John stepped on the first stair. Almost instantly, he was transferred to his childhood. On one sunny summer day, John’s parents took him to the beach.
“Johnny Boy, please put a cap on. It’s such a violent heat!”
“Yes, mommy.”
He ran over, took the cap from her hands, and pulled it over the head.
“That lady is an Angel,” he said, having looked at the girl lying nearby on a sunbed.
“Johnny, you’re making it up again,” the dad turned to look at her. “Take cars, bucket, scoop, and build the best garage you can.”
“Yes, dad!” Having captured everything, he ran bouncing toward the water.
Johnny was digging hard. Gradually, other children began to gather around. As a child, he was a fairly friendly little boy. Among kids was a girl who’s been a half-breed Demon.
“Hi. May I play with you?” She asked with undisguised interest.
Having seen her, he was so frightened and protested. The girl showed with her whole appearance that she sincerely didn’t understand what caused such a reaction. Other kiddos insisted that she has to play with them. He sat away from her as far as possible, and her presence was enough to make him completely reluctant to play. Johnny didn’t feel at ease, and the girl clearly felt guilty for what happened and approached him again.
“May I take one of your cars?”
“No!” He blurted out.
“But why?” She didn’t give up.
“You’re not a human. You’re not like them. You’re scary.”
The girl sincerely burst into tears and ran to her mother to tell her that she was offended. She was no less surprised by what she heard from the daughter. Having been a half-breed too, she knew it’s impossible for a human to know, but yes, this boy wasn’t mistaken. She got up and went to John’s parents to make a scene. A skirmish broke out between them, and the girl returned to the other children in John’s garage. The father called John to come up for a moment.
At that moment, a cry came out from the water for help. Apparently, “at depth,” someone got in trouble. Rescuers jumped from a tower and ran towards the water. The father, having noticed that John wasn’t responding, went to him. Calls for help were heard more clearly. Johnny got to his feet. At that moment, the girl noticed that he was about to leave.
“So… I’ll play with your toys,” she said with pressure and reached for them.
“Well then,” he waved his hand and ran after the rescuers.
Having run to the place, he, without hesitation, rushed into the water and began swimming in the direction of cries. Having not had time to swim a few meters, adults got him out of the water.
The vision was over. He stood confidently on the first step. John remembered these events very well, but there was no drowning man there. He just got another thrashing with brainwashing. “It’s clear. The trial, you say … “
John took the next step.
It was an average “I have to go to school” morning. As soon as John opened his eyes, the whole burden of responsibility immediately fell upon him. Today was a math test day. Being late, as well as a poor result, would greatly annoy parents. At the school, John didn’t shine with grades, that’s why the result was so important for him, and he spent all week preparing for it. Having rushed down the stairs, he hastily ate breakfast, grabbed a lunch box, and ran out into the street.
In the block, he met with his bodies, and together they headed to school. Having approached a busy intersection, John heard a whistle of brakes. A driver lost control and flew into the crossroads at the red light. Almost miraculously and only at the last second, he was able to avoid blows from the stream of cars moving to the green light. During the maneuvers, a cat ran out onto the road. The driver clearly didn’t expect such a turn of events and pulled the steering wheel to the side. The cat bewilderedly ran in the same direction, having found itself right under the wheels. A moment later, a cat’s scream came. The driver has decided not to stop to help and drove away, having left the wounded cat screaming all over the street. The children ran to him and tried to calm down. One of John’s friends said:
“We had to go to the test. Ten minutes left. We must be on time.”
“Go! I’ll meet you on the road,” John answered.
The cat limped so much, actually having dragged its paw, and needed immediate help. He leaned against a tree and looked with horror eyes at passing cars. “He must be taken to a vet urgently.” John went up to the cat and squatted down. He reassured him for a long time, then gently picked up and carried him. Having realized where the nearest veterinarian was, he headed straight there. “How much trouble I’ll get at home. I don’t wanna be got kicked out of school.” In the distance, a Pets sign was already visible. Having approached, John kicked the door open and went inside. In those moments when he came to the hospital, each time he struggled with disgust from the number of half-breeds Angels, but he felt sorry for the cat more, so he controlled himself. He went to the reception and turned to the manager.
“A cat had a car accident. His paw is very injured.”
“Are you an owner?”
The cat was getting worse and worse. He could no longer cry and just wheezed.
“What… What the hell! Save the cat! What does it matter whose he is, just help him, please?”
John’s tirade became hysterical.
