Immolation Ex: The Knower (COMPLETED)

Chapter XXIV

Angel flashed into a dark room and tripped over a large box, falling face-first onto a rather familiar bed...her bed at home. "What the hell?"

The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps and a muffled but excited voice emanated from the hall of the small, ranch-style house. "Who's in there?"

Angel rolled off the bed and slid underneath the object as her old bedroom's door flung open and the light flashed on, illuminating a pink and purple painted room filled with boy-band posters and cheerleading trophies. She could now see several cardboard boxes lying haphazardly around the floor of her room.

"Is there someone in here? Show yourself...I'm armed and will use this here thing on your sorry ass!"

Angel winced, recognizing the frightened voice of her mother, Carol, and understood that the fear-laced words were no real indicator of the woman's capabilities. She understood fully her mother could and would use the firearm. Carol had bought the small .38 to protect herself and her daughter from Angel's violent father when they were going through their divorce, even taking classes to learn how to use the small handgun and she did, one time. Thankfully, the man she shot in self-defense, her ex-husband, Angel's father, was now serving time in prison for assault.  Now, Carol was expertly sweeping the weapon around the room, searching for an intruder.

"I know someone is in here, damn you!"

"Mom?" Angel said softly, closing her eyes, her body tense and waiting for a verbal response. "It's me."

"Okay, you sick scumbag, come on out! My daughter's dead and that ain't funny in the least!"

"It's me, for real," Angel said, slowly sliding from under the bed. "I'm gonna stand up, so, please don't shoot, mama. I know you know how to use that .38. So, does dad."

"How did you know that and why would you call that asshole, dad?"

Angel slowly stood with her hands raised.

"You are not my daughter, missy! I don't who you are, but you ain't her! She was killed in a car crash!"

Angel examined the exhausted, terse face; faded rivers of mascara evident on the woman's cheeks. "I'm sorry you're hurtin' so bad, mom."

"What's wrong with you? Are you sick or something, lady? I have half-a-mind to pop you right here just for messin' with me like this!" Carol fumbled slightly with the pistol in her shaky hands in an attempt to strengthen her control over the weapon. She glanced down at it.

Angel, concerned she might accidentally be shot, flashed forward and disarmed her mother before she looked up.

"How did you do that!?!!"

"Sorry mom, I can't really explain it and I know you wouldn't believe me, anyways. Honestly, I can barely wrap my head around any of what's happened to me so far, myself," Angel replied and pointed the pistol toward the familiar purple carpet.

Carol suddenly sank to the floor and began crying. "Look, I don't know who you are or what you want, but if you are going to shoot me, just do it and put me out of my misery...I have nothing left that's worth anything to me anymore."

"Oh, mama! I would never shoot you and you cannot die right now!" Angel exclaimed and emptied the pistol's rounds from the weapon, letting the bullets fall one-by-oneto the floor. She knelt down on the carpet, her tear-filled eyes focused on her mom.

"Please," the quivering voice said. "Stop callin' me that. I'm nobody's momma now."

"No, please don't say that! I'm right here, mom, even if you don't believe me, and I need to say something to you before I leave," Angel said as tears began streaming down her cheeks. She desperately wanted to hold her mother, but opted to move a little closer to the distraught woman in front of her and hold her hands.