Trapped Inside Humanity

by Bernice Burgos

  “He belonged to you before, and he was able to break free. What is different now?” snapped Angel.

  Veen laughed, “Let’s just say he is not the same man you knew.”

  Angel could feel Anu’s anger rising through his veins. “This has gone on far enough, Edward. As Leader of the species I order you to…” Anu’s voice was cut off by an angry Veen.

  “Oh! Order me? What? Piss off, Anu. Do you really think you are the Leader of the species? You are more stupid than you look. Oh, my goodness, I really hate you,” exclaimed Master Veen. “Listen here, stupid. Let me explain to you how angel blood works. You have to drink a twat load of angel’s blood and let it consume you until you go insane. When you have conquered the level of insanity and have proven yourself worthy to not kill everything around you, God will grant you the inner peace of tranquility and power. This will possibly kill her because I’m not sure how much blood one must consume. You really haven’t researched anything, Anu, have you?” said Master Veen with disgust. “You probably were too busy wanking off rather than studying her. She has that effect, except on me; I’m keeping my eyes on the prize―ruling the world with Maggie.”

  Master Veen couldn’t stop himself from ridiculing Anu and continued his long-winded speech, giving away every piece of information he knew. “Going insane is the process you have to go through to detox your own pathetic body. Haven’t you read any of the ancient myths? Besides, do you honestly think I can feel you taking over me? News Flash, I can’t. And here, these Leaders always said you were the smartest V around. They were fooled. You, really want to know who the smartest Vamp around is? It’s me! It’s ME, FUCKING EDWARD VEEN. That is why I’m the only Leader still alive...ha!”

  It all started to make sense to Anu. He took it all in and understood where he went wrong and what he was going to do next. “I don’t have any more time to waste. Kill them all, Jack,” ordered Master Veen.

  Anu moved quickly and grabbed Veen by the throat, digging his fingers into his voice box. Jack moved to grab Anu, but Andrew knifed Jack in the back. Jack yelped in pain, his screams so loud they awakened the zombie-like Jesse, who instantly went into fighting mode. Jesse charged at Sammy; Sammy toyed with him, dodging each blow Jesse threw. Keiko and Angel ran for Maggie who stopped them in their tracks with a wave of her hand and threw them against the wall. Andrew drew the knife out of Jack and plunged it into Jack’s neck then his eye, trying to remember how to permanently kill a demon. Jack bellowed in pain so loudly that everyone held their ears, except for Maggie. Maggie ran toward Jack and leaped into his arms. She passed her hands over his face and began healing him. Once the screaming stopped, Anu used his speed to grab Jesse off Sammy. Jesse was mindlessly kicking Sammy into the wall. Anu quickly head locked Jesse into a sleeper hold, knocking him out. He then quickly moved toward Angel; but by that time, Veen had already snatched her to his side, along with Jack and Maggie. Angel looked into Maggie’s dark eyes. She wasn’t even in there. Angel waited for someone to do something.

  “I wouldn’t move again if I were you, Anu. The child is destructive. One false move and she will do something she will not be able to control. You will all end up dead,” said Veen cautiously.

  Anu stood up straight. Keiko, Sammy, and Andrew calmly sided next to Anu, waiting for his next command. There was a moment of silence that fell between them, both parties not knowing what to do next. Everything felt as if it were moving in slow motion. Angel could see the sweat trickling down Keiko’s forehead. She then heard Anu’s voice in her head: Push Maggie, fast.

  Angel looked over at Anu as he raised his right eyebrow at her in confirmation. Angel quickly pushed Maggie as fast as she could. Anu grabbed Keiko and threw her forward towards Jack and Veen with all his might. Keiko darted at them so fast she landed right on top of Veen and began biting him furiously like a ravenous wolf. Sammy used his vampire speed to grab Angel and throw her into Anu’s arms. Andrew lunged for Jack again, this time beating him so hard his skull cracked open. Anu stared at Angel quickly then sunk his sharp teeth down on her pulsing vein. The pain was like nothing she had ever felt before, not the same as when they made love. It wasn’t enticing or warm, but an acute burning sensation. Angel’s skin felt as if it was on fire. She screamed to the point that she didn’t recognize the sound of her own voice. It felt as if lava was being injected into her body and her veins were being ripped out. She felt weak and could feel herself slowly fainting, draining, sleeping, and dying. She felt her body hit the ground but couldn’t move, and she saw Anu’s eyes turn a fiery red. He went insane immediately and began fearlessly fighting everyone around him. Angel lay motionless on the ground, wondering if she was in between life and death. Wondering if her true death was going to be painless. After a few minutes she couldn’t hear any more screams or feel any more pain. After a few seconds she couldn’t see. The world went black; and she felt herself floating into a dark bottomless pit. Life around her went silent; and for the first time, she experienced a calming, soothing, peace. Images of her brother Castus flashed in and out as memories. She felt icy hands catch her falling body and call her name out.

