Afterlife

Evan

I was aware of how invasive the question was, but I was always curious about what exactly Evan had done ever since I had known about the whole Guardian Angel thing.

I looked back at Evan and I saw him staring at a certain spot in the room and biting the inside of his cheek.

I was unsure if he was actually going to answer the question and just as I was about to think he wasn't, I heard a low hum.

"It isn't a pretty story Carol. You do realize that, right?" His voice was in that serious tone of his, so I knew all joking was gone now. Well, it might've been gone a while ago.

It took me a while to answer since I was wondering, did I really want to know? Did I really want to know what horrible and monstrous things this man had done, and probably still capable of these things in death?

I really didn't...but I was curious about this person who had to look after me. All the bad and annoyance.

"Y-yeah. It's just...you'd be curious too, you know? Who the person looking after you realize is or was or whatever."

"Well, I would actually be more afraid of knowing what they did and keep quiet," was his snarky response. We played a long version of a sort of 'quiet game' before one of us made a sound; I cleared my throat.

"Well, I'm not you and my curiosity might as well be the death, oh wait the 'living', of me. Not to mention, I've told you all I know of me and this exchange of information seems sort of one-sided, don't you think?" I was very aware of that one thing that happened (and the reason I was still awake) and that I haven't told him, but it was something insignificant compared to other things I happened upon.

Evan made this annoyed looking face that I didn't even know he was capable of and stared back at me. I obviously stared back, not wanting to back down, and another contest had started. It felt like forever and my eyes were starting to sting, but lucky he was the first to give in.

So much for the 'pain but no burn' nonsense.

"Fine alright, okay! I'll tell you, but don't say I didn't warn you or don't ignore me or distrust me because of it. The reason I've been assigned to my duty was to redeem of these sins, not to have others fear me for them or be a hypocrite of a sort."

He took a deep breath and rearranged the fallen floor-pillow tower into a floor-pillow carpet; I let it go since it seemed he was about to tell a story with a not so happy beginning nor ending.

"To begin..." he paused, as if rethinking his thoughts on how to start. "I don't remember all that much before things got ugly, to say in a safe term. I only know the middle and end of the story.

"I'm going to be blunt, there was a lot of blood. There was blood and lies and knives and screaming and pleading and-and..." He started using his hands to exaggerate each of his words and when he stuttered, they held still and fell down on the floor-pillow carpet with a soft thud. He was looking into space, most likely reminiscing on what he'd done.

"I wasn't a good person and I knew it. But, it was similar to a drug, you know? After such a long time of doing those deeds, it just...seemed like a day-to-day routine you didn't want to interrupt.

"Not to mention, everything just gave me this...this thrill! A trill of power, of a high, of...it was just a wonderful feeling."

I was stunned and to be honest, highly creeped out and more paranoid of this...this stranger. The Evan he was describing wasn't exactly the one I've gotten to know, yet that sick and twisted version of him was how he originally was when alive.

It didn't help that his serious tone had gotten into a new range of 'seriousness' and a more of a melancholy. Still, I tried to subtly move farther from him on the couch in a way to both ease my thoughts and not hurt his dead feelings.

"But I did find love once." The statement was sudden and it seemed out of topic from his story. "It was...kind of a strange meeting and introduction, if you could even call it that," he added with a saddened chuckle.

"Did-,"I started, but then waited to see if he was listening. "Did she know about your um...'trill'?"

"No," he answered with a crack in his voice; was he about to cry? "I kept that a secret." He looked at me, seeing as he had slowly begun nodding his head down, and said, "I say this because you asked about a certain person like that earlier, remember?"

I nodded slowly, still uneasy.

"So...how did you end up here?"

"I already told you didn't I, or were you not paying attention?" Ever the joker; even in subjects like these. "Yeah, well, I was caught for my evil deeds, got my execution, and ended up here. Met Occi, Sue and Nat, they saw all I've done and declared me a Guardian Angel and Occi, who is my "ruler" you may say, ran down the whole thing and...the rest is history."

"So, there's my story for you; be free to judge and ask any questions if your stomach and mind are up for them." I could tell he tried to make that last part funny, but it came out more of an actual caution than a joke.

Before I asked anything, I wanted to know, to make sure, that the twisted person Evan had described before wasn't the same one laying down on the floor across from me and may do something to me in my sleep like...stick forks in my arm or saw off my legs or pick out my eyes.

"...do you-"

"No, well at least I have no intention or need to want to torture or kill or...stuff," he interrupted. I was somewhat put at ease, seeing how honest and truthful he sounded.

Not to mention, I wanted to trust him, despite what my paranoia told me; if there was one person I wanted to rely on, I wanted it to be the person forced to be my shadow. Or more specifically, the person I follow.

"You've been too quiet; what's going on in that noggin of yours?" He look unfazed, face unreadable and slightly bemused. Although, I could sense he was worried, wondering if I would treat him different and be less open towards him.

But, to ease his own suspicion and confirm my own thoughts, I replied, "I was thinking of how it's strange I still trust you as an 'angel' even after hearing your story."

It was joking in a manner, but it was also the confirmation we both needed to hear afterward.

Author's Note:

Yay, it's all caught up with the months! Hopefully, I could keep this streak going!

Anyway, don't forget to comment (may it be critique or just to say hi!) and vote if you enjoyed the story!

See you next month!