“It’ll be an expensive operation.”
“What does money mean when life is at stake?!”
“Nothing,” John heard a soothing female voice behind.
He turned around and showed the cat, who was meowing mournfully.
“Follow me. Take him on an x-ray. Don’t worry. We’ll help him. Let’s hope we don’t have to amputate the paw.”
All day, John followed the doctor like a shadow from one office to another. Thanks to her efforts, the paw was saved. The cat received his portion of pain medication with sleeping pills and quietly slept in a cage. From fatigue and nerves, John was sitting neither fish nor fowl. He overheard a nurse talking to a manager out of the corner.
“So, where did the boy with the cat show up to our misfortune?”
“Practically in three K, this stray cat cost us.”
“Aryana said she would pay for everything.”
“With her kind heart, she’ll be left without a salary soon,” the manager answered with displeasure.
Aryana left her office and turned to him.
“John, go home. The cat, like you, needs to rest. He’ll be in the cage until he recovers. There’s no cause for concern.”
John ran over and hugged her. At this moment, she became the closest person in the world to him.
“Please, don’t worry… I’ll return all the money. You must not suffer because of your kindness,” he began to get out of the pockets everything he had, having hoped to somehow cover her expenses.
“No, John, no… Please don’t do it. Healing animals is my calling. I love them, and money… don’t worry about money,” Aryana reassuringly patted his shoulder, having tried not to show how she was touched by his humanity.
John looked up at her and asked:
“Why is being kind so expensive?”
This question asked by the child struck her on the spot. She didn’t know what to answer, having understood how accurately and succinctly this boy described everything that’s happening with this world.
“I … I … I don’t know. Run home… Parents are probably already worried.”
John picked up a backpack from the floor. He was already looking forward to what kind of thrashing his father will do to him because of skipping classes. Having turned around, he clumsily waved his hand and stomped toward the exit. “I’ll return everything to the penny. Thank you, Aryana.”
The vision was scattered. John stood confidently on the step. “Good. Let’s go ahead.” He stepped to the next one.
There was a Sunday morning at John’s family. Parents gathered in the kitchen in order to decide what to do next. The mom insisted that Johnny should be brought to a church. The father was not opposed. John was informed, but he didn’t care. Having arrived at the church, they waited for the end of the service so as not to attract special attention. The parents approached a priest and asked him to speak to John. He understood the essence of the request and came to him with a friendly smile.
“Hi, John. How are you doing?”
“You’re a human. Why are all priests humans?” He began to examine him with curiosity. “I’ve never seen Angel or Demon half-breeds as a priest.”
“Johnny… Angels, as well as Demons, are not on Earth. It only seems to you.”
“Everyone says that, but it’s not true.”
“Come on … let’s say that suddenly, you’re right. What’s stopping you from living with this? Your parents are so scared. They worry about you.”
“Every day, I see the background. They’re killing this world from the inside. I wanna stop seeing this, just close my eyes and not to see anymore.”
“Johnny, my boy… Maybe it’ll go away with ages. You need to have the courage to move on… not to give up.”
John sighed with a stretch.
“Give you communion?”
“No, thanks. I don’t believe this.”
“Why?”
“I know what you believe in,” having marked the word know, he added in a serious voice, not characteristic of the child.
They looked at each other, having realized that the conversation was over.
“Johnny, I need to do some business. Wait for me here. I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared into one of the rooms. Gabriel appeared behind one of the shelves, being unnoticed by all those present. She watched the conversation, after which John noticed her.
“Hello, John Constantine.”
“Who are you?” John was sure that she was not a human, but he couldn’t discern her essence.
“I’m Gabriel. I’m just Gab for you.”
“What’s the reason for such concessions?” He started backing away, having felt the trick.
Gabriel spread her wings, having revealed her true identity.
… After that, there was a series of events during their first meeting, according to Gabriel’s memories …
“Okay, Johnny… Take it easy! Do you want me not to get closer?”
He began to recover gradually. The priest was running with a fire extinguisher, having put out fires. Gabriel asked everyone to calm down, having made it clear that she understands John’s behavior and that everything’s under control. When everyone has gone, she exhaled and began to examine him with interest.
“How lucky you’re, Johnny! It’s such a rare gift to see the world in its real magnificence. Many are ready to do anything in order to see me, ask a question about the eternal, about the Lord, ask for something for themselves. Just ask …”
“I just want to live like other children. Can you spare me from this curse?”
