An Unholy Redemption Chapter 22.1 continued

“Earlier on today at the meeting with the brotherhood, I discovered some truths about myself, truths I had hidden away and forgotten.”

“What truths?”

“My name is not really Luther.”

“I know, you were going to find your true name, did you?”

“Yes, well one of them anyway,” a confused look appeared on Mary’s face, “I suppose the name you might commonly know me as is ...” He paused looking at Marys’ fragile face wondering whether she could handle what he was about to say.

“Well?”

“It is Lucifer or Satan, take your pick” Mary sat back, confused and afraid. Lucifer sighed.

“You see, that is the reaction I was hoping to avoid. So what do you think of the monstrosity in front of you now?”

“I am a little stunned, especially now I have been told that I’m in presence of the devil.”

“Are you not afraid?”

“No not at all, I’m just confused.”

“Why?”

“If you are Lucifer, then how can I explain what I feel for you?”

“I expect I am the darkness and you are the light. They do say opposites attract.”

“Hold on, let us rewind a bit. Did you not say this was one of your names?”

“Yes I am also known by others. I was told that I got the name Lucifer from man because they needed to give a name to all the evil that exists in the world.”

“So what are these other names you have?”

“My first name was Altithronus, that is what the scripture helped me to remember.”

“One seated in heaven on a throne, so now I should not be afraid but be honoured to be in your presence,” Mary said. Lucifer looked at Mary, surprised. “Oh, I studied Latin and philosophy at university.”

“Now it is me who should feel honoured to be in your innocence and presence. You are such a beautiful work of God, untouched by the evils of man.”

“Please I deserve no praise. I have just followed my heart all my life and remained true to myself no matter what.”

“I am so happy you had the privilege of knowing yourself. It seems my whole existence as all been about getting to know myself again.” Mary calmly sat and listened to Lucifer while he told her his whole story, about his confusion and feeling he had been betrayed only to discover that had not been the case, and the more he explained the more she felt for him,. She felt his pain when he told her about his people in the East being massacred and having to be buried for forty days.

“It must have been awful to have been a man so full of love only to lose it, a love hidden away inside you away from yourself and the world because of your revenge, hate and contempt of mankind. It must be even worse now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well you have only just discovered your true identity. Now in a matter of hours we are all going to be wiped of the face of the earth. Are you not angry?”

“Yes I am angry, but in turn I’m happy that I did get to know myself before the end. That’s what is making my decision so hard.”

“What decision?”

“That I can’t tell you, but when it’s all over, you’ll know if I made the right one. But what I can tell you is that I have been given a new name. It was whispered in my ear just after receiving my instructions from the angel that possessed John tonight.”

“Really! What is it?” 

“It is −” Lucifer suddenly screamed in pain.

“Luther, what’s wrong?”

“The sun is beginning to rise. Where’s my coat? I need it and I need to get outside. Quick Mary, get my coat.” Lucifer groaned again. Mary bolted out the door and descended the staircase two steps at the time. As she reached the bottom she noticed a red glow shining from the black coat hanging on the bottom of the staircase. It was lighting up the whole hallway with its red light.

“Mary!” Lucifer shouted. The others ran into the hallway panicking to see what all the noise was about.

“Mary,” David called to her as she went to grab the coat. “What are you doing, it could be dangerous, don’t touch it.” A lion-like roar came from upstairs, startling everybody.

“Lucifer needs it,” she shouted. Without a second thought she took it in her hands, and held it close to her chest as she rushed upstairs. As she reached the top, her whole body lit up with a beautiful sapphire blue. The rest of them followed her upstairs to Lucifer’s room. The roars and cries were getting louder as they approached. Mary pushed the door open and saw Lucifer rolling side to side on his bed, his eyes shining like rubies in the dark.

“My coat do you have it?” he managed to ask between cries.

“My love, here it is.”

“I need to put it on, can you help me?”

“David, will you and John help me please?”