  “Angel, Angel.” The male voice sounded familiar but was very distant.

  “Angel...” repeated the voice.

  “Castus?”

  “You have to go back!” The freezing hands that originally held her, threw her body back up into the dark hole.

  Angel felt her form flying upward quicker than when she was falling. It was as if some soul knew she was heading towards the wrong direction and rerouted her. Upon returning to its flesh her body convulsed.

  “Angel,” she could hear the sound of Anu’s smooth voice whispering in her ear. “Angel, my love, come back to me,” he implored.

  “Please, please, please, someone please, give me some water,” said a voice that sounded like Jesse. Angel began to hear voices again but couldn’t make much sense of the things around her. The whispering in her ear grew louder, and she could feel the touch of smooth lips against the back of her hand and on her forehead. She felt trapped in her own body, not being able to respond as quickly as she wanted. A palm touched the center of her chest gently, and she could feel her energy levels restoring. The sound of hearing her own heart beating and blood flowing was exhilarating. She began to feel excited, for life, as she knew it, was being regenerated. She opened her eyes to see a handsome Anu pressing his hands on her chest, giving her life, when she clearly knew she was dead.

  22

  What Happened?

  Angel stared at Anu with tears in her eyes, then took in her surroundings in confusion. They were in a lovely bedroom. She was lying on a plush king-size bed with silk ivory sheets. The room was dappled with sunlight and carpeted white with clean white walls to match; expensive artwork hung on the walls. The window near the bed was open, displaying a beautiful, snowy landscape. She was naked but clean and smelled of crisp apple lotion, her hair silky and straight. Anu stood, clear-eyed, wearing a white thermal shirt and dark jeans, not his customary attire, his hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. He was gazing at her in complete joy. Angel continued looking around, feeling overwhelmed. Then it hit her. She was dead and this was her heaven. Peace, snow, and the love of her life. Angel smiled brightly at Anu and pulled him in for the biggest hug she could give. Anu embraced her tightly, then gently grabbed her face. “You’re not dead,” he whispered.

  Angel looked at him, perplexed. Did he just read my mind? she thought.

  “Listen to me. You’re not dead. This is all real.” Anu pulled her hands to his.

  “What?” questioned Angel through tears of joy.

  “You’re not dead,” he repeated.

  “No, I’m dead. I felt myself die. You...you killed me.” Anu remained silent.

  “What happened, what is this place?” she demanded. The room around her suddenly distorted and went black. Everything around her morphed, and she found herself back in the dungeon. Back where she originally died. Her hair was matte
d and tangled with knots. Blood covered her shirt and jeans. Anu was wearing exactly what they found him in, rags. Keiko, Sammy, Andrew, and Jesse surrounded her. Angel wasn’t sure if she had flashed forward, backward, or if her death was a cruel joke. She looked at Anu hoping for answers; the suspense was terrifying.

  “What is it, Angel?” questioned Anu.

  “Did you see that?” she asked frantically.

  “See what?” replied Anu. Anu hadn’t seen the vision.

  How strange, she thought. Angel slapped her hand on her forehead. “I was dead,” she said.

  “Yes, you were,” replied Anu.

  “How did you bring me back? How long was I dead?”

  Anu explained, “I consumed your powers temporarily when I drank your blood. You were dead for twenty minutes.”

  “Twenty whole minutes? What the hell happened?”

  “After the Master drained you, he went insane,” interrupted Sammy. “He went on a blood spree hurting everything in his way, even us. Damn maniac tore off my arm,” added Sammy, waving it in front of Angel’s face. Anu stared at Angel in embarrassment. She could feel his remorse and guilt. Jesse comfortingly laid his hand on his mother’s shoulder.

