Acheron
Acheron3:28 am
May 11, 2019
Trenton, New Jersey
A flash of lightning Blasts across the sky behind the church on the hill followed by a thunderous boom. Alone he sits on the church steeple crouched invisible to all mortals and fallen alike, watching over his charge as she sleeps across the street. Her name is Jennifer Trinidad a young beautiful woman full of life and a truly good soul one of the last in this dark world. He knows his job, he has his orders, he is Acheron her guardian. When in this form he can see all in this realm and the next, yet invisible to all feeling nothing nor is affected by any element, Phased as they call it, here but not here. The rain pounds on the roof tops around him, never touching him. He looks to the small two story brownstone across the street, Hope INC. a clean and sober house, a home for lost souls where she is a counselor, a guide to the lost and a light in this dark world. He looks towards her his gaze piercing through the walls of brick, wood and flesh, she’s upstairs in the left corner room bordering the alley. She is asleep, calm and dreaming, safe. As he tunes into her life force he can feel her heartbeat, rhythmic and steady like her breathing as her scent engulfs his senses....Lilacs.
A flicker of light catches his hawk like eyes, pools of all seeing silver gleaming in the night. A car is driving up the alley next to her building. Shadows dance across the roof of the vehicle but these are no ordinary shadows...... They are fallen. Black ink like creatures now a ruined race, once angels now accursed to roam the earth loathing their very existence and jealous of all others. They seek to claim our souls, us the human race who God has chosen to love above all, the sea of souls.
Acheron leaps into the air diving towards the ground his wings snap open at the last moment rocketing him towards the brownstone. In a split second he phases through the wall. He is in her room cloaked in the shadows of the corner next to her bed. She is asleep breathing rhythmically, steady and seemingly unaware of the danger lurking just outside. Beautiful, fragile lying in her powder blue satin pajamas, arms curled around her pillow, she is longing to hold her lost love. Thunk! The sound of a car door closing in the alley. Acheron leans out phasing through the wall as a man steps into view looking up at her window and he is not alone. The Ink like creatures sit on his shoulders while others twirl around him, furious formless canine like entities digging their talons into his mind, influencing him with their whispers and shouting, lies filled with hate, murder and distain. His name is Damien Valentes- a lost soul tortured by demons and imps. He is a tool for them given his weakness as an addict, one of Jennifer’s former loves. A man she thought she could help, a man she thought wanted to change and more important a man she loved until the violence took hold.
Acherons instructions are clear do not interfere, but she must stay alive, stay hidden the fallen are not to know of his existence. For him this is nearly impossible as he doesn't want her harmed. He wants action, to send the fallen screaming back to the void. He lives for it and unlike other angels, he feels anger, rage, hate and love. He was once mortal and still has lingering human emotions, he is the last angel a new race created just for this purpose, and this time.....Armageddon is at hand. Simply standing by and watching seems impossible to him and like humans he has free will and a battle rages on inside of him. Alas he must obey it is for the purpose and always for good even if he doesn't understand he will obey.
Henry
3:00 am Trenton, New Jersey
“Wake up Henry, wake up”! the voice said,
“huh”….The old man stirs in bed restless, turning over,
”She needs you” Again the voice spoke “NOW”!,
the old man jerked upright “Jesus”! he gasped as his wife rolled over and mumbled
“what is it Henry another dream”? his wife Margaret asks.
He sat there panting covered in sweat, his heart racing. Closing his eyes trying to steady himself…A flash of a young woman surrounded by demons penetrated his thoughts, “DEAR LORD”! He yelled.
His wife Margaret turned on the light, “what is it Hun”? “Another dream”? He nodded shaking, beads of sweat glistening his brow.
“Honey we need to pray” Henry whispered as he closed his eyes he saw the flash again this time realizing who it was he stood up from bed running out as he grabbed his robe and tripping while he put on his bed slippers. His wife yelled behind him as he grabbed his mag lite running out the door, barreling down the street towards the brownstone across the street crying out “Dear Lord protect her”!
As he rears the front of the steps he bangs on the door as hard as he could yell
“JENNIFER, JENNIFER ARE YOU ALRIGHT”? “JENNIFER WAKE UP”! BANG, BANG, BANG!
“Shit”! The intruder bolts out the window on to the fire escape and slides down the ladder.
Jennifer bolts up out of bed eyes blurry and stinging “wha”?
She blinks trying to adjust her eyes someone is knocking and yelling.
“ok, ok I’m a comin” groggy she puts on her robe making her way towards the stairs turning on the lights she realizes her bedroom window is open,
“hmmmm”? a loud thud of a car door came from the alley, she runs to the window and sees tail lights fading into the night
“what the fu…”? BANG, BANG, BANG!
“ok be right there”!
The door opens and a little haggard woman steps into the light,
“where’s the fire Hank”?
Mrs. Garcia one of the residence and housekeeper had answered the door.
“HE WAS HERE”!
Just then Jenny sticks her head around the door “Hank, what’s wrong”?
“He was here Jenny”
“Who”? Jenny asked
“D, D, Damien”!
“What”! Jenny shouted She froze her eyes wide with fear, mouth agape she knew she felt someone, the window, the car in the alley…….
”Dear God” she gasped.
“Oh My God”! The old woman cried,
“What will we do”? Jenny calmed herself and said
” ok, ok come inside Hank before you have a heart attack Ill dial the police ok”?,
Hank nodded and entered, as he crossed the threshold he hear Maggie his wife splashing through the puddles behind him, Jenny turned towards Mrs. Garcia who was now white as a ghost staring at them from behind the door, “its ok I’ve got this, go to bed Mrs. Garcia! everything will be fine I am calling the cops, ok”?
the old woman didn’t hesitate she bolted to her room locking the door behind her but not before shouting out
” Jenny I am an old woman and don’t take kindly to this late night craziness”!,
Jenny rolling her eyes replied” I got it gnight” turning to the phone she dialed….”911,
"please hold” the voice one the line stated, click and elevator music echoed through the phones speaker,
“figures” she sighed.