What would you do for love?
Would you risk your own life to save a loved one? I did.
Would you risk your own soul for a loved one?
This question was my obsession now and I wasn't sure I liked the answer in my mind.
I looked at my naked body in the full length mirror, I was chiselled perfection, with thick black hair and a dazzling smile. I was everything I'd imagined every woman would drool over.
The issue was I couldn't accept what I saw, it was like looking at a stranger, a remarkably handsome stranger.
I expected to see the short, fat,
balding man that I had always been. I shook my head and stared.
Behind me the door creaked open and in walked the most beautiful woman that existence had ever birthed, she was perfect and I loved her, she smiled at me as she entered.
I turned and embraced her as she came at me, stepping on tiptoes to kiss me.
Passion overcame me and it wasn't until she gently pushed me away that I came back to my senses.
"Pack up your things, we are moving soon," she smiled then turned and left the room.
I stared at the door. This was all just so very confusing. All I could be certain of was I happy and in love. I turned to walk to the wardrobe when a sudden crack stole my attention to the left, a dark cloaked figure raised a hand and flame engulfed me.
I blinked opened my eyes, I was in a dimly lit room. The ceiling fan above me was the only thing I dared look at for the time being.
A faint scribbling from my left and the gentle drip of water to my right. I lifted my head and saw Gestine haunched over a desk her attention fully on her work.
My last sight jumped back into my mind and I panicky checked my body. I was fine, no scorched, burnt skin, nothing.
"Did I die again?" I said my voice croaky, this body unused to speech.
If I hadn't been listening for it I wouldn't have heard the momentarily pause in her writing.
"You need your rest," she said trying to mask the strain there.
"You need to stop this" my voice louder and harsher than I thought if would be.
"Bringing me back to life is killing you,"
"Go to sleep my love,"
"Am I?" I laughed, "Your love? Perhaps if you in fact loved me you wouldn't keep doing this to me,"
Oh no I'd said it, but not only that I couldn't stop myself.
"You say you love me, but love is accepting everything about someone, it's not dragging their soul into more physically attractive bodies every time they die. I know what I was to you there's no need for you to lie. Sure you might have tolerated me but you never loved me. If I hadn't sacrificed myself to save your life, you'd not even know my name," I spat the last words out like the poison they were, I wanted to hurt her, as much as I loved her, but mostly I just wanted her to tell me I was being silly, that it was all in my mind.
She said nothing.
I stared at the back of her, my blood pumping hot in my veins, I was angry now. I'd loved her since I'd first laid eyes on her, but I'd been too scared to say so I'd settled for getting to know her. A friendship had formed to the point when I felt comfortable enough to tell her how I felt but before she could reject me as I knew she would something had happened, my memory of it was hazy but I know I'd thrown myself in front of to keep her alive and that had been the first time I'd died.
Since then I had learned a lot. Gestine was an arch-angel with powers beyond my comprehension. She told me about her mission on earth to fight demons, men that had died but been twisted by evil and broke free of hell. But most importantly and she's told me she loved me.
"I'm sorry," I said
"Fine," she suddenly said and stood up.
She turned and looked coldly at me, I felt the frost of it to the point I shivered. Something cold landed on my naked shoulder and I realised upon looking at it she conjured this cold unnaturally.
"You are a demon," her voice was plain as if she was saying she wanted fish for supper.
"I'm a demon?"
"Yes a type of demon called a Skin Shifter," she said opening the wardrobe door and stepping away to reveal the door mounted mirror.
I looked at her suspiciously, but she just stared at me, her lips tight and her arms folded.
I stepped and looked in the mirror, I was covered in thick corse hair.
"What is the meaning of this,"
"I said already,"
"I am not a demon," I was shouting now, " I am not a thing of evil, am I?"
"I don't know what you are. You sacrificed yourself for an arch-angel but you somehow still went to the pit, I can't go home so I never knew what happened to you for hundreds of years. Then two weeks ago I saw you, you were just there in your original form, we caught eyes and suddenly you shifted into this beautiful man, I killed you but then a day later you were back with no memory. Something is preventing you from dying again but also despite being a demon in essence you do you feel or think like a demon,"
I didn't make sense but then why would she lie?
"Why don't I..."
"Remember it, don't know. All I know is both sides are hunting us and I hope what I feel for you is worth it,"
She smiled
