Fallen Grace

Fallen Grace-Chapter Four

Aaron's P.O.V.

Sometimes, life would be better if I just duct-taped my mouth shut. It'd save me a whole lot of trouble.

Lila gave me a look that said I was an unintelligent being. Gina combed back her side bangs and looked at me expectantly. 

"Why is everyone staring at me?" I asked. Gina groaned and shook her head. Lila snorted at my stupidity. 

"Fine. Gina, I'll fly. Take my hand," I offered. She recoiled.

"No way. I'm afraid of heights. Take Lila."

I shrugged and Lila took my hand slowly. I pulled her in front of me, holding her around her waist. She felt so delicate, like a glass figurine. Her cold fingers wrapped around mine. She smiled a little bit at me. Nodding, she told me to go. 

My feet lifted off the grass and I was up in the air, flying in circles in the night sky. Lila laughed at my excitement, her hair blowing violently in her face. I felt like I could touch the stars, reach the heavens. 

We did that for what felt like hours until I landed in front of Gina. She looked puzzled.

"Well, maybe that's an explanation for the whole angel thing, but how can I see you?" Gina inquired, shaking her head in confusement.

"I'm taking you to Allison this weekend," I decided. 

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The next day was Saturday. Lila and Gina were sleeping in, leaving me with nothing to do. I scribbled a quick note for Lila explaining that I'd be back soon. There was one place I needed to go.

After flying about ten minutes, I was there. My angel speed brought me somewhere an hour away in a short amount of time. A smug smile crossed my face, but quickly disappeared. I glanced up at the black metal gates.

Roseville Cemetery.

I was starting to have second thoughts, but I pushed them aside. This was something that wouldn't go away. My feet carried me inside to where I needed to be. I kneeled down and looked at the gray marble in front of me.

In loving memory of Aaron Lane. 1995-2011.

Dozens of flowers covered the land around the grave. My eyes fell shut. 

I will not cry. I will not cry, I pleaded silently with myself. My thoughts traveled back to my funeral. Allison and the other angels let me go back to earth to watch it if I wanted to. Now I wished I had said no. 

As happy as I was at that moment with Lila, I hated being an angel. I was only sixteen. I still had plenty of hopes and dreams. And when I saw my family and friends crying over my forever-still body, regret overwhelmed me. If only I hadn't gone to that stupid party. If only I left when I saw the drinks that would cause my death.

I'd never get to live life. I'd never get to turn seventeen. I was stuck like this in a damned afterlife that wasn't what it was cracked up to be. Whatever happened to the load of bull called "eternal life with God"? Obviously, my religion teachers got it all wrong. This wasn't happy or beautiful at all. It was an eternity of absolute horror.

Wetness snapped me out of my reverie. At first, I assumed it was rain. Then I realized that I had started crying. 

I never cried.

Crying was for the weak. That was what I was always told, and I'd never shed a tear for years. 

Suddenly, I glanced to my right. This was the worst mistake I could've ever made. It had me sobbing as everything rushed back at me.

Hayley Armstrong. 1995-2010.

It all was too much for me. I closed my eyes again and tried to erase my memory. All of a sudden, I was back at Lila's house. Slowly, I opened her window and slid through. She was awake now, watching something on the T.V.

"Oh my gosh-Aaron, what happened to you?" she asked, racing toward me.

"Was I gone for that long?"

"No. You look like you've been crying for days straight."

I covered my face with two hands. "Do I really?" I asked, glancing at her through my fingers. She nodded.

"Where were you?"

"The cemetery."

"Oh." She was quiet for a second, absorbing what I just said. Those two words were kind of heavy.

"I'm sorry. I know that...your passing is upsetting," Lila said, speaking very carefully, as if one wrong move could break me. Which it probably could.

"It wasn't just that. It was...her."

"Her?" Lila repeated. She frowned. "Are you feeling all right? I don't know if angels can get sick, but you're acting really weird and you look really pale."

"Hayley Armstrong. She was what I thought was my soulmate. Sweetest girl that I'd ever met. We were absolutely perfect, dating each other for three years straight. And one day...I found her murdered near her favorite place: a bookstore.

"She actually was still breathing when I found her. Then she whispered my name...and she died. I didn't talk to anybody until that stupid, stupid party. And then I'm dead. Done. Absolutely over. Only sixteen years old."

Lila stepped toward me and put her arms around me. "I'm so, so, so sorry. I can't even imagine what you're feeling."

I opened my mouth, but a voice started to speak in my head. 

Aaron, I need to talk to you. About the human girl, Gina.

Allison. She was trying to get my attention. She needed to talk about Gina? This wouldn't be good.

Except, she's not a human girl. Not human at all. She's one of the Nephilim, the offspring of humans and fallen angels.

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 Wow, I hope this was worth the wait. The cemetery part was really intense to write. Hope you enjoyed.