ELIJAH DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN

***

[9th Century BCE]

ELIJAH is known to be one of the greatest prophets of Israel and God's heavyweight champ in an epic bout against a deity named Baal – the Storm god. Baal, a god who has been worshipped in many ancient communities, especially among the Canaanites, who apparently considered Baal a fertility deity and one of the most essential gods in the pantheon.

Since there's a tremendous quandary about the belief of who was the most powerful God. Elijah gathered the prophets of Baal at the Mount Carmel in order for him to truly introduce that his God was the only God. Each deity has given a pile of wood with a bull on it. The place filled with impenetrable faith, amazement, doubt, terror and combined of necessary emotions. Each of them wanted to prove something; they wanted to stand for their faith. That was the greatest time to reveal who was who. The god who can produce fire and consumes the sacrifice will win.

Baal first, they started asking for fire by dancing, shouting, singing and even cutting their own flesh. They did whatever it takes to ask for fire but every single act failed. It was Elijah's turn, he sincerely sent a powerful orison to God and immediately, a burning fire fell down and consumed the sacrifice. Afterwards, the Israelites dedicated themselves to God again and murdered those prophets who were deceived in worshipping Baal.

Later, near the Jordan River, a fiery horse-drawn chariot descended from the sky and took Elijah to heaven, but not before he appointed his successor named Elisha.

***

[2020]

There was a new kingdom built in a faraway land of South East Asia. It was in the middle point between China and Philippines. This City was named Vlanteorr, that was an independent country which governed by their supreme king named King Phyllis.

King Phyllis and his people had been trying to abduct people, most especially girls, to fulfil their rituals quarterly. It means, that they had been offering girls, usually two girls every ritual to their god named Baal.

The entire community of Vlanteorr knows no god aside from Baal, who kept blessing their lands with great harvest, giving them good kids, incredible strength and promising them to build a nation which was happening recently.

Vlanteorries temperamentally possessed strong and cutthroat abilities, they believed that they had obtained physical prowess by the blood they drink from the girls in the rituals. They had been in search for various girls in the adjacent cities, places, countries in order for them to solidify their strength. They were mostly looking for fresh, virgin, untouched woman, that's why when they abduct girls who considered "not clean"; they only had two destinations: to be a slave or to be a wife of a soldier.

****

Historically speaking, long time ago, there was one prophet who was not killed during the battle between Israelites and Canaanites. He tried his best to escape and he did together with his brother and two young nephews. They decided to wander in this world. They were abducting girls just to make sure that their clan will not extinct and this belief to Baal will continue no matter what.

Hazural, the wounded prophet, was totally persistent and determined about his belief that he had only one god and that was Baal. He began his journey with various cities in his country and then, left his place to intrude other places for the dissemination of his will to make Baal known.

When he was too old to carry his mission, he appointed his successor Zekuba – one of his nephews to continue the journey they started. He was 92 years old back then, and he couldn't even walk properly. Since, they had no permanent address, they tried to live in various locations such as large forest, tremendous caves, abandoned house, streets, and mountain, and everywhere they thought safe for them.

One night, they built a tent beside a brook, Hazural was really old enough. He could barely breathe. He was having difficulty to talk that's why, Zekuba made a pact to his uncle that he will protect this family and make a nation to worship Baal. He then, replied that he will be proud if he would be able to fulfill this mission of his.

Zebuka's family was weeping. They lamented because of Hazural's death. They were mourning so hard which made it more difficult for them to move forward. Zelus, brother of Zebuka mentioned that it was time to go, it was time to accomplish everything they had to do.

One night, Zebuka's was zealously trying to locate for food, when he saw a lady on a meadow. He was really weak at that time and he didn't know what to do. Zebuka, without a doub, killed the girl and drank her blood. He was totally deranged. After drinking and shouting, he felt a bit stronger, fiercer compared to the state of his body condition a while back. He renewed his strength, more powerful than ever. He went back to their camp. He eagerly mentioned what happened to hime to his brother and Zelus did the same thing. He felt power of his body and he was craving more until the two tried to drink all the blood together.

The tradition has been passed to their kids. Time ran so fast. Zebuka and Zelus were also getting stronger that's why he asked Kiero, Zebuka's first born to kill a girl and bring her blood to them. After drinking the blood, nothing happened. They were still weak and vulnerable. Until Keiro mentioned that the girl he killed was from an old woman.

