Indignation (4 page)

Keepers are meant to keep her world hidden and protected from the human population. Fear. It’s what she automatically feels when she sees the inscriptions on the sword. The Ankh symbol engraved on the blade. It’s the symbol of life and death.

The Keeper blankly stares at the Oracle as the Oracles raven black hair falls over her tan skin’s complexion.

“H…p…I…” She whispers barely. Her voice is lost.

“What?” Miranda leans in closer to get the words right.

“Hep… ham…” She still doesn’t hear her clearly. She kneels in front of the Keeper. “Him…” The keeper barley whispers. The Keeper lays the sword on Miranda’s hands and then passes her long fingers on the blade letting a thin line drip blood.

Her fingers vibrate under the sword. Miranda’s eyes open wide as she’s sucked into a precognition.

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Miranda stands straight. The open field is filled with smoke, or fog of some sort. It’s hard for her to see anything. She coughs as she’s walking through the field trying to figure out what she’s supposed to see. The smell of decay fills her nose. It’s a stench that is horrifying. She continues to walk forward with caution. She trips over a large branch and she falls to the ground face down. The dirt is now covering her. The sword is at arm reach from her fall. She wraps her hand around quillion as she uses her strength to stand. Her fingers press on the bump on her forehead that she would have had if she was mortal. She squints to take a closer look behind the fog. Her footsteps are heard with the dead silence that consumes the place. She stops to find the horror before her eyes.

An Elim is dead. She has seen many dead bodies in her life, but none as horrific as this one. The Elim has been beheaded. His wings have been cut off. His body has multiple carving of demonic symbols. His blood is rushing out like a flooded river with no ending. His eyes are with no soul in them. She looks away. What animal could have done a thing so cruel, so horrific? She passes the dead body and continues to move forward, passing more of the dead, and punished bodies. Some, she can swear she recognizes, but she won’t admit it to herself. There’s no time for grief. It hasn’t happened yet as far as she know. She needs to find out what this precognition means. What it’s showing her.

She can hear faint screams of a woman far on her left. The fog beings to clear until there is nothing of it left. She turns to the direction of the screams.

A figure of a young woman shows. She’s too far to put a face on her. She moves forward with speed until she is able to see. The woman is trying to catch someone’s attention. Her piercing screams are only higher by the second until she stops completely. The woman raises her arms up high towards the sky in a silent prayer. Her eyes close in concentration.

She notices the girl has a dagger with many engraved symbols. The woman carves herself with the sword starting from her upper arm down to her stomach and back up to her heart. The woman is covered in blood as she raises the dagger up with speed. With a hard thrust it penetrates her heart. The woman eyes stare forward with love. Now Miranda can see who that woman is. The woman’s purple eyes shine with tears as she falls to the ground without a heartbeat.

“NO!” Miranda yells, but it’s too late.

She searches around for someone to help her, anyone who could tell her exactly what’s happening. What’s the cause of all this? All her vision allows her to see are mutated bodies lying around with no life in them.

A groan is heard from beneath her. She looks down to find her own best friend lying in a pool of blood. She falls to her knees in agony. She lifts his head up and cradles him as she cries. Miranda brushes the blood off his face with her fingers. His eyes are closed. His body shows no life.

“Oh, no. No! No! NO!” She shakes her head uncontrollably.

Lying on the floor covered in blood is her best friend. Julian.

Confrontation

Julian rides his motorcycle to an abandon warehouse in Tokat, Turkey. Two hours away from where he’s supposed to be. He parks his motorcycle outside the warehouse and walks in with determination.

Gabriel stands with all his glory in front cement wall in the corner. His white wings flutter in warning. He’s prepared. His chest is bare. His dark blue eyes are filled with fury. As the God’s right hand man, his eyes show more of a warrior from the underworlds than that of the Heavens. Julian can tell he has ‘more than done it’ this time.

“I’m here.” Julian announces sarcastically, not caring if they give him the death punishment or whatever he thinks they will give him. His care for life and death left the minute his humanity died. It’s as simple as that.

