‹ Prequel: In an Instant
Sequel: Delilahs Darkness ›
Status: 2017 Nanowrimo Project!
City of Dark Angels
Shadow of Light
The world around us begins to spin as we fit the key into the lock, I hold my breath as it turns in its place. The sky above us gets darker and the rain is falling in buckets now, the thunder roars the loudest that it can shaking the door as well as the soil beneath us. Death reaches out to grab the handle of the door, only to be shocked by a jolt of electricity the moment his skin collides with the cold metal of the handle.
"Delilah, you're going to have to open it. Raviera has made it so I cannot be let in, he must have imprinted my skin into the handle."
I take a deep breath in and turn the handle, my heart beating fast in my chest as I turn and let the door slide open. I put my hand into the darkening clouds that surround the entrance to the door and it disappears and I feel a sense of doom disrupt my entire being.
A sour sense of remorse fills me as I take my first frightened step into the City of Angels, I look behind me at Travis and Death. They are watching me with agony as I descend into the darkness of the city, they disappear in my view and the door shuts with a deafening blow behind me.
There's no going back now. I realize taking an entire step into the great unknown. I look up and I recognize the sign I seen from my visions, just as damaged as I seen it before. Falling apart and damp from the never ending rainfall.
I realize I have truly arrived in the City of Angels.
***
**Flashback**
"So are you sure you are okay with Stephan and I being together? If you're not just say so, again I am so sorry I betrayed you while you were in your coma, it was neither of our intentions but it was just something that happened." Sierra asked me as we sat across from each other in a coffee shop, I took a sip of my hot coffee with half french vanilla and set it down on the table. I cleared my throat before giving her an answer.
"I can't lie, I saw it coming a long time ago... things were never perfect with Stephan and I. We fought a lot, about stupid things. I thought we were perfect, but we never were. As long as you are both happy then, I am happy for you." I told her, which is the completely honest truth. I am happy for her as much as it hurts to see at times, as not too long ago that was me in his arms.
"Besides, you have Travis now." She smirks and I stiffen a smile from forming on my lips.
"We are just friends, nothing more, nothing less." I tell her, knowing that's how I was happy with things being.
"If you say so." She giggled putting down her notebook on the table. "So, how are things with the art magazine now that you've had your work published?"
"Going very well, they want me to work on another piece for next month edition." I told her showing her the email that the CEO sent me just two days ago.
"Wow, that's amazing I'm so proud of you Delilah!" I beam at her compliment putting my phone back into my pocket. "I have to ask, what was it like...you know, being in a coma?"
I reflected back onto the entire experience, from the accident and waking up outside of my body. The shock of it all consuming me, then to meeting death himself in that room surrounded by photos of my life and memories. Then the hospital and seeing the face of my loved ones as they saw my broken and bruised body on that hospital bed, nearly lifeless. I tell her about meeting Travis for the first time, the first time I ever seen those brown eyes gazing at me, telling me my shoe was untied when I wasn't even wearing shoes but flip flops and how I rolled my eyes at him and continued talking to him. I told her all about finding out about the affair with Travis's mother and my father and how my father killed his parents which led such an innocent beautiful soul down a dark path of drugs and self abuse. I told her about Cecilia and how she started out as a monster, scaring Travis and I and how I could communicate with what was known to the brink as "the other side" and how her jealousy caused her to break free of her prison and attempt to cause us harm. I tell her about my father and how he tried to kill us and his drug corporation that he tried so hard to keep secret and him entering our realm with the help of deaths brother. I even tell her about the fun day Travis and I had, leaving the walls of the hospital to explore the outside world letting the cars flow through our ghostly bodies and causing trouble in the mall without a care in the world. I told her about Travis visiting his old house, the house of which he witnessed my father, my very own flesh and blood killing his parents. And how we jumped out the very same window he had, and ran back to the comforts of the hospital. I tell her about how I heard everything that everyone ever said to me, and how I knew before hand about her and Stephan and her apology. I tell her about the visit with my mother and having to listen to her cry at the very sight of me, and the fight with her and my father and having them known of my presence. I tell her everything I seen, everything I heard, everything I felt, and all of it in between.
