Darkness Vs. Light

By Jessica Ricks
​Cloaked in the evening shadows, Dinah quietly stalked the towns making her rounds as usual to find ways to make life better for people. From helping a little girl find her lost cat, to guarding a man from being hit by a car, her duty from day to day as an angel was to protect humanity.
​She found herself in a town in the Midwest where there was a clear distinction between the poor and the rich. One thing she never understood is why humans insisted on dividing themselves by class? Wouldn’t it be easier to treat everyone equally? Surely society would function better.
​Still streaking through the shadows was the best way to move in broad daylight without being seen. She saw many families in the streets begging for money and food. It made her heart ache to see such young children and parents who cared so much about them but could not give them everything they needed.
​Morphing from the shadows she appeared on the sidewalk around the corner as a girl who looked no more than 20 with short spikey black hair, ripped jeans and a black tank top, and black wings when extended their full length spanned four feet of majestic celestial energy. She conjured up a solution, at least a temporary one, to their current problem. Within seconds a truck came around the corner with volunteers who handed them food, money, and fresh clothing.
​Dinah watched with a satisfied smile at the shocked and happy looks on their faces. Some of the mothers began to cry and thank the volunteers generously. She wished she could do more, but her powers worked in mysterious ways. She could make something happen out of thin air and she could whisper in someone’s ear to make them do something. However, she couldn’t solve everything at once, and not in ways that lasted forever. Her job was to give humanity the tools they needed to solve their problems, not do everything for them. She could only do part of the work, they needed to do the rest, which was why the other angels thought humanity was a lost cause. They keep destroying each other no matter what we do, they said. Why keep trying to help them? But from the moment Dinah was given the sworn duty by the most high to be the protector of humanity and in the hundreds of years since then she never faltered in her mission to make the world a better place.
A gust of wind whistled past her ear, but warm and intense like the sun. There was another magical presence in the area. By the hot feeling of it, it had to be an angel, one in particular. She followed it until she saw who she was looking for sitting on the edge of a roof watching a press conference at the city hall take place.
The angel in question was everything you would imagine an angel to look like. While Dinah, the angel of darkness, was shrouded in black with wings as dark as the midnight sky, this angel radiated light as bright as the sun. Her wings were pure white, her long golden brown hair trickled down to her waist like a waterfall, and her blue eyes sparkled as bright as the heavens from which they came from.
“Humans are curious, Dinah,” Wynona, the angel of light, said to her without looking in her direction. Her voice was as smooth the sound of church bells chiming in the morning. “They always want more than they have. They’re never grateful. If they’re not happy, they self-destruct.”
Dinah stood on the roofs edge next to her sister watching the events down below. Eager faces surrounded an older man on the podium who seemed to be the mayor and awaited his next declaration.
“I have just signed into order the new bill stating that henceforth taxes will be raised for anyone making under $50,000 a year. This will account for renovations that the city voted for on the last ballot,” the Mayor exclaimed with a smirk.
A murmur immediately rang out among the crowd and questions were immediately asked. The words struck an agitated chord in Dinah. “That’s not fair,” she said aloud as she clenched her fist.
“As I said, humans are never satisfied,” Wynona said unfazed by the announcement. “They want what they can’t have, no matter what it means to everyone else.”
Dinah studied her for a moment. Wynona continued to look down at the crowd with a gleam in her eyes still seeming to be completely unfazed by the horrible tax announcement. “You did it.”
Wynona finally looked at her. “Did what?”
“You made him sign that bill!” Dinah accused.
Wynona just shrugged. “I had to.”
“For what?!” Dinah exclaimed.
“They were debating on how to go about the renovations the city so desperately needs. Among their options this was the easiest one so I put it in his mind to do it.”
Dinah looked at her incredulously. “This town has more important problems than repainting the buildings! Did you see all the poor people in the streets here?”
Wynona stood up and looked her in the eye. “You don’t understand, Dinah. Light is justice, it is beauty, it is happiness.”
“It’s an illusion,” Dinah said, her voice dripping with disappointment for her sister. “This does nothing but make it look like everyone is happy.”
Again, Wynona shrugged. “I have sworn to bring light to the world at all costs. I must do this for the many at the cost of the few.” She looked to the sky where the sun was beginning to fade, the clouds which were their home, rolled by casting shadows over the city. “One day you’ll understand Dinah.”
“I will never understand putting the needs of the powerful over people who can’t help their situation,” she said.
Wynona morphed into a tiny ball of light and floated up to the clouds and Dinah melted into the shadows and traveled with her. They didn’t exactly live on top of the clouds. But above the clouds was the entrance to their real home. After reached what the angels called “The Golden Gate” although it wasn’t actually a gate. They changed back to their angel forms and entered the portal of swirling golden light.
