formally introduced. I am… well I don’t know but I still have my memories.”
“Oh that. well don’t stress about it too much okay it's part of the program right mom?”
“Hmm… yes it is. So don’t worry anyway that’s for after breakfast.” Maron said
I get out of bed and stand up. I stretch my arms above my body and yawn.
“Ah… that’s good I was dying to ask about it. It’s strange having all these memories but not having any memories of my name.” I said
“Yep! Well that’s that so let’s go down to breakfast. Ella, I have to pull the bread out of the oven could you show him to the dining room?” Maron asked
“Sure thing mom. Let’s head downstairs to breakfast my dad’s waiting for us.”
Ella drags me out of the room into a hallway with several doors. She pulls me past 3 doors and down a staircase. I am then pushed into a chair with a steaming plate of food on the table in front of me.
“If it isn’t the boy from yesterday. It’s good to see you. I see you have met my family properly.” A booming voice sounded
The judge from yesterday enters and sits across from me. Upon closer inspection he appears to be a middle age man with blonde hair that is turning almost grey along the sides of his head. He flashes me a bright smile and looks towards another door.
“Maron, the boy’s downstairs you can come bring in the bread now!”
“One sec dear… It’s almost ready…Oh, introduce yourself dear it would be rude not to.” Maron shouted from behind the door.
“Oh yes quite right ha-ha almost slipped my mind. I am known as J.O.H. which means Judge of Heaven. My other titles are Gatekeeper and Guardian of the Gate however my friends and family call me Gabriel.” Gabriel said
“… Oh, dear you forgot something rather important.” Maron shouted
“Oh, of course… ‘I love my wife Maron who is wonderful and amazing.’” He said in monotone
A kitchen knife flies through the door and slammed into the wall.
“Honey, I was just teasing… you could off taken off my nose Maron.” Gabriel mumbled
“What was that Gabe?” Maron asked peering through the door.
“Nothing dear… Oh yes boy I almost forgot until my wife reminded me. I’m also the leader of the Rebirth Program.”
“Oh really? Could you explain exactly what that is for me because I’m still rather in the dark?” I asked
“Oh yes, I can just let’s wait till after breakfast to talk okay?”
Maron opens the door and passes through with a rather large cake. She sets it down on the table in front of me. On top of the white cake written in orange icing are the words ‘Welcome to Heaven’ underneath that is ‘Good luck in the Rebirth Program’.
“Wow, this is nice. Thank you all very much.” I said
“Enough of that ha-ha no need to thank us just cut it up and have a slice.” Gabriel said
“Ha-ha isn’t a little early for cake though?” I ask jokingly
“What are you saying boy? It’s never too early for cake!” Gabriel astounded
“Oh stop, it dear he doesn’t know you're joking.” Maron laughed
“Ha-ha you're right dear… let us eat”
After breakfast Maron sets some coffee down in front of us and sits back down next to Gabriel. They sit there looking at me for a minute quietly sipping their coffee until Maron nudges Gabriel with her elbow almost knocking his cup from his hand.
“Hot! You could have burned me… Oh right, explaining time…Where should I start…”
Gabriel takes a long sip of his coffee and sets it down on the table in front of him.
“As you well know you are dead correct? And you died before really doing anything?”
“Yes to the first but to say I didn’t really achieve anything is sort of harsh. I did stuff… well a few things… I think.”
“Such as?” Gabriel asked with a rather annoying smile.
“I became an Eagle Scout, that’s a rather high achievement, and I was pretty proficient in martial arts like Aikido and Tae
Quon Doe. I almost graduated college and I think I had a rather happy life.” I explained
“But boy as you know your life ended prematurely…As you said you had a few great accomplishments but you didn’t get to do them all. Did you have any children? Did you find a person that you would be happy to spend your life with? My point is you were destined for great things and had a rather bright future but when you died a lot of those things went undone.”
I think about my family and then about my friends and lastly all of my projects left half finishes in the garage at home. I didn’t get to do a lot but that’s life and I accept it. That doesn’t mean I’m not frustrated or angry about it but I was always rather coolheaded when making the best out of bad situations.
“That all may be true I didn’t have a family and I didn’t finish college but I had a good life even if it wasn’t long and my achievements are minimal. I am extremely fortunate to have been able to complete them. Of course, I’m sad that it’s over but it doesn’t change the fact that I had a good life.” I said thoughtfully
“Hmm… I see it’s good that you have accepted that your life is over and that you did have a good life. Okay, I’ll tell you about the next stage for your soul.”
Gabriel sighed and takes another sip of coffee.
