The Mark of a Fallen Angel

30 - Part I: Pain

He said no matter what happened he'd be here when this happened. He knew when my change was and so did the elders.
 
He lied.
 
The sudden realization sent hot liquid fury through my non-working veins.
 
The anger was growing but not with my permission.
 
Suddenly, my heart restarted so quickly, my body jolted upwards and my lungs struggled to get air through my body.
 
I opened my eyes to stare into a bright light above me. My ears were no longer ringing but my heart was stronger. My heart pounded harder. I screamed so loud it hurt my own ears.
 
The doctor's faces blocked the light. I wasn't seeing red or black anymore but I was seeing so clearly it hurt to not blink.
 
"How is she alive?" The doctor in my line of vision said.
 
Someone touched my left hand and that's when the hot fire in my veins concentrated on my rash covered hand.
 
I pushed the doctor away and turned my head to watch them fly into the far wall of the surgery room.

My eyes widened and I started to panic. Was having strength part of the change?
 
There were at least seven doctors and nurses in here. Three of them came to hold me down but I struggled.
 
"Anaesthesia now!"
 
Something was placed over my mouth and nose giving me no choice but to inhale the heady gas. My eyes stared to droop and my body started to give up the struggle. Soon enough I was unconscious...

**

 
The burning wouldn't stop. The feeling of my heart bouncing against my ribs wouldn't stop. I was sweating but I wasn't screaming from the pain anymore. I don't know how long had passed but I still wasn't waking up. I couldn't. I couldn't even move.
 
I'd tried earlier but when I opened my eyes, they burnt. My eyes were scratchy and raw and the voices in my head were annoying the hell out of me. Even if I did open my eyes now, it was like being blind. Everything was blurry and it was like there was a spotlight shining directly into my pupils.
 
Sometimes there was an outburst of pain; sometimes there were times when the pain would ease for a long amount of time.
 
At times, I could feel hands on my neck, my forehead and wrist and at times I could hear the sound of a door opening and closing. There was an annoying beeping sound next to me which I'm guessing is the heart monitor.
 
Sometimes the voices in my head would lower but otherwise they ran through my head non-stop. Like right now, everything was weirdly quiet apart from the sound of my beating heart on both monitor and in my chest.
 
A weird feeling passed over me. It wasn't pain and neither was it emotion but it felt like... Like there were eyes on me. I also felt the energy pouring off them. It was like static. For example, the hairs on your arms stand up if you rub a balloon on it. This person was the balloon and I was the hairs.
 
I couldn't move to check and I'd learnt earlier that I couldn't speak but I could groan and whimper. Helpful. But I didn't need to check. I didn't need to speak.

"You're so different," The familiar male said. "You're far stronger than before." His energy moved closer.
 
It wasn't the sadistic stalker. I'd recognize him from a mile away. No, this was a gentle buzz... A soft vibration against your skin.
 
And somehow I knew who this was.
 
"But you'll always be beautiful," Cameron said. The heart monitor's beeping and the sound of my heart in my ears slowed. "That'll never change."
 
His cool knuckles brushed my cheek. His hand was like ice compared to the temperature of my skin.
 
His finger skimmed across my bottom lip as he said, "And to answer your question from the mall, we have met before... A very long time ago. I had to say no though. You wouldn't have believed me otherwise."
 
For the first time in... Well, I don't know how long, the pain eased and my heart beat slower. My body still refused to function but I heard everything Cameron said loud and clear.
 
"This could be the last time I see you,"
 
My body started fighting. I had so many questions to ask him. How did he know me? How did we meet? How long ago? But as my body fought the worse the burning got.
 
The feeling in my hand came back for a second and I felt it twitch. He must have noticed because his cold hand covered mine. "You must be wondering how we knew each other. Ask Gabriel. He won't be happy that I was here but to be honest... I couldn't care less."
 
His lips touched my forehead.
 
It surprised me. And my eyes opened. I couldn't see anything, or make out any distinct objects but his blonde hair and the straight shape of his face was right there. I couldn't see any of his features like his bright blue eyes or nose but the shape was all I needed.
 
His head moved back and he paused. I could feel his eyes on my face but he didn't do anything, he just stared. I couldn't concentrate on him properly. I couldn't be absolutely sure if he was staring at me.
 
His head lowered and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me, but instead his cold stubble cheek rested against mine. "I know you can't see me. But I wish you could. I wish you could see the look on my face right now. I wish you would remember." He whispered in my ear.
 
And then he was gone.
 
