NOTE: This short story revolves around Taylor, the sole human main character. In this tale, she has a chance meeting with God himself. Questions are asked, and a compromise is reached. For those curious about Bob and Sophia’s real names, mentioned in this tale, please check out the "Ceremony of Names." Happy reading!
The sun was just beginning to set over the city, casting a golden glow on the skyscrapers towering over Los Angeles. The light cast a beautiful row of sparkles on the horizon of the Pacific Ocean, and one could easily see the few boats sailing in the sun’s setting glow, parallel to the plane that had just taken off from LAX, soaring high above them and into the clouds. In the heart of the city, a young woman walked alongside the cars sitting in traffic. Dozens of other people walked past her, and she looked up from her phone for a brief moment, pausing her music to look up at the street signs.
"Okay, just a few more minutes and I'll be there." Taylor said to herself, shoving the phone back in her pocket as she waited for the traffic signal to turn, even though she really was just contemplating crossing anyways. But with an LAPD officer sitting on his motorcycle right in front of her, maybe it was wiser to just wait.
Her phone buzzed, and she took her phone out to check the message. The automatic text read once again that her books were late, and she rolled her eyes. It wasn't her fault she'd kept them for so long! But then again, she did check out 10 books that she knew full well she'd be taking her sweet ass time to read.
"Calm down, they'll be back in the deposit box soon." Taylor muttered, as she crossed over to the Central Library's entrance, passing the worn down cornerstone of the original building. She strolled inside, and dropped her books off, pausing for just a moment to look towards the escalators.
I have time...maybe I could just pick out a few more books… she thought to herself. But with the way people were milling about, she also knew well enough that it was right around closing time, and knowing herself, she'd probably be left in the library overnight if she wasn't careful enough.
With a sigh, Taylor resigned herself to returning home. She could always come back. As she walked back out onto the busy streets, she noticed that something was really...off.
For starters, the streets weren't busy at all. Not even a single person walked past her. It was like she was completely alone. She whipped her head back towards the library, but was shocked to discover that her surroundings had shifted completely, in the span of a few seconds.
"What the fu--"
"I wouldn't say that if I were you." a voice said, prompting her to turn her head. Taylor narrowed her eyes at this new person who had suddenly appeared next to her, leaning up against the gritty brick wall of the building she was now standing next to. None of this looked familiar to her. She knew Los Angeles like the back of her hand, and yet...this place was something else. The nearest street signs read "First" and "Amistad".
Amistad...there was no such street in this city. And yet here it was, and she was looking at it. She turned her attention back to the person, who had just lit up a cigarette. He was of a medium build, with a trimmed white beard, olive skin, and white hair, styled into whatever was the popular haircut for guys these days. He wore a pair of white pants and a sky blue shirt. He took a drag of the cigarette, as he peered over his dark sunglasses to look at her.
"Taylor, my child. I've been meaning to visit you for quite some time, but as the world works, others have been in more dire straits." the man said.
Taylor raised a brow, instinctually crossing her arms over her chest as she shifted her weight to one leg, leaning back just a little. What did he mean by "my child"?
"I—who are you?" Taylor asked. The man took another drag of the cigarette, and raised a hand to pause her.
"All in due time. Judging by that sunset, I'd say it's about time for a late dinner. How does pizza sound to you?" the man asked. Taylor, too confused to answer, merely nodded, and before she could open her mouth to say anything else, their surroundings shifted again, and now they were sitting in an empty pizza parlor a few blocks away from those signs that read "First" and "Amistad".
A freshly baked pizza sat in front of them, and the man gestured to Taylor.
"Go ahead, take a slice. I have to say, out of everything humans have created, pizza is my guilty pleasure." the man said, with a sheepish grin.
What the actual hell is going on here? Who is this dude? Taylor thought to herself, as she slowly took a slice. He hadn't even answered her question, but based on how they seemed to just move from one spot to another, she could already guess that this man wasn't human, even though he looked the part. And supernatural beings were a thing she was deeply familiar with. She took a deep breath, and figured that whatever the answer was, she might as well just enjoy her pepperoni pizza.