“The Rebirth Program was originally created as a way to deal with young children deaths. When a child died they would be held in heaven and after a few years we would give them an option. Either stay in heaven or be reborn on in a parallel world.”
“Wait a second!! Parallel worlds? Are you serious?”
“Quite… well not so much parallel as to haphazardly thrown about. Some are interconnected while others are completely separate from any other line. Some have such things as space civilizations and others still fight using rocks. In other words they are really varied and some are rather strange but back to the main topic…Where was I Ella?” Gabriel asked
“You were explaining that the children were given a choice.” Ella said
“Oh, quite right… Most children chose to be reborn and to be given a chance at life. At first we wiped their memories of their time in heaven but that caused a surprising amount of instability in their minds and unfortunately it didn’t quite end with many of them coming back here. They became either political leaders or religious zealots, neither of which was good for those organizations. In your world I believe you have had a few… Adolf Hitler, Jim Jones and a few others. I don’t mean to say that all of this turned out to be a bad thing. Many good leaders also came from this program such as Joan of Arc, Gandhi and a lot more. There were some normal ones as well but you wouldn’t know their names.” Gabriel explained
“So all bad guys and good guys in my world are part of this program?” I ask
“Heavens no! Not at all in fact most aren’t! only a few… Probably…” Gabriel trailed off
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
“Well, regardless your different, right mom?” Ella piped up happily
“Yes dear, he is very different!” Maron agreed brightly
“Why am I… different?” I asked
“Ha-ha because we can’t erase your memories but your still young enough to qualify for the Rebirth program! And if that wasn’t enough you even have a guardian angel who just happens to be my daughter!” Gabriel exclaimed
I looked at them with my mouth wide open, stunned if you will, for a few seconds until it hits me. The angel that slammed into me the one who crashed landed knocking me unconscious was my guardian angel. She has been saying it from the start but I never thought that she really was my angel because all she had caused me lately was injury.
“But wait… Ella’s really my guardian angel? I thought that…” I pondered aloud
“What that I was kidding? I worked really…really hard while you were alive. I just happened to fall asleep when you went on your jog… How could I have known that you would do something stupid like get yourself killed…?” Ella said angrily
“Now, now it’s no one’s fault these things just happen sometimes. Now dear if you’ll continue…” Maron said
“Hold on, why do I have a guardian angel anyway?” I asked
“That’s easy stupid! Not only are you important but when you were here we played together!” Ella pouted
“What do you mean ‘When I was here’?”
“You have already gone through the Rebirth program once. We wiped your memories and sent you to… Earth was it?”
Gabriel explained
“What! Really! How? Wait that means I died before? Or wait I was friends with Ella… “I trailed off
“Calm down already! We played together and I was worried and so I joined the Guardian angel core so I could watch you… It’s nothing special…” Ella said bashfully
I sunk lower into my seat and sighed deeply. I was already here and I forgot about it. I don’t remember anything about this place that memory wipe must have been really good.
“Well, now that that’s all out in the open… Welcome home!” Maron said happily
“Yes, welcome home! It’s been sort of lonely since you left living with these two by myself I am glad to have you back for the short time we have you.” Gabriel exclaimed
“So, I stayed here?” I asked
“Yes, in the room you were sleeping in. Wow, memory wipes are incredible these days.” Maron said sadly
“Sorry, it’s not that I don’t believe you… It’s just this is a lot to take in… So if we could continue you said ‘for the time I would be here’.”
“Oh yes… since you have already been in the program and a few other factors like your age and some other things you will be sent to the permanent division of the Rebirth program.”
“Permanent? What do you mean by that?” I asked
“Well… Hmm… Basically you get reborn over and over again no matter how many times you die… Hmm, but that’s not quite right… your job is to be a watcher and protector of worlds to make sure that nothing too bad happens to them… Dear, I don’t think my explanation is very helpful could you try?” Maron asked
“You maintain your memories and are sent to observe and protect worlds and after a lifetime on the world you are summoned back to heaven and sent to another world. Your job is to lead the worlds and put them on the best future you see. If the world is on a bad path you must correct it before you die. Think of the rest of the time is just vacation to do with what you please. If you die before setting it on the best path then it you have to be reborn again until you resolve the situation.”
