by R M Gauthier
“You’re doing well, Aaron.” Dr. Swanson also stands from his chair and walks around his desk.
Aaron walks to the door, opens it, but turns around before he steps out.
“If you say so,” Aaron responds.
“It’s not an easy fix. It’ll take time, but we’re getting there.” Dr. Swanson praises Aaron.
Aaron nods, then steps over the threshold. “See you next time,” he mumbles as he wanders out of the office.
Aaron stands on the stage, ready to perform for the full house this evening. He’s in his element, as the stage is the one place he never questions anything. He lives for this moment, born to do this, or so it’s always felt that way. He stands on his mark trying to concentrate on his performance, but thanks to his session today, his concentration is shot.
Aaron closes his eyes attempting to block out everything else while waiting for his cue to start the show. He feels the burn of the spotlight shining down on his personage, letting him know it’s show time. The crowd cheers and claps, which helps Aaron clear his mind. He opens his eyes and takes in the moment. He lives for moments like this, when the crowd is eagerly awaiting his act. There’s no better feeling in the world than having people admire what you do.
The spotlight lifts, the houselights come up, and Aaron steps forward, scanning the theatre. It feels like forever since he’s smiled but standing here tonight the grin on his face makes up for lost time. He gazes out at the audience as he is introduced, their enthusiastic applause drowning out the announcer’s voice.
Suddenly, he notices the audience moving in slow motion before stopping all together. It’s as if they’re frozen to the spot. Aaron glances around wildly, searching for anything to explain what is happening, but even his own people are frozen. There’s no movement anywhere in the theatre. Aaron’s eyes sweep the room once more.
“Hello?” His voice echoes around the room.
He moves closer to the edge of the stage, spotting a glow coming from the aisle on the right. It’s a red glow, which has his eyes glued to the spot.
Fallen Star shimmers into the space walking forward toward the stage with purpose.
On the left side, there’s a white glow which captures Aaron’s attention.
Nevaeh shimmers into existence, also walking toward the stage.
“This isn’t real. This isn’t real,” Aaron repeats over and over as he closes his eyes tight. “This isn’t real.”
Aaron’s eyes snap open. He glances to the left spotting Fallen walking up the staircase on to the stage. He looks to his right and spots Nevaeh walking up the staircase on the right side of the stage.
“How can this be? You’re both not real,” Aaron shouts.
“Oh, we’re real,” Fallen answers as he reaches Aaron’s side.
“And we need your help,” Nevaeh explains as she steps up on his other side.
15
Aaron looks around the empty theatre. “What’s going on?” he asks, as he spins around and glances backstage. “Where’s my stagehands? What happened to my show?”
Aaron directs his glare back at the two angels, his eyes flicking back and forth between the two.
“Let’s just say we’ve decided to show instead of tell. Follow me,” Fallen says, as he sweeps down the staircase he just ascended and strides up the aisle leading to the lobby.
Nevaeh follows behind him.
Aaron remains on the stage for a brief moment before hightailing it to catch up. He bursts through the doors, spotting the two angels walking out the front exit which leads to the street. He frowns as he considers the havoc they’ve reeked on his life and can’t possibly fathom what they have in store for him now.
He walks tentatively across the lobby, exiting through the glass doors and follows the same path as the angels. He wanders past the ticket booth out front and lands on the sidewalk.
He glances up and down the street finally spotting the angels in the middle of the road heading east. He steps off the curb into the middle of the road and begins following the path the angels took. Once they turn the corner a block ahead Aaron starts jogging to catch up. His feet hitting the pavement echoes off the building around him. His breathing accelerates rapidly with each stride. He picks up his pace as he nears the corner.
He sprints the final steps, following the natural curve in the pavement and comes to an abrupt halt when he spots the angels standing motionless with their backs to him staring straight ahead. Aaron takes the few steps to close the distance between them. He stands between the two, glancing first to Nevaeh, then Fallen. Both remain immobile, focus forward.
