Hallelujah

[Rick Majors]

"I heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?"

Gabriel stands in the sun. There is no darkness. Candles are not necessary. The light has been let in. It is warm. The warmth embraces you like a hug from an old friend. In this light, it feels as thought all things are possible. Gabriel begins to speak. It does not appear as though anyone is listening to what he has to say. To be honest, it doesn’t even look as though there is anyone in the general area. However, that does not deter the Messenger of the Lord.

“What a beautiful day, brothers and sisters. The sun is shining. The brilliance of the fall season is truly on display. What a glorious world. What an incredible miracle it is to be alive.”

Gabriel begins to walk around, looking out at the “congregation” which, presumably, he believes is filling this empty field.

“What a blessed time of year this is. It is the fall harvest. This is the time to truly appreciate all that we are thankful for, to look upon the beauty of the world and to thank the Lord for protecting us and allowing us to receive His incredible gifts. We are lucky, my brothers are sisters. And, as magnificent as this beautiful autumn day is, we have much more to be thankful for today.”

Gabriel pauses and looks up at the sky.

“He has returned. We never doubted it, did we, brothers and sisters? While there were those wicked naysayers who spat on the Lord and who scoffed when they were told He would return, we always remained faithful. We always knew that, when He was ready, He would rise again. And we knew that, when He did, those who truly believed in His power would be rewarded. And, my brothers and sisters, it has happened. All that we were hoping for has certainly come to pass.”

Gabriel unbuttons his jacket and he is wearing the Pure Class Wrestling North American Championship. He takes off the title and places it on his shoulder.

“My brothers and sisters, let us praise the Lord for this beautiful gift. For He is kind and wonderous and loving. His return gave me the strength necessary to vanquish that egotistical little jerk Kyle Shane and return this championship to a place of glory and respect, like it deserves. It is not an achievement from a video game. It is much more than that. It is now and forever will be a symbol of the power of the Lord. Oh Praise Seromine! Praise the Lord!”

Gabriel bows his head in prayer for a moment before continuing to speak.

“And, of course, that is not all that we are here to celebrate today, my brothers and sisters. We are here to stand in awe of the Lord once again. For, in His return, He positioned Himself in His rightful place at the summit of professional wrestling. He is the Pure Class Wrestling World Champion. He is the winner of the Deadly Rumble. What a momentous evening! What a triumph! I consider myself so lucky to have been a small part of it. It was wonderous. I was able to stand there, just feet from the ring, as the Lord had His hand raised as the winner of the Deadly Rumble. What an honour. What a moment.”

Suddenly Gabriel’s face gets much more serious.

“But all is not well, my brothers and sisters. While we should be in the mood for celebrating, that is sadly not the case. There is darkness approaching and we must be prepared. This week on Trauma, Pure Class Wrestling has decided to celebrate evil. It has structured an entire program around the idea of All Hallows’ Eve. This is an event that, for some terrible reason, honours darkness over light and evil over good. It is disgusting and sinful. It is morally wrong. Just the idea of such an evening is sickening to me. And that doesn’t even take into account the match that I have been scheduled to compete in.”

Gabriel shakes his head in disgust.

“A ‘666’ match. The Number of the Beast. This contest is a direct insult to the Lord and everything that He has worked for. Why are we celebrating such a hateful concept? Why do we as a society have such a fascination with wickedness and sin and death? ‘The Undead Referee?’ That is disgusting. That is vile.”

Gabriel looks down at the ground.

“To make matters worse, some of other competitors in this match are believers in the type of hatred and sin that this very event celebrates. People like Razor Blade, who senselessly attacked an innocent man very recently. His rage was unprovoked and shameful. Then there are people like Grimm and Tyrone Smith who have become rich and famous for their violence and sickening displays of brutality. How am I expected to participate in this event? Its very existence is insulting. It is taking a time that should be a celebration of the gifts of the Earth and the love of the Lord, and turning into a revolting mockery.”

Gabriel stops momentarily to compose himself.

“But, alas, we must always remember that there is always evil in this world. There is always sin. There is always deception and corruption and malevolence. Those who wish to harm our movement and destroy our happiness will not stop as long as they are still breathing. We must do as the Lord has done and rise above them. Think of how he would respond in this situation. He would not wallow in sadness. He would not be forlorn. He would look ahead to the future. He would see opportunity in this darkness. He would look at a ring surrounded by sin, and filled with tortured souls, and He would do what needs to be done.”

Gabriel looks up.

“Some, like Grimm, Razor Blade, and Tyrone Smith, cannot be saved. They pride themselves on their viciousness. They exist only to maim and cripple and hurt others. They must be destroyed. There is, sadly, no other option. However, all is not lost. I believe there is some potential in Hiroshi Yukio and Tyler Scott. There may still be hope for their souls. But, my brothers and sisters, this is not my decision. That decision is for none of us. Much like all of us, their fate is in the hands of the Lord. I am simply His messenger and I will do as He instructs.

Praise Seromine.

Praise the Lord.”

With that, Gabriel bows his head, prays briefly, and walks away from the “congregation.”