‹ Prequel: In an Instant
Sequel: Delilahs Darkness ›
Status: 2017 Nanowrimo Project!
City of Dark Angels
Return to the brink
I glance outside into the night sky, the moon is slowly beginning to make its way up into the night sky. The large group of Dark Angels joining whatever it is that Raviera has planned for his ritual has grown to large extremes. One of the Dark Angels looks quickly into my direction and I duck into the room before it spots me.
I turn and through the last heart is into the fire pit and it sparks up in green flames. The ashes are collected in the bag and at last we are fully ready for our own ritual.
“We have to act quickly, their sacrifice is about to begin.” Death says, collecting the viles of our blood from me and emptying them into a large vase.
“They have no idea about what we are about to do, they think the four of you are dead.”
I stare at him perplexed.
“We have planted it inside his mind that the existence of you four has ended, it’s only a matter of time before it wears off and he knows we are doing this.” The AI explains to us, I glance over at Travis with fear in my eyes; he nods with bravery.
“We can do this.”
I hear chanting from outside the walls, but I refrain with all I have from looking. The Dark Angels repeating the same chant that they were before, I can hear my heart beating rapidly inside my chest just wanting to get started on reversing this evil curse.
“Okay, what do we do?” I ask the AI and she places the bowl of angel heart ashes, our blood and the feathers on a grate on top of the fire.
“We wait for the moon to rise, and then once it has risen we place the stone inside the bowl; after that, you’ll know exactly what to do.”
***OUTSIDE THE WALLS***
Raviera paces down the rows of dark angels, waiting for the moon to rise and for his plan to grow into action. This is the greatest day in all of history to Raviera, the day the world turns into a never ending darkness for all of eternity, and the Dark Angels he created become his people. His greatest creation.
A fire off in the distance is set off, and Raviera runs towards the source. But halfway there, is mind is cleared and he cannot remember as to the reason a fire would be there. The four that cannot be turned, the four that are trying to ruin Raviera’s greatest plan are dead. They died when they entered the city, he saw it with his own to eyes, he had nothing to fear. They would not be able to interrupt his sacrifice. The plan was ready to be set into action.
Finally, after much haste and waiting the moon can be seen rising over the mountains. Raviera smiles and makes his way over to the circle of the youth he has captured for his deed. They stand straight, staring off into space; not knowing that their lives are coming to a quick end. For the greater good according to Raviera.
The blood that has been drained from their bodies is set in the middle of the circle, inside a metal bowl. Once the moon rises, the rest will take care of itself.
***
“Riley, I’m scared.” Erika whispers to Riley, I can feel the fear in her voice, the fear of the unknown surrounds her. He reaches out and places a comforting arm around her shoulder.
“Its okay, everything will be okay.”
“What will happen...if we fail?” I ask, Travis frowns at my question.
“Don’t think about failing, think about winning; we won’t fail.”
“If we fail, which in retrospect is very likely; not to bring you guys down or anything. Then well... you seen the future.”
“So we have to win.” I say, looking up into the sky at the moon that is very close to the sky. Travis looks down at his watch.
“It’s 9:10, 5 more minutes.”
I hear a bang from outside the walls, and a scream can be heard from far off into the distance. I remember being told that hearing, and seeing things that scare us would happen but to ignore it, to let it all happen.
“It’s almost time, everyone please gather around the fire pit.”
We do so, and slowly the AI drops the stone into the pit, at first nothing remarkable happens. I hold my breath, waiting for something and anything to happen.
Suddenly, I am dizzy. Incredibly dizzy, I close my eyes to block out that the world feels fuzzy; and I am unsure as the place of what I am feeling. It’s not fear...no...it’s euphoria. It’s bliss, it’s peace. My eyes open and I recognize where I am the second I look around. The field of where I woke to after the coma, the beautiful dress I had I on is back on me. I hold my hands out in front of me, they are see through. I am see through. I remember everything, the little pond, and the birds singing their morning song. It all comes back to me, in that same kaleidoscope of memories that I experienced when arriving in the brink.
