by Ciara Knight
He opened the car door. Taking a deep breath, he headed for the football field to find the girls.
The cheerleaders were done with practice. Some were with Sammy chatting while others were over with football players. He choked down a rising burn in his throat as he approached the field. Football players. How could Sammy stand to be around all this? Still, he admired what she did.
“Girls, get over here. We need to discuss the schedule.” Sammy’s voice rang out as he approached.
Sammy did her job well. Not only as a cheerleader but as a protector.
“Sammy, where’s Gaby?” Alexander scanned the girls and a tingle rose up on the back of his neck.
“She was just here. I—”
“Her father called. She had a family emergency or somthin’.” Avery twirled her hair around her fingers and popped her gum.
Father? Emergency? No something else. Alex closed his eyes and settled himself. Focusing on Gaby. Woods. She was in the woods and heading straight for Forras. His eyes shot open and saw Sammy looking at him with panic.
“Go Alexander. Go now.” Sammy shoved him as if to jolt him back to reality.
Alexander’s heart pounded at the thought of what he might find.
He took off before he could even formulate a plan. All he knew was Gaby was in trouble.
Chapter Seven
“Hello, Gaby.” Forras swaggered out from behind a tree with a crooked smile.
She stumbled backward, breath caught in her throat.
Forras reached out and steadied her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. We’re having another bonfire tonight. You should come.”
“Not tonight.” Gaby stepped away from him attempting to pass without incident. The hair on her arms stood at attention.
“I won’t take no for an answer.” His voice came smooth and forceful.
Nervous energy pulsed through her body. She felt compelled to accept. She shook her head trying to rid herself of the sensation.
“At least let me walk you home. You know some people are frightened by these woods. They say they’re possessed with all sorts of demonic creatures.”
“I don’t need an escort. I’m not scared of some fictitious creatures that go bump in the night. It’d take a lot more than that to frighten me.” She shoved her hands in her short pockets hiding how they trembled.
Forras blocked her path home.
“Move out of my way. I have to—”
“Let me guess. Take your dog for a walk? Make-out with Alexander?”
“Get out of my way. I don’t have time for this.”
“Or save your father?” A smug look crossed his face.
“How did you … You couldn’t have—”
“I do apologize, Gaby, but you left me no choice.” Forras grasped her arm and pulled her closer to him. “I’m quite gifted you know.”
“Shut up.” Every muscle in her body tensed at the thought of him touching her. The sound of his voice made her want to claw his eyes out.
She slapped him across the face and tried to free her other arm. Her actions only made him clasp down harder. Painful darkness plunged into her arm, raced through her body as it grew exponentially, shadowing every ounce of her being. She clutched her chest to take a breath. Deep sadness consumed her as she choked back tears.
“Gifted at technology. Where did your filthy mind go?” He laughed. A distinctive laugh. One she’d heard before.
“Stop, p-please stop.” Her legs collapsed.
The sound of his voice circled around and around until it penetrated her soul. “My father. I have to get to my—”
Forras chuckled with a demented tone. It echoed around her.
“I. Know. That. Laugh” She gasped.
“Yes. You know who I am. Think, Gaby.” He snarled. A guttural deep voice came. “You have my mark.” Forras pulled her shirt up revealing the zigzag pattern on her abdomen. His callused hand brushed against her exposed skin.
She quivered. Her flesh started to crawl and burn. She kicked and punched trying to free her arm. “Let me go.”
“I could make you forget about all your grief. Join me and you’ll never feel the pain of loss again. You could be powerful, strong, and full. You’ll never be lonely again.”
Darkness twisted and turned in the pit of her stomach. Her insides collided as if her body would implode at any moment. Pain, grief, and sorrow all consumed her at once. “M-make it s-stop. Please.”
“Join me and I’ll make it go away forever.”
“Alex.” Gaby whispered.
“What? You still think he’s going to save you?”
His hot breath beat against her face. She gagged at the putrid smell.
“Where’s your little savior now?”
“I’m right here, Forras.” Alexander’s voice broke through the pain. For a moment Gaby could breathe again. She looked up but the sun blinded her. How did the sun shine through the trees so brightly?
“Come to watch?” Forras forced his lips against hers. No. It wouldn’t be like this. She clamped her lips shut as hard as she could. Screaming from deep down she scratched and clawed at his face.
A blue light exploded all around and Forras’ lips were gone. She wretched and spit at the ground. Panting she looked up through watering eyes to see a figure. Blinking, she strained to find Alexander but the light was too intense.
“I told you never to touch her.” Alexander’s voice echoed in a whirl of fury.
“Alex?” Gaby clutched the side of the tree and pulled herself up. Her legs wobbled under her. With her hands, she shielded her eyes from the light. She tried to move forward, to find Alexander, but collapsed under the weight of the darkness covering her soul.
Sounds erupted from the woods. Dust and dirt filled the air. Trees cracked all around her. It sounded like a freight train barreling at her.
“W-what’s going on? P-please tell me.” Her skin continued to bubble with pain burning from the inside out. “Ahhh, make it stop. P-please.” There was silence. Not a sound. She looked up. Exquisite fluffy wings ruffled down around her. The ones from her painting except with a navy hue. They were attached to Alexander. . She now saw the face absent from her picture.