Their home above the clouds was more beautiful than any human could ever imagine. A ground as fluffy and white as a cloud, a vast sky of all colors swirling together, a rich selection of healthy plants and animals, huge marble buildings with tall pillars and a luxurious interior for every angel to live comfortably in. Angels flew left and right, some were guardians and some did their duties from up here. Dinah followed Wynona to the Council of Angels located in the most majestic building. As part of their job, they were supposed to report back to the Council of Angels with any important news concerning the angels and for the council to give the progress report on their work and what more should be done.
Dinah walked through the solid gold doors of the building wearily. She knew what would happen when they went inside. The council would praise Wynona for her work, however treacherous it was. She was the Angel of Light, her intentions could never be wrong. While they spoke nothing but good things about Wynona, they would berate Dinah for the smallest of reasons. Most people saw darkness as evil. No matter how just Dinah could be in her words and actions, it would never be right in the eyes of the council.
In the big meeting room, sitting in their huge golden chairs which they wouldn’t let anyone call thrones, sat the four angels on the council: Gabriel, Adonna, Victaire, and Mira. They were the oldest angels in the universe, having served the Most High from the beginning of time.
Wynona knelt before them and Dinah followed suit.
“Council of Angels, it is an honor,” Wynona said respectfully.
Dinah figured it would be best to keep her mouth shut and avoided eye contact with the angels however she quickly realized that was a mistake.
“Dinah, have you forgotten your courtesies?” Adonna said disapprovingly. The red haired angel was always the first to criticize Dinah.
Dinah forced a smile. “It is an honor.”
“What news do you bring us of the humans today?” Gabriel asked.
“Through our work they are beginning to makes strides towards ending their latest war,” Wynona said proudly.
Victaire sighed. “Until they start up another one.”
“Victaire!” Mira scolded.
“What? It’s true! Happens every time. I give it ten years.”
“And you’ve made small improvement today in the town of Bosley?” Gabriel said ignoring Victaire and Mira giving each other the evil eye.
“I try my hardest,” Wynona said, the proud smile never leaving her face.
“At the expense of the poor,” Dinah couldn’t resist the urge to say.
“Speaking out of turn Dinah?” Gabriel said disapprovingly.
“I feel the council should know where Wynona’s loyalties stand as far as bringing about the so called good of humanity.”
“I have nothing but loyalty to the angels and to the humans I serve.” Even when she was angry, Wynona’s light voice was calm and soothing.
“Wynona brings nothing but light and happiness to the world,” Adonna said. “Let’s not talk about where your loyalties lay, Dinah.”
“My loyalties…?” Dinah said confused.
“We’ve heard rumors that you have been conversing with the fallen angels,” Gabriel said, his golden eyes bearing into hers as if looking into her mind. “One in particular.”
“I never…!”
“Those are but rumors Gabriel,” Mira said. She was always the firs to defend Dinah.
“Rumors they may be, but Dinah knows the penalty for treason,” Gabriel said.
Dinah bowed her head respectfully but inside she was furious. “Gabriel, with all due respect, I would never commit such treasonous acts.”
He gave her another scrutinizing look. “As you should know not to. Maybe try taking a page out of Wynona’s book and be a little more positive as she is. If there is no more to say, you are both dismissed.”
The two left the council building, Wynona dancing through the flowers as usual with a song in her treacherous head while Dinah flew away as fast as she could, not wanting her sister to see her cry.
It wasn’t fair that the Council treated Wynona so much better just because she was the angel of light. Light and darkness meant nothing when it came to deciding good and bad. The Most High gave her the job of protecting humanity for a reason, not just Wynona and she could argue that she was doing a lot better job of it than her sister was.
She and Wynona weren’t always like this, so fractured and on such opposite sides. There was a time when they were very close and had each other’s backs on everything. She didn’t know exactly when Wynona had turned on her and suddenly taken on this idea of creating the illusion of joy among the humans at any cost. It wasn’t what they stood for. They had sworn to protect and serve. That was what she would do no matter what the other angels thought of her, but what hurt that most was that her sister was now against her.
All of the angels drifting by regarded her with disdain. She was the only dark angel left. There had been many but over the years they had fallen, cast out of the heavens and had their wings taken from them for treason. Just because she was a dark angel, they expected her to fall too but she would prove them wrong. Their nasty looks made her stronger.
Yet she still had a heart that was suffering as much as anyone’s heart could. She couldn’t confide in any of these angels, but there was one who she could confide in.
