What Humans Don't Know

Dieing Inside and Out

Chapter 1

I was standing on the dock staring out at the churning ocean. A storm was coming. I heard him approach behind me but I never took my eyes off the crashing waters. He came to stand on my right looking out at the ocean and not at me.

"I've never seen your wings before." he said simply.

I didn't say anything but I made a mental note to never show them to him again. For an Immortal to show their wings to a Human was like going out into public naked. I stretched my wings out wide behind the two of us and then folded them back up. I turned to look at him and thought better continuing to turn all the way to walk back toward the house. If I could avoid contact with Humans I would. I heard him turn and start to follow me. Damn.

I continued to walk to the house but he kept following me so I took off and flew to the roof scowling my hatred at him from where he couldn't see my face. I landed gracefully and let my wings disappear into my back leaving the scars I couldn't see red instead of white. I rolled my shoulders as I walked through the rooftop door.

I knew where I needed to go but I still just couldn't seem to find the strength to go there. If I went I wouldn't be able to keep my composure. I couldn't make my peace until I went there but I just couldn't go. So I veered off course and went to the library instead, stopping by my room to get a different shirt.

Once in the library I headed to the big bay window that made you feel like you were standing on the edge of a cliff. I don't know how long I was there before I fell asleep, but it must have been hours.

"DAVID!!!" I screamed louder than I thought possible. I leaped into the air and took off as fast as I could fly. I landed several yards away and the moment my feet hit ground I ran like never had.

I saw him fall to his knees and I caught him as he fell backward, his head in my arms and his back in my lap. I was crying so hard but I could see everything perfectly. I cupped his face with my hand and I kept mumbling about things going to be okay.

His sapphire wings were stained with his blood and protruding from in between his back and my legs at a horrible angle. He put his hand over mine to stop the trembling and all I could do was sob and choke on my words. His other hand slid up to my face and I leaned into it.

I tore my gaze away from his eyes and down to his stomach. I took the hem in my hand and pulled the shirt up to his chest. I let out another heart-broken sob as I saw the hole in his stomach, three times the size of my fist. I pulled his shirt back down so I wouldn't have to see it but I heard him choke on his own blood flooding through his lungs.

He was going to die and I couldn't stop it. I leaned down to his face and pressed my forehead to his. He let out a sigh. And my heart broke. I pulled away only slightly and looked into his eyes for the last time trying to memorize the unnatural sapphire color they held. He pulled my face down to his and kissed me. I kissed him back but his lips fell away from mine, his body going slack in my arms. I turned my head to the sky, my eyes full of tears and screamed until I could barely breathe.

I sat up abruptly. My face wet and my throat soar, I wiped my face and pushed the tears away. I glanced out the window once and then got up heading to where I never wanted to go.

I pushed through the two way door into the cold room we'd made into a morgue. I strode left to oversized metal doors that were meant for the Immortals who died with their wings out. I opened it and pulled the metal bed out. The satin black sheet completely cover his body and wings. My hands trembled as I reached to pull the sheet back, exposing his face. I let out a sigh as I saw that Nathen had cleaned the blood from his face and probably from the rest of him too. I stroked his raven black hair and began to cry silently.