Post by Angel DuMourne on Oct 2, 2020 11:18:41 GMT -5
(Angel DuMourne ran for her life. She ran through the pouring rain, gasping, her heart pounding a desperate rhythm in her chest and setting her lungs on fire. Her blond hair stuck to her neck and her clothes. Some of it was hanging in her face, since most of it had long since fallen out of the hastily made twisted thing she had done in order to secure it under her hoodie. There were dark circles under her eyes from a lack of sleep, and she could barely speak for all the screaming she had done. Night terrors, they were a real bitch. The hallucinations didn’t help any either. Mainly the one that never left. Never. Angel fell, hard on the concrete, and took only a second to curl up, blood springing into the cuts in her palms and knees before mingling with the rainwater. Angel could barely feel any pain as the voice in her head drove her to get back up, inhaling deeply and fighting back a sob. She pushed herself to her feet and kept going. There was no one else but her crazy enough to be out in this weather. There was no one else desperate enough.)
Angel: Keep going, gotta keep going.
Yes, keep going Angel. The end is coming when he slams the door in your face. It’ll all be over soon enough. You plan to end us tonight.
(She hiccuped out another little sob and wiped at the mix of rain and tears in her eyes. She wanted to vomit, but she hadn’t eaten in days. There was nothing there to vomit. She was dizzy, fatigued, dehydrated. She was close, so close. She was in his neighborhood. She’d seen him once, once before when she tried to get close, tried to get his attention as she called for help. But he had been on the ramp and passed her by. She should have known that the easiest way might not be the most effective way to get to him. She knew though, she knew he could save her. He could deliver her from the demon in her head, the demon that stood just to the right of her, laughing in a mocking way. The demon spoke again.)
Go on Angel, just do it now, if you even have the fucking balls to...Do you think for even one second that someone like him is gonna help someone like us Who are we to him? Fucking coward, you are.
(Angel took a small box cutter she had stolen from a gas station and held it to her wrist. The rain poured harder and her heart pounded the life through her veins seemingly faster. She hesitated and tried again. Again. Again. Finally she screamed, unable to slice into the tender skin there.)
Angel: Just make it end, make it end, make it end I WANT TO DIE!
(She screamed at the night, at her demon, at any god who cared to hear. Anger and hopeless rage feasted on her heart, but she had to at least try. If he said no, then she would end it, but she had to at least try. He had managed to conquer his demons. He was the only one who could help her with her own. A light came on somewhere. Her scream had drawn attention. Damn community watch. Who the hell actually does that shit? Angel started running again, running from the laughter that chased her and threatened to swallow her whole. When her lungs burned and her legs locked up again, she paused for just a moment, underneath a street light and a crosswalk. She was on the block now, she thought as she read the sign. It was in a slightly more private part of the neighborhood, and apparently that warranted the area it’s own individual signage. She fought to form a clear thought, to the google map image she found in a library almost a week ago, when she started her journey. It wasn’t that hard to find her way there now, and even though she didn’t think she could run anymore in the cold, driving rain, she slogged through it, half running, half limping. She had sprained something in the fall that cut up her hands and knees, and she was just now beginning to feel it. Angel felt as though she was on a ledge, ready to go over, fighting one last time for her life, for her sanity. She was reaching for him, screaming for him, would he see her? Hear her? Would he even care?)
Angel: COME ON THEN! Come on girl!
(She said harshly to herself, wanting nothing more than motivation to finish the job. The end was in sight. She was in his drive. She slowed to a fast limp, leaning on a car for a moment. God damn this fucking rain. She knew she looked like hell.)
Right? The woman’s voice said from beside her, sarcasm dripping from the ethereal voice. You wanted to look your best when you bring the crazy to the overly protective, still somewhat psychotic family man’s house in the middle of the fucking night with NO ID, NO MONEY, NOTHING at all to offer. Good call.
Angel: Let’s go.
(she poked the doorbell, but there was no sound inside. Either it didn’t work or wasn’t set up. Tired, frustrated, and angry at coming all this way for nothing, she banged on the door, pounding it relentlessly with her fist before standing for so long she was weaving back and forth. Nothing. She turned, the tears starting down her face.)
You’ll never be free, Angel. You will never be free of me. Do it now, if you have the guts.
(Resigned, she took the little blade back out, pushed it up, and held it to her wrist. Shutting down everything inside her, Angel looked up for any last sign of beauty to take with her to the next life. She found a flower in the yard, beauty in the blackness of the night, and pressed the blade down. She had just broke through skin and flesh; she could feel the warmth of blood trailing down her ghost white skin, when she heard the door open. The blade dropped to the ground as Angel turned. He was there. He was real. So many words she wanted to say, so many thoughts she’d stored up in her heart, but it seemed impossible to say even one. Angel took one, then another tentative step on still wobbly feet to close the distance. She reached her bloody hand up to touch him unaware of the blood or the rain or her own mind turning on her. She had only one thought, but her body had given all it had. She was through. She managed to speak, just three words.)
