“Isaac.” Aerin’s eyes darted back and forth as she tried to think. “Let me out and I can get you!”
“No time, Aerin… Another few seconds and… this place will be gone… Besides… The Angel… The Angel has to live.”
“Isaac…” Aerin dropped to her knees. She felt sick to her stomach. “No!” She screamed. “I can’t do this without you!”
“Of course… Of course you can. You’re a… big girl.” Isaac managed as much of a laugh as he could. “It’s gonna hurt, but… You’ll survive… You always do.”
“Don’t say that!” Aerin shouted.
“I’m sorry Aerin…”
“I-Isaac…”
“See you around, Angel.”
The bomb's shock wave struck the small village with an unparalleled force. Aerin collapsed forward into the snow as her strength vanished. She began to scream. First in anger, but this quickly gave way to other emotions inside of her. In no time she was crying loudly as tears poured down her flushed cheeks. The houses around her, the helicopters and gunships, anything that stood testament that humans were once here vanished. As she lay there crying, her head began to ache. Her mind eventually went numb, and she drifted out of consciousness.
Suddenly everything went white. Flashes of things she’d seen before raced through her mind. There was a white room, a big couch, a TV set against the wall. She’d seen it before. A dark Monastery. The large stone fountain sat in the center of the biggest room. It was one she knew all too well. Six smiling faces surrounded her, ones she could always rely on. Suddenly there was something else. A city. A place she’d never been before. She could see him. What had she done? It was there, he could see it. Slowly, his eyes began to open as the dream came crashing down.
Chapter Twenty Three
The alarm beeped incessantly, filling the room with its annoying chirp. It forced John awake, robbing him of what little sleep he had been able to get. He grunted loudly and reached over for his phone in the darkness of his room. His hand found the perpetrator after a few slaps and he brought the device up to inspect the time. “Work” the screen read beneath the time displayed, 6:30am. John’s thumb moved up and canceled the alarm before he tossed the phone back over onto the table. He wouldn’t need that anymore. With the room quiet once more, John rolled back over and slowly drifted off to sleep again.
Thirty minutes went by faster than he'd expected. The phone began to ring again, and John muttered something under his breath before covering his head with his pillow in an attempt to block it out; but the sound still managed to come through. He sat forward angrily, nearly full awake this time as he grabbed up his phone. Half a dozen alarms were prepared after this one, none of which he had use for right now. He scrolled through them one by one, turning them all off. When he was sure there would be no more disturbances, he laid the phone back to rest upon the nightstand before returning himself to his pillow. He stared up at the ceiling, small trickles of light filtered in through the curtains beside his bed. Deep within himself he felt his body trying to get up, but he suppressed the urges and closed his eyes once more. This day would be just like all the rest.
It was sometime around noon when John finally awoke. More sunlight shone through the curtains beside him and he could feel the headache forming from oversleeping. He rose up slowly and stretched the stiffness from his muscles before heading for the bathroom, shuffling his feet across the carpet as he walked. He had had the strangest dream while he was sleeping. Something, though he couldn’t quite remember, had felt deeply familiar about it. He pushed the thoughts aside as he reached for the light switch, shielding his eyes from the brightness of the LED bulb overhead.
John took a moment to gaze at himself in the mirror. Though it was the same face that greeted him every morning, it had become almost unrecognizable. His green irises appeared darker, like their color had faded. The hair on his face which he had normally kept well-trimmed was scruffy and unkempt. He reached up and ran his fingers through his greasy brown hair, pulling it out to measure its length, finding it stretched well below his nose. He took a deep breath and stared into his eyes in the mirror. This is the man he had chosen to become, but did he have to stay this way forever? He took a deep breath and cleared his head before reaching down to turn on the water.
