His Perfect Destruction

Murphy

    Spending so many years watching from so far away, seeing her up close she is so much more beautiful. She wouldn't let me touch her, she is so thin, her hair is just as soft as that night. It is fitting that she would be reading the Art of War. She is a survivor and it shows, she flinched when I went to touch her. I need to control myself better in her presence. She needs to find out on her own. 

    “Tell me again, why are we throwing a party for humans tonight?” Duncan asked as I got to the alley.     

    “Cause I need to get close to her, and keep your voice down. She didn't recognize me, Dun.” That hurt me more than it should have, I never told her my name, she never really saw my face. I turned towards home. I need to think.

    “What did you expect, man? She hasn't seen you in five years. That, and you are ugly.”

    “Ha ha. She flinched. When I went to touch her. It still hurts her, what they did to her. Maybe I never should have left.” I should have fixed her. Duncan did a double take over my shoulder. 

    “Is that her?” Duncan asked. I looked up and caught her eye.

    “Yeah, that’s her.” She is so perfect.

    “Who is the hottie blonde?” Duncan asked, winking at her friend.

    “Marilyn, they are hardly ever apart. She is the only one that can get her to eat.”

    “Mind?” Duncan asked. I gave him an incredulous look.

    “More power to you, she will eat you alive.” 

    “Who are you?” 

    I spun on my heel to find myself within inches of her. She was so short and she looked pissed. Great.

    “Murphy.” I said, she kinda scared me.

    “Why have you been asking about me?” Oh s**t. 

    “Hey, I’m Duncan.” He held his hand out to her. She spared him a glance and shook his hand, her breath caught and he let his hand fall to his side, before he offered it to Marilyn.

    “Marilyn, this is Everly.” She said with a jerk of her head. “You guys new in town?”

    “Yeah, throwing a party tonight if you wanna come.” He said, keeping her attention as he flirted with her. 

    “I know you. Who are you?” She took a half step closer. I wanted so badly to touch her. Just a brush of my skin on hers, that is all it would take.

    “Murphy O’Connor. Will you come tonight?”  

    “I don't go to parties, too many drunk people.” Not to mention trouble. 

    Duncan had successfully cut off our conversation with magic, Marilyn wouldn't hear what was said, nor would anyone else. 

    “Angel, you have not been taking care of yourself.” I said sadly. Her eyes grew wide and scared.

    “You didn't come back. I waited for you to come back.” Tears filled her eyes and tore at my heart. How could I tell her that I had never left but didn't take her away?

    “I couldn't  stay, but I watched. I did as I promised.” I sounded cold even to myself.

    “Why are you here now, then?” She said sharply. Fighter indeed.

    “Come to the party tonight. Please? Then I will tell you everything.” Sort of. She looked at me skeptically, as if she was waiting for me to disappear before her eyes.

    “We will be there.” Marilyn said with a giggle as she tossed her hair. Everly looked at her friend as if just realizing she was there.

    “That's settled then! See you tonight.” I said with a wink and walked away. I could feel her eyes burning holes in my back, but I wouldn't turn around. Now I just needed to figure out what I was going to tell her.

    “Why don't you just tell her the truth?” Duncan asked.

    “Oh, yes, let’s just tell her that we are immortal superhuman warriors tasSpending so many years watching from so far away, seeing her up close she is so much more beautiful. She wouldn't let me touch her, she is so thin, her hair is just as soft as that night. It is fitting that she would be reading the Art of War. She is a survivor and it shows, she flinched when I went to touch her. I need to control myself better in her presence. She needs to find out on her own. 

            “Tell me again, why are we throwing a party for humans tonight?” Duncan asked as I got to the alley. 

            “Cause I need to get close to her, and keep your voice down. She didn't recognize me, Dun.” That hurt me more than it should have, I never told her my name, she never really saw my face. I turned towards home. I need to think.

            “What did you expect, man? She hasn't seen you in five years. That, and you are ugly.”

