Falling Awake

by T. A Richards Neville

  I ripped them off, and then searching for a pair of shoes, I grabbed the nearest pair I could find, my converse. I tied my hair up into a messy knot, and bolted back downstairs and out the front door, stopping dead in my tracks.

  Oh no, this was not happening.

  The front passenger door hung off my once pristine white Fiat 500, and there was a gaping slash travelling the length of the red vinyl soft top. Walking over to it, I could see the glove box had been pulled off and paperwork lay scattered on the seats.

  I would have to mourn my car later, and I set off running in the direction of my dad’s garage. Even on a tiny Island like this, I still wouldn’t be able to make it there as quick as I would like, and I ran faster, feeling the burn in my chest as I pushed myself harder in desperation, to make sure my dad was okay.

  I really wished I’d picked something other than this stupid jumper to wear, I was so hot. I slowed to a stop as a crippling pain throbbed behind my eyes, and the image of Caleb, with larger than life black wings extending from his back, dripping rich red blood, swam into focus.

  As quick as it came, it was snatched away, and I saw myself walking into my dad’s closet, in what looked like a grainy black and grey movie. The pain subsided and I regained my breath as I remembered my dream, and I knew now, how I’d found my way into the attic.

  Why was my dad hiding an attic? I remembered the voice that led me to it, and tried to recall whether I’d been dreaming or awake. Was I dreaming now? I wondered, pinching my arm hard until I flinched in pain.

  Definitely awake.

  A car slowed beside me, and let down the passenger side window. Nathan sat behind the wheel.

  “Need a ride?” he asked me, half-smiling, and I had never been more pleased to see him in my life.

  “Yes,” I said, climbing into the blue jeep.

  “Where to?” He looked unsure of the situation he had found himself in. He probably didn’t expect me to take him up on his offer.

  “My dad’s garage.”

  “Pria…”

  “Nathan, not now,” I said, glaring at him. “I really need you to drive, like as fast as you can. Can you do that?”

  He looked me over and then turned, grabbing the steering wheel. “Put your seatbelt on.”

  I done as he told me, and five minutes later, after breaking one or two speed limits. He screeched to a stop outside of my dad’s garage, next to Caleb’s Dodge 4x4. Caleb appeared at the entrance, confusion plastered on his face at the recognition of who brought me here.

  “Thanks,” I said getting out of the car. He looked over to where Caleb stood, gave me a brief smile, and then pulled away.

  Caleb took giant strides over to where I stood, with anger blazing in his eyes.

  “Where the hell have you been? he shouted. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” I pushed past him, and raced into the garage, scanning the office for my dad. Then bolted through to the front of the garage, but he wasn’t there either. Caleb came up beside me.

  “Where’s my dad?” I asked frantically.

  “He’s not here,” he said. “He’s with Gracey. He stayed here all night, and he’s been with her since this morning, helping to clear out the beach.” I was flooded with relief, and I brought my hand up to my chest, thanking God he was safe.

  “So where have you been?” he asked, searching my face. The edges of his eyes hardened under the scrutiny. “I went to your house, and you weren’t there. Then I went back to your house, and you still weren’t there.”

  “You were at my house?” I asked accusingly. “Has what happened got anything to do with you? I had the sudden overwhelming feeling that he had everything to do with it. He rubbed his hand along his jaw thoughtfully, studying me. Even in a stressful situation like this, he still managed to find a way to make me feel weak at the knees. His ripped faded jeans and grey blue t-shirt were nothing special but he made them look phenomenal. His hair was a mop of dark blonde waves making me want to reach out and run my fingers through them.

  “We need to talk.” He grabbed my hand, guiding me to his car.

  Confessions

  He Parked outside of Sully’s and we went inside. Sully gave me a questioning look as we crossed over to his side of the bar.

  “It’s okay, she’s with me,” Caleb said. Sully nodded, returning to cleaning glasses. His steely gaze still lingered on me in warning that I couldn’t be trusted.

  I vaguely remembered him from the other night. He was a hulking figure of a man, and his muscular tattooed arms broke free from under a too tight black vest. With his shiny baldhead, black goatee, and his cold grey eyes, he gave me the impression he was one person not to be messed with.

  We went through to the back room of the bar and down a set of white stone steps to the cellar, where we entered another door into a small utility closet.

  He flicked a switch and a bare bulb sprung to life. Behind the cleaning supplies on the far wall, Caleb banged against one of the bricks, and the wall swung backwards. He stepped into the cold black space and retrieved a key from his pocket, turning the lock in what I assumed to be a door, but I was struggling to see past him. Eventually, he pushed open the door and I followed him in.

  The room I stood in was all bare brick, with dark polished wooden floorboards. A black leather couch rested against the wall to my left, and a huge plasma TV hung from the wall opposite.

  A smaller sofa sat directly opposite me, against the far wall, before it turned into an arch, giving way to a short corridor. No pictures decorated the walls, and there were no windows, which didn’t surprise me, considering we were underground. The only colour- if you could even call it that, came from the smooth white ceiling that held the halogen spotlights.