Twenty minutes and a sink full of hair later, John looked up at himself again to inspect his work. His face was clean shaven, his cheek smooth now that his mangy beard was gone. He reached up and ran his hand through his hair. John was no barber, but he handled the scissors well enough. His hair now came down to his neck, and though it still looked a little wild, he had managed to rope it in a bit. Two long strands hung down from his bangs on either side of his head where it parted. It’d always been this way since he was a child. He had considered cutting them away, but just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
After a long hot shower, he walked over to the kitchen adjacent from the bathroom. Still wrapped in a towel, water dripping down onto the cold white linoleum, he opened the fridge and looked around for something for a late breakfast. A two day old box of pizza was the only thing inside, but it would suffice. He pulled on an old pair of faded blue jeans and a long sleeve white T-shirt while a piece of pepperoni pizza hung from his mouth. After he finished his meal and dressed himself he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He glanced at himself in the mirror that hung on the wall beside the door, seeing himself looking presentable for the first time in a few weeks. He realized he hadn’t thought very far ahead in his haste to change himself again. John had nowhere to go.
It didn’t take long to find a place though. The hallway outside his door led to a stairwell beside an elevator with an “out of order” sign that had been there since he moved in. He pushed on the crash bar and headed upstairs following the staircase up two flights before it came out onto the rooftop. He was met with a chilly wind that made him thankful for having picked his long sleeve shirt. John walked over to the ledge and leaned against it as he gazed out upon Station in the distance. From up there, he had a clear view of the skyline in the distance, “best seat in the house” as he’d called it before. Station City, Colorado, the place he had called home for the last fifteen or so years. The same city he had lost friends, family… it was a city full of as many memories as people.
Sitting atop the roof gave one time to relax. Worries and cares seemed to fade away with the screeching of the trains in the distance. John felt disconnected from both the world and his problems. He could kick back, stare up at the cloudy sky, and lose himself in the melodic hustle and bustle of the metropolis. But as time went on, his problems were all he could think of. Though he was trying, he couldn’t escape the guilt he was feeling in his chest. The cold air against the concrete worked against him; instead of being disconnected all it did was isolate him. Atop the roof John felt truly alone. It wasn’t long before he got up to head downstairs again.
The next two hours were spent staring into the TV. He didn’t watch out of interest, but out of a simple need to make the hands on the clock move faster. He wasn’t interested in the news; it was the same doom and gloom he was used to hearing at this point. The other channels held nothing for him as well. Either full of TV shows he cared not to watch, or other programs he just couldn’t bring himself to tune into. After he had enough, he finally turned the television off and stood. Nothing in the apartment was going to give him the release he so desperately sought. There was nothing in these rooms that would give him an adventure that would take his mind off things quite like he needed. No, his adventure lay outside that front door. He shut off every nonessential appliance, turned off all the lights, grabbed his wallet and car keys and made for the door. A good long drive would do him some good, or at least that was what he told himself.
Outside on the street, sitting snuggly against the curb, was his means of escape. It was his pride and joy, the love of his life. A friend he’d had for the better part of the last six years. He approached slowly, running his hand a
cross the cold black hood, his fingers tracing the chrome accents all the way to the side mirrors. His hand moved over the mirror slowly, careful not to adjust it as he reached for the silver handle. The door opened with the same familiar squeak it always had, no matter how many times he greased it. John slid easily into the black leather seats as his hands took hold of the stained wooden steering wheel. His eyes moved over the dials, 182,000 miles. She’d been around the block a time or two. The key slid into the ignition and turned easily, and the 1969 Dodge Charger roared to life beneath him.
The tires squealed out as John pushed the pedal to the floor. The engine roared at his command as the car raced down the road. He had no destination in mind, only the open road that called out to him. It was late enough in the evening that the streets weren’t nearly as crowded as usual, so John really gave the car some gas. He tore through the outskirts of the city, drifting around corners and skidding curbs all the way towards Downtown. As he approached the heart of the city, it gradually became darker. The tall towers and the spider web network of train tracks began to block out the sun's rays.