            “Ha ha. She flinched. When I went to touch her. It still hurts her, what they did to her. Maybe I never should have left.” I should have fixed her. Duncan did a double take over my shoulder. 

            “Is that her?” Duncan asked. I looked up and caught her eye.

            “Yeah, that’s her.” She is so perfect.

            “Who is the hottie blonde?” Duncan asked, winking at her friend.

            “Marilyn, they are hardly ever apart. She is the only one that can get her to eat.”

            “Mind?” Duncan asked. I gave him an incredulous look.

            “More power to you, she will eat you alive.” 

            “Who are you?” 

            I spun on my heel to find myself within inches of her. She was so short and she looked pissed. Great.

            “Murphy.” I said, she kinda scared me.

            “Why have you been asking about me?” Oh s**t. 

            “Hey, I’m Duncan.” He held his hand out to her. She spared him a glance and shook his hand, her breath caught and he let his hand fall to his side, before he offered it to Marilyn.

            “Marilyn, this is Everly.” She said with a jerk of her head. “You guys new in town?”

            “Yeah, throwing a party tonight if you wanna come.” He said, keeping her attention as he flirted with her. 

            “I know you. Who are you?” She took a half step closer. I wanted so badly to touch her. Just a brush of my skin on hers, that is all it would take.

            “Murphy O’Connor. Will you come tonight?” 

            “I don't go to parties, too many drunk people.” Not to mention trouble. 

            Duncan had successfully cut off our conversation with magic, Marilyn wouldn't hear what was said, nor would anyone else. 

            “Angel, you have not been taking care of yourself.” I said sadly. Her eyes grew wide and scared.

            “You didn't come back. I waited for you to come back.” Tears filled her eyes and tore at my heart. How could I tell her that I had never left but didn't take her away?

            “I couldn't stay, but I watched. I did as I promised.” I sounded cold even to myself.

            “Why are you here now, then?” She said sharply. Fighter indeed.

            “Come to the party tonight. Please? Then I will tell you everything.” Sort of. She looked at me skeptically, as if she was waiting for me to disappear before her eyes.

            “We will be there.” Marilyn said with a giggle as she tossed her hair. Everly looked at her friend as if just realizing she was there.

            “That's settled then! See you tonight.” I said with a wink and walked away. I could feel her eyes burning holes in my back, but I wouldn't turn around. Now I just needed to figure out what I was going to tell her.

            “Why don't you just tell her the truth?” Duncan asked.

            “Oh, yes, let’s just tell her that we are immortal superhuman warriors tasked with keeping the Underworld from the humans. I’m sure that will go over real well.” Sarcasm dripping from each word.

            I am Murphy, I saved you when you were a kid. I can't stay away from you, I love you! Run away with me! 

            This is going to suck ass. How am I supposed to tell her that I watched her go through so much s**t and didn't take her away from it. How are we supposed to get past something like that? Duncan grabbed the back of my shirt and tugged hard, the truck missed me by inches.

“Dude, wake up!” Duncan looked at me like I was losing it. I couldn't disagree with him. I felt like I was losing it.

            “Think you can make it the last 5 blocks without killing yourself?”

            “I will do my best.” I said with a smile. We bought a house on the end of a dead end street, the houses closest to us still empty, an illusion of privacy in a small town. Soon enough everyone will know we are here and they will get curious. Our aliases will hold up, they always do. Murphy O'Connor, native of Chicago, beta tester, 22 and single. Duncan Mallory, native of Ireland, programmer, 26, widower. Stick with as much truth as possible, Duncan is a widower, 200 years ago, he still says her name in his sleep sometimes. I was born outside of Chicago, 157 years ago. 

            Maybe I will just let her ask the questions and only answer the ones I can. Damn! Why does this have to be so difficult? I know everything about her, what she loves, what she hates, what she wears when she doesn't want to be noticed. I know that she double knots her laces because she can't stand the thought of walking on them. She doesn't trust me, she thinks that I betrayed her. 

She is right, I did.