“It’s not a curse, John, but a gift!”
“Good,” he exhaled. “Can you spare me from this gift?”
“Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha! You made me laugh. Ha! Pfft! John… I’ve been living on Earth since the beginning of time, for many years, tens, hundreds of thousands of years, but … I’ve never been asked me to take away the gift given by the Lord.”
“The Lord has made a mistake,” he insisted.
“Listen, Johnny. He doesn’t scatter such things. There are a few people for an era. If your soul has been chosen, then there were reasons for this.”
“Excuses.”
“Yes. You’re right. I cannot reverse His decision. You may ask for something different for yourself.”
John didn’t back down and stood his ground.
“You can pass on my request to Him.”
“You can do it yourself.”
“He doesn’t care. I’ve tried. I’ve asked sincerely to take this from me, but … no.”
“So the answer is ‘no’.”
“If I continue to see this, are you able to make people suffer less? I see how half-breeds poison people’s lives, making them unbearable. You surely can; otherwise, you wouldn’t be sitting here.”
“No, John. Half-breeds are needed for the Balance. They help people struggle and show their best.”
“It’s a lie! How can a drug dealer wake up the best feelings in people if his clients are ready to kill anyone for a dose?”
John turned and headed for the exit, having thrown over his shoulder:
“You’re useless!”
Gabriel jumped up to protest. She was overwhelmed by what John had said. Everything was bubbling inside her, but most of all, without even realizing this, she was furious that he didn’t recognize her leadership and power, that after refusing to help people, he looked at her as an empty place.
“Wait!”
John continued to walk toward the exit, not about to continue this conversation. She had to use her abilities to stop him. John turned and looked at her with a look of disappointment.
“It would be better if you used the power to do something useful.”
“I do a lot of things … I …”
“I see. Forget me. My parents brought me here in vain.”
There was less time left, and John stepped on the fourth step. Heaven disappeared; he found himself sitting at the kitchen table with a spoon in hand.
“Johnny, eat it. You still have to take medicine.”
“I don’t wanna drink them,” he answered irritably.
“But, Johnny, you drink them in order to make you feel better, and your “visions” are gone.”
“It only makes me feel worse.”
“It’s necessary …” the mother tried to push, but she didn’t succeed.
“I see them anyway. They’re here; they’re among us.”
“Here you go again!” She exclaimed, having been upset.
John threw the spoon, having shown that all of this pisses him off.
After some time, they arrived at a psychiatric clinic. Over the past few years, he has become a frequent guest at this establishment. The line was small. Among the visitors, there’ve been the same “advanced” patients. John sat and watched indifferently as half-breeds ran along the corridor. The pills took effect. He accurately knew when this moment occurred.
“John Constantine, come in, please.”
John didn’t expect anything from this visit. Now, he’ll come in, hear a lot of questions that will help establish his real “state,” after which recommendations will follow. He was just tired of proving something to someone. “They don’t see or just fool around.”
“Let only John come in this time. He’s already an adult. Please, wait in the lobby.”
Having seen a doctor, John grimaced, expressing his disgust to her.
“Make yourself comfortable.”
He didn’t utter a word and went into a chair.
“Juice, water, cookies?”
“No, I want to end it quicker.”
“Okay. How have you been since the last visit?”
“Worse. Pills, as it’s better said, depress me. I quickly get tired.”
“This is one of the side effects. How are your visions?”
“Once again, they’re not the visions! The world is truly divided: people, Angels, Demons.”
“If so, John, why don’t I see them?”
“How dare are you to even say that? After all, you’re one of them. That means you see the true picture.”
“Johnny, these are just visions. Nobody sees them.”
“It may be so, but all these Angels and Demons are here for a reason. They’re designed to influence people to perform various acts. When they interfere in our lives, strange things happen. All, the most negative that exists in people, splashes out. They must be stopped!”
“John, it’s completely out of limits! It wasn’t enough for you to hurt anyone else. It’s noticeable that paranoia is intensifying. I’ll have to prescribe new medicines for you.”
“I won’t drink them!”
“You have to, Johnny, otherwise you’ll be forced to.”
“You do it on purpose. You’re a Demon. You have no right to control my fate. I’ll not allow you!” John grabbed the water carafe and threw it into the wall. It shattered into fragments.
The doctor quietly pressed a button under the table. A few moments later, a dean of medicine came into the office. She gestured to the psychotherapist to go out and leave them alone. She was an Angelic half-breed. John was surprised to note that despite their different nature, they get along pretty well.”
