by Rue Volley
“Why? Why would they forget you?” Elijah asked her.
“Like I know.” Gracie muttered as she looked up and saw something that she did not expect.
“Oh my god.” She said.
“What?”
“Look.” She said and Elijah looked across the field at what could only be a circus.
“Jonah and Lily are here.” Gracie muttered and she started to run towards the circus as Elijah called out behind her.
Gracie skidded to a stop at the large ticket booth and stared at the sign over head. It read “Will & Wonder” and she grinned and grabbed Elijah’s shirt and pulled him along with her until they reached a large white tent and she took a breath and stepped through, pulling him along with her.
The room was dark but an eerie music played in the distance, like some old vinyl all scratchy and misunderstood for its artistry. Elijah squeezed Gracie’s shirt and she grinned at him.
“It is theatrics, I am sure of it.” She said and with that the lights came on and all around them stood people swaying on their feet. Elijah swallowed hard as he realized they all looked dead. Some had bite marks on their arms, some on their necks and some had slit throats. Gracie sighed and waved her hand at them.
“Seriously? Jonah? Lily?” she called out into the large room.
Elijah tapped her on the shoulder.
“Maybe we should just leave.” He whispered.
Gracie rolled her eyes.
“I am NOT leaving!” she yelled as loudly as she could and suddenly the people started to drop, one by one onto the ground and all the lights swung forward onto a large red velvet curtain. Gracie backed up and sat down in a chair and pulled Elijah with her. He held onto her shirt tightly and she stared at him and then at her shirt.
“Do you mind?” she said.
He released his death grip on her and then the curtain pulled apart and Jonah came through, looking quite dapper, with a black top hat on and a long black coat with tails. His pants looked a bit dusty but the racing stripes on the sides of them that shined in the light. He waved his hand around the ring and then flashed forward as Elijah sat back quickly and Gracie held her ground. He then tipped his hat to her and turned back to the curtain as Lily emerged on a large elephant, decked out with large plumes of feathers on its head in bright red and gold.
The elephant lumbered forward and then leaned down to one knee and Lily stood up, raising her hand ever so gracefully and walked down its head, across its trunk and it slightly lifted her as she gracefully jumped with little effort and Jonah met with her, taking her hand into his and kissing it slowly. He grinned at her and she pulled out multiple knives and Jonah snapped his fingers and they glowed and set themselves on fire. She smiled and started to juggle them, higher and higher until she stepped aside and they fell one by one around her in a circle.
Elijah watched with wonder and Gracie raised her eyebrows and sighed. Jonah narrowed his eyes and the lights went to the top of the tent and they all looked up, suddenly a zombie like figured stepped out onto the high wire and Gracie crossed her arms on her chest and the girl on the wire swayed back and forth and then she dropped like a rock and hit the ground exploding into yellow butterflies and Lily clapped, Elijah had hid his face with his hands and Gracie stood up and stared them both down. Jonah looked at Lily and walked to Gracie and grinned.
“Love…you are a terrible audience, we are trying to entertain you.”
“I do not need entertainment, I need help.” She said as she held up her hand and Jonah poked his finger through her hand and looked back at Lily.
“Oh dear.”
“Oh dear is right! Now do you remember who you are or not?” Gracie asked him.
“Well! I am Jonah and this is Lily! We own operate and create everything around you love.”
“Huh… okay listen. I think we need to sit down and talk, I have a lot to tell you and little time.”
“You sound so depressing.”
“How is death for you? Depressing enough? I mean all of us.” Gracie said as she stared at him and Jonah glanced at Lily.
***
Josh woke up slowly and spit up blood, wiping his mouth and looking around at his new surroundings. Jessica perched above him like a bird and when he spotted her she jumped down quickly and raised her hand.
“Jessica! Behave.” Michael called out to her and Josh looked to his right and spotted Michael walking towards them both.
Jessica lowered her hand and quickly stepped back from Josh and watched as Michael approached him and looked down. Josh started to push himself up and then groaned as he pulled on his hands and the light binding them burned into his skin and sizzled.
“What the hell?” he muttered and Michael smiled and shook his head at him.
“And to think of what you once were… so noble, so heroic… so full of need and want, and now you lie there pathetic, in this monkey suit. I am so disgusted.”
Josh looked at Michael and narrowed his eyes.
“What are you two… witches?” he asked them.
Jessica giggled and Michael held his hand up and she stopped.
“You honestly have no idea of what you are, do you?” Michael said.
“My name is Joshua Barrington; I am an EMT for the county…”
Michael started to laugh and Josh stopped talking.
“Oh my.” Michael said.
Josh scooted back, hissing as he felt the light burn into his wrists.
“What the hell are these?” he asked him.
Michael smiled and walked to Jessica, touching her face and turning his gaze back to Josh.
“Light… energy. Do you not have any knowledge of what you are made of?”
Josh looked closely at the light and watched the colors swirl inside of it.
“This is… am I dreaming?” he muttered.
Michael started to take his shirt off and Josh shook his head at him.
“Oh hell no, dude I don’t swing that way.”
