The Fallen Angel

One: Earth

Crimson lips.

It was amusing how that was what she remembered last about Heaven. Out of all the things that could've stuck in her brain, the stained lips were her last memory. Not the fall, nor the excruciating pain of her wings peeling off. Just crimson lips.

As she stumbled into the small manmade structure, the woman observed that the area she had landed in was practically desolate of humans. Only one was in her vision and he was behind the counter on those silly devices humans loved so much. The sky wasn't blue like it had been when she had checked the Gateway earlier. Now, the sky was a dark grey with swirling masses of clouds blanketing it.

A sharp jingle was heard as the woman pushed open the door. The man behind the counter looked up and frowned at her state. In Heaven, angels had no form. They were bright, beautiful lights who could never be seen by mortal eyes. When she had fallen, she had taken over a host. The woman had no knowledge of what she looked like and decided that it was best to clean up her appearance. But as she looked around, she couldn't find any mirrors.

"Where can I find a mirror?" she said aloud.

"In the bathroom?" the man replied, pointing to a door around the back of the building. The woman nodded and turned around to go into the restroom, when the man grabbed her arm. "You need a key, ma'am."

She looked at the metal confused. "Keys?" Grabbing them, she headed toward the door. Unlike the last time she had visited Earth, the doors were not the same. Sure, she had watched humanity grow more civilized through the Gateway and had witnessed them create some fantastic things, but some devices still confused her. She held the key and pressed it against the door, hoping the wooden barrier would just open already.

"Ma'am, what are you doing?"

Gasping, the woman snapped her head toward the voice and relaxed once she realized it was just the man from earlier.

"I was just attempting to open this door, but it's being difficult." She huffed and continued hitting the door with the metal keys, a harsh clanging sound ringing with each strike.

"Are you high?" the man asked, narrowing his eyes at her disbelievingly. "The keys go in the hole. Look." He snatched the keys from her hand and slid them into the lock, rotating the metal slightly until a click was heard. "Take your time. Please do not throw up. I don't want to clean up that shithole again."

Smiling, she nodded and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. The first thing she saw was her appearance staring back at her. Unlike the last time she had visited Earth, the woman in her vision appeared to be quite tame. The host she had then had been wearing an outfit with a strange combination of colors and horrible hair. This time thankfully, her host was much more calm. Dark hair was styled into a short, choppy crown, styled spiky with a longer, sleeker front section. Her host had no makeup on, which was very unusual to her since humans seemed to love their products. The host's skin was dark and her eyes were a beautiful, shimmery brown that sparkled in the harsh, bright lighting. A jumper and sweatpants adorned her body, neither hugging her too tight. She found that she was much more bigger than her last host, as muscles were seen flexing in her arms and legs. This host was much more athletic and natural.

She stepped forward toward the sink and turned the knob for some water. As the liquid poured from the faucet, the woman observed her face. Thick lips and narrow eyes stood out, with a wide nose that had a strange metal protruding from the hook. Her host wasn't beautiful, instead, she was average and wouldn't stand out in a crowd at all. Which, she realized, was perfect. The more she stood out, the more likely she was to be discovered.

"Are you okay in there, ma'am? You been in there for a while." Three sharp knocks followed the question. "Please don't be naked."

Ignoring him, the woman looked back at the mirror. What about her appearance had made the man frown earlier? Sighing, she quickly washed her face and stepped outside.

"What food do you have?" she asked him, scanning the items on the shelves interestingly.

"Um," the man stepped backwards and turned around on one foot, hands nervously placed atop his head, "we have junk food, mostly. You want a hotdog?"

"Sure." She stepped toward the counter and felt her host's pockets. Delighted, she found a wallet with some cash inside.

"That'll be two dollars." The man handed her the mysterious meat and held out his hand for the money.

Smiling, the woman gave him all of the money in the wallet. Startled, the man looked at her confused, hand scrunching up all of the bills.

"Can you please do it for me? My mind's a bit foggy and I can't remember how you Americans do money. Strangely enough, I remember how the Greeks did theirs, but that was a couple eons ago, I suppose. It's hard keeping track of time, even with the Gateway."

The man stared at her. "Lady, what are you smoking?" Shaking his head, he took half of her money and shoved the rest into her palm. "Get out, freak. Before I call the cops."

Miffed, the woman huffed and walked outside the building. "How can a man be so rude?"

She opened her wallet and ruffled through it. A piece of plastic with risen letters and numbers was the first thing she threw out, along with a few other measly possessions. One plastic material caught her attention though. It seemed to be an identification card.

A picture of her host was printed onto it, along with a name and other lines of personal information.

"Hello, Willa James. It's nice to meet you."