“Okay… so basically I just fix problems of the world I’m sent too… I don’t happen to have a choice in the matter do I?” I asked
“Well… recently a lot of worlds have gone out of whack so… and you’re the perfect candidate… sorry you actually don’t…” Ella mumbled
“Ha-ha don’t worry it will be fun! You can do whatever you want on these worlds… Anything! Just as long as you fix whatever is wrong with them.” Gabriel explained excitedly
“What do you mean anything?” I asked cautiously
“Any…thing…” Gabriel said in a seductive tone
“Father… What are you telling him!!?” Ella exclaimed
Maron kicks him underneath the table hard enough that the table shook vigorously. A rather pained expression crosses his face but he quickly winks at me and goes about calming his wife and daughter down.
“Ha-ha now that’s over with there are a few rules that you should be aware of that go with your new post. First and foremost no talking about heaven with anyone other than 3 people in your lifetime. Secondly, killing people may be necessary however you are not allowed to kill any children unless they pose a threat to you or others at that current time. Thirdly, you shall not steal from anyone unless it is necessary to complete your goals. Fourthly, you will be given several gifts upon departure from heaven don’t miss use these gifts unless your handler allows otherwise. Finally, the last rule is extremely important you will shape these worlds as best seen fit to your eyes. That being said, you are not to create anymore broken worlds. Your job is to fix them not make it worse. Do you understand these rules?” Gabriel explained
“Yes, except two things… Who’s my handler and what kind of gifts do I get?” I ask
“Well, of course Ella is your handler however she is going punished for letting her ward, that’s you, die. Normally, you would meet in your dreams and talk … Well, that’s for later… As to what gifts you shall receive you get to choose... Oh dear, look at the time you all must be off or you’ll be late!” Maron exclaimed
“Late for what?” I asked
“Everything! Ella don’t bother cleaning up I’ll get it.” Maron said quickly
“Dear, where is my hat?” Gabriel asked
They all stand up abruptly almost knocking over their coffee cups. I reach out and steady the table and the cups. Ella wizzes upstairs and Gabriel disappears looking for his hat. Maron grabs me and pulls me towards the kitchen. Once we make it through the door she stops and turns towards me.
“Oh dear, I am so sorry that this is all happening so fast. I need to tell you a few things really quick.” Maron said nervously
“Of course, in fact please do.” I answered
“Okay, take care of yourself and remember this if not anything else you are always welcome here in this house and whether you remember it or not you are family to us. You will have new parents in every world you travel to treat them with love because to them you are their child and truthfully you are their child. Lastly my daughter may be a little careless but she is and will always be your friend and family so please treat her as such.” Maron said quietly
“Yes Maron, I understand” I said
“Oh, one more thing angels and non-angels can have offspring so don’t hold back with Ella, I need a grandchild ha-ha!” Maron laughed
Maron pulls me into a tight hug and kisses me on the cheek.
“Good, remember it this time okay? Don’t worry, I’ll see you again head outside and wait for them.” she whispered in my ear
Maron shows me to the door and then runs upstairs to get Ella. Gabriel reappears with a rather large halo floating above his head and waves me over to him.
“One last thing from me before we head out. If a world cannot be fixed it’s probably the fault of a god who has gone astray. You’ll probably have to track down and kill the god which will be no easy feat. This is your true task however you must first check with me through Ella okay? If you do this you will have to stay on the world for a while to help restructure it and select a new god from the populace.”
“How do I tell if a world becomes too fractured?” I asked
“Hmm… Well, a good way is to look at the state of the normal populace and compare it to the aristocrats. If the lower class is being pushed down then that’s a good sign. Also high amounts of wars and death as well as famines and diseases are good ways to determine if the original infrastructure has been broken and need to be replaced. If you think that the god of the world is encouraging these things then it must be taken down. Most of the criteria is left to you as is final judgment. Now let’s get Ella and head of to the Hub.”
“Hub?” I asked
“That’s where all of the worlds are connected and that’s where you shall be sent from. It’s basically the Headquarters of the Rebirth Program.” Gabriel explained
I hear footstep coming down the stairs Gabriel quickly separates from me and heads outside. I turn to see Ella coming down the stairs with a rather large handbag hanging from her side.
“Hey let’s go! We are going to be miss the transport window.” Ella said
Ella grabs me and pulls me out the door. Once we are outside she give me a quick smile.
“Ready to go?” she asked
“Sure, but can we walk this time…” I begged
“Already got him scared huh Ella” Gabriel laughed
“Shut up dad! It will be okay this time I promise! You trust me right?” Ella said pleadingly
With those sad eyes my will is once again destroyed. I can’t say no to those eyes on the verge of tears. Against my better judgment I decided to trust her.
“… Fine…Just be careful…”
By the time the last word was out of mouth we were off to the Hub where my new life was too begin.
#############################################################
AN: Wow 6 readers that's already more than I have had... well ever.... Thank you for reading!!