Lost Lies

“So, are we going to just sit here, or are you going to tell me everything I need to know?” I teased, dipping my hand in the water in front us.

We were sat on the side of the boat canal beside the university. We had skipped last lesson, knowing there would be no one around to hear the private conversation about Alex.

Alex sat beside me, his legs crossed, his gaze fixed on the other side of the canal. My smile slowly faded when he didn’t respond.

“Is it - is it that really bad what happened to you?” I asked quietly, taking his hand in mine and giving it a light squeeze of support.

He closed his eyes and nodded.

“Oh,” I whispered in shock.

“It was after I Fell from Heaven.” He murmured, still staring into nothing.

“What happened?”

“After nine days of Falling from Heaven, I was weak and fragile, like a new-born. I wandered Earth alone, confused, vulnerable to anything and everything. I couldn’t even remember who I was.” He laughed, as if it was funny that he forgot who he was. But his laugh was sad and full of forced effort.

His body shuddered slightly but settled when I gave his hand another supportive squeeze. He looked at me this time. His eyes grazed over me, surveying every inch of me from head to toe.

“It was the night of the full moon; the rain poured heavily and I was looking for a place to stay. I was walking down an alley when I stumbled across a rather large animal. At the time, I understood nothing of the human world and its ways, so I didn’t know what it was. Before I knew it, it was too late.”

Alex’s hand gripped tighter around mine, a frown creasing his forehead as he turned to stare into space again. I winced and twisted my hand free.

“Sorry,” he apologized.

“It’s ok.” I murmured.

Suddenly, Alex pulled his shirt over his head. I gasped in shock and shuddered at the sight of claw and bite marks across his back.

“Oh my God,” I turned my body towards him slightly. I reached my hand towards his back, my fingers brushing the bumpy, ragged scares.

“I was left to bleed in that alley,” he continued. “I couldn’t die, but that night I wish I did. When I began to remember everything it was too late, and I blacked out.”

“What happened then?” I asked, my fingers still grazing across his scars.

“I woke up in a hospital bed with Danny by my side. He explained to me that he understood who and what I was and told me who he was. He told me he was caring for a fellow fallen angel long before I Fell for greed and wanting. Ever since I was attacked, I could turn into a wolf whenever I want, but I-I can’t control it on the night of a full moon.”

I pulled my hand away from his back and placed them in my lap. I just didn’t know what to do anymore.

“Months ago, we were walking through a park when we first saw you. You were crying on a park bench.”

“I remember that day; it was a few days after I...you know, got out of that stupid mental institution.” I said, twiddling my thumbs as I let the image race across my mind.

“Casper knew who you was and found it fascinating to place a bet on you: the first person to send you insane even more won, but as I grew to know more of you and then finally met you, I had to pull out of the bet, because - because I love you.” He admitted.

I stopped twiddling my thumbs and stared at Alex, who turned his head to look at me.
“What?” He asked, his eyes grazing over me once more, stopping to look me straight in the eyes.

I looked away, down into the murky water.

“Nothing,” I replied.

I rose to my feet and felt my legs go numb, a searing hot pain ripping through my body.

My legs crumbled beneath me, my body tipping towards the water, and then I felt the cold rush of water consume me and drag me under, pulling me deeper to the bottom. I lay helpless, unable to move, in the dark depths of the water.

I felt myself go woozy as I struggled to breathe, slowly drowning...slowly dying.

May I see you again, Chris, I thought as my life flashed before my eyes.

I felt warm, firm arms wrap around my waist and the weight of the water on me as my body was dragged to the surface. I coughed and spluttered as soon as we broke through the surface of the water and oxygen began to fill my lungs again.

“Are you ok? Winter, answer me, please.” Alex begged as he put me down on the bank.

He knelt beside me, his hands caressing my body, looking for a pulse. He looked so graceful.

I sneezed, coughing up another load of water as I did.

“Thank God, you’re ok.” He breathed.

He clambered to his feet, pulling me up with him.

“Yeah - I think, anyway.” I spluttered, and spat out another load of water.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my wet sleeve even though it did no good. I began to shudder as an ice cold wind swept over me.

“I-I’m freezing, what the hell i-is going on? That’s the third t-time this week, ever since I-I met you.” I stammered through chattering teeth.

“Here.” Alex scooped up his shirt and flung it over his shoulder. In a quick movement, he gripped the bottom of my jumper and ripped it over my head.

“Hey!” I shouted in surprise.

I quickly turned away, flinging my arms over my chest, and looked over my shoulder as he wrung the water out my jumper and flung it over his other shoulder.

“Arms up.” He smiled wickedly, dangling his shirt from his finger.

I rolled my eyes, knowing I had no choice.

