CHRONICLES OF THE FOURTH HORSEMAN

BROKEN

"Who is father?," I asked.crossing my fingers praying that he wouldn't come any closer, but kept on coming.I couldn't run.Even though I am the all invisible death, being in a physical human body had its own disadvantage.It sure kept me from ending the world right now and it was serving its purpose well.Maybe way too well.Being this way made me very much human.I felt the fear, the anger the curiosity but most especially the dread.It was consuming me from the inside out making me shiver.

I felt "John's" hands brush up from my thighs.Slowly and carefully they went up.All the way to my face.Now that I was hanging we were almost the same height.He could look me right into the yes without bending a little and I without having to raise my head or stand on my toes.He was holding my face with one hand while the other he held behind his back.Looking me right in the eye but I wasn't sure he could see me.The eyes were still just white.

"Have he ever told you that the only reason he follows you is because he secretly admire you? He is begging me not to hurt you but at the same time he wish he could ever stand soo close to you and kiss you.He may appear strong and skeptical on the outside, but deep inside he believes in you with everything he have.Me on the other hand, I know you don't belong here.You should be out there making the scream.But you chose them and father is angry.He sent me to make sure you are on the right path.But you know how being in a body makes you feel," he said.

By now he was caressing my thighs sending hot flashes of confused feelings throughout my body.Feeling I never had in the eighteen, now almost nineteen years of my life.Deep down I thought I recognized whatever it is he was trying to do.He was trying to remind me of something.Memory bits ren through my mind.Soo many of them but soo scattered i couldn't piece any of them together.A name whirled into my mind but I could not really get to it."Asmod," Ham called."Ooh you remember me my sweet friend Raven," He said without turning.He was a demon.One that was driven by l**t and desires.The one whom together with his little soldiers decieved people into going for what the lusted for and desired, even though it wasn't right.He in a way created famine by pushing people into doing bad things to satisfy their cravings.That is why he termed him a friend.The look I ones saw on Ham's face was coming back.The look of l**t.

The other two were just coming back from the deep sleep the human body had given to their dark soul.They were all created by humans and their need to be the best at everything.But I wasn't.I am God made.My name and mission are God given.Even though technically the humans invited me to their lives, I wasn't in it to harm them.I was in it to take away the pain and the suffering they bestowed upon themselves when they let Lucifer trick them in the garden.Ever since the flaming sword I was given the job of following.Stalk them from the shadows as they paid for their sins but reap them when they have gone through much pain than they can bear or when they have paid off their debt.They didn't create me and neither can they destroy me.They however influence me in some ways but not in ways they can quite control.I go as fast as I come because I am always at their heels.Just there waiting for the time and the moment.I have dominion over thousands apon thousands of a garrison of angels called the reapers.It is our job to help the souls raise from the body, and take them home.I have no physical feelings.I am not driven by any form of human desire or anyone else's desire for that matter.I am me through and through.My job is not the best but believe it or not mine is the hardest job meant for good.Why I had to group with those three, believe me I don't know but I have a pretty good guess it has to do with humanity.

Now I knew all the beating and the hurting was Asmod's doing.How the hell did he get Duke to work for him?Why did a prince of hell come all the way up when he could have easily send one of his minions to do his bidding? It was clear now that whatever it was it was getting serious by the moment we needed to find a way of stopping it.Now I knew who father was.The last time I heard of him he was still roaming the world looking for followers.Giving poor humans favors they never knew they would pay up with their souls.When did he get to be calling end of the world shots? What was his agenda?

I had to find out but first I needed to get all my friends out of here.Everything made sense now.Duke always thought he was working for the elements yet the four never met at a place they could be seen by humans.Asmod must have known the elements were communicating with Duke and soo he followed him and since he could not posses him without the elements knowing, he waited until Duke had made some new friends and jumped into the one that no one suspect easily.With all his skeptical nature and questioning.It would have been hard to note the difference.He has been with knowing everything were planning and probably using his usual tricks to make them bring us here so he could take our human sides leaving us to be the monsters we were within.A crazy revelation.Now more than ever I needed an escape plan and he knew I would try which was the reason he was using my humanly weakness to stop me.