  I turned around and a large pinball machine took up space in a corner behind me on my right, and next to it, was a state of the art stereo system and speakers. I’d never been in a bachelor pad before, but I felt like this would be the definition of one.

  “Sit down,” he said, and I sat on the edge of the couch nearest to me, Caleb taking position standing in front of the TV.

  “So this is where you live?” I asked, still taking in my surroundings.

  He nodded.

  “It’s a little odd don’t you think? That you live down here behind some kind of secret wall.”

  “What I’m about to tell you is a little odd. You’ll forget all about that secret wall.”

  “I’m listening.” I was wary of what was about to come out of his mouth.

  “I’m going to tell you something, and you’re not going to like it.” His turbulent eyes watched me carefully.

  “Just tell me.” I’d felt something wasn’t right here for a while now, but I couldn’t figure out what exactly was bothering me.

  “You’re in danger.”

  “Okay…” I said, needing more of an explanation. I had figured I was probably in some kind of danger, when someone ripped my house apart.

  “I mean real danger. People are after you, and they won’t stop until they get what they want.”

  “And what is it that they want?” I asked, unsure of how serious he was being. He definitely looked serious.

  “I don’t know,” he said coming over, and sitting down next to me.

  “You don’t know?

  “That’s what I just said didn’t I?”

  I waved my hands in front of me.

  “Just stop right there,” I said, before he had a chance to go on with this nonsense. “Could you be a little less vague here please? You are sitting there telling me that I’m not safe, and you’ve got no explanation for it. You can’t just say things like that.”

  “Nothing’s certain yet.” If he thought that meant anything at all to me. He was wrong.

  “Then why just say all that to me?”

  “You want facts? People are trying to kill you,” he said in all seriousness, and I was beginning to think he might actually be mentally unstable. He wasn’t making any sense.

 
“Is this supposed to be some kind of a joke?” I asked him. “Because I really don’t get it.”

  “There are some people on this Island that think you are…” He touched his tongue to his lips whilst he searched for the correct word. “Special.” I gave him a look that said I thought he must be high on drugs right now.

  “I don’t really know how to say this.”

  “Just say it Caleb.” I was growing impatient.

  “They think you have spiritual power. Call it magic if you want.” I didn’t want to call it anything. This was ridiculous.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me.”

  “No, I couldn’t have possibly heard what I think you just said,” I shot back at him, “because it’s impossible!”

  “There’s more.”

  “Of course there is,” I said laughed in disbelief. This was beyond a joke. It wasn’t even funny.

  “I’m fallen,” he said, looking into my eyes with what I could only describe as shame.

  “Fallen?”

  “Fallen angel.”

  My dream sliced to the edge of my memory. Caleb’s wings turning from luminous, to black, torn, and bleeding. Then that voice. The voice of a woman who lead me to safety. The voice that only seemed to exist in my head. I could tell Caleb about that right now. Match his crazy story with one of my own just as absurd, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It felt too secretive, and I was still trying to tear my way through fabrication and reality. Whether I was in fact awake, or asleep.

  “Angles don’t exist.” I spoke quietly, with a powerful feeling growing inside me that he believed the things he was saying.

  “They exist.”

  “No,” I said.

  “When I told you people were looking for you- I actually meant fallen angels- and they’re not like humans, they are stronger, and more powerful than anything you’ve seen in your life. They’ve got nothing to lose because they’ve already lost everything. They take what they want, however they want, and they won’t think twice about killing a little girl like you.”

  I shook my head. He was trying to scare me. “No, I don’t believe in angels.”

  “But you believe in me,” he said matter of factly. “You know I wouldn’t lie to you, don’t you? You know I would do anything to keep you safe. You can’t explain it, but you trust me. You’ve always trusted me.” I searched his intense stare, looking for any indication that he was lying to me.

  “Show me,” I said. He looked away from me solemnly, down to the floor.

  “I can’t,” he said. “My wings were taken from me, when I fell.”

  “Why did you fall?” I asked, unable to believe I was letting myself get so absorbed in this bizarre conversation. Something was still echoing in the back of mind as all of this being totally absurd, but a part of me wanted to hear him out. The part of me that would bet my life, that he was telling me the truth.

  “I did something that I can’t tell you about.” There it was, more shame.

  “I…I don’t know what to say Caleb.” I clasped my hands together in my lap, and stared down at them, rubbing my fingers searching for a ring to play with that I wasn’t even wearing. “How can you expect me to believe that story? It just went from crazy, to downright insane.”

  “I’ve got something to show you.” He stood up. “Leah!” he shouted towards the direction of the archway. I looked over when I heard the click of a door opening, and an obscenely beautiful girl appeared and walked through into the living room in six-inch black stiletto boots.

  She wore black leather trousers tied at the sides of her shapely hips, and a black cropped sleeveless t-shirt laced down to her bust with the same leather ties that were on her trousers. Her hair was a mass of long, wild, black curls, dip died with electric blue tips that matched the blue picture on the front of her top.

  She looked me up and down with a devilish grin on her face. Tamara was meek compared to her I thought to myself. Long thick lashes, and smoky black and silver eye shadow framed her bright black eyes.

