Poisoned Kiss
Chapter One
By Kairii O.C.
"You're too beautiful to be death…"Those were the most beautiful words anyone had ever spoken to me. I will never forget that small voice that whispered to me that day. I'd never thought that one word would have such an impact on me.
Beautiful…
I sifted through the busy crowd, trying to filter through my thoughts. The stiff collar of my jacket stood up awkwardly, teasing the silky strands of snow white hair on the back of my neck. You're so beautiful…. Me. A silly demon-spawn. Beautiful. I'd never thought I'd see the day that my pale cheeks would flush with color, my hands tremble, my soul warmed. Those few words have caused me to fight the regulations and many, many manuscripts that I was taught when I crossed over. Sometimes I fluster just thinking about it….
The gray building hung high in the black sky, its stoic composure so normal to me. I let a few people pass through me before I slipped through the clean glass doors, and into the rush. Women in clean white uniforms and hats walked about, a few men in scrubs giving orders. It was crowded tonight… Great, more work, I thought as I tucked my hands in my pockets and continued down the hall. The faint smell of death was present, but I couldn't catch it at the moment. As I turned the corner to ER, it hit me like a baseball between the eyes.
"Get him down here now!" yelled a doctor hanging out of a door at the end of the hall. "What's his condition?"
"Blunt force head trauma, but he's still half-conscious!"
"I need 150cc stat!" the doctor yelled as he rushed back into the room to prep the victim's arrival. I quickened my steps to catch up with the stretcher, and I choked slightly as I saw the patient. His dark hair was matted at the left side of his small head with blood, and clumps of the dried crimson liquid were splattered on his pale face. Various cuts and bruises covered the visible parts of his body, and I really didn't want to see further. His soft brown eyes fluttered open and closed as he faded in and out of consciousness.
The paramedics swung the stretcher into the room with ease, pushing him to the center of the room. All at once they went to work on him, attaching tubes and equipment to his frail, tampered body. I whisked over to his side, looking over him. His eyes were closed, and the machines he was hooked up to screamed wildly. Gripping the railing of the stretcher, I slowly began to bend down, my lips only inches from his…
"Who… who are you?"
I jumped at the sound of his voice. Though he was in such pain, he still sounded somewhat brave. "Are you… my mother?"
The frenzy continued on, for they didn't see nor hear me." No, kid, I'm not your mother…" I whispered softly, brushing my hand through his hair.
"Who… are you then?" I swallowed hard before I spoke. "I'm an angel of Death… I came here to… take you halfway to heaven." The boy smiled weakly. "Really? I am happy then." My brows knitted together as I gazed down at him. "Why are you glad?"
"I'm glad because I get to see my mommy again. She told me that she would come to get me when I was ready to join her…"
I clutched the boy's hand involuntarily. I didn't know why I did it.
"What…. is your name?"
I paused before I spoke.
"S… Soledad…"
"Lonely…"
The boy's eyes slowly closed.
"I'm… Pedro."
I bent down lower to the boy's face, kissing his cracked lips. A warm sensation ran through my body as his soul escaped its physical cage, through me. A deathly silence ran through the room as the doctor tried vainly to revive his limp body.
A deathly touch…
A poisoned kiss…
My job was done. As I stood back, I gripped Pedro's hand. "Is that… me?" He asked. He was dressed in a simple white sleeper, though he was around five years old. I nodded looking down to him. "Yep, kid. That's you." Pedro looked at his old body, deep in thought. "Why is… everyone so sad?" I tightened my grip on his hand. "Don't worry about that. I'm here to take you to your mother." Pedro nodded, and we walked out of the room, and out of the hospital.
Pedro skipped along, humming some kind of song. "Where is the rest of your family?" I asked, barely keeping up with the boy even though I was quite taller than him. "My Papa… he blamed me for Mama's death. She died because… because I born with a rare disease that I gave to her. It attacked her worse than me, and she died when I was this many years old." The little boy stuck up three fingers. "Ever since, Papa would get into rages and hit me sometimes. At dinner he got into another rage when I asked about my Mama and he… he hit me with a bat."
