Sparrow Man

by M. R. Pritchard

  “Promise?” I ask.

  “A promise is a promise.” He gives me a slight squeeze as I feel myself drift off to sleep.

  “Can you sing to me?” It’s been days since I last heard him hum Bon Jovi before bed. “Is that still allowed?”

  “Sure, they won’t think anything of that. Always been a Bon Jovi fan.”

  “Sing something for me?” I ask, wanting so badly to have a glimpse back at that sweet and crazy Sparrow, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

  “Sure, Meg.” He starts to hum Always.

  …

  Teari stands possessively at my side, giving Sparrow dirty looks. Even in the moonlight, with the way she twists her face at Sparrow, she looks stunning. It’s strange watching her act like this. I’ve never had a woman act protective of me. I heard her giving Sparrow flack about the time he spent alone with me. She said she knows we weren’t just sleeping and she couldn’t heal me if he wasn’t going to keep his pants on.

  Now, with her standing next to me as we decide which route to take, I am hit with a sudden feeling of inadequateness; it’s like setting caviar next to a slug. She’s tall-almost as tall as Sparrow-which would put her over six feet. And with Marcus being just as tall as Sparrow, I suddenly feel very short with my completely average height of five-foot-six.

  I get a good look at Marcus; his dark features, olive skin and even darker hair. He’s wearing black cargo pants, boots and a gray shirt. Just like Teari. But Marcus has added straps across his thigh, biceps and chest that hold a variety of weapons. I try to contain a shudder. He’s intimidating, even when he’s not looking at you.

  Sparrow wears his coat once again. The only difference is this time it’s not buttoned up to his neck. It’s hanging open, the fitted shirt visible. I wonder if they’ve asked him where the colorful feathers came from, since theirs are a downy white and his are… not.

  I stand there and listen as they prepare a plan to find Jim, cut his head off, and burn the corpse.

  I look around, not recognizing the area. “Where are we?”

  “Southern New York,” Marcus replies quickly, his voice curt. I get the feeling he still would rather me not be here.

  I turn to look at him and notice a raised bruise across his left cheekbone. No doubt Sparrow gave it to him yesterday when he was talking about me. It looks like it hurts.

  That was the first time anyone has ever stuck up for me. Never once did anyone stand up to the way my father or Jim treated me. The entire town simply turned a blind eye.

  “We need to keep going south.” Marcus points down the road we stand in.

  Sparrow nods. “To the burning caves? I was hoping we wouldn’t have to take her there.” He nods in my direction.

  “What are the burning caves?” I ask.

  “You might know the area as Centralia, Pennsylvania.” Teari turns to me. “In the human realm, the earthen planes, it’s a place of ever-burning underground mines. Here, there are still fires but it’s the demons’ home. We have our castle, they have their cave.”

  “You live in a castle?” I ask.

  She nods. “Some are nicer than others, but yes.”

  The thought of living in a castle pretty much blows my mind. Especially with the images of that shitty trailer I grew up with so fresh in my memories.

  “That’s over a hundred miles from here.” Sparrow stands with his feet apart, hands on his hips, and his brow creased. “Since we’ve lost the Jeep, that trek is going to take us a while.”

  “We could fly,” Marcus suggests.

  “That would do nothing but warn them ahead of time. We’ve got to stay hidden,” Teari tells them as she eyes me apprehensively. “She’s injured and I’m not carrying Sparrow on my back.”

  “I can go by myself,” Marcus suggests. “I’ll keep low, scout the area, find a vehicle and shelter for when the sun rises.”

  Marcus and Teari both eye Sparrow’s coat. Awkward wouldn’t even describe the moments that pass. Sparrow’s nostrils flare. Teari’s eyes flick to the bandage on my chest. Marcus rubs his jaw.

  “Night’s not getting any darker,” Sparrow finally breaks the silence as he reaches for my hand. “Let’s get walking. I’m sure we’ll find a ride on the way there.”

  We walk, the road feeling crowded with four. Sparrow keeps a tight grip on my hand as I hear the other two murmuring behind us.

