Our Lord of Transience

Did you see her fall? 

“Haven't you heard?!”

Our lord fell from the skies.

“What an atrocity!” 

Her body was speared with polearms and arrows.

“It blood rained heavily, and all the streets were narrowed down to grieving cries and screams”

It hurt my ears.

“Their shouting that is.”

And the disturbingly loud thud of her limp body.

---

No one dared to get close to their deity’s body. As her crimson blood filled the space around them, people gawked, staring at their beloved drenched in metallic gold and arc wood. Her sulled bellflower crown dared to fall off her dingy gray face. Her pointed fingers slightly twitching as if life was trying to knock back in. No one said a word. No words were needed.

This was supposed to be a momentous occasion. A once in a lifetime phenomenon. This day would mark our Lord's birthday, an event that conspired with the total eclipse, making it even rarer. Only a few of us will ever get to see the halo of golden light, and the dissension of our fair lady in their lives, so of course everyone was bustling around and getting preparations done. Yet no one expected that the once, enchanting halo of luminosity of righteousness, would instead crown a crimson witch of thorns and spikes. 

Then the screams took place, and police started filing in. One by one, shouts and yelps were held back, as people were guided, or forced, depending on how you interpreted it, out of the area. I tried with all my might to stay. To get at least a last look at the eclipse dawning our beloved. But the guards knocked me out, and instead of bringing me to my home or someplace, they left me to sit on the side. I barely stayed awake, only to see our Lord get dragged out of her resting state. Her gray hands dragged against cold stone. 

---

The police tried to cover the details as much as possible. They said it was an accident. That we angered the other lords, and so this was only necessary. Some churches preached that the end was coming and that her death was a silent warning. But one thing was certain. Her halo would never leave. The sky is now painted in eternal gray clouds of dust and smoke. Torches lit the sky, and crosses were burned. Hands raised and voices screeching, people fought to gain custody of the remaining life. All because of a single death. Her golden crown of angel’s light and hope now holds nothing but death and sorrow as we claw for people's necks and throats. And for what? 

I watch the news from the quiet seclusion of my bedroom. The windows shut and blinds drawn, only letting streaks of light in as I hunch on my chair. I haven’t left my room for over a week. I have all I need here, so what’s the point? All I can see from what used to be bright grass and peonies is now children crying and gunshots. The news announces another fall of a god’s nation and their power to land into another's hand. The eclipse stares at the chaos that ensues and smiles at me as I shut my laptop close from the gorey images of limbs and hearts. I stand and fall to my knees while swaying my hands under my bed. something pointy catches me I grab it. The brilliant pointed headdress of a diety smothered in crimson blood lays between my fingers as I rub my thumb over its jewels. The gorgeous emeralds and ceruleans glistened in the light, as I laid my head onto the soft fabric. This is what they want. A stupid crown. That’s why our world is broken and people are dying. 

“That’s why you need to give it over. To stop this chaos.”

I’m once again in the space of nothing. Floating in space, I stand but never let go of what it wants.

“Just hand it over. It’s as simple as that.”

Its shaky breath hovers over my ear. The stench fills my nose and heavy weights cradle my shoulders. The crown shone in my fingers as an aura of deepness tried to hold my hands. To let it go.

“You said you’d never touch me.” My voice hitched as I gripped the headpiece harder.

“Why is that?” It stepped closer. Its hands slowly creeping around my waist and breathing into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. I shook it off and stepped away, my face never meeting its.

“You said that until the eclipse goes, none of this would stop.”

I turn around, facing the thing of silver dust before me.

“Why?”

“You don’t need to know, my darling. Just hand it over. And you’ll wake up from this dream.”

It smiled and dragged its ragged hands towards me, gesturing for the crown. I step back and close my eyes, a silent clank of metal fills my senses as I wake up again.

---

A long corridor of paintings and still lives line up the hall with crimson reds and deep blacks. I walk on down, my shoes tapping with the stained marble floor. Each painting faced a celestial event that changed us.

Haley’s Comet = awe and confusion

A lunar eclipse = depravity and seclusion

A solar eclipse = terror and doomsday

Meteor showers = beauty and urge of sudden pains

All but one indicated an event of great dread. The total solar eclipse and our Lord's awakening. The descent of our beloved and the covering of the sun through a halo. A painting of that very faithful day stood at the end. Vivid red shouldering the pain of the portrait as I watch the events for a second time. A click of quiet heels walked behind me. A presence of great weight stood beside and stared at the canvas of guilt.

“Does it hurt you?”

She said with no hint of emotion.

“Not much.”

I shrug.

“Should it hurt you?”

She turned to me. Her wispy, deep hair fills the space between. Night locks grow from the tips of the strands and her neon eyes devour me as pointy claws dig into my shoulders. Her bright red lips to her pale, sickly skin of thorns and dried-up roses hold on to me. She wants a yes, but she knows the answer full well.

“No,”

My answer, so nonchalant and stern as I gaze into her pupils of glowing halos. Her lashes were of fickle amusement. Her breaths of death's door.

She laid no smile I could tell, but did let me go. Her twisted hair and night locks slowly creeping away, as she walked past me and the portraits. The once-light canvases of shivers now fall to the ground, waking me from my slumber.

---

The bright sun’s light seeps from the window of the hospital as I get myself up. The Morning Glories on the bin outside sing to the flowing birds dancing to swirling clouds. I look at my phone to check the date and time. Why’d I pass out? I don’t care anymore, to be honest. The screen shines bright and the home screen pops. 2 people hugging with cute little floating hearts flying around blurs as I watch the date come up. April 7th, 2024. Time stops at that moment as I look outside. 

“Do you truly care?”

A whisper of care and solitude surrounds my ears as it rocks me to sleep. To bring me back to what I once was.