“What are you guys looking at?”
Failing to notice anything out of the ordinary, Aaron scans the immediate area, then searches beyond. The entire district is encased by large skyscrapers that have storefronts at street level. It’s a typical view of any city’s downtown core. He peers further ahead, but still doesn’t spot anything.
He turns to look at Nevaeh again. “What is going on?” he asks.
Nevaeh turns her head, peering at Aaron. “Don’t you see it?” she asks, then resumes staring down the road.
Once more, Aaron scans the vicinity, looking a bit closer than the first time. He’s not certain what he’s looking for, but he knows it must be important. He has a feeling he’s missing something but can’t spot the anomaly. He eyes every building, every window, every car parked along the side of the roadway—everywhere. Still it’s not apparent what is wrong.
“What’s missing?” Fallen asks, as he turns to glance at Aaron.
Aaron’s eyes remain glued to the view. “I don’t know.”
“Look closer,” Fallen whispers.
“I am,” he sighs. “Just tell me.”
Fallen takes a step forward, glancing down the road once again. “It’ll come.”
Aaron takes in the sky, which is blue, but a bit hazy. It’s summer after all, and you can practically see the heat rising off the pavement. There are a few clouds but nothing to suggest rain. It’s been hot and dry for the past couple of weeks with no relief in sight. He lowers his search to the buildings, the larger ones mostly glass, some new, others worn with age, but still nothing that stands out. As his gaze lowers even more, he observes the small buildings. Again, most are made of brick. There are some newer ones, but most are old.
Aaron spins around, glancing down the road in the opposite direction. More buildings, sky and parked cars, but nothing out of the ordinary. It would really help to know what he is looking for instead of trying to guess. He’s really beginning to question whether this was worth missing his performance for, which has him spinning in a circle.
“What a minute,” he mumbles as he shifts his gaze from side to side. “Shouldn’t it be night?” He glances at Nevaeh.
She just stares at him as if she’s waiting for something.
“It’s supposed to be night,” he snaps, his gaze shifting to Fallen.
“What else?” Fallen inquires.
“I don’t know,” Aaron frustrated.
“Yes, you do.” Fallen steps up behind Aaron and puts his hands on either side of Aaron’s head to hold it still. “Just see.”
Aaron closes his eyes, trying to clear his mind. When he opens them again, he looks through clear lenses. Everything looks the same as it always has, but it’s different. There’s something not right. He thinks harder for a minute while he glances around. Finally, it comes to him. He shakes off Fallen’s hands and spins in a circle again, glancing all around.
“There’s no people,” he shouts out, then turns to glance at the two angels. “Where are all the people?”
16
“Give the boy a biscuit, he’s finally figured it out,” Fallen snaps as he takes a few steps forward, his gaze searching the distance.
“Fallen,” Nevaeh hisses.
Aaron’s gaze flickers from Nevaeh to Fallen and back. He trembles as he looks around the city street observing the emptiness it now represents. He wonders what happe
ned to all the people and why he’s still here? A million-questions run through his mind. But the most predominate one falls to his home and mother.
At top speed, he runs down the road panting as his feet hit the pavement echoing in the silence around him. An overwhelming feeling of dread fills him as his feet carry him over each street finding nothing but emptiness. He has no idea what happened. One minute he was preparing himself for his show, the next everything changed and all the people in the world seem to have disappeared. He’s not sure what to do with this new information.
He turns down the street where his home is located, breathing heavily while jogging up the front steps and bursting through the front door.
“Mom,” he shouts as he races from room to room searching. “Mom,” he calls out louder.
Aaron runs up the stairs to his mother’s bedroom, pushes open the door and scans the room. It’s empty, so he hurries to the bathroom and peeks in there—still nothing. He stands still for a moment, his eyes flickering from the bathroom to the bedroom while he thinks. Where can she be? Where have they all gone? Aaron has never felt more alone than he does in this moment.
