That familiar shock of electricity jolted through Gabriel throwing him back into present time. He still had a hold of Tony and just as fast as he was back his disgust in the men who killed his grandfather sent enraged energy to Gabriel's arm. With all of his might he threw a heavy punch into the jaw of Tony knocking him and Tony to the ground.
Gabriel got on top of Tony and continued to throw a barrage of undirected rage filled punches. Tony turtled up on the floor trying to shake the cobwebs out. Steven came in from behind Gabriel with a knife in his hand. Gabriel could feel slight pressure as Steven thrust the knife into his back. After the third stab wound the knife stuck to Gabriel's back lodged and into his ribcage.
None of Steven's deadly attack's threatened Gabriel though blood was now running from the flesh wounds and he had a knife stuck inside him. Tony was now knocked out on the ground. Somewhere in Gabriel's uncoordinated barrage of punches one landed clean to Tony's jaw leaving him limp on the floor.
Steven struggled to remove the knife from Gabriel's back and then retreated back a few steps and let out a barrage of kicks to the flesh wounds. Gabriel turned and caught one of Steven's kicks and pulled him to the ground. The men struggled on the ground in a pool of Gabriel's blood. Steven could not get a good grip on Gabriel due to the bloody mess on the two men.
In the struggle for positioning Gabriel ended up on top of Steven and was again throwing wild punches. Gabriel's hands were bloody and one had shattered with the side of Steven's head causing the knuckle crack and pop out. Gabriel's hand was now broken, most men would have been dead at this point in fight like this. But Gabriel's curse was now a blessing as Steven tried to cower from the blows.
“Stop, stop I give we will let you go!” Steven shouted. How the tables had turned and revealed a weak and terrified murderer. Gabriel wrapped his hand around Steven's neck and started to choke him. Veins bulged from Steven's eyes as he looked up at Gabriel in terror and disbelief. How easy it was for Steven to take a life, and now when he was faced with his own demise he was more terrified than any of his victims.
“Let go Gabriel, get away from here before Apollyon comes and cages you in damnation!” David shouted from the basement. Gabriel let go of the coward and the deadly struggle stopped. Steven held his hands up in surrender. “What the fuck are you!” Steven said. “I am death and if we cross paths again you will meet your death. Leave Axal and never come back, and if you kill one more innocent person like your cousin, or a college girl I will find you and show you what terror looks like!” Gabriel shouted.
Now Tony was conscious laying on the floor looking at the two battle hardened men. Gabriel reached back and jostled the knife around until it came free. He threw the bloody knife down next to Steven. “This is the last time your blade meets any mans flesh, now get the fuck out of here!” Gabriel shouted at Steven. Steven, and Tony could not believe what they just witnessed. Gabriel stood up and both Steven and Tony scrambled to their feet. Tony was still on wobbly legs and almost fell down but kept himself up with one of the benches and then they ran out the door.
“Exorcizamus te, omnis immunde spiritus, omni satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica, in nomini et virtute Domini nostri Jesu Christi, eradicare et effugare a Dei Ecclesia, ab animabus ad imaginem Dei conditis ac pretioso divini Agni sanguini redemptis!” Jesse shouted into the church at Gabriel.
The words were latin meaning: we cast you out, every unclean spirit, every satanic power, every onslaught of the infernal adversary, every legion, every diabolical group and sect, in the name and by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. We command you, begone and fly far from the Church of God, from the souls made by God in His image and redeemed by the precious blood of the divine Lamb.
The rays of heat now shot out from the corridor where Jesse was standing. Jesse repeated the saying and bright flames and rays cast into Gabriel sending him sliding down the isle. For once Gabriel could feel something and it was a heat like never before. He struggle to his feet and ran for the double doors. “Be gone from my church DEMON!” Jesse shouted as Gabriel ran out into the sunlight.