The Council had gotten one thing right; she had been having conversations with a fallen angel. He had fallen many millennia ago. The angels saw him as the worst that anyone could ever be…except Dinah. She saw a heart filled with compassion when she spoke to him. The angels would never understand her anywhere near as much as he did.
She traveled down from the heavens in the form of her shadow travel, going further still when the passed through the ground going down hundreds of feet until finally she arrived at his front door. The house wasn’t nearly as grand as any of those up above. He had crafted it himself and with the harsh environment down here it always looked worn and beaten no matter how much he tried to keep it nice looking.
Before she could knock, the door opened and she was met with the tall, pale form and crimson red eyes of Lucifer. He looked down at her with that usual “I know something you don’t know” smirk on his face. “Long time no see Dinah.”
“The angels are getting suspicious,” she said.
He moved aside to let her into the dark but cozy house. “Then why do you continue to see me?”
“They don’t understand me the way you do.”
He put a hand on her shoulder. For someone who lived in the heat of the Earth’s core, his hands were awfully cold. He turned her to face him. “Dinah, you know I don’t want anything to happen to you. They’ll strip you of your wings and you’ll never be able to go home if they find out about this.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said defiantly. “You’re not going to get me away from you.”
The smirk returned to his face. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
His smile was warm and kind. He was the most evil in all of creation, or at least that’s what the angels taught. She knew better and it made her sad. She sat down on his black leather couch and looked into the burning embers in the fireplace.
“What’s wrong?” he asked sitting next to her.
“You and I are one in the same,” she replied.
“We’re not. You’re pure of heart and soul.”
“They hate both of us.”
“They don’t hate you.”
“I was told today by the council to be more like Wynona. Wynona has sunken about as low as she can get these days,” she said getting angrier the more she spoke. “But does anyone care? Of course not! Because she’s the Angel of Light, she can do no wrong. She’s perfect. But that’s what the angels want, they don’t want honesty. They’ll never look beneath the surface.”
“I’ve seen the heavens become more and more corrupt over the years,” Lucifer replied. “Everything is becoming corrupt. There’s more going on here.”
She looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?”
“Hundreds of angels have fallen over the last century. You think that was an accident? It wasn’t. I fear the same forces are working to overtake your sister.”
“She would never fall.”
He leaned back. “Yeah, that’s true. But they know who they can get to fall. You’re their scapegoat.”
The fear washed over her as she let that sink in for a moment. “Wynona wouldn’t betray me.”
“I said the same thing.”
She could see years of knowledge and experiences in his eyes, as well as pain. It had happened before, who was to say it wouldn’t happen again. “Lucifer, what do I do? How can I stop this?” she said desperately.
“It’s the fallen angels. They’re angry and hurt and they want revenge. You can’t let them get to Wynona. If that happens they’ll try to overthrow the council. You have to expose them.”
“You have to help me.”
“I will help you. But you have to do me a favor.”
“Anything.”
“Stop coming to see me all the time.”
Somehow that made her more afraid than anything else. “I can’t do that!”
“You have to.”
“Do you know how lonely it is being in a world where no one else wants to talk to you or be a part of your life? Where you’re trying so hard to be good but they still fear you?! You’re the only one who understands me! If I don’t have you I have nothing!”
He stared into the fire which seemed to make it crimson eyes burn even brighter. “I do know. You’re the only one who comes to visit me Dinah. You’re the only one who still cares. I don’t want to lose you but I don’t want anything to happen to you. We can still see each other, just not as often. I don’t want you to end up like me.”
As much as she hated to admit it, she knew he was right. “I understand.” She gripped his hands tightly. “I’ll figure out what’s going on. I’ll find some way to stop the fallen angels. I promise.”
“I know you will.”

As soon as she reached The Golden Gate, she was grabbed by two strong angels. “Hey! What are you doing?!” They dragged her through the gate and made their way towards the Council building with unwavering stoic expressions on their faces. “Let me go!” she exclaimed as she tried to fight them off but it was no use.
“You will answer to the Council of Angels for your crimes,” one of the men said.
“What…?” Her heart nearly stopped when she realized someone must have found out she had gone to see Lucifer.
She was dragged through the doors to the Great Hall full of angels, including the Council sitting on their golden thrones, looking at her with disdain. Dinah struggled against the men holding her arms; their big hands seemed to be cutting off her circulation.
She was shoved to the floor in front of the Council. She hit the marble painfully on her hands and knees. The first thing she saw was Gabriel’s feet. Slowly she looked up to see his cold stare boring into her black eyes.
“Gabriel, I…” she began.
