God's Gone AWOL

[2] Peace and Quiet (Ha, as if.)

2026.

Hazel had long since fallen asleep.

Amidst the various collectables and antiques nestled here and there around Atticus' living room, a great big grandfather clock stood silent and proud above all the rest. The hands on it's white face aimed upwards, indicating that it was just a little after midnight. Behind the glass, by the foot of the clock, the long brass pendulum swung to and fro in a sleepy, hypnotic rhythm. Constantly moving, but never changing.

To and fro...

Back and forth...

A deep ticking sound emanated from within the wood every time the pendulum swung. Quietly resonating throughout the entire room as if it were a heartbeat made of metal and wood. It gently marked each passing second, knowing that every moment, no matter how short, was vital and beautiful in its own right. A soft, constant tick.

Tick...

Tock...

To and fro...

Back and forth...

A beautiful moment of quiet, embraced by the comforting darkness of night. And then-

BAM!

"Stop trying to escape. It won't work!"

The door had been blasted open by a bolt of white light. Atticus dragged the bleeding, squealing demon over the threshold. That wondrous dark peace within the house was instantly thrown into disarray the moment the two entered. Bringing only chaos and ceaseless noise.

"What do you want from meeeee?" Bentley said, wailing pitifully.

"What do you think?" Atticus replied.

"I'm NOT going to let you drag me to Heaven! I'm not, I'm not, I'm not!"

"If I was planning on taking you to Heaven, you would be there already,"

Hazel had already been startled awake by the sound of the door opening. Beside her, Owen had been aimlessly scrolling through social media with a stupid expression on his face. Both of them looked up just in time to see their mutual friend carrying a limp, furious looking woman dressed in black into the room. They watched, bewildered, as he threw her down onto the other couch and started examining her from head to toe, never once looking away.

"Atti? What's going on?" Hazel asked.

"He's kidnapping me. That's what's going on!"

"Stop being dramatic," said Atticus, "I'm trying to heal you,"

Bentley's eyes were a blazing red, but she was still unable to move.

"I don't want your healing!" she said loudly,

If he was being perfectly honest with himself, Atticus had completely forgotten that the two humans were in his house to begin with. With all the mayhem of the earlier evening, seeing Bentley return from the dead, and witnessing a whole bunch of unsolicited and illegal violence, his current guests had simply slipped his mind. He had been planning on handling the whole Bentley affair on his own, but now that these two were roped in, maybe they could actually be of help.

"Hazel," he said calmly, "There's a black box on the shelf by the stairs. Could you please get it for me? We also need a pillow,"

The she-human nodded silently, her eyes round with shock and confusion. Then she ran out into the hallway without saying a single word.

"I'll get the pillow!" Owen disappeared from the room as well.

For once, it seemed like Owen's lack of intelligence was actually coming in handy. Instead of becoming distressed like his girlfriend, he was actually enthusiastic and ready to help. Sometimes Atticus wondered if Owen actually knew he was generally dumb, and had long since allowed himself to accept situations whilst knowing he may never understand them.