"The Night We Met" by: Lord Huron
I am not the only traveler
who has not repaid his debt
I've been searching for a trail to follow again
take me back to the night we met
and then I can tell myself
what the hell I'm supposed to do
and then I can tell myself
not to ride along with you
I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you
take me back to the night we met
I don't know what I'm supposed to do, haunted by the ghost of you
oh take me back to the night we met
when the night was full or terror
and your eyes were filled with tears
when you had not touched me yet
oh take me back to the night we met
I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you
take me back to the night we met
I don't know what I'm supposed to do haunted by the ghost of you
take me back to the night we met.
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Chapter One
The sky had grown impossibly vast since the war of heaven came. Immeasurable stars once dimmed by the brightness of our arrogance now once again shone brightly. The stars, so many stars. Some missed the glaring lights of the cities, but even before the war, she enjoyed the darkness. The stillness, the quiet of the night.
He watched her. Her pale skin glowed under the moonlight as she cupped water from the lake and brought it up to her face. Water dripped down off her chin, over a small golden locket, making small trails of water between her breasts. Long deep black hair, blown by the breeze, covered her eyes briefly as she brushed it away. She shivered and he wondered if she was cold. She wasn't nude but the thin material of her dress did not offer much modesty or warmth.
His brother was calling him but he remained transfixed by her.
Suddenly she turned her head in his directly, he sucked his breath in afraid she spotted him, but she did not. She was looking through him, past him.
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"Damn!" he cursed under his breath, ashamed that he was so distracted by this human he didn't sense them. He spun around, drawing two blades from his hips, as the two Eight-balls advanced. There would be no hiding himself from her now.
In the blur and blood to follow, should couldn't be sure what was happening. Just up the hill from she had been bathing, there were two Eight-balls fighting...something. He was incredible to watch, tall, dark hair to match his raven black wings. His taut muscles controlled two swords with ease, his movements looked like some kind of elegant dance. "Fuck!" she thought. "Black wings! " and she started to run in the other direction. Her thoughts were racing as fast as her legs were carrying her. Each breath was like fire, her lungs burning under the strain. Only pure adrenaline kept her going.
She realized what she witnessed and felt horrible awe. "An angel, a higher angel! I'm so dead, I'm going to die!" Her mind kept repeating as she ran forward. Quickly she ducked under an old damaged chain link fence, snagging a bit of her dress in the process. "Foolish! I'm so foolish!" She quietly lamented but kept running.
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The second Eight-ball slumped down onto the ground at his feet. Little pools of blood formed around his body as the angel stood silently for a moment, listening.
"It's a shame there isn't snow, right brother?" a mocking voice taunted.
The angel sighed deeply, "You know the past is in the past. Right Gabriel?"
Dark wings flexed as the other angel chuckled. "I do, brother I do." He stretched his wing out wide then brought them in close, tucking them into his body. "Did you not hear me summoning you Michael?"
Michaels grey eyes flared. "Yes, I heard you."
"Then why didn't you answer?"
Michael turned his back to Gabriel and locked his hands behind his back. His gaze returned to the little lake where he was watching the woman bathe earlier. "I did not want to."
"Did not want to? Or were you too busy admiring your precious humans to care to?" Gabriel sneered.
"You once loved a human." Michael said matter of factly.
A brief sadness passed over Gabriels eyes, but coldness followed. "That was different, he was my son. You," he trailed off, "You love them all! How can you deny me for them brother! We are perfection! They are monkeys who do nothing but lie, kill and squabble over everything in their pitiful short lives!"
"I never denied you." Michaels voice was tinged with sorrow.
"By loving these humans, you have."
A gust of wind and sand blew through Michaels hair as his brother once again, took the sky. He watched him leave, dark wings blending in with the black sky, truthfully disappointed that he and his brother were so apart. Eons spent together, twins, two sides of one soul, now so distant it hurt worse than any mortal wound. Some days he wished his brother would just kill him and end the sorrow.
Michael looked to the stars, "Father please return to us."
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It did not take very long to find her. A piece of torn cloth, waved in the breeze like a flag of surrender. Why he went looking, he could not honestly say. Was she beautiful? Yes, but there were lots of beautiful women in the world. For now he told himself that it was simple curiosity and nothing more. Just a minor distraction to pass the time.
