‹ Prequel: In an Instant
Sequel: Delilahs Darkness
Status: 2017 Nanowrimo Project!

City of Dark Angels

The Key

I tug at the necklace that Travis gave me for Christmas that hangs around my neck as I pace back and forth in our hotel room, Death is sitting on the couch with his eyes closed trying to figure out the entrance to the City of Angels.

"Anything?" Travis asks, watching me pace back and forth.

"I have a vague idea, but I can't pin point it." He says opening his eyes and sighing with defeat. I sit down next to Travis and close my eyes trying to remember any small detail that can help. The fast pace of the vision from before circles inside my mind.

"I've got it!" Death suddenly chirps up, standing to his feet with excitement. He snaps his fingers and we are suddenly transported from the hotel to the tunnel that I had seen in my vision.

"Dude, you gotta start giving a warning when you do that!" Travis exclaims glancing around him in surprise at the sudden change of scenery. Death ignores him and paces over to a large boulder of which I remember in my vision being able to fly through and into the City of Angels. I am overwhelmed with a feeling of dread within me as he feels around the boulder trying to find away to get through it. It is a wall that takes up the entire area.

The energy of the area is getting too much for me and I fall to my knee's in a rough effort to get it to stop. Travis runs up to me and puts a hand on my back, I look up at him with tears in my eyes from the pressure of the energy.

"Make it...stop." I plead with him, he turns and looks at Death who has started pacing down a path behind the boulder. The path was not there before. It is something new. Travis reaches down and pulls me up with a tug of his hand, I shakily get to my feet and we run to try and catch up with Death who is already halfway down the path.

I recognize this area from my visions, the sensation filling me with a sense of dread. The reality of it all filling my mind and overwhelming my sense of perception. Nonetheless I carry on, down the dark path that will lead us to the City of Angels. To finally learn what this is all about, and to put an end to Raviara's evil plan.

I walk as fast as I can through the forest, the tree's feel like they are watching my every move. I just want to reach my destination as soon as possible, Travis has a look of fear trapped on his face as he walks close beside me. Trying to take in all of what we see. Suddenly I can feel a presence from behind me, I try and ignore it with all of my ability but it only becomes stronger with each step I take. Like it doesn't want me to reach the destination of which I desire to. I long to turn around, but I keep staring at the path ahead of me.

I hear a branch snap from behind me and I am compelled to take a glance, but I see nothing. I see no one, only the slow wave of the tree's from the wind and the dark exit to the path long gone behind us.

I feel us getting closer to our destination, the path of the forest winding down to a skinnier path; I know we are about to reach a clearing soon enough. I hear a boom of thunder scream from the skies, I look up and can see the sky becoming much darker. The screams of the lost echo in my mind and I know its only a matter of moments before we have reached the darkened city.

Just as I had recalled we exit the forest and into a large clearing, everything from my visions become as clear as day. The sensation of doom strikes within me, but I know we have to carry on. We just have to get there.

Death is strides ahead of us, on a clear mission to make it to the city and avenge his brother. I try my hardest to walk as fast as I can but I find my legs won't let me, something is holding me from carrying on any further faster. Travis is struggling to keep his strides intact with mine, as I am much slower than he longs to be. The fear of the unknown holding me behind, keeping me from getting there any faster than I would like to.

We reach the end of the clearing and find ourselves at a large door, the hinges nearly busted off the edges and it's full of dirty hand prints and phrases pleading for help.

"This must be the entrance, but its locked and Raviara took away my key!" Death kicks the door in frustration and it doesn't even budge. We are all at a loss for what to do.

"Delilah..." I hear a voice in the back of my mind and turn to see Cecilia standing there, watching me with a fear in her eyes.

I walk up to her, Travis watches me walk up to nothing with confusion in his eyes. He is unable to see the dead like I am. I turn and let him know that I am talking with Cecilia, that I can see her in real time and it's not just a simple vision this time.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you." She warns me, a sense of distress suspended in her eyes. I give her a look of curiosity. "Everything in the city of angels is not what it was, I assume you've seen it already in your visions. But its much worse than that, you come with good intentions but the city will break you. It breaks everyone, even the living. It was not the intentions of the creation, but it is the outcome. Delilah please, don't risk it."

"Cecilia...I have to." I say, reaching out to graze her face only to have my hand go right through her ghostly form. I stumble back in surprise, she reaches to touch me and I can feel her hand on my shoulder.

"Things are different now, please...don't risk it." She pleads with all she can, but I know that I can't turn around right now. I have to find that key, to see the city with my own eyes. The girl from the gas station peers from around the corner, she is watching me with the same curiosity she had from before.

"Delilah?" I hear Travis ask approaching me. The girl reaches her hand out to me and hands me a small key.

The key appears in my hand and Travis looks down at it in amazement, able to see the gold of the object shine with the intensity that it has.

"Please help us...please." She says disappearing into the shadows of the forest surrounding her.