his mother and Odin. Suddenly lightning lit up the sky. Then the thunder came. Bolts of lightning hit all around Johann and the thunder shattered his eardrums causing him to fall on the ground. Johann screamed. “Your aim is off Odin and Thor you can beat me to the ground and make me an easier target for his bolts! Just go ahead and kill me! I don’t care! It will be a better existence than what I have now. Let Hel finally take me, I deserve to be her slave.” More lightning shot down upon him but none could touch him. Freya appeared suddenly. “Stop! Odin and Thor stop now! He is mine and perhaps one of yours.” She smiled into the sky and it became clear. The stars shone bright. She turned to her son. “Are you just going to lay here and feel sorry for yourself? You have never been one to give up so easily. Look at what you have been through since the beginning of time.” Johann could see his life unfold in front of him. All of the times he had been with Rissy, Alma, and Risanne, the good times and the bad all flashed at once. “Now my son, are you going to let a little thing like this destroy you?” Johann looked at Freya for a moment and then hung his head. “This time is more difficult than all of the rest. I want Rissy’s and my destiny to come true. This is our last and final chance and I don’t want to ruin this like I have so many times in my life.” Freya cupped his face in her hands and smiled again. “Then don’t let it my son. Is her life over? She was alive a little while ago, but it’s up to you. This is your life.” Johann slowly stood before his mother. “I am tired and need to sleep, Freya.” “Then go and rest my love.” She kissed his lips softly and held him in her arms. “Be strong my son. Sometimes I wish I had never given you a human heart, but then most of the time I am amazed at the love that comes from inside it. Go my son and find your destiny.” As quickly as she had appeared, she disappeared. Johann looked around once more and this time he was able to smile when he looked into the sky. Two shooting stars went by so close to one another it looked as though they were touching.
He spread his wings and flew back to town. Landing in an alley he saw something but was not sure what at first and then he heard a pained “no” and then heard a female crying. He turned the corner and saw a young woman with her clothes ripped off and a man trying to grind himself into her. Anger swelled within Johann and before he knew it he had the man pinned against the wall. He threw his shirt to the young lady and she hurried away slipping and sliding with her bare feet. Once she was out of sight Johann turned his attention to the poor pitiful creature against the wall that had soiled himself but Johann showed this thing no mercy. Body and soul Johann flew to the poor human to the goddess Hel and left him as her present. The screams were horrifying but Johann did not care. He was tired of women being hurt and was trying to make up for his mistake years ago.
He flew straight home where Randolf, Svelta, and Charlotte were waiting for him; they had been worried since he had been gone for so long. They knew something was different. His mood though still sullen was still a little angry, so they let him pass without their normal barrage of questions. He never said a word but went upstairs to his room and closed the door. Charlotte made a move to follow him but Randolf grabbed her arm and very sternly said. “You’re staying right here Missy. Leave him be and I’m not asking but telling you.” Never having heard her father speak that way to her, tears began to stream down her face. Randolf turned to Svelta. “And you leave him be as well, Svelta. He doesn’t want you there now or he would have taken you. Now get in the kitchen and cook or something.” “Well you’re certainly not going up there either.” Svelta spat. “No I’m going to set some Absinthe outside his door and come back down here.” Randolf replied coarsely. The three of them sat in the kitchen all night wondering what to do. Randolf paced, Svelta baked and Charlotte cried wondering what to do.
Rissy’s sleep was fitful. She continued to have strange dreams about angels, vampires and witches. They were all intermingled and nothing made sense. She became so excited that she urinated all over herself and the bed. She was finally able to wake enough to get out the bed and strip off her nightgown but fell to her knees and cried. Her thoughts were racing and her heart felt dead. Never before had she felt that a part of her had truly died. She cried out. “God please help me! I don’t know what to do anymore. Please show me what I am to do.” Tears streamed down her face, she smelt of urine and began vomiting. Within a few minutes she passed out. As she lay there, she heard a voice. “Rissy to find happiness you must follow your heart and listen to it and find the truth just as you found the truth in me years ago. If you can find the faith you had centuries ago, then perhaps you will see more clearly.”
Johann was in his room and decided that it was time to shower. He heard Randolf outside of the room setting something down by the door and leave quietly. He almost smiled knowing that Randolf only brought him the best. Johann turned the water on hot and he felt the hot water burning him but could not seem to turn it off. He stayed until the water ran cold. He stepped out and went to the door without drying off and grabbed the Absinthe. As he opened the bottle he walked to the balcony and went out, sat down and began drinking. He did not care who saw him and if someone decided to disturb him, he would just give them a solemn glance that could kill if he wished. He drank the whole bottle and then passed out. He was still there when the sun rose.
Starting Over
When she awoke, Rissy cleaned up the mess she had made the night before and threw the comforter, sheets and mattress pad in the washer before showering. She put on a white dress and then drove to St. John’s Cathedral. She had always loved the magnificence of this cathedral; she always felt closer to God when she went. She placed fifty dollars in the collection box and then went up to light a candle. She kneeled and prayed. Suddenly she was startled by a male voice. “I see you still love the cathedrals. Do you mind if I join you?” She looked next to her and saw it was Johann and almost screamed and ran away but something kept her there. “If you are sincere, I have no problems with you being here beside me.” She thought “What did I just say? Oh Rissy why, why, why are you doing this?” Her heart however was saying “Listen to me Rissy. Let him be close. Just let whatever happens happen.” Rissy remembered what she had heard last night and listened to her heart. She noticed Johann praying and when he turned to look at her it scared her. “Rissy, I know I have forgiveness from your God and Jesus, but that’s not whose forgiveness I am asking for; can you forgive me?” Rissy looked at him with tears in her eyes. Her lips quivered as she spoke and tears flowed from her eyes and down her cheeks. “Last night I could not have forgiven you but something happened, and I cannot believe I am going to say this, but not only do I forgive you; I love you.” Johann bowed his head and finally gathered the courage to look at Rissy. “Thank you, Rissy. I love you and have since the beginning of time.” “Johann you know we’ve just met.” Rissy stated.
“Someday soon you will understand, but now is not the time. It is very complicated or right now to you it would be.” Johann looked up at the cross and then at Rissy. “I bet you wouldn’t believe me if I told you that I met Jesus and walked with him.” Anger flared in Rissy. “Johann, don’t start this, please.”
“Rissy, I swear to you that I have. You still do not know what I am, do you?”
“Johann, I love you but I can’t take much more of this; you’re just a man.” She said angrily.
The church was empty except for the workers and Johann and Rissy. Johann stood up and took Rissy’s hand. “Rise Rissy and you shall see what I am.” She rose as asked and was quite curious of what this lunatic was going to do especially when he began taking his shirt off. “Johann, put your shirt on or I’m leaving. This is a holy place and is to be respected.” Johann did not put his shirt back on but looked deeply into Rissy’s eyes. “Now is the time for you to see what I am, Miss Moonshower.” Wings of gold unfolded from behind him and Rissy gasped. “I do not lie Rissy.” Johann’s voice reverberated throughout the sanctuary but no one but Rissy seemed to notice. Rissy seemed to go into shock and Johann laid her down on a pew and put his shirt back on. He knew it had been too soon and too much for Rissy to comprehend.
Rissy was finally able to compose herself after about a half hour, and