It was, then, clear, that in order for them to be strengthened again, a fresh blood from a clean, virgin girl is what they preciously needed.

Zebuka and Zelus, eventually, died. Kiero found a wife and started to have a new life together with the community they were building. Until from generation to generation, a new kingdom from the South East Asia emerged. A kingdom which wanted to make everyone knows about Baal. A kingdom which promoted patriarchal practices and make all women an instrument for offering and a pure slavery.

****

T'was the second quarter of the year, marked by the Vlanteorr calendar, Vlanteorries were busy preparing for everything. Female Vlanteorries strenuously decorated the Vlanteorr Hall, which was an ethereal task given to them. It was the place where the rituals were being held. That place exaggeratedly covered with metal and gold, and female Vlanteorries made that place more sanctified by offering an uttered sincere prayer of cleanliness and anticipated triumphant to Baal, periodically. They were doing this to make every ritual successful and full of consistent blessing bestowed by the storm of god will be sure of possessing.

On the other side of the hill, Male Vlanteorries were residing to their cabin, taking a good rest and all of them were strictly required to isolate themselves for the upcoming Blood-shedding ceremony. It was also part of their belief to maintain a fasting before the night eventually arrives. They were making a continuous connection to their god based on their memorized orison. Air, along with the other natural entities, was what connects them to Baal which gives them the sense of understanding. Air was becoming a language which every Vlanteorry can decipher.

The entire Vlanteorr Kingdom was composed of the castle where King Phyllis resides. He had no queens but he had her whores, he had many kids but he had no favourites. The second was the Vlanteorries Hall; this was the essential, uncanny place where they celebrate any occasions, particularly, the ritual. The Vlanteorr cabin: where male Vlanteorries were living while female Vlanteorries were residing on the Vlanteorr Museo altogether. Slaves, female sluts and other helpers lived in the Vlanteorr Cave. Virgin, clean woman whom abducted and considered as human offerings for the rituals placed beside on the castle named The Vlanteorr' Box of Clean Offering.

Shout of praise began to replete the entire Vlanteorr kingdom as the time ticked louder for the upcoming blood-shedding ritual. There were huge, boisterous laughs, unwanted noise and unending screams coming from the hall. The place was filled with various cuisine, foods and wine.

Fiery bonfire was placed in the middle which represents the burning desire of the Vlanteorries to keep their faith to Baal, an important symbol of their solidarity and daunting personality. It was also symbol which tells them that every now and then, Baal was supplying and sufficing their needs.

In front of them was King Phyllis who was waiting for them Human offering to arrive. His kids were all behind him and there two Vlanteorries on the side of the platform: one male and female Vlanteorries. There were five prophets on the right side of the platform. Everyone looked so amazingly excited about what will happen on that night.

Vlanteorries shared similar feature, appearances and temperament. They had curly hairs, broader shoulders and they shared the same height – they had elevated height in comparison to any ordinary human being which made them closely look like a giant. They had beards, their eyes were big which makes them look powerful, scary and you would have to think twice to have a fight with them.

Meanwhile, a group of Vlanteorr soldiers went to the Vlanteorr's Box of Clean Offering to take the two clean girls to be offered to Baal and separate the blood to be mixed in the wine in order for them to taste the blood of renewed strength and stamina.

The noise became too loud, reverberating, and ear-disgusting when they saw the girls coming and forcibly tied in the middle of the Hall before the bonfire. They began to show an attitude of a warrior and stance of courageous fighter. The Male Vlanteorries were totally euphoric and couldn't wait to taste the sweetness of anticipated power.

Khalil, the head of the Vlanteorr soldiers took the knife and started the ritual. He began cutting the flesh of the girls and started to gather all the bloods from the girls' bodies and placed in a container. While the noise was consistently being the powerful element of that moment, the cries of the girl never heard. They begin mixing it with the wine and disseminated from the King down to his kids, from the prophets down to the stewards, from the soldiers down to all male Vlanteorries. Laughters, victory, pact, promise, noise, knife and death were what made the night a scrumptious meal which made every man well-fed on that night.

***

"The noise is totally, ostentatiously obnoxious."

God of mercy had been watching, most of his time, these people from heaven down to the earth and it seemed he was not happy with what he can see. He felt a bit disheartened from what he witnessed down there; wickedness at its finest. God never wanted this to continue, so to halt the kingdom from growing and destroying every nation, and murdering innocent girls – he hurriedly called Elijah.