The air around them felt strange to her, and it was an odd feeling not having at least Bob or Sophia by her side, as that was usually who she'd encountered supernatural beings with. But here she was alone, and frankly, she was hoping that she wouldn't end up in any real danger.
"Oh, my apologies, is pepperoni not your choice of pizza? It slipped my mind to ask!" the man exclaimed, as he set down his slice.
"Oh no no, pepperoni's fine! I was just...thinking for a second." Taylor mused.
"I'm aware." the man said, with a smile.
"I've kept watch over you since before you were born, my child. I watch all my children, and I have to say, it's always fun to see what your minds conjure up. Now, I know I haven't answered your question yet, and before I do, know that I mean no harm to you. I'm just paying you a long overdue visit."
And he wasn't wrong. The man always did have a plan, though with the way things worked in his world, nothing was linear in the way that we expect things to go. We've all heard the phrase that He always has a reason for things, even if they don't always make sense.
"I am God."
Taylor nearly choked on a piece of pizza, and before she could even ask, a cup of water appeared by her plate, and she took a quick swig of it, before she focused her attention back onto "God".
Her mind was racing with a million questions and a million emotions that she couldn't pick out how to feel or what she was supposed to feel. But everything circled back to one question, and it was this that tumbled out, with an odd tone of voice that she had never even heard before.
"Where were you...when everything was falling apart?"
Taylor took another sip of the water as she steeled herself to look God directly in the eyes. God frowned as he watched her slowly exhale, knowing already that she was on the verge of tears.
"Taylor, I—"
"No, please, just listen to me. Where were you when that mugger killed Dave right in front of me, on my own birthday? Where were you when I was sent to prison for a crime I didn't commit? You knew I would never harm him, I loved him! And you took him away from me just when we were going to start our lives together." Taylor said, choking back a sob that had begun to arise.
"Do you have any idea how much I lost in such a short amount of time? Do you? I lost everything!" she cried, as God watched her stand up, palms splayed out on the table as she stood over him. Patiently, he waited for her to sit down once more, and by some compelling force, Taylor slowly sunk back down into her seat, wiping tears off her cheeks.
"I prayed to you. I prayed to you while I tried to stop Dave's bleeding while he lay dying. I prayed to you when my sentence was being read out by the judge. And no matter how hard I prayed, it was like the world was doing everything in its power to work against me. The only saving grace I had was escaping prison because Bob was clumsy enough to fumble with the prison controls."
God slowly nodded, clasping his hands together as she spoke, her voice trembling as she continued with what had happened. The truth was, Taylor was one of his special ones. And despite the fact that she didn't think he was there, he always had been. Never in person like he was now, but they always did say the Lord worked in mysterious ways.
"My child, please...do not cry. I know how much you've lost. And I know you're strong of heart. I heard your prayers, even if you don't believe I did. I heard every single one, from that dark alleyway to the hills of Elysium. I was there, just not in the way you probably would have liked me to be." God said, as he moved to rest a hand on Taylor's shoulder.
"I know how much you loved Dave. And I know for a fact that he loved you too, more than anything else. He never stopped talking about you the moment he came home. " God said, as a gentle smile crossed his face. Taylor's gaze raised from the checkered tablecloth to meet God's hazel eyes.
"Really? He said that?" Taylor whispered. God nodded slowly, and reached into the breast pocket of his shirt to pull out a small object, before presenting it to Taylor.
"He wanted me to give this to you, and to let you know that he's waiting, and watching over you as well." God said, as Taylor tenderly picked up the necklace sitting neatly in the center in his palm. It was a simple silver heart on a silver chain, but to her, it meant everything. She clasped it close to her heart before replacing her current necklace with it.
"Why did he have to die?" Taylor asked. "Why couldn't it have been me?"