The story wasn't what touched me so. I'd seen worse… but his body…
"Oh… Well, don't worry, Pedro. You'll finally get to see your mommy."
I put on a smile to satisfy the boy. We approached a tall glass looking building that really seemed to scrape the sky. It was actually the tallest in the world, and I used it to send the souls I took to heaven. Now, not all of the souls I take are eligible to go there; those that aren't are now absorbed into Krane. But, you'll hear about him later.
The two of us continued through the building, and before I knew it, we were up to the rooftop. It was desolate; no sign of some holy presence anywhere. Pedro released himself from me, running around the rooftop. "Mama! Mama!" he cried, flailing his arms and searching every crevice in the vicinity. I looked up to the sky, sighing. The moon was partially hidden by dark mauve clouds, but its glow was still eminent. Pedro rushed over to me, tugging at the sleeve of my trench coat. "Soledad! She's not here!" Hot tears sprang up from his brown eyes. "Mama's not here!" I knelt down, gripping his hand. "Be patient, Pedro. I'm sure she'll be…"
No sooner than I had spoken those words, I felt a warm glow upon my back. Pedro's eyes widened in awe as his breath got caught in his throat. "M…M… Mama!" he cried, rushing past me. I stood slowly, nodding. "My work here is done," I muttered, loud enough so that they can hear me. A soft voice fluttered through the crisp air. "Thank you for bringing me my baby boy. I wish I could see your face, but---"
"It is forbidden."
There was a pause.
"Well… Thank you, very much." With that, a rush of wind swept through the air and the two were carried away. "Bye Soledad!" yelled Pedro's small voice as he disappeared into clouds.
Another day… another death….
It's been three years since that day. I have been dead for many years. Really, I don't remember if I even had a past life. All I remember is taking souls. As you may or may not know already, I am a necromancer--- an Angel of Death. I suck the souls of the newly dead, and put them in their in their respective places. Those worthy of the honor are escorted to heaven, halfway by me, and halfway by another dead family member there. Sometimes they are the only of their family to make it, and another angel is assigned to take them. I am not allowed to see the angels, and they are forbidden to see me. You see, I am a "special" necromancer. Not only do I take lives that are damned, but I also give second lives to those that deserve it. I'd never cared for any of the souls I'd taken, and all I did was absorb unworthy souls and good soul of the unfortunate dead alike. It wasn't until one day that I decided to change… all because of one soul that has seemed to been a part of me ever since…
Beautiful…It was morning. Blooming cherry blossoms lined the smooth concrete, and children were playing in a nearby playground. There wasn't even a wisp of death around--- the sickening smell of happiness drifted into my nose and clogged my throat. I rushed along, my hair flowing behind me. It was long then, and almost blonde. Luthiren, the head Death Angel, told me that there was a dying soul in the area, and I was put to work. Krane was tucked under my arm, quiet and content. "I wonder what this one'll be like," I sighed, crossing the street. Only the calling of the birds answered me. "Quiet today, my child?" I cooed to the skull, gently caressing the top of it. A petal wisped across my face and I caught it swiftly, crumpling it in my hand. "Humans are so ignorant. How can they consider this beautiful?" I snapped, shaking the crumpled petal from my palm. "I totally agree, Krane…" I said after a few moments.
