Angels Redemption

Chapter four: Disaster

(Iris's pov)
There's yelling and screaming going on right now. John had just proposed to my mom and then my father completely lost his cool and went crazy. John and him are in a heated argument and I'm secretly hoping John wins. "David!" Mom howls, "get out. Now!" Dad tares himself away from John and snarls at mom, "this isn't over. I will not allow you to marry him. I still love you Moria." Mom looks at dad sadly and says sombrely, "David we are done. You chose to leave us ten years ago, I waited for you and I realized you weren't worth waiting for. I have moved on. I love someone else. I do not love you anymore." Dad stays quiet after that. He swallows deeply and quickly and says, " I didn't picture our family reunion to be this crazy. I hadn't pictured it to be this sad." This time Thomas speaks up, "did you even picture a family reunion dad? Or are you just saying this?" He asked him quietly.

Dad looks at Thomas, mom, John, and then he pivots to me. "Iris... I know I haven't been around for many years of your life and I'm sorry. I really am. I wanted to come back but I was so messed up, I wasn't able to be a proper dad or husband to you guys and I left. I want a second chance to make things right between this family again, we all deserve second chances. Why don't I?" I look at my father and I walk to him, I stop arms length away, grasp his face in my hands, and murmur softly, " you do deserve a second chance. You deserve a chance to prove yourself. But we waited for you. You never came back to us. You lost that chance to prove yourself to us a long time ago. I think it's better to start new with some one else. That's what we've had to do. We can still be here for you but I think you have lost the title of being called dad to us anyway. I hope you can find someone else to start new with. And if you do; do me a favour, don't leave this one behind." My father looks me in the eyes with tears and hugs me tightly. " I'm so sorry" he whispers to me. He kisses mom goodbye and then ruffles Thomas's hair before slipping through the door in utter silence. I look at where he stood in front of me and as everyone retreats to their room I whisper in the dead silence of the hall
"So am I"
***
It's been a month since my father showed up on my door step and ruined everything. It's also been another month that I haven't seen Rafael. God... The days are just passing by too slowly. Shuffling up to my room I settle on my bed and stare at my ceiling. Looking at where my flower vase is (it's currently empty, the rose Raf gave me died) I see his letter there. My heart aches from not seeing him, or talking to him, or just hearing his voice in so many months. It's horrible but I know that if I take it day by day I'll get through it. If I take it slowly, one second at a time, eventually I'll get to that finish line. Grabbing his letter I open it and read the words that await me for the 12th time.

(Damen's pov)
Anger. Fear. Hatred. Lonliness. These emotions rage through me as I run. What am I running from though? I look over my shoulder and see nothing but trees, darkness and silence. I stop running gulping for air. Then I hear it. The padding of feet hitting the ground like distant thunder, the breathing of the beast like a vicious wind, the absolutely silence of fear twinkling like stars. I turn this way and that trying to detect where it's coming from, no luck.
SNAP
My heart lodges itself in my throat. I turn slowly when I hear the vicious, hissing voice behind me say, "welcome Damen. I have been expecting you." I swallow and hold my chin up, feigning courage. The creature laughs, "I can smell your fear, you vile creature. Don't try to hide it. Don't try to run either." I sigh and look in this creatures dark, obsidian, eyes. It's like looking at melted coal and midnight. It's breath tickles my ears and I feel it run a razor sharp claw along my back and throat. I go rigid immediately. "W-what do you want from me ?" I ask. My voice cracking on the way out. It's guttural hiss whispers in my ear, " I want you to die" fear resonates in my soul. I turn to run when I'm knocked onto my face. I turn around just as I see it raise its sharpened claws, and then...

I wake up gasping for air and shiver with sweat drenched fear. What. The. Hell? These dreams have been occurring more and more lately. What does it mean? I sit up on my jail cell cot. Running my hands through my hair, I shake off the feeling of being watched and frightened, lay back down and try to sleep. But sleep evades me. Closing my eyes only lets me know that; that creature will be lurking in the darkness behind my eyelids, waiting to kill me, to rip me to pieces, to drink my blood. I don't feel like walking into that trap again. Sighing, I sit up and pace my jail floor. I walk 1 round, then 2,3,4 until my legs ache from not being used in so many hours. My leg muscles still riddled with sleep, protest at every turn I take. Letting my legs win out, I slump to the cool floor of the cell and stay there. Maybe it's this prison that's driving me insane? Maybe it's the way I have been living for so many months? I don't know but I need to get out! Shivering with barely controlled anger, I lift up my head and look to the dawning day with eyes that gleam with promises of pain and destruction. An evil laugh bubbles to my lips, and I cackle until dawn turns to day.
***
CRACK!
This is what I'm hearing right now as we are all escorted into a court yard where a pole is held for beatings. We are asked to be put in single lines and watch as our comrade is whipped over and over again. Disgust rises in my throat.
"Listen you swines. This is what happens to those who disobey our rules, who try to escape, and who disrespect our kindness" the guard shouts at us, while pointing a sausage finger at the poor criminal. "20 lashes should suffice, should it not?" Everyone mumbles their reply and he screams "SHOULD IT NOT?!!" We all nod our head in fear. Man people here are crazy! Shuffling on our feet nervously we are forced to watch as the whip slashes into his skin. Tearing away at the flesh, muscle and bone, layer by layer. Half the man look down and I want to close my eyes. This is an absolute disaster.

Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
I swallow again, and this time I meet the mans eyes. I want him to hold on, but the devil part of me, the evil, death savouring part wants him to feel pain. Wants the whole world to feel the wrath of pain and blood. So I look away. We wait until his screams stop, and turn to sobs, until he lay barely conscious by the pole. Only then do his lashings stop. Only then are we aloud back inside. As all the men walk back in, and the comrade is taken back to the healers, then his cell. I stay back. I watch as the sky of the late afternoon turns to inky colours of dusk. I turn and look back to the jail, sighing I walk back to my home. The only smell, and sound left to be heard is the almost silent trickling of blood as it digs it's sticky fingers into the earth, promising to seal our fates.