A/N: Hello again people! Now, it's technically my fault that this story was abandoned for so long because I couldn't write my chapter. Lots of reasons and half of it you already know, writer's block and school and stuff like that. Good news though is that we are on vacation! Yei! Few times has it felt so incredibly good to say that :P Anyway, here's what I could finally write, and it kinda fits with what Kodamnation started with 'A day in Hell', not much maybe but hopefully some important revelations. Enjoy!
(Just so you know, in the actual timeline this is right after we got everyone 'taconaped' :P )
Those bloody wankers! I should have known that even dead they would be a problem. They weren't at the cafeteria so I guessed they should be outside. I just wonder where? I thought.
I was walking past some trees when I spotted pieces of meat on the grass. They were scattered all around and some of them kind of formed a trail that led into the bushes.
"Got you," I said for myself and followed the meat. I had to duck under branches and tip toe so they wouldn't hear me with all the fallen dry leaves (it's not even autumn, but it happens sometimes). Finally, crouching behind a wide bush I saw them. They were in a small glade, stuffing their costumes into bags and laughing at the faces of their victims when they first tasted the taco and then chewed happily the rest of it. Daniel said something in Spanish and they laughed harder, doubling over. Suddenly Diana straightened and looked around. She looked my way and whispered something to them that I couldn't hear, and then both Liz and Daniel grabbed their things and disappeared. Diana tried to follow but I jumped out and caught her arm.
"Not so fast!" I ordered. She tried to free her arm but then she gave up and turned to face me.
"Hi Artie!" she beamed. I glared at her.
"Don't think you'll get away with this….all three of you!" I screamed so Liz and Daniel could hear me. I knew they hadn't gone very far. Those three were inseparable.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said innocently, pulling her arm from my grip.
"Of course you do, 'Señor Taco Trio'?" I raised an eyebrow. She giggled.
"It was funny wasn't it?"
"You looked ridiculous."
"Liz designed the costumes."
"I don't care!"
"Oh loosen up Artie! We did them a favor."
"Since when does pinning people down and shoving food into their mouths count as a favor?"
"They had never eaten a real taco! Mexican food is the best, especially tacos, and you know it."
I was nowhere near admitting that tacos were indeed very tasty so I just stared at her for some seconds before sighing loudly.
"I wish you would just understand! I have too much to worry about just now to be chasing after you and your messes," I said.
"I don't know if you have too much to worry about or you just worry too much," she said rolling her eyes.
"Whatever! Just know that I'll have you punished for this."
"Come on, Artie," she touched my arm, "please? And what are your so called worries anyway?"
I sighed. If you knew...
Her smile died and her eyes widened, she let go of my arm. I frowned at her…before realizing I was thinking about that.
And she could read my mind.
"Artie," she whispered.
I desperately tried to push those thoughts away, but the more I did the more they seemed to play.
"Stop listening!" I yelled covering my head with my hands, as if that would shield me from whatever it was she did to peer inside my mind. It was strange but not unheard of that some people acquired ….especial abilities after dying. I don't know how many of those abilities there are, but I have heard of one or two cases: an angel who could walk through walls and another who could breathe ice. Mind reading seemed a lot creepier to me, and of all people it had to be her.
"How did you…"
"Don't say it!" I snapped. She just looked at me and I plopped on the grass, my face buried in my hands. I heard the leaves rustle as she sat next to me. No one said anything for almost a minute.
"I was in guard duty," I finally said, deciding I could trust her, "worst job in all heaven. Bob had gone to get us something to eat and I was alone, and bored out of my mind. So I just closed my eyes for a second and heard something. I looked around and there was nothing so I shrugged it off. Bob came back and after a while the guards of the next turn arrived and I headed to my compound when I saw a shadow sneaking out of The Hall. I got closer and saw it was a demon. At first I thought it would be Lovino, though he had no reason to be near The Hall. But then I saw it was a man with wild, dark hair and somewhat purple eyes, and he suspiciously carried a sack and was looking around frantically. I chased after him. He fled past the doors and as I followed I realized he was descending to earth."
"I hesitated, and now I regret not alerting a Power, or some other fighter more skilled than myself, but I believed it wouldn't be so hard so I followed him into earth. I'm terrible with spears so I fired at him with my bow, but he was fast, not once did I hit him. We were close to a city and I was worried he'd cause trouble with the humans, so I fired my best shot. It didn't hit him but it ripped the fabric of the sack and it fell to the ground. But the arrow flew all the way down. When I went to retrieve the sack the demon was nowhere to be seen, but I found a dead guy on the grass…" I choked. "My arrow buried deep in his chest."
I had to swallow the lump in my throat. Diana was silent.
"Mattie?" she inquired after a while. I nodded.
"He was not completely dead yet, he was still conscious and I am sure he saw me there, saw the bow in my hands..."
"I thought humans couldn't see angels."
"They can't if we don't want them to, but everything happened so fast that when entering earth I forgot to will my invisibility. If he did see then he saw me as clearly as you do now."
She just stared at me.
