Lilies in Ash

The bikes tore down the deserted highway; passed decaying buildings and rusting cars; passed open fields of dead crop and ancient looking machines overgrown with weeds as the Earth reclaimed what was once hers. The sky overhead was dark with thick gray clouds that threatened rain but refused to open up and quench the thirst of the world below. Off the lake, cold winds whipped in every direction and the trees shook violently, their limbs bending and swaying haphazardly.

Phoebe sat on the back of one of the motorcycles; helplessly watching as the world flew passed her. She turned her head in one direction, then the next, hoping to escape the early October winds. The wind whipped in from all directions and stung the exposed skin of her neck, hands and knees. She tucked her hands into the sleeves of her too-big black hoodie and that helped a bit. She didn’t have any way to protect her neck or knees though and she found herself wishing her jeans weren’t torn. She leaned forward to try to find some blockage for her neck but was met with an angry snarl from Charlie. Leaning back again, Phoebe decided it was best not to tough out the cold and not push Charlie’s limits. He did, after all, hold her life in his hands.

As she stared straight ahead at the approaching horizon, Phoebe was overcoming by a foreboding vision of what was to come. The ground quaked and cracked, splitting open widely and exposing the black underbelly of the Earth. Rising from the chasm was a great being of divine beauty and ultimate power. Dark wings stretched out around him after eons of being trapped beneath the Earth’s crust. Smoke circled him as rose, stretching his hands to the Heaven’s. From above, the clouds parted and heavenly fire rained down upon him, the white flames licked his skin but did nothing to stop his rising. The Heaven’s parted in a glory of lighting and flames while the earth shook at the very sight of it. The fallen angel just smiled mockingly at the sky above him as the world crumbled to ash.

The final apocalypse was soon to begin.

Lucifer had arisen.

And Phoebe was to be his bride.