[The Angel Genocide]
No matter how loud Joseph Moreau screamed, the familiar voices that drummed quietly in his mind refused to cease. Such horrid voices that crackled like the burning pits of hell and could only belong to the most monstrous demon-like creatures in existence.
They could easily drive one to complete insanity. It's as if they knew everything about him. What would make him cry, what would make him scream, what would make him begin to resent every moment he was alive. It's only suiting they know so much about the screaming boy, they have been around longer than his memory can reach (which is not very long.) If he couldn't hide it so well he would be in a straitjacket, spending his days in an asylum.
Sanity is over rated anyway.
A loud knocking noise sent his mind back to retrieve. A man from a neighbouring apartment was banging on his door in desperate pleas to shut him up. For his feelings of Joseph (only known as the screaming boy next door,) has quickly changed from pity to anger and a deep resentment.
Of course the man resents Joseph; his own adoptive mother Annabella resents him. For his seventeenth birthday she had moved him to this apartment. She had told him the apartment was so he could have more privacy. But he knew it was simply to escape from his constant screams of terror. Naturally she bought him the best penthouse apartment available, with thick fluffy carpets that made you feel as if you were sinking into it and large rooms with excessively expensive furniture. But Joseph never preferred anything fancy, he'd much rather live somewhere simple with nothing more than a bed and milk crates as furnishing. Anything more just gets trashed.
It doesn't matter anyway he will get thrown out of this apartment if these night... and day terrors continue. Terrors that leave him hunched over, trembeling with fear..
They think he’s insane, which he must be, he never really felt insane. He always thought insanity would be different. This is like someone is following him, always finds him and gets personal pleasure out of causing him inner pain.
--
Releasing himself from the vice like hold of his tangled sheet, Joseph rose from the large bed. Evidence of the nightmares was apparent around him, nightstands tipped over, bottles of various sleeping aids spilling across the floor, blankets and pillows thrown around from an entire night of tossing and turning.
Slowly Joseph began to gingerly step through the mess towards the en-suite bathroom.
Turning the brass knob a cool stream of water instantly began to flow, filling the small sink then quickly fleeting down the drain. Drinking straight from the tap Joseph attempted to wash the taste of terror from his mouth. He straightened up, his gaze landing on the boy standing in the mirror before him.
His ravaged state was apparent in his reflection. His black hair, in desperate need of a cut, hung in thick strips framing his wide tired blue eyes. He has lost quite a bit of weight; he noticed distantly, he was becoming very scrawny and gawky. He wasn’t remotely muscular or even healthy looking. But still, the girls he had met on the bus or around his school seem to always finding excuses to touch him or play with his hair. He has never cared they're pretty, but like a painting..
Besides if he ever does get close to someone they will just learn resent him, just like everyone else. He will never be loved, and maybe it is better that way.. The only people Joseph has ever really loved and has been loved by was his mother and father, but they-
"BRING, BRING, BRING!" The piercing scream of a telephone interrupted his thoughts.
"Who could be calling at this hour?" Joseph mumbled running to the retro red rotary dial phone in the hall. "Hello?"
"Hello Joseph? I'm so glad you’re up," echoed the voice of his adoptive mother Annabella.
"Barely," he yawned. "So Annie what's up?" Joseph asked attempting to keep the terror and loneliness out of his voice. She didn't sound convinced.
"Are you okay?" She questioned, seeing right through his attempts of composure.
"I'm fine, really!" He quickly assured her, she still didn't sound convinced.
"I'm coming over." Annabella ordered, he voice full of worry.
"No you shouldn't be out so late." Joseph quickly stammered. "I'll take the three o'clock bus and come over to you!" His entire apartment was a wreck from his last thrashing nightmare, seeing it like that would only worry her further.
"Fine," she sighed and reluctantly clicked end.
Annabella always knew a little about the nightmares, but Joseph managed to convince her not to send him to a hospital just yet. That he has been experiencing PTSD and that he is starting to feel better. But she still managed to get him on a prescription of Prazosin without a visit to the doctor.
Doesn’t do anything, but Annabella doesn’t need to know that.
--
As Joseph left for Annabella's house he was greeted by the rhythmic tapping of the rain. Relaxing his mind and erasing all the stress he was previously feeling, a warm calmness spread through the previously distressed boy. He allowed his mind to wander during the short walk to a bus stop.