Is that what this is?
Am I back in the brink?
Am I dead? Or dying?
My thoughts are interrupted when I look off into the distance and I see that little cabin, the one with my life and my memories. I run to it. I am there in an instant. That same fast instant where my life changed forever.
I throw open the door and walk inside.
It’s empty.
No photos on the walls, no nothing. Just an empty, empty room. Suddenly, the door slams shut, just like it had done at my previous arrival. I am almost waiting to turn around and see Death standing there like he had done previously.
But its not him.
It’s my father.
I glare at him, but his face softens.
“Delilah...” He says, I hold my stance, not about to fall for any game he tries to play with me. “I’m sorry.”
I cross my arms over my chest.
“Sorry for what?” I ask coldly.
“For everything, for leaving you, for killing Travis’s parents, for hurting you, for cheating on your mother and breaking our family apart. I’m sorry, for the drugs and the lying and the stealing. I promise you, I will be a better man. I don’t want to be a Dark Angel anymore Delilah...you have to stop Raviera, you have to. I will do everything in my power to prove it all to you.”
I almost give in.
But, I just can’t.
I turn away from him.
“I understand you’re upset, believe me I would be too; being in your shoes. After everything you’ve been through, I’m sorry I tried to kill you for my cooperation, I understand if you don’t want me in your life. I get it, all I ask is that you stop Raviera. I will do my time, all my life if I have to. Just please stop him.”
“That I can do, forgiving you...I can’t.”
“Okay Delilah. That’s okay.”
And with that he’s gone. And I’m standing here wondering if he was sincere in even the slightest way, if anything he said was true. If he was truly sorry for what he had done, to my life and to Travis’s life.
Another door in the dark room shows up, and I walk towards it; eager to find out where I am and where I am meant to go. I push it open and find myself in the hospital.
I’m watching the medics wheel my body in urgency to the operating room, I’m watching Stephan and Sierra standing there inside the waiting room. Crying into each others arms, comforting the pain of my possible loss.
“Delilah...” I hear a voice call out.
Its Sierra, she’s standing next to me as we watch it all transpire.
“I’m sorry for what I said, I’m sorry for all of it. You’re right, it wasn’t me. It was the darkness talking, and you HAVE to stop Raviera... he has us trapped inside our own minds, its terrifying, it’s awful; I can’t live like this forever. If you lose, forever; everyone will be trapped here and I wouldn’t wish this fate to anyone, not even your father. Delilah...please, please stop him!”
She disappears too.
I exit the door from the hospital that I walked in on, but instead of being back in the little cabin, I am home.
My mother sits at the table, her arms folded over each other. Staring into space. I walk up to her and wave my hand in front of her eyes.
She doesn’t even blink.
“Mother?” I whisper.
She slowly turns to me, her eyes black. She shakes her head and they return to normal.
“Delilah honey...” She says, and I sit down next to her.
“Please...stop him.”
“That’s what we are trying to do.” I say, and she reaches out and takes my hand.
“Try...harder.”
She disappears too.
I am alone now, and hang my head low and let the tears flow from my eyes. I am scared, being given the biggest task of my life. Saving the world. Why is it up to me?
I am shaking as I feel a comforting grasp on my shoulder, I look up and it’s Cecilia.
“You’ve done so much for everyone, don’t be afraid Delilah, even if you don’t succeed in this mission; you did your best.”
I sob, “but my best won’t be good enough, everyone will be trapped in their minds forever.”
“That may be so, but you will succeed.”
She’s gone now too.
I get up from the table and walk towards the door, I open it and I am once again in that field.
Travis is standing at the pond alone, glancing down at his reflection. He turns around and smiles at me.
“We better get back.” He says.
“What even was this? Some sort of pep talk?” I ask.
“Did it help?”
“I don’t know...”
