An Unforgettable Melody Ch. 13

As Harry finished speaking, they felt a great rumbling in the chamber. Ahead of them, the section of the chamber wall that lacked seats began to split, slowly opening to reveal a bright light within. As the wall fully opened, Mike could see an enormous throne on the other side, which soon was sat upon by a gigantic robed figure. The light from the room was intense and concentrated, blinding him to the point that he could only make out the feet of the figure sitting on the throne.

"Is... that?" Mike stuttered.

"You better believe it... the boss man Himself," Harry replied with a smile.

With all parties now assembled, Thomas began to speak, his authoritative voice echoing throughout the chamber. "Henry Buchannan, you have passed away from your mortal life and now stand before the Throne of God the Almighty, seeking entry into His kingdom. Before this can happen, you must now answer for your transgressions in life. Said transgressions include, but are not limited to, lying to one's subjects, theft of money and property by deception from said subjects, multiple accounts of adultery, and corruption of power to an extreme magnitude. Henry Buchannan, do you understand the transgressions as they have been stated to you?"

"Y-Yes, I do," the man said meekly.

"Very well," Thomas replied. "How do you answer in regard to lying to your subjects?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Henry said, prompting a derisive snort from Mike.

Not conceding an inch, Thomas held firm, saying, "You are on record in life as making multiple promises to your subjects, such as a refusal to raise taxes or an oath to reduce eminent domain laws, only to intentionally break those exact promises after gaining power. These facts are indisputable. I ask again, how do you answer?"

"I answer that... I always did what was best for my constituents, even if they did not know for themselves what was best. I lived my life without regret," Henry replied.

"Very well," Thomas said. "In life you enacted, though were never caught making, policies that allowed you to secretly embezzle money and property from your subjects, frequently using complex language to trick them into paying fees or losing property that was rightfully theirs. How do you answer?"

"Now see here!" Henry replied, becoming more agitated. "Every dollar of funds I raised from my constituents went to worthy causes! That I can guarantee! They themselves refused to donate to those causes, even though God Himself commanded them to do so, leaving me no choice but to use the law to correct this problem. I prayed night and day about that decision, and came to the conclusion that it was what God wanted me to do."

Thomas responded, "Even if it were true that those funds went to worthy causes, I can personally guarantee you that God the Father never instructed you to do such a thing. As it so happens, however, those funds did not go to 'worthy causes' as you claim, instead funding the favorite projects of those who would donate to your reelection campaigns. Do you have anything more to add?"

"No, I have no regrets," Henry said defiantly.

Thomas continued, "Very well. In regards to the multiple accounts of adultery, how do you answer?"

Henry stood in stunned silence for several moments before finally answering, "I... I loved my wife. I love her still today. There was nothing wrong with her, our marriage was just... boring."

"Boring?" Thomas asked, amazed at the man's audacity. "She willingly gave herself to you, body, mind, and soul. She devoted her life to you. Yet all you can say in regards to breaking your vows to her is that she was... boring?"

"Mankind has always become restless at times, seeking new and exciting adventures," Henry replied, trying to cover for himself. "It's simply our nature, a nature God imbued in us, so nothing could be wrong about it. Again, I have no regrets."

Thomas then said, "Finally, in regards to the transgression of corruption, how do you answer?"

Staring straight into the counselor's eyes, Henry replied, "Ihatethat word. Corruption is what I fought against my entire life. The very notion that you would call me corrupt is... despicable."

"So, you claim that you did not engage in corrupt practices?"

"Yes I do."

Shaking his head, Thomas stated, "Your claim is erroneous, and one that you know to be a falsehood. Throughout your life, you frequently ignored the will and needs of your subjects, rejecting their choices as to who should serve in your offices alongside you as public servants. You would then replace those choices with individuals that would simply do your bidding unquestioningly. All of your actions led you towards one goal: attaining, keeping, growing, and consolidating your own power and influence. Your entire life was one long quest for power over your fellow Man. How do you answer?"

"I am a man of God!" he exclaimed. "Every action I took in service to my constituents was in effort to bring them as close to God as me. The people they would have had me work with were Godless imbeciles! They wouldn't know the first thing about governing. If the people are misguided in their actions and decisions, it is their leader's job to correct them, as I did."

