The Unheavenly Angel

Ch 2: The Queen and the Beggar

The back parking lot was mostly full when I drove in, but I managed to swerve into a spot with a few minutes to spare.

Students were still milling around outside the school, sitting on their cars or on the sidewalk as they tried to soak up the last few rays of the sun before class started. I dug out my backpack and quickly walked to the school, past other students who'd noticed my entrance.

"Great job, Emerson, you get a gold star for attendance today." It was Mary Fairbairn, a girl who looked like a movie's generic Queen Bee from a high school in California.

Her group of peasants snickered in response to her taunt. Heat flooded my cheeks. I suddenly realized how disheveled I must have looked, and my fingers went to try and straighten out my red hair tied back into a pony tail. I did my best to ignore them as I walked to the sidewalk and collapsed next to my friend Ryan.

"Rough morning?" he asked, not looking up from his phone.

"Very," I said.

"Did Panther throw a fit again?"

I smiled in spite of everything. When he spoke of Panther, it was usually in correlation to the demon attacks. Cats weren't as strange of a topic as demons, so it was a good cover. Ryan McCulley was the only one outside of Panther and Father Evered who knew of my issues with demons, because we had both been helped by the priest.

Before I came to Acker, he and his father, who'd lived alone since the death of Ryan's mother ten years ago, had been troubled by a poltergeist that haunted their home. Poltergeists are forms of demons capable of invisibility and enjoy pestering humans after finding a way into their houses. They usually aren't dangerous, but the one in the McCulley household had developed a fondness of throwing kitchen knives.

That was when Father Evered came knocking. A local Catholic parish priest, Father Evered's side job was touring the state to bless or exorcise anything or anyone in need. After his assistance, the McCulleys were happy to help him arm up against more dangerous creatures. They owned a shooting range and a firearm store with a huge selection of guns and military surplus like clothing, survival gear, and throwing knives.

I could remember three years ago when Father Evered first brought me to their shop. New to the world of paranormal, I was fearful of having to defend myself. The thought of holding a gun terrified me, and the shop owner taunted me for gazing at the walls of firearms in horror.

But Father Evered wasn't fond of guns either, they "rattled his bones too much" when they went off. He preferred throwing knives and eagerly showed me how he kept them hidden in his sleeves.

To learn how to throw them, I was directed to the shop owner's son, a stone-faced boy with a sturdy build who seemed to find talking both boring and unnecessary. Even now, despite being friends for years, I was lucky to have a full conversation with him.

"Panther bit me," I said in response to Ryan's question.

Ryan didn't react to the information. "Not uncommon for her. Though it's disappointing that you let her bite you."

"Yeah," I sighed. I was disappointed in myself too.

A grating, squealing noise came from the parking lot. I turned to see a rusted old truck attempting to park. It came within a centimeter of the car in front of it, then let out a groan as it finally came to a stop. It was like the first day of school all over again, but this time, instead of everyone making fun of the new kid's junker as he drove in, they watched with anticipation.

The truck door opened and out popped what looked like one of Zeus's illegitimate sons. His olive skin was tinted with the perfect summer tan, his chest and arms defined by the skin-tight shirt he wore. He ran his fingers through his dark hair as he waved at the swooning girls on the sidewalk. There was no denying he was much too attractive by Acker's standards.