Dance of the Angels

Chapter 14

She watched them argue for a minute before she cleared her throat. She was ignored, as usual, during the argument until she walked upstairs to them and tapped their shoulders.
“So you left him alone and now he’s gone?” She tucked her hair behind her ear and let her mind process everything. “Did you expect him to stay when he woke up and realised everyone else was asleep?”

“So in the space of three- no, two days - I’ve fallen, Michael is confronting God, we got Lucifer and now he’s gone,” said Naomi, recapping everything as quickly and as bluntly as possible. “Great, this is just lovely.”
“We’ll be fine, we can find him.” Naomi let out a groan and held her head in her hands.
“We are so screwed.”

Deciding she would feel worse later if she didn’t eat, Naomi moved her plate of toast from the kitchen to the living room as she ate it while watching Scooby Doo. While she still had half a slice of toast left at the end of two episodes, she found herself physically unable to eat it so she tipped the toast into the bin and put the plate in the bowl. She would have to wash up later until Sam volunteered, she doubted Gabriel had any idea of how to wash up dishes at all.

The joy of weekends could now be fully understood and appreciated. Naomi was relieved, a happy facade would not be needed.

Not yet.

Monday was when she would need to cover her pain and stress. She switched the channel to the news. There was breaking news about a car which had set itself on fire for no apparent reason. Luckily the woman who owned the car was helped by a man called Darius (the name sounded oddly familiar) who had half-dragged her out of it and called an ambulance while the other moronic people filmed it. Hopefully, the woman was going to be okay.

While the news droned on in the background, naomi pulled out her phone and began texting Ryan. He suggested meeting somewhere just to escape the house and enjoy the sun for a few hours. After shouting upstairs to her brothers to check it was okay, Naomi grabbed her shoes and slipped them on; she was eager to relax for a bit. Her brothers were reluctant to let her go but with a reminder to call them - not that Gabriel could use a phone properly most of the time - and also a reminder to Naomi that she was Lucifer’s target.

The cool breeze blew her curly hair in every direction as she walked. It would be a nightmare to brush later but she didn’t care as she walked down the street to the park. While the sun shone down on the town, clouds littered the sky. Some pure white, some grey and some dark storm clouds. When she reached the park, she could see Ryan in the play area lazily swinging back and forth on a relatively new swing set. Smiling, Naomi took a seat on the swing next to him and gently swung back and forth as well.

“How are you?” asked Ryan to start the conversation.
“Not good,” she admitted.
“Yeah, you didn’t seem okay over text,” said Ryan.
“Because I’m not okay,” she said with a long sigh. “Michael and Lucifer are still gone, nothing has changed in half an hour.”

“Can I ask you something?” he said. “I know I just asked but I mean something else and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to..” Naomi smiled.
“Sure.”
“What was Lucifer like?” Naomi stared at him.
“What?” she asked, hoping she had heard him wrong.
“What was he like? I mean, he’s the Devil. Was he like, cruel and fiery and had horns and shit?” Naomi continued to stare at him but raised her eyebrows. “I’ll take that as a no.”
“Yeah, that was a no.”

Ryan bit his lip and kicked the ground to make him swing a little higher. Naomi did the same and swung a little higher than he did.
“Was he like Lucifer in the show Lucifer? Or like Supernatural’s Lucifer?” he questioned. Naomi couldn’t blame Ryan for asking, if she were him, she would also be curious. As she thought about him more and more, she noticed how he did look familiar to her.
“Actually, he did kind of look like Supernatural’s Lucifer,” she said slowly. Ryan laughed.
“That’s great.”
“But that not the point!” she exclaimed as she tried to kick him and failed as they were still on the swings.

“But seriously, he just looked human,” she said.
“And here I was thinking he hated us,” Ryan joked.
“He does,” said Naomi with a smile. “But archangels, angels and fallen angels all need to use vessels. Lucifer is a fallen angel and an archangel as much as the others don’t like it so he has to use a vessel. It was probably someone who’s recently died or some poor unwilling person. Demons need vessels too but they usually get it through possession or they use a recreation of the body they had before they were a demon but… I’m getting side-tracked.”
“If it’s someone who’s recently died, the family would be scared to death if they saw him.”
“Yeah, that’s probably what he would do,” said Naomi.

“Yet again, you don’t have to answer but was he… rude or malicious or anything?” Naomi shrugged at him as she slowed down the swing by dragging her feet across the floor whenever she could.
“Dare I say it, he was actually nice? He hurt the others and threw them to the other side of the church but he didn’t want to hurt me,” she said quietly. “It doesn’t make any sense.” Ryan shrugged and jumped off the swing when it was in mid air.

“Feel like getting chips?” asked Ryan as he turned to face Naomi.
“I don’t think I have any money on me…” she said as she searched her jean pockets.
“I’ll buy them,” said Ryan. “I don’t mind.”
“Are you sure?” Ryan nodded. “I’ll pay you back, I swear.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” Ryan said. “I don’t mind paying, it’s fine.” Naomi thanked him and jumped off the swing as he did.

The sky was now cloudier with more dark clouds than light as the two teenagers walked down the road. Very small patches of blue were visible between the giant clouds. Naomi flinched as a droplet of water hit her cheek and she stared upwards.
“Want to come to my house? It’s closer and it’s going to rain,” she said.
“I don’t think it’s..” Ryan paused as he felt the rain hit his skin. “Nevermind, it’s raining.”

Naomi shut the front door after Ryan stepped inside. He took his shoes off and placed them next to Naomi’s on the shoe rack. Gabriel teleported in front of them, making both of them jump.
“Gabe!” yelled Naomi. “Please, stop doing that.”
“Sorry,” he said. “Have you seen Sam?”

“Mr Jones?” asked Ryan.
“Yes,” Gabriel answered for Naomi. “So have you seen him?”
“No, we haven’t seen him. Not when we were out, at least,” Naomi told her brother. “Why?”
“I can’t find him. I assumed he had gone out but I didn’t hear the door. I know he can’t teleport so I don’t know what’s happened,” he explained. “He’s gone. There’s just... nothing. Nothing at all.”