Somewhere I Belong - Bennoda

Chapter 07

- I know that, Michael.

- No! You don't understand! I don't mean "angel" like, you know, kind of a compliment. A real angel. With wings. I have wings, Chester! And I am immortal and I live in heaven and my father is God and ... and you don't understand!

- Michael ... - Chester caressed the angel's cheek affectionately. One last act of love. - My Michael. - Chester smiled, a tear came from the angel's eyes. - I know. I know that so well, Michael, and it's beautiful. And ... And that's why we won't work together, Michael.

Michael let more tears escape his eyes and his lower lip trembled. He felt his body cold and felt as if something had broken inside him; something he needed to live. So this is it? Was this the end? Didn't the man want him because he was ... heavenly?

- You ... you don't want me? - The boy lowered his head.

- Hell, Michael! Is not it! - Chester raised his voice, his blood boiling with anger at himself for being so stupid. For making the boy cry. - Michael, I'm the devil! I have horns and I live in hell, and damn it, I'm the one who tortures the souls you love so fucking much!

Michael slowly raised his head, confused. Was that a joke? Was it supposed to be funny? Was that Chester's way to end it without hurting him? Because it certainly wasn't working. Michael opened his mouth to say something, but Chester stopped him.

- Think first, Michael. Put the points together.

This was crazy. Michael wouldn't believe it at all, that was just a lie and it hurt so much the idea of Chester going so far as to say he was the devil just to get away from Michael. Was Chester trying to be ironic about the whole subject of being an angel? Was he kidding? Yes, dammit, yes, he wanted to take the angel away then. Was the angel so unbearable? Michael simply wouldn't accept that. He wouldn't accept this lie as an end of something that had never even begun in the first place. The boy laughed, ironic and irritated.

- Give me a reason to think about this crazyness, Chester. And it need to be a good reason.

Chester didn't really want to show who he really was to the boy. The angel would be in shock. He didn't want to scare the kid, that wasn't in the plans, it never was. No, no. There must be another way.

- Do you really want to see that? - Chester asked hesitantly.

Michael snorted and nodded, asserting.

Was there another way?

No. No, there was not.

Chester sighed defeated and he felt he would regret it so much. But if he knew that was the end, what was the point of wanting to postpone the boy's reaction? It's not so easy to say goodbye once you realize that someone has turned into your greatest dream. Or is it?

The man closed his eyes and stood up. Strategically, he took a few steps away from the boy; if the angel wished to run away, he would be able to. He couldn't force the kid to see a freak and then force him to stay here and handle this. Michael was still skeptical, but this didn't last much longer: dark, almost black, thick horns grew on the man's head, two sharp and curve tips pointing to the sky. His skin began to darken until it became totally black, darker than the night, darker than shadows. His nails grew and formed a tip that could pierce a throat and make it bleed with a single touch. He opened his eyes and looked directly at Michael. His eyes were totally white, no pupil, nothing of any color other than the simple, dead white. He tried to smile at the boy, maybe wanting the angel to see that not everything was really that bad about the devil. But his smile was no longer normal, no longer beautiful. Instead, he scowled and his mouth opened up until the each side of his horns, making all his sharp and exaggeratedly white teeth visible. His nose was now curled up in his face, so that only two holes in his face were visible, they emanated a gray smoke.