- Narrator -
I ran as fast as I could, my tired feet stomping against the brick roads of this town. It was dark, cold, and only the dim yellow street lights would give me so much hope for a brighter vision ahead.
What was I running from? I did not know, for the intense feeling that grew in me out of nowhere caused great panic. I didn't see anyone or anything after me... but I knew I was in danger.
I panted, "Should've stayed home... and watched The Walten Files. Or listen to Kikuo while drawing."
Then suddenly, my face crashed. That's it, my nose is broken. My tooth popped out, something. Cause that hurt like a bitch. My body fell backwards as my hands rushed to my jaw, rubbing it in scorching pain. Nothing else mattered but my anxiety towards a broken body part. Though I heard a soft voice speak above me, "Peyton?"
My eyes slowly opened and my head tilted up.
No way. No way in hell.
"GABRIEL!?" Since when was your chest a fucking anvil?" I shouted with a mix of anger and confusion. He laughed through his nose. My eyes caught to his long fingers reaching out, his hand extending as an offer of assistance. I took it. "I saw you running straight this way, and quickly casted a blocking onto myself so I wouldn't get hurt." My hands brushed off the dirt on my shirt. I scoffed, "So you wouldn't get hurt but I would? Nice."
"Well put yourself in my shoes-"
"You don't have shoes."
I laughed at my own joke while he shook his head. Then quickly I realized... "Wait, how are you here?" I heard him gulp, making me a bit uneasy. Was there something I didn't know? Is this all my imagination? No, it's real. It has to be, there's blood
coming from my nose cause of his "blocking" powers. "I just wanted to talk to you a bit, about Six." This perplexed me. "Okay?" I asked. He began walking, so I followed.
"Six has been so differently lately... unless he's been like this the whole time and I just haven't noticed until now. But it worries me so, I watch his face switch from a smile to a somber expression. It feels like a knife straight to my heart and I don't know why. I almost despise this feeling, it makes me look like a worried mess. It's embarrassing." He looked at me right in my eyes,
"Can you help me?"
I blinked rapidly, "Y-Yeah! Uhh... with what?" He stopped walking, "You're the author, can't you rewrite him to be a happier person?" My face twisted. I didn't mean to make a sour look, but his question is ridiculous. "Rewrite him better? Gabe that sounds like an insult." "How so?" "One, I'm just an author, not a creator. I didn't make him in Heaven, so this is not my responsibility. Two, wouldn't you like to help him out instead of changing him entirely? Especially the fact he doesn't know how or why he's all of the sudden happier?" Gabriel paused for a moment. I watched his hand cuff his mouth, his eyes widening in terror. "That's... what it sounds like I want?" My eyebrow raised, "Well what do you want?"
"I want Six to be content in his everyday life. I want him to enjoy the things he does and working with me, of course. But I also want him to be satisfied with his life and what he does outside of work. And I try to connect to him, we walk together and talk but it's never enough. I have looked after him more recently since the first time he and I became acquaintances. I'm not sure why I feel so awkward about caring for him. It's just unlike me, perhaps he's growing on me. Perhaps this is what's known as 'affection', but I don't know... The reason why I want you to rewrite him is because I keep running into a wall whenever I want to stand up and do something for Six. But it's not working. I have no one else to turn to but you. And this isn't for me, I've never thought of it that way. This is for him. All for him."
My body grew chills at his full-hearted confession. It hurt me to see him get confused at his emotions. It made me want to restart everything and provide him all the joy and peace I can give. But if anyone needs that right now, it's Six.
"What's the last thing you two said to each other?" I asked quietly. "He told me he missed Heaven, I didn't know how to respond."
- Gabriel -
I decided to speak to the narrator, since they have more power than any of us. They opened my eyes to a better way of guiding Six to a brighter path. A path where I am able to walk with him. My return to the den of the void was a silent one. It wasn't peaceful nor wanted. But still, I sat at the couch, thinking for a long time, replaying this whole day in my head...
-
"I'm scared."
"About what?" I cocked my head at Six. His hands gripped the ends of his sleeves as his concentration became more visible. What was he so worried about? "About how I feel. I don't know if you randomly get this way too, but-"
Our eyes met, "I miss Heaven."