“I can see.” Gabriel is the authority angel. He’s the closest to God, or Gods themselves. He’s someone to fear, and if he talks personally to an Elim it’s mostly because they have fallen. He would have their wings ripped apart, or just plain simple, be killed. “What you did tonight is undutiful in your part. Anna is your assigned child. You were never to leave her out of your sight, but you did otherwise and passed your time in a bar while Anna tried to commit suicide.”

“My job is to guide her through her choices, not intercept them. I did what I had to do. I cannot be blamed for choices she decided to take upon her.” Julian’s old English is slowly returning.

“Your job was to protect her. To not let anything happen to her, but you have proven you aren’t worthy to be a Guardian, let alone an Elim.”

Julian smirks at Gabriel. “What will you do? What is it you desire to do with me, Gabriel? I cannot be killed and I cannot fall. I have no soul to tarnish. What solution will you take upon me?” He’s acting on pure impulse and in the world of the Heavens it is not permitted to insult a superior, especially the Authority Elim.

Gabriel doesn’t smirk, but his eyes show his entertainment. “You are under the Heavens rules for as long as you breathe. You know that more than anyone.”

“What are you getting at?” He’s finally taking his superior seriously.

“That my means of punishment clearly have not spiked any fear on your part. It has not changed your mood or responsibility. So therefore, Julian, I have decided to renounce your assignment.”

“Why don’t you stick your stupid assignments up-” His modern English appears in rage. Julian doesn’t finish his sentence as Gabriel attacks him. He’s grabbed by the throat and smashed to the cement wall. Under the impact the cement wall shows cracks.

“You will take the offer I am making you. You have no choice. You have any idea how fast I can snap your neck and take you to the Underworld myself? You may not be easily killed, but I will find a way. Give me a reason to make you suffer underground for eternity. Give me a damn reason to kill you slowly right now and have the satisfaction to see your blood run. It will be my purpose in life.”

Julian doesn’t back down. He was never one to take a threat, but even he knows when it’s time to keep silent. It kills him to take orders because it’s not in his nature to, but like Gabriel clearly stated, he has no choice. He may be strong, impulsive, rebellious, and a killer, but he is not stupid. Gabriel throws him like a rag doll with a flick of his wrist. His superior stands before him with winning eyes. Julian would like no more than to kill all those that work with the Heavens, but it wouldn’t be worth it. If he ever takes his revenge into action he will make each individual suffer. He wouldn’t be Julian if he didn’t torture his victims.

“Julian. Your attitude, and your lack of comprehension to where your place is, has made me even more upset since I have waited for you here. I will enjoy every single word I will utter.” Gabriel smiles a cruel smile that would send anyone to run. Julian stands up and stands his ground. “Your new assignment is in Rochester, Minnesota. To a woman named Alyssa Pike.”

That was the final blow. With great speed Julian appears in front of Gabriel. His face is just a few inches from his superior’s. His eyes show the cruelty of what he was before centuries ago. His being is now being controlled by his past as all his hate, rage, and urge to kill appears. “You son of a-” He’s too stuck in controlling his own fury to finish his sentence. With the speed of an Immortal he appears in a flash to the other side of the room and throws his fist at the cement wall. The wall cracks under the force and slowly the affect part of the cement wall falls, showing one large open hole. You can’t put me with her!” He yells in frustration and panic.

Gabriel continues to smile. “I can, and I did. You will protect her. You will consul her when she needs it, and if you do decide to go against the one simple task. I will know. You will need to face my personal form of punishment. Of course it is a very slow, painful, could lead to death if it was not you, I’m sure you don’t want to experience it. So follow my order, or else your blood will lie in my hands.” He claps his hands in amusement. “It is simple.”

“You know exactly why I can’t go back.”

“I do know. That is why it entertains me much to see your fear.”

“If I go I don’t promise to control my temper and not kill her.”

“You will protect her. You will be her Elim or you will face the God himself.”

“Why do you want me to go back? You forced me to disappear from there years ago?”

“It is my job to protect those in danger and your plan was to kill her. I did not take you away from her. That was your choice when your thoughts surrounded on her murder. You decided your wings over your pet.”

