Whisky and wine made for a fine time.
I ended up at a tavern. For sure, it was illegal. I saw things I had never seen before. There were lusty women dancing in every corner of the room. Men watched them for their own personal satisfaction. I wasn't amused or satisfied. If anything I was repulsed. I tried not to stare at anything except for the bottom of my drink. Still, I let my eyes wander a bit.
It felt odd seeing other angels in the closest place to Hell that humans could create. Some looked sullen, probably because they lost hope in their humans. Others looked more than merry, glad to have a drink or two with their parties of people. Public drunkenness was a sin. It was like they were asking to fall.
"You're not going to tell on them, are you, Judas?"
I turned around. It was definitely no angel behind me.
"Remember me?" he asked, "Do you remember from all those years ago, little angel?"
He certainly did look familiar. I couldn't pin his name, however. "Are you part of Manaphel's lot?" I asked as I pushed away my drink.
He chuckled and said, "Manaphel has no lot. Manaphel has Evanora. You have that soul seller. Now can you guess who I have?"
"Ariel, isn't it? Are you that one?"
He slid my drink back towards me. "Damn right it's me."
"What's your name again?"
"P.I.T.A."
I chuckled, "What kind of a name is Pee-Eye-Te-Ahe."
Bad choice on my part. I own that.
He grabbed my by the collar of my shirt. "It stands for Pain In The Ass. Do you want to ask another question?"
Bad choice on his part asking that question.
"Yeah. Did Manaphel send you to spy on me? I can't get away from you people."
He let go of my shirt and rolled his eyes. "Of course she did, angel. You know her well enough."
I grabbed my drink again. "Look, Pain In The Ass, I want my alone time. Let me be alone, please."
"Can I tell Manaphel that you got drunk and watched two guys snog at each other if I leave you alone?"
I sipped my drink. "I've never witnessed such a thing or anything like it," I said as I pulled the drink away. I set it down on the table. It made a rather abrupt clunk against the oak top.
"Then turn around," he chuckled.
I looked behind me. In fact, there was something I had never seen before. It wasn't as much snogging as tender kissing.
"Oh."
I turned back to look at P.I.T.A., but he was gone. Probably off to tell Manaphel. Seeing stuff didn't mean anything, it didn't mean anything at all, not a thing.
So I looked again. This time I saw more. It was perhaps the most holy thing in this place. The way they were holding each other with tender touches. And my god, the way they looked at each other.
I looked back at my drink. It wasn't very nice to stare. If I could have helped myself, I would have, but it felt comforting to see it. It wasn't cruel. It wasn't violent. It wasn't even lustful. It was nice. They were happy too. Perhaps I caught a glimpse of a smile in that hell.
Only if I could have such joy with Anthony.
No, no, no. Silly me, joy was for the humans. I was an angel, and I was out of place.
My joy was in the bottom of the glass. I reached it, then I ordered another. The rounds kept coming till I got lost in the number and my pockets were empty. Not even a place like that would harbor me when my pockets were empty, so I left.
I don't remember what happened after that. I must have fell asleep. The next thing I knew I was waking up in a pool of my own puke. How disgusting. It was so dark too. I laid in my stomach contents as my eyes adjusted to the darkness.
Then a candle was shoved in my face.
"Poor dearie is waking up finally."
The place stunk, and I knew it wasn't just me. I heard groaning from all around me too. I still couldn't see much, but I could make out the dimly lit face of a woman. Based off her clothing it was obvious she was a nun.
"Huh?"
She wiped off my face with a wet rag. "Been on a drinking binge, dearie?"
I closed my eyes again. "Can I go?"
She then pushed my hair back and hummed, "Like this you can't."
I moved my head to the side as I groaned, "I have to go home."
"Calm down, everything is fine. You need to relax. It's the early morning. A man like you shouldn't be out at this hour."
I tried to sit up, but my stomach flipped. My body forced me to lay back down. I took a few deep breaths to calm my trembling gut.
"Where are you from?" she asked me.
I squinched my eyes shut. "Miss, I'm from nowhere."
"Then where are you staying? Near here?"
I turned to the side and let more of the liquid leave my body. Then I wiped my mouth with my sleeve. My jacket didn't really matter anymore. It was far beyond repair after that.
"Where's here?" I asked as I settled back down.
