Authors: Janice Hadden
Suddenly,
the door slapped shut and my heart jolted in panic. I stood still, as
the sound of heavy boots made it’s way on the old wooden floor,
slowly coming toward my direction.
As
the footsteps were making its way in, I quickly yanked my cell phone,
turned it off and the flashlight. I hid behind the thick dusty drapes
which I separated too subtly, creating a tiny slit for my eyes to
see. Suddenly it was quiet. I tried to stay still as a statue but my
ragged breathing and now trembling body seemed to have an idea of
their own. My heartbeat was loud in my ears. A faint light glimmered
in the room. I couldn’t tell where it was coming from.
After
a beat of silence, an unfamiliar voice rang and a hideous face came
out and caught my vision. He looked dim, dark and dangerously
menacing. I stopped breathing completely.
It
didn't take long for me to hear his voice. “There’s
really no point to hiding. I know where you are. I always do.”
Suddenly, and before I could even squint, he was in front of the
fabric that separated me from him. He pushed the dusty cloth. My body
jerked at the terror. My brain wanted to fight or flee. But the fear
won.
All
my strength evaporated and glued me to where my feet were planted.
The confusion of chaos in my head left me with no plan. I was a
statue. He came closer, towering over my head. He gazed down, and for
a brief second, I thought I caught a familiar look. I couldn’t
focus on it for too long.
He
walked away, his back to me now. Droplets of sweat beaded down my
forehead as I waited for what happened next. It didn’t take
long before I heard his voice again.
“
Do
you remember this place?” He calmly said, sounding like as if
we were having a casual and pleasant conversation. I didn’t
respond.
“
You
used to live here…you…your dad…your
m
om
.”
I cringed at the words, my thoughts were suddenly derailed. A panic
struck my heart, like someone just stabbed me. The thought of…my
mother…?
What
has she got to do with this?
My
mind spiraled, wanting to remember what had happened that night she
was killed. But the holes in my memory were empty. But there was
something building in me; I felt a familiarity creeping slowly.
But
my thoughts were interrupted at the mention of
his
name
.
“
Tristan
had always been a problem…always undoing the things that are
meant to be.” His voice was cocky and alluring at the same
time.
“
Like
you…for example…you were supposed to be dead. But then
again, I couldn’t have planned it better myself,” he
paused.
Amused,
he seemed to revel at his own story telling. I stayed silent, trying
to piece the words in my head.
“
You
know…him and I used to be alike. You can even say we were
friends, brothers in some ways. But then, he met someone, a pathetic
human and he just can’t let her go…sad, really—the
things he’d given up,” he sighed with a mocking
frustration in his voice.
“
I
used to admire him…he showed no mercy…he was a great
leader.” An uncontainable anger flared within me. I suddenly
found a glimmer of courage.
“
He
will never be like one of you,” I growled, placing all my
indignation behind my words.
“
But
you see, my dear, he already is.” His eyes were suddenly
fierce. And for a flicker of that moment, I realized what he had
really meant.
“
Oh,
the things you know nothing about,” his voice condescending.
“
I
know that you’re evil and you hated humans,” I yelled.
“
You’re
right about that,” his voice stiffened, furious.
“
Tristan
had told me everything…the fallen angels and the envy you have
against humans.”
“
Did
he, now!…Envy, I don’t envy you. You’re weak!
Tristan has tried to kill you and here you are, defending him,”
he spitted.
“
Well,
did he tell you the most important part?…the part where he
killed your mother.” I gasped, choking at his words.
It
can’t be true!
“
I
don’t believe you!” my voice was weak, desperately trying
to shut out the familiar warning lurking from his voice.
“
Well
then, let’s go back shall we.”
Just
then, a sharp pain shot up through my head, I let out a deep groan as
I glanced at the steps disappearing from under me, while I was being
dragged up the long staircase. Pulling my hair, he showed no effort
while he tugged at my hair to get to the veranda, ignoring what
probably had seemed to him as a feeble protest.
Once
outside, he shoved me and I slammed hard on the ground, hitting my
head on the brick wall. I bit my lip to stifle a scream. Hot liquid
flowed and flourished on the right side of my head, dripping on my
cheek. I opened my palm and pressed firmly where the pain was—thick,
red liquid soaked my hand.
I
curled in a corner, while his eyes began to change, becoming
translucent and opaque. His clothes disappeared and turned into an
Armour breastplate. Thick, shiny metals embraced his body and another
set of metals covered his wrists and legs. A thick belt appeared on
his waist and a sword anchored to his side. He looked Medieval, like
something what the Romans wore, but far more glorious. Out of
nowhere, from his back, extended large black wings. It looked
magnificent and soared to great lengths. His face became beautiful
and handsome. His body even more perfect to the human eye, like a
roman god.
“
We
meet again.” His face tilted to the side, looked at mine, as if
somehow he wanted me to recognize him. A deceiving gleam were in his
eyes.
For
a brief moment, I tried to stitch the fragments of my memory together
by recalling the missing pieces, but my concentration was dulled by
my fears and I went back to the immediate escape I had been
contemplating. I thought of running, but It would be a long sprint to
the long stairwell and out to the dark path and he was much faster
than I was. Also, I was stuck to where I was, afraid and in awe of
the magnificent creature.
“
You
thought fallen angels were gruesome and pathetic! We are so much more
than you give us credit for…so much more than what you could
ever be.”
