Nephilim's Fall: Chapter Three

Kyle comes back, but not alone.

Chapter 3

 

I have several odd impressions all at once. The first is of being unfixed. Detached from my surroundings. A falling feeling. The second is of something coming at me.

 

I am coming very fast from some direction I can’t point. A place that isn't defined by up or down or left or right. And it feels massive and winged, the way a hawk's shadow must feel to a mouse. I have a wild impulse to duck.

 

But it isn't necessary. I am moving, falling away. Rushing backward through the tunnel, leaving the meadow and whatever is coming at me behind. The huge thing had only registered for an instant on my senses, and now, whizzing back through the darkness, I forget about it.

Time seems compressed. I’m alone in the tunnel, being pulled down like water down a drain. I try to look at my feet to see where I am going and see something like a deep well beneath me.

At the bottom of the well is a circle of light, like the view backward through a telescope. And in the circle, very tiny, is a boy's body lying in crimson snow.

"My body," I think and then before I have time to feel any emotion, the bottom of the well is rushing up toward me. The tiny body is bigger and bigger. I feel a tugging pressure. I am being sucked into it, too fast. Way too fast. I have no control.

I fit perfectly in the body, like a hand slipping into a mitten, but with a jolt, my vision goes black.

“Oh. Something hurts.”

 

I open my eyes, or tried to. It’s as hard as doing a pull-up. On the second or third attempt, I manage to get them open a crack. Whiteness scattered about. Dazzling. Blinding. Where? Is it snow? What am I doing lying down in the snow? Images come to me. Derek. The back of my head. Being beaten. Being so cold. 

After that. I can't remember. But now I know what hurts. Everything. I can't move. My muscles are clenched tight as steel. But I know I can't stay here. If I do, I'll.

Memory burst through me. “I died already.”

 

Strangely, the realization gives me strength. I actually manage to sit up. As I do, I hear a cracking sound. My clothes are glazed with solid ice.

Somehow I get to my feet. I shouldn't be able to do it. My body has been beaten and broken. But I am standing. I can even shuffle a step forward. Only to realize I have no idea which way to go. I don't know where I am. Worse, it’s dark. I can barely see my tracks.

 

"So, I'm stuck with you now, huh? You seem kinda weak for a demon." The voice is behind my left ear.

 

I turn that way as sharply as my rigid muscles will allow, even though part of me knows I won't see anything. I don't recognize the young girl's voice.

 

"Hello?" My voice seems unfamiliar. Smooth, like honey. With an unmistakable fear and confusion to it.

 

"Is someone there?" I wait unmoving. My ears not expecting a response. But then it comes. Not in my ears, but in my head.

 

"How'd you get my soul anyway? It's not something he just hands out to anyone. He usually likes to keep me close."

 

At the sound of the young girl's voice inside my head, I jump and make it about four running steps before face planting in the snow; banging my head on a branch on my way down.

 

"Woah now, relax! And please watch your step, that hurt. Now that I’m forced share a piece of my soul with you, we're also sharing this feeble body and the stupid pain. Your body should improve soon though, having me plus his blood should really be something."

 

I lay there, face in the snow, unmoving. The echoing of the girl's voice in my head is too much. I feel lost for words and can't speak.

 

"A girl is talking in my head," I repeat in my mind panicking.

 

"Obviously," she scoffs

 

The voice ringing again in my mind again makes me jump up, ignoring my painful bodies refusals.

 

"Please stop talking," I say out loud to the voice.

Cold, scared, and in pain, I peer around hoping to spot something familiar. I recognize nothing. It seems to be getting even colder, and my body racks with shivers.

 

I feel dizzy and fatigued. I contemplate laying back down in the soft inviting snow.

 

"You see the moon shining from behind that tree? Walk to it." Her voice is commanding and serious.

 

Not caring anymore about the weirdness of the voice, I obey numbly. After that comes a long time of stumbling and staggering, over branches, around trees, on and on. It seems to last forever, but always there is the voice inside my head guiding me, encouraging me. It keeps me moving when I think I can't possibly go another step.

 

And then, at last, the voice says, "Just up this hill and you'll find the main road."

In a dreamlike state, I climb the hill.

 

And there it is. The road. By the light of the lamp post, I can see it meandering down a hill.

 

But it’s still almost a mile to my house, and I can't go any further.

 

"You don't have to," the voice says gently. "Look up the road."

 

I see headlights.

 

"Now just get in the middle of the road and wave."

 

I stumble out and wave like a mechanical doll. The headlights are coming, blinding me. Then I realize that they are slowing.

 

"We did it. You saved me" I gasp, dimly aware that I am speaking out loud. "They're stopping."

 

"Of course they're stopping. You did a great job. You'll be all right now." There is no mistaking the note of finality.