"New York, the big city."
"Miss, I think I'm a bit lost. How long have I been here for?"
"A week or so. We all started to believe you'd never wake up after a blow to the head like the one you had," she whispered as she wiped my face off with more water.
"I don't remember getting hit."
She tilted her head to the side. "It'll come to you eventually. According to what I was told by the fellow who brought you in you were going on about some fellow named Anthony. You've mumbled a bit about him while you were asleep."
Oh no.
"Uh, sister, what have I said exactly?"
"Well, dearie, from what I've understood you love the dear fellow but based off how many times you've mumbled the word "no" I suppose you're resisting the urge. Nothing more."
A nun knew. Any ethereal being who would have heard about the whole ordeal would have found the situation to be hilarious. A drunk angel being tended to by a nun, talking about homosexual urges. What a moment. What an angel I was.
I chuckled, "Well I suppose I'm in the right place then. Sister, tell me about resisting temptation."
She wiped my forehead off again and sighed, "There's lots about it. I suppose the whole thing started in the garden. Resisting temptation can save you. Don't you want to be saved, dearie?"
"I don't know if there's much of a Heaven left for me. Maybe years ago, but ever since Anthony met me things have been downhill for the both of us."
"Hm. Do you love him?"
I looked at the candle flame. It was the only light still.
"Yes, yes I do, sister."
She smiled a little and asked, "Does he know that?"
"No. I don't think I'll tell him either. It's not worth it now. He's dying and I hope at least he'll have a chance at Heaven. If I love him he won't get to experience a love like that."
She nodded a couple times. Her face was soft. A non-judgemental woman, how sweet, how holy she was.
"You're very reverent. It takes a special person to love someone in the way you love him. That's true sacrifice. If you resist the temptation and beg for forgiveness, maybe both of you will reach true spiritual happiness."
Sacrifice. Only if she knew what things had been sacrificed already.
"May I be forgiven then. May I be forgiven."
We did not speak any further after that, and I didn't see her again after she decided I needed no more further tending. The next morning I was able to leave.
New York was perhaps one of the most grand cities in all the world. The factories stretched miles into the sky and past the horizons. People were bustling around everywhere. Stores lined streets, and the most interesting little human objects were in the windows. There were foods of all sorts on every corner. If I had any money I would have bought some. Children ran around in the streets. They seemed happy as could be. It was a happy city. I promised myself if I was left with any spare time on Earth, that's where I'd go to spend my days. I wouldn't be lonely there.
Anthony was dying though, and I was alone in New York. I promised him that he wouldn't die alone. I had to get home.
Where was home?
Home was wherever Anthony was. I could feel that. A city name would have been useful, but I made do with just feeling where he was.
Plenty of trains were coming to and from. It was a busy town after all. Commerce was key to them, and it was my key to going home. I was only visible to ethereal eye when I snuck on a shipping train. The whole thing seemed familiar. I was running home, surrounded by goods, all because of Anthony. The only difference was that he wasn't with me that time. I wished he was.
There I told him he would be okay in the end. Maybe he would. Maybe.
I rode till I felt closest to home. The jump from the train wasn't too bad, and I figured if I followed the right railway for long enough I'd find my way. Walking made me tired though. After what felt like miles I laid down in the forest canopy for a nap.
I'm not sure how long I slept for. Long enough for someone to find me. I was awakened by Ariel poking me with the blunt end of their staff.
"Oridon! Come on! Wake up! Now!"
I smiled when I saw them. I even laughed a little.
"Oridon are you drunk? You smell drunk!"
I sat up and said, "Ariel, I sobered up this morning. You won't believe where I've been."
They poked me one more time and shouted, "You won't believe where you should be! Anthony's on his death bed. Everyone is out looking for you. We're running a little short on time so we have to go."
Then they pulled my to my feet, and about just as quick, they started to drag me into the woods.
"It's today?"
They sped up a little, which caused me to trip. They paused only for a moment to pick me up again. During that time I asked, "Is it today?"
"Yes it's today! Come on!"
We then took off running again. It seemed like we kept changing directions, but Ariel knew where they were going. They were smart like that. At least we weren't too far from home. We stumbled into the house, covered in dirt and leaves from the woods.
I was panting, wanting every breath I took to fill my lungs to capacity. When I allowed myself to look, there was Anthony, on the couch, letting go of his last.
