Saints and Sinners

Chapter 7

Amelia had gone home after work was over. The rest of the day had been pretty uneventful, a toddler had toppled over a toilet paper display and the mom had been embarrassed, of course the little guy had thought it was funny. An older gentleman who was a regular shopper couldn't remember the sandwich he usually got from the deli, he had lost his wife a few months ago and she usually would come with him.. One of her coworkers was pregnant again, and to top it all off Alex had come in which had her female coworkers a bit green when he stopped and talked to Amelia instead of any of them. Amelia shrugged to herself, 'could have been worse', she thought as she slid out of her shoes by the door. Now the biggest question she had was whether to go and meet up with Michael or not after he acted like a nut job today and what was his relationship with her mother? She fingered the paper in her pocket telling herself she would think on it. Amelia found Beth in the living room watching a movie, "Hey, how are you feeling?" She asked. Beth tore her gaze away from the TV to look at her. "I still feel really hot but not as bad as yesterday." She told her. Amelia was glad about that because not feeling good was never a pleasant experience. "Will you be okay if I go out later?" She asked. Beth just nodded her head and went back to watching the movie.

*

Amelia had decided she could at least give Michael a chance to explain. She could always leave if it was too much. Amelia cut the lights on the truck once again plunging the clearing into darkness, except for the soft glow from the moon and stars overhead. She had thrown on a pair of jeans and a light jacket not sure how late this would all take. She had taken a leap of faith to meet Michael out here in what felt like the middle of nowhere. This was how horror movies started, the dumb girl meeting a monster in the dark. The little hairs on the back of her neck stood up as if someone was watching her. She tried to brush it off and looked at the clock on the dashboard reading the time and wondering where the hell Michael was.

Minutes went by but the feeling of being watched lingered, as a sick feeling grew in her stomach and something tickled the back of her mind merely like a suggestive hint. 'Go outside.' It seemed to urge her. Perhaps it wouldn't be a terrible idea,after all it would give her a chance to stretch her legs. She pulled the keys from the ignition and slipped them into her pocket stepping outside the truck. The air slapped her face with an almost icy feel that stung her cheeks. While the weather had been cooling off lately this was almost too much of a change, it felt as if life had been sucked out of it. Amelia walked around with no set destination. She had walked a little ways into the surrounding woods when a hand clasped onto her shoulder and it felt as if she was being scalded by hot water through her clothes. She yanked away but the sting was still there as she turned quickly to see who had caused the pain ready to lash out at her assailant. "You!" was the only word that came out as a screamed whisper. Amelia felt sick and she hurt. To complete the trifecta she believes she had now met the one person who plagued her mind the last couple of days. This time though Amelia was able to make out the shade of his hair in spite of the dark. His hair was a pitch black like fresh asphalt and his eyes at first glance would make one thing they were black too but they are simply a blue so dark it was as if they were the bottom of the ocean. He is taller than she expected and made her feel small in comparison.

"Yes, me." He said, breaking the train of images to remember and put a face to the man in her sister's dreams. "Although the name I prefer to be called is Damien, I will also answer to Son of a b***h, Asshole and my personal favorite Motherfucker." Damien said with it a dark jesting laugh. "But your name is the one I'm interested in, Amelia." He added with a stern seriousness. Amelia kept looking him over as he spoke, finally taking a breath she had forgotten to take. “Well are you going to speak, Little Angel?” asked Damien. Amelia found her voice and spoke with a fierceness of a mother bear protecting her cub, “Stay away from Bethany. I don't know what you want from her but she isn't going to be a part of your sick little games.” He laughed at her, “Dear sweet Amelia. I don't want anything to do with her. It's what Ubel wants with her. After all, it's time she met her father now that she is coming into her powers.” He said. Amelia shook her head, this guy was nuts if he thought her sister had powers and the skeptical look on her face told him what he needed to know. His face turned into a look of delight, “You don't know. Oh this will be fun!” he cowed. “I'll find you again when I want to until then.” said Damien and left, seeming to vanish in thin air leaving Amelia aware of how ill his presence had made her.