"Very well. Henry Buchannan, this is your final opportunity to speak. Do you have anything more to say before a decision is rendered in regards to your eternal soul?" Thomas asked.

Still defiant, the man simply repeated his mantra once more. "I have no regrets."

Soon, the chamber began to rumble as God Himself spoke His judgment.

Foolish man. To commit such egregious transgressions and still have no forethought to truly and earnestly repent of them. To knowingly do such deplorable acts and attempt to claim they are done in My name. Thou hypocrite! He who attempts to lead people to God while being willfully ignorant as to His will is truly a failure. He who sees no fault in his shortcomings and only seeks to blame them on his very creation ignores My greatest gift of all: the free will inherent in all of Mankind. You are unworthy to enter My house. Given every opportunity to repent of your sins, you still choose to cling to your own misguided pride. You are UNWORTHY to ever enter My house! I cast you OUT!

The moment He had finished speaking, the platform beneath Henry began to smoke, glowing red. A look of dread and panic spread across his face; he knew he had blown his one shot at redemption. "No... no... no, no, noooooo!!!!" he wailed in desperation. As he cried out, the floor of his platform disappeared beneath him, dropping him into a bottomless, flaming pit.

"Woah... that was intense," Mike whispered as light slowly returned to the room.

"I know," Harry said, "but it was important for you to see. I'm not allowed to tell you how to approach your hearing, but I hope that watching poor Henry gave you some vital information as to the answers."

"I think so. It's just... I'm now more worried than ever."

"Don't be. Remember, you're a blue, not a yellow. It's already been determined that you're not deserving of Henry's fate. Truthfully, Henry had every opportunity to earn his eternal reward, but that's not how it ended for him."

Thinking momentarily, Mike asked, "What would be the worst case scenario for my hearing?"

Nodding, Harry replied, "God would determine that your transgressions and answers to them are not enough to warrant your immediate entry into Heaven. In that case, you would immediately find yourself at the foot of Mount Purgatory, where you would begin to work off those transgressions during your climb, bettering yourself in the process."

Taking a deep breath, Mike stated, "Ok, I'm ready."

Walking down several flights of stairs, Harry led him to a small, empty room with a familiar-looking podium standing on a round platform. Shaking his grandson's hand firmly, Harry said, "I know you're worried, and that's perfectly normal. Just remember, regardless of what happens in the Judgment Chamber, that you will see Melody again, you will see me again, you will see all of your loved ones again. It's only a matter of when. Have faith, Mike."

"Thanks, Granddaddy."

Stepping onto the platform, Mike quieted his mind and took his place at the podium. As the circular railing now surrounded him, a column of light engulfed the platform, obscuring everything from Mike's view. With a flash, he stood on the floor of the Judgment Chamber, face-to-face with Thomas. Though he was nervous, Mike couldn't help but smile, reminding himself that Melody's warm embrace could be mere moments away. He allowed these thoughts to envelope him, feeling a wave of courage wash over his conscious. He looked up with a pleasant look on his face, ready for whatever Thomas presented to him. The familiar rumbling began once more, revealing the Throne of God and signaling the start of the hearing.

"Mike Braxton," Thomas spoke. "You have passed away from your mortal life and now stand before the Throne of God the Almighty, seeking entry into His kingdom. Before this can happen, you must now answer for your transgressions in life. Said transgressions include, but are not limited to, instances of taking the Lord's name in vain, multiple accounts of sex outside of wedlock, among other... unique situations, which we will delve into. Mike Braxton, do you understand the transgressions as they have been stated to you?"

"Yes sir, I do," Mike replied.

"Very well. How do you answer in regards to taking the Lord's name in vain?"

Collecting himself, Mike said, "I was, and still am, a foolish man who, in those moments, chose to let his temporary anger cloud his better judgment. I know better than that. I truly regretted the words I spoke the moment they left my mouth, and still do to this day. Unfortunately, there is no way to erase those words; the pain they caused is all too real. The guilt I have felt after those moments is my punishment, though I realize it may not be nearly enough to make up for my mistakes."

