So it begins [part 2]

Chapter I

       And so it begins

              [part2]

Yumah pulled back and Lucien saw a man with long black hair who looked to be about 27 and Native American.

“You wish Gabe. It just so happens he needed a hug.” Yumah stood up and gave the man called Gabriel, a hug too. “How’s Victoria?”

  Lucien followed suit but didn’t give Gabriel a hug. Not manly. Instead he gave a handshake.

“Oh she’s doing great.” The man turned his gaze.

“So this is Lucien. Nice strapping young man, yes? How old are you? 18? 19, 20?”

“17, why?”

“17! Well aren’t we tall? About as tall as me. Are you sure you didn’t miss a few birthdays somewhere?” Gabriel smiled.  “In case you haven’t caught on, I am Gabriel. And don’t think you can hide anything from me. I can see all that I wish,” stated Gabriel.

“Well come on, we only have all night my friend.” Gabriel turned and faced Yumah, “Whelp, we’re off. Don’t worry I’ll bring him back safe and sound.” Gabriel left the balcony.

“Are you sure it’s safe to go with him?” asked Lucien. But before she could answer, Gabriel poked his head from around the corner of the door.

“Come on!  Your ‘girlfriend’ will be here when you get back and you guys can play kissy, kissy all you want then.” Gabriel grabbed Lucien’s arm and pulled him through the door. Nearly tripping him as he did so

Lucien could hear Yumah’s sweet laugh as they rushed out the door to who knows where. This made Lucien smile to himself which he hadn’t done in such a long time. It actually felt good, joy that is, for it had been missing from his life for what seemed like lifetimes.    

Gabriel dragged Lucien through the town. Up and down many staircases and throw many alleyways. Along the way are also many shops. Some selling clothes or jewelry. Others are selling flowers, furniture or books. He decided he would visit some of the shops if he could.

Lucien looked ahead on the path they were on. It lead into a forest. A large one. “Are we going in there?”

Gabriel turned his head to the right to look at Lucien, “Yes, we are. There we can be alone.” With that Gabriel stepped toward Lucien, grabbed under his jaw with his thumb and pointer finger and pulled Lucien’s head to but an inch from his.  Lips almost touching. All in one swift movement.         

Lucien immediately showed his fangs with his muscles tense and gave a deep, low growl. Warning Gabriel to back away.

Gabriel started laughing hysterically and released Lucien. Lucien didn’t relax, but became confused. “I didn’t find that funny! What are you trying to do!? Prove you’re a genuine jack a*s?!!”

“I’m sorry Lucien,” said Gabriel still laughing, “I couldn’t help it. The look on your face was classic”

“So what would your face look like if a man came onto you?  Unless you are a gay French man, I’m pretty sure you would fight another man off! Meaning your face would probably look the same as mine.” Lucien shoved Gabriel then continued walking toward the forest. And Gabriel went after him.

“I am sorry. Look, if it makes you feel better the same thing happened to me. Only the guy who did it wasn’t as good looking as me. And his breath smelt horrid.” Gabriel patted Lucien on the back. “Don’t take it too hard, all right?”

“I won’t as long as you don’t do that again.” He gave Gabriel a small smile.  “You know you take the fun out of everything, right?”

“Oh believe me, not everything.” Lucien grinned.

 And so they continued on down the path. Eventually, the path turned to dirt and rocks covered with leaves. The forest got darker the further they proceeded. The moon being their only source of light. Lucien saw many new plant and animals. For example, he saw what looked like a phoenix. It was green with piercing bronze eyes and massive killer claws.

“But doesn’t breathe fire or rebirth itself from its ashes,” Gabriel explained, “It is called Belle Chanson... It means ‘beautiful song’. Sharing its sorrow to the world of the undead, for we understand its pain and give the Belle Chanson our sympathy.” Gabriel’s face became solemn. “All vampires have their reasons for understanding its song, including me. Its meaning is different for everyone. An amazing creature, is it not?”

Lucien shook his head yes. He remained quiet. Not sure what to say. He then decided to change the topic, avoiding the dark, depressing feeling trying to overcome him. “Are we almost there? It feels like we’ve been walking in circles.”

“Actually, we can stop here. Sit down, Lucien.”