 

The car stopped now. The driver's side door is opening. I can see a dark figure beyond the glare of the headlights. But in that instant what I feel is distress. Distress at being alone in my thoughts.

 

"Wait, don't leave me. I don't even know who you are." I plead to the voice that helped me.

 

"Just call me Ari."

 

Then the voice is gone, and all I can feel is anguish.

 

"What are you doing out�"Hey, are you okay?" The new voice breaks through my emptiness. I have been standing rigidly in the headlights; now I blinked and tried to focus on the figure coming toward me.

 

"God, of course, you're not okay. Look at you."

It is Stella. The knowledge surges through me like a shock, and it drives all the strange hallucinations I've been having out of my mind. It is Stella, as close as she's ever been to me. Her dark hair blows in the cold air as she makes her way towards me.

 

She’s beautiful and always has a certain confidence and a half-friendly, half-quizzical smile. Except that she isn't smiling now. She looks shocked and worried. I can't get a single word out. I just stare at her.

 

"What hap�"No, never mind. We've got to get you warm and to a hospital." Without any hesitation, she wraps her arms around me.

 

Confusion flashes through me, then embarrassment, but underneath it all is something much stronger. An odd bedrock sense of safety. Stella is warm and stable, and I know instinctively that I can trust her. I can stop fighting now and relax.

 

"Put this on�"watch your head. Here, use this for your face."

Stella is somehow getting everything done at once without hurrying. Capable and kind. I find myself inside the car, wrapped in a too small jacket, with an old towel around my shoulders. Heat blasts from the vents as Stella guns the engine.

 

It is wonderful to be able to rest without being afraid it will kill me. Bliss not to be surrounded by cold, even if the hot air doesn't seem to warm me. The worn beige interior of the Civic looks like paradise. I am beginning to feel very fuzzy.

 

"I thought I'd fight a bear," I say, between chattering teeth. I am shivering again.

 

"What?"

 

"You asked what happened. I was bored, so I fought a bear."

 

She laugh out loud. "Huh. You're brave." Then she glances at me sideways with keen eyes and added, "What actually happened?"

 

She thinks I'm brave! A glow better than the heated air envelopes me.

 

"Derek." This time there is a lot less humor in my voice.

 

"Oh my gosh. I know he has a history of violence, but this is insane. You should go to the police after I take you to the hospital."

 

"No hospital! Just take me home please." My voice is louder than I mean it to be.

 

Her head turns to look over at me from the driver's seat. “Look at you! You're going to the hospital.”

 

“Please don't. I'm fine, really. If I need to go I'll have my dad take me.”

 

She looks at me conflicted, "are you sure? You're covered in blood and frozen half to death."

 

"I'm sure. I just want to go to go home. It probably looks worse than it is, but really I'm okay."

 

Speaking hesitantly she says, "if you're sure. Where do you live? Are you new to town?"

 

I stare at her flatly, confused and surprised. “Did she really not recognize me?” Then realization dawns on me as I remember. “She's never seen me without my hood up.”

 

"Just make a left down this street please." I say using a much deeper tone, in attempt to disguise my voice. “No way I want her to see me like this.”

 

"You look like you almost died" She looks back at the road, turning the car onto my street. "That happened to me once. When I was little, I was in a car crash with my dad."

 

She breaks off as the Civic skids on some ice. In a moment she is in control again and turning into my driveway.

 

Stella parks and is out of the car before I can gather myself to speak.

Then she is opening my door, reaching for me.

 

I peer up at her through a gap in her curtain of hair. Her eyes are green and typically look, intimidating, but just now, as our gazes meet, they change. They look startled and wondered. As if she sees something in my eyes that surprises her and strikes a chord.

 

I feel a flutter of wonder myself. "I should have told her it's me,", I think as something like a spark seems to flash between us. I don't know why I am so nervous around her. She's not so different from me; Both she and I are wracked by a sudden bout of shivers.

 

Stella blinks and shakes her head. "We've got to get you inside," she mutters. And then, still shivering, she helps me up and walks me to the door.

"Here's my number. If you need anything, even a ride to school, text me."

"Thanks," I say numbly still holding the small receipt with her number written on it in my hand.

 

"I'll see you around," She is backing up with a half quizzical smile on her face.

 

"Y-Yeah, thanks again." I attempt to smile back, hoping I still have all my teeth.

 

The heavy wooden door creaks loudly as I close it. I hurry and make my way up the rickety wooden steps before my dad, who is drinking a beer on the couch, can ask any questions. 

I turn left into the bathroom. As I go in, I jump to find a man about seventeen or so, standing by the sink covered in blood. He has deep chestnut brown hair. His light gray eyes are bright and alluring. His cheek bones are prominent, and his skill is smooth and free of any blemish. 

