DEATHLESS

Pomegranates

The flap of wings was quick and so was the air against Aaron's skin as his vision blurred. The quick strike made him lose consciousness, which came in like flooding waves. Two sets of sharp teeth glinted in the light and a hand grasped his shirt before letting go. Aaron felt the wind before he felt the jagged edge of the mountain. The first blow was the worst. He slid and rolled across the steep incline over trees and rocks. His head pulsed and shook from the altitude change and the sudden freefall. His mind was flung into a dream as his back cracked against the ground.

Aaron found himself in an empty void atop a floating rock. The old man Ambrose was meditating on the other side.

"Hello?!" Aaron shouted against the emptiness around him.

Ambroses' eyes shot open and a line of spit dripped from his chin. "It's her fault."

He screamed, "It's all her fault!"

"Who's fault?" Aaron asked, thinking of Violet.

"The girl with the daggers!" He said his eyes now red with veins.

Aaron sighed. Ambrose stood up and his head began to grow fleshy spikes.

"You know it's her fault. She should have died, not you," he said, putting his bony hand on Aaron's shoulder.

"No!" Aaron shouted now realizing that this was not the real Ambrose.

His face contorted into what looked like a komodo dragon, his tongue licking the air every few seconds.

"It's true Aaron, you know it's true," He said with such feined empathy that Aaron almost believed him.

"She's tied to you for a reason, it's too bad the male half has no vigor let alone rage," he said with a hint of true honesty.

He began to loom over Aaron like a shadow growing at noonday. "What would you say to her?"

Aaron trembled as the man laid his hand across the ground and an image of Violet appeared.

He laughed, "I hate you is what you want to say," I can feel it. He smiled so wide it looked painful.

"My child, I present an offering," he said, waving his hand again.

Violet's mangled corpse appeared on the ground.

"I...I...I don't want that!"

"I had to offerrr," he hissed.

"Don't tell daddy," A fake, robotic, little boy's voice called out behind him. Aaron turned terrified towards the sound. He turned back to face the devil who was now melting in a pile of fleshy goo.

"Daddy already knowssssss," he said, his mangled face looking up at the sky with entrancement and disgust.

"Drink this," Aaron felt a cup to his lips and spat it out.

"I promise it will help."

Aaron drank, exhausted, and most of all thirsty. The concoction was bitter but still somehow nourishing.

Aaron opened his eyes and saw blood from his spit in the mug. His head pulsed, but seeing an angel with pale skin and shackles didn't help with his confusion and emptiness.

"I know why you're here. It happened before, as if it never happened at all."

Aaron glared at him, "What the hell does that mean?"

The angel sighed, "I ended the world," He paused for a moment, "Well, I caused it at least, with a few others."

"That literally answers nothing."