Thomas paused momentarily, taking in Mike's response. Finally, he continued, "Very well, and how do you answer for the accounts of sex outside of wedlock?"

"Those accounts did happen," Mike stated simply. "I realize that this is against the teachings of the Bible. However, I do wish to state for the record that I did, in fact, deeply love each of the women that I had sex with. This is certainly no excuse for my actions, but I would dishonor their names as well if I did not at least emphasize that point."

Strangely, Thomas again paused, looking in God's direction, before nodding, as if he and God had just had a mental conversation. "In the interest of complete discretion, God the Almighty wishes me to convey to you that, though your actions were indeed sinful and against His teachings, He also realizes that determining the context of a sin is just as important as the sin itself. This, mind you, does not change the sinful nature of the action, but understanding the context of any sin is paramount to moving towards forgiveness. In addition, He and I wish to thank you for your honesty on your heart's true feelings towards these women. That you would put yourself in a precarious situation within this chamber so as not to dishonor their names is quite admirable."

"Thank you," Mike said quietly, rather surprised by the response he had heard.

"You are welcome," Thomas replied. "Now, we shall move to the most crucial part of your hearing. The greatest transgression that you must now answer for is your willful participation in the enslavement of an intelligent, living being, one Melody Braxton. How do you answer for this transgression?"

Mike replied, "Counselor, not a day has gone by that this has not weighed heavily on my conscience. I can truly, honestly say that Melody's presence in my life has changed me for the better. However, this alone does not make up for the dilemma I faced upon first meeting her. As you are doubtless aware, my immediate concern was for her freedom, which I learned was something that could not be fully granted by me. The only action I could have taken differently in this matter would have been to release her from her bond to me, thus disavowing my involvement in her enslavement entirely. This decision, however, would not have been without consequences in and of itself. If I may, I would ask if you, Counselor, are able to show what would have become of Melody if I had indeed released her from her bond to me."

After again conferring with God mentally, Thomas answered, "God is all-knowing, and thus, we are able to show what would have happened in the events you describe."

Instantly, a faint, ethereal cloud appeared in the air above the chamber, and from within the cloud came images of Melody. First, Mike's fight with Stephen, Darcy's abusive ex-boyfriend, was shown. Thomas explained that, had Mike freed Melody, he would still have kept her locket on his person for safekeeping. However, the lack of her protective powers would have resulted in Mike losing the fight with Stephen, who would then have seen the locket as Mike lay beaten on the floor and decided to take it for himself, intending to sell it. He soon would have discovered the secret that it held and, due to the locket's protective magic being disabled by Mike, released Melody, claiming her and becoming her master.

What followed was a montage of pain and suffering, depicting the brutal treatment Melody would have received under Stephen's ownership day after day. Additionally, the faces of the many women he would forcibly take for himself using Melody's powers were shown, filling the cloud until their numbers became too great to keep up with. Finally, Stephen was shown gaining mastery of his wishes, twisting his words to wish himself into positions of great power, eventually up to the office of President of the United States. As President, Stephen would have become akin to Emperor Nero of Rome, lazily shirking his duties and sleeping with interns while the other nations of the world began to squabble in the absence of America's leadership, eventually leading to a worldwide nuclear war.

As the images ended and the cloud disappeared, Mike said, "It has long been said that one small decision can affect countless larger ones in the future. It does seem clear that, for the good of the world, my decision to keep Melody was a wise one."

"Be that as it may, did you not still participate in Melody's enslavement? Even if for the good of others, enslavement is still enslavement, is it not?" Thomas countered forcefully.

For a few seconds, Mike became very angry. He had just shown the entire room the horrors that would have befallen Melody and the world had Mike not taken custody of her, and yet he was still being accused of being in the wrong. He loved Melody, he had given her free will, he had shown her the teachings of God Himself, so why was he in trouble for this? Besides, Thomas had spoken moments before on understanding the context of any sin. As his anger began to boil inside of him, Mike suddenly remembered poor Henry Buchannan. Taking several deep breaths, he calmed himself before speaking his reply.

