Excerpt: Two Weeks Notice: A Novel Of Angels and the End of the World

A few angels had watched God create the Earth. They didn’t keep track of how long it took him to form the world, only applauded when he finished. For containing life, it was perfect. But then, in the beginning, it was still empty. It was barren of life and held only churning and empty oceans as well as spewing and fiery volcanoes.

Then, life began. It started small, as less than one cell, and grew to a singular celled organism. Again, the angels applauded, but that wasn’t enough for God. He wanted more. A single cell wouldn’t suffice for holding in love. He needed to make these tiny creatures bigger.

The cells doubled and doubled again. Some of the life simply stood there and spewed gases into the world, others chased each other. These animals moved on land as well as in water. They looked up at the sky and wondered in their tiny brains: Sky? Here? Sex? Why?

Creatures with the smallest brains that pondered the question too long were eaten.

The surviving animals were fierce. They had sharp teeth and were quick. Those that weren’t were heavy and thick or had a natural weapon like a spike on the head or tail. They survived by being thick and hanging out in packs or being fast and hanging out in packs. These giant, scaled beasts that ran and fought and ate.

The angels didn’t care for the lizards. “Life in our image,” they reminded God. “In our image.”

God frowned. The winged bastards were right.

A few of the large lizards stared up at the sky that night and wondered: What? Happen? World? Fire? Food? Fire? Sex? The predators ate well during those days. They didn’t survive what followed either.

Ice covered whole continents. Cold blooded creatures couldn’t run as quickly as they once had. Tinier creatures with hair chased them. These creatures stole eggs and roamed in packs as well. Most importantly, they were hungry. They pursued the lizards. It wasn’t much of a sport as it was a slaughter.

Those that survived were smaller and quicker than the mammals. If they weren’t, they were slow and fierce. The other creatures were surprised when a few of the lizards developed feathers and flew away. They kept moving, developing.

As the fuzzy creatures multiplied, they changed as well. Some returned to the water, others clung to trees, others tramped the plains. Their appendages ended in fins or digits or fins. Their faces grew different teeth, for tearing or grinding food.

A few of the old creatures from the start of it all survived. The swimming one with all the teeth and armor. The long lizards that would make excellent luggage one day. Most of the bugs.

God had forgotten how the lobster had originated, but he kept it alive anyway. He liked their bistre color.

Around that time, the first human came to be. You know the rest of the story from there.

Again, the angels applauded all of God’s work. But one complained, “Why don’t they have wings?” The others quit their applause and nodded in agreement. “They should have wings.” “Wings are wonderful.”

“They would look funny with wings.” God could see the angels were not amused. “I would have to start anew if I gave them wings. I’ve worked too hard and long to get to this point. They can know love and that was my purpose for them.”

The angels shut up, but they seemed to second guess him the entire time.