  Anu continued, “I’m so sorry, Angel. I didn’t mean to hurt or kill you, but it was the only plan I had to save us all. I knew I would be able to bring you back. I didn’t know if Edward Veen had any more tricks up his sleeve.”

  “Master Veen is dead,” spoke Keiko. “Right when I was eating him like a piece of meat, he exploded in my hands. It was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen.”

  That explains the screams I heard while dying, thought Angel. She looked around the room. “Wait, where is Maggie?” she asked with concern. Silence. “Anu, where is my daughter,” she worriedly repeated.

  “That’s why it took us so long to wake you. Jack took her during the commotion. We spent a long time looking for them. It was as if they disappeared into thin air. There is no trace of them, and we looked everywhere. We have to regroup. The demon could be halfway across the world by now,” said Anu.

  “WHAT! Angel shot quickly to her feet, instantly in combat mode. She turned to Anu and roared with fury and disappointment. “What do you mean halfway across the world? I don’t understand how any of you could have let this demon slip past you. Three Vs and a hungry, crazed Keiko, and none of you could stop him? Did Jack just scoop up Maggie and poof himself away?” questioned Angel with anger and sarcasm.

  Andrew was the first to speak, his voice calm. “Yes. That’s exactly what happened. I charged at Jack with the intent to kill him with my bare hands. He threw me off with all his might, picked up the child, and vanished before my eyes. It all happened so fast. I couldn’t even gather my thoughts together. At that same moment, we were making sure Anu didn’t kill us all during his delirium. At one point, he turned to pick up your lifeless body, and Sammy and I held him down to protect you. There was too much happening. At least we were able to get rid of one major problem. All of the Leaders are dead.”

  “All of the Leaders are dead at the cost of me losing Maggie. That was not part of the DEAL,” answered Angel icily.

  “We will get her back. I promise,” declared Anu. Angel’s eyes burned with tears that streamed down her cheeks. She felt sick to her stomach.

  “Well, Ruler of all species,” she said to Anu. It’s time to live up to your name and begin your first quest―to find Maggie. I want every vampire, werewolf, angel, demon, and rat around the world looking for Maggie. Put a bounty on Jack’s head as high as you can offer. When Jack is found, make sure they keep him alive. I’m going to KILL him personally!”

  Anu raised his eyebrow, looked at Angel, and said with approval, “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Queen.”

  23

  Fast Forward

  Angel couldn’t believe it had been ten years already. Ten long hard years of following Jack to every corner of the world trying to get Maggie back. Every time Jack got wind that Anu was on his tail he managed to disappear, making Anu start his search from scratch. As Maggie became older, her powers grew stronger. The reports from Anu’s trackers were concerning, each one more complex than the last. Reading about Maggie was alarming and often Angel was driven to tears. The reports stated things such as,

  Maggie seems to have anger issues. She’s always in the mix of a fight and never backs down.

  Maggie can fly without the use of wings.

  Maggie has super strength; she threw a two-hundred-pound man through a glass window for allegedly grabbing her butt.

  Maggie uses her telekinesis to steal; she once stole a guitar from a music store. She walked in, looked at the guitar, and as she walked out, so did the guitar―it was following right behind her.

  Maggie is a master manipulator.

  Maggie restored a baby kitten back to life.

  Maggie was spotted frequenting a bar.

  Maggie, Maggie, Maggie,” the list went on, and on.

  One report that stood out above them all was that Maggie was in an all-girl rock band. Angel enjoyed hearing that one. It showed that Maggie was still holding on to a piece of humanity.

  Every sighting of Maggie was followed by a photo. Angel was now searching for a seventeen (soon to be eighteen) year-old daughter. Her appearance had changed drastically over the years. Her hair had gone from long to short, curly to straight, buzzed cut, blonde, red, black, purple, pink, changing styles on a whim. As she matured, Maggie grew into a replica of Angel. With bright eyes and full lips, her face was identical to her mother. It was like staring into a mirror, except Maggie was younger; and her eyes had changed color from a dark coffee brown to a very light soft brown. This slowly happened as she gained power. Her caramel skin was smooth, and she stood 5’9” and slim, taller, and thinner than Angel. Maggie was no longer the sweet, helpful, respectful girl her mother once knew, but a troubled adult that she had to get to know. Angel made a collage of Maggie’s many transitions over the years. She kept it near her bed and stared at it every night, and sometimes cried. She missed so much of Maggie’s life. It felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest and was beating in Jack’s hands. At one point, she destroyed the collage then pieced it back together. She constantly implored, Why? Why are you torturing me, Grandfather? Is it because of who she is? Maggie didn’t ask to be this way; she’s innocent. It was me. Is this my punishment for saving the world? You take away my daughter? Please let me make this right. Bring her back to me. This was the prayer Angel silently said to herself every day for the past ten years.