"You are correct. Enslavement is still enslavement, no matter what purpose it is for. I fully realize that a wise decision as it pertains to others does not absolve me of the sin of participating in Melody's enslavement. I did the best that I was able to, treating her with love and dignity, granting her free will, and showing her God's love as best as I was able, but the fact remains that she was still enslaved to me. In answer to the previously stated transgression, words cannot express the sorrow I have felt throughout my entire life that I could not give Melody exactly what she deserved: her full, unconditional freedom. Perhaps I simply was not wise enough, certainly not Godly enough, to find a perfect solution. For that failure, I am assuredly guilty."

An audible gasp came from the crowd observing the proceedings as he gave his answer; not a single person knew what to expect upon watching the visions he had requested to be played, and it seemed to all that were present that Mike was voluntarily sending himself to Purgatory by not fighting back against the forceful rebuke of Thomas. Waving his hand, Thomas immediately quieted the audience.

"Very well," Thomas said. "Mike Braxton, this is your final opportunity to speak. Do you have anything more to say before a decision is rendered in regards to your eternal soul?"

Collecting himself, Mike said, "I am not a perfect man; far from it, in fact. I am a sinful, shortsighted, misguided individual. I did my best each day, trying to live how God and Jesus would want me to, but ultimately, I fell short. I am, in a word, imperfect. Standing here before the Throne of God, I humbly admit all of my shortcomings and seek forgiveness. My only hope, my only prayer, is that the grace of God and the sacrifice of His Son are enough to make up for my vast imperfection."

Mike bowed his head and closed his eyes, at peace with everything he had said and done. Though he hoped to see Melody again soon, he fully expected that the next thing he would see would be the base of Mount Purgatory. Keeping his eyes closed, he felt the familiar rumbling as God spoke his judgment.

My son... welcome home!!!

Mike's eyes snapped open, unsure of what he had just heard. Around him, the spectators cheered and applauded God's decision. As the railing surrounding him lowered, allowing him to leave the podium, Mike saw Thomas running across the chambers with a huge smile on his face. Soon the man ran up to him and shook his hand firmly.

"You did it! I knew you could do it, Mike!" Thomas shouted gleefully.

"You're not mad?" Mike asked in confusion.

"Of course not! I have a job to do, but victory or defeat ultimately rests with you, and I couldn't be happier for you."

"HAHA! That's my boy!" came an excited cry from behind Mike. Before he could even turn, Harry had already wrapped him in another bear hug. "Knew you'd figure out the answer. It's not about how badly you messed up in life; it's about having the humility to own up to it and genuinely want forgiveness."

"Just one final matter," Thomas chimed in, patting Mike on the back. As he did so, Mike's tan suit and blue tie instantly turned solid black. "On the other side, there are no more color statuses. It matters not if you were the most borderline yellow or the most deserving green; all are worthy who have entered God's house."

With a few parting handshakes, Mike said goodbye to the two men. "I'll be seein' y'all around!" he said, turning towards the Throne of God.

Step forward, Mike Braxton. Claim your eternal reward.

As the throne disappeared, an enormous door was revealed behind it, slowly opening to reveal a blinding light. Mike slowly walked into the light, soon becoming completely enveloped by it. With a brilliant flash, he finally found himself in a field surrounded by mist. As he stood there in awe, listening to the chirping of the birds and crickets, Mike had never felt more at peace.

"I've died and gone to heaven," came a sultry voice from behind him.

Snapping his head around, he found the love of his life waiting on him, dressed for the occasion in her favorite black dress.

"Melody!" Mike immediately ran to her, wrapping her in his arms and refusing to let her go.

"I'm sorry, Mike," she said. "I promised... that we'd never be separated, but..."

"Melody, hush," he said, beaming. "Everything's worked out for the best. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because we're in FREAKIN' HEAVEN! WE MADE IT!" Mike shouted, eliciting a joyous giggle from Melody.

As the couple embraced and kissed passionately, Mike could feel the presence of another person approaching. Looking around slowly, he could make out a figure walking up to them through the mist surrounding the field. Eventually, the person was close enough that Mike could clearly see who it was. He wore a casual pair of blue jeans and a plain white T-shirt, but the face and beard was unmistakable, as it was perhaps the most famous beard in human history.