Ruth stood watching, astonished, as her husband and brother helped Mary. David and John took hold of an arm each and pulled Lucifer to his feet. Behind Lucifer, Mary struggled to put the coat over his arms. Eventually the coat was fully on and Lucifer pulled the red glowing collar around his neck.

“Thank you, I must go outside now and witness sunrise for the final time.” Slowly David and John helped Lucifer down the stairs, Mary followed behind issuing orders to both men to be careful. Lucifer cried out again. “Hurry, I must be outside.” They made their way through the corridor into the kitchen where Mary opened the kitchen door to let them outside. The sun was just breaking over the horizon as they got into the garden. Lucifer lifted his head to look at its golden glow. The heat started to warm his forehead as he breathed in the early morning scent.

“Please leave me now, I have to be alone, leave me on the grass over there.”

“No! I won’t leave you, you need my help and you are in pain,” Mary cried.

“Go! Do as I say, I will call you if I need you, but now please just leave me. This will be my one and only holy moment.”

“I understand. Come on Mary.” John gently took her arm John and David led Mary back into the house. Mary glanced back at Lucifer. He was looking at her with his red eyes shining. As they held their look Mary noticed a red tear roll from his eye down his cheek and onto the ground below.

“Can we not help him?” Mary said, still trying to persuade her brother to let her go.

“No Mary, you heard him, he wants to be alone.”

They all watched him from the kitchen window. One moment he was rolling on the floor the next he was kneeling praying to the sun as it made its way into the morning sky.

“What is that?” Ruth cried out. They all looked to where she pointed. There was something moving underneath Lucifer’s coat at the back. Lying on his stomach, the coat at the back was getting bigger. Then all of a sudden Lucifer let out a mighty roar as two wings pierced through his flesh and tore their way through the coat, all the time growing in size. Before their very eyes, the wings grew bigger and started to glow a golden yellow, reflecting in the morning sun as they gently moved side to side.

“It may be the end of the world soon, but I can safely say I’m going to die a happy man after seeing such a beautiful sight,” John said, his eyes wide at the view before him. Now on his feet, Lucifer’s cries and roars ceased. He stood in a humble state of reverence, head bowed to greet the morning sun. His red glow was shining brighter than ever. He turned to face the people watching him. All of them, except Mary, did not know where to look. Humility made them feel unworthy of such a sight.

“Mary, what are you doing?” David nervously asked her as she went to open the kitchen door.

“It’s all right, look.”

Lucifer was beckoning them to come outside. Cautiously, they followed Mary outside to where Lucifer was standing.

“Behold you now, see me as Lucifer as I stand before you. I stand as a witness at the end of time. Today man’s eyes will truly be open to how great God is. I want to thank you all for your assistance, especially you Mary, for without your love I would not have found myself again. Can I have a moment with Mary alone please?”

“Of course, come on David and Ruth. Let’s give them a moment.”

After they had all gone inside, Lucifer looked at Mary, his eyes now ablaze with fire.

“Mary, I soon have to depart from here to face my fate as do you and the rest of the world. But before I go I want to give you something.”

He took hold of Mary and bent forward to her face. She closed her eyes and waited for a kiss. Instead he went to her ear and whispered, “I want you to know my new name.”

“What’s Luther doing?” Ruth called out to David and John as she watched from the kitchen window.

“Ruth, we were supposed to be giving them privacy,” David said as they joined her in the kitchen.

As they looked out of the window, Mary’s body became a beautiful purple colour, lighting up the kitchen where they were all standing.

“So Mary, you now know my new name. Guard it well for it may be called upon again.” He kissed her on her cheek. “Sorry Mary, I now really have to be on my way. The time is very close. I will call you again when it is time for me to say goodbye.” He let go of her arms and she retreated sobbing uncontrollably back to the house.

“What did he say to you?” Ruth asked her sister.

“He told me a secret, a secret that has to be kept safe until it is time for man to hear it.”