  She plopped herself down onto the other couch crossing her long legs and twirling a long electric blue fingernail through her bouncing ringlets. “You rang?” she asked Caleb lazily.

  “Pria, this is Leah,” he said, still standing by my side.

  “Hmm, so you’re what all the fuss is about.” She pulled a cigarette and lighter from down her top. “She’s hot.” I watched her mesmerised, as she put the cigarette between her plump red lips, and lit it up, taking a long drag.

  “I told you not to do that in here.” Caleb glared at her.

  “Oh lighten up Caleb. It’s not like it’s bad for you,” she said, enjoying his obvious irritation. “Don’t tell me hanging around with humans has made you worry about the dangers of second hand smoke.”

  “I’m as good as human now,” he said defensively.

  “Oh hardly.” She rolled her eyes so hard, I could almost hear it.

  I could tell by the way her and Caleb spoke to each other that they weren’t a couple, despite how gorgeous they both were, and I found myself relieved to say the least.

  “Leah is an angel of earth,” Caleb said, ignoring her snarky comment. “A watcher of sorts. She makes sure peace is restored where possible, and you could say, guides people in the right direction when they find themselves lost, or about to do the wrong thing.”

  He looked at Leah as if he found his statement verging on ridiculous, and even I found it hard to believe that she encouraged any kind of peace, let alone helped people to make the right decisions. She looked like she thrived on trouble and disorder.

  “I know that’s harder to believe than most of what I’ve already told you, but strangely enough- it’s true. Show her your wings,” he said, and I snapped my focus up to his face.

  “You know I can’t do that.” Leah stubbed the cigarette out in-between her fingers and let the bud fall to the floor.

  “I won’t tell anyone,” I blurted out idiotically. Her black eyes turned on me. “That’s real cute.” She smiled at me like you would an incompetent child.

  “Just show her,” Caleb said impatiently. “You can trust her.”

  “It’s not trust I’m worried about.”

  “Please?” I had gone from sceptical, to never needing to see anything more desperately in my life.

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine, but whatever happens is on you.” She stood up and turned to face me. “Good luck mortal,” she said with venomous laughter.

  What was that supposed to mean? There was no time to worry though, as a set of pale blue and white wings sprang from behind her back, so large that they closed the space around her, the tips brushing the ceiling, making the room feel tiny.

  I grabbed Caleb’s hand next to me, and he held onto it tightly, kneeling down next to me. The wings sparkled with glimpses of glittering turquoise, dancing across the wide shimmering surface of the feathers. It was like looking into the brightest, most beautiful rainbow I had ever seen, and my eyes began to burn from the brilliant light until finally, I had no choice but to close them.

  ***

  “Pria…” I tried to open my eyes at the faint sound of my name, but I felt like my eyelids had been permanently glued together. Swirling colours of silver, blue, and turquoise, filled the black void.

  “Pria.” I heard my name again, and struggled once more to prize my eyes apart. I felt an aching across my forehead, and around my eyes, and I realised I had my face scrunched up tight, forcing my eyes to stay closed. I relaxed my muscles and slowly opened my eyes, adjusting them to my surroundings.

  There were no wings, no shimmering colours, or glittering feathers. Just Caleb’s worried expression hanging over me.

  “You’re okay?” he said, his voice flooded with relief. I looked around me. The room was exactly how it had been before.

  “I’m fine,” I told him. He moved back, sitting upright on the edge of the couch.

  “Did that really just happen?” I was lying down now o
n my back, my head supported by a soft cushion.

  “I just showed you my wings, yes,” a feminine voice said from behind me. I sat up, pulling my legs up beside me.

  “You’re really an angel?”

  “Last time I checked,” Leah said, looking at me strangely. “Normally, people don’t handle the sight of my wings that well. You’re strong. ”

  She looked at Caleb.

  “Care to take this one?” she asked him, cocking her head to the side. “This was after all your idea. Do you know something I don’t?” I felt like she was challenging him.

  “I knew she would be able to handle it,” he said to her, but looking the whole time at me, “She’s stronger than she looks.”

  “Very touching.” She looked unconvinced, and eyed me suspiciously, like there was more she wanted to add to that, but thought better of it.

  “Pria, everything I told you is true. You’re in trouble, and the only way I can keep you safe, is if you let me okay?” To call Caleb a liar now, would be to call myself a liar. I knew what I’d seen. Wings. Leah was an angel.

  “Can’t we just explain that I’m not who they think I am. Tell them they’ve got the wrong person?” It seemed like a simple enough solution to me.

  “It’s not that simple. They wouldn’t believe us. Not to mention, they don’t care. They want you, and they won’t stop until they’ve got you. So will you help me?”

  “Okay,” I found myself agreeing with him. “And Drake and Ressler, are they…?”

  “Fallen?” He finished my sentence for me. “Yes they are.”

  “So have you told her yet?” Leah asked, getting up and pulling another cigarette from down her top.

  “No,” Caleb said firmly.

  “Told me what?” Leah went to open her mouth to speak, but Caleb beat her to it.

  “I’ll tell her when the time’s right,” he practically hissed.

  “Tell me what?” I was becoming frustrated.