by Amy Barrett
“You like cheap coffee?” she asked.
“Yea course I do.” Ivan grinned. He was making progress.
“Then why didn’t you buy any?” She gestured to the empty table in front of him and rolled her eyes.
Pressing his lips together Ivan hummed in thought. He lacked a good answer and was grateful when Hannah’s friend showed up. She had her brown hair tied up in two pigtails which were loosely plaited down her shoulders. Her mouth was open, and she was going to speak before she saw Ivan. She watched him for a few seconds before smiling widely. It was unlike any grin Ivan had ever seen. It wouldn’t have belonged in any of the death scenes the reaper was used to.
“Well,” the friend drawled. She was pale and had an Irish accent. “Who is this?” She raised her eyebrows at Hannah.
“I’m Ivan.” He stood up and shook her hand. This was without offering it to her in the first place, so the exchange was awkward as he grabbed her hand from where it hung at her side.
She laughed. “Ciara. It’s Irish.”
“Now that you two have met I’m never going to be able to escape him, am I?” Hannah moved over and let her friend in.
Ciara laughed again. “No. This one you will have to say yes to.”
Hannah groaned, and Ivan tried not to take offense. Steeling himself he asked. “So, will you date me?”
“Maybe I will go on a date with you, cause I’m nice, but we will see where it goes from there.”
Ivan smirked. “I can tell you right now, its gonna go good places.”
“Someone’s cocky.” Ciara reached across and playfully punched Ivan’s arm.
Rude, he thought. He dusted his arm. “Yea, well, I have reason to be. Every time I touch someone, they are changed forever.” He wasn’t lying. Not really. “Not to mention things have been going well for me since yesterday.”
Hannah snickered and looked at Ciara. “Come on. We have to go and meet with Milly and the others.” She stood, and both slipped out of the booth. Ivan got up in time for Hannah passing and made sure she had to slide against him to get past. She glared at him, so he gave her some space.
Ciara was fixated on Ivan and he fought the urge to squirm.
“I think I will stay here,” Ciara said, “Milly would be happy if I didn’t turn up anyway.”
“Aww come on. They are our friends. Don’t do this again.” Hannah tugged on her friend’s sleeve.
Ciara stayed put. “I will catch up with you later. Besides,” She focused on Ivan again. “I’m sensing something new.”
Hannah sighed. “Fine but next time that ridiculous excuse won’t work. I can’t make them put up with your eccentricities forever.” She put her coat on and made for the door. “See you Ivan.”
This remark was thrown over her shoulder, but it made the reaper happy. She had thought of him.
Once she had gone, Ivan sat down to bask in his victory. He had all but forgotten about Ciara until she sat in beside him.
His gaze slipped sideways. She was smiling sweetly at him.
“You’re very close.” Ivan shuffled over an inch into the corner of the booth.
“This might sound mad, but I have felt you before.”
“No, you have not.” Ivan pulled his jacket tightly around himself. “In fact, I would go as far as to say you will never feel me, mate.”
“I have felt your energy though.” She giggled and Ivan noticed a slight pink hue appearing on her cheeks. Then her head tilted like a string had been cut at one side. “But why does it feel so cold?”
Ivan licked his bottom lip. “Maybe you are starting to take the hint, mate.”
“No. It’s not like anyone else. I have felt it before though. A few times. It explains why I feel, well, comfortable with you. I suppose I know you.” She trailed off.
Ivan was stuck. If he told her he was death, then she would either run or laugh. Both were not shaping up to be fun. He could call her crazy. He looked at her. She had moved closer to him again and was grinning like a cartoon villain with a sparkle to her eyes. Somehow, he had the feeling that she already knew she was crazy.
“Come on you can tell,” she said. “I’m like that kid from the “Sixth Sense”. I mean I don’t see the ghosts, but I sense them and that is almost as good.”
Ivan didn’t know what the “Sixth Sense” was but there was no way he was going to tell this crazy person who he was. Folding his legs up he managed to stand on the booth. He stepped onto the table.