The wings surrounded her and the fire dwindled. Each soft feather caressed her bare skin. She closed her eyes as the browns and grays merged with the sun-fire yellow muting the darkness.
Light overpowered the dark and warm tingling meandered through her body. It was bliss. Happiness. Welcoming the salty taste of tears, she surrendered to it and wept from pure peace.
His wings let go as he took flight. She rested in his arms, head against his bare shoulder as he held her against him. Wind twirled her hair about and she let go long enough to push it from her eyes, and she looked down. Everything spun around in a blur. A wave of panic ensued at the sight of how high off the ground they flew.
****
Alexander held tight as he took off. Her screams were lost as they reached the clouds. Soon, they turned to whimpers and pleas as he bolted across the sky, taking her far away from Forras. The clouds surrounded them. Her body quivered though he wasn’t sure if it was from terror or the cold. He didn’t know where else to go so he landed on the beach in front of his home.
Grace might be the only person that could protect them now. How could he have exposed himself and then brought her home to his family? Stupid! He cursed himself as he gently put her down.
The look of terror in her eyes said it all. She sank into the sand, tears streaming down her face. He took one last look at her before he climbed the steps to his home, knowing she’d never want to see him again.
“Grace, I need help.” He called out in a choked voice. He stood on the front porch staring back at Gaby sobbing in the sand.
Grace came out. “I’ll take care of her. Go inside.”
He bolted upstairs to his room to hide himself away in shame, leaving Grace to calm Gaby.
What had he done? He yanked a dresser drawer open,
grabbed a pale green t-shirt out, and shoved it over his head. The one he’d been wearing was left in long strips of blue material in the woods. If he would have stopped to think before he exploded into full angelic battle, maybe he could have rescued Gaby without announcing to all the hunters in the world where they were.
All the angelic and demonic evidence left spread across that clearing, it was all so sloppy. Maybe he could return and do some damage control. No, it would be too late. A hunter had probably already been dispatched to investigate. If he returned, it would only help them narrow it down to his family. Not that in Kemp, Florida it would take too long.
He paced his room until he picked up the old worn Edgar Allen Poe book from his nightstand and skimmed the illustrated pictures and read a few passages. The rhythm of the words always soothed him but not this time. All he saw in the illustrations were winged monsters. He tossed the book on the nightstand and went to the window.
Two taps at his bedroom door drew his attention but he refused to turn from the tranquil scene outside his bedroom. He tried to lull the memory of the day from his mind with the sounds of seagulls and ocean waves. The look of disgust when Gaby saw his true form, her body convulsing from fear in his arms, it was too much.
“Alexander.” Grace’s soft voice announced her presence in the room and the door clicked shut.
How could he look at her or anyone else? Each time he tried to save someone he ruined their lives.
Bile rose in his throat as he remembered Forras touching Gaby. “I’ll get him for this.” The evil edge to his voice no longer shocked him. It sounded powerful.
“Please, don’t say that.” Grace’s voice broke causing Alexander to turn around.
She gasped, her hands covering her mouth.
“What’s wrong?” Alexander stroked her arm. She grasped him by the shoulders and turned him to the mirror. “Look son. Look what you’re becoming. You have to let go of the hatred before—”
Deep blood-red eyes glowed back at him. Demon eyes. He stumbled back and fell onto the bed. They were his. He stared at the mirror. Disgusted, he shut his eyes and concentrated on calming himself.
When he opened them, Grace sat next to him, her frail frame slumped over on the bed, the blood drained from her cheeks. He softened at the sight. Glancing back at the mirror, the red in his eyes dissipated. How could he have lost control like that? As his hatred receded his heart broke.
“Oh God, what have I done? I’m sorry.” He placed his arm around her and tried to comfort her.
Grace tapped his hand reassuringly. “Sammy went to the clearing and retrieved any evidence. No sign of hunters at the moment. We may have been lucky.”
That was something. Still, so much damage. Even if the hunters didn’t find them, he’d scared Gaby to death. “Was it that bad? Did you take Gaby home?”
“No. Sammy took her home.”
“Oh.” He paused for a moment hoping she would elaborate on Gaby’s condition. When she didn’t, his heart grew heavy. The mere act of breathing became impossible at the thought of never being near Gaby again.
Did Forras scare her into leaving Florida? It would be for the best. Or was she repulsed by him? Did she see the blood red eyes of a demon? She must’ve thought there was no difference between him and Forras. She had every right to hate him. He hated himself.
“Alex. I’m going to share a story with you. Could you listen with an open mind?
Her eyes penetrated him with sadness. There was no choice but to listen. After all she had done for him, how could he refuse? Earthbound hunters could be at their door at any moment after the explosion between them, not to mention the debris and scents left behind. And he had no one else to blame but himself.
“You know you are not the only angel to ever fall, right? Each angel decides their own fate.”
“I guessed there were others. Of course, Sammy and maybe one or two more. I never heard of any returning to Heaven.”
