Angel of Yesterday

October 31st, 2015

44 more days

It was Halloween, I wasn't as excited as I usually was. I just pretty much lied in bed, and the gems noticed too. They have been trying to get me out of bed all day, now it was five o'clock at night and the sun was already setting. I only got out of bed because I was hungry, I didn't get out to see the gems, or talk to anyone, only to get something to eat. “Hey Steven, you are finally up. Look what Pearl made you.” Amethyst said trying to get my attention, I ignored her, walking to the fridge and grabbing sandwich stuff. “Steven, bro, look at me.” I sighed and looked up to see her holding an Archimicarus costume from Connie and mine favorite book series, The Spirit Morph Saga. “Isn't this awesome? Pearl has been working on this since last month.”

It was a pretty impressive accuracy to the character in the book. She must have read the books to get the costume down so well. I was actually slightly happy to see that Pearl went out of her way to make me such an awesome costume. I stopped making my sandwich and walked around the bar, to where Amethyst was. “That's pretty cool, has she really been working on it since last month?” Amethyst nodded. I wish I could thank Pearl, but her, and Garnet went on a mission and won't be back until tomorrow. They had Amethyst to stay with me just in case if I wanted to go trick-or-treating.

There was a knock on the door, I knew it wasn't trick-or-treaters because not a lot of people new the beach house was even here. So, it could be anybody that I know. Walking over to the door, totally forgetting about the sandwich I wanted to eat, I answered it. Connie was there, with a basket, a red hoodie cap, with an eye patch over her eye. I instantly knew she was Lisa from the book series. “Hey Steven! Where's your costume?” She sounded almost disappointed that I wasn't dressed.

“Oh … I wasn't going to go trick-or-treating this year …” I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. “I was going to call you, but I finally got out of bed. I haven't been feeling too well. You know just getting out of the hospital and all.” I laughed nervously. “However, come in, I would love to have some company. All I have is Amethyst.” Connie walked into the beach house, staring at Amethyst who ate the rest of the lunch meat and cheese. “Amethyst, that was my dinner.” I groaned out.

Connie giggled. “We can always hit candy for dinner, if you just go trick-or-treating with me. It took a lot of convincing my parents to let me go out tonight and even get candy. Please go with me Steven,” she was pretty much begging me. I was starting to feel bad that she went out of her way to just come over here and get me to go with her.

I sighed and looked at Amethyst who wiped her hands-on her pants before grabbing the costume Pearl made me and handing it to me. “Pearl made me an Archimicarus costume. She worked on it since last month. Let me get dressed, then we will head out.” I went into the bathroom, coming out a few moments with the costume on. I blushed brightly at Connie's excitement on her face, “Do you like it?” I asked her, and she nodded quickly.

“I love it. Pearl did an amazing job on it. Amethyst, are you coming with us?” Connie asked. I looked over at Amethyst who had shape-shifted into the Purple Puma and flexed. She was pretty much saying in her way that she was going to go. She went back to her normal self, not wanting to strain herself before the actual trick-or-treating happens.

Amethyst put away the things back in the fridge, checked everything, before turning the lights off. We walked out of Beach House, ready to go trick-or-treating. “We can't walk too fast …” I had told them, as I can already feel the strain on the stitching I had from the incident I had. Amethyst and Connie slowed down, and I thanked them. “I'm sorry. I want to walk faster, but it's hard.”

“Don't be sorry, Steven, I understand. And I am sure, Amethyst does too. Huh?” Amethyst nodded and patted me on the head, as we walked down the beach towards the city. It was pretty dark by the time we made it to the houses. There were trick-or-treaters everywhere, laughing, talking, and having such an amazing time. “This is so cool. It's actually the first time I have ever been trick-or-treating before.”

“Really? This is maybe my third time. Amethyst can tell you that Pearl and Garnet don't like Halloween that much, so I don't go anywhere on this day.” Amethyst nodded as she shape-shifted into the Purple Puma. For some reason, Amethyst wasn't a very big speaker today, I wonder what was going on through her mind. Anyway, we went to almost everywhere else, getting to the point where are bags were getting over full with candy. “It's a bit late. How about you call your parents up and tell them you are going to stay at my house? Dad will give you a ride in the morning.”