Gabriel sat down on an old tree stump and crossed his legs. Lucien on the other hand, stretched out across a fallen tree, his back propped up against one of its branches that stood up straight.

“Well to start off, what do you know?” asked Gabriel.

“Not a lot, just that I’m a vampire, I suck blood, and have no idea where I’m at, or even which way’s North.”

Gabriel chuckled, “That’s North,” he pointed behind him. “Yes, we suck blood, but only what we need, not enough to kill. And you’re in the City of The Dead or La ville Du Mort as we folks say. Didn’t Yumah tell you this?”

“No, just what I told you I knew.”

“Hum, well now you know. Any questions so far?”

“Are you French or something?”

“I meant about what you’ve learned, not about me, but yes, my father was and he married my mother who was a native in the present day United States. But enough about me, that you can learn later. Any other questions besides my life’s history?”  “Not at the moment.”  Lucien picked up a twig and started drawing lines in the dirt.

“Good. To start off, I’m going to tell you right off the bat that it doesn’t matter what you would have done.  You would have become a vampire before your 18^th birthday. You were prophesied to come here.”

Lucien stopped drawing in the dirt and looked up and Gabriel, “I was prophesied?” “Yes!”

“To be a vampire?  What kind of prophecy is that?” He started tearing leaves off of the twig he had found.

“A huge one. You aren’t just any vampire, you’re special, and you are tobe the savior of the damned.” Gabriel paused a moment, giving Lucien time to gather his thoughts.

Lucien stopped tearing of leaves and stared at Gabriel with his mouth open and wide eyes. “Oh, hell no! I am not doing it! Kill me.”

“I’m not going to kill you.”

“Well if you won’t, I’ll do it myself. Adios or however you’d say goodbye”. With that, he got up and started walking back toward the city.

Gabriel stood up and walked after him, “Adios is Spanish. Au revoir is French and you can’t kill yourself.”

Lucien stopped and turned on his heel, “And why not!? It’s my life! Or is it half life? I don’t know, but I’ll do as I please with it”

Gabriel gripped Lucien’s arm hard so he couldn’t walk away. “Because, Lucien, it’s not just your life! If you die, we all go to hell for sure, but if you fulfill the prophecy, we might have a chance to make it through the gates of heaven and stay there for eternity.”

“Really. What’s so special about me?! I’m no different from the rest of you! And why does everything always have to be on my list of things to do! I have my own problems!” By now he was shouting everything he said.

“Lucien you’re not like the rest of us!” Gabriel tossed Lucien into the roots of a tree. “You aren’t just a dying soul! You are both damned and blessed.  You are the hell angel. You are the only way we can get out of this damnation. Can’t you see how much we need you?”

“I didn’t ask for any of this. I shouldn’t be responsible for everyone’s soul destination. You can’t expect me to just waltz in and save these people on my own! I don’t even know what I have to do or what I’m doing all right.” He sat up and put his head in his hands.

Gabriel squatted down next to Lucien, “That’s why I wish to help any way I can. Yumah too. She’s desperately trying to find away to God. She’ll help you with anything; she’s determined to do something great.”

Lucien raised his head out of his hands and tilted it back against the tree. “I just want things to be normal again, like none of it ever happened.”

“Don’t we all,” stated Gabriel.

Lucien got up, “I’m going on a run, and I need to think this over. I’ll meet you back at the house we were at.”

“You know where it is?”

“It’s at the top of the hill. I can’t miss it.” He started walking away from Gabriel.

“Be back before the sun rises, if not, you’ll burn alive.” Gabriel then vanished. Leaving Lucien alone.

Lucien continued in the direction he was headed. He walked at a slow pace. Not even caring where his was going. Then after a few minutes, he picked up his pace to a fast walk. After that he continued to speed up till he was running. He leaped over fallen trees that got in his way and listened to the sound of the wind rolling leaves around.

As he ran, thoughts came to his mind. How was he to save these people? What could he possibly do? He thought of the conversation he and Gabriel had just had. Replaying it over and over. And in doing so, coming up with more questions that couldn’t be answered any time soon.

Lucien finally stopped running when he came to the edge of a cliff looking over the sea. He flopped down on his stomach and rolled over onto his back, trying to catch his breath. The sky was sill black. Full of white stars.

