Chapter 1

First chapter in my novel Angel Consumed.

The garbage bins behind Mongario’s would be full by this time of night. He only hoped the others hadn’t gotten to them before he did. He hadn’t had anything real to eat since the church down the street opened their soup kitchen to help pay their way into Heaven. That was two nights ago.

Using his mirror, he peered around the corner to see if there was any trouble. It was a trick his old man taught him. There was no one in sight. He ran to the first bin and opened its lid, careful to be as quiet as possible. The restaurant was closed and should be empty, but it’s always best to play it safe.

The first bin looked as if it hadn’t been touched and was full of half eaten pasta, steak, and even a whole loaf of fresh baked bread. He placed the items in a plastic bag to take with him. He knew better than to stay there to eat. That was a sure way to get caught, and Tony wasn’t looking to go back jail, even if it did provide him with the two things he rarely got, a roof over his head and three meals a day. 

He moved on to the next bin, dreaming up what might be inside. You never know, he might find a piece of chocolate cake or even a half empty bottle of wine. Again, he opened the lid as quietly as he could and began sifting through the orange peels and egg shells looking for his prize. The rustling noises kept him from hearing the footsteps as they approached.

A gloved hand reached out and grabbed Tony by the hair, jerking his head back hard. He could taste the talcum as it coated his tongue when he gasped. He went to scream for help but all that came out was a gurgling noise. He felt a sharp burning sensation around his throat. Dropping his bag, he reached up to touch his skin where the burning was coming from, and felt a warm fluid gush over his dirty fingers.

The gloved man turned him around so Tony’s last vision would be the smile on his killer’s face. It was a crooked smile though. Tony wasn’t the only one who had been slashed. His killer had once felt the blade himself; a blade that sliced the corners of his mouth in a jagged way that made him look like a human jack-o-lantern. The killer put his hand behind Tony’s head and helped him lay down behind the second bin. With his last few breaths he felt the blade again, giving Tony the same crooked smile his killer had.

********

“Sleep, my child,” the killer said, as he waited for the rattling noise that always came at the end. It wasn’t really the end though. The killer knew he had just sent another angel back to prepare for the battle that was soon to come. He only wished his time to go back would be soon.

The killer opened the black messenger bag he had brought with him and had hidden behind the second bin. He removed the plastic rain poncho and slipped it over his clothes. Also inside was a surgeon’s face shield and another knife that was designed to cut through bone. 

He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds on the air. It was his favorite time of night, when hardly anyone was stirring about and he could have the whole city to himself. Once satisfied there was no one lurking about, he used the knife still covered in Tony’s blood to cut open his threadbare t-shirt. Using a combination of the knife that killed Tony and the bone knife, he removed Tony’s heart and placed it into a Tupperware dish that he had painted black so no one could see what it contained. 

He ran his fingers down the angel’s face and thanked him before standing to remove the poncho, face shield and plastic gloves. He wrapped the knives and the soiled items in plastic wrap and then placed them back into his messenger bag. He didn’t put the Tupperware dish into his bag though, because he liked the thrill he felt walking around with a human heart in his coat pocket. 

He leaned over Tony’s body and searched his pockets until he found an old beat up wallet. It contained one photo of a little boy who was around two or three years old and nothing else. Slipping the messenger bag over his shoulder, the killer placed the photo deep inside his coat pocket, right next to the dish containing Tony’s heart. He turned and walked out of the alley. 

Adjusting his collar, he slicked back his hair. A block away he nodded to a man passing him on the sidewalk. “Father,” the man said. The killer smiled and kept walking, wondering if the stranger would be his next angel.

Reviews

[en skygge]

Wow! I really liked the story. So, the killer is the local priest ? I liked this part the most:"(...)because he liked the thrill he felt walking around with a human heart in his coat pocket. " It's such an amazing concept. One thing that's missing, in my opinion, is a proper introduction to the story. I mean, time and/or place, or some other information about the place. Anyways, great work! Can't wait for the next chapter.
P.S. It reminds me of the book "I'm not a serial killer", I highly recommend You to read it. It'll give you some examples of how a story of this genre should develop.

[MenyaB]

Thank you for your review. I appreciate your comments. This first chapter was the murder scene to grab the reader's attention. In the second chapter, which I'm working on now, the information you spoke about, (time, place, setting, etc.) will be more developed. Again, thank you!