“Well… well… well… Hello, John.”
“Hi.”
“I’m Gina. I’m a dean of medicine,” she spoke friendly to him, having ignored the fragments of the water carafe.
“You’re not a human!”
“John, what’ll happen if I say this is true and all you see is how the world really looks like? Are you speechless? It’s true! Ha-ha-ha.”
She jumped up from the seat, having grabbed the papers from the table, and began scattering them around the room.
“You’re worse than her!”
“Yes, Johnny! You’re right!”
“Then… what’s all this for?”
“So small, and you want to know the whole truth … everything is because of power. We own the whole world!”
“You don’t have rights for this!”
“What words you do know! Johnny, we’re a part of the Deal.”
“What’s the Deal?”
“Hell and Heaven made peace by transferring the confrontation to Earth. It’s a balance.”
“It’s garbage! I have witnessed hundreds of times how half-breeds play people against each other. I can see it clearly. It should be ended.”
“People with your “gift” are born extremely rarely. Therefore, they don’t live long, but I promise you’ll live a happy, albeit short life.”
She laughed. Gina really had fun having watched how the child stood up against the Deal.
“Why don’t you just kill me?”
“There are no needs. If we do this, then you’re likely to go to Heaven. No, definitely not. Oh, Johnny,” notes of compassion appeared on her face. “We’ll treat you very well until the only thing you want the most,” she emphasized the last words, “will be a death.”
“You won’t succeed!”
“You’ll take your life and go to Hell. There you and I will meet again someday.”
He jumped to his feet and tried to run, but the door was locked.
“John! Where are you going? You’re dangerous to society, unlike us! Ha-ha-ha. Not so fast! You’ll stay with us for two weeks, no less. The new medicines are very strong. From now on, you’ll be under my personal supervision.”
Two orderlies entered the office.
“Put him in the fourth chamber, in a single room at 24-hour surveillance.”
They dragged the struggling John out.
“Johnny! Welcome on board!”
Gina straightened her clothes and changed her expression. She had to explain to John’s mom not less than half an hour that this was a necessary measure, and this was the only way to cure him. Under the pressure of her authority, the mother’s heart couldn’t resist.
The vision continued, having moved him to the next “scene.”
John lay bound on the bed. The hysteria had already passed, but tears of despair pressed on him.
“I’ll definitely get out of here no matter what it takes! They’ll regret messing with me up. I’ll avenge them!”
Toward evening, the hospital cafeteria, as usual, was freed from the influx of visitors. Gina, having seen the psychotherapist, made an order and sat with her.
“How’s he?”
“OK. He knows.”
“Exactly. This bothers me. In vain, you’ve told him.”
“Oh, dear! The victim’s resistance will weaken him faster.”
“We must do everything for … You know that we’re forbidden to kill anyone who has such abilities.”
“He’ll leave us only in a wooden box. I guarantee it. Johnny himself will commit suicide, saving us from trouble,” summed up Gina.
The vision, like the previous ones, has disappeared. John was on the fourth step.
“Well! There are three left!”
Closing his eyes, he stepped on the next one. A vision took him to the hospital room. He was dressed in a patient’s clothing and lay on a bed. A checklist in a box indicated that John has been taking medicine for more than two months. Every day he felt worse. In addition to chronic fatigue and loss of strength, he began hallucinations. The whole world was plunged into darkness when the darkness receded; everything around began to pulsate with shades of burgundy. Over time, unbearable noise and screams were added to all of this. Recently, thoughts about how to take his own life began to visit him more and more often. This day was no exception. There was no longer any strength to resist this, and he decided to act. Having glanced around at the objects in the room, he rated them as a potential suicide weapon.
With almost inhuman efforts, he could get out of bed, after which he immediately fell to the floor. Having known his weakness, the doctor didn’t hide the medicines, having left them on the shelf. Having gathered his strength, John crawled to the table to lean on it to get jars. Nine feet separated him from the table, but it took him more than half an hour to overcome them. He had to hurry until no one noticed. The second such chance could no longer be presented. With incredible difficulty, John climbed on the chair, then the table. Having held on to the wall, he straightened up and kept his balance, having concentrated all his attention on the jars of medicine, after which he reached for them. Having lost the balance, he knocked them to the floor. He’s fallen on the chair, having hit the head against the wall. After a moment, he lost consciousness. From the fall, the jars opened and the tablets scattered in different directions. Having come back, John found himself lying on the floor. Feeling hellish pain, he was crawling, picking up with his lips all the pills that he saw in front of him. Having collected almost everything, he curled up in a ball and waited for the end. “I just want to die. Help me!” In this position, he was found by a nurse bypassing patients, who called a team of orderlies. She checked his pulse, but by that time, he was already gone. John was immediately put on a stretcher and sent to intensive care. Everything was going on very quickly, but for him, time stopped. He indifferently looked at the body, which brought him so much suffering.
