“Alyssa, my love I’m sorry I didn’t ask you this sooner. But time is all I have now, even though it’s too late for us. I promise to love you for all eternity. I’ll give you my heart and soul to keep if you would do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my wife.”
“Yes!” she whispered. “I’ll marry you.” Her eyes lit up with that same devotion and love she had always shone me. Still in disbelief, had she heard me ask her? Was it even possible? I wanted so badly to slip the ring on her finger and kiss her senselessly. Biting back a curse I watched in awe as she slide it onto her finger. It looked exquisite, like it was meant solely for her, designed by heaven just for her.
“I would walk to the ends of the Earth just to be with you again Jas. I love you.”
Chapter 6
As the day passed I watched my angel with her tennis match of emotions, struggling to go five minutes between happiness and on the verge of tears. When Cara, her employee asked about the ring, Alyssa quickly tucked her hand close to her chest and blushed, admitting the truth of her find.
It only took moments for the tears to flow before she angrily wiped them away. Sucking in a deep breath, Alyssa did what knew best to do. Bottling up her emotions and storing them for a private breakdown after hours. As the day waned and the final few customers left, Alyssa let Cara off early to be alone, the quiet seemed to comfort her where as I couldn’t.
Guilt assailed me, washing over my like a tsunami before the tingling in my head turned to a jackhammer on steel. She meandered through the storefront, making sure everything was clean and just right, when I caught sight of shadows lurking across the street.
Clicking off the lights and locking the door, Alyssa stepped out into the night, with a cool wind catching her hair in its loving caress lifting her auburn tendrils towards the sky. I followed her and waiting for her predators to stalk her as the pounding in my head had become a warning beacon of their proximity. I always figured when you were dead, you just didn’t feel anything. Man, I’m so dead wrong!
My anger boiled in me as I glared at the first of the three males step out from the alleyway. The stink of their putrid intentions littered the air. “Run Alyssa!” I screamed with every ounce of my being. She must’ve heard me or realized something was off because as she glanced behind her, her pale blue eyes lit up in fear and she took off before a second warning could be issued.
“That’s my girl!” She didn’t disappoint that much was true. Her instincts were spot on, now if only I had listened to her that fateful night. I wouldn’t be stalking her predators in my ghostly form like some pathetic excuse for a poltergeist.
My heart kicked up a notch when I saw the last two males launch out of the blackened alleyway in pursuit of her. Snarls were fresh on their greasy lips as they laughed with malicious depravity. It didn’t take a psychic to see what they were planning. I guessed it had been too much to ask for with the beer bottle assault a few weeks earlier that they would stay away. Tonight they were out for blood. Her blood and I’d damn my own soul if I let them succeed.
I could hear her heart thundering in her chest as she kicked off the pavement in a dead run. Her breath sawed in and out of her lungs as she braved a glance behind her. I tried to fuel up enough energy to toss another dumpster in the way of the males, but I wasn’t fast enough this time.
Crashing hubcaps and metal lids across the brick walls to distract wasn’t working either. She barely made it two full blocks when the first male crashed into her, sending them both to the ground in a victorious grunt. The glint in his devious eyes ignited my fury, as I watched her fight him off, kicking and punching with everything she had. I sent whatever I could flying after him, shattering more bottles against his back, until I saw that Alyssa had been cut in the aftermath. Small scratches of blood seeped from shallow wounds on her face and neck as she struggled for freedom.
“Shit!” He had her pinned when the other two males finally showed up minutes later. Panting and out of breath, but cheering for their catch nonetheless.
“Get her inside,” The Male-in-charge ordered. “In here, it’s empty. No one will disturb us this time. Right my pet?” he sneered, licking his lips.
I lunged for him as Alyssa hawked a wad of spit in his face. I barely made a stir as I passed through him, cursing as my lack of connection. Tears pricked at her glistening eyes, but she refused to shed a single one when the males grabbed and pulled her callously into the dark empty building.
