PHOTO PROMPT © A member of the Fields Family who didn’t care to be Identified

He might have been a man, tall and imposing, wearing ancient and intimidating armor. He held a drawn sword in his right hand standing before the centuries old synagogue. Strangely, none of the casual passersby reacted to his presence. Only one man was on his face in the grass before him trembling.

“Rise,” said the warrior. “Fear not, for God is with you.”

Young Abraham slowly stood but still couldn’t meet the angel’s eyes.

“What…what do you want of me?”

“What God always wants of His people Israel. Justice. The minions of Lilith are gaining dominion. Ready yourself for war.”

It’s Wednesday and time again to participate in this week’s edition Rochelle Wisoff-Field’s Friday Fictioneers. The idea is to use the image above as a prompt for crafting a poem or short story no more than 100 words long. My word count is exactly 100.

Looking up Touro Synagogue was easy, but I had a subject in mind that didn’t include a strictly historical interpretation.

In the Bible, angels periodically appear to people for various reasons, some of them dressed and armed as warriors ready to do battle. However, they generally don’t do battle alone but are there to assist and inspire people who must thirst for justice and the desire to conquer evil.

Lilith is mentioned in the Bible more than once and has a history in Jewish texts as well. Her “legend” has gone beyond religious texts and entered into myth as a demon, a creature of evil, a succubi, and a threat to newborns and mothers in childbirth. Sadly, there may be “minions” of this legacy in the world today who need to be opposed.

The story’s title comes from Micah 6:8:

He has told you, O man, what is good! What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Cover image for my novel “A Wobblegong and His Boy”

To read other stories based on the prompt or to contribute one of your own, go to inlinkz.

My YA science fiction novel A Wobblegong And His Boy is part of a collection of novels written specifically for boys who want to read adventures crafted especially for them. That doesn’t mean my story isn’t a great read for everyone else so give it a whirl. Don’t forget to leave an honest review at Amazon and Goodreads.

The fantasy anthology Fantastic Schools, Volume 13 is now available featuring my supernatural short story “The Battle of New Stains Castle.”

As the Second Dragon War reaches its climax, two sorceresses and a soldier must face a necromancer and his minions in the ruins of a Scottish castle in the midst of a reality gone mad.

Happy Wednesday.