^ ^ ^ ^
A knock came at the front door that startled Bethany from a deep, yet restless, slumber. She was curled up on the reclining chair in the living room; the blanket that had covered her during the night was now heaped on the floor near her feet. She stretched and blinked a few times to let her eyes adjust to the morning rays of sunlight that shown brightly through the bay window.
Her first glance was at the digital clock atop the television set that read 8:09am. Kirsten must have left for work over an hour ago, so Bethany knew she had to answer the door. She sighed heavily, not wanting to move from her spot. Her eyes wandered towards the sofa, only a few feet from her. Bartleby's long frame was still laying there underneath a thick, warm blanket.
"How come *your* blanket didn't find the floor?" she asked him, sleepily. He didn't answer. He was as quiet and tranquil as ever. She smiled as she watched him sleep.
Bethany had worried that Bartleby would awaken again during the night, so she decided to sleep in the living room, enabling her to hear both Bartleby and Grace if either of them needed her. Grace's nursery room was certainly in ear-shot, but neither Grace nor Bartleby stirred at any hour of the dark.
The knock came at the door again, a little louder this time.
"Okay, I'm coming. I'm coming," Bethany groaned impatiently as she lifted herself off of the chair. She grabbed her robe and covered herself as she groggily ambled towards the front door. "Who could it be at this hour?" she wondered aloud.
She peered out through the small glass window of the door and what she saw drew the breath from her lungs. //You have *got* to be kidding me. This is not happening.// Bethany settled herself from the initial shock, took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.
And there he stood; hands raised in defense as his crystal blue eyes darted shyly from Bethany to the ground.
Loki.
"Please, I don't mean any harm. I - I know what you must be thinking, but I'm not here to start any kind of trouble. I swear." Loki stuttered for the right words. He shifted his weight uneasily as he continued to almost cower in Bethany's presence. His eyes met hers for only a second before he gazed at the ground once again. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but I just need to know . . . . . . I just want to know if - " He stopped and took a breath. Bethany heard the tremble in his voice as he exhaled. Then he looked her straight in the eye. "I just wanted to know if you've seen Bartleby."
He was alive. Loki was alive! But Bethany had seen him die - seen him murdered at the hands of the angel who was now, for reasons she couldn't fathom, laying hurt in her living room. She had seen Loki die with her own eyes. But here he stood at her front door, alive as the night she'd seen him on the train. But how? Bethany had explained Bartleby's outburst about Loki to Kirsten. She told Kirsten that Loki was "Bartleby's best friend". But how could one's killer be considered a "best friend"? But Loki was here, now, at her front door - *not* killed - *not* dead. He was alive and looking for his "best friend".
Bethany could not mistake the distress she heard in Loki's voice and the evident pain she saw in his eyes. He was worried about Bartleby. Very worried. He waited as patiently as he could for her answer. Bethany had so many questions to ask him. There was so much she needed to know. But all that could wait just a little longer. Loki could not. He needed to know about Bartleby *now*. Bethany could almost feel Loki's anticipation of dread or disappointment at what she might say to him.
Her mouth opened and closed in confusion. She was wary of her situation with the two angels who were supposed to be dead. Was she safe with them? Was Grace safe with them? But, Bethany's heart answered those questions: Yes.
"He's here, Loki," Bethany heard herself say, finally.
Loki lowered his hands and blinked as if he heard her wrong. "What?"
"Bartleby is here. He's been here for almost two days now."
"He's in the house? With you?" Loki peered past Bethany to look inside the house, evidently searching to find what Bethany was telling him about.
"He's asleep on the couch. Loki," Bethany touched his shoulder to focus his attention back upon her for a second. He looked at her. "Loki, he's hurt." She tried to break the news as smoothly and softly as possible, but the horrified look that shown on Loki's face made it seem as if she just told him she killed a litter of puppies.
"Hurt?" Loki squeaked.
"Come in." Bethany coaxed Loki into the house and led him to the living room where he saw Bartleby laying unconscious on the couch; just where Bethany had left him. Bartleby looked the same: ashen and motionless.
