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"Liam?"
Spencer's voice was strong, his voice filled in youth, not weak compared to his older brother who laid on the couch. Spencer looked like he was in his well aging fifties, not in his well nineties, his eyebrows knitting together in concern, retaining muscle. The nearest hints that he was old could be seen on his large hands that had nerves more exposed than before, an old tattoo from long ago that had faded.
In contrast to Spencer, sharply, Liam was a thin old man who had lost his boyish youth. He still wore physical glasses, old fashioned, resting on the bridge of his nose, his head was lowered, while slumped in the seat. He looked hollowed out, his face decorated in deep laughter lines, crow lines. Dressed in a heavy fleece pajamas.
A hundred twelve years old and he wasn't laughing. The sound of his familiar old laugh had dissipated. Came to a conclusion that was quite sudden.
He was seated alongside a holo-photograph of a Hawaiian woman and a young man side by side in their mid forties with seven children of various ages. Four of them weren't the authenticity of either parent, but notably, one of them resembled strongly a friend who had been made during his youth, big afro, prominent chip munk teeth, smiling radiantly, and two of the girls had pig tails, wore braces, with glasses. Brilliant girls by the way who specialized in art in Hollywood.
Spencer withdrew as his mouth fell open then stepped back then slowly left the room and went down the stairs.
"Oh God..." For the first time in over ninety years, he covered his mouth, stifling back the tears, his legs trembling. "Oh god.."
His steps were echoing loudly behind him.
The closet automatically opened with no effort and white brilliant light poured out with white smoke drifting out into the room. A man emerged, short, a nice graying beard, a halo rotating and flying above his head, in a suit that was different from the one that he had met the young boy long ago.
The television set was playing a movie inspired largely by his story with Satan that he had adapted into a book.
"We're here." The angel, or what was formerly Satan, announced in an other worldly grave voice.
Satan stepped aside then a young man in his early forties emerged from the smoke dressed in light green. Green shirt, green jacket, except for the jeans. A sharp contrast to the old man dressed in blue resting in the chair who's chair faced the door with one arm dangling down the side.
The younger man looked back toward Satan who beckoned him on with a single hand wave.
"Go on." Satan said, softly, lifting his head up.
The young man squinted back at the face and studied him for a long moment.
"Liam?..."
"Take him by the hand."
"He's heavy!"
"Oooh Emmmaaa..." He turned toward the white mist. "Your second favorite needs some help!"
A woman emerged from the closet with long hair, a blue pantsuit, with a pink buttoned up shirt beneath it all.
"Is that..."
"Come on and help!"
Emma joined his side then took the aged man's other hand. The pair tugged him out of the body and stumbled back from the corpse. The crowd crashed in front of Satan who patiently awaited while they got up to their feet.
"Gibby!" Liam cried out.
Liam hugged Gibby with a roar of laughter and glee, between tears, overjoyed. They were two young men reunited at their best years. Liam hugged him, quietly, swaying from side to side, taking in the terrible perfume, feeling him, being sure that this was really happening.
"There is my best friend in the entire world!" Gibby exclaimed.
Liam backed off out of the hug wearing the biggest smile taking in the deep baggy eyes and the afro and those familiar eyes.
"You look great!" Liam observed.
Liam was shaking Gibby's shoulder in the middle of the laughter.
"How old were you?"
Liam turned around acting his former shell that was a shriveled old man. A cold prison that made movement difficult, his voice little to be heard. His wheelchair was set close by on idle mode. A floating wheelchair that had only came out a few decades ago and had a control panel that required very little hand movement.
He remembered how alone it was. Extended family didn't hit the spot, all the warmth was sucked out when his best friend had passed after Emma. Everything was dark and dreary. That was Hell. It wasn't made of fire and brimstone and torture, it was made of in a different set of circumstance that personally harmed him in the soul. A cell that had been tugged open by the pieces of good.
"A hundred twelve." Liam said.
"That's two years more than I did!" Gibby said.
Liam turned toward his side shaking his head.
"Could have spent the last two years better with your advice." Liam argued.
"You spent them well, you did everything before I left and more according to the big guy." Gibby motioned his head aside.
Liam laughed then looked to his side facing the young woman as his entire history flashed across his mind. Drifting apart, going their own paths, meeting again during their thirties and gave a a serious relationship a chance. Never in his entire life did he believe that Emma would pick him.
He had broke up with her the first time around on the prospect of having a baby and the child being bullied over it just as he were. It made the entire relationship have this weird feel to it. As if Satan himself was doing another freebie. And she still pursued him.
Being pursued instead of being the pursee was more weird.
"Emma!" Liam announced, cheerfully.
His eyes lit up upon seeing Emma at her prime. The pronounced baggy eyes, the few crows feet, a couple laughter lines. Her face was glowing with youth and life in ways that it hadn't when the end had claimed her a few years ago. The glow had faded leaving her gray and yet, still looked gorgeous to her dying day. She aged so wonderfully yet she prefer to see herself at her best. That was the only way she saw herself, Emma wished numerous times that she was that woman again.
Beauty couldn't be touched..
"Liam!" Emma shouted,
Emma and Liam shared a heartfelt hug, rather than a kiss, then a group hug with Gibby.
"The gang all back together again..." Satan applauded, slowly, lifting an eyebrow.
Liam ran over toward the older being then hugged him that was reciprocated, it felt nice, warm, and good. It was a very nice hug from the end of an angel. It had the angelic touch. The angel once known as Satan rested his hands on the young soul's back feeling the inner child inside.
The young man stepped back clasping the side of the angel's shoulders.
"Seriously man, why didn't you break the rules and take my soul when I was twelve?"
The angel scowled back at the comment leaning back against the door with his arms folded and shook his head.
"Needed an entire life before going somewhere." The angel's features softened. "Some people start good then they end bad. Bad people start out bad then they turn out good." He shrugged in response. "Satan can't take the chance of a good child through and through suffering in hell because of well off deeds."
"Satan..." He lowered his head then lifted it up. "the 21st century was terrifying."
"It got better." Satan stretched his arms out with a shrug then lowered them.
Gibby shook his hand beneath his chin, grimacing, signalling for Satan to stop it.
"You came out of it with your soul, your identity, and what makes you up, have to say this odd living hell didn't hurt that much."
Gibby and Emma exchanged a look then back joining Liam's side.
"We did live in very interesting times." Gibby quirked.
"Who gets to say that nowadays?" Emma added.
Liam looked back and forth facing the people who he cared dearly.
"Not many people do, did make us interesting, being focused on, being asked questions about how it was like..." Liam recalled while they proceeded to walk into the light.
The crowd vanished in a brilliant light then the angel formerly known as Satan faced the black feline for a long moment then turned.
The angelic being walked in as the doors closed behind him.