I was too late.
"Anthony!"
I fell to my knees in front of him. "Anthony! Come on! You're still in there! Wake up!"
I then started to pound on his chest. He didn't do anything. There had to have been something I could have done, but I was hopeless.
"You're kicking a dead horse," Ariel said. They then sat down beside me. "He's gone. You know what to do. You've been waiting for this."
I pulled my knees to my chest. "No."
"Do you want Manaphel to do it? Maybe she should since she's the one taking him."
I closed my eyes. "No, she can't take him anywhere. Nothing was fulfilled. Until it's fulfilled it's not fair. He should go to Heaven considering the rules."
The door then opened. Never before had I noticed that it squeaked. Everything was so quiet in the room, so the sound stuck out like a nail in the floor just waiting to be stepped on. I could tell it was Manaphel who was walking in. One foot always stepped heavier than the other. The room fell silent again when she stopped.
"Oridon."
She touched my shoulder. Her hand was trembling.
I should have snapped at her. I should have told her to leave me alone. All I could do was look up at her.
"Don't take him. Please Manaphel, don't take him. I didn't even get to say goodbye! Please don't take him. I have to tell him-"
It felt like I swallowed the deepest pit of Hell. My lungs burned too bad to say anymore. Tears ran down my face to try to cool my burning cheeks. Everything I saw looked blurry. All I could make out was Manaphel's face. My heart aches worse when I saw that she was crying too.
"Oridon, I don't know what I'm going to do anymore, really. I know you loved him, for God's sake, you loved him. Everyone knew it. Everyone knew it but him."
I sniffled and nodded. "Yes, yes I loved him. I still love him."
She then sat down beside me and sighed, "You couldn't have made things easy and just kissed the boy, couldn't you? What's it take to shake you?"
"I didn't do anything because I don't want him to go to Hell! He was good. He didn't deserve any of this. He deserves forgiveness. He deserves Heaven."
Ariel blurted out, "His soul is still Hell bound, and his contract is unfulfilled. We need to do something."
"Yeah, yeah, something," Manaphel muttered, "I've been doing something. I read over the contract. It's not like I can just give him his soul back, not unless I find another one to take his place. Knowing Hell, they'll want one of greater value, and Heaven knows where I'll find one, Oridon."
I looked up at Anthony's dead body. "I'm an angel. Neither of us have to go as long as his contract isn't fulfilled."
Ariel asked, "So what should we do? Go ask Heaven about the whole thing?"
I glanced around a room. There was a spare jar on the shelf that was filled with buttons and fancy rocks. After dumping out it's contents, I put it down next to Anthony. I then opened his jaw. A rapid stream of soul emptied from his body. It poured neatly into the jar. I then put the top back on it.
"Yes, of course we're going."
Ariel glanced at Manaphel. "I'll be back later."
Manaphel got off of the floor. She wrapped her arms around me. "Damn, angel, I never thought I'd miss you, but I'm going to miss you. Come by if you ever get a chance. We'll be around."
I nodded and said, "If I get the chance, I know where to find you."
Ariel tapped my shoulder. "Ready?" they asked. I glanced around the room.
"I think so. Give Evanora my apologies, Manaphel. Tell her I'm sorry I had to go."
After that Ariel and I made our way to the door. This time it was different. This time it opened to a staircase. We climbed it till we reached the gates. I caught a few passing glares. Some angels have too many eyes. And I couldn't bring Anthony in either. His soul couldn't pass through the gates, and I wasn't about to make myself look stupid trying to force it in. Ariel was with me though, so I felt a bit better.
Upon entering the kingdom cherubs escorted us to perhaps the largest building known to ethereal kind. Both of us were instructed to convert to our ethereal form. It was a bad feeling, nonetheless, but one I had to present myself as in front of The Big Man.
Humans have a tendency to think He's a busy man. Really, he just oversees situations nobody has an answer to. Our situation must have been one of those situations, and a well known one, considering how quickly we got through to Him.
He wasn't what I pictured Him as. He looked human. Humans were created in His image after all. That made it seem too comfortable just talking to Him.
"Oridon, I know why you're here. Ariel, I thought we were scheduled for next Sunday."
I bowed down. I tried not to think about what would happen next Sunday. That was perhaps the worst thought that could possibly go through my head in front of The Big Man.