He knows that he chose his wings over her because he wouldn’t give up his soul for a woman who doesn’t deserve it. “Don’t call her that. You gave me no choice. You knew exactly what I would choose.”

“For a man that is meant to hate the woman he loves, you do seem very protective of her.”

“Don’t you dare touch her Gabriel. I will turn your threat against you and make you cry in agony.”

Gabriel just chuckles. The Authority Elim finds the situation entertaining. No matter how much hatred Julian has over Alyssa a part of him still wants to believe that he made the right choice. That Alyssa was as innocent as she looked, but he’s wrong. He knows who Alyssa is. And he doesn’t make the same mistake twice.

“I can do what pleases me, Elim.” Gabriel spreads his wings to its fullest form. “Your love for your pet is seen clearly. I found a way to use it to my advantage. Now get a plane ticket tomorrow. I want you there and start right away. You have no time to lose.” Gabriel begins to walk towards the door, but stops just in front of Julian. “Remember your choices, Julian. You will need them to guide you.” He walks out the door and disappears in the night sky.

Julian’s anger, frustration, and regret lead him to weaken the structure. He exits the cement building and jumps on his motorcycle. The warehouse collapses to the ground. He speeds off into the night with one thought. He will see Alyssa once again.

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Alyssa runs through the hallway to the auditorium. Her black pumps click and clock with each step. She has her grey business pants along with a matching vest and a white long sleeve blouse that fits her tight yet professional. She has been chosen to announce all the prom announcements to the seniors in the senior assembly. Due to her alarm clock that didn’t ring, she is more than late for her announcements. She runs through the opened double doors she goes back stage and informs Mrs. Zello, Century High’s activity director, she’s here. She notices the signals between Principle Grant and Mrs. Zello. She’s ready to put her act together and smile for the audience’s benefit.

“And let’s present Ms. Alyssa Pike, head of prom committee to inform you all of the most-waited-for night.”  She meets him halfway and politely shakes his hand. The balding principle smiles sincerely and disappears to stage left.

The crowd claps, shouting her name as she stands straight behind the podium. She quickly adjusts the microphone and smiles to everyone making sure she has eye contact, a great marketing technique.

She turns to stage left. “Thank you, Principle Grant.” She turns her full attention to the Senior Class in front of her. “Who’s ready for graduation?” She yells with confidence. Everyone screams, agreeing with her. She laughs. “I agree with all of you. Well, I bet all of you have heard about the problems surrounding our prom including budget, the price of tickets, and so forth. You shouldn’t worry too much because all that has been fixed. Plus, we were able to raise so much money with the candy sales, the carwashes, and donations, that everyone in the audience will not just be able to go to prom, but we will also be able to book a live band to perform.”

She smiles at everyone as they cheer and comment. It’s so easy to remember the times that she thought she was never going to make it this far in life. She really thought that maybe it wouldn’t be possible for her to graduate because she wouldn’t stop remembering. Her depression was strong. Her health was weak. Now she stands to look at all the seniors united and feels proud to be part of this community that she has grown to cherish.

Alyssa continues to captivate the audience and smiles her forced smile. A sudden feel opens her senses. She can feel something wrong. Like someone is watching her, but she shakes her head. She’s just paranoid. Everyone here is focused on her. There’s nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to really worry about.

She continues to speak with ease, but then the audience turns into an abandoned theatre. The theatre turns into a large and empty ballroom. At the end of the ballroom awaits her past lover. She drops the microphone with a start. Julian extends his arm to her. His face is covered in the shadows of the moon that shines through the glass roof. She takes a step forward. In a blink of an eye the ballroom disappears. Everyone in the audience stares at her.

She picks up her microphone and does what she’s done for years, act like everything’s okay.

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Three days later, Julian sits in the back row surrounded by students who pay no attention to him. He hasn’t seen her for four years. She drops her microphone and stares out to the audience with vacant eyes. She looks like an oracle. He observes her reactions. He narrows his eyes at a specific reaction that is strange. Pain clearly shows in her eyes. Those purple eyes he’s learned to hate and love at the same time.