Undone by a Broken Angel

9.) First Encounter

“My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good.”

-Job 9:25

I wake up before him due to a horrible feeling and realize that it’s because I’m caught in his muscular arms.  I struggle to be free, but the more I move, the tighter he holds.  He’s too strong for me, so I just lay there listening for the birds.

But they are not awake yet.  Instead, I hear the wind whistle through the trees.  A beautiful sound despite how ominous it is.  Then I hear footsteps.  Four feet, two people shuffle around one small room somewhere in town.  I can’t tell what it is they are doing until the smell of bread reaches me and I realize that they’re baking.  Then when all the little sounds, like a fence creaking, invades my mind, I’m able to map out the town.

I remember what happened last night.  I must have fallen asleep with him on top of me.  I shouldn’t feel so embarrassed about his touch, but I can’t help the heat that reaches my cheeks when I think of his hands all over me.  I could tell he was doing something- his hands were too warm.  I think it must have been how he fixed my feet. He must be able to heal wounds somehow.  Whatever he did, I feel fine today, stronger, even. 

When the birds start singing, I know it’s time to wake up Jack.

Something stops me.  A sound comes to my ears that I am not able to identify.  It's when the feeling reaches me that I know something is not right- something bad is coming.  It’s the same evil feeling Jack’s touch radiates, but it’s ten times worse.  Jack is normal compared to this.  I don’t know how, but somehow in the pit of my stomach, I know whatever it is, it’s the enemy.  Fear wraps it’s cold fingers around my heart and refuses to let go.

“Jack!  Jack, wake up!” I hit his bare chest with my fists.

His eyes flutter open, “Abby?  What’s going on?”

“We have to go now!”

The evil feeling becomes so profound that I have to cover my mouth and concentrate on not getting sick.  “Hey, are you okay?”

“Listen!”

He pauses and listens, closing his eyes and opening his ears.  “Thank you for waking me,” he says, jumping out of bed and pulling his shirt over his head.  “You need to put some clothes on.”

I look down at myself and see that I’m in my under dress.  The back of my corset is hanging open, letting the front of it hang loose.  In his standing position, he can probably see right down it.  I gasp and cover my chest with my hand.  “Don’t look!”

“Too late.  Now hurry!”  He picks up my outer skirts and throws them onto the bed, a flush rising to his ears.  I try to lace up my corset on my own, but to no avail.  He comes over and does it up in seconds with quick fingers.  I pull my dress over my head and help Jack in his organized panic.  “Put your cloak on with your hood up.  Keep your head down,” he grabs my hand and we make our escape out yet another window.

We run past the baker’s shop and Jack grabs two loaves of bread, shoving them in his bag.  He takes my hand again and we run straight for the meadow.  The evil feeling becomes worse, as if whatever is causing it is right on top of us.  My panic doubles, and my feet run faster.

I look back and see it- them.  They’re black- coal black.  They have a human shape, but no features to give them an identity.  The only things on their faces are glowing red eyes and a drooling mouth.  They breathe heavily like dogs, and laugh like the insane.  They chase after us, all three of them, eyeing us with hungry eyes.

I hold back my scream with all the determination I can sacrifice.  We enter the woods, running on the path we took last night from the meadow.  It’s too far away.  Too far to run.  My lungs and heart can’t keep up with my legs, but Jack keeps us running- our fingers knitted together.  He glances at me with scared eyes.  He knows as well as I that the things will probably get us before we are able to take off.

I look back and see that the three things have gotten much closer.  I snap my eyes back in front of me, but from the corner of my eyes I can see shadows zip between the trees.  Right beside us.  We’re surrounded.

I squeeze Jack’s hand, and he runs faster.  I trip at the sudden acceleration.  I land on my hands and knees- my dress ripping to shreds- feeling blood leak out of my cuts.  I tense up, ready to be killed, but Jack picks me back up and pulls me along the trail.  His hand turns red from my blood.