“You don’t have to turn round; I can put the top over your head without you turning round.” He added, laughing softly.

“What about you?” I asked as I lifted up my arms.

“I’m hot anyway - and that’s in both contexts.”

I grunted out laughter at his joke as he slid his shirt over my head and over my body.

“Don’t laugh. You know it’s true.” He smiled as he turned me to face him.

“Oh, I don’t know.” I said, tapping my lip with one finger and looking up to the sky to give the impression that I was thinking about it.

“You know you want to admit it,” he laughed, stepping closer and placing his hands on my waist.
I closed my eyes and scrunched my nose.

“Nope, you’re definitely not hot.” I laughed.

Alex quickly pulled back, placing his hands over his heart.

“I’m offended, especially after I was a gentleman and gave you my shirt and saved your life,” he joked with a menacing smile.

“You know, you really are a strange angel: you’re part wolf, and you think you’re funny.”

“My comedian services are always the best, Winter. I could make you smile so easily by just a few words. In fact, scrap that, just an action from me can make you smile.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Alex; it’s a burden, you know.” I joked.

“I’m a burden anyway; I disobeyed Heaven, so I am a walking one, anyway.” Alex said with a slight frown.

I took a step closer to him as I said, “You’re not a walking burden. So what if you’re Heaven reject -.”

“And he always will be if he doesn’t buck his ideas up anytime soon. You know, Alex, you were always one with women, and it seems as though you have one Hell of a girl on your hands, if you know what I mean.” An Irish accented, female voice sounded from behind me.

“I’d rather be a reject, where I can do what I want and no one can stop me.” Alex said flatly to the woman behind me.

I looked over my shoulder to see a girl with shoulder length red, wavy hair heading our way. Her murky brown eyes pinned to me as she approached.

“Who are you?” I asked politely.

“Sarah, Sarah Louise,” she smiled, offering out her hand to me. Her golden painted fingernails shimmered in the winter sun.

I turned and shook her hand.

“Erm, my name is Winter.” I murmured, looking anywhere but at her.

“Speak up, child. Just because I look young doesn’t mean I am.” She laughed, patting me on the shoulder and throwing her head back in a dramatic gesture.

As she did, I caught a glimpse of a pair of fangs covered in a dark red substance - blood.

I gasped in shock.

“Sorry, dear, do I have something around my mouth?” She asked, rubbing at the corners of her mouth with her thumb.

“You haven’t changed a bit since we last met in Paris, Sarah. It’s not so nice to see you.” Alex groaned from behind me.

“Alex, I thought I told you to speak up and respect your elders?” She smiled, clasping her hands before her.

“Yes, but in this case, I have no need to respect you because I am many millenniums older than you.”
He said blandly.

“Not in human years you’re not, boy. Here on Earth, you are seen as human; keep it that way. Our existence is in enough jeopardy as it is, thanks to her.”

Sarah pointed at me, her eyes pinned to me like a hawk on its pray, her finger slowly making small circles.

“What? Why me, what have I done?” I demanded in surprise.

“Keep your mouth shut, Sarah; she is just getting used to everything.” Alex growled.

Behind me, I could feel his body was tense and rigid as he spoke.

Sarah quickly placed her hand lightly over her mouth, her eyes wide in shock.

“Sorry,” she apologized frantically from behind her hand.

“It’s ok.” I dismissed, not really sure why she was apologizing.

“Can we go somewhere more private?” She suggested.

Voices began to echo from behind the trees as university finished for the day.

“Like, now.” Sarah said impatiently, tapping her foot with her hands on her hips.

“Sarah,” Alex growled.

She flung her hands up in surrender.

“Sorry. I just ate; you know what I am like after a meal.”

She turned and began to make her way down the opposite way. I shivered inside, knowing what she meant. I felt Alex’s arm wrap snugly around my waist, his muscles slightly rigid. Whoever this woman was, Alex wasn’t very fond of her.

Alex’s voice drifted across my mind like a light breeze. Just ignore her, and don’t fear her either; she is about as harmless as a dumb house fly.

“Really, she is a blood sucking demon.” I muttered under my breath.

Alex laughed softly. He pressed his mouth against my ear as he whispered, “Trust me; I have known this girl since I Fell in the thirteen century, and she is plain stupid. She may be posh and well mannered, but that girl has a pea for a brain.”

I laughed lightly at his remark of her being stupid.

“Oh, by the way, or as people know it in this day of age, ‘BTW’, is it? I saw all of that topless nudity.” Sarah chirped over her shoulder.

My laughing cut off and I stared after her with wide eyes.

“Come on, she gets a bit bitchy when she doesn’t get her own way.”

Alex looped his arm through mine, flashing a quick grin, and we began to follow Sarah down the canal.