• Prologue


    In the darkness they waited. Just watching me. Since the little time I have been on earth, I have grown to know that they’re eyes are always watching me. Always and forever. Penetrating deep into my mind’s eye, burrowing into my deepest, darkest fears. Pain is often heard of as a state of mind, but I have always found myself thinking about the one question that would tug at me: “Is my mind a state of my pain?” Nightmares about “them” would corrupt my peaceful slumber and I would awake with ached hands, finding that all throughout the night I was clutching my shirt, trying to escape from the haunting nightmares.

    My soul ached for freedom, but both I and my wings were confined and without movement. My wrists and ankles were weighed down by heavy, metal shackles that looked old enough to break and rust into a thousand pieces, but still held firm and tight creating a ring of red along my skin. A solitary shackle around my neck prevented me from ever lifting my head up, or even trying to; and a heavy, sharp metallic cross was lodged deep into the middle of my right wing, as a small path of blood made it’s way down to the cold stone floor, glistening off of the darkened black feathers of my once pure wings. I would wince in agony if I moved even a slight of an inch, so I kept to the floor, my breathing getting ever so shallow with each passing moment.

    I do not know how long I have been In this place, but the time seemed to go on endlessly as I waited in silence. In this time I thought it would be helpful to find any indication of where I was and how I could get myself out of here; like an escape route out of this terrible place.

    The walls of my confinement came up very high, then arched about three-quarters of the way up. Scattered across the ancient stone walls were large stained glass windows. I have realized now that I was being kept in a church, finding little Christian statues placed in specific spots. I cursed of what seemed to be a moonless sky, for I could hardly see anything else within the room. Why would they keep me in a church? It’s not like them to do that. I began to worry myself, fear of what might happen to me boiled over my skin.

    I tried to prepare myself of what was to become of me; to think things through bit-by-bit, to try to find at least one tiny shred of hope left for me and my friends. My friends! I gasped at the sudden realization that… Kari was gone and that there was nothing I could do. My face scrunched up and a single, hot tear ran down my cheek. And I could only hope that Sela was ok. I had forgotten all about them after I had blacked out. I really hoped they were alright, but in this dire situation, that was all I could do.

    Caught in mid-thought, there was a sudden eerie shift in the air. Something that was unexplainable. Here I was, locked up in a church with no breeze at all, and I saw my torn off feathers - scattered along the ground - slide across the cold stone floor as if something peculiar was controlling them. A tingle skittered and danced along my spine, taunting my helplessness. My mind raced and my muscles tensed up, wary of everything around me.

    I then realized I was not alone in this church, for the horrible stench of death filled my nostrils, making me choke. My breathing became still and silent and I slowly closed my eyes hoping whoever was here would figure me dead and leave. But they knew better than that.

    I heard footsteps sweep across the floor in a pacing manner, then stop abruptly in certain places a few feet in front of me . Though I was curious about what this person was doing, I dared not to even flutter an eyelid. The person’s steps started to slow, but became louder as they neared me. The footsteps stopped at what I figured only a few feet away from me.

    “Get up.” He ordered me, his voice booming off the ancient walls of the church. I hesitated, but when I was ordered again with more intensity in his voice I immediately obliged and opened my eyes.

    There wasn’t only one person around me, there were many. People I had not heard, that had moved silently around the room were now circled around me. They were all cloaked in black and had a hood drooped over their faces, but expressions were probably unchanging, none-the-less.
    The leader wore a different cloak, that was silken with crimson and black. He began to speak.

    “First of all, I would like to welcome you to our humble abode.” Though his intention seemed nice his voice was dark and sinister. The leader sighed deeply, almost sorrowful.

    “One of God’s fallen angels, right at my feet.” He shook his head slowly before continuing.

    “What a shame,” He walked up to me and knelt down to my eye level scaring me half to death. “It’s a shame that you’re world will have to fall apart so quickly into life.”

    I was stunned at this comment and assumed the worst from it.

    “But I can’t die! Not again!”

    A small smile escaped his lips as he slowly stood up and walked back to his part of the circle. He chuckled quietly to himself, laughing at my stupidity, I supposed.

    “Why would we even try? I know that once one dies they cannot die again.” He paused a moment before continuing.

    “We are simply going to make you suffer for all the trouble you have caused us.”

    Confusion swept through my mind, but one thing I was sure of was that he intended what he said. That he would truly make me suffer, but what for?

    “If you will not co- operate to our command… we will make sure your friend pays for your mistake.” I felt like my heartbeat had stopped, that my blood was frozen and my brain was numb. They had Sela now and there was nothing I could do.

    As if right on cue I heard a faint scream off in the distance and tears started to sneak their way past my eyelids down my cheeks in favor of my friend’s pain. The leader gave a low chuckle in response.

    “Oh, what fun this will be!” He clasped his hands together in excitement. “Surely you agree… right Celeste?”