“Fucking pathetic sacks of shit! You think you’ll get away with this? I survived you once before. You won’t break me now.” Her chortled laugh echoed into the vacant space where only moonbeams cut through dingy windows.
“Now, now my pet. Don’t think we’ll be that kind again,” He crooked smirk curled as he eyed her up and down. “No this time you’ll get the full treatment.”
Elbowing his friend, fear settled into my stomach when I saw the dull sheen of a bowie knife shoved in waistband of his jeans.
Frantically I searched around the room for anything to hurl at them. Aside from dust and piss covered blankets, nothing was left inside. “God damn it! You can’t let her die! What the fuck!” Desperation ruled my every dead breath as I threw useless punches at the scum molesting her.
“Why her! Answer me….why Alyssa?” I didn’t really expect to hear an answer; I mean I hadn’t believed in ghosts until I became one, so why would God or anyone else answer me?
“She is meant to serve a higher purpose.” The whisper of a voice called out. Searching for the source, it only took a moment to see a tall, lean male with wings extending out behind him standing across the room. The look of concern etched across his bronze skin.
“Why her, tell me!” I demanded. Pounding my silent footsteps towards him, his blonde hair perfectly hung down his shoulders like he was the Master mold of male models. “I won’t let her die!” the growl that rattled through my chest seemed to vibrate off the concrete walls.
His brows dipped low over freakishly yellow eyes, challenging me with that stare. “Then go and save her if you can.”
I turned only to see the glint of a silver blade slice across the strained indent of her dainty throat. “NO!” I lunged for the males, something deep inside me pulled out a savage vengeance as I pulled the blade free from her attacker and slammed it down through his back, piercing his lung. It didn’t take me a second to yank it free and launch after the two males pinning her arms to the grimy floor.
Maybe I couldn’t destroy these males by my own brand of torture, but I sure as crap on a cracker wasn’t about to let them live for what they had done to my sweet Alyssa. I sliced the lanky one first, gifting him with a permanent ear-to-ear grin. Crimson rivulets flowed effortless from the wound as he cupped it in sheer panic. The second male watched in abject horror as he tried to back away cautiously looking for the shadow that stalked them now. He swung at the air, and had I been mortal I suppose he might have come close to hitting me.
With a fierce growl I unleashed all I had inside of me, my fury and rage that boiled deep within my heart and I stabbed him in the chest. The sharp hiss of air escaping from the wound wasn’t enough to appease my anger. I struck him again and again, as blood sprayed into the cool night air. He struggled to get away, losing that battle quickly with every ounce of blood that flowed freely to the floor. But he wasn’t who I really wanted to take my revenge out on. No. I wanted their leader, fucktard number one who I stabbed in the back first.
His useless moan as he tried to climb to his feet made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in excitement as I turned to stalked him once again. The cool blade settled comfortably in the palm of my transparent hand. I could feel the curl of my lips peeling back the closer I stepped to him. The sad strangled cries from Alyssa’s lips pulled my gaze to her deathly form as she reached out for me.
She mouthed my name, covered in blood with a trickle of tear running down the side her head. The aching in my heart pounded as I faced off with him, the reason she w
as lying on a dirty nasty floor dying. I wanted to save her, would give up my soul to, but nothing I did could. Instead I turned my sights back on him, scared as hell as I focused all my energy to become visible.
“Ho—ly H-e-ll!” he struggled to say between raspy airy breaths. His eyes grew large as I raised the knife over my head and crouched down low, taunting him with future. “Y-ou-r d-ead” He mouthed.
“You’re right. I am.” I didn’t hesitate, slamming my fist full of blade down into his heart over and over again. The rage inside grew psychotic as I plunged the knife into him again and again. If this is what justice felt like, then I didn’t want to be wrong.
I would’ve sliced and diced more if it hadn’t been for the sound of her gurgled sputtering coughs. I spun around quickly to see her pulling herself in her final moments towards me. Dropping the knife, I hurried to her side, kneeling to the floor as I smoothed the back of my hand over her bruised cheek. “I love you so much, Alyssa. Please hand on baby. Don’t die on me. Not now. It’s not your time.”
