Kiss of Osiris

Chapter Seventeen

Evee ran back inside in a frenzy. She slapped Al in the face repeatedly in desperation. That worked. Rousing, he muttered, "....ooww....wha' the hell?" Yes! "No time to explain! We need to get the hell out of here. The primal combat part of his brain kicked in, he made no answer but nodded his head with a jerk. 

That was easy. And now to make like a banana, and split. With an injured Al leaning on her they made out the back door in a huff. Except the backyard was totally walled in. She didn't think Al could fly right now, he was too tired. As unpleasant as it would be, she would have to go through the front. She paused, pocketing a large kitchen knife and they went out front. The villagers were waiting, with torches, lanterns, a few had flashlights, and a smorgasbord of pitchforks, knives, and even a few guns. Evee sighed deeply in exasperation. 

Can't a girl catch a break? A hushed wave ran through the mob like the way wheat-fields ripple in the wind. Silence. Then one voice, "iiblis!" "devil!" The mob joined in unison. They started rushing forward. They had to run. Evee turned on a dime and ran down the alley to the right. It was almost like the night she and Al first met, she thought with dark humor, only this time they were both being chased! In her fatigued state, she choked back hysterical laughter and ran with all her strength.

Al was looking better but he was still pretty badly beaten up. She rounded by a mosque and she thought that she had lost them. Then a disheveled looking man with a scythe and a flashlight ran past them and shouted: "they're over here!" Evee groaned and pushed him into a wall, taking his weapon from him. She saw a graveyard and she ran over with Al and hid them behind one of the tombstones. 

She heard more dogs barking. It would only be a matter of time until they found them. Wow, it might actually be the end. They might actually die. The stress of everything that had happened these past few days erupted like fireworks collapsing her sanity and what few stubborn mental holds she had that were keeping her together. She began to sob inconsolably, shaking like she were a spring leaf in an arctic tundra. She felt Al wake up again (he had starting dozing) and put his arm around her. She accepted and buried her head into his shoulder. Well, at the end at least they had each other. That wasn't too bad, was it? To die with someone who cared about you as a human being. "Hey, Evee, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" "What's wrong? Are you kidding me?" she beat on his shoulder but he did nothing. It probably didn't even hurt him. He just waited patiently and held her again once she buried her face into his shoulder again.

"Gods, you're so violent. You're even worse than me," he said. He grinned his stupid boyish smile. She stared incredulously at him then burst out laughing. He always did know how to push her buttons. "Hey, Evee?" "Yeah?" "If we get through this, do you just want to get out of here? Just the two of us?" "Where?" "I don't know yet. Somewhere nice. Somewhere safe." he said. She smiled. "Yeah, yeah that would be fine." She had taken his hand and was no holding it, but he didn't say anything about it and didn't try to pull it away.

 They had some unspoken understanding between, the kind soldiers sometimes have after fighting on the battlefield, or the old married couple who after years of being together and a sort of fidelitous telepathy between them. They had realized at some point between themselves that they cared for one another. 

Two freaks, two outcasts who had found each other, them against the world. They probably couldn't articulate that very well, he being a creature of death and darkness, and she being emotionally stunted and traumatized by life. They just liked being in each other's presence, enjoying their mutual affection and infatuation. Evee didn't really know what love was, never having been in love before, but she reckoned it must seem something like this. 

Al having experienced its pleasure and pain, considered going through "all that crap" again. If it was with Evee, he might consider giving it a shot. If they did end up dying here, hey, that wouldn't be so bad they thought, at least they would die in each other's arms. In a graveyard of all places. Evee wondered if they would bury them in one coffin, even as they sought to share one heart in the brief time they had together in this world. Evee leaned over and awkwardly gave Al a kiss on the cheek (she had never been kissed before), and Al leaned over and gave her one on the lips (he was surprisingly a good kisser). 

A flash of jealous ignited as Evee wondered who else he had been kissing, but she decided to just let it go. "Hey Evee?" "Yeah?" "Again, if we survive...(he seemed nervous which was somewhat amusing to her) ... would you want to go on a date?" "No," "What?" he looked at her in alarm. She laughed, "Yes, you dummy, of course, I'll go on a date with you. Even if it's just holding hands in a graveyard looking mortality in the face. I know any date with you won't be boring, at least." "Oh, he said. He looked relieved.

 Al the immortal demon death machine was like a shy middle schooler asking his crush to the school dance. Evee squealed with delight internally. They were both smiling. The sun was beginning to rise. A royal purple color emerged, like firelight on lavender, interwoven with the passionate orange hue of the rising sun, like the dawning light of being free of a bad dream. The wind stirred gently. It was the most beautiful sunrise they had ever seen.