John had dealt with the darkness of his room for the past few weeks, he wasn’t about to return to the darkness of the city. He needed something new, he needed the sun. He turned the wheel and pulled out onto the first onramp he saw. It took him up, up above the shadows of the streets below, out into the warm Colorado sunlight. He pushed the pedal to the floor and merged out into traffic, weaving in and around other cars as he raced around the beltway. The highway curved around the city, and soon John found himself heading north. He didn’t mind, a trip out of town might be a good change of pace for him.
The highway took him out of the city towards the mountains nearby. He drove for an hour or so, the massive sloping hills in the distance slowly turning into winding roads. After he had driven far enough on the highway, John pulled off onto the nearest exit. He followed the mountain pass around as it wound its way up further. He didn’t know this road, there was no particular reason to get off on it, for some reason it just felt good. Off to his left he could see Station, a shining gem in the distance. It looked so different from up there, all the lights melding into one glow on the evening horizon. Suddenly John’s stomach growled. It’d been a few hours since he had eaten, and until now he hadn’t realized how thirsty he was. Up ahead he saw a sign for a rest stop ahead and so he decided to stop for a bit.
Before he made it a quarter mile, he saw something in the distance. At first he wasn’t sure if he’d actually seen it, or if his mind was playing tricks on him. He blinked his eyes twice and rubbed them both, but sure enough, it was still there. Up ahead, just in the bend of the road, a girl was standing there. John slowed the Charger down to a crawl as he approached. Her back was to him, and she stood resting against the large guard rail on the edge of the cliff. She stared off into the distance toward Station as her long blonde hair waved behind her in the wind. She wore a white dress, long and worn, looking to be from an era long since gone by. It flapped in the wind against her, the ribbons on the back fluttering in the strong breeze. As the Charger rolled up slowly, she turned to face it. John stared into her eyes. There was something about them, something about their bright yellow hue, something that was familiar.
John stomped down on the brake. His head burned with a feeling like never before. Memories, emotions, things he had forgotten, it all rushed back inside of him suddenly. He felt like he’d been wandering aimlessly for so long. How could he have forgotten something so important? The very reason he had come here in the first place. It had all been lost to him. There was something about those eyes, something that pulled him back from the brink. John shut off the engine and opened his door slowly before making his way over to her.
They stood beside each other, neither saying a word. The girl glanced at John, he glanced to her. His journey, everything he had experienced, it was all for this moment. His mind swirled with questions. There were so many words he wanted to say, so many things he had to ask. It was all a blur. With a deep breath, he cleared it out, finding the one thing he needed to say first.
“I found you, Aerin.”
“Yeah.” Aerin agreed as she turned her attention back toward the distant city. “You did.”
“It took a while.” John stated as he rested his weight against the railing. A smile slowly crept up on his face. He knew this road, and the hillside behind him. This was the place that he had died. This was the place where he had made a contract. This was where he had met the Angel. "I should've known this was where I could find you."
"This was where we first met." Aerin stated.
"Yeah." John nodded. "Feels like it's been ages." A soft silence fell between them both before he spoke again. "Hey." He said with a nudge against her shoulder. "Come on, let's go home."
He let the words sink in before turning back toward the car. He hadn't taken but two steps before Aerin turned and grabbed hold of his hand, stopping him dead in his tracks. He turned back towards her, a mix of confused emotions played out on her face.
“Why?” She said with a hint of desperation in her voice. "Why did you come back for me?"
John was taken aback by her question. He stood there, thinking for a moment, before he turned around to face her completely. Still holding onto Aerin's hand, he looked her right in her bright yellow eyes as he spoke.
“Why wouldn’t I?” He asked, much to Aerin’s surprise.
“Y-You could’ve gone back to the way you were!” She almost stuttered. “Without me, you… you could’ve lived a normal life!”
“A normal life?” John repeated without looking away from her. “Aerin, I’ve told you before, you’re my partner.” He glanced away before slowly looking back at her. “…you’re all I’ve got.”
Aerin recoiled immediately at his words, realizing she had said something she shouldn’t have.