The touching was turning me on in ways I never knew possible.Thinking was the one thing I needed to do but I was incapable of doing.My senses were turning and twitching.Sending crazy desires throughout my entire being.I wanted to fight it but his voice inside my head was stopping me.He was whispering sexy, romantic word in there completely numbing my thinking capabilities.His touching was getting more and more intense and I was beginning to fall for his tricks.I leaned forward heading for his lips with mine.We kissed.Anthony was begging me to come back to my senses, Ham was torn between enjoying the moment and stopping it from happening the lady had gone all unconscious and given the situation she could be dead within the hour.I was drawning and their hopes were drawning with me.I needed help."You can fight this, I know you can, you are stronger than you think.Come on, listen to me," it was Tom's voice.He was up.In fact, he regained his consciousness minutes ago.He knew about Asmod from the books who had been reading since we started on the journey to look for the truth.He knew he was hells best prince.He also knew about the other six.He understood I was falling for the demons trick and he knew the only way to save me was if he could help shut out the information Asmod was putting in my head.He could get through to me.After all he knew I trusted and believed in him more than I deed my father or anybody else on the cursed planet.

My father! He by now believed I was being a good girl in school studying hard to live my dreams.However was I supposed to tell him I was not the cute little blessing he thought I was.How would I even begin to explain to him that yes , I was an angel, but I was Azrael, the angel of death.The one responsible for the passing away of people including the love of his life.The thoughts in my head together with Tom's words were pulling back from Asmod's brain grip.The desires were going away and he was becoming less and less powerful.The anger inside me, the real me " death" was consuming him alive.I was not given the power to hurt or take human souls if the time was not ready but demons.The don't have souls but I am an angel.The fight wouldn't be for a soul but to protect humans.Something they can't even believe i am capable of doing.

Asmod felt it and he knew it was time back off.He left Johns body in a puff of red smoke and the smell of rotten eggs filled the place.John dropped to the ground.

Duke heard it and came in running.He looked confused."How the hell did you four get up there.Why is Tom tied to a chair and why is John on the ground?" He asked, quickly taking us down from the hooks and cutting the chains on our hands and legs.He has been operating under Asmod's spell and now that he was gone the spell was broken.He had no idea how everything happened.The last almost twenty four hours never happened for him.His memory was blank since it they were not being saved in his brain.Tom on the other hand had seen, felt and witnessed everything.John was the one who had seen the worst though.He was not a violent person and the next few weeks would be unbearable to him.

He woke up all apologetic and sorry.He was in there pretty much awake when Asmod was punching us.He was trying hard to fight him back but he was too strong.John's lack of faith and desire to answer everything logicaly and scientificly made Asmod all much stronger.He never stood a Chance.Duke of course blamed himself and the elements for all the trouble.He felt violated and used.He was mad at the elements but he had something else to do and he also knew there was nothing he could do about it.

Duke always carried a book with him.At first I thought it some novel or journal but I was wrong.It was a book belonging to a powerful wizzard who arccording to Duke lived over seven hundred years earlier.It had acient symbols, spells, formulas to creating portions among other things.He needed to teach us on ways to deal with demons how to fight them and send them back to hell.Only angels could kill demons since there was no magic or weapon strong enough to kill them.However, things like holy water could hold them enough for exorcism.The could also be bound by use of combination of specific symbols and words.One could also summon them.

If the world came to an end, Lucifer together with his followers would be cast into eternal fire.Why was he pushing the end of the world if he knew it would be his end too.His stay here on earth had not been all that bad.He have lived through millenias hurting and lying to the human kind.Giving them gifts in exchange for sacrifices and soul.Pretending to be the angel of light while all he ever deed was bring darkness and doom to them.For all I could remember he was the reason why I deed all the turning myself into human crap.He had bound me to do his bidding back then and the world burned leaving me with a case to answer in the silver city and he jailed in a cage.He had been there for a thousand years and he just recently walked back on earth when the first seal was broken .For a being that lost in every war he ever fought, I thought he would be for peace since if there broke another war between heaven and hell and he lost again it would be his last.He will be destroyed forever.I don't know about everybody else but I wouldn't want to even wait and see how it plays out.I would lay low and enjoy as much as i possibly could.