Loki stumbled towards his angelic companion. He knelt at Bartleby's side and cupped his fallen friend's face in his hand. "Oh, B," Loki sighed. Loki shook his head in frustration. "I shouldn't have let you out of my sight. I knew something was wrong." Then he turned to Bethany. "What happened?"
Bethany told Loki the story of what happened in the alleyway, only this time, she didn't leave out any details like she did when she explained the same story to Kirsten. There was no reason to lie about it to Loki, and maybe he had some answers for why it all happened in the first place.
". . . . . and I think he might have some cracked ribs. The creep with the baseball bat hit him pretty hard. But, I didn't think angels could be harmed by mere mortals."
Loki had been looking at Bartleby until Bethany said that last statement. He glanced over at her with a confused expression, but then returned his eyes upon Bartleby. He mumbled something that Bethany couldn't quite hear.
"What?" Bethany asked.
Loki looked at her again. "Warlocks," he repeated. "The way you described them, that's what I think attacked you."
"What are warlocks?"
"Minions of the devil. Warlocks aren't exactly demons, but they're definitely not human either." Loki's haunted eyes fell upon Bartleby again. "B had a strange feeling. He knew something was up. That must be why he followed you."
"Followed me? Okay, wait. Back up." Bethany became impatient and confused by what she was hearing. "I think you owe me an explanation. I mean, what the hell is going on, Loki? You're supposed to be dead. I *saw* Bartleby kill you!" She noticed Loki wince at her words, but she proceeded. "They told me Bartleby was dead too. But obviously, you're both not. So now I have two angels, who are supposed to be dead as doornails, here in my living room right now! Can you explain that to me, please?" Bethany tried to stay calm, but her voice became frantically raised by the madness of how crazy the scenario sounded. Then she saw Loki shake his head.
"No," he replied softly.
Bethany felt exasperated. "What do you mean, 'no'? 'No', you can't explain what the hell is going on?"
"No," Loki repeated with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I mean, no, you don't have two angels in your living room right now."
"Come again?"
"Human, Bethany. Bartleby and I are human."
^ ^ ^ ^
A knock came at the front door that startled Bethany from a deep, yet restless, slumber. She was curled up on the reclining chair in the living room; the blanket that had covered her during the night was now heaped on the floor near her feet. She stretched and blinked a few times to let her eyes adjust to the morning rays of sunlight that shown brightly through the bay window.
Her first glance was at the digital clock atop the television set that read 8:09am. Kirsten must have left for work over an hour ago, so Bethany knew she had to answer the door. She sighed heavily, not wanting to move from her spot. Her eyes wandered towards the sofa, only a few feet from her. Bartleby's long frame was still laying there underneath a thick, warm blanket.
"How come *your* blanket didn't find the floor?" she asked him, sleepily. He didn't answer. He was as quiet and tranquil as ever. She smiled as she watched him sleep.
Bethany had worried that Bartleby would awaken again during the night, so she decided to sleep in the living room, enabling her to hear both Bartleby and Grace if either of them needed her. Grace's nursery room was certainly in ear-shot, but neither Grace nor Bartleby stirred at any hour of the dark.
The knock came at the door again, a little louder this time.
"Okay, I'm coming. I'm coming," Bethany groaned impatiently as she lifted herself off of the chair. She grabbed her robe and covered herself as she groggily ambled towards the front door. "Who could it be at this hour?" she wondered aloud.
She peered out through the small glass window of the door and what she saw drew the breath from her lungs. //You have *got* to be kidding me. This is not happening.// Bethany settled herself from the initial shock, took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.
And there he stood; hands raised in defense as his crystal blue eyes darted shyly from Bethany to the ground.
Loki.
"Please, I don't mean any harm. I - I know what you must be thinking, but I'm not here to start any kind of trouble. I swear." Loki stuttered for the right words. He shifted his weight uneasily as he continued to almost cower in Bethany's presence. His eyes met hers for only a second before he gazed at the ground once again. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but I just need to know . . . . . . I just want to know if - " He stopped and took a breath. Bethany heard the tremble in his voice as he exhaled. Then he looked her straight in the eye. "I just wanted to know if you've seen Bartleby."