I arrived in front of a small house, and that familiar smell entered my nostrils. It was a white house with green shutters, colorful flowers lining the walkway. A large tree was in the corner of the yard, and attached to it was a tire swing. It looked like any other old house, nothing special. I cut through the yard and slipped through the door. Inside was just at plain and ordinary as it was outside, family pictures, figurines, and shelves lined the beige walls. Five pairs of shoes sat on the welcome mat--- two larger shoes that belonged to men, a pair of smaller shoes for a woman, and two very small feet that seemed to fit small children. I moved on, following the scent. I was guided down a hall, and to a room at the end of the hall. I peeped inside, looking about. The walls were light blue and lined with many posters and sketches. A metal desk sat in the corner of the small room, cluttered with papers, clay models, and an assortment of painter's tools. A fairly small bed sat by the window, just high enough so that you could see out the window if laying on it. A frail form was outlined in the thick blankets, and continued up to a boy that sat up with the help of many pillows. I stepped forward, staring intently at the boy. He looked around my age--- not my literal age--- but around seventeen or so. Though his body was sickly and weak, color remained in his cheeks. He looked out of the window, a look of despair in his soft grey eyes. When I moved he turned his head and looked straight at me. I knew he couldn't see me, because then, dying souls couldn't see me. But he just had to be the different one.
"Hello," he said happily. "I didn't know I would be having visitors."
I blinked many times, unmoving and silent.
"Um…yes?" he said, calling to me.
My voice was hoarse as I spoke.
"You… you can see… me?"
The boy nodded, smiling.
"Of course! You are human, aren't you?"
He chuckled, but when he saw that I didn't join him, it faded.
"I'm not," I said matter-of-factly. "I'm… here to do business."
"My medical bills? Oh, wait… you're not human…"
The boy seemed deep in thought.
"Oh well," he chirped after a while, "I'm Chiigo, but most call me Chii-kun."
He stretched out a long arm. "Who are you?" I looked at his hand as if it were a diseased piece of rotting meat. "Soledad…. Soledad de la Rouge," I muttered finally. Chii-kun's eyes seemed to brighten up. "Oh! I'm learning foreign languages! I think that means… 'the lonely thief' in… spanish!" Chii-kun nodded, very deep in thought. "I… guess…" I mumbled, getting impatient. Why couldn't he have been near death? He seemed perfectly healthy. "Well… what are you here for?" Chii-kun asked. I blinked before I spoke. "I was told there would be a dying soul here that I must get. I'm… a Death Angel."
Chii-kun's soft grey eyes dulled almost instantaneously.
"Finally…." He sighed after many moments. I looked at him curiously. "I'm guessing I was wrong. You aren't dying at all…"
"Yes I am…" he whispered. "I have… brain cancer. I was given three months to live, so I decided not to get chemotherapy. But… that was three years ago. I am plagued with pain everyday, and heart spasms every few months because of my weak heart. Doctors told me that I could die at any moment with the spasms being so unpredictable. I'm guessing I am about to die of one…" Air choked my throat instantly, and I sputtered to keep breath in my lungs. Never had anyone's story touched me like his… Those that I reaped usually deserved to die, but…
…Not him…
"I'm sorry…" I choked, looking down at my feet.
"Its ok!" he chirped, smiling. "I am ready to go. I m ready to see what it's like on the 'other side'…" I nodded slowly, approaching his bedside. Chii-kun slid under his blankets, smiling softly as his eyes slowly shut. I bent down, closing my eyes. "You… look familiar… Like someone I once loved… You're too… beautiful to be death..." My eyes stung with tears, my lip trembling. With those words, my deathly kiss worked its magic. Krane's eye sockets glowed as Chii-kun's soul was contained inside. It was done. I collapsed onto his chest, sobbing as I listened to the final stuttering beats of his heart.
Beautiful…That was the first time anyone had ever told me I was beautiful for as long as I can remember. It was weeks before I left the house Chii-kun once lived… I sat on his bed, unmoving, even after they discovered his dead body and took him away. I was in shock, I was angry… I… was in love. I loved Chii-kun, even though I knew him for five minutes. Even though… it was partly my fault he was gone. That day… I felt. I felt happiness… then sadness… Pride… and guilt. I vowed to deliver those souls who didn't deserve to be cast to hell, and to learn a deadly secret…
My past.
Continued in chapter 2