City of Dark Angels

Travis looks shocked for a moment, before finally saying something to the girl. "You're my what...?"

"I was born three years after you, mom kept me a secret and gave me up for adoption soon after I was born. We never got to meet, as I moved to the complete opposite side of the country. I never knew I was adopted until after I had died."

"And how did you die?" He asks, reaching out to grab her hand not sure he truly wanted to know the answer to that.

"I was diagnosed with cancer when I was 6 months old, leukemia to be exact. They tried their best to save me but it took hold of every part of me and I took my last breath when I was 15; I'll be fifteen forever." Travis is crying at this point, tears dripping down his face. Erika reaches out and wipes the tears from his eyes and embraces him in a hug.

"I had no idea you existed, why did mother give you up for adoption and never tell me?" He asks her.

"She was under a lot of stress at the time, the house needed so much work to be done on it, she knew I was sick and couldn't afford the hospital bills. She didn't want to but knew it would be for the best, she never brought me up to you because she didn't want to be left with the memory of me and just wanted to get on with life."

"Do you know...?"

"That they are dead? Yes, I know everything. They aren't here though, they are in heaven. This isn't heaven it never was, it's for the lost to find themselves again. Well that's what it was, until Raviera came along and changed everything."

A loud crash is heard from outside of the cabin. We all get up from where we sit and inch slowly towards the door.

Erika holds her hand up at us and we all retreat while she goes to the door herself. She opens the door slightly and from the small crack in the side I am able to see a large fire forming.

Everyone other than Travis, Erika and I begin panicking at the crash and the fire and they all stupidly bolt from the cabin and into the darkness of the city out a back door.

"Idiots." Erika remarks and backs up back inside the cabin and locks the door.

"What was that?" I ask her leaning against the doorframe.

"Raviera dropping bombs on where he thinks we are. Those idiots gave us away, won't be long until they come back as dark Angels." She explains grabbing a flashlight on the counter and walking to the back of the room. "Come on."

Travis and I follow her downward a flight of stairs and into another large basement room.

"We should be safe here for now." She says starting a fire in the fireplace. I grab my phone out of my pocket and see that I have no cell service and my phone dies completely.

"What time is it?" I ask curiously.

"Time is not a concept here, neither is day and night. It's always dark here, never light."

**In the real world**

The sky quickly darkened faster than it could come to light. All of the people of the town look up in horror at the sky. Wondering what sort of phenomenon could cause such a quick descend into darkness. But what they don't know is that there is so much more horror to be caused.

Hours later I wake up to the loud crash of thunder outside the cabin. I didn't even realize I fell asleep, but I must have been out for sometime. Travis was fast asleep as well, on a mattress on the floor next to me. Erika was awake, sitting on a chair just staring at the wall ahead of her.

"Sleep well?" She asks as I stir and get up to join her at the table.

"I suppose so, I don't remember falling asleep."

"Thank you for watching out for my brother, you have no idea how much it means to me." She says suddenly looking at me with a sadness in her eyes.

"Of course...do you know how I met him?" I ask her curiously since she claims to know pretty much everything.

"Yes, in a coma, you from a car accident and Travis from another drug overdose. And yes I know you guys are just friends, but I really like you two together." She says and I smile at her words.

"I wish you would have seen this place before Raviera took over, you and Travis would have loved it so much."

"So if this place isn't heaven... And it's not the brink, then what is it?" I have to ask. My curiousity overwhelming me.

"The in between of it all, as I said for those to go and find themselves, the lost to become unlost, you can choose to stay here for all eternity or you can move on to heaven or wherever your soul believes in."

Travis wakes just then, and with a look of dismay in his eyes he stands up and walks over to us and sits down.

"I had the worst dream..." He says to us and I look at him with concern.

"Do tell." Erika says.