He must have been the one behind the seals and everything.Still looking for one last fight with Michael and hoping he could win.Whenever war broke between heaven and hell, the beings of earth and most especially humanity were the one who paid the altimate price.The heavens fought to keep peace but hell was always out looking for war.Thinking that one day the will become the superior power so they could do with the world whatever they felt fit.They dreamed of walking the earth.Spilling hell over and turning the earth to hell.I had known their plan and I didn't like it.

Asmod being in my head had brought all the memories I had hidden inside the little meat suit.They were overwhelming and luckily I had calculated the possibility of a day like this one coming and planned the memories in a way they could not hurt the human me.It was all coming back to me.All the bad things I deed together with my friends In the memories I was angry but I never at any moment regretted it.I now had to make sure I was never bound by him again.However, this time round I didn't have much of a choice.If the thirty two seals were broken, the heaven was ready and willing to break it seven seals.The plan was to take out satan ones and for all.This time I will not be working because of being bound or anything.I will be working as an angel.To serve the purpose of heaven.If I say no to that I would be a fallen angel and then there would be no difference between me and the demons.

"The seals have to be stopped," I finally spoke.Realizing that everyone had been staring at me pacing around the house."We can't let any more seals break.If we do, I won't have a choice.I will have to answer to the heavens and that will mean the world will burn.Heaven is tired of fighting every time.The will want to take out the devil out for good and then, not even this suit can stop me and it cannot stop me it means they will be free too.

Nikky had just woke up.She was still confused and Tom offered to brief her.In the moment, Duke had prepared coffee and something to eat and we all could use that.It was dark and a few hours to sunday i was lucky I never had weekend classes.I also had a test in a weeks time and I wasn't ready yet.I had a lot to do with soo little time.I knew from my memories that dealing both angel and humans could come in hand but I wasn't sure of the side effects of that.maybe it wasn't the right thing to do.

Due to the overwhelming memories, I felt something a little bit heavy on my back.We had not walked out of the tiny yet since Tom was still talking to Nikky.Everybody stopped what they were doing and looked at me.John was turning and tossing on the ground on.the left and Duke on the right.They had been standing next to me and my guess was they were pushed thrown their buy whatever it was that weighed on my back.I just didn't know it was my wings doing.

I didn't turn to check until everybody else was staring.I also had to see what they were seeing with their mouths open."There you are," I said smiling and folding them forward.Pale white just as I remembered them.I touched them and so did everyone else.The were not quite sure of what they were seeing.But the Nikky , Ham and Anthony weren't much bothered.The had seen them before.The fact that I remembered stuff meant that they too remembered.I was the one who had hidden theirs away together with mine and Asmod had brought them all back.It would take time to work through all of them but I was not in a hurry.All I knew was that by remembering, another seal had been broken.Right now my biggest concern was not how the broken seal.It was about the wings that I was trying to put back but I couldn't remember how.The more I got nervous the more the situation worsened.My eyes were starting to grow and my angelic self was beginning to unfold.Breaking free from the jail I had created in my mind.My pale skin was coming back all glowy.The others were starting to assume their state since without me to hold them back they had no power or will to do so.

As usual, Tom came to my rescue.He talked me down and the eyes went back to normal.The pale skin went away too.But the wings remained.I could fold the at the back but they just wouldn't go away.Tom assured me everything would be fine.We went down to eating business.Duke turned on the tiny Tv and to our surprise, the disappearance of three tycoons were all over the stations.The had been missing for twenty seven hours now and their families were concerned.The only common thing between all of them was what people described as a thin black girl.The could however not describe her fully and the police sketch was all mixed up.Lucky me the mixture looked nothing like me.However, Johns face was all over the news as the workers and customers from the hotel said he was the one who warned them about possible terrorist attack.That explained why the hotel was empty by the time the gas cans came flying in.

Another job had presented itself.We needed to clear Johns name and let the trio go home.Them going missing would be a huge problem for us.Asmod must have seen it coming and he had planned his moves well.He was not hell's most feared, respected and trusted prince for nothing.Most of his deals were sure bet and Lucifer probably had no better worrior to send.That was another seal on the process of breaking.We needed to find a way to get these three back home safely.We couldn't afford a scandal.One thing I knew for sure was that Asmod was out there waiting for us to go out so he could cause more problems.I had a plan.

