The Heavens Below

Back: 7

You. Fucking. Idiot.

A moment of stunned silence passed, then the angel charged.

The broken body launched from its place against the tree onto its knees, and then at me. A dark blur in a second. Faster than I could blink.

I didn't even have time to gasp as it drove me down. My body landing hard on the dirt. I coughed as the angel snarled in my face. New blood and hot spit fell from its mouth onto me. I turned my head to the side, trying to bring my arms to cover my throat. Screaming as loud as my body feasibly could.

"STOP! NO! STOP IT!"

I punched my arms out at the monsters face. Slamming my fists into the sides of its head. It reared back for a moment and grabbed at my arm. My other hand found purchase somewhere in its face and I squeezed. I felt hot blood pour down my arm, then the pain in my palm. The angel let go and grabbed my wrist in its hand. Pushing my arm up and away from my head. I kicked and cried and hit.

But I knew I wasn't getting anywhere this time, there was no sword in reach. No shelter in my sights.

I was alone.

Nova would return home in time without me, and that would be that. This was my final close call. And I had no one to blame but myself.

   The angel's other hand wrapped around my throat, and for a moment my vision went white. I felt nothing, I heard nothing. I tasted metal and my body stopped thrashing.
I clawed at my neck with my free hand, gasping for air. It wasn't squeezing yet, not even. Just leaning it's weight onto the most fragile part of me until it snapped. It leaned its face, in nose to nose. I saw every little stripe of sterling in its eyes. Every little dilation of the black as it waited for my life to slip away.

Tears streamed down my face and everything was moving far too slowly. The feathers that fell from its wings as the shook and flapped took years to reach the earth. I felt weightless as they did and my hand stopped grabbing at my throat.
I could see and hear, faintly. Like it was coming from a place far away. I was still afraid, even if I couldn't entirely feel it. Or do anything about it. After all, I don't want to die.

Oh god, am I dying? I knew I was. But really? This was it? For as often as I had seen, heard, thought of death, it was still a stranger to me. Where's mom? Where's dad? He was here last time. Where's Finn? Ahmirah? Hayley? Anybody? Will they find my body? Will the angel eat me? Where am I going? I don't want to go. I didn't.. I didn't get to.. I'm just... I haven't...

The angel snarled and spat. Grumbling words, I knew they were words, that I couldn't understand. The pressure increased and I could no longer see. My lips parted and I reached my hand out. I couldn't feel my hand. But my arm stopped moving. I moved my hand around. Grabbing and pushing. Liquid poured down my arm. I tried to breath in, and nothing came.

I said it more to myself than to anyone. I couldn't tell if it even made a sound. Or if I had even said it at all. The last air in my lungs rasped out, blood came with it.

"Please."

I was looking at the angel, then.

It's eyes were wide and angry. Full of hate and pain. I felt pressure on my chest. And my throat felt cold.

I took a small breath.

I reached a hand to my neck as my lungs filled with air. My body jolted and I was heaving. In and out so hard I couldn't stop. I coughed and wheezed. Throwing my body to the side as I tried not to throw up. My hearing slammed back to me and I could feel the pain in my legs and my hand. I was crying too. Sobbing and screaming through the hand on my face. I threw up.

I looked up. Looking at the angel. It's body still covered mine. It's fist was wrapped in my shirt and I blinked at it, exhausted.

If it was gonna kill me. Why couldn't it just...do it? Something quick would be nice. But if it was going to take its time, I would rather it still have my neck in its hand.

The angel panted for a moment. It's face twitching and it heaved in a breath. The angel roared.

It screamed in front of my face so close my brain felt like it would explode. A painful ringing stabbed into my head. I covered my ears and curled into a ball. I cried out, my eyes squeezing tight as I felt it's hot breath and spit on my cheek.

Then, nothing.

I cried for a few moments on the ground. Shaking and deaf. I sniffed and opened my eyes.

The sun came out.

I looked up to see the tops of trees, and the black dots that bounced around them. Or maybe it was just my mind. I leaned up, weakly. My body still held by a phantom hand around my throat. I looked around. Blinking hard. But nothing came.

I was alone.

It was gone.