#to tell you to leave off whoring and gambling and attend to matters of state with more diligence but was that bad advice?? no.

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

Oh the SHADE Ficino is throwing at Luigi Pulci in this letter to Lorenzo de’ Medici.  

“The laws abhor infamous report and hate slanderers so much that they are particularly severe on those who speak foully, against even a foul man. ... But today I ask no such thing of the laws; for I do not wish the laws to be marshalled on my behalf against fleas, which will perish at the first onset of cold. 

So let that little imp [Pulci] bite your Christian priests with impunity, as he was long ago allowed to bite Christ. Let the mob judge at random a teaching which is scarcely known even to the very few. Let little men, who have no sense, pass sentence as they please on my life, which is known to God alone. For these and similar matters I, like Socrates and Zeno, care nothing - or at most, like Aristotle and Theophrastus, very little. [...]”

he does the same in another letter to Guiliano de’ Medici: 

“I am not surprised that that dog [Pulci] constantly snarls at me, for it is his custom to snarl at good men and men of learning, as it is his custom to snarl at the soul and at God. Indeed, he is so conditioned by his character and habit that he cannot help snarling. This does not matter to me, since he is the kind of man from whom slander is praise and praise is slander. 

Let him snarl in the company of the great and the humble, so long as it is publicly understood that his snarling gives no pleasure to the Medici.” 

poor Ficino wouldn’t get as he asked, since Lorenzo was especially fond of Pulci and they wrote ribald poetry together, often mocking Ficino’s philosophy and Academy. 

[themadlostgirl]

Not Dead Yet (Part 50)

*Insert lame joke about not updating since last year here*

Pairing: Reader x Peter Pan

Warnings: language

Felix kept a watchful eye on the now bound Isaac. The idiot had in fact tried to make a run for the bean grove but the others caught up and dispatched him. Now he sat a blubbering mess as the other boys beat him and called for his death. Felix might have been obliged to agree if it were not for his orders.

Y/N and her posse had been gone for a couple hours. He had started to consider how long their rescue mission would take and if it would even succeed. What if Pan returned but had no way to tell the others? Felix didn’t want to think of the implications of Pan’s wrath should Y/N be captured or killed let alone should the worst happen if Pan himself was axed. That was if this curse didn’t kill him first.

This curse business the fairy had mentioned was news to Felix. He knew that Y/N knew too but wasn’t saying either by promise or by threat. Either was likely with her. When and if she ever got back he was going to get some answers.

“Felix!” One of the boys came running, “A big portal opened out in the east ocean.”

“That so?” he stood up, “Watch Isaac and make sure the others don’t kill him until I get back.”

He quickly made his way to the east beach where the Jolly Roger was being beached. A plank came down from the side of the ship with a thunk that shook the ground. A whole slew of children came running off the ship dripping wet and gawking at the island. Devin and Ben followed behind them slapping Nick around.

“Why the ocean? You couldn’t have thought of camp or even just the beach?” Devin gave him another slap to the back of the head.

“She said to think Neverland and when I think of Neverland I think of the ocean. How was I supposed to know it would drop all of us there?” Nick pushed him so he fell off the plank and landed with a hard thud on the sand. “And stop hitting me!”

Well it seemed that the rescue party had returned or at least part of it. Felix started to panic for a moment when he didn’t see anyone else coming down the plank to the beach. Finally Hook reared his ugly head over the railing of the ship and rubbing at his temple. “If you two would be so kind as to vacate my ship it would be much obliged.” he shouted to someone.

“And I would love to if he would just put me down!” Felix let out a small breath of relief at the angry shouts that could only belong to Y/N rang from another part of the deck. “I can walk! Yes, I’m sure!”

Thud!

“Ass!”

“Sticks and stones, pet.” Pan strolled off the ship with Y/N stomping behind him.

“Pan,” Felix gave his friend a wave, “Glad to see you in one piece.”

“Told you I’d bring him back.” Y/N smiled triumphantly. “Would have been back sooner but it took forever to find the mine she was keeping him in and then having to navigate it to find the cell. It just took forever.”

“You were searching for the mine for three weeks?” Pan turned to her exasperated.

“Three weeks?” Y/N glanced back at Felix then looked back at Pan, “Peter, you’ve been gone for twelve hours tops.”

“Actually you’ve only been gone for about three hours here.” Felix told them and both their mouths dropped. “I’m going to guess that time works differently in the Black Fairy’s realm.”