“I don’t know what you are going on about mate, but I am not a ghost.” He walked along the top of the table and escaped Hannah’s booth. Other people gave him odd looks and a male voice yelled at him to get down. “Now if you don’t mind, I have to go and get ready for a date.”
Ivan had never left a room so quickly and in his haste to escape it slipped his mind that he was no longer able to pass through solid matter. Two servers were eliminated, and Ivan’s face received a nasty bruise from the rude door. He didn’t let it bring him down. After all, it’s just a door, and a crazy girl who wanted to know if he was dead or not. No big deal.
Chapter 4
“Alright man, I can’t do it anymore.” Dan flopped against the wall. The chains still held onto the ceiling and after an hour or two of trying he had run out of steam.
Nick understood why he had given up. His wrists had broken over and over. Hell had healed the damage. He swung down again and ground his teeth against the pain.
“Man…” Dan sounded desperate, but Nick didn’t stop. Even when his wrists crumbled audibly, and he yelled in pain, he waited for the damage to heal, then started again. He wouldn’t just hang there and wait for a miracle. He told himself every time that he only needed to try once more and that would do it. Tears stung in his eyes, sizzling in the heat but he made sure that Dan couldn’t hear him sobbing.
He lifted himself again. His midsection was shaking with fatigue and the dried blood on his wrists was flaking off. He bit his tongue to keep down the desperate growl he could feel climbing up his throat. Shaking with effort and emotion he let his body drop. He shut his eyes and waited for the pain when he would reach the end of the chain and break his wrists again. Yet, he kept falling and with a resounding crash the bolt holding him up clattered down past his head. He hit the floor and lay in a heap. His breaths were hot and painful, but he couldn’t help but laugh. He had done it. He lifted his hands in front of his face. Blood left behind by vanished wounds painted his wrists and hands and his skin was filthy and burnt.
“Nick?” Dan sounded apprehensive. “Man are you okay? What was that sound?”
Nick dragged himself to his feet, too exhausted to speak and stand at the same time. His legs were like stilts, unsteady from lack of use. He staggered around the wall to see Dan hanging there. His lean form was covered in bruises and burns so instead of having to see what they had done to him, Nick looked into his eyes. Dan’s mouth fell open and he watched Nick without blinking as if he might vanish if he did.
“Do you want me to let you down now?” Nick laughed gently.
Dan nodded. “Sure, man if you want.”
Several of their companions hung in the row like statues. Their faces were frozen in shock and the only sound was hollow breaths. Nick both wanted to stare at them all, having not seen them in so long, and look away with shame because he had let this happen to them. He swallowed thickly and ignored the clenching in his stomach as he breathed in the smell of their blood.
Nick gripped the chains and locked eyes with Dan. “On three pull like your hairy ass depends on it.”
“One, two, three.” Both counted and then both of them pulled. It was loud when the stubborn chains broke from their home and cascaded to the ground.
Dan laughed wildly, like it had possessed him. “Shit man! We did it.”
“Yea let’s celebrate later.” Nick started towards the others, stumbling every few steps.
“Right enough. Those crazy demons will come back soon.” Dan followed and started t
o help a young girl escape.
“When they get here, we are going to be ready.” Nick muttered while reaching for the chains holding an older werewolf who was bones in a bag of skin. They released a number of them without talking to each other. They instead focused on talking to the prisoners and keeping them calm. When they had almost freed all their allies Nick noticed that Dan couldn’t stop glancing at his face and smiling.
“I am ready to string that demon up and get some sweet payback.” Dan was giddy. There was something about his mad gleeful eyes that made Nick uneasy. He looked too much like the demons did when they lifted the first knife of the day.
He sobered quickly when Abyzou strode into the room. For a moment her eyes widened but she regained her composure fast.
“Well boys,” She leaned on the wall and folded her arms. “You and your gang had better return to the chains or you’ll find out what torture really is.”
Nick would lie if asked but these words did scare him. He did his best to keep the fear off his face. “You may want to move out of our way, you seem a bit weaker than usual.”