Despite the late of night the street was alive with movements.
Everywhere Joseph looked there was a flicker of some unseen critter running by or crowds of people taking solace in the cascades of water. Pools of liquids formed in large pools on the alleyway floor only to be disturbed by a rushing car or some running couple.
--
By the time Joseph reached the bus stop his clothing was completely soaked through. Making his plain white shirt almost transparent, and his jeans droopy and saggy. Annabella would certainly be disappointed; she always liked things well-kept and perfect.
--
He was right; when the dripping boy finally arrived Annabella's welcoming smile was replaced with a fierce scowl. Her strawberry blond hair glowed under the porch light as she waited for him to enter. Annabella had frizzy hair with bits of gray that gave her an elderly look. She had a round chubby face with eyes that changed according to her mood. Right now they are gray like the rushing rapids of a river; normally they are blue like the calm waters of an ocean.
"Get inside!" Annabella ordered with an unusual fierceness to her tone, a burning curiosity spread through Joseph as he followed Annabella inside.
The confused boy entered to find a man who obviously wasn't there when she called.
"Hello Joseph," the man said politely, and Joseph stopped dead in his tracks. It didn't have the obvious hiss of hatred, it even sound quite calm. But he knew that voice; it was the voice that haunted his mind, that voice that had him waking up screaming every night. The monster that Joseph wished he would never meet was there, sitting in his living room.
The man was quite handsome; he had a welcoming smile with deep brown eyes and graying hair. He looked like the type of man you would find at a child's soccer game, cheering the team on. The type of man you would ask for help from without worry that he would harm you. But the voice that left his mouth obviously didn't belong to the man. It was quick and harsh; if a snake could talk that would be the snake's voice.
Joseph heard with voice a thousand times amongst the nightmares and day terrors that haunted his mind. But he couldn't fathom how the voice managed to escape from his mind, or why it was coming from a man it most defiantly didn't belong to. But no matter the amount of impossibilities Joseph examined in those few short seconds, he did not want to see what this voice wanted with him.
He turned to bolt out of the door to find Annabella firmly pressed against his only exit, a mask of hatred hovered upon her face. Waves of confusion washed through Joseph as he stared into his supportive, loving, beautiful, adoptive mother's hate filled eyes.
“Annie?”
To that a smirk stained her lips and they whispered the two simple, "Not me." She thrusted her fist forward, causing an agonizing blow to his midsection.
Joseph was sent flying backwards into Annabella's antic end table and vase.
Besides the fact that Annabella couldn't harm a fly, Joseph's real adopted mother would be grieving deeply over the expensive vase and table. But instead she just stared icily down at him.
Joseph didn't fully understand how or why, but it became very clear to him that the woman who stood before with was not Annabella.
"Joseph would you please sit," the man said calmly. Gesturing his hand to three yellow overstuffed armchairs that sat in the corner of the massive living room. The man himself was sitting in a very large scarlet chair positioned to face the other seating and the large television. Joseph had trouble seeing this as the same chair Annabella always curled in, snuggling with one of her many cats and reading a book, or watching TV.
The man sighed. "Joseph let’s not be difficult, I think we should talk."
When Joseph didn't respond again, Annabella (the Impostor) grabbed Joseph by his hair and dragged him to the chairs, with a strength that would seem impossible to come from such a small figure.
He could feel warm tears stream down his cheeks, but he refused to allow himself to cry out in pain.
Not giving either person eye contact, Joseph sat in the chair hunched over. "Joseph look at me." The man commanded.
This time he obeyed, he stared into the man’s eyes with the fiercest expression he could muster and eventually whispered. "Where is Annabella?" To Joseph's satisfaction it turned out pretty strong, almost enforcing.
The man let out a heavy sigh. "It's such a pity, she was a good woman."
It took Joseph a few seconds to register what was being said. "You mean... S-she's...” He paused unable to finish his sentence.
"Yes she is dead." The man said, finishing his sentence for him. "A true pity, but this could be a blessing in disguise, with that Annabella dead I'm sure you will be looking for a guardian."
"W-wait... did you... Did you kill her?"
"Listen Joseph, sometimes sacrifices have to be made to-."
