Shhh, Mommy's in the Bathroom.,.Reading: Dark Dawn by Melissa Brodsky and Nicole Andrews Moore

Synopsis:

In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. He created light and dark. Sparkling aquamarine waters, lush green lands and expansive blue skies. Majestic mountains rose from the grounds, meandering valleys with bubbling rivers forged through the earth. The sun warmed the soil and trees and grass burst forth, greens contrasting with blues and browns creating an explosion of colors. Birds playfully dotted the skies and harmoniously chirped in trees. Fish blasted through currents and leaped through waves of the oceans. Creatures of every shape rose and inhabited this pristine infant land. A man formed in God’s image sprang up from under a tree and then a woman from his rib. God chose to call the man Adam and his woman, Eve. Pure, clean air was inhaled, and life began. And God was satisfied, his creation was perfect and he decided to rest.

While God reclined peacefully, contemplating the beauty, wonder, and goodness of all his creation, darkness prepared to take hold. Though all was made with the best of intentions, he never considered what evil might be lurking. It never occurred to him that for every positive action, there could be an equally negative reaction. He never pondered that while he was upsetting the balance of creating something from nothing that the dark nothings might become something horrible, something savage, something bent on destroying the light.

Chaotic times ensued and God foresaw the darkness running rampant, completely out of control. He saw the danger that threatened his creation. He realized his work was yet unfinished. He had to design something more. It was time for an angel. Just as he had done with man and woman not so long before, the angel was created in God’s image. Unlike man, who had only the basest of abilities, he gave the angel the gift of strength to fight the dark and immortality to ensure his longevity. There was no telling how long the war between the light and dark would last. When he was done, he called upon his angel, his helper, Salathiel.

Excerpt

It was late afternoon when they returned and it was Anna’s restlessness that caught Seth’s attention. The rest of the Guardians went to their rooms to unwind, but Anna was pacing on the roof. Instead of settling into their office, as he normally did, Seth walked the extra steps to discover what was troubling Anna. This was completely unlike her.

“Anna,” he said calmly when he reached her.

She whipped around. Her wings were unfurled and twitching nervously. The rustling of her feathers concerned him. When he saw the look in her eyes, he was even more disturbed. “Why?” She asked as her eyes darted about...up at the sky, then over the edge of the roof, back to Seth and all around. “Why are we not permitted to form attachments? Why can we not...be friends with humans?” The frustration in her voice was evident. “Why, Seth? What is so wrong and different about us that we can’t be around His other creations?”

Seth slowly came closer. He feared she was about to cry. In all their years of communal living, he had seen her cry...never. She hadn’t shed a tear over wars. She had seen countless horrific events pass, yet this was the first time anything had ever seemed to get under her skin and affect her.

“There’s nothing wrong with us, Anna. You know that. We simply shouldn’t be distracted. Attachments create distractions; they make us weak. We would be inclined to put the good of the few above the needs of the many. That isn’t our mission. No entanglements. No distractions. These rules were created for a reason.” He spoke in gentle soothing tones. It was obvious his words fell on deaf ears.

She shook her head. “We weren’t supposed to live together. We were supposed to be scattered about the globe. Instead, you decided that we should act as one. If that can change, if the Father can understand the rationale for that change...maybe there could be more...”