Emerald

Chapter Six

(Warning: death threats)

COARSE KISSES

"What happened? Damien?" Phil asked, following Damien who was running down the hall like he'd seen a ghost. "Damien!"

Damien stopped, shuddering. "Phil..."

Phil caught up with his old friend, and clamped his hand around his shoulder. "My friend... what happened? You look petrified."

Damien looked over his shoulder, twisting his body to see Phil. Phil was surprised to see tears streaming down his face. His eyes looked almost as pink as Tobias's hair. "Damien? What happened?"

Damien sniffled, then turned to face away from Phil again. "If I say, you'll never trust me again."

Phil took his hand off Damien's shoulder. This was familiar. It would be better to leave the god to his thoughts. Phil hesitated turning and leaving, but after a long moment of harsh silence and deep breaths, Phil turned and walked out of the corridor, leaving Damien in the darkness and cold.

Phil couldn't leave the situation unknowing of what could have happened. He traveled across the courtyard and went to the corridor where Caixa's light was still on, his wings dragging behind his feet. They were huge and black, with feathers that created a black shadow on the ground when he would pass over the sun.

He realized he hadn't flown in 200 years. His days of flying had indeed flown away from him, ironically. He continued down the corridor and looked to Caixa's door, where light slowly spilled out from under the door. He sighed, and knocked.

"Caixa?" He said, his voice trembling through the door.

Caixa looked up from the tears on her pillow where she'd sobbed silently for what felt like hours, maybe even years. Recognizing the angel's voice, she scowled, and turned her head in the opposite direction of the door. Her clothes were still damp from the stasis machine, and she'd gotten her sheets damp as well from laying like a helpless dog on them for what seemed like the longest time.

She ignored Phil's second knock, and then after his third, took in a shaky, teary eyed breath and muttered: "Go away."

Phil stood on the other side of the door, listening to the worry, the sadness, the corrosion in her voice before turning and leaving.

Caixa looked out the window to see the angel crossing the courtyard, his attempts to talk to her dissipating with the tears in her eyes. She stood on the floor, and took off the damp articles of clothing. She switched into a different tunic, and put on some loose pants. She began searching the closet for a pair of socks, anything to keep her feet warm. She knelt to the floor and began searching behind the racks of clothing when she found a black leather case.

Caixa inhaled sharply. Taking the case out of the closet, she questioned its appearance. How had it gotten there? She opened the case tenderly. Under the coarse leather was a wooden violin, which looked like it hadn't been used ever. It was clean and shiny and was already in tune when Caixa gave it a strum. She took the bow from its place and lifted the violin into her hands.

After a moment of examining it, she put the instrument to her chin, and lifted the bow to the first note. She began to play a solemn tune, the same one which her mother taught her as a child. She imagined the cello that was supposed to be playing in the background, and sang the melody with the instrument with an emotion in her body, but none in her face.

The music sang sadness, but her face sang a noteless song, like a stone statue covered in rust. She refused to breathe while she played the song, only taking in a bit of oxygen here and there with a sharp breath, and she continued the song until she saw someone in the reflection of the window, standing near the door. She turned to see a head of pink hair and red eyes staring at her. He didn't stare at her the way he did in the training room. This was different. This was... sad.