Abyzou’s eyes glazed over momentarily. Nick could see that she knew that there was something wrong by the way her jaw tightened when she thought about it. She was trying to hide her concern from them, but Nick had spent long enough with her that he noticed. It struck him as strange that he could read her more easily than some of his closest friends.
“Still strong enough to string your corpse up in those chains when I’m done.” She produced from the sheath at her back, a long-curved blade. Some of the gang gulped and retreated a step. Nick and Dan stood their ground. She began to stalk towards them.
“You know man,” Dan whispered, “I’m not so sure we can take her.”
Nick cast a glance over at Dan. The werewolf was beaten, and blood stuck his hair flat to his head. He wasn’t used to facing an enemy without the support of the pack and being able to turn. He gnawed on the inside of his left cheek.
“I’d rather try than stay here,” Nick said.
Dan released the skin on the inside of his cheek. “Suppose you’re right. Hell can’t get any worse.”
Then she was on them. Abyzou moved like a snake, quick and precise. The blade sliced the air between the two men as both swayed to avoid its deadly blow. The demon was fast. She whipped around and brought her leg up to head height. Her foot came into contact with Dan’s face. He flew sideways and recovered just fast enough to avoid the sword strike which followed. Meanwhile Nick lunged for the demon’s back. His steps were clumsey, and she twirled like a dancer. The blade cut through the front of Nick’s shirt and skimmed his skin. A thin horizontal line of red appeared.
It stung but given the pain he had suffered before he managed to push it to the back of his mind. He didn’t hesitate. He jumped at her and managed to get a blow in while she raised the sword again. He thrashed with her, fighting for dominance. Nick didn’t see him coming but Dan thudded into her spine and all three toppled to the floor.
Swifter then the men, Abyzou was the first up. She delivered a harsh kick to Nick’s face. There was an explosion of pain that made his vision swim and he pressed his hands to his face. Blood erupted from his nose and he choked on it. Nick’s vision was blurry. He watched Dan try to get up but one of his feet slid from under him. As he tripped and fell, Abyzou raised the blade and brought it down into his leg. He howled, and Nick got to his feet and rushed towards them. He was rewarded with an elbow to his face from the demon. His already broken nose throbbed, and it took great effort not to squeal. In his dazed state, he was easily eliminated by a kick to his knees. When he hit the hard stone floor the air was knocked out of his lungs. Gasping, he rolled onto his side and tried to gather enough strength to get up again.
Dan was a few paces from him, on the floor pressing his hand to his leg wound in an effort to stop the flow brought on as Abyzou withdrew her sword. His blood oozed out like syrup, sticking to his fingers and slithering down his leg. He was left totally at Abyzou’s mercy. Nick struggled on the floor. His face was throbbing, and his legs were weak and shaky. No matter how many times he told himself to get up and go to help Dan he only got part the way up before he crumpled to the ground. Frustration brought fresh tears and Nick was already screaming when Abyzou rocketed the sword into Dan’s abdomen then thrashed up, cutting his face and neck in half. Both halves of Dan slumped down, his vacant eyes stairing at Nick.
Bile shot up Nick’s throat as his whole world narrowed down to Dan’s mutilated face. A numbness spread through him, making him forget the pain and tiredness. His mind was like a rollercoaster that had gone off the rails. Thoughts flew about, things Dan would say, the way he would smile, the last thing Nick had seen written all over his face.
Nick growled and sprung up. The demon didn’t move to dodge the punch he swung at her face. He felt her bone and flesh split and break under his fist, but it didn’t help the void that was growing in his chest. Furiously, he clawed at her. She backed up. He forced her into the jagged stones of the wall and snarled into her face. He was going to take her apart, piece by piece.
She kneed him in the balls.
He folded, and she escaped the corner and held the sword at elbow height. “He will come back; this is hell after all.”
“That’s not the point.” Nick dragged himself towards her. She kept a safe distance. Not that she had anything to fear, Nick thought bitterly, the magic of hell was already healing the scratch he had given her with his punch.