"Taylor...the universe works in mysterious ways. Even I cannot explain it all. What I can tell you is that it had to be this way, in order for you to begin your journey. If I could, believe me, I would have made it so that the two of you had a long and happy life together. "
Taylor nodded slowly, tears welling up in her eyes once more. His words were of small comfort to her, but she figured that she could live with that answer. That was better than not knowing at all. She took a deep breath, looking at the abandoned slice of pizza sitting in front of her.
"You saw that I was lost, that I was insecure. Why'd you have to wait so long to find me?"
"My child, you were never lost. Think about where you are now, and those who are by your side. Bob and Sophia are not there by accident. It is part of the divine plan, the way things must be." God answered.
"In time, you will find out what your destiny is. You and your companions still have a long way to go, as it is not up to me to stop what has already begun. But know that no matter what, I was always with you, and will continue to be."
"How? You just—"
Before Taylor could finish, their surroundings blended into a multitude of colors once more, and now, the pair found themselves standing not back in the concrete jungle of Los Angeles, but in the rolling green hills of someplace she did not recognize. The mountains far off in the distance were tinged a dark blue, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen grass that was such a rich hue of green.
"I never abandoned you." God began, as he stepped aside to allow a familiar pink-haired unicorn to walk up next to him.
"Bob?" Taylor breathed, surprised to see him standing there before her. They'd been separated temporarily for a few weeks, but she hadn't expected him to return so soon. The unicorn looked to God for a moment, and the white haired man nodded, as a smile crossed his face.
"You were never alone because I made sure Aaetpio—er, I mean Bob, would be there for you in my stead."
Bob walked to his best friend's side, as Taylor slowly fell to her knees. The grass here was noticeably softer than what she was used to. Bob joined her, as she hugged him around his neck, sobbing into his mane. In return, he gently rested his head on her shoulder as she cried, wrapping his tail around them as he so often did to comfort her.
"You always did say that it was gonna be you and me against everythin'." Bob said, offering his best friend a lopsided grin.
"I know, you dumb unicorn." Taylor said with a laugh, as she wiped the tears away from her face. She then turned her attention to God, who was watching the two of them with the same mysterious smile on his face.
"Will I ever see you again?"
God nodded his head, clasping his hands together as he approached the two of them. He rested his hand on Bob's head for a moment, looking the unicorn in the eyes.
"Aaetpio, it is up to you and your sister Torzoxi to help Taylor realize her destiny, and both of yours as well. The fate of the unicorn race rests with you three. Take care of Taylor for me." God said. Bob nodded, raising his head proudly.
"As for you my dear child, we will meet again one day. Know that I will always be with you." God said, offering Taylor a warm smile as he rested a hand on her shoulder to reassure her.
Slowly, God faded away, and with that, their surroundings changed once more, the colors swirling around them until the familiar sight of Los Angeles greeted them. The sun was high in the sky now, and Taylor shielded her eyes from the bright light.
"Bob?" Taylor asked, as she stood up from the bench she was now sitting on.
"I'm here."
She turned to see Bob, standing before her in his human form. Long pink hair cascaded just past his shoulders, and he looked clean cut in the crisp white blazer he wore, paired with a light pink shirt. He smiled at his best friend, nodding towards the library entrance. Taylor took a moment to regain her senses, before joining him at his side. He had been smart to assume his human form, because again, there was plenty of people milling about. It was just another normal day in Los Angeles.
"I'm guessin' you have lots of questions huh?" Bob asked.
"Nah. I'm sure we'll figure it out together, like God said." Taylor mused, as she absentmindedly played with the silver heart on the necklace. She then moved to hug Bob before they walked past the threshold of the Central Library, pulling back with a smile. Surprised for a brief moment, Bob returned her hug, an amused smile spreading across his face.
"What was that for?" he asked, clearly amused. Taylor laughed, throwing her arm around Bob’s shoulders, as the two of them stepped onto the escalator going up.
"I'm so glad you found me."
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