The time of the Last Judgment came for him. John clearly remembered that he was not there, and he immediately ended up in Hell, but the vision asserted the opposite. Perhaps these memories were simply erased. The four Archangels looked at John’s soul. He glanced at them, having stopped at Gabriel, recognizing her.
“You’re scum!”
“Wait… What?” The stream of rage and indignation, forgotten from the time of their last meeting, returned to her.
“Did you kill me!?”
“What do you allow yourself?”
“Yes or no?”
“Here, I ask questions!”
“The answer is obvious … You control them all. You knew … you … you couldn’t be ignorant!”
“Shut up!”
“I know why you did this! Yes… I know! It’s because of your pride.”
“We’re free from human prejudice.”
“Lie! Impudent lies … Who are you trying to trick?”
“I’m Gabriel. I’ve passed all the trials.”
“I remember that incident in the church when you gritted teeth in impotent rage. I can only imagine how much pleasure it brought you to contemplate how I crawled on the floor, eat pills, having feared that I cannot eat enough to die. When you’re not afraid of death itself, oh, no! .. but that you can be “saved,” turning your life into Hell, and time into eternity.”
“Yes… Yes… Yes, you fucking freak! Yes! I could, but I didn’t want to! Wanted to lose the gift? Decided to reject the gift of fate given to you by the Lord?”
She changed her tone.
“For what you did, John Constantine, you’re very likely to go to Hell. Tell us something before we make a decision.”
“I won’t allow you to turn the people’s world into what I had to endure. I’ll stop you at all costs.”
“How? You’re gonna go to Hell as a brazen, selfish, arrogant suicide.”
All John had time to do was to show the finger before the environment changed into such familiar black and red chaos. The horror ended in the hospital continued with renewed vigor and new entrants.
Doctors fought for John’s life, having tried to neutralize the effects of pills. John felt an irresistible force having pulled him along from Hell. Having returned to consciousness, he again found himself surrounded by doctors.
The vision has disappeared. There are only two steps left. The next one dipped under the weight of his soul. A new vision surrounded him.
Several years or so have passed since the suicide. In addition to the troubles that his abilities added to him, he was rather depressed by the memories of Hell. A holy father told him that after John has done the question of going to Hell, it was only a matter of time. He clearly remembered every word of him.
“You’re a suicide, John, and that’s very bad. Even if you live a righteous life, you’ll still go to Hell.”
“What to do? If there’s no way … “ John was disappointed with notes of doom.
“Only self-sacrifice can change His mind.”
“But how?”
“Nobody knows the true path.”
“Damn these rules!”
“Don’t say that in a church. You know, maybe you won’t go to Heaven, let’s frankly say, but your abilities can serve people. At the very least, your life will make sense.”
“So, it’s all?”
“Don’t underestimate the importance of the meaning of life. Here you go,” he handed him a business card. “His name is Midnite. He’s a very unusual person.”
John twisted the card in his hand and headed for the exit. Having arrived at the address, he saw a club near which half-breed crowded, but no one paid attention to him. Two “door” guys stood before the nondescript entrance. Without saying anything, they stared questioningly at him. He wasn’t taken aback and put a business card in the hand of one of them. They looked at each other, haven’t known whether to let him in or not. John made a “what’s wrong?” grimace. After this, he was given way. He was greeted by a courteous waiter and led to the right door.
The room was dimly lit, which created the effect of twilight. There were many things in it that, with a stretch, could be attributed to the modern era. In the center was a table with several chairs and a sofa.
“You probably made a mistake by the door? The staffroom is next door.”
“No,” John said firmly, “I want to see Midnite. I’m Constantine, John Constantine.”
“Ha-ha-ha! Are you that daredevil who could not only mess up with Gabriel but also threaten her with revenge?” He sincerely laughed. John stood, having not realized what’s funny. “You don’t understand, I see. Her desire alone would be enough to destroy your soul.”
“I’m not afraid of her. She’ll pay for what she did to me.”