“Maybe this will then...” He reaches out and grabs my hand and pulls me towards him, my heart is beating fast as I can expect what to happen next but before it does my eyes open and I am back around the fire as the stone is rising and beginning to glow.
The time has come.
I turn and through the last heart is into the fire pit and it sparks up in green flames. The ashes are collected in the bag and at last we are fully ready for our own ritual.
“We have to act quickly, their sacrifice is about to begin.” Death says, collecting the viles of our blood from me and emptying them into a large vase.
“They have no idea about what we are about to do, they think the four of you are dead.”
I stare at him perplexed.
“We have planted it inside his mind that the existence of you four has ended, it’s only a matter of time before it wears off and he knows we are doing this.” The AI explains to us, I glance over at Travis with fear in my eyes; he nods with bravery.
“We can do this.”
I hear chanting from outside the walls, but I refrain with all I have from looking. The Dark Angels repeating the same chant that they were before, I can hear my heart beating rapidly inside my chest just wanting to get started on reversing this evil curse.
“Okay, what do we do?” I ask the AI and she places the bowl of angel heart ashes, our blood and the feathers on a grate on top of the fire.
“We wait for the moon to rise, and then once it has risen we place the stone inside the bowl; after that, you’ll know exactly what to do.”
***OUTSIDE THE WALLS***
Raviera paces down the rows of dark angels, waiting for the moon to rise and for his plan to grow into action. This is the greatest day in all of history to Raviera, the day the world turns into a never ending darkness for all of eternity, and the Dark Angels he created become his people. His greatest creation.
A fire off in the distance is set off, and Raviera runs towards the source. But halfway there, is mind is cleared and he cannot remember as to the reason a fire would be there. The four that cannot be turned, the four that are trying to ruin Raviera’s greatest plan are dead. They died when they entered the city, he saw it with his own to eyes, he had nothing to fear. They would not be able to interrupt his sacrifice. The plan was ready to be set into action.
Finally, after much haste and waiting the moon can be seen rising over the mountains. Raviera smiles and makes his way over to the circle of the youth he has captured for his deed. They stand straight, staring off into space; not knowing that their lives are coming to a quick end. For the greater good according to Raviera.
The blood that has been drained from their bodies is set in the middle of the circle, inside a metal bowl. Once the moon rises, the rest will take care of itself.
***
“Riley, I’m scared.” Erika whispers to Riley, I can feel the fear in her voice, the fear of the unknown surrounds her. He reaches out and places a comforting arm around her shoulder.
“Its okay, everything will be okay.”
“What will happen...if we fail?” I ask, Travis frowns at my question.
“Don’t think about failing, think about winning; we won’t fail.”
“If we fail, which in retrospect is very likely; not to bring you guys down or anything. Then well... you seen the future.”
“So we have to win.” I say, looking up into the sky at the moon that is very close to the sky. Travis looks down at his watch.
“It’s 9:10, 5 more minutes.”
I hear a bang from outside the walls, and a scream can be heard from far off into the distance. I remember being told that hearing, and seeing things that scare us would happen but to ignore it, to let it all happen.
“It’s almost time, everyone please gather around the fire pit.”
We do so, and slowly the AI drops the stone into the pit, at first nothing remarkable happens. I hold my breath, waiting for something and anything to happen.
Suddenly, I am dizzy. Incredibly dizzy, I close my eyes to block out that the world feels fuzzy; and I am unsure as the place of what I am feeling. It’s not fear...no...it’s euphoria. It’s bliss, it’s peace. My eyes open and I recognize where I am the second I look around. The field of where I woke to after the coma, the beautiful dress I had I on is back on me. I hold my hands out in front of me, they are see through. I am see through. I remember everything, the little pond, and the birds singing their morning song. It all comes back to me, in that same kaleidoscope of memories that I experienced when arriving in the brink.
Is that what this is?
Am I back in the brink?
Am I dead? Or dying?