“Silence!” he said in a commanding voice that made her nearly jump out of her skin.
Dinah looked around desperately. At the edge of the crowd in front of her was Wynona. The two locked eyes. Her eyes pleaded for help. Wynona’s expression was blank but Dinah could see something more sparkling beneath her eyes. Fear? Guilt?
“So the rumors were true that you were having secret meetings with the king of the damned,” Gabriel said. It wasn’t a question.
“I wasn’t having secret meetings…”
“You call us liars?”
“Never…!”
“At a time of such great strife you choose to be in direct contact with the enemies of the heavens, including the worst enemy of them all. Such treasonous acts must be punished.”
“Gabriel, I would never dream of committing any kind of crimes and endangering the heavens!”
“A true angel and protector of humanity would never lie. How do you plead?”
“I…I only went to confide in Lucifer because he is the only one who understands what it’s like to be an outcast!” she exclaimed. “Darkness is not evil, and that includes me and him but none of you ever choose to look beneath the surface of anything and see past your own ideas of perfect!”
Shocked murmurs bussed through the crowd of observers.
With a sudden surge of adrenaline she continued. “Yes, I plead guilty! There are much greater threats out there than Lucifer. Those who have previously fallen, they’re out to get us. You have to listen to me!”
“Lies!” Adonna exclaimed. “Gabriel, are we going to sit here and listen to this nonsense?”
“I’m not lying! I’ve sworn my life to protect and serve and that includes the angels. I would never…” Once again she made eye contact with Wynona. Their relationship may have been fractured as of late but Wynona would never let them punish her for something she didn’t do. “Wynona! Wynona, tell them! Tell them I would never lie!”
All eyes in the room landed on Wynona. Her eyes darted back and forth between them all and finally back to Dinah. Dinah could see the tears sparkling in her vibrant blue eyes. She knew her sister wouldn’t let her down. She just knew it.
“I…I cannot defend my sisters actions,” Wynona finally said. “Treasonous crimes cannot go unpunished.”
Dinah’s heart nearly fell through her stomach. How could Wynona do this to her?
“Very well then, it has been decided,” Gabriel announced. “Dinah, angel of darkness and night, protector of humanity, you have hereby renounced your rights as an angel of heaven by your horrible crimes. You will have your wings ripped off and you will be cast out of heaven effective immediately.”
Dinah’s eyes got wide in a weird mix of shock and fear. “No!”
The two guards who brought her in grabbed her arms once again and held her down. Whispers and murmurs rang out throughout the angels in the room.
“We knew she was bad all along.”
“We should have sent her to hell when we had the chance.”
“Anyone who is in connection with Lucifer doesn’t deserve to be an angel.”
Again Dinah struggled to no avail. Tears poured from her eyes smudging her thick black eyeliner. “I didn’t do it, I swear! You can’t do this! Please!”
For a moment she thought she saw a flicker of sympathy in Gabriel’s eyes. He was going to change his mind.
He was silent for a moment and Dinah had hope. A strict leader of the angels Gabriel was yet he was a just man. He didn’t punish without good reason. She had respected him and paid her dues to him her whole life. Surely he wouldn’t be so hasty.
But his expression remained unchanged. “We have entrusted you for centuries to restore humanity to the original plan for millennia’s. We need an angel that we can trust fully and Wynona is the only angel we can entrust such great power to. There comes a time when everyone is judged for their actions and proper reward or punishment must be given to everyone.”
Dinah’s heart beat so fast it felt like it would completely leap out of her chest. Gabriel approached her. She wished there was some way, any way, she could escape and never return.
One more pleading look was cast in Wynona’s direction.
Do the right thing, she said through her eyes. Tell them I’m better than this.
She could see that Wynona was nearly shaking with fear yet she didn’t let her tears fall. Why did she not defend her? Wynona always knew right from wrong, surely she knew what was right in this situation. The angels liked her; if she could vouch for Dinah then she could at least get her an easier sentence. Must light must remain so untarnished and beautiful that it could not rush to help even those in the most pain? Was darkness truly supposed to take all of the punishment and evil leaving light unscathed?
It was the ultimate betrayal. Dinah couldn’t believe it. Wynona had one last chance to set things right and she abandoned her. Dinah was hurt beyond belief. If the situation had been reversed, she would have run to Wynona’s side and helped her. Darkness was not vengeful like people thought, darkness was beautiful and sympathetic. Darkness understood pain and comforted in those times. Apparently light was different.
Gabriel approached Dinah and she could feel his cold hands grip her wings. She braced herself.
The last thing that could be heard was Dinah’s scream.