“Apparently.” Pan seemed both relieved and aggravated to learn how much time had passed in both realms.

“No matter how it works,” Y/N interceded, “the important thing is that Peter is back and we won’t be having to worry about that fairy again...at least for awhile.”

“Yes, which now that we are home and no one’s lives are at risk I need to have a word with you.” Pan turned a death glare on Y/N.

“When don’t you?” Y/N groaned. “Can’t this wait until after the feast tonight? I am assuming that we would be having one considering the successful rescue mission and the many new mouths we need to feed.”

“Felix,” Pan turned to him, “Go keep track of those new kids. I don’t need a bunch of newly freed children stuffing their faces with poisonous berries.”

Felix nodded and turned around to go round up the kids when he bumped into one of them. It was a short kid with dreadlocks and stumpy fingers. He peered around Felix and smiled. “Just Pan!” the kid ran up to him, “Is this Neverland?”

“It is.” Pan regarded the kid more warmly than Felix expected of him, “I have some business to attend to but you can follow Felix. He’s my second in command and will take you all back to camp.”

“I thought I was second in command.” Y/N pouted.

“The day is still young.” Pan gripped her arm more tightly. “We’ll catch up to you later.”

The two disappeared in the blink of an eye leaving Felix alone with all the children. They looked to him with expectant and gaunt faces. He took in a deep breath. Why was it he kept having to play nanny?

~~~

“What? What could you possibly have to complain about?” I ripped my arm free the moment we reappeared at the Thinking Tree cavern. “I saved you! We got away without anyone we know dying. Why are you so pissed?”

“I just cannot believe you!” the torches along the walls flared the same as his nostrils, “I said I would find my own way back! Do you understand how easily you could have gotten you and those three idiots killed?”

“Well you looked happy when I got you out and as I stated before nothing of consequence happened except for a minor burning curse that you have already healed. So, what are you really mad about?” I sat down and waited for his answer. I know I irk him and a lot of the time when he goes on screaming tirades it is most of the time my fault and rightfully so but I couldn’t wait to hear his excuse this time. I did a good thing. He had been a prisoner for three weeks in her realm and me and my boys got him out in a matter of hours. If anything he should be thanking me.

“You disobeyed me once again. This wasn’t a horde of pirates or murderous mermaids for you to fight off. If you think what I can do is scary then her at full power would make you beg for something as pleasant as pain.” Usually I was able to shrug off Peter’s tantrums but he was so deadly serious this time it shocked me into silence, “So I want to know what were you thinking storming her realm like that. What was going through your head?”

“You.”

His resolve seemed to dissolve and he held out a hand for me. I took it and he pulled me up so we were bumping noses and the peace of each other's presence calming us down. As much as I riled him up I was more pleased when I could ease him down. “Thank you for saving me...and I’m glad you’re safe. It was dangerous and idiotic what you did but without you I would probably still be at that fairy’s mercy.”

“You’re welcome. Also dangerous and idiotic things is the bedrock of which our friendship was built on. If you thought for one moment I wasn’t going to go charging after you after all the times you’ve saved me then I guess you don’t really know me that well.”

“Silly me. I should have never underestimated my Lost Girl.” he closed the space between us giving me a long kiss. “As a free man I think I would like to celebrate.”

“Suggestions?”

“A few.” he kissed me again more hungrily.

“Wait just a moment,” I broke back, “I believe someone promised they would explain when they got home.”

He frowned deeply, “Can’t that wait until after?”

“Fine,” he grinned again as he moved to nuzzle my neck, “Although--”

“What now?” he dropped his dead weight onto me like the drama king he is.

“Tell me if this sounds familiar: ‘honeyed words for a common whore’?” I watched as his eyes grew to the size of coconuts. “So you do remember.”

“And so do you.” he took a tentative step back, “Surely you must have known I was just lying. Trying to bluff her out of trying to get me to go.”

“So you threw my reputation to the wolves in front of the entire camp? You ended up there anyways so you could have at least swallowed your pride and let her gamble my life. The honeyed words line was just adding insult to injury.”

“Are you actually mad about that or are you just looking for a reason to get into an argument with me?”

“Neither. I’m looking for a reason to get you to show me how sorry you are.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, “In the only way you can.”

“Flight around Neverland?” he smirked.

“Another time maybe.” I pressed my lips against his again and let myself be lost to the wonderful bliss that was his embrace. Nothing else ever came close to the contradictory nature of a kiss that raised me up and calmed me down at the same time.

Then it all came crashing down as soon as it started. Peter winced away from me like I burned a pained expression on his face. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“Three weeks using all my power to stave off hunger kinda took a toll.” he shuffled toward a seat. Without our lives under threat I could notice how ill he truly looked. There were dark circles under his eyes and his tanned skin was replaced with a sickeningly pale almost grey colour. “Sorry, don’t mean to disappoint, pet.”

“You’ll make it up to me when you feel better.” I dropped the ladder leading to the surface, “Come on, we should probably get some food in you.”

