The Way Across

Chapter 1

"Here is your script" the Angel said

"What script?" replied the man

"You have four bullet wounds, you will close your eyes, breathe calmly, hold your wound, look up, try to lie down slowly and I will take the pain away" the angel replied, "start now"

The man though confused but as if automatically closed his eyes, his breath started calming down, his hand moved slowly towards the wound on his stomach, he felt the warm wetness. He was supposed to look up now, this isn't how it's supposed to be, not now not like this he resisted. His ego, defiant, brimmed from his head as the rest of his body bled. It took hold I can make this right the thought echoed in the absence of all other emotions.

Defiance is a challenge, you don't know where you stand till you bring the challenge to a head.

He dropped his head down, and took some deep breaths. He had two bags in his hands, he was holding them so tight that his fingers were turning white. He tried to relax his fingers but his body rejected his commands. It was easier to hold the bags tight, it was somehow calming.

He turned his head around and saw the convenience store he just walked out of, a late night run to get milk. He couldn't remember why he was getting milk. He didn't drink milk, not since he was six. In one of his sleepover at that age an older brother of his friend made fun of him for still drinking milk. Aaron knew then that he had to stop. He always wanted to be associated more to the older boys than kids his age. Eliana, his wife, didn't drink milk either, though why she didn't he didn't know in the same detail as his own story.

Aaron drew the essence of life, a breath, the one thing he could still draw as all other bled. He opened his eyes, looked around, took deep heavy breaths. He saw a shadow running away, with one arm flaying awkwardly as if gripping on something. The weapon he was shot with.

The shadow of the man with the gun was disappearing in distance. Something about the way it was moving, it looked familiar, he wasn't sure though. He squinted trying to focus in the dark. It was hazy, his sight as well as his memory.

The man who shot him had snuck up on him in the parking lot, that much was clear to him. It happened so quickly, he was close to his car. He could see his car, it had a child seat in the back. Child seat he stared in confusion. Something was wrong, his head was spinning

"What are you doing, Aaron" he heard an urgent appeal from the angel, "there is still time just do as you are told"

Aaron turned a blank gaze towards the direction of the voice. He saw the angel in all his glory, opening a chasm in space. Light shooting from one end to the other, rupturing out of the chasm like a majestic fall powering through to the ground, as grand in its flow as it was terrifying in its magnitude.

The angel was now moving his irradiant fingers on to the rim of the chasm, making glistening pearls of light fall from its edges. It was making the fall calmer and slowing it down. The angel quickened his touch around the chasm as if tightening the opening, completely closing the fissure from where the flow of light had erupted. Now the chasm appeared as a serene aurora flickering mysteriously but perfectly contained within the chasm.

Aaron saw this with a wondrous awe. The display overpowered the pain of his wounds. The angel turned towards him, confused, and started walking towards him. Aaron's breathing quickened, but he stayed on his knees frozen.

Breathe... hold it, breathe... hold it all, breathe... hold it till you can, breathe...

He felt his shirt getting wet, the winter chill was seething in through the wholes and pinching on his open wounds, his hand moved lightly over one of them. He wanted to feel the truth of what was happening, to really understand this surreal moment he was caught in.