The Ascent

It's too cold where I'm at, no sunlight  filters through the cold iron bars that seal me within thischamber. My breath mists up around the air as I exhale. A small butterfly flutters past my iron window in a blur. I look back out of the window at the bottom of the ocean, and think back to that butterfly. How would it even survive down here? That was my thought just before my cage burst inward with a flash of dark light. 

The next time that I woke was when i slammed into the reef. The water cascaded around me foaming as it crashed against the jutting rocks. My body lay in a mangled heap, snagged on one of the rocks that jutted out. 

 I coughed and water came sloshing out. At least 6 of my ribs were broken, and one of them pierced through my skin looking bleached in the sun. I cringed my eyes as the immense pain registered. My golden blood flowed freely into the sea making it sparkle. 

The water looked beautiful with my ichor mixed in it. The fish that swam by began to glow as they started growing wings. My own wings were torn off feather by feather when I was thrown out of those magnificant pearly gates.

There was nothing else I could do but just lay there until someone took me back to land where life was thriving. Without that force of life I could not begin my healing. I hate using the life force of other beings, but sometimes it is necessary.

I grit my teeth against the pain as I slowly lift my head to see if any life exists around me. My eyes are greeted by the barren rocks that are devoid of any life. I sigh in defeat preparing myself to go through this eternal pain when I see a boat. 

There is a girl on top of it, and she's frantically waving her arms and shouting. I cannot hear her words, but I can read her lips. She came to try and save me, but her eyes told me that she thought I was not going to make it.

I grinned admist that pain as I knew what a surprise she was in for.

I relaxed my body, and the pain eased a bit. I began to prepare to absorb her life to begin my healing, but something was wrong. I couldn't reach that familiar power that welled deep within my very being.

I stared back down at my mangled body and realized that my ichor was slowly beginning to turn red. The color of blood. 

My mind began to race in a panic, blood meant that I was mortal, and the mortality meant that I was about to die. In that terror I recalled an old tale that one of my associates had told me. That there were certain humans, perhaps only one in the world, that their mere presence could destroy an angel.

This could not be true. I wished her away, for her to turn around and leave me so I could remain alive, but she kept coming. The boat seemed to go faster as if enjoying my demise. I began to feel more and more nauseated as the boat came closer and closer towards me.

There is nothing that would save me now.

________________________________________________________________________________

Smoke invaded my nostrils which caused me to cough and splutter. The last bits of sea water came up with it. There was something that tugged in the back of my mind, it was something important.

I had no more time to think as a face was forced into my view. I flinched in surprise at the sudden intrusion, and my reflexes probably would have caused me to punch my fist straight through that girl, but they failed to move at my command.

I looked at them, and what happened at the sea all came back to me. Then this was that mortal, that could take my life.

She slid her finger along her hair and flipped a strand of hair behind her ear. Then she opened her mouth and said "how are you still alive?"

That question struck me as being hilarious. I began to convulse with laughter, and blood burst out of my punctured throat, although I thought I saw a bit of gold mixed in.

She stared in horror as the blood rolled down my throat and pooled around my head. Then she quickly brought out a clump of moth and pressed it down over my wound.

"Just stay still, and don't try to get up." She said as she turned and moved towards the door.

If this was that mortal...

"Stay with me" I whispered.

"What?" She whirled around as I spoke.

And I whispered it one more time, "stay with me."

She turned back towards me and sat on the edge of the bed. "Don't worry, I wont go anywhere, so just go to sleep." She said this in a soothing tone as if she were addressing a wounded animal. I could see genuine concern in her eyes as she gazed down at my ravaged body. I simple stared at her, and she began to sing.

Her song was lulling, the melody rang sweetly in my ears, and her voice was soothing. I found myself dozing off, lulled to sleep by this peculiar girl.

When I came to, she was nowhere around, and my body was fully repaired.

I needed my wings, and this girl in order to ascend back into heaven. I needed a plan that could make this girl completely loyal to me. I thought about what makes humans loyal beyond reason, and the only thing that came to mind, was love.

Now humans, couldn't truly love, it was only a thing that the LORD could accomplish. 

But there was human love, a love that was a mistaken conception based on true love. I could easily recreate this image of love in my situation.

While I was deeply emerged in thought, the girl had walked back in. She didn't seem too surprised by the way I was fully healed. She came towards me holding a basket full of something that I couldn't see. 

She reached into the basket and pulled out one of the fruits before saying " here, eat this."

"Aren't you surprised by how quickly I healed?" I said while eyeing the fruit.

"No, when I first set you down on that bed, and went to get the moss your body had already been realigned."

"Yet you aren't scared of me?"

"Why would I be? God has obviously blessed you with good health."

"Why would God have fated us to meet?"

She actually blushed before replying. "Here, I'll just set this here, be sure to eat it."

She lowered her head to try and hide the blushing before beginning to move towards the door.

"Wait," I called out, "I don't know your name yet."

"My name is Annelise."

"Mine is Gaberel, and I am thankful to you."

"Gaberel. . ." she whispered the name, and my heart began to beat in my chest.

My eyes widened in surprise, and my chest beat harder, so hard that it hurt. I clenched a fist over the area, and Annelise came running to my side.

Her fingers brushed my arm, and my heart went crazy, "I love you." These words faintly escaped my lips by themselves. She looked at me in shock before replying, "I love you." We had both confessed our love, and I was astonished that I had meant what I said.

What had started out as a plan to gain her undying loyalty, had backfired and caused me to fall for Annelise. In that instant, she had become to sole purpose in life. That wasn't the best part, her eyes reflected those same feelings towards me.

That same butterfly fluttered past, and I gave it no notice as I leaned in to kiss Annelise.