It hurts.  My lungs burn and my stomach churns from whatever is chasing us.  I can’t take it.  Not anymore, I feel my legs slow down.

“Run!  You have to run!” Jack yells at me.  He wants me to live, well of course he does, and my heart reacts to it, filling with determination.

I took his speed again and we suddenly burst into the meadow.  He lets go of my hand, propelling me in front of him.  I spread my wings, flapping them, and takeoff.  I hear Jack’s wings just inches behind me.  Once I’m well above the trees, I look down and see five figures in the meadow.  One of them screams, and all of the events that happened in my nightmare the night before last floods back to me.  It is the same meadow.

“Fly!  Keep going!”  Jack screams at me, so I follow him, flying more west than north west.

I look down and see that the things are still chasing us on the ground.  “What are those things?!”

“I told you!  They’re reapers,” he says.  “Do you believe me now?”

So those things are what Satan created to destroy humans?  If so, why are we running from them?  Why aren’t we killing them?  But remembering the fear that grabs hold of me answers my questions.  We’re running because Jack can’t kill five by himself.  We’re running away to keep us alive.  But that means that letting them live will just mean more human deaths, wouldn’t it?  “Yes,” I reply softly.  

He seems pleased by my answer, but not surprised.  He doesn’t rub it in, he seems too concerned about my wellbeing.

We fly on.  Clouds thicken up and the wind blows harder and we have to fight it- my muscles screaming in protest.  When rain starts to fall, it falls in sharp fast pellets that feel like pins penetrating my skin.  It stings my open wounds on my hands and knees.  Not soon after, big rain pellets fall, soaking through my clothes.  My wings strain even more to the added weight. 

An hour later, it is really hard to stay in the air.  Jack notices and flies above me, grabbing my waist.  His hands keep me up and his body blocks the rain.  I told him to forget about me and worry about himself, that I’d be fine, but he seems determined to help me.  It’s as though his own well being depends on it and I don’t know what to say.  I’ve never had anyone in my life who cared so much, who made sacrifices to make things easier for me.  Perhaps it's just because he’s a man and has the instinct to provide, but I suspect it’s something rooted deeper.  Maybe he has something to prove to himself.

A crack of lightning strikes a cloud just inches above our heads, and the roll of thunder shakes us right down to our bones.  I gasp and shake in fear, for fear still clings to me.  Pain continues to sting my bloody hands and knees, my blood mixing with the rain and turning my white dress red.  I must have landed on something sharper than rocks, I thought I had felt something dig into my kneecap, but I was too frightened to look at the time.

“Do you want to stop?” Jack asks.

My memory flashes back to that scream.  I shake my head.  I’m not taking the chance that they could find us again.  Why am I so scared of them?  Aren’t I supposed to be brave and kill them instead of cowering in fear?

“You don’t need to push yourself,” he insists.

“Please, just let me keep going.”

“I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” his voice sounds frustrated, worried.

“Just let me keep going,” I snap, picturing the things we left behind.  How fast can they travel?  Would they be able to catch up to us?  How many are there?  For all I know they could be everywhere- I don’t know what their population is.

So we fly.  Thunder and lightning striking just feet from us.  Rain weighing us down.  The rain keeps us from eating the bread Jack stole, just the thought of it makes my stomach squirm and my mouth water in hunger.  We fly through the night, and by morning we’re leaving the mainland.  Jack starts to angle down towards England.  The storm hides our presence.  “We’re landing soon,” he tells me.  “No one will see us there.”

I wonder why.  Maybe it’s so un-populated that they never have to worry about being seen.  I look at my dress and see red streaks run down with the rain.  My hands and knees never stopped bleeding.  I start to get dizzy, and I can feel Jack’s hands pull on my waist more.

“Fold your wings,” he whispers to me.  

We fall out of the sky, heading into a mountain range, straight down into the valley.  A town comes into view.  Eight houses are positioned around a huge, round, spectacular fountain.  We land next to it, Jack catching me again.  “Thank you,”  I manage to say before everything goes black.