A Moonlit Sky and the Sounds of Gunshots

A Late Love's Revelation

(Mini chapter)

Atlantis's point of view

In spite of the part of me that just wanted to go to sleep, I stood up from the bed. I pulled on a shirt and got the door, rubbing my eyes to wake myself up. I could only see the man in front of me from chest down, I had to look up to identify who it was. I immediately recognized who it was. It was Tavern. He looked distraught, almost broken.

"Atlantis..." He said, his voice quite quiet.

"What do you want," I said, having fully woken up.

"Atlantis I'm so sorry about the way I treated you- the way I've been treating you, I really am. I've been trying to make you let me go... or- or push me away because of the person I've become, when I should've just spoken to you," He spoke, my heart rate quickened the more I looked at his sorry face, and his guilt-ridden expression. He reached out to take my hands, "I'm sorry-"

I quickly pulled away, cutting him off, "don't touch me," I said, my voice calm, yet cold. That's how I felt at that moment. Cold. Maybe it was the fan that I had on full blast, or maybe it was the growing fear making my heart pound out of my chest. I spoke up, "You've lost the right... to touch me."

"Atlantis, you know that I never meant to hurt you," he said softly.

"Oh, but you did. I'm sure what you're feeling right now is brutal, Tavern, but I don't pity you. Actually, I don't give a rat's ass about how you feel regarding the situation, because the fact of the matter is, there's no taking back what you've done. You've given me damage I don't think I'll ever recover from," I said. His eyes widened a little more at that as he averted eye contact. I took a breath before speaking again.

"I sacrificed so much for you. My wings... my eye... my stability- I put my physical and mental health on the line just to keep you safe, yet you never cared about me!" I shouted.

"Never cared about you? That's not true Atlantis, I–" he sighed, "I would've never done the things I did to you if I were in my right mind. I'm hardly even in my right mind right now! I got into an argument with Timothy, I sold my guitar, I cut my hair! I really am sorry though, Atlantis, you didn't deserve anything I put you through. You don't even have to forgive me, I'm just... so sorry."

Part of me in that moment just wanted to hug him and forgive him ten times over, say everything was okay and we could go back to how everything used to be, but I couldn't. It wasn't okay! Nothing he did to me was okay... I shook the thoughts out of my head and then spoke.

"...You could've just told me that I wasn't enough for you, instead of just going off and finding what was more," I muttered, stifling a sob as tears welled up in my eyes, making it hard to see.

"Is that what this is about? Timothy? Atlantis, it's not that you weren't enough!" He sighed, chuckling a little, "You were too much for me, especially back then. Was that seriously what you've been thinking? Damn man... I really can't express how sorry I am."

I was shocked at the words he'd spoken. I then mumbled, "Yeah...It's.. It's alright." I rubbed my eyes, surpressing any tears for a bit, "I just don't think things could ever go back to how they were before. Sorry," I shifted my footing. He nodded, his expression solemn, yet understanding.

He nodded, "I understand. Thank you.. For your forgiveness. I don't deserve it," he chuckled lightly, but with a sad undertone, "I'm in town for the weekend, though, if you need any help getting around."

"I'm doing pretty well on my own, but I'll keep it in mind," I nodded. He nodded again slightly in return before turning to leave.

"I'm out of here," he stretched, yawning, "Thanks for talkin' with me Atty."

"It's Atlantis, and... whatever. Be safe," I mumbled as he left, as if it were all I could muster. As he left my hotel roof I closed the door behind him. As the door closed the tears started to flow. So that was it... It was over... I smiled a little, a sense of closure taking over me.

Closure...

I took out the paper Lucifer had given me just a few days before. I picked up a pen to cross out closure on the list, but I didn't even need to, the paper magically crossed it out. I sniffled and wiped my tears, my smile only widening. I flopped onto the bed. I then needed to find my passion and get a hold of my life. One step closer to completing the puzzle that was my life. I needed a little rest first though. I got comfortable on the bed and my eyes started getting heavier. The arms I had firmly wrapped around my pillow went slack as I fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes I was roaming the halls of some empty museum exhibit. It was peaceful at first, until I looked over and saw a man walking next to me. I didn't know who it was, and the persons face was too high up for my view. I tried to look up but I couldn't. I think being that out of control subconsciously scared me. I tried to just look forward when I heard a rumbling coming from behind me. I quickly looked behind me and a black wave washed over everything around.

When the pitch black darkness passed I ended up in that same alley as always. I knew what that meant. I braced myself for a sudden and frightful death and in seconds a ring of fire formed around me, slowly closing in on me. Not any fire, either. Lucifer's fire. I squeezed my eyes shut as the fire swallowed me, giving in to what would be my death. My dream death, obviously. I flinched awake, inhaling sharply.

"Never gets easier," I sighed, catching my breath.

It was about four in the morning so I rolled over, trying and failing to fall back asleep.

I got up the moment the sun rose, I took a shower and got ready.

I didn't do much that day, I worked on a few songs and got my hair dyed a little. I dyed the tips of my hair blue. I knew I needed some kind of change.

The day after that would be the day everything really changed though.

That was the day that I would get a life!