His energy had disappeared from the room entirely. His cool skin left a scorch on my cheek. My lids lowered.
 
Who was Cameron?
 
Even when I met him in the mall, I felt there was something about him. But I didn't think that it was this strong.
 
After a while my heart rate increased and there was another outburst. By that time I'd drifted off into unconsciousness...
 
 
**
 
 
I was an damn vegetable.
 
Not being able to move for I don't know how long was beginning to piss me off. I've drifted off to sleep twenty-three times since I've been in this bed. I know because I've counted. The doctors have come in twelve times and the voices in my head stopped and restarted every eight minutes and fifteen seconds.
 
I still hadn't gained any feeling in my body but, the pain was easing. The outbursts weren't so bad and the throbbing in my left hand had stopped.
 
I couldn't handle just sitting here anymore. I desperately needed to move. To do something. But I still couldn't. Maybe it still wasn't time for me to wake up. Joseph said it didn't happen overnight so I'm guessing I still have a long while to go...
 
A whimper managed to escape my lips.
 
How long is this process?
 
 
**
 
 
The sudden feeling in my legs startled me. It felt like they'd just woken up from a week of sleep. Next was the feeling in my arms and soon enough my whole body had feeling.
 
The burning hadn't completely stopped but it might as well have. There was still a spark but it was barely noticeable.
 
I curled my toes first and welcomed the unfamiliar feeling. I twisted both of my legs a little and clenched my calf muscles. I worked on my hands and clenched and unclenched my hands.
 
I opened my eyes.
 
I blinked quite a lot at first, but when I slowly lifted my hand to rub my eyes everything was clear. Clearer than I'd ever seen before. I was in a private hospital room. The window was situated on my right and the door was on the far left hand corner. A nurse had her back to me writing down stuff on a clipboard.
 
My mouth was dry and my throat was scratchy from dehydration. I ran a hand through my hair but paused in the middle.
 
This didn't feel anything like my hair. This was velvet soft, extremely long and really wavy. My hair rested on one side but the length went just beneath my breasts.
 
My eyes widened at the colour of it.
 
It was pitch black.
 
My hair used to be brown before now it's black.
 
I lifted my left hand to touch it when I paused again and stared at it.
 
"Oh, my god..." I whispered.
 
My hand...
 
The rash should be there...
 
A winding and very complicated tribal pattern ran up my forearm and around my palm.
 
The colour of it frightened me. Everybody else's was either brown or a light brown.
 
Mine was black. Like I'd been burnt.
 
I started to panic. The small spark of pain ignited.
 
"Oh, my god!" I murmured frantically.
 
The nurse whipped around and her eyes widened at both my hand and me being awake. She came to my bed and pressed a button. "Alexis, calm down-"
 
"Calm down?" I stressed. "Look at my hand! Look at me!"
 
She came to hold me down but I pulled out of her grasp. I didn't expect her to fall to the ground or hurt herself. My eyes widened.
 
Two nurses and a doctor came running in.
 
The ignited spark burnt through me and the anger in my veins made me scream. The nurses held me down but I pulled out of their grasp. One stumbled back against the window and the other fell to the floor.
 
"Miss Gardiner!" The doctor yelled.
 
I refused to listen. I wasn't expecting my rash to turn out like all of the angels! Why didn't anybody tell me?!
 
The nurses stood back up and held onto my arms.
 
I wanted to find Gabriel.
 
I wanted to scream at him but then I wanted to break down in his arms. I wanted to rip his head off but I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to freaking kill him for not telling me.
 
The fire in my veins surged through my arms. The nurses recoiled back as if they'd been...
 
Burnt.
 
Someone was in here other than the doctors. I could feel their energy. This wasn't Cameron I was sure of it. I knew this energy.
 
I looked up into Gabriel face.
 
The doctors went along as if they hadn't noticed him.
 
His face was blank. There was no emotion what so ever. He was wearing all black making him look absolutely mouth watering.
 
But the anger wouldn't stop for him. No, the anger got worse. The burning in my body got worse.
 
A growl I didn't recognize escaped my lips surprising me and the doctors. Gabriel looked unfazed as he stared at me.
 
"Give her morphine for the pain!" A doctor yelled.
 
I felt the prick but I didn't feel anything being inserted. Instead I heard a snap and someone whisper, "Jesus Mary and Joseph... It broke."
 
Gabriel's hand covered my forehead and eyes.
 
My mind started to shut down.
 
My body stopped fighting and everything went black...

____________________________________

(Partially edited: 2023)