"You killed an innocent woman and you think you can adopt me!!" Joseph's voice began to rise to a scream. "The police would never allow that, you're going to jail!"
The man began to laugh deeply, as if Joseph told a humorous joke instead of informing him of his apparent future. "Silly, silly boy, you don't really know anything don't you? Humans can play leader all they want, but they are as easy to control as a kitten with a laser pointer."
He sounded as if he was saying something one would learn in the early years of childhood, but as he spoke on Joseph only grew more confused. Maybe the man was mad?
"When your parents died it was far too easy to make it look like a suicide, I can do the same to Annabella's body."
“My parents did commit suicide! That’s why t-they... They were religious fanatics! Insane, just like you!” Joseph suddenly shouted at the man, he could see a flicker of annoyance in his eyes.
"What your parents gave you was a blessing, they gave you something no regular human nor could men of the sky bear. I don't know how exactly you were able to survive the ritual, but look twelve years later you’re still alive! Don't you understand Joseph, with the power you have we can both become gods! Everyone will kneel down to us!" The man spoke with triumph, like he has already won a battle he was been fighting for years. He spoke like he was part of his own master race, well more like master species. He was most definitely mad.
"So...” Joseph began slowly. "These people of the sky what are they... aliens?" He asked allowing every ounce of cold sarcasm he could muster drip through his voice.
"No," the man replied, looking a little annoyed. "They are stupid, stupid creatures that worship a false god and waste their powers protecting those who only ruin the world they inhabit. So they must be exterminated, leaving room for a better species."
"You’re insane!" He sputtered. "Whatever is going on in your head, whatever you are talking about is not real!"
"Come on Joseph don't be so naive, you know there are things in this world, things that can't be explained, magical things."
"You're crazy!"
Are they..? Joseph couldn't help but ask himself, he couldn't deny it. He had heard that voice before, urging him screaming at Joseph to come to him...
Or we are both insane. He thought finally.
"I have heard your voice before haven't I? In my head."
The man looked delighted by this question. “You heard me!" He squealed. "For the longest time I thought I was talking to air. I thought they put on the seal before I got to you, I never gave up though!"
The man's smile disappeared. "You never came." He sounded disappointed, like Joseph had missed an important date that he had promised to attend. "I have been calling you for years and you never came, I had to find you."
Whatever this man was he was most defiantly not human. "What are you?" Joseph asked eventually. "I'm going to guess you are not those 'people of the sky'" He could feel the corners of his mouth rise. "And you’re not human, so what fictional character are you, Werewolf, Vampire-- Mole Person?”
"I assure you Joseph this is not a joke, what am I? I am not the child of a false god. I see the world as it could be, I believe in my true purpose and with you Joseph, I can fulfill that purpose."
"What is that purpose?" Joseph asked, but he could already tell what the man was going to say.
"My purpose is to rid the world of those who don't deserve the pleasure of it, they were given this world and what do they do in return? Wars, Genocide, Murder! Stupid disgusting creatures! The humans had a chance on this world, without them this world will be pure!"
"That is murder! You would be doing the exact things you claim you are trying to stop!"
"You may call it murder Joseph that is your human instincts, but that is what it takes! I will train you not to think like a human. One day you will see the difference."
You will see sacrifices have to be made for my greater purpose! Notice how quickly you forgot about that silly human, thinking only of yourself. We are the same."
"There is no difference! You.. You killed Annabella! You are a murder!" A dark shapeless anger built up inside Joseph. "I am not like you, I am not a murderer. I loved her!! Whatever you think I am, whatever you think you are. You’re just insane, sick and twisted!!"
“Do you know how quickly she gave her life for you? She died trying to protect you! And you don’t even care for her do you?”
“SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!!” Joseph howled.
An excruciating pain shot up Joseph's back. His first thought was that Annabella's impostor had stabbed him in the back with a knife she somehow obtained. But he could clearly see her still standing by the door, her eyes widened in terror. His vision grew blurry and the world spun around him, Joseph felt as if he was about to faint.
"Joseph?" The man called to him, disbelief in his voice. He called Joseph's name again, his voice growing muffled. The ground flew towards him before the world went black.
--
Joseph awoke to the distant sound of sirens, feathers the color of ink littered the floor. When he tried to sit up an agonizing pain shot through him and he fainted to the image of the door being kicked down by the police.