The Scythe-Bearer

Chapter 10: White wings, Black heart

After school, Sarah and I went for a walk in the cluster of trees behind the school grounds that could be called a forest but really it is just a couple of trees in the middle of nowhere. While we walked I told her everything that happened after I left her house last night and about the case of the missing smokie that is still occupying someone in the school. I told her about my life that I could remember and I told her about the Soul Retrieval Company. While I spoke she kept quiet and listened intently, I focused on the distance ahead but kept my senses alert in case of that pesky angel or any other unforeseen trouble. When I finished Sarah didn’t speak and we continued to walk in silence until she stopped slowly.

I turned to face her, her strawberry blonde hair waved in the slight wind; she looked up at me with eyes of warmth and downright determination.

“I didn’t know you went through so much, Sy. You must have been so alone but now you have me and…”

She moved closer until her hair brushed against my cheek, I caught a strand and pushed it behind her ear gently. She grabbed my hand and warmed my naturally cold fingers in hers. I couldn’t resist and I bent over to push my lips against hers, in a sweet silent kiss that built up warmth within my chest, sent goose bumps across my skin and made the blood pump in my ears I am sure I was red from the neck upwards. My hands in the arch of her back and hers intertwined within my dark hair.

We broke apart but didn’t let go, she placed her head right above my heart and I held her in that embrace. We stood there for a few moments, completely oblivious to the outside world, when she broke the silence with her voice ringing confidently through the trees.

“I will make one single promise to you, Sy, and I will keep this promise for as long as I live. All I want in return is that you never ever begin to hate yourself again; I don’t want you to blame yourself for everything. Please place some of the burden upon my shoulders. Will you agree?”

I looked at her resting against my chest, curious at the request but regardless I promised myself when I saved her I will never let go of her. I smiled warmly which is still a new feeling to me and rested my chin on her head.

“I agree.”

She lifted her head but didn’t break our embrace, her cheeks were pink and she held me within her absorbing hazel eyes. “How I could lose myself in those eyes and her bright aura…”

“I promise you that I will never let you go, I will hold your hand whenever you need it and that I will remain by your side for as long as my life will allow it. You will not be alone and cold as you were before, this is the only thing I can promise but I don’t break promises. I am so useless that I can’t do anything else…”

I silenced her with a deep kiss; it was different to previous times. It was almost urgent yet gentle, we were speaking without words. My hands remained at her face, entangled in her hair, “How did she know that was what I had promised and wanted more than anything in my entire existence? It is like she knows me better than I know myself.”

The sunset was greeted by our joined figure, foreheads joined with silent breathing; I spoke with every fiber of my being, wearing my heart on my sleeve.

“You are not useless, Sarah. You are giving me what I wanted most in the world, more than what I deserve.”

We finally walked on, only connected by our hands but it was more than enough. The sunset spread out across sky, painting it a fury orange that reminded me of fire which inflamed fear into my chest. Sarah noticed my uneasiness but didn’t say anything, she must have guessed because I told her about my fear of fire and she held my hand tighter as a response that she is here for me. I smiled at her and she smiled back, “How did I exist without her for so long?”

Everything seemed like it fitted into place but as all good things in my life, they are taken away in a blink of an eye. Or at least the universe tries to take them away…

I suddenly felt a ping of pain in my frontal lobe, I stopped and quickly glanced around the area until I saw a grey hue flashing in and out trees coming right towards Sarah in the form of a spear made of silver light. “Really?! Again!?”

I pushed Sarah to ground on the right but I couldn’t get away in time, the spear penetrated my abdomen and the force sent me flying into the trunk of a tree behind of me.

“Ugh! What the hell?!”

I glanced down to access the damage, the site was not pretty. The spear had gotten stuck in the wood of the tree and it was going to be a major pain to get it out. Blood tainted the purity of the silver light spear and there was a lot of it. I looked up to see Sarah regaining her consciousness after hitting the ground so hard, she looked straight at me with fear clearly written all over her face and the beginnings of tears had shown in the corners of her eyes.

“Sy! What happened?! I am so sorry!”

She made a move to walk towards me but she stopped mid stride like she was frozen in place. A familiar voice echoed through the trees, it sent waves of disgust through my weakened body.

“Well now, Sy. How come you are so predictable? I mean I did warn you and I am sure you are not deaf. Heh! I guess you can not teach the stupid after all.”

The figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing his existence to us; I almost laughed at the irony of the situation “The damn cockroach”