“
Did
you kill my mother?” Aggression spilled from my tone. I tried
to sound unfazed by everything that’s laid in front of me. Even
when I knew he could sense my true emotion. There was nothing I could
do to hide my fear.
“
Why
don’t you see for yourself.”
Just
then, he traveled in lighting speed, he came closer and clasp his
wings around my body. A vision appeared in front of me, flooding my
memory, filling the gaps that vanished from that night.
And
that’s all it took to change everything. My world that I knew
burned and disappeared into a pile of ashes. For a brief
passing—everything, the dreams, the nightmares all tangled up,
flashed through me like a recorder that played in my mind.
Seeing
clearly the nightmares that were memories, the clarity of truth shot
through me like a deafening roar. My world threatened to nothing I
have ever expected. Not even in my worst nightmare, I could fathom
this kind of truth. I didn’t want to hear it, but it was there
in front of me, clear as day.
An
overwhelming sense of vertigo came upon me. My mind spiraled, trying
to reject the visions in front of me. I didn’t want to see it
any longer. I didn’t want to know how cruel the world could be.
What sick joke my life had been.
Finally,
the creature let go of his embrace, as I shuddered in the corner in
horror of finding out that…Tristan was responsible for my
mother’s death. And as the recollection of my nightmares
collided with the vision, parts and pieces of my memory continued to
crawl back in my head, like puzzle pieces, filling the gaps of my
memory.
A
shock of horror paralyzed me and my world ended right before my eyes.
Although a small part of my mind still felt defiant from the truth I
had seen. I desperately wanted the truth to be a lie—for
everything to vanish. But I couldn’t lie to myself. Nothing I
felt formed into coherent words. My voice simply did not escape me.
“
You
see, even from the beginning, Tristan wanted to kill you and then he
killed your mother on this very house.” I tried with great
effort to anchor my reality into something concrete, but there was
nothing that could hold it. The only thing that I could hear in my
mind were Tristan’s warnings that were too clear for me to
ignore.
I’m
responsible for a lot of things…once you hear this, you might
never forgive me
.
Would
you be with a murderer?…because that’s what I am…I
wish what I am would cease to matter but it can’t be ignored.’
His
words floated in the air. Betrayal tears rimmed my eyes. I was
broken. Death would have been a better alternative to this.
“
You
need to let him go,” his words thundered. His eyes glared to
look at me, like I was an incompetent child and needed a slower and
very basic instruction. I didn’t move. I stood still like a
statue, waiting for the agony to take me.
“
Humans
are such an easy read. Greed and selfishness run deep in their
core…they
can’t
get enough of anything…everything…of themselves.
Hypocrisy is their guiding
light.
Emotional creatures, wanting, needing approval…greed and
desire had always been their weakness.”
“
Aahh…love
saves them somehow.” A mocking frustration lurked in his voice,
spitting the words in disgust. He was quiet for a brief moment.
“…
when
its pure. Selfless. But I have yet to see it. Meet one. Not even
you,” he added devilishly. His
words
burned me, filling my head, my heart, suffocating me deep in my
chest.
Suddenly,
curiosity filled his eyes, like he found something amusing about my
agony. “Why does he love you?” In lightning speed, he was
inches from me. I gasped at the thought of how easily he could have
taken my life then. A part of me wanted him to. But I thought of
Steve and another blow of pain washed over me.
Fear
crippled me and I kept still. He brushed my cheeks with his hands and
stared into my eyes, brushing a wet stream with his finger. He stared
silently like he was sensing my emotion.
“
I
guess I could see the fascination.” A feeling of familiarity
washed over me and I suddenly stared at him intently. I suddenly
couldn’t look away.
“
You’re
different. Somehow you are.” His eyes never left mine.
Curiosity rose from the depth of his eyes. It seemed as if something
had diverted his attention, like he discovered something new,
something unknown to him. My subconscious alerted my thoughts to self
preservation.
“
You
don’t have to do this,” I pleaded. My voice trailed off,
unsure where all the aggression had gone to.
“
You
think you can change me?…like you changed Tristan? Suddenly,
bolts of lightning appeared from the sky and his voice thundered in a
roar. “We are who we’d become.”
“
No,
you have free will. You can choose.” A loud mocking laughter
erupted. “Oh…how slow humans are…don’t you
see…I have already chosen.”
“
A
mortal using persuasion. I can see why Tristan is so intrigued by
you. You have no power over me,” his voice arrogant.
His
eyes flickered and turned violent. He shot me a look and spoke
clearly in my mind. The terror was transparent, but the compulsion
was strong, and suddenly, an overwhelming desire to jump off the
veranda overcame me. My fear and logic vanished. I slowly stepped
toward the railing. He came near me again, his face closer now.
There
was a slight hesitation in his eyes, though, I couldn’t really
be sure. Suddenly, the compulsion disappeared and I stepped back.
Realizing that I was in a trance, I quickly crouched against the
wall. He didn’t come after me, instead he gripped the railing
and leaned down to peek below. He closed his eyes and sighed. His
nostrils flared.
I
felt the steam of heat like a sauna in my face, drenching me in sweat
as I realized how my life could have ended in a flicker of that
moment. He slowly walked toward me and pulled me up. His eyes, inches
from mine, slightly showing a tinge of fire—a faint burning
glow. It was so subtle that I almost missed it. But it was
there—burning, a little heat of red. It shocked me to see such
a similarity like the one from Tristan’s eyes—the burning
blaze that always left him vulnerable. Confusion settled on me
briefly.