“No one knows for sure. I only know of one angel and his fate. You see.” She paused to take a breath. Her eyes moistened. “There was a boy around your age. At least that was the form he took here on earth. They say you take on a form based on your soul. He must have been a lot like you. Loving, compassionate, and loyalty were some of his traits.”
Silent tears rolled down her cheeks. “Once he was earthbound he tried to find forgiveness for his sins, but it was difficult. He was so unhappy, but he didn’t let that stop him. One day he met someone. A girl. She was lovely and full of faith and goodwill. All she wanted to do was save him, and he wanted to save her.”
She reached out and clasped his hand. “The problem was neither wanted to live on earth without the other. When this angel was betrayed by another he became consumed with rage. Once the rage took over, he couldn’t stop. He caused the death of the woman he loved. He couldn’t handle it.” She sucked in an abrupt breath and tears fell onto her pale blue dressing gown.
Alexander squeezed her hand trying to comfort her. “Please Grace, it’s okay. I get it. You don’t have to continue.”
“Yes I do.” She stated firmly with more strength than he had ever seen from her.
“Don’t you see? You can’t seek revenge on Forras for what he did today. He is a lost soul just like you, Sammy, and I. You must find forgiveness in your heart, and—”
“Forgiveness? He’s a demon. Why do I need to find forgiveness?”
“Because that fallen angel I told you about, with all of his rage from losing the love of his earthbound life became a demon. The hate consumed him. Do you want that to happen to you?” Grace’s voice broke.
Alexander realized what she was trying to tell him. She was worried that his rage would cause his fall.
“But I didn’t fall because of hatred. I fell because I loved Sammy so much I couldn’t let her be mistreated. I—”
“It doesn’t matter. He fell because he didn’t trust Heaven and the powers that be to make the right decision. He acted in a way unbecoming of an angel. He might not have been a healing angel like you, but he was an angel nonetheless. You see he was a guardian angel and when the young woman he was guarding fell into demon hands, he couldn’t stop himself. He made choices that were not acceptable. There were consequences and he didn’t learn from his mistakes. He made the same choices again when she died. That’s why he’s a demon. There was no conscious choice to fall further, he didn’t wake up and decide to be a demon. It happened because he didn’t control himself.”
“I can control myself.”
“Can you?”
“Of course.” Hadn’t he shown great restraint when he didn’t try to kill Forras?
“Yet, you make the same choices over and over again. You chose to show yourself to Gaby.”
“I had no choice.”
“Yes, you did. What happens if you face the same choices as the angel who fell, what will you do? Will your rage consume you?”
“No.” It was a weak answer and he knew it. Could he control himself?
“Please, son, just think about it. And for now, stay away from Gaby.”
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” He sighed. “She hates me.” His body now slumped next to Grace’s and his eyes welled up with tears.
Chapter Eight
“Gaby, say something.”
Sammy’s words came softly, but she couldn’t respond. Images flashed through her mind, Alexander’s wings exploding in front of her. His body resembled a Michelangelo statue she once saw in a Humanities book she studied. But his eyes reminded her of an old vampire flick.
How could she ever process who or what he was? Yet, somehow she wasn’t surprised. She already knew. The painting, her favorite, the one that lay on her desk upstairs had already revealed who he was. What of the others? The dark dreams reconstructed with blended colors on a canvas.
“Please, Gaby, you have to talk to me.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
Gaby couldn’t help but think about the pictu
res upstairs. Should she show them to Sammy? Would she think she was crazy? There were so many unanswered questions.
“What is he?” Gaby hesitated. “I mean—”
“He’s an angel. A fallen angel.” Sammy reached out and placed her hand over Gaby’s wringing ones.
“Is he dangerous?” She could feel a thumping against her neck as she waited for the answer. Even when his eyes glowed, she still wanted to be near him.
“No. Not to you. Only to himself.” Sammy looked down at the floor her brow furrowed.
“Are you a … fallen angel too?”
Sammy let out a sigh. “Yes.”
Gaby had so many questions bubbling in her head, she didn’t know where to start. “How do your wings work without shredding all your clothes?”
Sammy giggled. “That’s what you want to know? Well, most of my shirts have Velcro in the back that Grace sewed in. Alex is lucky and just takes his shirt off most of the time.”
“Do you appear, like he did? I mean, do your eyes glow?”
“It is different for all of us.” Sammy looked up with her eyes glazed over as if remembering something.
“All of us? There are more of you?”
“Yes.”
“You’re telling me there are things that go bump in the night and fly in the sky. This is insane. I’m dreaming right?” The familiar sting of panic rose and she wondered if she’d have to start taking the medicine again. No, she was stronger now and the pills never kept the nightmares away.
Sammy shifted to face her. “I didn’t say anything about things going bump in the night. You know something don’t you?” Sammy stared her down.
“I don’t know anything.” Gaby paused and tried to figure out what to do. “But I wasn’t entirely shocked by Alex’s appearance. There is something I have to show you.”
Gaby led Sammy to her room and opened the old trunk. She pulled out the worn leather portfolio her mother gave her. She picked up the picture from her desk and sat next to Sammy on her bed.