“I won’t convince you. This is your choice. John, you have all the makings to become an exorcist.”
“Why do I need it for?”
“I laughed at Gabriel, having seen she was like a one-legged man at a butt-kicking contest and having listened to her confused excuses … but then I’ve realized that your appearance in this world was not accidental. She said that you sincerely wanted to make the world of people better.”
“Yes!” John perked up.
“Hah… so she’s been right, you’re strange. At first, the world is full of shit. You won’t get it alone. Secondly, self-sacrifice is nonsense, and it doesn’t work. Nothing personal. I just don’t want you to litter your fragile mind. You’ll go to Hell.”
“How about you?”
“Me too, don’t worry. You have an internal need to help people. We’ll satisfy it. You’ll do it for yourself. This will allow you to get inner harmony with yourself, seeing gratitude in people’s eyes.”
“Good. What should I do?”
“I can get you a transfer from a regular school to a training center. You’ll become an exorcist. Your gift already allows you to see the world without obscure eyes, so training will be much faster than usual. You can live a normal life, making money.”
“I don’t need money. People should not be afraid that they don’t have enough money to pay for my help. It’d be dishonest to take their money.”
“That’s right, John. All you said is correct.”
“Thanks. I’m gonna go,” he wrote down his phone number on a napkin and gave it to Midnite.
He stood up and patted John on the shoulder. Midnite watched Johnny went out, and he didn’t leave a smile. It became clear to him, like on a sunny day, why Gabriel excitedly was talking about the incident with a drowning man, a cat, then their meetings, and, most importantly, why her hand didn’t rise to destroy his soul. Having left Midnite’s office, Constantine felt that he had not just come to this world and received this gift, that he could really change it for the better and return it to balance. From these thoughts, for the first time in many years, he knew peace.
The vision was over. Without hesitation, John jumped to the last step. The last vision has become the most interesting and complicated. John was in a psychiatric hospital where Isabelle committed suicide and where Angela had to become the gateway for Mammon into the human world.
Lucifer squatted in front of John. During his short life, he not only was able to send many half-breeds to Hell, but he himself often appeared there to be sure that the “prison” built by the Lord doesn’t leak. He did it to be sure that the only course of events when the pressure starts to break the lid of the saucepan is another war with Heaven, but not the destruction of humanity.
Lucifer, like no other, understood the value of John.
“Holy shit! Well, who else will think more about my “happy farm” than me? Johnny, huh, Johnny? You run with a foam can and close up the cracks. John, your kindness will destroy you.”
To put it bluntly, he didn’t convey even that little bit of real gratitude because there’s nothing bigger than the pride of Lucifer in the whole Universe. He’d have wanted to tell him everything but couldn’t. John’s death solved many problems, if not all. Without any efforts from his side, he’d go to him. Lucifer was well aware that his abilities wouldn’t disappear. His plans didn’t include enslaving John since this would turn him into a useless doll. “Oh, no!”. John would be continuing running around Hell without letting the Demons go to Earth and would put Mammon on a short leash. This would help him focus all his efforts on solving the old as a world problem: Heaven must fall. When John’s help was no longer needed, he could always be removed.
“Don’t be silent, John! Why do you need me on Earth for? I’ve seen x-rays of yours. You have to live for not less than ten years.”
John was silent. He liked to enrage him.
“John Constantine, my dear,” he began sniffing him. The smell of sweat and blood amused him. “Don’t be silent! Don’t even think of ignoring me!”
“Fuck yourself! I don’t give alms on Fridays.”
“Well-said! Very well! You can when you want!”
“There wasn’t any other Demon to send for me? Really?”
Lucifer grabbed his chin and then began rotating his head, having examined the stubble.
“No way! How can you be saying that, buddy?”
“Since you came … okay. Getting a tuft of wool from a mangy sheep is better than nothing.”
Without changing his expression, Lucifer smashed the tile with his fist behind John.
“Hah! If you think that I don’t know that there are Mammon and Gabriel with the Spear Of Destiny in the next room, it means you don’t know me well. John, I was just waiting for you to make the same mistake twice.”
“Never mind,” he answered indifferently. “It was the only quick way to contact you. If you know, well, then I fulfilled my mission. Get away somewhere. Let me die calmly. Go to inflate the balloons, spill liqueurs, roll a joint. Get ready for the holiday.”
“Wait… That’s not good enough! There’s a rule that even I cannot break. Ask for something for yourself. Did you want to live there, huh? Are you afraid of Hell? Maybe you wanna get a second trial with a chance to go to Heaven?”
