Flash Fiction Fridays

Welcome to the first in a new series of Flash Fiction Friday posts. I hope you all enjoy them and I look forward to any feedback. Be sure click on one of the Carpe Arcanum Links at the top of either sidebar. Comments are always welcome there too.

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A is for Archon

I am an overseer, a punisher and a protector or at least I was. In the early days I was part the team that did the whole thing in the place you all call Egypt. Ahhh those where the good old days back when men feared the boss and the boss gave them a reason too. Of course that was back before the new hands off attitude took hold around here. Don’t get me wrong here I’m not being critical of his decisions, how could I by his very nature he has to be right. I mean come on he’s God but that doesn’t mean that a lot of us our uneasy about this whole new change of attitude in the management.

Just the other night the guys got together for a BBQ and a night of poker. It was me, War and Death of the Horsemen, Noah and someone had let it slip to an Angel as well. I think it was Death that fat bastard who told the Angel but of course he denies it. In truth he denies a lot of things that are true mostly because he can I guess. At our level we are allowed a little more leeway with our actions and the Commandments. It was a profitable night for all of us, Angels can’t lie for shit. We had the guy cleaned out by about halfway through the night once his pockets where empty he thanks us for letting him play and then called it a night. The door had barely closed when Noah started.

“They have everything way too easy down there these days and there is no respect for a greater power. Everything in the mind comes down to science. Even the few who do believe have the message so garbled that it barely even resembles His word any more,” he paused and looked up as he referred to God. “What would happen if he told someone he needed to build a boat, he’d end up with a plane or something equally useless I’d bet.”

I could tell Noah was getting angry and this conversation wasn’t really going in a direction any of us liked. “Look Noah we all know what you went through back then. Heck I was flying around making sure that no one was missed. But it’s his call everyone at the table is his to command. If he needs us again he’ll tell us.” I watched as Death reached across the table and dragged the bowl of chips closer to him before stuffing a handful into his mouth and washing them down with dregs of his beer. A roll of flab hung down and swayed as he moved his arm. As I watched I tried hard not to think about my own expanding waistline which had grown considerably over the past thousand years. “He just might not need us any more, I guess. Or maybe he’s holding us in reserve for the end of days? And quit hogging the chips Death.’ I pushed out for the table and headed for the cooler to grab another beer.

“Of course he needs us look at War he must be over worked beyond believe.”

War gave his closely shaved head a shake “Not at all, I haven’t done anything down there since the middle ages. They’re doing it all by themselves.”

“There it is again being more independent not need Gods divine guidance.” Noah jumped right in taking War’s response as proof of his own opinion.

“I’m not sure the fact they can kill each without our help is proof of their dismissal of His will.” I handed the last of the beers to the table.

Death held his hand up in front of the beer “No thanks, I’ve gotta get going the wife made plans for later tonight.”

“How is Famine doing anyways?” I put his beer down in front of me for later.

“Still kinda skinny I guess but that’s how she’s always been,” Death collected his chips and cashed out for the chip box. He paused at the door and looked back to the table “You know who is still busy from the old days don’t you? Conquest and maybe if we hadn’t replaced him with Pestilence we all might still be busy.” With that said he walked out the door.

Everyone around the table was left staring at the door as it swung shut while nodding their heads. I was considering the possibilities and what might have been when Noah broke the silence. “What about this whole 2012 thing I’ve heard those old Mayan’s talking about, you think you guys will be involved in that?”

“That’s not his thing. From what I’ve heard He and some other higher powers more local to the area are still in negotiations about it. But if its end of the world time again I’m sure we’ll get some part in it. I just hate the idea that we might get outsourced to someone else.”

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Be sure to come back next friday for B is for Blank