"Oridon, rise."
I got off the floor and looked straight at Him.
"What should we do with Anthony?"
The Big Man made a face and said, "That's complicated. By any means, you should be in a flaming hot pit right now for far more reasons than homophiliac tendencies. You're not an angel anymore, or by any means, a normal one. However, you're perhaps the only one who could handle the situation. You may not be any worthy kind of angel to me, but you're the sun and stars to Anthony. Also you're mentioned in the contract as an angel, and we don't want to furthermore mess anything up. So, you're going to stay as an angel for now. When Anthony has his contract fulfilled, you'll return here and be assigned a position in isolation until your holy qualities can be restored and you forget about him. I expect the contract to be fulfilled as soon as possible, but if you could please manage yourself in a more angelic way it would do you best. Maybe if you're good, you won't receive further punishment."
I looked at Ariel. They had a satisfied smirk on their faces. Why would they be so happy about that?
I couldn't look at Ariel anymore. I looked back at The Big Man.
"That doesn't answer my question though. He's dead; bottled."
God ran a hand through His hair. "Uh, yeah, just... Put his soul in another body. It'll be fine."
"So I can live another life with him?"
God sighed, "Sure, do that. Play your little angel on Earth game. After all, I'm amused by it. And he'll die when you love him."
"What about time limits? All humans have a set death date."
God looked at Ariel. "What do you think?"
Ariel's faces fell flat. They made a humming noise for a few seconds before responding, "Well I quite like Anthony actually. He's a decent human and I think he deserves another full shot at life considering how bad Oridon was at guiding him through his last."
That's right. I was bad. Even Ariel knew that.
Ariel looked at me and continued, "And Oridon will get another chance and could fix some things. I'll make sure he's better this time and that the contract is fulfilled."
God tapped on the armrest of his throne. "Say he's worse. Say the contract doesn't get fulfilled. What then? Who will be at fault? Are you willing to take punishment if something goes wrong?"
Ariel nodded a few times and said, "I think I will. Yeah, I think I will."
I whispered, "No Ariel."
Ariel turned to God and asked, "Where can I sign?"
A scroll of paper appeared in The Big Man's hand. Ariel stepped forward and signed it. I couldn't do anything about it. Nobody could do a thing.
"Now get out. If you have any more questions you can figure them out. You have what you need to know... And next weeks plans and everything there after are cancelled, Ariel. Out now. And Oridon-"
I felt my entire celestial body start to quiver.
"Yes God?"
"Don't let me see you back in Heaven till Anthony's in Hell. That will be understood or the next arrangement won't be as nice. I believe that will go for the both of you, actually. Remember the contract."
We were then dragged out by cherubs to the gates. I returned to my human shape and grabbed Anthony. I then ran down the stairs. Ariel was behind me. I didn't care much, though I should have. I just wanted to go home. All the feelings in my chest exploded when I bursted through the door.
There in front of me was Evanora, wrapping Anthony's body in bed sheets. She froze when she saw me. A smile peaked out from underneath her cloudy eyes and rain stained cheeks.
"You're back."
Ariel was behind me again. I felt them touch my shoulder.
"Of course he's back! We're all back. Everything is fine!"
I looked up at them. No, not everything was fine. I whispered to them, "I think you might have just agreed to go to Hell for my sins."
They smiled at that. "Of course. Remember, Oridon, you're the only one who can suit Anthony's needs. You're important. I'm just me."
Then they led me out, shutting the door behind us. There was no more Heaven in the closet, just clothes and maybe a few skeletons.
Evanora opened the curtains and pushed up the windows. She stuck her head out and called, "Mani! Mani, they're back! All of them!"
I walked over to the window and chuckled, "We're staying for a while too. Come on, Manaphel, I think we might have some work to do."
She ran too the window. She was covered in dirt, but she was grinning. I had never been so happy to see a demon grin.
"You mean it?" she asked, "Do you really mean it?"
I poked my head out the window. "Do you want to go find a body for him now or not?"
She started to laugh as she looked down at herself. "Give me a minute! I'll be there! I wouldn't miss it for the world and everything beyond!"
I looked down at the jar. "Here we go again, Anthony," I chuckled.
Again, we were going to do it again, and I couldn't be have been dreadfully happier about it.