  …

  We stop at a crossroads. From the signs we’ve passed I know we’re near the Pennsylvania border but for the last few miles the road signs have been too damaged to read or cut off their metal supports. I guess they don’t have road crews in Hell.

  Teari and Marcus are close behind us; we wait for them to catch up.

  Feeling a sharp pain in my chest, I glance down, noticing the blood seeping through the white bandage taped there. I pull my shirt over it and move my free arm across my stomach. The last thing I need is them thinking I’m weak, more than they already do.

  “What do you think, Meg?” Sparrow asks from my side, taking my free hand.

  It’s been so long since any of them asked me my opinion that it takes me a moment to answer. “I don’t know these roads. I never made it any further south than Cortland.”

  Sparrow nods. “There are three directions we could go in.”

  “You lost?” Marcus asks as he gets closer.

  “Crossroads.” Teari shakes her head. “You need to get in the air,” she tells Marcus. “See which route is the best.”

  I watch, in awe, as he spreads his wings and in one powerful movement, thrusts himself into the night sky. Teari watches him before her eyes move to Sparrow.

  “He’s just being cautious,” she says.

  “He’s just being a dick,” Sparrow replies.

  “You used to be the same way, Sparrow. I remember a time when Marcus was new to the Legion and you gave him flack at every turn. He’s grown since you’ve been gone. Twenty-five years can change one of us. You of all people should know that. You were his mentor, he looked up to you and then when you were banished… it took a long time for him to come around.”

  “Then why did the King send him?”

  “Maybe it’s because you need each other, more than you think. You were like a father to him. Do you know what it’s like going on for twenty-five years thinking someone you hold as close as family is as good as dead? That’s what we were told, Sparrow. The King said you failed and you were banished. We all know the punishment you received. Being sent down here without your memories, not knowing who or what you really are. That’s enough to drive one of us crazy. That’s enough to get one of us killed.”

  Sparrow’s entire body stiffens; his grip on my hand tightens. I grit my teeth; try to keep my face emotionless. I try my best not to give away Sparrow’s secret: he was crazy, bat-shit crazy.

  “Since you’ve been gone, leadership in the Legion has been… pitiable. Marcus was just about to take your place. The King was going to make an announcement, and then we got word that you were down here and needed help.” There is a long pause. “You’re hurting her.” Teari tips her head towards our hands.

  I look down and see that my fingertips are blanched white. Sparrow drops my hand and turns away from us, facing the open roads ahead. “Doesn’t matter,” Sparrow mutters. “I’m done with that. I doubt the King will reappoint me after all this.”

  “Like I said, it hasn’t been the same without you.”

  Sparrow’s only response is a grunt of dissatisfaction.

  “How’s your injury?” Teari asks, taking a step towards me.

  I tighten my grip on my shirt. “It’s fine.”

  “You’re not supposed to be able to lie.” She narrows her eyes at me. It’s a distrustful look, one that these two have been giving me as soon as they showed up.

  I sigh and open my shirt for her to see. She frowns at the blood soaked bandage. “We need to get you someplace to rest.”

  Just as soon as the words are out of her mouth a harsh breeze
brushes by us and Marcus lands behind Teari.

  “What did you find?” she asks him.

  “There’s a few vehicles off the highway, maybe thirty miles down that road.” He points to the road that veers off to the left.

  “Is that the road to the burning caves?” Teari asks.

  He shakes his head no and points to the empty road straight ahead of us. “That road leads directly to the burning caves.”

  “So why don’t we take that road?” Sparrow asks, turning to face us.

  “Because that road is littered with corpses that will rise with the sun and nothing but forest on either side. We need to go around. There’s an old town not far from here. We can find shelter for the day, maybe get a car running.” He looks directly at me. “We’re moving too slow. Before long the rumor mill will get around to Jim that we’re all here and looking for him.”

  “I’m sure he’s looking for me too,” I reply. “Jim wants my blood and he’s already shown that he plans on getting it.”