A brilliant light fills the door to the hallway almost blinding Aaron. He stares at the light that commands his attention; he couldn’t look away even if he wanted to. As the light recedes, Nevaeh comes into view, her face angelic, but her expression one of sorrow—pity.
“They’re all dead, aren’t they?” Aaron probes.
Nevaeh enters the room and glides up to Aaron. She places a hand on his shoulder giving it a rub lightly.
“I’m not sure,” Nevaeh answers.
“How can you not know?” Aaron gives her a pleading look. “I thought you guys have access to everything.”
“Not everything, Aaron,” Nevaeh whispers.
“I don’t understand,” Aaron responds. “What happened? How—”
“If we knew, we’d tell you. Now—” Fallen strolls into the room projecting his commanding, powerful attitude. “You can’t keep running away. We have things to figure out.”
“He needs a moment, Fallen. Can’t you see he’s having a traumatic breakdown?” Nevaeh scowls.
“Yes, Fallen. Are you blind?” Azrael shimmers into existence.
Both Nevaeh and Fallen turn to Azrael readying themselves for battle. They both exude strength and power, their wings extending to full span, and the light around the both of them only serves to strengthen their dominance. Aaron can’t help but stare at the two in awe—until Fallen takes a step closer.
“What are you doing here, Azrael?” Fallen hisses.
“Just visiting a friend.” He shrugs a shoulder and peeks around the two to catch a glimpse of Aaron. “How you doing, Aaron?” He smiles at the young man.
“What have you done, Azrael?” Nevaeh’s eyebrows knit together.
Azrael feigns offense dramatically placing a hand over his heart while shaking his head. His eyes freeze on Nevaeh for a moment, before they shift to Fallen as a smile slowly crawls over his lips.
“Brother,” he nods at Fallen. “Do you always think I’m up to something?”
Fallen snarls as he steps in front of Nevaeh facing off with his brother.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Azrael smiles.
“What are you doing here?” Fallen crosses his arms over his chest. “What have you done?” Worry creases Fallen’s forehead.
“Me?” Azrael asks surprised. “This isn’t my handy work.”
“Lies,” Fallen snaps. “You were always such a terrible liar.”
“Must it always be this way? We are brothers after all. Twins for Chr—”
“Don’t even.” Nevaeh sidesteps Fallen and faces Azrael.
“What? Take the Lords name in vain. Disrespect him? Like they respect us, right?” Azrael spews showing a bit of emotion for the first time.
“What happened to you, Azrael? You used to be one of the best and now—” Nevaeh is cut off.
“Now, I don’t have anyone to answer to. Nothing happened. I just got sick of taking orders.”
“I don’t believe you. Tell us what happened, maybe we can help,” Nevaeh offers.
“Help? Me? I think you should be more worried about saving yourself, Ne-va-eh,” he says, mocking her.
“From what?” Fallen snaps.
Azrael turns his glare to Fallen. The mirror image the two share is disturbing because there’s no way to tell them apart, until they open their months that is.
“You speaking to me, dear brother?” Azrael smirks at Fallen.
“From what, Azrael?” Fallen demands. “What should we be worried about?”
“Oh, I’ve got your attention now, don’t I?”
“Stop playing games and tell me what you’ve done?” Fallen takes another step coming face to face with his brother. “Azrael, you have no idea—”
“What I’m doing?” Azrael interjects. “I know exactly what I’m doing.” He brushes invisible lint off Fallen’s shoulder. Azrael narrows his eyes at his brother, his eyebrows knit together. “And the fun is just beginning.”
Suddenly, Azrael shimmers out of the space, disappearing with a blast of golden light.
Fallen stretches his arms out in front of him attempting to stop his brother but fails miserably. He stares at the space his brother left empty.
“Damn it,” he hisses.