“If you help with Mammon, I would like to…”
“What, John? What!”
“Bring Isabelle back to Heaven.”
“Oh, no, it’s not that simple. You have to make a choice, John Constantine. Isabelle, who you haven’t even known, or Angela. Choose something, maybe … maybe a second chance?”
Lucifer laughed sarcastically.
“No means no. Take me to Hell. I need to consult with Mammon on how to use my wish properly.”
Lucifer roared. He grabbed his chest and threw him against the wall. If not for his will, John would’ve died immediately from such a blow.
John, from one vision, immediately fell into another one. He found himself at the desk of a training center where Midnite had transferred him. One of the exorcism classes took place. Everything was as usual, exactly until the lecturer began to talk about how often epileptics are attributed to those people in whom someone has moved in and that this is not so. It all came down to the fact that he said that these people could be manipulated to strengthen or weaken the course of the disease since churches need more parishioners, and they’re called to help with this.
This approach angered John to the core.
“To hell with all this!”
He banged his fist on the table. John was sure that someone was whispering to the lecturer.
“What do you allow yourself?”
“I’m against this!”
“Sit back,” said the lecturer with pressure.
“I’m stopping my studies.”
John got up from the desk and went out. Having walked past the rows, he stopped. Something seriously alarmed him. He felt that there was someone else, but his abilities didn’t reveal anything unusual. Midnite wouldn’t be Midnite if he didn’t give John advice on how to deal with such a situation. John closed his eyes and pulled his hands out of his pockets. With his fists clenched, he began to cast a spell, and the classroom was plunging into darkness. Something stirred under the lecturer’s desk. John took a few steps toward the meeting. A demon-kind creature called a whisper jumped out from under the pulpit and hissed at John. He tried to hit it with beams of light but to no avail. It turned out to be too quick. Having crashed into the door, it knocked it out and ran down the corridor.
“Well. It’s such a quick asshole,” John annoyed.
He went out into the corridor and, as if nothing had happened, headed for the exit, having not paid attention to the fact that his hands remained covered with runes. He went to the nearest printing house and advertised the following content in local newspapers: “Exorcist, ready to go. Call anytime,” and left his numbers.
The first call was not long in coming.
He returned to the vision with Lucifer.
“Johnny, have you regained consciousness? I’ve already begun worrying that you died before our conversation was over.”
“You’re like dog’s shit on the sole.”
“Yes, John! Yes! Exactly! I’ve fulfilled all your requests. Angela is saved, Isabelle is in Heaven. And here you are, John. No … no … no … this is not self-sacrifice. It’s not that case! Oh, no! We both did it for ourselves. How psychologists say: “It’s for harmony with yourself.” You may get up, John. There’s Gabriel in the next room. You’ve got such an unusual relationship. Yeah … yeah … yeah … I want you to tell her something before leaving.”
John found the strength to stand up. Thanks to Lucifer’s will, there was no pain: he was healthy as a bull. John went with him into the next room where their eyes met. Gabriel grabbed Angela’s gun.
“Don’t get closer to me!” She screamed.
“Gabriel, come with me to Hell. You deserve it like no other. You’ve been poisoning the lives of generations. Let’s get this over with.”
“You … you …”
“I’ve died, thank you. Lucifer gave me the opportunity to convince you to come with us in a good way. We’re both mistakes and will be deleted.”
Having lost her abilities, she panicked and began shooting back.
“Have the courage to do it yourself. Leave at least one bullet for yourself,” he went up close to her. “Don’t try to run away from fate. Come with me.”
John held out her a hand.
“I’ve been in Hell many times thanks to the “gift” of the Lord. There’s no fear. You’ll be able to get used to it. There are your friends: Mammon, Balthazar. Come on … please … I hate you for everything that you’ve done, but I don’t want to kill you myself. You must become a prosecutor, judge, and executioner.”
“No!… no … John…”
“Yes. Follow me…”
Out of despair, she pushed him away from herself with all her strength and, having spent the remnants of her abilities, resurrected John. Lucifer grimaced and then put on an indifferent smile.
“It was a good performance,” he clapped his hands. “It’s believable. It was powerful! … I’ll wait. I have nowhere to hurry. My dear … I’ll come for you anyway,” then he disappeared.
“Bitch!” She tried to kill just resurrected John, but the clip ran out of ammo. Gabriel threw the gun at him, from which he easily dodged.
