Angel Chronicles - Book 1: Fallen Angel[lgbt]

Chapter Four

"Emeyo?" Apphia called softly as we walked. I wasn't exactly paying much attention. Sweat was beading and pouring down my face, arms, legs. It was way too hot to focus on anything. For me, at least. I couldn't focus on anything.

 I closed my eyes, Apphia's voice fading to a dim echo. In fact, all noise had faded to a dim echo. And even that was barely audible. I opened my eyes to see the field I had found myself in before when I had learnt Darkness' name. Now there wasn't anyone here. Just a breeze blowing gently through the long grass.

 I took a step forward, just to find I couldn't move. It was as if my feet were glued to the ground, or as if the ground had somehow sucked my feet into itself. I looked around slowly, just to make sure I was alone. I didn't want to risk an attack. Not now. Not when I couldn't move.

 Well, it's about time. Darkness' Voice echoed all around me. We need to talk, since you keep trying to dismiss my presence.

 I'm not trying to dismiss it. I am dismissing it.

 She was silent for a long time before I heard her sigh and I could have sworn she would have rolled her eyes if she were more than a Voice and a presence in my head. You're pathetic.

 I wanted to scream. I'm pathetic! What the-! Why do you say that?

 Calm down, Echo. I'm just saying it as it is. You're an Angel and you refuse to believe that a Demon-like myself-could possess you and talk to you inside your head.

 I was quiet for a long time, unsure what to say. In a small part of my mind I knew that what she said was true, but I refused to acknowledge it. I didn't want to give her any satisfaction. Though I was sure she knew that I had acknowledged it.

 Of course I know that. I'm not stupid.

 Maybe not. Just annoying.

 I could have sworn I heard her laugh before the world flickered, swayed, and spun all at the same time. I lurched forward and everything came back into focus, except now I could feel sweat pouring down my body and heat on my face.

 My eyes snapped open and I saw Apphia was nowhere to be seen. I blinked sweat out of my eyes before looking around. "Apphia?" I called softly, hoping to see her hiding somewhere.

 That was when I felt the pain. Stinging down the lengths of my arms and legs. I winced as I looked down. There were three deep-looking cuts running the length of my legs, that had cut completely through the fabric of my clothes. I looked at my arms to see there were also three cuts that matched the ones on my legs running the length of my arms. The sweat pouring into the cuts was not helping much.

 I winced as I looked around, but I couldn't see Apphia. Not anywhere. There didn't seem to be anyone or anything around me. Just the heat that I couldn't get away from.

 I froze. There was a shape a few feet over that looked like it could be a human body. I slowly walked over, each step shooting agonizing pain through my entire body. As I made my way over to her, I tried not to look around. Though it was only a few feet, it felt like a thousand.

 I crouched next to her, ignoring the pain that sliced through my legs and arms at the movement. I gently rolled her over onto her back. I gasped; it was clearly Apphia, and she was definitely not okay. I shook her shoulder before grabbing her wrist and checking her pulse. It was faint, but at least it was there. "Apphia," I whispered. "Apphia, wake up. Come on, open your eyes. You have to wake up."

 Apphia didn't move. I sat back on my knees, then quickly slid my legs underneath me and slid them out, scooting so I was sitting sideways, next to Apphia, as the pain in my legs intensified; I could barely feel the pain anymore, just numbness. I gently lifted her head and rested it on my lap. She was alive. She would wake up; she had to. She just had to.