  Ten full years for the “Ruler of the species” to find someone was ridiculous. For crying out loud, this is the King of every living supernatural, far and wide. Master Anu should have had captured Jack and Maggie the same day he put out the APB, Angel thought. But, it didn’t turn out that way. Former Leader, Prince Edward Veen, was wrong! Angel blood does not give a V the right to be Leader of all supernatural beings. That was a myth. According to the ancient books held by the Leaders, “The true Master is supposed to have any supernatural at the beck and call of their commands.” Meaning, if Anu gave a command, the species was supposed to mindlessly comply. However, the book also stated that the infinite power was God’s to bestow once the insanity was cured. Maybe God didn’t find Anu worthy. Either way, Angel knew the book was a load of crap; her grandfather would never give away that much power. But she couldn’t help but have a bit of hope when it came to finding Maggie. Having the angel blood did give Anu a few lasting advantages. He gained more color to his skin so he was almost human-like. It gave him the ability to stand in the sun for as long as he wanted, with zero effect on him. He was also stronger, could fly, and was able to heal himself quicker than normal.

  Anu may not have become Ruler of the supernatural; but he did, in fact, become the Leader of his entire species, with Master Andrew as his partner. He knew in his dead heart Andrew was always meant to be a Leader. He couldn’t have found any other loyal, fearless V that he
could trust other than someone he considered a brother. Andrew took on the role well; and under their leadership, they changed many old rules, kept many the same, and added new ones. They both worked tirelessly in helping to find Maggie. Andrew and Anu also inherited all of the gold the ancient Leaders had accumulated, worth over ten billion dollars.

  Illy and Andrew moved in together two years after the Switzerland mission. It was wonderful to see Andrew finally happy after so many years of torturing himself. He bought a penthouse in New York City not too far from Angel and Anu. Illy loved New York but got homesick rather quickly. She missed her sisters back in Kentucky. Andrew felt so bad that he bought an apartment for Illy’s sisters in the same building they lived in so the girls could be closer together. It was for the best, Abby and Sidney were not only busy being angels, but they were moonlighting as hackers for the Vs, as well.

  Jenny finally buckled and let Sammy turn her into a V. After his near-death experience, Sammy realized he couldn’t live without her. Jenny felt the same. The two married and remained in Anu’s line. Sammy took Andrew’s old job of being commander of the guards. It was a role he proudly accepted. Keiko broke off her relationship with her pilot boyfriend. Being in the dungeon and seeing what she had become scared her. She loved him so much that she couldn’t take the chance of accidentally killing him, so she decided to save Greg and let him live on with his human life. Greg was heartbroken but eventually moved on and married a very nice woman. They have three kids together and moved to Connecticut. Every now and then Keiko spies on him, just to make sure he is still alive and well.

  All of Angel’s angels were no longer lost and are now pursuing business as usual. They are back to living among humans and keeping the world safe to the best of their ability. With every miracle Angel hears about, she knows it’s her species making it possible. Gia and Desmond, who had also married, work very closely with Angel. They’ve been very active in the mission to find Maggie. Those two live for excitement and adventure. Jesse never got the opportunity to play college football. He did, however, attend college and received his Bachelor's degree in biology and a Master’s in chemistry. He became Master Anu’s apprentice and became heavily involved in conducting experiments and studying chemicals. Losing Maggie was hard on him, much harder than losing his biological mother. Even though he knew Maggie was safe, it bothered him that she had to learn the ways of the world through the eyes of a demon. Jesse didn’t age much. He looked the same as he did ten years ago. He had the same pale skin, blue eyes, and was lean and tall. He carried his twenty-eight-year-old frame very well and was often mistaken for being twenty. Jesse’s only change was that he had gotten rid of his long blonde hair for a short fade cut. Angel called it, “Going through a Brad Pitt” phase.