~~~

“Look who finally graced us with their presence.” Devin smirked as Peter and I returned to camp later. “What kept you two?”

“I don’t see how that’s your business.” Peter said but Devin kept on grinning.

“Peter please, it’s not like it is a secret anymore.” Peter gave me a quizzical look. “We were late because we were unfortunately not having sweaty, writhing, and copious amounts of sex. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“I didn’t need the details...or the not details?” Devin grimaced in disgust. “Weirdos.”

“You’re the one that asked.” I pulled on Peter’s arm but he dragged me back.

“Remember we have someone to punish?” Oh right, Isaac.

Tied up in the corner of the camp was Isaac looking rather pathetic and roughed up. Felix was standing nearby keeping an eye on the camp. He saw us coming and strode toward us. “The traitor, captured and alive as requested.”

“Good,” Peter scowled at Isaac, “Go relax Felix, you’ve done more than enough babysitting today.”

Felix stalked off and we were left alone with Isaac who was too busy sniveling to notice us at first. He was muttering something about mothers under his breath. A day ago the sight would have made my heart ache but now he was the boy that had nearly gotten Peter and I killed. My sympathy for him had diminished.

“I don’t think he knows we’re here,” I whispered to Peter, “We could probably run him through and he wouldn’t notice.”

“Well he’s gonna notice this,” Peter kicked him square in the chest and I heard something crack.

Isaac wheezed as he finally looked up at his assailant. Then he started blubbering even more if that was even possible. “For the sake of your last shred of dignity stop your whimpering, Isaac.” I snapped and he immediately shut up but his chest spasmed with his unheard sobs.

“Isaac, you pale, ignorant, traitorous, cowardly, vile rat. What should we do with you?”

“The punishment should fit the crime I think. Let’s just go over what you are guilty of,” I started ticking them off on my fingers, “Treason, attempted murder, aiding a known enemy, is there anything I’m missing?”

“We could surely think of more.” Peter nodded, “Treason alone is grounds for your head on a stake. But for all that you have done, death is too merciful. I mean you will die but the path will be painful. Have you anything to say in your defense? I would love to hear it.”

Isaac took many deep shaking breaths before he tried to speak, “I only wanted to avenge my brother.”

“And what does that mean to us? Who was this brother?”

“His name was Rufio.”

My heart nearly stopped. I could feel Peter’s arm squeeze me tighter. I had not heard that name in so long. Rufio. My friend. My brother. The faint echo of Hook’s pistol rang through my ears like a whisper from a nightmare.

I took a moment to realize that Peter had started speaking. “--how could you possibly be brothers?”

“We had the same mother.”

“The Black Fairy.”

“Yes. We met in her mines. Then one day she took him away, told him he had to go to a place called Neverland to find a boy named Peter Pan.”

“So, Rufio was a rat too.” Peter scoffed, “I should have known. There was no way that civil war would have been started by a loyal Lost Boy.”

“No.” I grabbed Isaac’s neck, “Rufio was not a traitor. He was my brother. You’re lying!”

Isaac twisted his head this way and that trying to find air.

“Y/N,” Peter laid his hand overtop mine, “Let him go, I still have some questions.”

Reluctantly I released his throat and he took in greedy deep breaths. I hope they burned. I had heard enough and stalked off into the jungle to cool down while Peter continued his little interrogation. There was no way Rufio was a rat. There just wasn’t. I did not cry over a traitor. I did not!

“AAAHH!” I punched a tree. My fist struck it with a sharp crack and blood seeped out of my knuckles. Stupid. I slumped to the ground cradling my now broken hand.