 

I take a few steps back, the stranger does the same. I wait for him to give me an explanation, but he remains silent. I don't say a word either. He looks frightened and confused. I open my mouth to speak, but at the same instant he opens his. I wait, part of me realizing who he is. Silence echoes through the white walls of the tiny bathroom.

 

"It's me," I whisper softly, my voice cracking.

 

I take three steps towards the mirror, looking more closely at my face. My eyes seem almost hypnotizing, and too my delight, no longer seem to require glasses. My skin is ashen, but not in a bad way, it looks good on my flawless marble features. My dark brown hair, no longer the shaggy mess it used to be. My straight bangs are long and cover my eyes.

 

My face and hair aren't the only things that are changed. My body is new. My chest and arms now have new muscle tone to them. I am no longer the twiggy kid with acne.  I even look taller. 

It looks like this isn’t even my body at all, but when I look closely at my face, looking behind all the new and perfect features, I see myself. This isn't a new face, it is my face, I can see the same me that I have for the past seventeen years of life. The lonely kid that used to cry himself to sleep, hoping for friends, happiness, and love. A tear rolls down my face as I realize how lonely I have been for so long.

 

I continue to stare at my reflection, realizing that this is my chance to start over.  If people can’t recognize me, then I will be able to act like I’m new at school. I think about the popular kids that have tons of friends at school and how they act. The first person that comes to mind is Derek.  As much as I like to think otherwise, he has a lot of friends, and is considered cool.

 

"I won't be anything like Derek," I tell myself feeling my eyes burn and thinking about how he treats people and hurts them for fun. “I’m not like that.”

 

“Um, excuse me?” The voice in my mind makes me jump and leaves a feeling of both embarrassment and intrusion.

 

"I'm confused," her usually sweet voice sounds very nerve racked. "You're supposed to be�"well, you should like to hurt people for fun. I mean he made you into a demon. You should be�" well, demon-like. You know, a mindless evil monster. From what I've read, a human with demon blood usually just wants to kill everything in sight.” The shrill tone of her voice in my mind feels strange.

 

"What? I don't want to hurt anyone. Am I going to turn into a monster?" I inquire, feeling both panic, and a strange lack of reality, like this is all some big joke being played on me.

 

I can feel her thinking. “Maybe that's why�" he gave you the piece of my Nephilim soul. Nephilim have angel blood from one of our parents and our souls are very powerful because of it. Having the piece of mine must dilute the demon blood in you so you can maintain your mind enough to do whatever he wants you to do.” I stare in the mirror at my unfamiliar reflection, not really paying attention to Ari's rambles.

“Well as long as I'm not a monster and I look like this, then I'm good. Although I can't go by Kyle anymore if I want a new start. I’ll use my middle name�"”

 

“Sebastian," I say to the mirror, testing it on my tongue.

 

“That will work.” Ari’s soft voice reassures me.

I fall on my bed, thoughts racing through my mind as I stare up at the white popcorn celling. Memories flash through my mind. Memories of my mom, of being alone, and of Derek chasing me. I gather an armful of pillow. It is soft and friendly and fills my arm. I curl myself around it and bite down on plush. And now, at last, I can cry. All the hurts of my mind and body merge, and I sob out loud, wet cheek on the pillow case.

 

I wish I never came back. I want the bright corn field with the impossibly blue sky, even if it had been a dream. I want everyone to be sorry because I’m dead. All my realizations about life being important were nonsense. Life is a giant hoax. I can't change myself and live in an entirely new direction. There is no new start. No hope.

 

"And I don't care," I think. "I just want to die. Why did I get made if it was just for this?" There's got to be someplace I belong, something I'm meant to do that's different. Because I don't fit in this world, in this life. And if there isn't something more, I'd rather be dead. I want to dream something else. I cry until I am numb and exhausted.

 

"Goodnight." A girls voice like sweet honey whispers in my mind.

 

"Ari?" I think back as I fall into a deadly still sleep without knowing it.

 

It isn't the light that I notice first. It’s an eerie feeling that some, presence is in my room with me. I've had the feeling before, waking up to feel that something had just left, maybe even in the instant it had taken me to open my eyes. And that while asleep, I'd been on the verge of some significant discovery about the world, something that I lose as soon as I wake. But tonight, the feeling stays. And as I stare around the room, feeling dazed and stupid, I slowly realize that the light is wrong.

 

I forgot to close the curtains, and moonlight is streaming into the room. It has the thin blue translucence of new snow. But in one corner of my room, next to the gilded French dresser, the light seems to have pooled. Coalesced. Concentrated. Reflecting off the mirror. There isn't any mirror.

