Title: Cemetery
By: Pho/Ordos45 (Whichever ya know me by)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor claim to own Joan of Arcadia. Some person and/or corporation does, I'm sure.
The cemetery seemed quiet enough as Joan stared down at Judith's grave yet again. It had been two weeks since the dreams had stopped. The wind rustled her hair, but she paid it no heed, tears beginning to sting her face.
"Don't cry Joan," said an old man with a shock of white hair, leaning on a cane.
"Listen God," Joan said, her fists balling up as she tried to fight anger and the urge to cry, "Now is not the time."
"God," asked the old man. He roared with laughter and then coughed a few times, "No my dear, I'm not God. You may call me Iblis, Lucifer, the Devil, or any of the other names I'm known by."
Joan was quiet and her body tensed. God was one thing, God wouldn't hurt her or kill her right? But what about Satan, would he do the same?
"Stop worrying," said the old man, "I'm not what Christians have made me out to be over the centuries. I'm more like the Iblis story of Islam, sent to test the faith of Humanity."
"So you're here to test my faith," asked Joan worried and not sure if she should trust this enemy of God.
"I've been testing it Joan," said the old man, "Most of the time, like God, I don't reveal myself. He and I both agreed on the lyme disease test that nearly made you lose faith."
A tear escaped Joan's left eye, but she remained silent. Why did the omnipotent beings screw with her life, and not someone else's? Why her, and not her brother's, or her teacher's or...
"Don't get an ego Miss Gerardi," the old man snapped, "We mess in everyone's lives. We just appear to explain to you, and considering how God works in mysterious ways, you should be happy."
"Happy," Joan yelled, pointing at the grave, "My friend died and I'm supposed to be happy?!"
"Yes," said the old man, producing a black rose and placing it at the foot of the grave, "God didn't explain it all did He? The purpose of those dreams?"
"They were one of His lessons to make me overcome my fears and help others I guess," Joan replied a bit bitterly. Those dreams still stung, the images of her dead friend haunting her nightly, talking about facing her fears.
"He did," said the old man smiling kindly, "But it didn't just help you and your brother here in the mortal realm. You helped your friend overcome her fears...you freed your friend from Purgatory Joan, she's in Heaven now. I lose another soul..."
Joan felt her knees drop to the cold ground and began to cry. After a few minutes she tried to get up and look for the Devil, but couldn't see him anywhere. Only a single black feather floated down beside her.