Amelia made her way back to her truck and found Michael peering into the windows. “You're late.” Amelia said with an accusatory tone. “I'm sorry the sitter was late and didn't want to leave Bella and Jake alone. Even if they were sleeping they still seem to get into it,” he said. “I hope nothing is wrong,” he added. Amelia was going to tell him about her encounter but decided to keep it to herself for now, “Yeah everything's fine. So why did we need to meet all the way out here to talk?” she asked, directing the meeting to what she really wanted to know. Michael looked at her, his eyes growing wide and eyebrows raising in question, “You really don't know?” he asked which only irritated Amelia. This was the second time this evening someone had said something about her not knowing something she obviously should have known. “Just tell me already Michael. What am I to have known?” she demanded. He just looked at her for a moment before speaking, “I'll tell you but you have to promise not to ask any questions until I'm done,” he said. Amelia only nodded her head in recognition. Amelia sat on the tailgate with Michael pacing the length in front of her. “Your mother should have been the one to tell you but Claire was well Claire. She was determined to live a normal life. That's why she had married a human and eventually you came along.” Amelia couldn't help but interrupt, “A normal life from what?” He looked at her apologetically realizing he had forgotten an important detail. “Claire was an angel.” Amelia looked at him with distrust, “Your mother thought perhaps your human genes had been dominant because you didn't show any signs of being an angel. You ended up showing signs after you were near death, it nearly broke your mom to not be able to help you but she couldn't without revealing what she was to Marcus.” Michael paused, taking a breath, “You made it because your genes from Claire were able to overpower the lesser human genes but that's when you became special and Claire came clean to your father. He left shortly after that. From what I’ve gathered from Claire it was because he didn’t feel like he belonged anymore, and it was just you and your mom after that. Claire still loved him and occasionally they would talk but they never reconciled fully. Marcus felt betrayed she hadn’t told him'' Amelia stopped him again, “So you're saying I'm some kind of mutant?” Michael looked surprised and spoke, “No, Amelia you're an angel like your mother and ancestors before you.” “So then Beth is an angel too?” Michael shook his head at that, “Bethany is what we call a hybrid meaning she has origins from an angel and a demon.” Amelia couldn't quite believe what she had heard. “If I am an ‘angel’,” she said using air quotes, “How come I haven't been able to use any power?” she asked.

Michael was quiet for a moment thinking his answer through first, “I'm guessing Claire was able to keep it contained. I mean I know it can be done. Just never thought Claire would take it so far to deny you your heritage, unless she was trying to protect you from something,” he finished. In Amelia's mind she pulled up a picture of her mom, her heart aching with the feeling of missing her. She shook her head and looked at him, “So why tell me now?” she asked with a tone that said she was still a little bit skeptical. He was careful with his answer, “Amelia when you told me about the voices in your head, I knew it was more than being crazy as humans would call it. Demons have been taking advantage of your untrained mind.” she nodded. “So that explains that but what about the sick feelings I get?” she asked. He shrugged, “I believe it's your own body's way of letting you know you're near a demon. For myself the closer they are the stronger odor of burnt hair I get from them. That day in the store, I'm sure that man you saw was a demon. He wasn't in the store anymore but his scent lingered. It’s strange though, we haven't had demons around the area for over a decade. Not since your mother and I sent Ubel back to where he came from. Now that was a nasty demon,” he said. Amelia’s ears perked up hearing that name again. She felt like maybe she should tell him about Damien and about what he had told her, but kept quiet. She wanted to ask about Beth but decided it could wait for another night.

*

Amelia had said good night to Michael after they had talked a while more and sat in her truck noting the amount of time that had passed. She was about to start the truck when a voice came through, “Ah Little Angel, I see you didn't tell your friend about me. I wonder why?” he said, leaving her head as quickly as he had come. This time the feeling that had stayed with her was one of guilt rather than being sick as she questioned herself on why she hadn't told Michael. She started up the engine and left the clearing.