 

I sit up slowly. My sinuses are stuffed up, and my eyes feel like hard-boiled eggs. I breathe through my mouth and try to make sense of what is in the corner. I don’t even have a mirror in my room. It looks like, a pillar. A misty pillar of light. And instead of fading as I wake up, it seems to be getting brighter.

 

An ache takes hold of my throat. The light is so beautiful and almost familiar. It reminds me of the tunnel and the meadow and�"

 

Oh.

 

I know now.

 

It is different to be seeing this while I’m not dead. Then, I accepted strange things the way you accept them in dreams, without ordinary logic or disbelief interfering. But now I stare as the light get brighter and brighter and feel my whole skin tingling and my eyes burn. I can hardly breathe. I don't know what to do.

The light continues to get brighter, just as it had in the meadow. And now I can see the shape in it, walking toward me and rushing at the same time. Still brighter, dazzling and pulsating until I have to shut my eyes and see red and gold after images like shooting stars.

 

When I squint my eyes back open, he is there.

 

Fear catches in my throat again. He stands in front of me wearing his long, black coat. Face pale, with traces of the darkness lingering in his features. He looks more different now than he had in the meadow. He looks menacing and dark.

 

"Are you ready to fulfill your part of the deal, Kyle?" The voice is like silver fire.

 

“He didn’t waste any time.” The sing-song voice of Ari has a nervous tone to it.

 

Hearing the voice in my mind is strangely reassuring. It makes me feel I don’t have to face the man alone.

 

"I don't want to scare you," He smiles. Those impossibly black eyes are all I see.

 

"Yeah," I whisper. I can't get out anything else.

 

"Just ask him what he wants. The sooner we find out, the sooner he'll leave." Ari is whispering the thought to me as if she is afraid the man might hear her.

 

Ari’s voice gives me the confidence I need to speak. I inhale a breath of air; something rotten fills my nose, and I cough.

 

“What do you need me to do?” I stare directly into his black eyes as I ask the question.

 

The man just smiles. “There’s a girl at your school. The same girl that drove you home tonight. I need something from her.”

 

“What do you need from, Stella?” I rub my eyes in genuine confusion.

 

“That’s my business kid. All you need to know is that she has something that I need. I need you to get her to trust you and bring her to me.”

 

That surprises me, “what would Stella have that he would need?”

 

Ari answers, “who knows, but I would just do what he says. He’s not someone you break a deal with.”

 

“If I do bring you her, what's involved?” 

 

The man clears his throat. “You should know that she won’t be easy to get close to.”

 

I look at him curiously. “What do you mean? I've been near her before.”

 

“She has a sort of guardian angel. Her friend watches her, and dependent on how clean the boy's blood is, he’ll most likely sense what you are now.”

 

“Listen. I know Stella and she's a nice person. She's my friend. I'm not going to bring her to you. I’m sorry.” I repeat back to him flatly.

 

The man just grins widely, the moonlight glinting off his black eyes. “So you're saying you won't obey because you know her and like her?” The man laughs, “fine, I'll make it where you don't know her at all. I’ll make it where you don't remember she's your friend.

 

And then, all at once. The man is gone. As if he vanished mid blink.

 

“Um, hello there? Breathe!”

 

Ari is right. I didn’t even realize I have been holding my breath. I gasp, sucking in air. The sweet, sour, smell that had filled the room seconds before seems to have left with the man.

“Thanks, Ari." I wheeze.

 

“What the hell are you thinking? You probably just made this worse for yourself. You don't try to break a deal with him! He always gets his payment.” Ari’s high pitched shrieks petrify me.

 

“I didn't know what to do. I can't bring her to him if he's going to hurt her.”

 

I can feel Ari thinking in my mind.

 

“You like her! Is that really what this is about? Well, if he's going to do what I think, you won't like her for long. You won't even care, you’ve already changed a bit, just from having demon blood now. But I'm guessing he wants a blank canvass to work with.”

 

Confusion and fear grip at my chest like a snake constricting. My vision begins to go black as I lose consciousness. My last thought of Stella fading from my mind.

Reviews

[Srchaud]

Ari is cool, I like the voice in his head. This allows a lot of play later on, as there is always someone for him to talk to.
The story is progressing at a good pace, always keeping me interested. You have very smooth and stylistic prose that jump off the page , a very pleasent read indeed.
Do you only have the 10 chapters or is your book finished? Is it a standalone or part of something larger, as I can see this turning into a epic if you want it to be.

[DeNine]

Thank you so much :) I'm glad you like Ari and the way the story is progressing. I have 17 fully edited chapters so far. I will post the rest on here today. I am working on a few other chapters that I am putting in-between a few of the later Chapters as well. It's not finished. I still need to figure out how to end the book. I'm still trying to finalize my plot.