Her lips moved to say my name, but no words would speckle the air in her lithe voice. Tears flooded my eyes as I stared down into the stilling blue pools of hers.
“I told you, she has a role to play, this…” motion around the blood soaked room, the Angel peered back down to me. “…was meant to happen earlier. You weren’t meant to die in the tunnel that night. She was. You just delayed the inevitable.”
“What the hell do you mean?” I snapped. Surely he couldn’t be saying what I thought he was saying. Alyssa…was she meant to die? No fucking way. She had too big of a heart, she was loved by so many. It’s not her time. This wasn’t the place. “Dammit! She can’t die!”
“I do believe she’s about to pass as we speak.” I followed his eyes back down to her sweet face. Her eyes, even dulling from life saw me. I curled my arms around her body, pulling her into my chest.
“I’ll let you two have a moment. Oh and your welcome.”
“What? Welcome for what?”
“She can see you and feel you now.” His smirk was just so damned arrogant as he turned to walk away. But I couldn’t help to notice that I was in fact holding her close. I could smell the metallic scent of blood mixed with her natural sugary sweetness. I could feel the warmth of her blood as it cooled on my skin.
“Alyssa, please stay with here. Don’t die.” I begged her, for what little good did. The tears in her eyes dried up and she reached for me, cupping my cheek. I couldn’t help but notice the deep shadows under her eyes as she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine. It had felt like centuries had passed since I felt warmth of her kiss. Yet here was lay, dying in my arms. Not fucking fair.
Her lips fell away a moment later as her head lolled back. The last of her escaping breath vanished from her body. It had happened, she died. Not old in the comfort of her bed, no. Here in this shithole building by the hands of a sadistic street-rat. My life and death had ended the moment she passed. I had no reason to exist anymore. Everything that I had loved had just vanished from this world, all that I was, now was gone. Closing my eyes to this new reality I couldn’t bare the idea of leaving her body alone to rot. I found her cell scattered on the floor and attempted to text Cara.
I was pretty damned amazed to find out that working electronics when you’re dead is a cinch with a strategic mind trick. Punching in the location of Alyssa’s body, I hoped at least she could have a proper burial surrounded by all those who’ve loved her.
My heart that once beat solely for her, now shattered into a million pieces as I held her in my arms.
Chapter 7
As expected, Cara saw her lifeless body and called the police. It didn’t take long to for the final decision of homicide, though the detectives were a bit stumped as to the deaths of the three attackers. Oh well, not my problem.
Alyssa’s sister had swiftly arranged the funeral. I knew it was ridiculous to attend, but I wasn’t ready to say good-bye. I hadn’t seen that golden Angel since the night Alyssa died, but something tells me it wasn’t the last time I would see him.
The air felt crisper than normal, as I watched everyone huddle down into their pea coats and jackets. The pastor went on and on about the life that had been lost and loved very much. I wanted so badly to scream at the top of my lungs and say, “It’s a fucking travesty! She wasn’t ready to die.” Still he yammered on and said his vocal praise to the old mighty one above.
Barking out a laugh, I guess it’s a good thing mortals can’t hear ghosts. As I looked out over the rest of the cemetery something odd stood out against the grey headstones and colorless sky. Coppery auburn tendrils dancing carefree in the cold breeze like a halo of dark fire inviting me to follow. “What the?” Using my nifty mind travel trick, I came up close and very personal in a blink of an eye.
Sucking back a gasp, I couldn’t fathom what I was seeing! She was resplendent in flowing white gauze gown, like a Greek princess. “Alyssa.” I whispered, afraid if I spoke to loudly that everyone would turn around and mob her. “How can it….” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, her here in the flesh. “be I was there, when you….died.”
Her beautiful smile fell when she stared into my eyes.
“But how? I saw you, when they…I held you…God I’m so confused.” Her lithe voice hitched as she cupped my cheek. Tears trickled from her piercing blue eyes, vibrant and intoxicating. I was completely mesmerized by her gaze, trapped like a dumb animal in a cage.
