Shadow Thief

33 - Hallelujah

"I heard there was a secret chord," I mumbled, letting the rain pull my hair, "that David played and it pleased the Lord. But you don't really care for music do ya'. Well it goes like this the forth the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift, the baffled king composing hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Halle-"

"I never knew you could sing."

I shut up, turning to see Levi crawling onto the roof. He was smirking, red hair the color of blood in the rain.

"I can't," I replied bitterly.

"Oh yeah?" He came over and sat by me. "Then what do you call that?"

"Call what?"

"What you were just doing."

"...talking strangely."

"Right then. Taking strangely. Well, you talk strangely in a beautiful way, Angel."

"Shut up," I mumbled, blushing to the tips of my ears.

We sat in silence for a minute before he spoke up again.

"That song that you were strangely mumbling, was it Hallelujah?"

"You know it?"

"Your faith was strong but you needed proof," he sang quietly. "You saw her bathing on the roof. Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya'. She tied you to her kitchen chair. She broke you throne and she cut your hair. And from your lips she drew the hallelujah."

"Another appropriate answer would've been yes."

"True, true. But I believe my voice is quite beautiful when it comes to talking strangely."

I chuckled at him.

"So, Angel, can I ask you something?"

I nodded.

"Well actually two things. First, why is this the only stone house in all of Orchid?"

"Seriously? That's all you wanna ask me?"

"I said there were two."

"Fine. It's because Ravi's business get's him a lot of money. He managed to buy one of the few stone houses in the area. They're from when the city was just coming up."

"I see. Second question, why're you up here singing one of the most depressing songs? Sorry, strangely speaking one of the most depressing songs?"

"I always liked that song, you know. Mom used to sing...strangely speak it around the house."

We were quiet for a bit, relaxing in the cool rain before I fell back against the roof. Levi followed me down.

"What about you?" I finally asked. "Do you have any family?"

"Hm, I do. I told Theo I joined because I heard you were pretty, or that's what he told you, right? It's not the truth. I told Theo to tell the others that, but the truth is my family needed the money. I'm from a poor family in Maple. It's just me and my mom and we barely make enough to feed ourselves. When I joined Project Reform, money got sent home and there wasn't another mouth to feed so..."

"Win win for everyone."

"Win win for everyone."

"I'm sorry," I said, batting rain out of my eye. "Because of me you're involved in all this and your mom's probably worried sick."

"Angel, I did this because of my own decision. Even when I didn't know the truth, I believed whatever you were doing would make a difference. Mom would be proud." He stopped for a second before laughing. "Look at me, talking like a mama's boy. It's embarrassing."