When I am finished telling her all that there is to tell, she is looking at me wide eyed with tears dripping down her face from the shock of my tale.
"Oh Delilah..." She said wiping a tear that falls from her blue eyes. "I can't believe you went through all of that. You are the strongest person I've ever known."
"I have no choice but to be strong." She gets up off the chair and pulls me into the biggest hug, I embrace her back grateful for our friendship and despite the betrayal I still don't ever want to loose her.
Ever.
------------
"Delilah?" I hear Travis call out from behind me, I turn around and he is surrounded by the misty fog of the storm. I can barely see him but he steps before me, his eyes are turning from the innocent brown I always remembered to an evil shade of black. He looks at me confused as I back away from him fearfully, reaching out his hand to mine. I blink and his eyes return to the normal shade I had always known. "Delilah... it's just me, it's okay Delilah."
"Where's Death?" I call out, my voice getting trapped in the void of the mist. I want to carry on into the city, but find myself not being able to proceed until I know that Death is okay.
"He can't come in just yet, he's trying to find away to get around the blockage his brother put on the entrance. He'll be here soon Delilah, he told us to keep moving. And not to look back." I shake in fear but know that I have to carry on, I turn and focus on the path ahead. Taking one stride at a time, not looking back and thinking of the warning Cecilia had given me. Only thinking of the mission ahead, and what the little angel girl had told me upon giving me the key; to save them.
It was a risk I was willing to take, even if it meant not making it out alive from whatever the city holds within.
I reach the barrier of the city, and look out from the mountain top onto the surroundings of the deserted land. Just as I had seen beforehand, broken and battered, torn apart, buildings on fire. Like a bomb had gone off and torn the place to shreds, I glance fearfully at Travis and he nods and we carry on. Lightening strikes the path ahead of us, and gives the entire place a strong illuminating shadow of light for a moment. I am able to see people, or what I think is people. Watching us from the shadows, wings tethered to their backs and evil grins plastered on their faces. We take another step forward and someone steps out onto the path in front of me. I recognize him from a time before, Raviera.
"Welcome to the City of Angels, please do enjoy your stay. As we've been expecting you." He grins and speaks in a mocking tone, I do all I can to not show fear in my expression as I continue walking through ignoring the way he watches us.
"Delilah, you're going to have to open it. Raviera has made it so I cannot be let in, he must have imprinted my skin into the handle."
I take a deep breath in and turn the handle, my heart beating fast in my chest as I turn and let the door slide open. I put my hand into the darkening clouds that surround the entrance to the door and it disappears and I feel a sense of doom disrupt my entire being.
A sour sense of remorse fills me as I take my first frightened step into the City of Angels, I look behind me at Travis and Death. They are watching me with agony as I descend into the darkness of the city, they disappear in my view and the door shuts with a deafening blow behind me.
There's no going back now. I realize taking an entire step into the great unknown. I look up and I recognize the sign I seen from my visions, just as damaged as I seen it before. Falling apart and damp from the never ending rainfall.
I realize I have truly arrived in the City of Angels.
***
**Flashback**
"So are you sure you are okay with Stephan and I being together? If you're not just say so, again I am so sorry I betrayed you while you were in your coma, it was neither of our intentions but it was just something that happened." Sierra asked me as we sat across from each other in a coffee shop, I took a sip of my hot coffee with half french vanilla and set it down on the table. I cleared my throat before giving her an answer.
"I can't lie, I saw it coming a long time ago... things were never perfect with Stephan and I. We fought a lot, about stupid things. I thought we were perfect, but we never were. As long as you are both happy then, I am happy for you." I told her, which is the completely honest truth. I am happy for her as much as it hurts to see at times, as not too long ago that was me in his arms.
"Besides, you have Travis now." She smirks and I stiffen a smile from forming on my lips.
"We are just friends, nothing more, nothing less." I tell her, knowing that's how I was happy with things being.
"If you say so." She giggled putting down her notebook on the table. "So, how are things with the art magazine now that you've had your work published?"