Time. Never ceasing time.
Her heart was still beating furiously as he approached quietly. She did not see him as she laid low behind a long abandoned burned out car. He could hear her whispering, repeating something, a prayer. A genuine prayer. Not a hollow prayer that he was all too accustomed to hearing lately. Her words were desperate, honest and deeply filled with loss.
"I know you are gone and that you won't even hear this prayer but I can't help but try. Please forgive me. I tried to stay alive and find her but it looks like I have failed. I saw one of your terrible angels tonight," her broken voice quivered as she fingered the locket, "and I know I am soon to die."
"We are not all terrible." Michael stepped out into her view.
Shaking uncontrollably the woman looked up at his face. She looked absolutely pitiful now. Covered in dirt, her dress torn, tiny trails of blood ran down her legs from her wild barefoot run through the brush. But there was still a simple pure beauty to her features. Her delicate jawline, the crystal grey of her eyes which resembled his own.
She coughed, and tried to clear her throat, crying and running had restricted her breath. Dark shadows danced, closing in on the edges of her vision.
"Go on, do it!" her chest heaved as she struggled to breath under the weight of exhaustion and fear. "What are you waiting for! Do it!" Blinking rapidly, as the light in her eyes faded. She started to fall, letting the darkness take her. She thought she heard the distant fluttering of wings as the ground dropped out below her. Nothingness, soft and inviting took her completely.
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The light streamed in from the open window. Long rich curtains swayed and rippled as a cool wind blew over the bed. It was so soft, so warm and smelled so good like spice and the ozone smell that precedes a storm. She stretched up, reveling in the moment of pure comfort. But her mind was warning her that something was not right.
She sat up with a start, adrenaline pumped through her heart, "I died."
"No, you did not." The shadow spoke and moved in the corner of the room.
She sucked in her breath, grabbed the blanket and pressed herself against the headboard. She was trapped and she knew it.
"Please stop. Do not fear me. If I wanted to kill you, I would have had ample opportunity." Michael sighed, clasping his hands behind his back. Careful not to move closer as not to scare the woman more.
Her voice trembled, "Why am I here? Who are you? I know you are a higher angel," tears streamed down her face.
"No. I am an Archangel. I am Michael"
Her eyes swam with confusion and disbelief as head tipped forward letting the darkness take her again.
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The next time she woke, the sun had long since set and the room was dark save the light from a few candles. She did not see Michael and she was glad for it. At the foot of the bed laid a modest simple dress. Staring at it for hours it seemed, she finally worked up the courage to slip it on. There was no choice, she could not get out of there without clothing. "Get out of here." she repeated the thought, "But where is here?"
Quietly she crept to a huge set of ornate wooden doors only to find them locked. "Why wouldn't they be?" she sighed quietly. "The windows. Maybe, just maybe..." She raced over, discovering a giant stone balcony and stepped outside.
Michael was waiting, standing on the edge of the railing his wings open and flexed. The wind was stronger here, out in the open and his feathers danced. She stood transfixed, panic confused with admiration. Her breath quickened as she grabbed onto the rail to steady herself.
They were hundreds of feet high at the top of a very large building towering over the twinkling lights of a city below. "Vega, this must be Vega." She thought. Even though she had never set foot inside Vega, she'd heard enough stories to know that this must be that place. But why would there be an angel in Vega?
"I'm glad to see you are awake." the angel spoke, "Can I trust you will remain so this time?"
"Why am I here?" Her voice was stronger this time. Something inside her had accepted that this was her fate now, come what may.
"Because I willed it so." as he retracted his wings, jumping down to step closer to her.
She shrunk back, but his hand was quick to gently grab her arm.
"Don't be afraid."
"Yes, you said that before." She quipped. "But how can I not be. Angels kill humans."
"Yes, but not all humans." His eyes were soft as he looked into hers. Her pulse quickened as he stared. She did not understand why but she believed him and what did it matter, there was nothing more she could do but be at his mercy.
She swayed on her feet and he steadied her.
"What is your name?"
"Sara." she quietly answered.
"And how long has it been since you ate?" He asked
She wearily brought her hand up to her head, "I am not sure. It's been a few days."
"Well Sara, let's take care of that. And then you can tell me your story." he spoke matter of factly.