17
Both angels stare at the spot Azrael just vacated. Aaron can’t take his eyes off the spot either. The room is silent for a moment. They all appear frozen in time, until finally, Fallen takes a step forward, whirls around facing off with Nevaeh.
“What just happened?” he probes.
“Your brother just happened. That’s what.” Nevaeh walks across the room. “Commander,” she calls.
“What’s going on?” Aaron finally finds his voice. He directs his question first to Fallen, but gets no response, so he focuses his attention to Nevaeh. “Please tell me what’s happening? Where are all the people?”
Nevaeh sighs, and closes her eyes before turning to Aaron. “We’re not sure, Aaron.”
She focuses back on the conversation in her earpiece. “Commander, we have a problem here.”
Fallen, who has remained unusually silent and still, shifts his gaze to Nevaeh. “What are they saying?”
Nevaeh ignores him as she converses with the Commander. “All the people are missing,” she informs, then listens for a moment. “No idea, but Azrael was here.”
Fallen crosses the room in a second, planting himself beside Nevaeh in order to hear the conversation.
“What is he doing there?” the Commander inquires.
“We’re not sure,” Nevaeh responds, flashing an annoyed glance Fallen’s way.
“Who is we?” The Commander asks.
“Oh, um...” Nevaeh’s eyebrows narrow as her glare intensifies. “Fallen… uh… Sir.”
“Fallen Star?” the Commander prods.
“Yes,” Nevaeh reports.
“Tell Mr. Star he can go to he—”
“Sir, he’s been helping me,” Nevaeh comments. “What is protocol for this situation, Commander?”
“What’s he saying?” Fallen questions.
“Nothing,” Nevaeh says, concern laced in her tone. “He seems more worried about us working together.”
“Disconnect,” Fallen demands.
“I can’t just—”
“Do it,” he snaps. “He can’t help us.”
Fallen steps away from Nevaeh and strides purposefully to the door.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Nevaeh calls out.
“To figure out what he’s done now,” Fallen calls out over his shoulder as he walks out the door into the hallway.
Nevaeh rushes to follow.
Aaron stands in his mother’s bedroom staring at the door the angels just walked through, and wondering what he should do now. They’ve revealed nothing and now he’s scared—terrified to find out the truth. The truth as he knows it is t
hat all the people have disappeared.
It appears he’s the only human left.
Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of dread washes over him. They’re dead. They’re all dead, he thinks as he wanders out of his mother’s bedroom and heads downstairs to his own, slamming the door after he enters. He drifts over to the bed, flops down and sinks his face into his pillow. He just wants to cry, but he knows he’s too tired to do anything. Instead, his eyes close of their own volition, and he gives in to exhaustion.
Aaron opens his eyes, his eyebrows knitting together taking in the new scenery surrounding him. Tall trees, with a canopy of leaves, hide the dark sky above, which is lit up by multiple stars and a bright moon. Streams of light flow through the leaves and offer Aaron a view of the immediate district. He scans the region recognizing the surroundings as somewhere he’s been before with Azrael.
He sits up, slightly dizzy, as though the world feels like it’s spinning. He places his hands on either side of his head, attempting to stop the nausea and it seems to work. Once the forest is still, he scrambles to his feet. He wants to remember how he got here because the last thing he remembers is collapsing on his bed. Also, the state of the human race.
Tears form in the corners of his eyes as he thinks about the missing people—including his mother.
“What is going on?” he shouts.
A bright light sparks, blinding Aaron as Azrael shimmers into the space in front of him.
“Training,” Azrael answers as he appears.
“What have you done?” Aaron screams, taking a couple of steps forward and slamming his fists against Azrael’s chest.
“Aaron, stop.” Azrael remains still not showing any sign of discomfort. “Stop!”
Aaron halts his assault, steps back as tears overflow his eyes and roll down his cheeks. “What are you doing to me?” Aaron whimpers.
“Trust me, Aaron. Everything will be better. I promise,” Azrael offers with sincerity.