“Now what did that poor tree ever do to you?” Tigerlily sat down next to me, “Heard from some mermaids in the lagoon that you were successful in your rescue mission. Have to say I’m surprised. I expected to never see you again after you went through that portal.”

“Mhmm,” I tore some cloth from my shirt and tried to wrap my injured hand.

“Give that to me,” Tigerlily took the rag from my shaking fingers, “Her realm get to you? Is that why you’re shaking like a leaf?”

“No. It was a dreary and evil place but being around Peter kind of dampened its effect.” I said.

“Then why did I hear you scream bloody murder before assaulting a random tree?” she asked.

“Frustration I suppose.” I answered.

Tigerlily finished tying of the rag. It still hurt but at least it wasn’t open to the elements. “Tigerlily, when you worked for the Black Fairy, did you ever know a boy by the name of Rufio?”

“Rufio? Yes, I knew him. He was a very active child. Always tried to find the positive in such a dower place. He was the one shining ray of hope in that dark realm.”

“So it’s true then.” I spat, “Rufio was just one of her lackeys. He found his way to Neverland just to bring Peter back to her realm.”

“What are you talking about? Rufio, was here?”

“Isaac, the traitor, he told us that he knew Rufio. Back in the mines. He told us that the Black Fairy had taken him away to find a way here to Neverland.”

“She finally broke him.” Tigerlily sighed, “Poor kid. If you don’t mind my asking, what happened to him? Rufio that is.”

“He died. Hook shot him and his body fell through a portal. He died defending Felix and I.” I balled my hands even tighter, “There’s just no way that he could have been a traitor. It doesn’t make sense. If his mission was the same as Isaac’s then why didn’t he let us die? We are two of Peter’s strongest and most trusted recruits. Wouldn’t it make sense to get rid of us?”

“He was probably only used to scout out the island and the boys so that more could come later and carry out the Black Fairy’s plan to abduct Pan.” Tigerlily explained rather bluntly. She noticed my almost disgusted reaction and shrugged, “I spent a little too much time around her so I know these sorts of things.”

“Given all of what you just said it makes me question your loyalties.”

“I’d call you an idiot if you didn’t. Not to worry though, my dealings with the Black Fairy are long behind me.”

We stayed there in sustained silence while I mulled over my opinion of Tigerlily. All she’s done since coming here is help us. If she was truly in affiliation with the Black Fairy then she would have made a move when Peter left. Wouldn’t she? If it turns out she is a traitor Peter will just kill her later.

“I hope for your sake that you don’t end up betraying us.” I muttered, “It seems that every time I trust someone they end up disappointing me and dying. I don’t want you to be one of them.”

“That’s oddly caring of you.”

“I care a lot. Not for everything or everyone but those that I do are the most important people in my life.” I looked back over at her with the faintest smile, “Recently though, everyone I start to care about hurts me in someway.”

“You just put your trust in the wrong sort. They were meant to earn your trust and become your friend. That doesn’t make you dumb or sentimental it just makes you human.”

“I hate it.”

“Everyone does.” Tigerlily reached an arm across toward me but stopped when I caught the gesture. “Um…”

“Here’s to being human.” I grabbed her hand giving it a tight squeeze.

“To being human.” Tigerlily squeezed back and she smiled.

“Tigerlily, I usually spend my mornings walking along the beach. If you want you could join me. It gets rather lonely spending all that time before the boys wake up alone.”

“I’d like that. Having only myself for company has been rather craze inducing.” Tigerlily stood up and helped me to my feet. “And you’re sure Pan won’t mind?”

“Who cares if he minds. If he throws a tantrum because I’m spending time with you when he and all the others are asleep then he can answer to my fist colliding with his throat.” I shrugged, “If that doesn’t work I have other ways to cool him down.”

“Ew.”

“I didn’t even say anything!”

“I got enough of an idea from our first meeting.” Tigerlily patted my back.

“I think we’ll have a lot to talk about.” I waved to Tigerlily, “I’ll see you in the morning. Maybe not this coming morning because that rescue mission really wiped me out but soon. I promise.”

“I look forward to it.” Tigerlily waved back and left towards her own part of the jungle.

When I got back to camp I asked around looking for Peter but after he had finished interrogating Isaac he vanished. According to Felix, Isaac was still alive and tied to the tree. Peter was keeping him alive for some reason. I assume I’d learn what for when I saw him next.