"Going very well, they want me to work on another piece for next month edition." I told her showing her the email that the CEO sent me just two days ago.
"Wow, that's amazing I'm so proud of you Delilah!" I beam at her compliment putting my phone back into my pocket. "I have to ask, what was it like...you know, being in a coma?"
I reflected back onto the entire experience, from the accident and waking up outside of my body. The shock of it all consuming me, then to meeting death himself in that room surrounded by photos of my life and memories. Then the hospital and seeing the face of my loved ones as they saw my broken and bruised body on that hospital bed, nearly lifeless. I tell her about meeting Travis for the first time, the first time I ever seen those brown eyes gazing at me, telling me my shoe was untied when I wasn't even wearing shoes but flip flops and how I rolled my eyes at him and continued talking to him. I told her all about finding out about the affair with Travis's mother and my father and how my father killed his parents which led such an innocent beautiful soul down a dark path of drugs and self abuse. I told her about Cecilia and how she started out as a monster, scaring Travis and I and how I could communicate with what was known to the brink as "the other side" and how her jealousy caused her to break free of her prison and attempt to cause us harm. I tell her about my father and how he tried to kill us and his drug corporation that he tried so hard to keep secret and him entering our realm with the help of deaths brother. I even tell her about the fun day Travis and I had, leaving the walls of the hospital to explore the outside world letting the cars flow through our ghostly bodies and causing trouble in the mall without a care in the world. I told her about Travis visiting his old house, the house of which he witnessed my father, my very own flesh and blood killing his parents. And how we jumped out the very same window he had, and ran back to the comforts of the hospital. I tell her about how I heard everything that everyone ever said to me, and how I knew before hand about her and Stephan and her apology. I tell her about the visit with my mother and having to listen to her cry at the very sight of me, and the fight with her and my father and having them known of my presence. I tell her everything I seen, everything I heard, everything I felt, and all of it in between.
When I am finished telling her all that there is to tell, she is looking at me wide eyed with tears dripping down her face from the shock of my tale.
"Oh Delilah..." She said wiping a tear that falls from her blue eyes. "I can't believe you went through all of that. You are the strongest person I've ever known."
"I have no choice but to be strong." She gets up off the chair and pulls me into the biggest hug, I embrace her back grateful for our friendship and despite the betrayal I still don't ever want to loose her.
Ever.
------------
"Delilah?" I hear Travis call out from behind me, I turn around and he is surrounded by the misty fog of the storm. I can barely see him but he steps before me, his eyes are turning from the innocent brown I always remembered to an evil shade of black. He looks at me confused as I back away from him fearfully, reaching out his hand to mine. I blink and his eyes return to the normal shade I had always known. "Delilah... it's just me, it's okay Delilah."
"Where's Death?" I call out, my voice getting trapped in the void of the mist. I want to carry on into the city, but find myself not being able to proceed until I know that Death is okay.
"He can't come in just yet, he's trying to find away to get around the blockage his brother put on the entrance. He'll be here soon Delilah, he told us to keep moving. And not to look back." I shake in fear but know that I have to carry on, I turn and focus on the path ahead. Taking one stride at a time, not looking back and thinking of the warning Cecilia had given me. Only thinking of the mission ahead, and what the little angel girl had told me upon giving me the key; to save them.
It was a risk I was willing to take, even if it meant not making it out alive from whatever the city holds within.
I reach the barrier of the city, and look out from the mountain top onto the surroundings of the deserted land. Just as I had seen beforehand, broken and battered, torn apart, buildings on fire. Like a bomb had gone off and torn the place to shreds, I glance fearfully at Travis and he nods and we carry on. Lightening strikes the path ahead of us, and gives the entire place a strong illuminating shadow of light for a moment. I am able to see people, or what I think is people. Watching us from the shadows, wings tethered to their backs and evil grins plastered on their faces. We take another step forward and someone steps out onto the path in front of me. I recognize him from a time before, Raviera.
"Welcome to the City of Angels, please do enjoy your stay. As we've been expecting you." He grins and speaks in a mocking tone, I do all I can to not show fear in my expression as I continue walking through ignoring the way he watches us.