Vision of Dawn

Chapter 7

We walk on, letting time pass from our argument just minutes ago and the silence grows. I keep my distance from him, enough to have him walk off his anger. I hold my words in, wanting to fix what I had done. But it shouldn't matter, because once I find my brother, it was back to the real world for me and the angel world for him. The war would start in time once again, angels against humans. It was always going to be that way, until one of us either gave up or killed us all.

I look down at the light of sun blasting from behind me, creating an imprint of my shadow upon the ground, in sync with me. My gaze going behind me as the sun begins to fade behind the horizon of the buildings, long behind us.

"We should look for shelter." I was stuck by his voice, not hearing it in so long, but the anger was still hidden deep down. Asher's eyes land on mine, signaling for me to come beside him and I do running to his side.

I look around a point at a small house with a broken oak tree stub in front of it. "How about there?" Its dark metallic color hard against the stones outlining the frame. This must have been an expensive house and most were in this part of the city. Asher nods to my decision and we head that way.

He forces the door open with his shoulder, I guess these people had the time to lock their front door before leaving. It creeks open slowly, making the air inside feel colder than the outside. Just as the sun had set, letting the air colder by the second, the light of the moon rising slowly.

I walk in slowly as Asher waits by the door, looking around for any living thing in sight, but it seems to be deserted. Perfect, just what we were asking for. I set by bag down in one of the rooms known as the kitchen, placing it on the marble top counter. "It's clear." I call to Asher, so he can come in.

I walk to where his footsteps stop just before the kitchen and I reach back for his bag, letting it slide off of his shoulder. He carries more of the food found, plus I was too starving to wait for him. My hands dig through the bag, pulling out a can of pineapple and again once more. I put down his bag as I open the cans with a knife, in the corner of my eye seeing Asher take off his coat and discarding it on the table. His wings of white fully visible, letting the air reach each feather.

Tearing my eyes from the sight and focusing on not cutting myself, while trying to get these lids off. But I barley break the top of the skin as the knife slips from my hand, hissing slightly from its sting. I move my hand in the air, flipping it around to let my pointer finger take in the air. Asher is suddenly at my side, his gaze to my covered finger, clutched in my hand. "You ok? Let me see."

He reaches for my hand, even before I can pull it in closer to me. "It's ok, just shows how ignorant I am." It was just a small cut anyway, why would he care for my well-being. But he still examine the pale line going from the tip of my finger to the second crevice. His touch making it seem like such a big deal, as the pain increased but not from the wound.

He brought it closer to him, pulling me closer, my hand clasped on the counter so I don't fall into him. "You need a band aid, just to make sure it doesn't get infected. It's not too deep but it almost broke the third layer. Wash it under water and wait for me."

He lets go of my hand and walks down one of the halls. I protest against his words but I didn't really like the idea of getting an infection. My feet shuffled across the floor as I reached the sink, the cold, ice water hitting the wound. I wash it quickly, hatting the feeling of it under my skin. I let it rest over the side of the sink, my wrist on the chilling silver outline.

I can hear the opening of doors and moving of supplies. Asher comes in not too long after, carrying a box of band aids, the corners warn down showing the cardboard base. I take the box from him, opening it quickly and taking one tan strip out. He sits on the ground, where a fireplace stands, looking to the side where matches lay in a pot. A log half burned layed there as he stared the once burning fire again.

I wrap the sticky flexible fabric around my finger and grab the cans of pineapple before joining him. I inch the can towards him, the yellow liquid running down on the side and onto my hand. He takes it, bringing his gaze down to the band aid on my finger. I lick the sweet liquid running down the side of my hand.

The pineapple didn't last long, before I had reached in the can feeling for the solid circle, it was empty. The sweet liquid lingered on my tongue and down my throat, licking my lips for any sugar. The fire grew in those few minutes, its flickering dark points running over me. I place the can at my side, letting the warmth surround me.

"We should go over the plan for tomorrow." Asher looks away from his empty can, I guess we are back on speaking terms. I think of how we are to go over this, jumping to my feet I start going through the room. Finding a box of crayons and some colored paper, from what must have been a child's room. I gaze at the small bed, its Spiderman sheets remind me of my brother's room. Its similar colors, how he would have liked a room like this.

I walk away from the thought, knowing he would be in my arms soon. I clutch the paper closer to me, the two crayons hidden in my palm. I walk back to where Asher sits, but he has moved to the center of the room, his wing brought over his shoulder to stroke the silky feathers through his fingers. His gaze comes to me, standing there with eyes wide and on his wings. He looks away, bringing them back down as I hand him the paper.

We sit at the table, with crayons in hand and a sheet in blank paper in between us. He had started to draw the layout of the city, labeling which building was which. "Start through the back entrance, where the servants enter."

The servants?

My eyes darted up from the paper and to his eyes, plastered upon the paper. "Servants? What servants." I glare at him, hopping he is not saying what I am thinking, but it's exactly what I think it is. "Humans."

Now they take us as pets, to show off and play around with. The though sickens me, but what do I expect. "Eira I know you want to flash out in anger upon me, but believe me. This is not right, but right now that cannot be changed."

I take a deep breath, a very deep breath, letting the anger hid itself once again. He was right, but there had to be a way to change that. Asher continued once I nodded to him that I was ok. "I would assume your brother would be in the basement, kept away from the surface. Not to be risked being seen."

He goes on about the layout for the rest of the night, his intricate designs confusing me. The night grows darker, it must be getting late and Asher yawns in between his drawing. "You should get some sleep, I'll take watch tonight." I smile at him slightly, as he wants to go against my words, but sleep is stronger. He gets up, looking down at the map one last time before looking at me. "I'll just be down the hall, wake me up when its morning."

Once he leaves, I pick up the pieces of paper and sit on the window seal in the front room. I study the drawings, till they are imprinted in my mind, I will know each turn like the back of my hand. I feel at the maroon scarf wrapped around my neck, it still held his sent, the outdoor smell from all the times he rolled upon the grass and fell to his knees. Coming to me on the verge of tears, but he said it was weak to cry, and he never would because he was not weak. I pulled on the fabric, letting it unravel and fall upon my legs.

I think of when he would lay in my lap, in a field of grass we sat, the wild flowers growing around us. His small hands wrapped in my shirt as a nightmare took over his mind and I would hum him the same melody mother use to sing.

He would hum along, his deep voice rhythm held a delicacy that mine never did. But mothers was not like his either, the cracks it held making it off tone and still she sang. The song forever in my head. I look out the window, as the moon unfold to its full glory, its light shining down upon the earth's crust.

All the times we would sneak out just to see the fireflies flicker in the night, like stars just in arms reach. Waking me up in the dead of night, begging to open the window and I did just for him. We would sit on the fire escape, our top floor apartment giving us a view of the city, lit in its full glory. His head resting on my shoulder as the sound of speeding cars and laughers filled the night, making it seem not so dark anymore.

The end of the night was near, as the light of the new day began to rise over the towering buildings. I didn't sleep, I couldn't, not with the anxious feeling running through my veins. The sun has arisen and the day has begun, alright brother don't worry your sister is coming.