The pain in my hand still made it throb and I settled into Peter’s tent to wait for him to come back. I wasn’t going to be able to fight nor sleep peacefully with my hand screwed up like this. About an hour passed by before Peter returned. Once he had entered the tent he froze upon seeing me. “Y/N?”

“Yes. Normally I would have just called you but I know you’re still building your strength back up and didn’t want you to waste your magic teleporting to wherever I was.” I explained.

“I see.” he slipped into his mocking grin with ease, “If you’re hoping I have enough energy now I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait, pet.”

“I wasn’t looking for you for that.” I rolled my eyes. “I was hoping that if you were feeling a little stronger you could help with this.” I held up my injured hand.

“Oh, of course.” he sat down next to me and took my hand in his healing it quickly. “Better?”

“Much. Thanks.” I leaned across to give him a peck but he leaned away. “What?”

“Nothing.” he ran a hand through my hair, “I don’t know where my head’s at.”

“You were the Black Fairy’s prisoner for three weeks I think I know where your head must be.” I motioned for him to relax. He laid back so his head was resting in my lap and I threaded my fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes leaning his head into the touch.

It looks like he cares about you more than just as a friend or lover…

When I remembered what Tigerlily said it didn’t make me panic. It made me smile.

“Peter?”

“Hmm?” he hummed without opening his eyes.

“I’ve been thinking about what I said before. About the familiarity between us?”

“That so?”

“It was stupid. So what if we’re familiar with one another? After everything we’ve been through together I think we earned it to not worry about how it may be perceived.”

“You only getting that now?” he smirked and I gave his hair a small tug making him grunt.

“That being said I was wondering if you...do you…” the questioned sat there waiting on my lips but I couldn’t get it out. Too much has happened to be discussing this now.

“Pet?” Peter had opened his eyes and was now staring at me, “Were you going to finish that statement or let it hang in the air for the night?”

Now was not the time.

“I just wanted to know if you wanted me to stay with you tonight. I figured that after spending three weeks in that realm with your horrible mother you may deserve a bit of coddling.” I teased.

“How could I say no to such a generous offer. My Lost Girl wants to take care of me.”

“Please. I’ve been taking care of you for years now. Who knows what may have happened to you without me there.”

“I may have had an easier and less infuriating life?”

“Is that how it is? Well then, I guess you don’t need me here to--ah!” he pulled me down so I was laying next to him.

“You’re not getting away that easily.” he kissed me softly, “Let’s get some rest.”

“Sounds wonderful.” I nestled myself closer until I could hear the steady beats of his heart lull me to sleep.

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[thesleekavatar-blog]

