How would you handle discovering all you knew was not quite what it seems?
For all of Malachi’s life, he believed he was ordinary. Lived as just another man trying to make his way through the trials of life. Unbeknownst to him, he was meant for a much greater purpose and has abilities he could have never imagined. Even armed with this knowledge, Malachi still isn’t sure he has the courage to do what’s necessary to save millions of lives.
While struggling with the burden of destiny, Malachi must overcome his realist views to cultivate a better understanding of his own spirituality. It is the only way he will be able to remember the greatness that lies within him. The future of the universe rests in his hands if he can only find a way to overcome a lifetime of beliefs.
Standing in his way is an enemy he’s never known or could have expected. Donavan, his twin brother from an alternate world, is the opposite of Malachi. Aggressive, ambitious, and bound to his beliefs in the justification of destroying the universe. The only being capable of stopping him is Malachi, but will Malachi discover his purpose in time?
When I was human, I sought feverishly to justify the circumstances of my life. I knew I wasn’t alone in this sentiment. Our rush to make sense of the world conjures concepts like destiny, fate, and even religion. They each promise our future is something we will eventually understand. However, it is naïve to think we could ever grasp life’s fortunes when it is continuously in flux.
Walking by faith helps our minds accept our life’s challenges because we believe we’re led to a greater purpose or higher calling. Each day, our minds are split into what we know as our reality and what we imagine ourselves becoming. However, our imagination is so grand it conflicts with the logical reasoning of our existence. To guard our minds and hearts against disappointment, we bury our inner light to conform to our society’s ways. We accept this false version of ourselves as who we are meant to be—our dreams of who we could become are merely a figment of daydreams.
There was a time I was caught up in the ways of the world and unable to find the greatness that lived within me. It’s a greatness that exists within all of us. So let me share the story of how I became king of our universe.
One year ago
There I am over there in the corner. I’m the guy in that cubicle dazed in front of a screen. I know that blank look well because I see it on others during my daily commute. What is wrong with these people? I think whenever I see one of those functional zombies. Life isn’t always easy, but at least I’m living it better than them. Then I sit at my desk, and as the coffee slowly wears off, my own zombification sets in. Oh, the irony of it all.
There is a constant commotion in this busy office—yelling, people running, phones ringing, and the occasional sprinkle of loud profanity. Nine times out of ten, the swearing isn’t justified, I’d say, but maybe it comes with working for a Forbes top-fifty company.
My job is to help keep track of client data and the transactions of our sales team. That usually means typing personal information into our glitchy database and reviewing contracts to ensure our salespeople aren’t ripping clients off excessively. Then, with my headphones on, I zone out, ignoring the chaos and counting down the hours of my day.
Occasionally I’m hit with a thought, an unexpected shock like seeing a shooting star. Is this what I’ll be doing for the rest of my life? Is this the peak of my potential? I consider working harder to climb the corporate ladder, but then I remember how those up top look overworked, miserable, and stressed. Is that the life I want? Would that make me happy?
Everyone wants to leave their mark on the world, but we get so caught up in trying to survive and keep up with the news, friends, and TV shows. People forget how unique we are as individuals, forget our talents, and forget to keep dreaming.
“MALACHI!” Terrific, that’s my boss, Mr. John Lexington, but he’s better known as Johnny Slick around the office. Here’s a prime example of why we call him that as the new employee, Walter, makes his way to his office. Walter asked him, “Umm, Sir, do you have a minute to clarify the difference in service between Platinum service and the five-star package? They appear to be the same.” This was a logical question considering they are the same level of service to everyone except Mr. Slick.
“Walter, I understand you’re new here, and you’re a bit overwhelmed with how quickly we move here. You’ll hit your stride eventually, but I need you to pick it up,” Lexington said.
“I’m sorry, sir, but this is my second day, and everyone has said they are too busy to train me. I just wanted to know,” Walter replied sheepishly.
Mr. Lexington puts his hand on Walter’s shoulder and speaks to him while maneuvering Walter out of his office. “You need to take the initiative and shadow your coworkers to see how they make a sale. Do you need me to get you a mentor? You know what, you can find a mentor. You’re smart, so we hired you, so take the initiative and get to know your colleagues. You can’t just sit by, waiting for the answers to come to you. Everyone knows the difference between these services, but the key is positioning these services for our clients. You need to make every client feel like they are special. You like to feel special, right, Walter?”
“Yes, sir,” Walter replied, hoping to still get his answer.
Unfortunately, it was too late because poor Walter was outside Lexington’s office. “Well, go out there and make someone feel special, Walter. I believe in you, buddy. Now I have a meeting to get to right now. MALACHI!!! Hurry it up!” Lexington slammed his door with Walter still standing there.
I made my way to Lexington’s office and could see the frustration on Walter’s face. “Don’t sweat it, man. The plans are the same. However, for clients who spend past a certain threshold, we give them a coupon to Ray’s BBQ Ribs restaurant and call it the Five Star package.” Walter smiled and nodded his head in appreciation.
“Hi, Mr. Lexington. Did you need anything from me?” As I made my way into his office chair. Sometimes if you took your time getting to his office, he would unintentionally move on to something else. However, seeing a piece of paper in his hand with a list of talking points, I knew this wouldn’t be one of those days. This meant trouble.
“Malachi, you’re a bright kid and good at what you do. I see great potential in you, and I think you’re the one to present this new initiative to our Sales Team. I call it the White Glove Flex Plan. We’re going to offer flexible pricing to our clients.”
I’ve seen this movie before. Slick is trying to say that his superiors asked him to announce an idea that won’t be received well since it will affect the Sales team’s commissions. They will lower payouts to the Sales team to offer reduced pricing to the client, hoping to garner more sales before quarter-end. He needs an idiot to deliver this message to the rest of our team. Ladies and gentlemen, I am that idiot. I’ll do my best to sugar-coat this idea and then get hit with the tidal wave of disgruntled workers like angry debt collectors. Even when they realize I’m only the messenger, Johnny Slick will conveniently be unreachable. The Sales Team will follow through because time is money. Johnny Slick will return, never hearing a single sound bite. Same movie, same script, same conclusion. I guess I have a circus to look forward to tomorrow.
I sat on a bench upon leaving the office, enjoying the summer air and cool breeze blowing through downtown. For a moment, I forgot about my job and the long commute home.
A bald man with dark sunglasses approached wearing all black— a black trench coat, black dress pants, and a black button-down shirt. He sat down beside me, ignoring the four empty benches nearby. I guessed that this man was headed to a funeral, worked for the government, or was a hired contract killer. Figures. I have this unfortunate gift of attracting the wrong people. I am the flame, and the crazies are the moths.
“Excuse me, sir,” he said flatly, confidently through the thick beard covering most of his face.
“Look, whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying. Let’s not waste each other’s time, okay?” I thought about leaving, but that would mean giving up on this moment to decompress.
The man took his sunglasses off, revealing tired, pained eyes. Maybe I was too harsh. Perhaps the guy only wanted to know the time or something innocuous.
Then his gaze grew serious. “If you knew you had the power to save the world from total annihilation, would you have the courage to stop it?”