Blood Moon. 

It's the kind of spring night where shadows assume identities, and evil walks the streets in the minds of those who have seen it, spoken to it, and become it. To them, life becomes nothing more than some tragic story that would have once made a great Hollywood movie. 

But not anymore. 

I stare at the blood moon, hiding my fascination, my admiration, from the others. It emits and eerie scarlet glow, illuminating the sky around it, giving it light for the first time in over a day. People are suspicious of the moon, and of my attraction to it.

They say it is the cause of madness. But I know better than to believe them. I know what really causes insanity.  I know the truth.  I've known for a while now, but no one else believes me. They don't want to admit that I could be right so they laugh at my ideas, call them absurd, and say that I've seen too many weird movies.

But they've stopped laughing. They've started fearing me, avoiding me, staring at me as they walk by, whispering to the friends.  I used to be like them. I saw the apparently crazy people living in the street. They talked to themselves and laughed an eerie, sinister laugh. I never actually listened to what they said; I just gave them some spare change and walked on. But I could always feel their eyes follow me, trying to pry their way into my mind to see what I knew. 

Clouds drift by, turn crimson, and pass on. This is nearly the end; the end of laughter, and of happiness, the end of tears and sorrow. It's the Apocalypse; the terrifying grisly end that mankind has feared for so long.

Our venture into oblivion won't happen precisely as anticipated, the moon is just for my benefit. The depiction in the bible was meant for a simpler species, who would have been overcome by the natural disasters intended to end our reign on earth.

We have become survivors; we have the technology to intercept and create problems if we know what to expect. The plan has to be revised.  That's all mankind ever was; the simple part of an elaborate plan to create the perfect society. A science experiment of sorts.

Unfortunately, we are far from perfect and must not be allowed to continue on. 

If you are wondering how I know all this: I've been told.

Well, I figured out part of it for myself, so it was decided that I should be filled in on the rest. It seems that I researched to thoroughly, asked to many questions. When nobody could provide me with the answers, I came to my own conclusions, which I was prepared to discuss openly with anyone who would listen. That's when I became dangerous to them and had to be stopped. Or used to their advantage. 

"They" are The Committee, and they pretty much run things in and about the universe. Although it may seem so from my descriptions, The Committee is in no aspect comprised of physical beings (although members may assume such appearances). It is, in fact, a collective spiritual consciousness, comprised of the intellect of many individuals who have once existed as a human, or other creature. If it seems that I refer to them in the individual human sense, it is only because that is form in which they chose to appear to me. I was told not to analyze the process of transformation from a physical to mental existence, since I would be a participant soon enough. 

There is no God.

There never was a need for a God with the Committee around.

Don't worry, he's not running around unemployed, He never existed in the first place. The philosophies of most ancient civilizations were fairly accurate with the depictions of the heavens and their inhabitants: Zeus, Athena, The Morae…  This is true insofar as the Committee has a chief executive officer (or the equivalent) who overseas the various department and their sub-committees and so on. There is no need for paperwork within the Committee space, it is used strictly for the members on earth who have difficulty accessing information mentally. Each consciousness may request information from another section as it pertains to the their work and measures are taken to diminish the amount of information one mind has access to, preventing work overload in one area.  For example, the workers in "Department Destiny", who control personal fates on earth, have no general need for information from "Heav-ed, Hell-ed, or Revived" who deal with occurrences after death. (If you believe in heaven or hell, you will go to whichever one you think you deserve to go to. If you believe in re-incarnation, you will be returned to earth as the creature of your choice. If you want a near death experience, you will have one. The Committee aims to please.) 

Anyway, enough with the small details. For millions of years the Committee operated undetected by the inhabitants of earth. As life forms progressed to higher intelligence, structure was needed and many individuals developed their worn religious worship of mystic forces - the sun, moon, different seasons (which are not mysteries at all, merely optical illusions and pyrotechnics provided by the resident F/X department.) Some assumed there must be a higher force controlling the elements and began looking for such force. 

The Committee became concerned that they would be discovered and their plan would be a failure. In a panic, they devised a flawed plan to set a few uneasy minds to rest. Possible alternatives to the original plan were discussed, revised, and an attempt was made to carry it out. The idea was to introduce, by word of mouth, the concept of a singular almighty God, who created the earth and the universe around it. (Please note that the Committee is not omnipotent. They are very technologically advanced and do everything through proper channels. To determine who created or founded the Committee, and if anything existed beforehand or exists above the Committee's level of consciousness is considered virtually impossible and is under further investigation. 