Michael tilted his head and grinned. He pulled his shirt off and Josh cleared his throat and scooted back more, regardless of the pain inflicted by the cuffs made of light binding his wrists together.
Michael held his hands out to his sides and then he started to lift from the ground as the long black cracks formed on his back and two majestic wings emerged, Josh stared at him in disbelief.
“Son of a bitch who are you Chris Angel?” he cried out.
Michael looked at him and shook his head.
“I am Michael, archangel and keeper of this world and the heavens Gabrielle.”
“Oh fuck me.” Josh said and then he looked at him and tilted his head.
“Did you just call me Gabrielle?” Josh asked him.
Michael flew to him quickly and Josh dropped onto his back, Michael got into his face as his wings slowly moved and held him above him. Josh swallowed hard and stared into Michael’s eyes as they started to change from blue to black.
“Gabrielle is your name.” Michael whispered to him.
“You are crazy and this is a dream.” Josh said as he closed his eyes and Michael pulled his sword and ran it through Josh’s shoulder causing him to scream out. Michael slowly moved his wings and hovered above him as Josh spit out every curse word you could think of and then Michael pulled the sword from him, lifting Josh from the ground. Michael placed his foot against Josh’s chest and pushed, jerking the sword from him and dropping Josh back to the ground with a thud. Josh screamed out and rolled onto his side as the burning crept through him. Then he rolled onto his back and the cut started to mend itself and Josh looked over in a panic as he watched his skin pull itself back together with light.
“Oh my god…”
Michael was in his face again in a flash.
“He cannot hear you brother.” He whispered and Josh passed out and Michael shook his head and rose up, slowly placing his feet to the cold stone floor and his wings retracted into his back again.
Jessica leaned up and looked at Josh o
n the floor. Michael looked at her and shook his head.
“Why did you bring him here? You were to seduce him and that is all.”
Jessica lowered her head.
“He would not have me.”
Michael raised his hand and then lowered it as Jessica fell to his feet and hugged his legs.
“Get up.” He said and she rose slowly and looked at him.
“I am taking him to Valon, you stay here I will send instruction.”
She nodded and Michael looked at Josh and shook his head.
“You will remember so that I can kill you in all of your glory Gabrielle.”
***
Hope & Faith.
I never really had much of either. I mean I am not a person that suffers from depression, but hope was just not something I ever relied on and faith was never something I experienced. My parents never went to church and there for Kai and I didn’t either. We never talked about it, which was okay with me, but as I sat there on my bed with my parents an ocean away and feeling like Josh is now that far away from me too… I felt it. That little twinge of wanting hope, or wanting it to find me. The faith on the other hand was just as illusive to me as the hope is. I stood up and decided to take a walk to a place I never thought that I would, that of the one church in town.
I stepped in front of the long concrete steps and looked up at this monstrous creature, that of the Cathedral and decided what the hell. I mean just because I had never been to church did not mean that it would set itself on fire when I walked in… or at least I hoped not.
I pushed on the large dark wood door and it creaked. I peaked in and saw no one, which was what I was hoping for. I really had no need for anyone to sit beside me and talk to me about what God can and cannot do. In fact I wasn’t sure what God was and quite honestly I don’t think anyone does. Sometimes I maybe thought God was that ‘thing’ that helps all those who were in need to feel as if they are not alone… and I guess that’s why I was there.
I felt alone and lost and I had a need burning inside of me to just try to understand why Josh left me, left me forever… I felt the pain in my stomach again and quickly found a seat close to the middle, off to the side and out of sight. I sat down slowly and looked up at the high ceilings and then I started to study the faces of all the saints placed around the room. They all looked soft and inviting, like someone you could talk to and I looked down at my hands and then back at all of them and decided to talk.
I know it sounds crazy, but I just needed to. I needed to say things out loud, and I found it ironic that I would rather sit in a room full of lifeless statues than go home and talk to Kai or Sam or even Theo. Maybe the lack of a heartbeat is less intimidating and less likely to hug me and try to console me. I had not hit the hurt yet, I was in ‘shockville’ still and it sucked so bad.
“Um.” I said and then I felt kinda stupid for being there, I mean what the hell am I doing? Then I caught a glimpse of the ring on my finger and I touched it, it looked so pretty and I swallowed hard as I thought about what I said to him and exactly why I did. Something in me made me look at the love of my life and say no. I took a deep breath and leaned forward onto the pew and let my fingers interlace and I looked up at one of the saints and took another breath.
“My name is Rue… Rue Volley, but you probably already know that. I uhhh, I have never been here, which you are aware of but I need, well…I need to talk and just have someone listen to me, so I guess you all win.” I said as they all stared at me motionless.
“Anyway… Josh is a.” I bit my lip. “He ummmm, he left me and I am not one of those people that is going to die because I love him. I am not going to curl up in a ball and let the world pass me by, but I will say that I feel empty, I feel like something has died in me and I am not going to say it to anyone else on this earth. I guess I am stubborn, or an asshole… ooops, sorry, I shouldn’t cuss here I, but it is truth and I have no idea right now. All I know is he asked me to marry him and I said no and he said he had to leave, to leave me and I have no idea… I mean, I am lost.”