My thoughts are interrupted when I look off into the distance and I see that little cabin, the one with my life and my memories. I run to it. I am there in an instant. That same fast instant where my life changed forever.
I throw open the door and walk inside.
It’s empty.
No photos on the walls, no nothing. Just an empty, empty room. Suddenly, the door slams shut, just like it had done at my previous arrival. I am almost waiting to turn around and see Death standing there like he had done previously.
But its not him.
It’s my father.
I glare at him, but his face softens.
“Delilah...” He says, I hold my stance, not about to fall for any game he tries to play with me. “I’m sorry.”
I cross my arms over my chest.
“Sorry for what?” I ask coldly.
“For everything, for leaving you, for killing Travis’s parents, for hurting you, for cheating on your mother and breaking our family apart. I’m sorry, for the drugs and the lying and the stealing. I promise you, I will be a better man. I don’t want to be a Dark Angel anymore Delilah...you have to stop Raviera, you have to. I will do everything in my power to prove it all to you.”
I almost give in.
But, I just can’t.
I turn away from him.
“I understand you’re upset, believe me I would be too; being in your shoes. After everything you’ve been through, I’m sorry I tried to kill you for my cooperation, I understand if you don’t want me in your life. I get it, all I ask is that you stop Raviera. I will do my time, all my life if I have to. Just please stop him.”
“That I can do, forgiving you...I can’t.”
“Okay Delilah. That’s okay.”
And with that he’s gone. And I’m standing here wondering if he was sincere in even the slightest way, if anything he said was true. If he was truly sorry for what he had done, to my life and to Travis’s life.
Another door in the dark room shows up, and I walk towards it; eager to find out where I am and where I am meant to go. I push it open and find myself in the hospital.
I’m watching the medics wheel my body in urgency to the operating room, I’m watching Stephan and Sierra standing there inside the waiting room. Crying into each others arms, comforting the pain of my possible loss.
“Delilah...” I hear a voice call out.
Its Sierra, she’s standing next to me as we watch it all transpire.
“I’m sorry for what I said, I’m sorry for all of it. You’re right, it wasn’t me. It was the darkness talking, and you HAVE to stop Raviera... he has us trapped inside our own minds, its terrifying, it’s awful; I can’t live like this forever. If you lose, forever; everyone will be trapped here and I wouldn’t wish this fate to anyone, not even your father. Delilah...please, please stop him!”
She disappears too.
I exit the door from the hospital that I walked in on, but instead of being back in the little cabin, I am home.
My mother sits at the table, her arms folded over each other. Staring into space. I walk up to her and wave my hand in front of her eyes.
She doesn’t even blink.
“Mother?” I whisper.
She slowly turns to me, her eyes black. She shakes her head and they return to normal.
“Delilah honey...” She says, and I sit down next to her.
“Please...stop him.”
“That’s what we are trying to do.” I say, and she reaches out and takes my hand.
“Try...harder.”
She disappears too.
I am alone now, and hang my head low and let the tears flow from my eyes. I am scared, being given the biggest task of my life. Saving the world. Why is it up to me?
I am shaking as I feel a comforting grasp on my shoulder, I look up and it’s Cecilia.
“You’ve done so much for everyone, don’t be afraid Delilah, even if you don’t succeed in this mission; you did your best.”
I sob, “but my best won’t be good enough, everyone will be trapped in their minds forever.”
“That may be so, but you will succeed.”
She’s gone now too.
I get up from the table and walk towards the door, I open it and I am once again in that field.
Travis is standing at the pond alone, glancing down at his reflection. He turns around and smiles at me.
“We better get back.” He says.
“What even was this? Some sort of pep talk?” I ask.
“Did it help?”
“I don’t know...”
“Maybe this will then...” He reaches out and grabs my hand and pulls me towards him, my heart is beating fast as I can expect what to happen next but before it does my eyes open and I am back around the fire as the stone is rising and beginning to glow.
The time has come.