“Shhh-Shhh, its ok I’m here now. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Thumbing away her tears, the sparkle that I had thought dead renewed to life as she stared lovingly into my eyes. “I thought I had lost you.”
“I prayed that I would find you in heaven, I couldn’t bare living when you weren’t! Oh Jason, I died the day they took you from me. Nothing made sense anymore. I—I couldn’t..”
“It’s ok, everything will be ok. Well I mean, just because we’re living impaired doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun.” Tossing her a wink, her smile lit up once again just in time for me to lay a kiss down on those luscious pink jewels. “God, I’ve missed you so damn much. I’ve slept next to you for months and you had no idea I was even there.”
“So you’re the reason I always felt a cold draft going up my shirt.” Cocking a copper brow at me, she had me busted.
“Can you blame a guy? I mean it was just a little feeling…” a slow burning growl erupted from my chest as I pulled her closer. “I’d like to continue that feeling, if it’s alright with you?”
“Ah hem, as much as a dead porno would be so enthralling, I’d prefer it just the same if you two would wait until I leave.” The yellow gaze of the Angel pegged me hard in his stare. Fricking irritating.
“What the hell do you want?” I probably didn’t have the right to go all ‘I am man protecting my woman so step the hell off bitch’ but I wasn’t taking any chances either.
“I told you, she…has a purpose, notice the nice set of feathers sprouting from her back?” my eyes zeroed in to find what he was suggesting. And sure as shit, wings were emerging from her shoulder blades. She didn’t even flinch as they grew freely, expanding in front of me like it was second nature. “You on the other hand, don’t’ fit our normal molds. So what to do with you now?”
“You won’t take her away from me again. You can just go fuck yourself if you plan on trying.” Damn I sounded like I had a set of steel balls. Popping out my chest, her dainty hand came to rest lightly, easing my stress without a second thought.
Arching a perfectly golden man-groomed brow, his smirk widen as he saw the effect Alyssa had on me. “See, I told you she has a purpose. She’s simply amazing.”
“Back off asshole.” The snarl in my threat didn’t stop there as images of ripping his perfect head off from his perfect body and shoving it straight up his I presume perfect anal orbit had that same sadistic appeal to it as had killing our murderers.
“Easy Jas….He’s of no concern to you
and I. Jas…Jason…look at me.” She grabbed my face between the warmth of her palms and held my gaze. “I love you. I will always love you. Here, now in this place, wherever this place may be, we can be together, forever.”
God, she always had that way with me, no one could press the chill button and calm me right the hell down like she could. The soft gentle love in her eyes swirled with desire as she stroked the line of my jaw tenderly.
“I have a job for you, that is, if you can brake away from our Angel for a few hours.” I didn’t care for the way he said “Ours” like she was public property or something. In fact it grated on my nerves and I secretly promised to punch him the hell out the first chance I got.
“She is not ‘Ours’, she is mine. Got that, and what kind of job are you talking about?”
“Well since you’re not Angel material, and you’ve seem to acquire some interesting skills, the Boss thinks you might come in handy. We need someone of your special talents to handle delivering a message from time to time. Today being one of those times. I promise you’ll be back soon and then you can do whatever it is that you humans do.”
“Jas, what is he talking about?” her eyes searched mine for answers, but shame shadowed anything I had to offer as an answer.
“I did some things, when you were alive babe. I-I killed those bastards that murdered us! I had too.”
“What? How? I don’t understand. Jason, how could you? You’re a ghost?”
“Don’t remind me. I don’t know, somehow I manage to summon up some kind of crazy energy and figured out how to move things.”
Her eyes fell as I continued on explaining in detail about the weeks leading up to her death. Sadness and confusion danced across her face as she listened with silent resolve to understand. “And that’s pretty much it. So here we are, and now..” turning back to face our golden boy, I pegged him hard with a questioning glare. “you want me to and I quote ‘deliver a message’? to whom?”
“I’ll give you all the details on the way.”
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