I closed my eyes and let the silence of the room fill me and then the first tear happened and it made me mad more than anything, then as I sniffled and tried to compose myself I started to sob and I slumped into the seat and placed my head in my hands and the most terrible feeling came over me, like I had made a mistake…the worst one ever and I looked up and wiped my tears and stared at the saints.
“I love him with everything that I am and without him in my life I feel lost, I feel empty and I don’t know what to do, I mean I guess if this is all real now would be the time for someone to say something… I mean, is that what faith is? Do you whisper or does lightning strike or something?” I said a little too loud and it echoed in the room. Then I stood up and the anger started to hit me.
“What? NOTHING???? You have nothing to say? Of course you don’t, because you are not real! I make my life and there is no supernatural bullshit that just pops up out of thin air and says “THIS IS THE WAY!” I screamed as I held onto the bench in front of me and then I felt it a slight vibration in the wood and then in my feet and then I looked up and the lights flickered on and off. I looked towards the windows and saw no rain, no thunder and then the lights went out and only one light was shining into the church through one window to my left and I looked over and up at the stain glass and I had to wipe my eyes as I stared at the figure in it.
“What?” I muttered as I moved towards it and there he was… my Joshua, dressed in white with two blades in his hands and I shook my head and held onto the bench, as I felt dizzy.
The vibration started again in the floor and up through me and then into the walls and they started to crack but his image remained so clear and so beautiful to me and memories started to flash into my mind, of him and I… water, the forest, blades and color and a white tree so majestic and beautiful I could barely stand the sight of it. Then I feel to my knees as the vibration became stronger and I felt it run through me wave after wave, making me moan.
A thousand years of memory flooded into my mind and as it did my life became so clear, my mind so focused and I stood up slowly and stared at Joshua in the window and then one face flashed into my mind… that of Grace and I sucked in my breath and screamed as I levitated from the ground and a burst of energy left me and tore through the church, knocking over every bench every saint and blowing out every window except one… that of my Gabrielle. I sucked in my breath and realized what I had done, what anyone would love to do… I had changed things as I wanted them to be all around me… but let me tell you this, you cannot and I knew more than ever what I had to do.
***
Sam stood up as the wind picked up and started to tear through the forest and Kai ran onto the porch along with Theo. They watched as the trees swayed and cracked and Theo touched Sam’s shoulder as they all spotted a figure coming towards them. Rue stepped up, with light racing through her and eyes shining a bright blue. Theo blinked a few times and Sam ran towards her then came to a stop as she watched the light race across my skin.
“What the....” she started to say and Rue lifted her arms into the air and screamed out in Latin. Light left her and hit the sky, causing lighting and then thin cracks to form in what seemed to be an invisible shield. Sam fell to the ground as she watched it and Theo and Kai jumped from the porch and looked towards the sky then as the last of the glamour dissipated they all moaned as light raced through them too and as they rose slowly. Rue breathed deeply and stared at them and shook her head.
“Vampire.” I said and they all stared at me.
“What the hell?” Kai said as he rubbed his head and I walked towards him and grinned.
“Sorry about that.” I said as I passed him and ran into the house.
“Where is Joshua?” Sam asked Theo and they followed me in as I came racing down the stairs and stared at all of them, all suited up in my white battle gear.
“I fucked things up, I know it… but something bad is happe
ning.” I said.
“Okay.” Sam said and she raced past me as well as Kai and Theo and they returned in their battle gear, blades in hand.
“Josh asked me to marry him tonight and I said no”
Theo laughed and I looked at him.
“It was because it was not him, somehow I knew it… we need to find him.” I said.
Suddenly Johnathan was at the door and in the house in a flash.
“Nice Rue.” He said and I looked at him and shook my head.
“Listen to me, Josh is in trouble, we need to get him.”
Brooke came running in after him.
“Would you like to tell me where Elijah is?”
I looked down as I pulled my blades.
“I am guessing memory.”
“Oh shit! Seriously?” She said.
“I am sorry, I suck.” I said to her.
“That is true.” She said and then she smiled.
“Okay… I need you and Johnathan to come with me, we are going to Josh’s house…Theo, Sam and Kai… do you think you can somehow figure out how to get to memory?”
Sam nodded and they were gone in a flash.
“Okay… Brooke, nothing personal, but maybe you should stay here.” I said.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Not really, I have no idea what is going on, but if my feelings are right… it is bad stuff.”
Johnathan turned to her and smiled.
“Please… please stay here.”
Brooke sighed.
“One hour and then someone better tell me what the hell is going on!” she yelled.
“Promise.” I said.
***
Josh gritted his teeth as Michael strapped him to the tower mirror with burning hot ropes of light. Josh hissed as the light burnt into his flesh and started to smell like meat cooking on an open flame. Michael smiled at him.
“Oh.” Michael said as he placed his hand to his head and stumbled back. Josh watched him curiously. Michael looked up at him and grinned an evil grin.