“Why in heaven would you pick me!” he shouted to the sky, to God. “What the hell could I possibly do for them besides get them into a blood massacre?  You are crazy! Is this how you plan to make life interesting for me! Huh!?” he sighed.

“What’s the point, not like he would change his plans,” he said to him self.

Lucien shut his eyes and breathed in the scents the wind brought. The smell of leaves in mid autumn, sap running down the side of a tree. Salt from the ocean. Life had gotten ten times as complicated in one day. Going from worrying about passing 11^th grade to whether millions of people, if that’s what you want to call them, will go to hell.

Lucien rolled over onto his stomach, stretching his legs far apart. “Life sucks....big time.” He sighed and reached his arm behind his back to scratch his shoulder blade. And when his nail touched his back, it hurt. Like a knife being plunged into his back, into the bone.

He screamed out in pain and flipped onto his side, his elbow holding him up. There was no one behind him or anything in his back that he could tell. Lucien took a few breaths to calm his heart beat that was frantically beating. But it didn’t help. His heart seemed to only race faster. The pain returned to his shoulder blade along with the other. Only ten times severe. Like his skin was being ripped from his very back.

He fell back to the ground, wrapping his arms around his rib cage and brought his knees to his chest. Lucien’s body shivered with pain. His breath coming in gasps. “Gabriel!” he shouted, “Please help me!”

Tears began to fall from Lucien’s eyes. He bit his teeth together to try and dull the pain and took longer, deeper breaths of air, but nothing seemed help. “Oh God, make this unbearable torture stop,” he moaned. His spine began to pop and crack. His body shaking more rapidly.

A hand touched his head. Gabriel. “You’ll be okay, but I can not stop it nor can I dull the pain. It must run its course.”

“What is-” Lucien was cut off. The pain moved to cover the whole of his back. Leaving him shouting curses at Gabriel. Gabriel grabbed the bottom of Lucien shirt and pulled it over his head and arms.

“You’ll thank me later.”

Lucien’s face became red. His whole body felt as if he had been engulfed in fire. Gabriel grabbed the jug of water he had brought with him and slowly pored it over Lucien’s entire body. Lucien shouted in pain once more.

Then the sound of flesh tearing rang in his ears. A warm liquid spilled over his back. Lucien stopped shaking and inhaled deep breaths of air, catching his breath, and he started to cool off.

“Bloody Jesus,” gasped Lucien, sweat rolling down his face and back.

“Just lay there a minute, relax. Want some water?” Gabriel squatted beside him holding a glass.

Lucien took and dumped it on his face. “What the hell was that? A hex or something?”

“No, not at all. It’s just your wings.”

Lucien’s eyes widened, he bolted straight up. “Wings!? Why not just give me another head while we’re at it!”  Lucien looked over his right shoulder, and sure enough, there were his wings. White and covered in his blood. Each stretching out about ten feet on each side giving him a 21.5 foot wing span.

“We must go. The sun is almost over the horizon. Get on my back,” ordered Gabriel.

“You can’t carry me that far or run that fast. I weigh around 178 pound and it’s too far. The way I see it we’re both dead.”

“Not if you do as I say, now get on!”

Lucien grabbed his shirt and jumped onto Gabriel’s back. Gabriel picked up his legs so he was giving Lucien a piggy-back ride. Gabriel made it seem as if Lucien weighed almost nothing at all. Then Gabriel ran like lightning. Trees becoming a blur to Lucien. He was tired and wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and become swallowed by the peace of a deep sleep. Lucien hadn't even noticed that Gabriel had made it back to the house and into his room in no time at all.

Gabriel placed Lucien by his bed then walked over to the window and shut it tightly. Hiding the light that came with the sun just under the horizon. “I must leave now for my own home. I’ll see you tomorrow night. Go to sleep and don’t leave until Yumah comes for you. And be sure to take a shower. You’re covered in blood and smell horrible. Until then I bid the goodnight.” Gabriel then vanished and Lucien was alone.

Lucien threw off his shoes and flopped onto his large bed. He shut his eyes and drifted to sleep. His heart beat slowed and his pulse became undetectable. And finally, the blood stopped its flow, causing the heart cease its rhythm. Lucien appeared dead, but in reality, he was in a deep sleep, surrounded by nothing but dreams waiting to come to life before his eyes.         

                                

Reviews

[Roger Ferguson II]

^^ been waiting for you to post this