If thunder could be a physical feeling, it's exactly what I felt at that very moment. Or as if the Sun had disappeared, and everything around me lost it's bright hue. He wasn't being serious, right? That place is ludicrous, let alone the want to return there. I wish I could clench onto my words before they escaped my mouth, "...How."
I didn't ask this, I stated it. How. The "perfect" place above was a living nightmare. And to have every angel stare at you as you are begging for mercy, looking at God with a pleading face while gripping his hand that wraps around your neck before dropping you on the face of the Earth, you miss Heaven? Bullshit.
He swallowed before speaking, "W-Well, the environment there was relaxing and made me relieved, as if there was nothing to be stressed about. I was free." "Free? You sat around a bunch of weird ass saints that never let you out of their sight. That never let anyone out of their sight! You were constantly being watched." My hands waved around and I nearly shouted. Calm, Gabriel. Remain calm. He will understand your side as well, there is no need to get aggressive. I watched him straighten his posture with a new tone in his voice that went along the lines of oh-yeah? "I mean I could spend everyday up there with nothing due, nothing wrong getting in my way, nothing hurting me. That is all." I walked closer to him, "You were always hurt! You forget I was an angel there too, you know? And I saw the way you looked at God right before you fell, and dammit Six, I would do anything to go back and beat the living holiness out of him and save you. But in all honesty, I'm glad we're here. We're finally away from him and his army of spirits all around. And let me just say, the emotions I endured while watching you seconds before you were out of my vision were unbearable." "What do you know about my fall from Heaven?" "MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOW!"
My heart sank. What the fuck is wrong with me. Why did I tell him that, why why why!?
"Gabriel." I flinched at the sound of him using my full name, and saying it with such confusion in his voice. "What do you mean by that?" My head tilted down to dodge his eye contact, "Nothing, I was just-" "I said, what do you mean by that."
All words left me from that moment. I remember it as if it just happened. The almighty lord had talked about Six and how he didn't like him. He said, "Michael will face the end of his stay here tomorrow. His sacrifice will reincarnate to a more powerful and holy angel named Raguel. As for him personally, he will be thrown to Earth." And I remember the horror I felt from his words, like a dark storm had surrounded me. Michael... that was his name. His name before he repressed everything he remembered about himself in Heaven. Now that I think about it, he introduced himself as Six to me when we met here on Earth. Even though we knew each other in the holy place above, that just tells me he wants nothing to do with Michael. He wants nothing to do with who he was back then. And God didn't care, he wanted more. He wanted power. He literally flooded this planet because of his creations not being good enough. He is the exact things he can't stand, a sin.
I exhaled deeply before speaking. "Do you remember when God said he planned for a bigger and better army?" The man nodded, the look of perplexity persisted. "Well," I stopped. How do I say this without breaking him? It's either now or never. 3...2...1... "He used you first. He created an angel right after throwing you from Heaven." Six's eyes widened. I felt my eyes droop. I never wanted this day to come. And frankly, I didn't think it would ever come. I watched him for a little until his broken voice softly let out a few words, "So that's why, hm?" I nervously nodded.
I didn't mean to do this to you. I never wanted this for you...
"Thank you." My eyebrows lifted and my lips barely parted. "W- Huh?" I spat out. He smiled, "Thank you, for telling me this. I wish you said it sooner, but I appreciate you being honest." My hand shook a little from the temptation to comfort him by rubbing his head, but I stood strong.
"It still doesn't answer my question," He added. "Do you ever get that feeling?" My heart raced from his inquiry. I thought for a second, then smirked. "Nope. Not even a little." He laughed, "Better to drink here than to participate in a hootenanny, right?" I elbowed him with a giggle, "Stop." My seriousness suddenly kicked in, "I can fathom what you mean to say, however. The comfort of seeming angelic or praise-worthy. But as special as you felt up there should be the way you feel down here. You have more freedom, more people to accompany you. This is the place where we can cause our own chaos with no one to stop us."
He smiled, "You're right... as always."