He was alive. Loki was alive! But Bethany had seen him die - seen him murdered at the hands of the angel who was now, for reasons she couldn't fathom, laying hurt in her living room. She had seen Loki die with her own eyes. But here he stood at her front door, alive as the night she'd seen him on the train. But how? Bethany had explained Bartleby's outburst about Loki to Kirsten. She told Kirsten that Loki was "Bartleby's best friend". But how could one's killer be considered a "best friend"? But Loki was here, now, at her front door - *not* killed - *not* dead. He was alive and looking for his "best friend".
Bethany could not mistake the distress she heard in Loki's voice and the evident pain she saw in his eyes. He was worried about Bartleby. Very worried. He waited as patiently as he could for her answer. Bethany had so many questions to ask him. There was so much she needed to know. But all that could wait just a little longer. Loki could not. He needed to know about Bartleby *now*. Bethany could almost feel Loki's anticipation of dread or disappointment at what she might say to him.
Her mouth opened and closed in confusion. She was wary of her situation with the two angels who were supposed to be dead. Was she safe with them? Was Grace safe with them? But, Bethany's heart answered those questions: Yes.
"He's here, Loki," Bethany heard herself say, finally.
Loki lowered his hands and blinked as if he heard her wrong. "What?"
"Bartleby is here. He's been here for almost two days now."
"He's in the house? With you?" Loki peered past Bethany to look inside the house, evidently searching to find what Bethany was telling him about.
"He's asleep on the couch. Loki," Bethany touched his shoulder to focus his attention back upon her for a second. He looked at her. "Loki, he's hurt." She tried to break the news as smoothly and softly as possible, but the horrified look that shown on Loki's face made it seem as if she just told him she killed a litter of puppies.
"Hurt?" Loki squeaked.
"Come in." Bethany coaxed Loki into the house and led him to the living room where he saw Bartleby laying unconscious on the couch; just where Bethany had left him. Bartleby looked the same: ashen and motionless.
Loki stumbled towards his angelic companion. He knelt at Bartleby's side and cupped his fallen friend's face in his hand. "Oh, B," Loki sighed. Loki shook his head in frustration. "I shouldn't have let you out of my sight. I knew something was wrong." Then he turned to Bethany. "What happened?"
Bethany told Loki the story of what happened in the alleyway, only this time, she didn't leave out any details like she did when she explained the same story to Kirsten. There was no reason to lie about it to Loki, and maybe he had some answers for why it all happened in the first place.
". . . . . and I think he might have some cracked ribs. The creep with the baseball bat hit him pretty hard. But, I didn't think angels could be harmed by mere mortals."
Loki had been looking at Bartleby until Bethany said that last statement. He glanced over at her with a confused expression, but then returned his eyes upon Bartleby. He mumbled something that Bethany couldn't quite hear.
"What?" Bethany asked.
Loki looked at her again. "Warlocks," he repeated. "The way you described them, that's what I think attacked you."
"What are warlocks?"
"Minions of the devil. Warlocks aren't exactly demons, but they're definitely not human either." Loki's haunted eyes fell upon Bartleby again. "B had a strange feeling. He knew something was up. That must be why he followed you."
"Followed me? Okay, wait. Back up." Bethany became impatient and confused by what she was hearing. "I think you owe me an explanation. I mean, what the hell is going on, Loki? You're supposed to be dead. I *saw* Bartleby kill you!" She noticed Loki wince at her words, but she proceeded. "They told me Bartleby was dead too. But obviously, you're both not. So now I have two angels, who are supposed to be dead as doornails, here in my living room right now! Can you explain that to me, please?" Bethany tried to stay calm, but her voice became frantically raised by the madness of how crazy the scenario sounded. Then she saw Loki shake his head.
"No," he replied softly.
Bethany felt exasperated. "What do you mean, 'no'? 'No', you can't explain what the hell is going on?"
"No," Loki repeated with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I mean, no, you don't have two angels in your living room right now."
"Come again?"
"Human, Bethany. Bartleby and I are human."
^ ^ ^ ^