Val The Vessel

2 / God Can't Fall

I think about my dad and how terrified he's probably feeling right now. I had told him that I would make it home close to 7 PM but it's half past ten now.

Before I can think any further thoughts, I spot a strange shape through my car's windshield. There's a hulking black figure floating in the night sky up above. What looks to be a long cape is dangling behind the object, defying the heavy rain that's pouring down like it's nothing. Whatever it is, it's inhuman and has a chance of being associated with the 'dangerous threat' that my phone's alert mentioned earlier. I roll up every window and kill my car's lights to avoid being seen, just like Dad taught me.

"When will this end?" I whisper to myself, but that's the frightening part, I'm no longer by myself.

"When will what end?"

I turn to ice. There's an odd presence right beside me on the other side of my window. The ambiguous shape in the sky is no longer there - only the rain. I keep my head down without replying back, hoping for whoever it is to leave.

"Awe, playin' the silent game? Whatcha doin' here all alone lil' girl? Ain't your momma ever tell you about the scary monsters that lurk at night?"

My heart feels like it's trying to break free from my ribcage the way it's thumping madly. I force my eyes to roll to the left and up at the stranger—the huge, masked stranger with demonic red eyes and a crooked smile.

"Mind lettin' me in? Let's talk some more."

I scramble for the lock button on the side panel while the man outside races for the door. He heaves and tugs but the handle won't budge for him. He ceases his death grip and stares me down like a starving wolf with his glowing eyes. He comes in so close that I'm mere inches from his face—or rather, his mask. He speaks from a jagged design across the mouth of his costume, made to resemble that of a monster.

"Why'd you lock me out lil' girl? Wasn't we just havin' fun?"

My lips quiver for an answer but I lack the sense to say anything at all. A brutal fist rams into my window instead. I fly backwards before I can even process what's going on. One pound from this person is enough to shake an entire car?

The monster growls like a mad beast but cools his temper down enough to speak to me in a grave masculine voice. "Unlock the door. I'm askin' nicely."

I struggle for words. "B-Back off! The fucking cops are on their way!"

The villain giggles and taps his black claws rhythmically against my window glass as a gust of cool wind blows his dark cape around. He carves his fingers into my window for his own amusement. "If you're feelin' brave," he warns, "Go ahead and call the boys in blue. They won't make it here fast enough to save you. I could easily tear this door off if I wanted to, but I'm in a good mood tonight."

Nearly flipping my car over is a result of his 'good' mood? When he finishes tracing, he retracts his claw and stands as tall as Goliath. There's a warped heart shape now freshly etched into the glass. The incessant pounding of my heart numbs my chest. Terror is what this man before me is. Pure terror. "P-Please just let me go. There's other cars here—"

The man slaps both hands against my window with enough fury to crack the glass. "I don't want another car! I want this one! NOW LET ME IN!" his voice echoes monstrously.

He's going to kill me. It's best to just give him what he wants rather than triggering his violent side, which appears to be his only side from the way he's spoken to me so far.

I exhale, "F-Fine." My finger tips the button panel into 'unlock'. The masked villain chivalrously pops open my door for me to exit, his crimson eyes never ceasing their melting gaze on me. I glare up at him, no longer terrified that my pupils will burst from the sight of his haunting mask. I keep my neck locked straight in his direction. He does the exact same while forcing his hulking body into my teeny car. "I can tell that you and I are gonna meet again," he asserts in a sarcastic tone.

I roll my eyes and give him one better. "Yeah, I'm sure we will."

The man struggles to buckle his seatbelt without grazing the horrific wound on his chest that I hadn't taken notice of before. He's kind enough to avoid spilling blood onto my suede seats by arching himself back with a suppressed groan. He needs a hospital. Whoever or whatever he's running from did a number on him.

He notices my staring at his chest and points to it. "God can't fall. Only angels can fall. Remember that, kid."

The villain clicks in his seatbelt and grapples his claws around the steering wheel. There's an ignition and the car accelerates with my eyes trailing it. I run my hands through my wet hair and curse aloud, feeling warm tears spew down uncontrollably. The vehicle's pale red glow grows smaller and smaller until I can hardly see anything at all. Standing here in the dead of night, I realize what the previous disturbance in the air was—the disturbance responsible for my flickering headlights.

It was him.