I attended this church when I was still young in this body – a poor white trash girl with a heart of gold and a divine sparkle in her eyes that went largely unnoticed by the elders.  Their own Bible said, “be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”  In this, they failed.  With this, they were a freakish collection of hypocrites, believing the Bible at their convenience.  But things had deteriorated since I left.  The freakshow of hypocrites had turned to a literal exhibition.

I stood in the Chapel, eying fliers for each exhibit.  A television sat on a black metal cart, displaying pictures of a whale of a woman dressed in black lingerie: Glutton for God!  She lay sprawled across the floor suggestively, head tilted, smile tilted, and a look in her eyes that beckoned my last meal to retreat from my stomach.  I was disgusted, but twisted as I am, I was more amused.  This was a star member of the congregation?  A glutton for God in all her glory?  How times had changed.  Last I’d heard, gluttony was a sin to these people.  Of course, I could never recall God ever saying that.  As a matter of fact, it was the most forgivable ‘sin’ for us servants.  God never once expected us to live without indulging our mortal palate with the bounty of the Earth… we had heard so many stories about the wonders of food, sex, alcohol, and drugs that all us angels had a list of “Things I Should Do Before My Earthly Body Dies”.  I can’t imagine he’d expect better from His less obedient creation.

With a chuckle, and an intense craving for my two favourite Earthly pleasures — caffeine and nicotine — I opened the front door and stole an exit.  It had been raining, but the rain subsided and left the uncomfortable stickiness of humid heat.  I appreciated it, though.  You don’t get this kind of weather in Heaven, and every “uncommon” experience is a blessed experience.  I smiled as I fished my cigarettes and lighter from my jacket pocket, relieving the pack of one of its burdens, burdening my lungs with hot, smoky tar.  Christ, this felt good.  The only thing that could make it better is an ice cold Coke from the gas station next door.

Finishing my snack of chemicals and stimulants, I started toward the Sanctuary, where the exhibits were being shown.  I found the large room, completely empty but for a sound – a whimper.  I walked toward the noise, finding the woman hiding between a set of pews.  She spoke not a word, but the fear was painted clearly in her eyes.  Run, they said.  While you can, run.  I leaned to comfort her, and saw more faces beneath the pews, each one painted with the same look of terror.  Curious…

Suddenly, a woman emerged through the swinging door next to the choir pit, her hair pinned messily on her head, decorated with black feathers.  She moved with authority, with ferocity.  I turned to greet her, managing two steps before she turned, raised a pistol and plugged me square in the shoulder, forcing me back the two steps I had taken forward.  “What the hell!” I screeched, clutching my shoulder, staring at her with wild eyes.

“What do you mean, ‘what the hell’?  What does it look like?”  She zeroed in on the edge of my shoulder and fired, spinning me around to face the other direction.  “Hey, get down will you?” She fired again, clipping my wing.  As commanded, I fell face first to the floor.

“Godlessness.  All of you, godless heathen bastards.  And this one, this little lady,” she said, pointing the gun at my back, “this one is the worst of them!”  She fired again, ripping another hole in my flesh.  Fear stole my mind.  Now, despite the fact that I can heal myself and survive more torture than any human soul, I was getting scared.  God can’t save you if you’re full of holes and empty on blood, no matter who you are.  A close-range shot ripped through my other wing and lodged under my shoulder blade.  I beat my hands against the floor as hard as my heart beat against my chest.  God, Father, All, save me from your follower, for Christ’s sake or whatever…

A slow, steady laugh filled the space between my body and Miss Featherhead.  It seemed almost demonic, though I had never known a demon to be this nasty.  Demons were Fig Newtons compared to this woman.  She laughed, self-satisfied, for a short time that seemed to stretch for eons, and stopped.  I turned my head to see if she had gone, seeing only her smile before another bullet pushed me back to the ground.

Silence.  Silence was a friend of the Sanctuary now, with my hearing faded and my vision blurred.  I breathed slowly, drawing all my strength to my heart.  I finally understood why Lucifer refused to bend his knee to this great creation, but why he fell when this madness reigns… I’d have to ask God when…

Oh, it would be soon, I knew, as streams of red trickled from my body.  A silent prayer ran through my head, lulling me to the sleep of eternal life.