Indigo Shadow - Hemlock

Chapter 3

Hemlock could feel himself deteriorating, but this time he wasn't frightened. It was gentle and dark; feeling his flesh being stripped from him, and he could see multicolored pulses of light coming from the clouds that were all around him. He was diving through the sky, like a meteorite. Ebony and indigo colored wings sprouted from his back and his eyesight was so crisp, he was able to see everything. It was like he could switch his sight from thermal, to ultraviolet, night vision, and telescopic. Where had he fallen from? It definitely wasn't heaven. But something was wrong; he could feel it in the back of his mind. Then he saw it; an infernal hand grabbed one of his wings and pulled... no, not pulled, ripped it out. He yelled out in pain, feeling hot blood drip down his torso. He went spiraling down towards the cosmos, stars hurtling past him.

Hemlock looked behind his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of his attacker. It was the Shadow of Death. Its thin corpse-like hand reached towards Hemlock's face, stroking his cheek in a gentle manner. Hemlock felt rage against this Darkness, and grabbed at its hand, holding its wrist tightly. But soon, a sizzling burn came from Hemlock's palm. Holding down a cry of agony, he let go. Staring at his hand, Hemlock saw that the dark angel's icy skin had given him frostbite.

"Please... leave me alone!" Hemlock screamed in fury. Tears from the wind, as the two spiraled through space, stung his eyes.

"Without me, you would never be able to survive. I brought you into this world..." It growled, its voice barely audible. And with that, it reached right through Hemlock's chest, as if he was air, grabbed Hemlock's other wing, and tore it. Droplets of crimson flew all around them, his open wound becoming a gush of blood. "And I can take you out of it," they whispered, and flew off, leaving Hemlock falling towards his death.

Hemlock closed his eyes, waiting for the painful impact that would end his life... but almost as soon as he closed his eyes, he stopped dead in midair. Hemlock opened his eyes just a crack and saw that he was hovering inches above a snow-covered forest floor. A deep red aura was cradling him, making sure he hadn't fallen onto the cold hard ground. It felt like the hand of a friend... but then he was dropped face first into the snow. Its white wetness was refreshing, but it soon became painful as Hemlock sat up, the blood dripping from his back and staining the pure frost that surrounded him. His ears started to ring in the silence of the woods. Above his head, beautiful auroras and an endless starry sky covered the night. Echoing voices seemed to bounce off of tree trunks; but they were distant.

"Help! Someone! Can anyone hear me?" He stood up, his naked body shaking from the cold. The breeze was smooth, but oddly comforting. The trees started to sway, and the branches creaked under the weight of the snow. Suddenly, a loud snap made him turn, and he saw something running through the woods, almost like it was dancing. He didn't feel fear, only curiosity.

"Hello? Wait! Come back! Please..." Hemlock called out, stumbling in the direction of the movement. "Help me..." He whispered. Then his eyes widened in shock as he fully saw what was traveling through the woods. It was a young person, but he couldn't see their face, only their long, flowing blue hair. He walked quickly, trying to catch up to them but they always seemed too far. "Can you hear me?" he called again, trying to get their attention. They were totally oblivious to his presence. Then they stopped dead in their tracks, their face turning to the sky... but he still couldn't see their features, yet they seemed ageless.

"Hello?" he asked again, stepping so close to them that he could see that there was a soft ethereal glow coming from their body. Then, as they turned to face him, a wind picked up, blowing their soft blue hair about their face.