  Marcus glares at me. “Let’s get moving. Daylight is coming and if we walk any slower those corpses might catch up with us.”

  …

  There is a small town. Small and deserted. As we near it, Teari stops in the middle of the road. “There’s a Safe House here.” She turns to Marcus. “Why didn’t you tell us there’s a Safe House here?”

  Marcus shrugs. “We can’t go in those. I didn’t think it would matter.”

  “They can direct us to shelter and give us supplies, food.”

  “Why can’t we go in them?” I ask. “I did.”

  “That’s forbidden. Why didn’t you stop her?” Marcus asks Sparrow, his voice escalating. “You know the reprimand for one of us going in those places.”

  “Her soul was on the edge. She was in a coma. And how was I supposed to remember? That’s what happens when someone takes your memories; you don’t remember things like that,” Sparrow replies.

  “Shit.” Marcus brushes a hand over his close-cropped hair. “Did you go in? Where were you while she was in Quarantine?”

  Sparrow shrugs. “I was outside.”

  “What did they say to you?” Marcus asks me.

  “They just questioned me. I told them I was looking for Jim. But that was before I remembered that he tried to kill me.”

  “Fuck!” Marcus shakes his head and walks in a tight circle. “We are fucked if they recognize you.” He jabs his finger in the air towards me. “Their Deacons are the biggest gossipers of any. They have their ear to the ground, searching for others to repent. That’s all they care about; numbers-how many souls they can send to the heavens. They’ll do anything and that includes selling gossip to the demons down here.”

  “Settle down, Marcus,” Teari starts in a calming voice. “They obviously didn’t recognize them. We have our own people in the Safe Houses, we would have heard something.”

  “I still don’t trust them.” He glares at me and I know what he’s saying, he trusts me even less now. Marcus turns to Sparrow. “What did you do after? You two have been down here a long time. Where did you go?”

  I wait to hear if Sparrow is going to confess that we trekked across the state searching for feathers, that we spent a week in an abandoned church while I glued them on his wings.

  “It doesn’t matter what we did.” Sparrow takes a step towards Marcus, his hands balled into tight fists.

  “Calm down, boys.” Teari steps between them, laying a hand on each of their shoulders. “We need to move. Morning’s coming and Meg can’t outrun the dead. Not in her condition.”

  We walk an uncomfortable, tense walk. The only sound is the echo of our shoes on the crumbling pavement.

  We pass the Safe House on our way into town. A prison, surrounded by chain-link fence, topped with barbed-wire, just like in Kingston. The guards at the gate stare at us, an intense gaze. Teari walks over to them, leaving us in the middle of the street. One of the guards points down a narrow road and places something in Teari’s hand.

  “There’s a secure house up here. They said we can stay there.” Teari tells us when she returns. We follow in the direction the guard pointed, the morning getting brighter with each step we take. Finally we come upon a barricaded, empty house. Teari reaches for the gate lock, holding a key in her hand from the guard. Just as she turns the key there is movement in the streets, a moaning and stumbling I recognize as the dead waking and walking.

  “Hurry up,” Sparrow urges Teari as he steps closer to me, drawing his machete from where it’s attached to his waistband. Marcus does the same, ready for action.

  The chain link fence rattles. Teari swears as she twists the key and jerks on the lock.

  “Let’s go…” Marcus warns.

  I back against the fence, unable to see over Sparrow’s shoulders. He backs against me, so close it presses me harder into the fence. There is a loud clang, followed by the squeal of the fence gate opening.

  “We’re in!” Teari announces. She pulls on my arm, dragging me through the gate and into the secure yard. Sparrow and Marcus follow, slamming the gate and locking it.

  The house is small, single-story. We enter through the garage door. There’s a Jeep parked in it.

  Marcus opens the driver’s side door. “Gassed up and stocked, the key is in the ignition. Guess we’ll be getting to the burning caves in no time.”

  “Why do we only seem to find Jeeps here?” I ask.

  “Last American car company that hasn’t sold production overseas,” Teari responds.

