My brother died last week.
We were on a hunt. I can't remember most of it; I don't want to remember. But what I do remember, I won't say. It was bloody though. I hope he didn't feel too much pain. It should've been me, I know that much. I'm not being self-sacrificing when I say that; it literally should've been me. But thanks to my incredible luck I was spared. Fantastic.
I guess I'm the last one left, then. The rest of my family died when I was little. My uncle took my brother and me in, taught us how to hunt, but he's long gone now. Hunting accident. But I guess that's how all of us go in the end. Part of the job description. And now I'm alone.
Right now I'm just evacuating, trying to put as much distance between me and the place my brother died before the thing can catch up. Basically I'm just delaying the inevitable. It was a demon that killed him, if you were wondering.
That's kinda what I do for a living: hunt and kill the things that go bump in the night, save as many people as I can before I hit the head. Yep, hunt and kill. Basically my whole life in a nutshell.
Around this time on an average day (or at least as 'average' as my days can get) my brother and I would be in a bar having a celebratory drink and reveling in the glory of our latest kill, but now I'm checking into a rundown hotel in a rundown town in a rundown city.
"Pretty little thing like you shouldn't be walking around a town like this alone," The innkeeper said as he handed me the key to my room.
"I'll manage," I replied without meeting his gaze. Not that his eyes were on my face, anyways.
"When my shift ends I could buy you a drink at the bar?" He offered.
"Not in the mood, buddy," I muttered and dragged myself up the stairs and to my room, throwing my bag on the floor and sprawled out on the bed that immediately sagged underneath me. I scanned the contents of the room. There was a prehistoric TV set, a dirty old microwave that I didn't dare touch, and a moth-eaten chair that I doubted would hold as much as the weight of a small child. Wow. This place takes the cake.
I couldn't close my eyes without seeing red and knew I was headed for another restless night. I couldn't take much more of this alone.
I watched with a somber expression as the human under my charge finally slipped into sleep. I wanted desperately to help in some way but I was strictly forbidden from directly interacting with humans.
"Amphinithon, are you watching that girl again?" My brother, Barquiel, asked.
"I am a guardian angel," I answered without looking up. I heard him sigh and I turned to him with an earnest expression. "I need to help her," I insisted. His expression hardened.
"You know the rules brother. We haven't been permitted to interact with humans since—"
"The fall, yes, I know. But that was long ago, and everything's back to how it should be," I argued.
"Precisely. And we don't want things to get that way again." His tone of voice told me that he was finished talking about it.
"Well then," I muttered under my breath, "I'll just have to go convince someone to allow me to." And with a flutter of wings I materialized in front of the archangel Bathin.
"Brother. What is it you require?" He asks. I bow my head briefly and look back up to my superior.
"It is my human charge. I find it tedious trying to watch over her from afar. I need your permission if I am to find a more convenient way to keep her safe." Bathin frowned and adopts a thoughtful expression.
"You know our orders," He said, albeit halfheartedly, but I didn't give up.
"Brother, I beg of you," That gets his attention; angels rarely beg, "let me do this. It is who I am; I need to guard the human. Please," I hate groveling but I was determined to do this.
"Fine," Bathin relented, and I disappear onto Earth full of excitement and exhilaration for the task ahead.
I dragged myself down the street. What a wonderful day so far; I attempted (not really) to make myself presentable, was flirted with a rapey bellboy, and tripped down the stairs… twice.
Fan-freaking-tastic.
"Screw health," I said to no one as I lazily walked toward the hot dog stand. At least I could start off my day with some sort of reward.
I walked down the street, still feeling groggy. I often had to get up early for hunts and all but I never really was much of a morning person.
I approached the stand and ordered my meal.
"Rise and shine," I heard an unfamiliar voice say from behind me.
"Huh?" I said as I turned around. I saw a man looking at me with a hopeful expression. He had piercing blue-green eyes and very fair skin.
"Pardon me, that is still the term," He questioned, combing his white-blonde hair out of his face with his fingers.
"Um- I-" I started, raising my hand to shield my eyes from the sun.
"Would you like to sit," he interrupted, gesturing towards a row of tables.
"Um- sure. I guess," who did this guy think he was? 'that is still the term'? Has he been living under a rock?
He pulled out a seat and I sat down, finally I began to become more awake. "So who are you, anyway?"I asked.
"I'm Amphinithon, but you can call me Corbin," he said with a slight nervous tone in his voice,
"Arighty then, Cory it is," I said, confused.
As I spoke, Amphin-uh- Cory was staring at me looking very confused.
"What are those things," Cory asked.
"What things," I responded.
"Those things on your face," he replied, "The dots. What are they?"
"Do you mean freckles," I asked. Maybe he really had been living under a rock. Or high.
Or both.
"Well I would assume so," he said in a proper sort of voice, still staring intently at my face, "considering your immediate response was 'freckles' then I could only be inclined to believe that those small dots on your face are, indeed freckles."
Yep. He's high.
"My mom used to call them 'angel kisses' when we were little," why was I telling this guy my life story? I have no clue.
I looked at the man with wonder and honestly, a bit of amusement. In return, he blushed and took a bite of his hot dog.
"What are these things," he asked, holding up his hot dog and examining it closely. Before I could respond, he simply stated "I must go," and left.
I just looked at him in amusement as he walked away, looking up at the sky and watching the birds.