I asked Duke to ward the place against demons.All he needed was some angel blood since he already had the symbols and the incatations.I took a knife and cut myself pouring the blood into a bowl from Philomena's kitchen.Duke drew the symbols on the walls and warded the place over.All we had to do now was call the members of the press and come up with a juicy story of how John saved all of us.I knew Asmod could not hurt them because that was not his mission and he would never do something to jeopardize the veil at this moment.It could ruin a lot of things that were already set in motion.The world could not find the prove of the supernaturals and heaven and hell yet There was still a lot of preparing in pending and it had to rippen up first.

Within the hour, the news crew had arrived.We all had our stories in line.Where John said he was on his way to school when he overheard someone saying that the knew where the three business people were to meet to talk about merging their businesses.He could not tell the police since being black and all would see to him being detained or something and he just decided to go warn them.He had just warned the others when some two unknown men in masks started to throw gas cans into the hotel and that's when he and his friend Tom rushed in to help.The could not take them to the hospital since they couldn't tell how safe they were and that was the reason why they brought them their.The trio of course backed up the stories and the world had something to believe in.Meanwhile Duke and I were hiding in the basement since we were not part of the story.It had to be convincing and us being there would be ruining it.We stayed in the basement just in case the news crew decided to look around.Also I still had my wings out and Duke was wanted for a number of felonies.

While down there we noticed what looked like a treasure chest.Duke opened it and what we found inside there was crazy.Books on different magix creatures and how to tame bind or kill them.Some of them were known to harmless while others were destructive even.Some were imotal especially the ones with a human side while the others could be killed.I imagined the world with all of them and my heart sunk.We were looking at a potential mixture of all horror stories the world has ever known.Even the angelic me was moved.

Tom came down to tell us the crew had left.We carried the books with us to the living room.By then the trio had left with the news crew and Johns name had been cleared.It was just me, Tom , John and Duke.We needed to go home but we were soo tired and sleepy it was already sunday morning and we hadn't slept a wink.My eyes were still a little bit swore from the tear gas and the punched places still hurt.I also needed a bath so bad but most especially I needed to brush my teeth.My mouth stinked of liquor.

The warding on the walls was enough to keep the prince of hell out but they could not help put my wings back, nothing could.I left the three gentlemen studying the books and discussing the creatures while I went to take a shower and freshen up.Philomena's bathroom.was still equipped with everything.It took me thirty minutes.I was in the sink brushing my teeth.As soon I put the brush in my mouth to brush, one tooth came off.A molar to be exact.There was no pain or any other feeling, the tooth just fell off.I knew something was wrong.The body couldn't hold me much longer now that the jail inside my mind where I had trapped the angel was slowly crumbling down.It was just a matter of time before it was completely down and the angel was unleashed.

Knowing Tom, if I told him about it he could freak out.I thought I could handle it without them even noticing.I had done it before I knew I could do it again.The physical form was just a manifestation of me.My true form was just like my physical form only it didn't involve flesh or blood or feelings.I could still stay with the humans even on my own form but then I couldn't have any feelings or thoughts I I ever do in that form is listen to peoples pains and tell which one is in need of death.I could then choose to go to them or let one of the other reapers to go do it instead.

I know that by now i could learn to tell feelings apart but I could be forcing them and I don't like forcing things.I was holding tight and dear to my human form.One thing about angels is that they have a physical form.They therefore can't posses humans even if they wanted to.Some them have fallen with time.Some because they fell in love with a human and decide to leave their angelic selves behind to be with that special human.Others because they are tired of following rules or living a life with no choices while others are just rebellious for no reasonable reasons whatsoever.

I am not scared of my physical form.I have just happened to love being human.I had to hide in heavens child awarding sector for years just so i could be sent to earth as a normal baby.doing that after every eighty to ninety year after the bodies time on earth is over.I was doing a good job of it until I was discovered nineteen years earlier.Angel Gabriel was sent to personaly inform me that my little trick was now in heaven.I was locked out of that department.This body is my last.Then I will have to take my own crazy form.Over the years I have been a blessing to soo many families.I always chose the people who could not produce offsprings.

