
Enjoy an excerpt from Margo Rife’s “Gods Gifts Are Timeless,” featured in our upcoming anthology ON TIME.
Gabriel is flying low. Too much shower time made his massive wings flap like wet towels on a clothesline. And he’s not prepared. Gabriel hovers over the marble meeting hall and scans the group of three hundred who are sitting, standing, or pacing. The coffee and angel food cake are untouched. Some are crying. Most are scowling. All look up as Gabriel lands in their midst.
“Welcome, I’m Gabriel. You all know why you’re here today.”
An athletic brown-skinned man shakes his head. “See, you said today. There’s no today if time is eternal.”
“Sir, I’m trying to make you feel comfortable. That’s my role as a winged companion. Keep things familiar.”
“You made the Virgin Mary uncomfortable when you burst into her bedroom and scared the hell out of her with that pregnancy message.”
“But that’s what angels mainly do—bring a message from God. You need to be open to that.” Gabriel unfolds his giant wings and flaps them. The rush of air blows heavenly dust and hairdos every way imaginable. He needs to gain control of this rare group—eternal-life dissenters.
“My assignment is to convince the members of this group that being granted eternal life is a good thing. You’ve all earned a blessing from the Almighty Lord on High, and that reward is life everlasting. It’s right here in the contract. John 3:16 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. John 10:28 and I give eternal life to them so they will never perish and not be snatched out of My hand. I don’t understand your discontent with this arrangement.
“Yes, the woman with the disheveled hair.”
All the women talk at once.
“No, the red-headed woman.”

Margo is drawn to short word count. As a playwright, she had two monologues performed by the Women’s Theatre Festival, Odyssey Stage, MOJOAA Performing Arts in Raleigh, NC and The Playground Experiment in NYC.
10-Minute Plays have been produced by the Theatre of Western Springs.
She’s also fascinated with flash fiction. It’s her new obsession and she hopes to someday meld her writing and graphic design skills.
Unholy Trinity Drabbles published in Trembling with Fear titled Mommy Fearest.
Flash Fiction: Goodnight Shark, Down the Rabbit Hole Darkly, Diary of a Lazy Eye.
ON TIME is coming in late September 2020. Be sure to follow us on Amazon.
You have a thing for wings!
And are you a pool wizard?
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