Ark of the Light

Five: Angel of Air

The digital clock on the dash of his truck turned from 1:59 am to 2:00 am, as the wheels crunched against the winding gravel roads. Clouded skies did not bode well for Axel, the first hints of a rainstorm fresh on the wind. Music cranked up; Axel battled off sleep. The drowsiness had sunk in, he could feel his eyelids pulling shut. He knew he should have just spent the night at a friend's in town, but he didn't want to deal with the fallout in the morning. It had been a long enough day without his father yelling at him—at this hour though the inevitable argument could be put off until morning.

Axel gripped the wheel tighter at the thought of his father. The divorce was two years ago, but things only seemed to get worse. Before, his father would at least try to hid his drinking, now it consumed everything. Somehow, his father had gotten custody, meaning he only saw his mom every other weekend. They made the best of their time together, but it couldn't erase all the late-night arguments with his father. There was a time when he was little where he could remember fixing cars with his father—memories where they would both be smiling. Still, after Axel's uncle's funeral, his father tail-spun.

Axel shook his head, focusing on the road. The day was bad enough as is, he didn't need to think about the divorce. Instead, his thoughts shifted to his own girl-friend. After he came out as bisexual to her and a few friends, she started acting differently. She kept texting him, freaking out when he wouldn't reply. She jumped to wild conclusions—that he had to be cheating on her with a guy. Like he hadn't chosen to be with her. Part of him was ready to break up with her on the principle of it, but he worried that once they broke up, the entire school would know he wasn't straight. Once the school knew, the entire town would. He was seventeen, it wasn't his responsibility to educate an entire county on his sexuality. While he knew his mom didn't care and his friends didn't care, he wasn't ready for the wider stigma that came with being the one queer kid in a small town.

Caught up with school came thoughts of grades and classes. His junior year would be over soon, and his math grade was holding on by a thread. His SAT score had been dismal as is. Axel had been apprenticing with the local mechanic, but he would still need to attend a vocational education program. There would be time to retake it, but at that point he could only score worse it seemed. At least he still had the track team—that seemed to be the only good thing to come out of his high school experience.

Distracted, Axel didn't catch that he had hit loose gravel until his truck was already swerving. Axel spun the wheel, attempting to regain control but over correcting in his hurry. He slammed the brakes, sailing toward the cliff's edge. His truck skidded against the gravel, brakes cranking from the strain. His front wheels left the cliff side, leaving him teetering on the edge. The wind rocked his truck. Axel swallowed, a pit growing in his stomach. He pushed back in his seat, trying not to disrupt the delicate balance. There would be no surviving the fall. Shifting the car in park, he reached for his seat belt. He would have to climb out the back of his truck. The wind picked up. Axel froze.

Axel gripped his seat, eyes clenching shut. Outside, he could hear the wind blow harder. The truck rocked from the force. Axel held his breath. He felt the back wheels roll, the angle shifting to level, the truck no longer swaying. Feeling the steady ground, Axel forced himself to open his eyes.

He was back on the road.

Axel's entire body relaxed. He couldn't explain what had happened. The truck should have fallen. He should be dead. But the wind...the wind had pushed him back onto the road. Axel couldn't think, the music nearly drowned out by the deafening stillness within. A laugh shuddered through him. Something damp ran down his cheek. Still laughing, he brushed his hand across his cheek. He was crying.

Not knowing what else to do, Axel shifted his truck into gear and began driving the rest of the way home.

By the time he rolled into the driveway, the clock turned to 2:30 am. He shut off the engine, sitting for a moment, still unable to comprehend. Finally, he pushed himself out of the vehicle and headed inside. He let the front door click shut behind him. A half-dozen empty beer bottles littered the table. With the bottles laid that day's mail. Axel filed through the mail and stopped. In with the bills and junk mail was a letter addressed to him. Brows furrowed, he leaned against the table and opened the letter.

Axel Smith,

Do not be afraid. Your difficult journey is not one you travel alone. The Prophecy of the All-Seeing Eye foretold your coming. Seven Angles of the Earth shall join in the ashes, forming the Ring and the Key to ending a princess of darkness, a Shadow of a Queen. These seven shall be the Ark of the Light, for it is their duty to protect the Light. As the Angel of Air, it is your duty to the Ark to serve against the darkness. If the Shadow Queen and her army prevails, surely you will face demise. Enclosed is the location of your haven. With the help of the others, you shall rise up to become more than the world could ever imagine.

Fellow Angel,

M.

It sounded about as crazy as flying cars, but that had already happened, so what was one more thing. Grabbing a pen and paper, he left his father a note saying he was spending a few weeks at mom's. He would be furious, but Axel couldn't find it in himself to care. Going to his bedroom, Axel started to pack the essentials. He stopped, seeing the picture of his mom and father. They were both smiling, a baby version of himself cradled in his mom's arms. She was wearing her white lab coat, but her black, curly hair was out in a natural afro—a trait he inherited, though he kept his in dreadlocks tied back. The photo was a reminder they were once family. Taking it out of the frame, he folded it up and slipped it into his back pocket. Time to do something crazy.