Church Boys † Brendon Urie

16✝ Surreal At Best

My eyes frantically searched the dark smoke filled area until the stinging sensation became too much to handle. The thick air prevented me from seeing farther than inches in front of my feet, so planning on finding Brendon was almost impossible, but I knew I had to, and I wasn't stopping until I did.

I scooped a shaking Laura up into my arms who buried her head in my neck, "You'll be alright, just close your eyes." I assured her, pulling the fabric of my sleeve against her mouth to try and protect her from the smoke surrounding us.

My feet quickly carried me forward as if they were on a mission of their own, although I had no clue where I was going. I just wanted away from the scene. I just wanted to find Brendon.

Brendon.

Brendon.

His name repeated over and over again in my head with each step I took, but never reached my lips because I knew that screaming it would just pull the smoke into my lungs, and I had to keep myself well for Laura. For him.

My legs must have known what they were doing, as they carried me to a part of the road that was easier to see and breathe in, so I used those advantages to the best of my ability. Taking a deep breath in, I rubbed my eyes and took one last desperate look around me.

My heart stopped.

Although I had attended church all my life, I never felt that I truly believed everything I had learned; whether it be angels or ghosts, demons or spirits, it all just sounded too surreal to be true; but through the thinning smoke, I spotted what appeared to be the definition of every angel I'd ever been introduced to through bible study, and there he was, standing against the sidewalk, allowing me to question my beliefs entirely.

The headlights of one of the cars faced perfectly, magically, ironically, in the direction to shine against the silhouette of his body, giving him such an aura that made him appear to be the holiest of beings, come from another world. An angel. My angel. And I was in shock.

But I can guarantee that it didn't look at all like what you'd be picturing.

He was bent over, puking his guts out, a phone in one hand, the other grasping the side of his stomach. Destroyed cars and dismantled pieces of shrapnel littered the streets behind him, and instead of looking like the perfect scene in some done-up Hollywood glamour shoot, it looked like a shitty horror movie... but it wasn't. Because as much as I didn't want to believe, it was real.

And it took me a while to figure that out- the fact that it truly was real, and I wasn't just imagining everything. And as my mind took its time to think, my body had already pulled me immediately to his side, like he was the magnet and I was the metal, although neither of us were truly as strong as such at this moment.

"Sir, can you describe to me where you are?... Sir?" his phone chimed, firmly grasped in his hand as he held it completely away from the contents escaping his mouth. Without thinking, I took it into my own hand and pressed it against my ear.

"Hi, hello, I'm- We're- A road. There's... lamp post. Crash. It's- yeah it's..." my eyes involuntarily studied the scene as the smoke began to fade slowly. Everything I was witnessing took more away from me, as I continued to stare and lost more and more of my speaking ability.

"Ma'am, do you know which road you're on?"

"No- I-"

"Birch." came a small, hoarse voice at my neck.

"B-Birch?" I answered question-like as Laura just nodded against my shoulder.

"Can I have your name?"