The Word of God

By Enii Emmanuel N. There were wails of anguish on all sides. The sky overheard, dark and devoid of its usual beauty swirled and twirled. Lightning carelessly flashed as if portending doom, and the roar of thunder caused hearts to shake with fear. Below, a multitude of people of diverse cultures and backgrounds; of different race and creed had gathered. Many great thrones formed a circle around them, and shiny beings of gold and emerald sat on them. Every now and then, someone was called up to face one of the shiny beings, and a verdict was passed. It was the day of reckoning. A man was soon called up before one of the great thrones. It didn’t take too long to reach a verdict. The man was judged guilty by one of the angels the Creator had assigned with expediting the judgment process, subsequently manacled and dragged off in the direction of hell- that blazing furnace in which the souls of the damned are consumed and destroyed. The manacled man begged in vain for the angels to spare him his assigned fate, but they wouldn’t listen for they had been given their orders. ‘The creator knows me' the man protested. ‘God knows me I swear. I prayed in his name. I did what he asked of me. How can you condemn me? Do you not know who I am?’ The angels said nothing to him, and kept dragging him along the spike strewn road that led to the burning pit where the souls of the wicked and unrepentant were destroyed. This was the “second death” from which there is no resurrection. It happened however, that in the course of dragging the condemned fellow away, God cast her eyes on the three: the unfortunate fellow and the two angels charged with executing him. And she hollered at them to stop. ‘I know that man' she said to the angels. ‘Bring him forth!’ The angels did as commanded, and dragged the man towards God’s great throne. They let go of him here, and shrugging off their hands, the man said to his to-be executioners, ‘ see what I told you. God knows me.’ He looked up at the great throne, and to his surprise God wasn’t the stern bearded man he had imagined him as, but a soft looking woman whose face was partially hidden with a veil. ‘Who are you?’ the man asked. God seemed to smile for a crow foot appeared in her eyes now. ‘Are you surprised?’ she asked him. ‘What do you see?’ ‘You’re a woman' the man said in disbelief. ‘So it seems' God replied. ‘Actually, most souls here see me in the form they least expect me to be. Only those with a clean heart can perceive my true form. And even then- anyhow, if you see me as a woman, then its because you least expected me to be a woman.’ The man shook his head, and tried to come to terms with this. ‘Father' he started out at first, only to correct himself immediately and go with, ‘mother, I have been wrongly condemned to destruction. I did what you instructed us in your holy book. I did everything to the latter. I was one of the most popular preachers in my time. You know this, don’t you?’ ‘I know very well who you are' the creator replied with a smile. ‘So you feel that you have been misjudged. Don’t you?’ The man nodded. ‘I have' he said. ‘And I think that you should stop your angels from doing the judging. They keep condemning the wrong people, and sending the right people to the New World.’ ‘My sincerest apologies good sir,' said the creator, ‘but if my angels pronounced you guilty. Then that is because you are. You are welcome to try and prove me wrong.’ The man was incensed and terrified at the same time to hear such words leave the creator’s mouth. ‘Why do you say so mother?’ ‘Tell me now,’ the creator replied, ‘when the hungry gathered outside your church premises, where were you? When that fellow who had nothing to his name but two thousand bucks to his name came to your church, what’d you say to him? Shall I remind you? You told him this: just as the widow gave those two copper coins in sincerity, give all you have to God, and you shall reap in abundance. Three months after he did as you advised, he committed suicide.’ ‘That was no fault of mine’ the man replied. ‘I simply stated what you said in your good book.’ The creator slammed her hand against the arm of her throne and there was a huge tremor that seemed to come from deep in the ground. The sky once dark brown, red interspersed, became black. It thundered, and for a minute, the noise that once overwhelmed the whole place was subdued by intense silence. The man quaked in fear. ‘You stole from everyone you could steal from' the creator said. ‘You didn’t point a gun at their heads, but through manipulation, you tricked them into divesting all they had. And what did you do with the money? Did you feed the hungry as I instructed you to do in the “good book”? Did you clothe the naked? Did you house the homeless as I instructed? No. Rather you bought jets, and built mansions, and larger churches to attract larger purses. And you say you were doing what I instructed you to do?’ The man trembled. ‘Do you know the original principles of religion?’ God asked. The man said nothing. ‘The salvation of the soul,’ she said, ‘and harmonious coexistence with others. And then Kings put their minds into religion and it all changed. It slowly became what it is in your time: an elaborate gimmick designed to divest funds from the unwitting and ignorant; a machine for sowing discord and encouraging suspicion. Now tell me again what you did in my name that was right. Tell me for I am listening.’ The man swallowed hard. The tumult had by now risen once more and the voices of many damned souls could be heard clamoring for mercy. And the sky had taken on a blood red hue that made the scene down below very apocalyptic. The man said very slowly, ‘I spread the good news. I spoke good things about you! I preached so that all men and women might hear and believe.’ God laughed. ‘I was quite clear when I said that if you could not feed the hungry, clothe the naked, offer assistance to those in desperation, and fought against evil and corruption tooth and nail, then you did not deserve the new life I promised. How different would it be after all from the first one? I saw all you did. I saw the churches you built- quite grand they were. I wish I could have lived in them. I saw the crowd that attended your services, as you preached about money, and breakthrough and cast aside the messages that mattered: of love, peace and tolerance. I saw the universities you built for your rich friends thanks to the money from your congregation- a great majority of who could not attend it. I saw the jets you bought for yourself, and the guards that you hired to protect yourself while convincing your ignorant congregation that stickers purchased from you were sanctified by the holy spirit and would protect them in the event if danger. And now, you think you deserve a second life. Why do you think so?’ Before the man could reply, an Angel came up to the Creator and whispered something in her ears. The creator nodded, and made a sign for someone to be brought forth. It was a girl, and a quite haggard one. She had blonde hair, sad brown eyes, and her skin was somewhat tanned. ‘A special case huh?’ the Creator remarked. She turned to the man with whom she had been speaking and raising her finger, she said, ‘give me a minute will you?’ She returned her attention to the girl. ‘They say you were a slut and an atheist' she began. ‘And that you didn’t believe in God. And that you drank and gambled quite excessively. My angels are afraid to take the case.’ ‘She's headed to destruction no doubt' the man chuckled. ‘Sentence me and be done with it' the girl said. ‘I have very few regrets.’ ‘Why did you think that I did not exist?’ God asked. ‘Two world wars were fought amongst other countless wars,’ the lady replied, ‘hungry people littered the streets, poverty and corruption ravaged the earth. Where were you then? What use was belief in a God who sat by and watched all this happen? So yes, I was an atheist, and that is it.’ God nodded. ‘I am sorry for all the suffering,’ she said, ‘but it was hardly my fault.’ The woman raised her eyes to meet his. ‘When I made the world,’ the creator continued, ‘I blessed you all with resources and all the good things. And I laid down rules by which you may live. But because I gave you all the will to choose, I could not force you to live the way I wanted. A few things are my faults. Volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, storms, flood, earthquakes- you name them. These are things you can blame me for. Hunger, wars, corruption? That’s not my doing. Humans make wars- out of ambition, out of greed. I cannot interfere in the way you all live no matter how pitiful it is to see. However, there are always repercussions for every action taken, for every word uttered- that is after all, the reason behind life. It is simply a test for a better place. Those who fail the test of life are destroyed; and those who pass cross over to the next one, for they have proven themselves.’ ‘What is to be my fate?’ the woman asked. ‘Destruction?’ God smiled. ‘You were a strange one' she said. ‘You had a problem with men. You abused your body. However, these are the afflictions of humans. Weakness and imperfection. It is a flaw in design. You did a lot of good however. That boy whom you have a home after his mother left him to die in the streets as a boy; the charities you donated to on behalf of the homeless and destitute. You were firm against corruption, and you did good out of your heart. Small these gestures might have been, they made a lot of impact. And that is why you will be taken to Paradise; to live out the rest of your life being good as you were in your former life, and better.’ The woman’s eyes lit up, and thanking God several times, she was led away. As soon as she disappeared from sight, the man erupted. ‘This is partiality’ he raged. ‘How can you let that whore- that vile wench to go to paradise. And I? You would damn me? This is not who you said you were! You made it explicit what good and bad was! How can you do this?’ The Creator smiled. ‘Good and bad has nothing to do with what you think' she said. ‘When you kill; when you cheat; when you destroy and watch evil being carried out! That is evil! Good is doing the right thing despite the difficulty of it. It is being honest! It is kindness and compassion! It is assisting the weak! It is harmonious coexistence!’ ‘And she didn’t believe in you’ the man argued. ‘How about that?’ The Creator shook her head. ‘Knowing God does not mean acknowledging my existence' she said. ‘I do not need the acknowledgement of mortals. It means living the right way. It is seeing the good in everything, and besieging in it. It is being good.’ ‘Your book was divinely inspired' the man further argued. ‘It didn’t make mention of this! How can you tell me that now?’ ‘What book?’ the Creator returned. ‘The Bible? The Sutras? The Baha’I Creed? I inspired humans over the ages; I opened their eyes to the truths I thought necessary for humankind to know. They were but a few. I wanted a harmonious existence for humans. The imperfections of humans are spectacular though. They are most often carried away. Despite my desire to teach the humans only the truth, establish a way of life that wasn’t centered around rituals and excessive laws, that is essentially what happened. Religions were born. And along with it, the farce that plagued the world. Recall that in the Holy Bible I told Moses to strike the rock one. He did it twice. Eli was my servant but he could not chastise his sons. Solomon built a temple for me, and rules his Kingdom with an iron fist. I gave Adam a simple test. And he proved to me that even in their most perfect state, humans are incapable of being perfect. Many whom I let in on my thoughts had a penchant of adding their own beliefs somewhere in between. It was not really their fault. They believed it was part of what was inspired. Thus, the birth of religions and holy books. However, in all of them can be seen the fundamental truths I hoped to instill in humankind. Those with whom the fault lie are those who treat these works as if they fell down from they sky. God is not found in temples and books. I am everywhere and anywhere. Every human knows what is right and what is wrong. Question is: can they do the right thing? If they can, then they have found God and salvation whether they acknowledge my existence or not.’ The Man kicked in anger. ‘This is bullshit. You’re a liar and you know it.’ The Creator snapped her fingers. ‘Take this one away. And put him where he deserves.’ The angels seized him. And obeyed the Word of God. #story #satire #religion