Gabriel slammed the double doors shut and on the ground before him like a welcoming mat was a large dusty old bible most likely from the basement. Gabriel reached down and grabbed it and headed for his broken down truck. Just as he was about to leave the church property the bells rang a beautiful chime. Gabriel looked back at the bell tower and in all his cryptic horror his grandfather David was standing in the tower ringing the bell.
Once back to his truck Gabriel set down his bible and reached his hand back to feel his wounds. They were now gone and even Gabriel's clothes had patched themselves leaving no trace of what happened in the church. He reached his hand up and tried to start the truck, with one quick crank his truck started like nothing had happened.
Gabriel had enough of the town of Axal for a lifetime and the horrors of what happened at his country home sounded like a vacation to a social recluse. He flipped his truck around and paid no attention to the townsfolk walking and driving around him. He was easily doing 15 to 20 miles over the speed limit just trying to escape the clutches of Axal once again.
The dirt driveway leading to his home that had seen so much pain and suffering was nothing more than a welcoming sight. Gabriel pulled into his spot and grabbed the kids ball that he took and threw it off into the woods. Then he grabbed his bible and headed up to his room. Everything in his home seemed as depressing as ever and Gabriel knew he had a grim eternity. He closed and locked his bedroom door to barricade himself from demons or holy saviors. Neither one had the answers he was still searching for.
Staring at the old bible for hours, part of him tried to convince himself to burn it while the other part knew he needed the answers it might hold. His mind raced, why did his family keep him in the dark about religion and his grandfather. Maybe his parents thought he would never need religion, heck even Gabriel never thought he would need it.
But now it was the only way to figure out what he was still doing living immortally in the world of mortals. If only he could speak to his parents, but just like all things that once had meaning in his life they too were dead. It was like his whole life everything protected him from the word of god or the ways of satin.
Why was Jesse who was farther from the word of god able to banish Gabriel from the church with a simple saying. Maybe it simply was the fact that any man could use god's words for his own agenda and power regardless if the act was in the name of Apollyon or god. Maybe they were linked in some hidden way that left the world struggling to understand their place in life and death.
Finally Gabriel reached over and grabbed the old bible. One the first page his grandfather had signed it and just below had the saying “One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. Job 1:6”
What does that mean Gabriel thought. Why are all the verses double edged and confusing and how could you possibly find literal answers in such a collage of books and verses. It would take a lifetime to understand it and even then what if it was a false understanding?
The next few days Gabriel spent in his grandfathers scripture. Gabriel never had to leave the room to eat or do the deeds of the living. The only thing that separated him from scripture was sleep and even that came in random bursts that lasted only a few hours. He read the entire bible front to back and though he had some knowledge he still lacked all the answers and was closer to where he started than where he ended.
Were the books all talking about the same god, were they written by god or man. How could he really know what would be of use and what was just words of man. The bible was so vague on everything of importance to the living in modern day society. Where was the new version of the bible he wondered.
Why was the word of god from centuries ago, a long with the savior. Did his word just stop there, and now all of mankind was forced by soci
ety to live an unfaithful life. Or did they just live by the laws of man and then beg forgiveness to god on their judgment day saying “Well the world made me live this way I had no choice!”
Should Gabriel go burn a goat and plunge into clear creek with Jesse to be baptized? It was all madness, god, satan, and mankind. To Gabriel they all were royally fucked up. Was the answer to just live this trail of faith and hope for the best. Should he beg forgiveness for the sins he unknowingly committed? Was it time to pray or give into temptation and say fuck it all.
He fell into his pillow exhausted in either useful or useless information depending on his level of faith in the man who god intrusted to write the information. Within minutes Gabriel was in a deep slumber briefly free of immortal thought.
Awaking in the night once again the figure of youthful beauty filled his vision. That familiar polka dot dress and brown hair tied stood before Gabriel's bed. “I told you to leave my home!” Gabriel barked at her. “Please Gabriel I never had the chance to introduce myself the last time we met” The woman said. “I don't want you here in my home, go away” Gabriel said. “May I sit down?” The woman asked as her eyes burned into Gabriel with lust.