“I don’t have a family.” He continued, real emotion on his face. “Before I met you, I was in a bad way…” He shut his eyes and sighed. “I don’t want to go back to that.”
“John, I…” Aerin tried to say something.
“You’ve given me a family, Aerin. A place I can belong. I want to stay here, with you.”
“But you saw my memories!” Aerin proclaimed. “You saw what happens...” Aerin looked down at her feet as she tried to pull her hand away from John’s. “Everyone… always…”
“I’m not everyone.” John gripped her hand tighter, keeping it firmly within his own. “I am me. I want to stay with you because that is my choice, a decision that I made. You showed me the path, but I’ve chosen to walk it myself.”
“You…” Aerin brought her free hand to her eyes and wiped a few tears away before they could fall. “You listened to Isaac didn’t you..?”
“I did, maybe a little too much.” John said, inciting the smallest laugh from Aerin. “But I mean what I say. I choose to walk this path, and I want to walk it with you.” He squeezed her hand again. “By my side.”
“You…” She was getting choked up. “But why?”
“Well…” John glanced down as he searched for the words, feeling a little self-conscious about them suddenly. “When we first met, all you did was give me an excuse.” John stated. “But now, I’ve found a reason to fight.”
“Wow…” Aerin looked up at him with as much of a smug expression as she could manage at the moment. “You sound so grown up…”
“Hey, I’ve spent the last few years inside of your head. Cut me some slack okay?” He gave her a sarcastic glare. “Forgive me if I sound a little old for my age.”
“So tell me, John.” Aerin said as she looked up at him smiling earnestly. “What is this reason you’ve found?”
“You.” John answered.
“Why?” She questioned.
“The day we fought the Hellhound, I realized how weak I actually was. I thought I could do anything, but I couldn’t even save that little girl, let alone keep you safe.” John closed his eyes as he recounte
d something painful. “That day, I held you in my arms. You looked so small… That day, I thought that if I could just keep her safe, I would have done something worthwhile…” He stopped to let his words sink in. They stood there in silence as Aerin looked away from him, her face a bright shade of red. “I know you’re strong, you don’t need to be babied. You don’t want someone to come save you, and I don’t want to save you. I want to stand by your side.” She turned back to face him as he looked down into her eyes. “You became my reason to fight.”
Aerin sighed and closed her eyes as she gathered her thoughts. Her breathing had quickened as John had delivered his message, but it had since slowed down again. She stood there, silent, and thought on what she had just heard. When she was ready, she opened her eyes again and looked up to him.
“You really mean that?"
“Of course I do.” John affirmed. “Every single word.”
“It’s not going to be easy.” Aerin said. “The things we’ll have to deal with. Are you sure you’re up to that?”
“Not a day with you has been easy, but that hasn’t stopped us yet.” John smiled and nudged her shoulder. “We’re partners, you and I. We’ll be just fine.”
“Yeah.” A smile crept up on Aerin’s face.
“Come on Aerin, let’s go home.”
John held onto Aerin’s hand tightly as he led her toward the charger. As they approached, the dream began to collapse. The world around them started to break apart, the sky above splintered and shattered like broken glass, the city in the distance faded away as it vanished into the white void. John squeezed Aerin’s hand as he glanced back toward her. She smiled up to him and squeezed his hand back. Soon, they too faded away.
The sense of smell was the first thing to return. John’s nose was filled with the scent of a heavy rain. That's right, he remembered, it had been raining when he left. The air was warm and sticky on his skin. He grunted and attempted to pull himself up off of the cold concrete floor that he was laying on, but his body refused to move. It took a bit of coaxing on his part, but finally feeling returned to his limbs. He sat up and rubbed his head slowly, it still felt like it was on fire. His vision began to come back to him and he glanced around at the ruins of the lobby around him. He was still sitting just behind the charger, exactly where he had been before. It was as if he never left to begin with.
Slayer: A Demon Hunter's Tale Page 44