Journey Through Emotion: An Angels of Death Fanfiction

Chapter 1: Leaving the Window

As Zack and Rachel descended from the hospital window, they were surrounded by the warm, crisp air they'd been captive from for so long. Ray stood for a moment letting the breeze engulf her. She couldn't remember being outside since before she had been trapped in that awful place almost two years ago. 

Her nostalgia was abruptly interrupted as Zack whisked her towards the thick brush before anyone could spot them. They made their way cautiously, as not to alert anyone of their location. Ray's feet began to hurt as she stepped on thorns and rough foliage, yet she remained quiet until she knew they were safe. 

For what seemed like hours, they foraged deeper and deeper into the forest until they could no longer hear the screeching of police sirens. It was nearly midnight by that time and neither could see very far. Their only light was the full moon which illuminated the crowded forest floor just enough for them to make their way to a clearing. Once they emerged from the dense thicket, they were bathed in rich, glowing moonbeams. Zack watched intently as time seemed to stand still around Rachel as she glistened in the light.

They had been silent since they moment they exited Rachel's hospital room. It stayed that way. 

Zack sat on the stump of a fallen tree and motioned for Ray to sit down next to him. As she did, she positioned herself to face away from him, as she wasn't sure what to say. She was still in shock from the events that had just unfolded. So, she didn't say anything. After a brief silence, Zack jumped up nervously, scavenged fiercely for some light brush and a few logs, then pulled a lighter out of his pants pocket and lit the makeshift bonfire. He sat back down just a tad closer to Ray than before, but she was still facing away from him. 

After a long awkward silence, she turned to face him and found that he had been staring at her intently. He seemed to completely fixate on each of her individual facial features, starting with her lips, moving slowly up to her eyes. Once their eyes meet, Zack grinned slightly. A light rose color overtook Ray's cheeks as she struggled to keep his gaze. After an intense staring contest, Zack blinked several times as if coming out of a trance. His smile faded instantly and Ray's heart fluttered sadly.

The woods were dead quiet, until a faint voice broke the silence. 

"Hey," Zack uttered. 

The sudden noise had frighten a small animal that rustled away into the fallen leaves. Both stared towards the creature until it was too far off to see or hear. As the silence began to settle back in, Zack stood quickly and began pacing back and forth around the stump. He hadn't realized it would be this different between them. He tried to speak to her again, but lost his courage mid-thought. He continued to pace nervously as Ray sat silently, still in shock and still not sure what to do. 

Ray knew that this could go on forever. She stood up just as Zack had passed her. He turned around abruptly and knocked into her, not realizing that she was there. Once he picked himself up and realized what had caused him to fall, he immediately fell back down. He wasn't sure whether to help her up or to just sit there. Ray made no attempt to stand and stared blankly towards him. He returned her stare.

They sat in the damp leaves for just a few moments before Ray bursted out in laughter. All her nervousness had melted into a giddy innocence. She realized that she had no reason to feel anxious around him. They had been through six floors of hell together and then some. She had kept her half of their oath and gotten him out alive. Now it was his turn. She was finally going to die by his hand. She felt an emotion that was almost joyful. She stood up and began to spin. She remembered Zack had wanted her to be happy when he killed her, so she gave him his perfect opportunity to satisfy their oath.

Zack tried to scoot away from her, confused and terrified. 

He slowly remembered what she was doing. He remembered the rules he'd set for her inside that place. He remembered what he promised to do once she was frolicking around on the outside. Seeing her now didn't make him feel the way it used to. He would cringe at even the slightest smile, but this feeling was quite the opposite. He wanted to join her and feel her joy. He wanted to know what it felt like to be happy, but he couldn't let her, or anyone else, know. 

He stood up, grabbed her firmly, and held her just high enough that her feet couldn't touch the ground. She stared at him with a slightly confused grin. 

"Stop doing that!" he snapped. 

She became visibly more confused. 

"But why? Didn't you want me this way when you killed me?" she stuttered. 

He looked away. He wasn't ready to do this, not yet at least. He dropped her back to the ground and walked away slowly. 

"What is it?" Ray asked nervously. "Did you change your mind? Are you not keeping your end of the oath?" 

"Of course I am!" Zack snapped. "I hate liars and I'm not about to be one!" He paused for a moment, "I just don't think this is the right time or place. It's dark and cold and I'm sure we're both tired. Climbing all the way up to that window wasn't easy, you know." 

"Yeah," Ray admitted sadly. "I guess that is true. I am a little bit tired. Maybe we could camp here for the night and then find somewhere nicer in the morning?" 

"See, all this time and I'm still right," he boasted. "Now help me keep this fire going before we both freeze to death."