I planned to hold on to this body for at least a hundred years.I planned to spend every moment of every day enjoying my stay.Feeling the heat, the cold, the taste of food and the breeze on my clothes and skin.Now standing in front of the mirror holding a tooth knowing well another one will follow, then another until finally I will have nothing left of the tiny cozy meat suit.Maybe I could fix it.All I had to was find the angel responsible for healing.

Tom had grown restless and he had come looking for me.Quickly I hade the tooth, cleaned the blood and walked out.I joined for breakfast and afterwards I went through the books one more time.Duke thought it was wise to keep copies of the books and he planned to go straight to photocopying and putting them into hard and soft copies ones he got home.Tom offered to help.We then enjoyed the morning sun quietly.My wings still had water in them and they made me feel cold.Being bathed by the sun was the best feeling I had all week.My eyes had gotten better but the bruises still hurt.I knew a way I could heal myself but it involved letting Azrael out and I had no idea how to get her back.The cage was damaged but not completely.I couldn't afford to fasten its breaking.

I had an exam in about twenty hours.I had no idea how to put my wings back.I could not afford to miss my first test.My father would kill me for that.While still at that thought he called.I answered calmly and listened to what he had to say.My mouth dropped a bit when I heard what he had to say.He said that he felt bad for being away and he had a week off which he planned to spend with me.As we were talking he was at the airport waiting for his plane.I could feel the walls coming in closer.What was I going to do? My father could not see me like that.How would I even begin to explain what was going on with me?

I had to tell Tom and of course he kept saying everything was going to be alright.I liked his optimism but every time I looked at my wings I felt as if they were saying quite the opposite.We agreed to wait until dark and then Duke would take us back to the hostels.I didn't see how that would help but I was not a fun of this place either.I had seen some pretty strange stuff here and I was ready to go home.I would worry about the wings later.

I spent the rest of the day reading about the Magix world and learning a few spells.Tom was busy trying to solve the last riddle on the map that was supposed to lead us to the treasure house we were looking for.John was busy judging and feeling bad about himself.He was trying to come into terms with the fact that his personality had pushed him to being the perfect host for the Asmod.He was also dealing with the after math of possession which was more or less like a hungover. He was throwing up all over and he had difficulty telling time.He was also having a crazy headache and he looked ashamed.He was simply having a demonic hangover and he seemed to be hating every moment of it.

Time was moving soo slow and I even had time to follow the sun a across the sky.The day was a little bit windy and I loved the feeling of the wind on my skin and my wings.The farm looked soo beautifull with the red rose bushes moving with every wind sweep.The sounds of birds singing filled the air and the sweet sound of water in the river closeby remainded me of my favorite river back at home.It reminded me of Toms shway hobbies and how together we would go down to the river.He always said that the sound of water calmed him down and I was a witness since I had seen all of that.The woods a little distant away swayed side to side making beautiful sounds.For a moment I was home sick, but then I remembered my stepmom and the feeling subsided.I would rather be here.Fighting demons and the end of the world that being around that woman.I couldn't stand her even for a single day.

Night finally came.We were all parked in Duke's truck ready to go home.I had a massai bedsheet i came with from home that I carried around in my bag.I used it to cover my back with my wings folded so that the looked like something I was carrying on my back.I sat in between Tom and John, praying that no one especially the police decided to check on us.Duke insisted we stayed calm and acted normal.How the hell does one who have just recently discovered her fate and had a pair of wings hanging from her back and won't go away even begin to act normal.As hard as I tried, a nervous face always took over my face.The calculations on my head causing sharp headaches every ones in a while.Thank God we got all the way home without anyone even as much as looking at us.One problem was down.I still had three more.

My father would be arriving the next day and I had an exam waiting on me.My body was falling apart and I still had the wings on my back.If they were not gone by morning I would have to cut them.I dropped myself on the bed imagining the pain I would have to go through also I knew I could not cut them all by myself and it meant I had to stand half n***d in front of Tom and John.I fell asleep still thinking about the pain and the blood.