“Get back onto the wall, like a good pet.” Abyzou met his eyes and Nick put all the ire he could muster into his scowl. He growled deep in his chest and stalked her. Recovered now, he rose to his full height. He waited for her to respond to his obviously threatening posture, but she didn’t lunge or lift the weapon any higher. She watched him and her complete lack of action drove Nick mad more than if she was still trying to kill him.
One of the others tugged on Nick’s arm.
He didn’t turn to face them. “What?”
“We need to get out of here.”
“Yea,” another chimed in, “before more of them come to stop us.”
There were murmurs of agreement throughout the group. He was tempted to sacrifice the others to get his revenge on Abyzou. But that familiar fist of shame clenched inside him. He couldn’t abandon the others now, even if he was at risk of drowning under the grief that took his breath away. He needed to think about everyone else first.
The sound of reinforcements rattled the prisoners. They began rushing around in no particular direction. Nick snapped at them to calm down and prepare. He knew they couldn’t outrun all the demons. He had to leave Dan where he was sprawled, like an unwanted doll. The thought made him want to be sick. He averted his gaze and reapeated how he had to save the others over and over in his mind. Nick re-joined the group and locked eyes with Abyzou. Telling her, with one look, that he was going to take her down. The hell forces entered the room in a wave. They washed into the trembling group. Like a God sent disaster, they laid waste to the first people they touched. Nick knew it was going to be a struggle to get out but also knew hell was cracked in some way and the light spilling through that crack could guide them home.
“Follow the smell of the air that isn’t thick with blood,” Abyzou said.
Nick threw a look back at her. She stood the other side of Dan’s body, her sword loose at her side. He didn’t know why she was telling him anything, or if he believed her or not. He couldn’t stick around to consider it. Yelling to follow him, he started to fight his way towards the break in the stone wall through which the demons had entered the torture chamber every day, hoping that he would find an escape route one way or another.
***
Ivan was waiting in the park or as one of the locals had told him it was called, Eyre Square. Zerachiel had made him agree to meet him here after the first day on earth to make sure he hadn’t gotten into any trouble. He had a penny between his fingers. He had found it o
n the path when leaving the café. It was tiny in the palm of his hand. Twirling it around his fingers he found it entertaining watching how the light played off the shiny surface.
Now that he had talked to Hannah, he didn’t know what to do. When you have no money, life is limited. Ivan wouldn’t let this get him down. He had got all that he had ever wished for. He just needed to find more pennies.
While he examined the tiny copper disk, a voice called to him. He lifted his head to see Zerachiel. There was something different about him. Ivan couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but he looked changed. Perhaps it was something about that smile that was plastered on his face. It went wider than Ivan had remembered it going before. The angel came and settled down beside the reaper. He let out a breath and smiled.
“Went well did it?” Ivan didn’t stop looking at the coin.
“Very well. Better than it ever should have.” Zerachiel had a dreamy look in his eyes. “How did it go with the girl?”
Ivan wondered briefly if he looked like Zerachiel. Changed in some slight way and blissful. He thought he should. “Fine, I guess. I mean how well can it go with a woman, right mate?”
Zerachiel didn’t laugh. Ivan imagined these kinds of jokes worked better with straight men.
“Did she say yes?” Zerachiel surveyed his expression.
Ivan scrunched up his eyes. “I think so. She wasn’t clear.”
Silence persisted for a while between the two men. The park around them hummed with life. A child screamed in joy. A dog barked and a bicycle chain clanked.
“How am I meant to get more pennies?” Ivan held the tiny object out.
Zerachiel took it from him. “Why would you want more of these?”
“To buy stuff.”
“These aren’t worth enough to buy things. You need these.” Zerachiel produced a wad of paper rectangles with fifties printed on them. There were enough of them to obscure Ivan’s view of the angel’s palm.
“Ahh mate, you couldn’t have told me that before?” Ivan threw his hands up into the air.