  “Oh,” I respond, not understanding what the hell she’s referring to.

  Teari continues, “The only way the majority shareholders could keep the company American-made was to make a deal with the devil. As a result, the demons down here get a few freebies every year. Drive them through the portal between here and the human realm.”

  “So what happened to the other car companies?”

  Teari shrugs. “Not sure. But I do know one company that made a good deal.”

  “Which one’s that?”

  “Let’s just say we’ve got Cadillacs up there,” she gestures towards the sky.

  Okay, that’s got to be the weirdest shit I’ve ever heard. But it’s a car, which means no more walking and less time for conversation. I hope.

  …

  Just as I’m raiding the cupboards, dipping a spoon into a jar of peanut butter while simultaneously reaching for a box of crackers, there’s a knock on the door. Sparrow closes the fridge and stands up straight, two bottles of water in his hand. Marcus moves for the door.

  The dead don’t knock, they moan and barge in.

  “Who is it?” I ask Sparrow.

  He shrugs and walks closer to me. Twisting the cap on the bottle of water and handing it to me. “You need to drink something.”

  I decide to lick the peanut butter off the spoon first.

  Marcus opens the door, steps aside. I recognize the figure on the front step. The clothing mostly. It’s a Deacon.

  Marcus lets him in. “What are you doing here?” Marcus asks.

  “There’s a bounty on your heads,” the Deacon warns, hooking his finger into his collar and pulling on it. “The payment is a good one, one-hundred and fifty souls to repent. I’ve come to warn you.”

  “You’ve come to turn us in,” Teari counters, walking towards the man dressed in black.

  “Maybe I have.” The Deacon swipes nervously at his brow. “A bounty like that is hard to come by. That’s one-hundred and fifty souls to send to the heavens and secure my place there when my time is done here. And since you all just showed up here, so close to the burning caves, I could have them here in no time to collect you.” His eyes flick to me. “Now. Tell me why I shouldn’t.”

  “We’ll tell King Gabriel what you have planned.” Teari says. “You’ll never secure your place in the heavens.”

  “The King is weak, withering, bored. That’s the only reason why he sent help to find his lost daughter. He needs some excitement
in his life before he dies. None of you will make it out of here alive.” The Deacon’s eyes move to Sparrow. “You’re pretty much already dead.”

  “We’re making it out of here. The King wants Jim dead. Tell us how to get to him and I’ll put a personal word in for you. That’s better than all those souls,” Teari says.

  The Deacon’s eyes flick between us.

  “What do we have to do to draw him out?” Teari asks.

  “There’s only one thing Jim wants and that’s her blood.” The Deacon points at me. “There’s never been a bounty that high before. For anyone. Who are you?”

  The Deacon steps towards me, gets blocked by Teari moving between us. “She’s no one. Just a lost soul passing through.”

  The Deacon’s eyes narrow on Teari. “Lying is not one of your strong suits, cherub.”

  Marcus grabs the Deacon from behind, holding his machete to the Deacon’s neck. “You’re staying with us. Until we’re ready to leave. Teari! Get me some rope.”

  Sparrow wraps an arm around my shoulders. I set my spoon on the counter, suddenly full. “Come on.” Sparrow pulls me to his side. “Let’s find a room for you to rest. Let them take care of the Deacon.”

  …

  Something helped me sleep like the dead. I’m not sure if it was the clean sheets, the warmth of Sparrow’s body next to me, or the thought that finally I have people on my side, people who might actually care for me. It’s a feeling that I’ve never experienced before in my life.

  When I wake up Sparrow is gone. I roll over, my feet dropping to the floor. There are clean clothes on the chair near the door. While putting them on I hear the sound of voices down the hall.

  I turn the door handle slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. As I reach the living room, Sparrow is there, with Teari and Marcus sitting on the simple furniture. The Deacon is gone.

  “-nothing brings those fuckers running like a party. The Deacon already confirmed that. Give them food and a spectacle. That will draw him out.” Marcus turns towards me, gives me a knowing look.