It was decided.

Volunteers were sent down from the public relations and the entertainment branch (after consultation with wardrobe) to promote the idea. Detailed written instructions and scripts were provided, outlining what was to be told and to whom, and future occurrences to be initiated based on predictions given to humans by the representatives. Somewhere along the way, a copy was misplaced and discovered by a human who misinterpreted the instructions, compiled them with various ancient literary works, and wrote his own plagiarized version. (He later developed his own religion and called it's members "Catholics") After the rumors of God had begun, this "Holy Bible" was provided as supposed proof of his existence. It became a basis for new religions being formed by fame seeking fanatics. It was constantly being misinterpreted, revised, and reproduced for a growing society with misguided beliefs.  Hell (a concept that had previously existed in numerous incarnations) was now headed by the Devil, whose supposed cruelty was an example of what could happen if you did not follow the strict guidelines of what was now called a "church". Believers of God became dogmatic and intolerant of members from the old religions (those that had remained intact from ancient cultures). Such intolerance led to numerous cases of religious persecution in the centuries to come. 

As you can see, The Committee has been poorly organized and extremely mismanaged since the creation of man, leaving a mess for all who followed. The control that had once existed over new technologies, preventing incidents from occurring that we were not ready for, had diminished. Security lapses account for such disasters as the atomic bomb, AIDS, and rap music.

The time for change had come.  Positions were eliminated, as were the occupants. There has been a sudden surge of recruitment here on earth, and elsewhere. In our twentieth century there have been increased reports of mental illness throughout the world. This insanity can be accounted for by the single fact that potential future members where approached with the concept, and suffered complete mental breakdown. They retreated to a semii-catatonic state, suffered social humiliation and isolation, and were immediately institutionalized.

Of course, this was also part of the plan. News about the Committee could not be allowed to spread now, after so much effort had been put into years of deception of researchers. (When military officials investigated the possibility of their existence, the Committee would send diversions. The entertainment branch were responsible for UFO sightings and those cornfield circles, which were often adequate. If not, higher official would arrange for a small civil war to keep us occupied. 

This brings us to my involvement. As a medical professional, I had direct contact with the people affected by the Committee. I read the files, studied the cases, and listened to the patients. After initial contact with a Committee representative, I remained somewhat skeptical. Until tonight, having seen the proof hovering above me in the starless sky. 

So here we are, at the long awaited Apocalypse. After centuries of endless violence, suffering, and virtual self destruction, it will all be ended for us. 

I am not afraid. 

I have abandoned all that I once cherished to wait for a position on the new Committee that is suited to my tastes and expertise. I carry only what I need to survive the night in a small paper bag. 

Other people are concerned about their future. They look at me suspiciously, like they think I know something. They must now know that I have the answers. Many have remained inside, praying I suppose, to a God that doesn't exist, never has existed. Some younger people are rioting; acting violently and looting stores for meaningless possessions that will soon be a pile of ashes. Many have turned to alcohol and drugs to escape the horrible reality of what they must know awaits them.

A woman was raped just a few yards from where I sit. The man didn't seem to see me, or to care that I was here. I did nothing to help her. In a little while it won't make a difference anyway.  People pass by, some are sympathetic and offer money or food, others laugh or taunt me. The rioting has stopped, for now, and the sun is shining down on the smattering of colors that blankets the trees. I can't recall how long ago the sun came up, since I am thinking in Committee time (a day to them is a year to us).

But it seems forever since I last saw the blood moon. I was told that I could go to a shelter if I so desired. I laughed, and tried to explain that their shelters wouldn't save them this time. The man couldn't understand and walk away, confused.  Any time now, the earth will be a vague memory for the chosen, annihilated with those who must remain.

I hear the other planets are doing well, though they aren't as advanced as we've become. The Committee is being cautious with them. They won't give the other colonies too much at once. I'll see to that I plan to make a lot of recommendation when I get there.

I'll be the one to change things for the better. Like speed, for example. I'll see that they get things done faster. I mean, really, I've been sitting out here a whole day already, and this snow is rather cold. Winter must be early this year.