I sighed and resumed talking. "He finally died there. The least I could do was put him near the road for someone to find him, then I came back and hoped no one would notice. But I should have known better; there's little you can hide here. And two days ago*, when Mr. Clousier gave me his file and told me he was my newcomer I almost fainted. I didn't know how I would look at him without picturing him laying dead on the ground, without feeling guilty." I didn't say another thing and just stared intently at the grass blades in my fingers.
She seemed to understand my need of silence and didn't speak, just sat there. I knew I had work to do and she should be in class, but if felt good to finally say it aloud. It had been bothering me every waking hour since then (which, if you consider, wasn't much but it felt a lot to me).
"What was in the sack?" she asked quietly.
I gulped. "Something….important," I just said. "Something very important. It's not really that hard to see why he wanted it," I looked at her, "but I can't tell you and I don't want you looking for it in my mind, got it?" I ordered sternly. She jumped a little at my sudden harsh tone but nodded anyway.
"Right, I won't," she said.
"And you can't speak of this, of any of this, to a soul, got that too?"
She looked around.
"Um, actually, there's a pair of souls to whom you might have just confessed it yourself." Liz and Daniel! I had completely forgotten about them! I stood .
"Hey you two!" I called. "Come out already, I have something to tell you." Diana snorted and stood as well.
"Like hell they're going to come, Artie. Wait here," she turned around and disappeared behind the bushes. For a second I was worried she wouldn't return, but then I saw that her things were still there. She had to come back for them. Almost immediately she appeared again, Liz and Daniel trailing behind.
"¿Qué pasó Arturo? ¿Ya no estás enojado?" (What´s up Arthur? You're not angry anymore?) Daniel said, looking at me. I tilted my head.
"No ya no, creo," (No he's not, I think) Diana told him. Then she looked at me. "He rather wants to ask you guys a favor."
"If you want us to stop having fun with this we can't promise anything," Liz warned and crossed her arms. They laughed.
"I would indeed like it if you stopped your nonsense…" Diana punched me on the arm, "but that's not what I want to say. You heard everything didn't you?"
"'Course we did," Daniel answered nonchalantly. Liz nodded.
"Well, I want you to keep it as a secret."
Liz raised an eyebrow. "Why should we?"
"Because I'm telling you…." Diana punched me hard now. "Please," I mumbled.
Liz smirked. "Sure thing Arthur, don't you worry."
Daniel nodded with a smile. "No hay pedo Arturo. No le decimos a nadie." (No problem Arthur. We won't tell anyone).
I blinked. "Just like…that?"
Liz chuckled. "Well, yeah."
"Though it is some nasty problem you have there," Daniel pointed.
"For all the things we do you know we are not half bad Artie. Well, Liz here might have tried to kill us once but other than that…." Liz complained and they started arguing in Spanish, Daniel cracking with laughter and popping in now and then. These kids…they day I actually understand them I shall be the wisest man in all three dimensions.
"Si lo piensas, al final fue el rosa el que nos mató." (If you think about it, in the end it was the pink one who got us killed)
"A que… ¿ahora me van a echar la culpa?" (Wait wha…now you are going to blame me?)
"Algo así, sí." (Pretty much, yes)
"Se divirtieron." (You had fun)
"Oh sí, me gustaron sobretodo las quemaduras. El dolor fue muy divertido." (Oh yes, I particularly enjoyed the burns. All that pain was so much fun)
"Me refiero al antes….y al después. Digo, nos encontramos al amargado de Arturo. Eso es bueno, ¿no?" (I mean before…and after. I mean, we were reunited with the bitter Arthur. That's a good thing, right?)
"Okay enough!" I finally snapped. They all looked at me. "I don't know what are you talking about but I'm sure it can wait. So, can I trust you will keep it the secret?"
"Hell Artie! We already said yes. Quit it!" Diana complained.
"No, you three quit it. Lunch time is nearly over. You should be heading to your next class," I said. They whined but nodded, and lazily picked up their stuff and walked back to the cafeteria. I sighed, relieved that I had shared it, and sat back again on the grass. The place was really wonderful for relaxing, and it was well hidden so no one would bother you. I could see why it was their hideout.
But I had things to do so I slowly stood and headed back. Thing was, the place was a circle in the bushes and I couldn't recall which one I had been hiding behind, and I didn't see which way they went. Somehow I finally found the way out, but ended completely at the other side of the garden, quite far from the building. When I was beginning to fly back I stopped when I saw something moving in the distance. I flew higher and saw it was a group of teen demons. I didn't know a group was coming today. Why do they never tell me a bloody thing? Now I really had to return and greet them at the school entrance **
But before I could do it my eyes fixed on one of the male demons of the group. His hair was blond, his eyes sky blue, an odd strand of hair sticking out his head. But something in his face…he looked awfully familiar.
*Despite all the chapters this story has, it has really been three days since Matthew arrived in heaven (well, two and a half days).
**In the bonus Apil Fools I mentioned Arthur was Supervisor of Compund K' School (Principal :P) but since this is before that (bonus chapters happen in some undefined time in the future), he could have started by keeping order, mainly to be able to check on Matthew, and therefore taking for himself responsibilities such as receiving groups of visitors from Hell.
So thanks for reading and please review! Tell us your opinion on the chapters. See you! ;)