Elijah at that moment was having his lunch together with other prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and others, an angel of Heaven caught his attention and he mentioned that God wanted to meet him immediately. Because of His undying obedience, he left that place and came to see God at once. When he was there, God was seriously talking about Earth and how it was becoming wicked and wicked as time passed by.

God seethed an impotent rage as he mentioned about Vlanteorr Kingdom in Asia where it was a growing kingdom which bound to worship Baal. Elijah was shocked when he heard about it because he believed that every believer of Baal, one of the famous pantheons of Canaanites, died on that night.

God also mentioned that there was someone who escaped and tried his best to continue believing about Baal. Elijah suddenly asked this prophet's name and God said, "Hazural".

Surprise on his face undeniably appeared until he recalled everything about that night and it seemed that he had a fight with that man and he was thoroughly wounded. Elijah was really in awe, asking God how he managed to escape after all the wounds on his body. God never entertained a question; he knew that answering his question would be their least concern. Instead, he wanted Elijah to be focused on something else, something more important than knowing how Hazural saved himself on that night.

God wanted Elijah to descend to earth and face the Vlanteorries. Like what he did before, he wanted him to thrive and bring back the innocent people to their respective hometowns and countries. The help they need was about to come after God uttered those words.

Elijah swallowed hardly, heaved a heavy gasp and was a bit scared to go back again after the moment where he ascended in the heaven by the fiery horse-drawn chariots. He uttered his doubts to God most especially that he didn't know how to live on Earth anymore. It was a long, long time ago and he was afraid that what he knew was totally gone and what it seems to be there in front of him might be difficult to decipher. He was a bit confused and worried.

"Don't you trust me Elijah?"

Elijah as one of God's greatest prophets said that he trusted God so much. So, God asked him to prepare for his new mission. He went back to the dining area to continue his lunch, other prophets asked him what happened and told them about the plan of the Lord.

They all knew that Elijah was feared that's why they tried to enlighten them and told them about all the good things God has done for everyone. The God they knew is still the God of today and the God of tomorrow.

"He will never leave you nor forsake you." Mixture of wonderful messages surrounded his entire consciousness and the fear to leave the heaven subsided.

***

They were becoming less in numbers. They were totally afraid at that time and they didn't know what to do. Especially after two girls were offered, there were only eight clean, virgin girls in the Box of Clean Offering.

They missed their families and the place where they live. They couldn't believe that their lives will end there. In the place where barely knows, as a matter of fact, they were clueless that a place like that exist. Worries and woes became a warmth embrace which filled their hearts and they were in a point to accept their destiny with indignation and extreme exasperation.

They were actually thinking how to get away with that situation. Would it be possible for them to escape? If ever they can escape from that place, would they know where to go? They were trying to plan everything but no one was brave enough to proceed with such schemes.

They believed that was a hell on earth, a place filled with demonic individuals, hellions, sinister and eerie activities and escaping would be more dangerous than offering themselves to their god. Baal was their god, and they were being offered to this god.

What a lunatic!

What a crazy people to abduct and murder girls just for their gods, it was a total scam. This was a cult. That place belonged to hell. That place belonged to no one but Satan.

Cry was the only ally they had when they were becoming hopeless. Cry was the one which embraced them to move fears away. They were praying to God, the God of Mercy, the saviour of heaven and earth. They were making it sure to kneel down every morning and every night just for their plea to be granted. They were crying in desperation, they were crying for salvation, they were crying for help.

Is God listening to them?

Is God listening but never grant prayers?

Who could help us in these pitiful circumstances? Questions and the hope they had for a supernatural being become their breakfast in the morning, they had only one orison and that was liberty - freedom from this slavery and future peril. If God was listening, for sure, he will save them from that misery - a wish of a girl mouthed almost every minute.

***

"Call Elijah!"

"It's about time."

God commanded an angel to summon the prophet and after a minute, Elijah appeared. God asked him if he was ready then, Elijah replied, "Here I am send me". God mentioned the things Elijah needs to hear and Elijah was full of devotion and assurance that God will be there beside him.

Afterwards, in a snap of his finger, God called the fiery horse-drawn chariot.

"Do you remember this" God asked.

Elijah smiled and said back, "how could I forget this". Elijah rode on and before he descended to Earth, God told him,

"I will be there with you."