8:46pm
COLE'S HOUSE

Lynn knew something was wrong, where Cole was concerned. Call it
mother's intuition..somehow, she just KNEW. She sat at the table with her son. She took a deep breasth before speaking. "Okay..what's wrong, Cole?"

He looked up from his dinner. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Something happen today? Is there anything bothering you? You know,
you can talk to me if you want."

"I know." He sighed, wondering if he should tell her--and if so, how much? He decided to come clean. "Okay. I was walking home from
school. I think..I saw one of them."

"The ghosts?"

"Yes. Only, he was alive."

"What do you mean? How can a ghost be *alive*?"

"I'm not sure. This kid, DJ. He's a nephilim."

"A what?"

"Half angel, half human. Anyway, he was living. I saw him with Tommy and Darren in the park. They were attacked by this angel kid earlier. I said Gabriel was an angel, Tommy just laughed. Then, DJ seemed hurt, sick. Like something pained him from the inside. He bent down. When he spoke again, his voice was deeper. He talked like Genghis Kahn or something. I ran off."

"Oh..huh. That's strange. Could it be..spirit possession?"

"Oh. Maybe. I thought it could be. Maybe that's why I thought he was a ghost, because he had one in him. Very evil."

"Okay. So, what else has been happening?"

"I talked to Malcolm. I got some things for him. Maybe he can figure out what to do with these angels."

"I hope so."


4:35am
ST. ANTHONY'S ACADEMY

Josiah stood on the roof. He heard someone jump down behind him.
Turning around, he recognized Zophael.

The taller angel looked serious. "Our master is most displeased."

"Why?"

"He does not tolerate failure lightly."

"But..but I'm still alive. The battle is not over yet."

"He thinks you're..'dragging your feet', as the monkeys say. He wishes you to finish this! Enough games."

"You don't understand, I was outnumbered. Also, I was caught in rush hour traffic, the two massive vehicles-"

"NO, it is *you* who does not understand. No mortal is a match for an angel. Not one or a thousand. As far the cars, you should have anticipated it, then acted accordingly."

"Yes..I understand now. What does Pyriel wish?"

"Kill the abomination TODAY, take the heart. Diabolus will be slain before sunset. If you are incapacitated, do not flee. Continue the fight til death--whether that death be his or yours."

"Of course. It shall be done."

"See that it is."

Josiah bowed reverently. "He will die."

"Now..I shall leave you. But I shall be near, awaiting the outcome. Although Pyriel was disappointed, he has allowed you another opportunity to serve him. But do NOT disappoint him again.." He jumped off the roof and walked into the night.


8:05am

Cole sat at a table in the library. He just read the Bible passages. The parts about Gabriel were interewsting. He was involved with the punishment of wicked and destruction of sinful nations. **Wow, I guess you couldn't talk badly about God back then..** The slaying of firstborns in Egypt, Biblical plagues, killing multitudes of human armies, smoting evil kings with disease and death, crippling rulers, calling down fire, turning Sodom and Gommorhah into salt. Then he remembered something Malcolm told him, about nephilim. He turned to Genesis 6, then began to read to himself. "Hmm..'And it came to be in those days, when man began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them..that the sons of God saw that they were fair; and they took wives of their choosing.' Oh boy. Sons of God..another term for angels, maybe? '..and when the sons of God came to them, they bore children of them..and they became mighty men of old, of great and terrible renown'. Interesting. Maybe that's why the Great Flood happened." All of a sudden he felt a hand slap his back.

"Hi, freak!" Tommy said, "What are you reading? Huh?"

Cole looked at Tommy and Darren, thewn quickly closed the books. "Oh, nothing. Just curious research."

Tommy smiled, "Right, sure you are." He saw the Bible. "Oohh..
'getting religion', are we?"

Darren said, "Look, Cole. We need to ask you something. We think you know what's happening in this school."

Cole shrugged. "I told you. Angels. They've brought their second angel war to Earth. Led by Gabriel-"

Tommy said, "Hey! We didn't come for a sermon."

"It's not. I know it's true, even if YOU don't believe it. Hey, what was that little paper slip you drew on?"

Tommy took it out of his pocket. "This?"

Cole looked closely. It was angelic script. "Yes."

"These are markings on several necks. Joe, DJ, Gabriel.."

"Right. The crown is Gabriel. The bird..who is that?"

"Pyriel, according to Miss Resor."

"Ah." He opened the book on angels, looking for literature on it. "Oh, Genocide."

The librarian, who was walking past, looked down at the book. "What's that, boys?" She stared at the section on Pyriel. "Oh no. NOT Genocide. His name really means..'Light of Heaven'. A great healer, an angel of peace."

Darren said, "But he's evil, this teacher tried to-"

The woman shook her head. "No, Satan is evil. Pyriel is..The *Light*. The only hope to restore mankind, the great savior." She walked to her desk and sat dowm.

Tommy sighed. "Okay, THAT was weird. Another follower?"

Cole asked, looking at the other symbols, "What's that one? The 'U', the Greek Omega letter?"

Tommy said, "DJ. Diabolus Jefferson, he has it."

Cole looked it up. After reading on it, he nearly choked in surprise. "Oh crap. You will NOT believe this."

"What? What is it?"

"It means..Lucifer. DJ must be Satan's son."

Darren looked at him funny. "Cole..stop being a freak, alright?! I mean, sure DJ has been called a Beast, the abomination. But he can't be the Antichrist. That's made-up."

Tommy waved for Darren to follow him. "Whatever. Let's go, Freak isn't helping us much." They walked out.

Cole shut the books, glaring at them as they left. He hated that name. 'Freak'. He whispered, "We'll see who the freak is when he finds Joe alive. THEN tell me I'm wrong."