What he Doesn't Know

    I sat on the bench, staring down at the green blades of grass, watching as each individual one moved seemingly of its own accord as the gentlest of breezes blew past me. My mind idled as an ant crawled up one stalk, quickly moving about and doing its job.
    Another insect, this one a tiny, tiny caterpillar sat lazily upon another blade of grass. This one seemed to be all but dead to the world and the goings on around it. I found myself wishing for a caterpillar kind of day, to be all but dead to the world. But it wasn’t so. There was a plan for me.
    The cool winds felt good on my skin; I could nearly feel each particle they carried. I inhaled deeply, feeling the air fill my lungs and returned my gaze to the busy ant.
    Oh, the comparison. All the ants worked together under a higher power for, and also against, things so much bigger than themselves. Every one of them had its job, not one of them being overlooked. When everyone did their part, everything went smoothly and the colony flourished.
    The same could be said with the angels. Every one of them had their job and none of them were overlooked. I was lucky enough and had worked high enough to earn my way towards the top. I was by no means a high power, but I wasn’t the angel I once was. Seraphs weren’t as strong as their archangel brothers and sisters, but it was all in due time. My siblings and I all made the world what it was. And yet…I felt as if something were missing from all of it. Something I’d overlooked or neglected to look into. It was as if I’d skimmed the page and missed the one phrase I was looking for. I knew it was there, I knew it, but I just couldn’t see it.
    I had a job to do, there was no questioning that. I had my orders and knew what was required of me. I was taking the slight amount of personal time I had to reflect on my decisions over the last hundred years. Well…that was where things began to become unclear, which was fairly new to me.
    My orders and things were always clear, making sure my garrison and I were clear on everything. But my decisions…weren’t mine. Over the last 2,000 years, since the last time I’d been on earth, none of what I thought to be my decisions weren’t even my own. I’d only followed orders, nothing more, nothing less.
    Then I heard my brother calling me. Gabriel could be impatient. I stood, stretching my wings. I flapped them once and then I was gone.


Castiel landed a few feet away from his brother. “I’m here.” He stated blatantly.
    “I see that.”  Gabriel could be impatient. “But you’re never late anyways, so there was no point in announcing your arrival.”
    “I’m sorry, Gabriel. I take punctuality quite seriously.” Castiel said. “Now what is it you want?”
    I appreciate that, I guess.” Gabe retorted. “Listen, buddy, I have one last lesson for you before I head out for a while. I know it’s been a while since you’ve been down to earth, but—”
    Cas cut him off. “1,832 years if we're being exact.”
    The Trickster, as he would soon be known as, put his arm around his brother’s shoulders. “Right, but I need you to go down there and do something for me this last lesson, so prepare yourself for it. Trust me, this lesson,” Gabe stopped and put both hands on his shoulder, “is the best thing for you Cassie.”
    Gabriel looked up at his taller sibling. Castiel fluttered his wings slightly in anticipation. He was slightly nervous. A mission from an archangel like Gabriel was not to been taken lightly. “It’s Castiel.” Cas said quietly. He couldn’t get used to the way Gabriel gave everyone a nickname.
    Gabe smiled. “All right.” The Trickster snapped his fingers. “You have your orders. Now get moving.” Castiel flapped his wings once and he was gone.


    Cas landed on the ground a second later. He was slightly disoriented by the decent. It had in fact been 1,832 years since he had been there. It took him less than a second to readjust to the different feel of earth.
    The feelings were so much different than Castiel remembered. Last time he’d been here there had been hatred, anger and sin all about but this…this was different. Sin seemed to permeate the air, clogging his insides as he breathed, seeping through his vessel’s skin. His vessel was wearing a trench coat, a knee length black one with messy blonde hair and a wiry frame.
    Castiel felt as if he was wading through a swamp, the creatures lurking just beneath the surface waiting to pull him under. But he knew he was strong enough to face them. He had a mission and he was going to fulfill his duty.
    The angel walked forward, examining his surroundings. He was standing near a high school gym. The gym was filled with students, each of them wearing ridiculously short shorts and headbands.
    Several of them were dribbling a basketball around, another few were bumping a volleyball back and forth and a few of them were even wrestling on a mat on the edge of the floor. The place was a prime example of a school. Then Cas remembered his orders. He had to kill them all.
    He walked back outside of the gym and to the sidewalk, turning and looking back at the school and also wondering why Gabriel hadn’t called Uriel to do this instead. He began to raise a hand, but something stopped him. What had these students done to deserve their deaths? Had the school as a whole violated some sort of heavenly commandment? He began to raise his hand once more, but again, he withheld. Why were they to die when no sin worthy of death had been committed? Castiel lowered his hand.
    But he had his orders. He knew Gabriel was watching, waiting for him to complete his task. Cas raised his hand for the final time and then the chaos began.

    Gabriel watched as Castiel stepped away from the gym and made his way to a spot on the sidewalk. Here it went. This was the moment he’d been waiting for. Cas raised his hand and Gabe felt his heart grow just a tad heavier.
    But then Castiel paused. His hand lowered back down by his side. There it was. That was what he’d been waiting for. He watched as his younger brother raised his hand and yet again faltered. He didn’t want to do it. Gabriel smiled as he watched. He could practically see the cogs and gears grinding in Cas’s head as he contemplated the course of his actions.
    Castiel raised his hand a third time and when he did, the task of destroying everything was soon completed. But Gabe already had the results he wanted to see. He wouldn’t tell Cas that it was a test, that the gym, the school, everything wasn’t real and that he'd fabricated them or that Castiel had been successful. The angel had hesitated before killing the innocents.
    Gabriel knew Castiel was different, it was clear. He smiled again. He knew that this young brother was what they needed. Give him some time and he will come to bring about the change they needed. What Castiel didn't know wouldn't kill him.
    Castiel was special and he would break the boundaries. Now all Gabe had to do was lie low and wait.