Connie was on the phone with her parents for some time, until they finally agreed to let her stay over at my house. We high-five each other, before heading back to my house using a shortcut. Amethyst wasn't being quiet anymore, she talked and talked about how much she wanted to trade with us. Until she already ate all her candy before we even got half-way back home. I shook my head in disappointed. “I couldn't help it. I was hungry.” Dark spots radiated off her face and I couldn't help, but laugh.

“I'll give you some of my candy when we get home. Pearl won't let me have all this in the first place.” It was true, she would be like. 'Amethyst! How could you let Steven get all of this candy? He can rot all his teeth out if he tries to eat all of this.' I giggled at my own thought, before my cheeks went bright red when Connie grabbed my hand. I looked at her, and she smiled at me as we kept walking. Then, our whole bodies went rigid as we heard somebody yell, and a horrific growl coming from an alley. “What was that?”

“Whatever it is, we need to go help the lady!” Amethyst said grabbing out her whip as she started to run towards the lady who had screamed. Connie and I followed, I instantly summoned my shield, waiting to defend off whatever that thing was. My side hurt like hell, when I was running. It was a pretty bad idea to even do this. We got to the alley, the light from the moon shone on a huge towering mutant type thing. It had three arms and two legs, as it turned around I saw two large lumps where its face should have been. Its left arm acts as a leg, it was very long, huge and muscular. Attached to it is two parallel hands. It was disgusting, as it had two right arms, and one of its legs is very small, not allowing it to act as a real leg. As it got closer I noticed it was mismatched colors, including yellow, spring green and dull purple. “That's nasty.” Amethyst said and gagged.

The thing roared again, running towards us. I dropped the bag of candy I was holding and pushed Connie behind me as the thing rammed into my shield. We were thrown back, almost screaming in pain as I landed on my side. I watched as Amethyst wrapped her whip around the massive body and threw it against the dead end brick wall. The girl screamed again, before running past us and down the street. I managed to get up, and help Connie up, she was shaking. I instantly felt like a failure once again.

I mean Connie had some sword training with Pearl, but they haven't got very far yet in their training. She was still not accustom to these types of things. Neither was I for that matter. I heard Amethyst yelp in pain as she was thrown over our heads. “Connie, stay behind me. I'll protect you.” I said through huffs of breath. I didn't have much energy with me. My head was pounding and my side was throbbing. This thing in front of us was monstrous nothing I have ever faced off before. I didn't know if I was able to keep Connie safe like I want too. I could never be like the other gems, like my mother.

Amethyst ran past us and whipped her whip towards the monster, throwing it back. I wanted to help so bad, Amethyst was no match for this huge thing. We all knew it. I took a deep breath, and threw my sword hitting it square in the chest, it went back a little bit, but I just mostly pissed it off. It knocked Amethyst down against the side of the building with one of its huge arms. She laid there motionless. The monster's roar shook our bodies and made our hearts beat faster. Then, it ran at us, I was too slow to respond. Connie and I flew backwards. I hit my head on one of the street lamps on the side walk, and Connie landed in the street motionless.

I saw flashing lights coming towards us, I couldn't move a muscle. I was going to lose another love one, and it was all my fault. It was my fault for not being strong enough to save them. I closed my eyes as I heard screeching, somebody yelling, then everything went quiet. I felt a hand on my shoulder, opening my eyes, Pearl was in front of me. “Connie! Is she okay?” I asked trying to look around Pearl.

“Steven, she is fine. Garnet, grabbed her just in time. Are you okay? Does anything hurt?” I shook my head, which was a terrible idea as the whole world instantly got dizzy. My hand shot up to my head holding it. I heard grunting, and looked to see Garnet fighting off the monster, it looked liked she was having trouble fighting off the being. I didn't know why because I knew Garnet could do it with no problem whatsoever. “I'll be right back, keep an eye on Connie. She's out cold and I have no idea how much damage she received.”