She walked past him waist-deep in water, having pushed him aside. He fell but managed to put a footboard, from which she also with her head went under the water.
“I hate you!”
“Ha-ha-ha. Welcome to the world of people!”
She hissed in response.
“Find yourself a job. Bring at least some benefit to people not in words but in deeds.”
The vision was over. To his surprise, nothing happened. The Lord didn’t appear, but the Archangels, having realized that Beeman was only leading them by the nose, rushed to the Throne.
Angela watched an infinite number of mediums who were in a trance under the influence of the Angels. She clearly felt the presence of the call’s source and was unbearably drawn to be one of them, but her mind resisted. She looked inquiringly at Isabelle.
“What to do, sis? How to stop all this? People are in danger.”
“Patience. Soon everything will happen. Don’t you know where John appears, there’s always something going on? Oh! It’s begun!”
“What’s begun?”
“He began ascending. Soon everyone will fly there. It’ll be time to act.”
“What’ll happen when he rises?”
“Nobody knows. The Archangels, except for Gabriel, never managed to pass all the trials; therefore, they’re at the Throne’s foot. Like a simple soul, I can’t even get there.”
Angels looked at each other and came away, having left the mediums behind.
“Go ahead!”
Angela headed into the crowd of mediums. Her appearance caused surprise in every one since she glowed in a completely different way, which means she didn’t participate in the session. They couldn’t understand how she could resist the call. Angela addressed all those present.
“Dear mediums. Earth is in danger. Angels want to come to our world by arranging Armageddon. I’m a medium, just like you. A few years ago, one of the Demons tried to come to the world of people in order to destroy it.”
A pile of objections rained down on her. Isabelle joined Angela.
“Do you know John Constantine?”
There were shouts of approval in the crowd. They could relate to him differently, but they had to know him.
“He’s here to stop all this. Help him don’t stay away. Resist the call …”
Archangels held John under their control. Raphael turned to him:
“You again! Passed by?”
“I was gonna go to a bodega to buy some beer, so… here I’m.”
“Stay, since you’re here. I’m not offended that you showed us the finger.”
“No, thanks.”
The answer caused surprise among other Angels and Archangels that a person refuses to be in Heaven.
“I haven’t decided where I wanna go after my death…”
“Ahh, the modern generation…”
“… but what I want least of all is to see you all on Earth. What’s altruism? What did you suddenly decide to bring His grace without the Last Judgment?”
“Throw him to Hell!”
“Imprison him in Purgatory!”
“Leave him in Heaven! He must be under our control!”
“Just destroy his soul!”
“Without the Lord’s will, we cannot destroy!”
There was a serious struggle for John’s ass. The decision was taken. Part of the Angels lifted off and flew back to the mediums. John felt that he was being pulled somewhere. At that moment, he called Gabriel.
“Doc, the performance is getting worse!”
“What the Hell are they doing with them?”
“If this keeps going on, the transition through them won’t be possible.”
“We still have time to prepare.”
“ I’ll report it immediately.”
Midnite looked inquiringly at Gabriel without stopping petting the cat.
“He’s in danger,” Gabriel felt something.
“It’s about time. For too long, everything went without an incident.”
John’s contours took shape again. From the touch of the Archangels, he shone like a Christmas tree. Gabriel cast a spell. The cat, seeing everything, was in shock and, having jumped on the table, began to yell.
The Archangels felt that something wasn’t going according to the plan. Gabriel’s projections appeared between them and John.
The Angels appeared on the horizon. Angela realized that her time was up.
“See you on Earth. Don’t let yourself be fooled,” she told mediums before she went.
As they approached, she began to glow more and more. For Andrew, it was a signal that it was time to wear the bracelet.
They both returned to their bodies, after which they tried for a long time to catch their breath. Having recovered, Angela thanked Andrew and ran out into the street.
“How was it?” Gabriel and Midnite asked him in two voices.
He quickly brought them up to speed. Their interest gave way to bewilderment mixed with surprise.
“So… I couldn’t ask the Lord what I wanted.”
“Do you understand what you say? You’ve passed all the trials. You’ve been the Lord. All you had to do was to sit on the Throne … and that’s all …”
“It’s too late. There were infinitely many of them I just didn’t know… Everything was confirmed. They’re ready, and all they need is the readiness of the mediums.”
Chapter 18. John Visits Heaven. Can His Dream Come True? Chapter 20. Losing Hope