Didn't know how much damage, she had received? I crawled my way over to Connie, touching her cheek that felt cold. I grabbed up her body on to my lap, moving her hair out of her face. “Please be okay. I'm so sorry that I couldn't help you. I'm so worthless. I'm never going to be like my mother.” Tears fell on her cheek that rolled down from mine. I stroked her cheek before hearing an ambulance siren and seeing its flashing lights. Pearl put a hand on my shoulder and I shook my head. “I'm not leaving her. No!” I snapped as they tried to pull me away. “Leave me alone! It's my fault she is like this. I am not leaving her, damn it!” They finally stopped trying to get me to go. Pearl whispered something in my ear I didn't catch as they jumped into the air out of sight of the ambulance.

Everything went by to fast, I found out that the stitches in my side had reopened. They had to take me along to the hospital with Connie who had received internal damages. I didn't understand most that they were saying, but it didn't sound good at all. Once on the way to the hospital, Connie had flat lined, and they had to shock her back into the realm of the living. I remembered they had to sedate me because I was screaming and thrashing around in the back of the ambulance. That was the last thing I knew before I woke up in the hospital bed.

Her mom wouldn't let me see her. I have the strongest feeling she thought this was all my fault. And it pretty much was. It was my fault and I couldn't change it. Halloween will never be the same for me.

November 4th, 2015

40 Days Left

It's been almost five days since the incident, I was released on the same day I was admitted into the hospital, but I didn't know if Connie was alright or not. They wouldn't tell me anything, and Dr. Maheswaran wouldn't let me see her. “I'll be back in a few hours.” I told the gems that were sitting around the coffee table.

“Where are you going, Steven?” asked Pearl. She didn't like me going anywhere alone anymore. She was afraid something bad would happen to me. Maybe. I was hoping something would. “We were going to go and look for Peridot soon. We were hoping you would come with us.” I shook my head.

“I'm okay, I will slow you down in the first place. I am going to go over to Connie's to see how she is doing.” The look on their faces told me that they didn't want me to go anywhere, but I shrugged and walked out of the Beach House without another word. I called on Lion that let me get on his back. I had him stop at a flower shop so I can pick up some flowers for Connie, before heading towards her house. I slowly got off of Lion, and grabbed the flowers from his magical mane when we got there.

I took a deep breath before winching at the sharp pain in my side. I stood there for an about a minute to calm down enough that I was able to walk up to the front door. The words that I wanted to say recited in my head. My arm went up and my hand shaped into a fist, as it made contact with the wooden front door. I knocked twice letting my hand fall to the side of me, and my other hand clenching the flowers wrapped in tissue and plastic. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Dr. Maheswaran answered the door.

Her facial features were more wrinkled than usual as there was dark spots under eyes. “Hello Steven, what do you want?” She asked a hint of irritation in her voice.

“H-Hi Dr. Maheswaran. I came to see if Connie was okay. I had brought her some flowers. I knew these are her favorite.” I held of the flowers, a hint of a smile showed on Dr. Maheswaran's face, but it could have just been my imagination.

“She's fine, Steven, she will love these. However, I am sorry, I won't allow you to see her. What happened on Halloween was unacceptable. You almost got her killed. Thank you for the flowers. Have a good day, Universe.” She shut the door in my face. I had felt like crying right then and there, but I held it in until I got back to the temple.

“Hey Steven! Do you want to play some Video games? Are you hungry lil'man?” Amethyst asked cheerfully as I walked into the house. I wasn't eating much these days maybe that's why she asked if I was hungry. I looked at her, and shook my head, going back up to my room. The feeling deep inside my chest wouldn't go away. The feeling of being a failure. The feeling of being a nobody. “Are you sure? I will whip you up something really quick.”

“I'm good. Thank you though.” I said gloomily. “I am just mostly tired. Maybe I will eat something after my nap. Yeah, that sounds good.” I crawled under the blankets to just fall into the darkness of my mind. It started out that I was getting chased from something. Whatever was chasing me, I must have been afraid of because my heart was rapidly beating and my feet wouldn't go any faster. My head turned to the side to see two shadowy figures chasing me. I then fell down a hole, and down I went. I kept falling and falling, until I landed flat on my face. As I sat up, the shadowy figures turned into real people. Connie and Lapis. Why were they chasing me? They started to laugh that shook my whole body. I didn't know what was happening, as they jumped on me.

Then I was on the sidelines watching as they tore my body into pieces. I just watched as they laughed killing me. That was all I remembered when I was getting shaken awake by Amethyst who looked frightened. I had realized that I had wet the bed. I haven't done that in years.