Angel: Please…Save us.
(She fell forward, and her brain went black before she could note that he could only see one of them.)
Angel: Keep going, gotta keep going.
(She chanted it like a mantra, holding fast to it. She used thoughts of her past to drive away the bone deep shaking that had nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with her losing her mind. From somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice came forward. Haunting, beautiful, and dark. The flash of a face on her right appeared, and Angel stopped running, squeezing her eyes tight for a moment against the face, and her voice)
(She hiccuped out another little sob and wiped at the mix of rain and tears in her eyes. She wanted to vomit, but she hadn’t eaten in days. There was nothing there to vomit. She was dizzy, fatigued, dehydrated. She was close, so close. She was in his neighborhood. She’d seen him once, once before when she tried to get close, tried to get his attention as she called for help. But he had been on the ramp and passed her by. She should have known that the easiest way might not be the most effective way to get to him. She knew though, she knew he could save her. He could deliver her from the demon in her head, the demon that stood just to the right of her, laughing in a mocking way. The demon spoke again.)
Go on Angel, just do it now, if you even have the fucking balls to...Do you think for even one second that someone like him is gonna help someone like us Who are we to him? Fucking coward, you are.
(Angel took a small box cutter she had stolen from a gas station and held it to her wrist. The rain poured harder and her heart pounded the life through her veins seemingly faster. She hesitated and tried again. Again. Again. Finally she screamed, unable to slice into the tender skin there.)
Angel: Just make it end, make it end, make it end I WANT TO DIE!
(She screamed at the night, at her demon, at any god who cared to hear. Anger and hopeless rage feasted on her heart, but she had to at least try. If he said no, then she would end it, but she had to at least try. He had managed to conquer his demons. He was the only one who could help her with her own. A light came on somewhere. Her scream had drawn attention. Damn community watch. Who the hell actually does that shit? Angel started running again, running from the laughter that chased her and threatened to swallow her whole. When her lungs burned and her legs locked up again, she paused for just a moment, underneath a street light and a crosswalk. She was on the block now, she thought as she read the sign. It was in a slightly more private part of the neighborhood, and apparently that warranted the area it’s own individual signage. She fought to form a clear thought, to the google map image she found in a library almost a week ago, when she started her journey. It wasn’t that hard to find her way there now, and even though she didn’t think she could run anymore in the cold, driving rain, she slogged through it, half running, half limping. She had sprained something in the fall that cut up her hands and knees, and she was just now beginning to feel it. Angel felt as though she was on a ledge, ready to go over, fighting one last time for her life, for her sanity. She was reaching for him, screaming for him, would he see her? Hear her? Would he even care?)
Angel: COME ON THEN! Come on girl!
(She said harshly to herself, wanting nothing more than motivation to finish the job. The end was in sight. She was in his drive. She slowed to a fast limp, leaning on a car for a moment. God damn this fucking rain. She knew she looked like hell.)
Right? The woman’s voice said from beside her, sarcasm dripping from the ethereal voice. You wanted to look your best when you bring the crazy to the overly protective, still somewhat psychotic family man’s house in the middle of the fucking night with NO ID, NO MONEY, NOTHING at all to offer. Good call.
(Angel gave a wild little laugh, shook her head and dragged herself up the stairs to the house, which blessedly had a porch. Out of the rain, she clung to one of the beams on the porch to hold herself up, shivering violently. She was afraid of how hungry she was, how in pain, and how exhausted she was. She gulped at air and wrung out her sleeves. Only one thing left. She went to stand in front of the door when she caught sight of herself in the window. Of course, the shades were drawn, but she saw a glimpse. A pale face, once beautiful and now ragged. Her blond hair hung in limp, dirty, and soaked tendrils down in front of her face and the dark marks under sunken in eyes from sleepless nights. She had scars along her right arm, little lines in not so neat rows. Some were fresher than others, but all were scars now. She was a wreck, and she was fairly certain he was about to call the cops on her. If he didn’t just dispose of her himself. Still, she made it, and she wasn’t going to give in now.)
Angel: Let’s go.
(she poked the doorbell, but there was no sound inside. Either it didn’t work or wasn’t set up. Tired, frustrated, and angry at coming all this way for nothing, she banged on the door, pounding it relentlessly with her fist before standing for so long she was weaving back and forth. Nothing. She turned, the tears starting down her face.)
(Resigned, she took the little blade back out, pushed it up, and held it to her wrist. Shutting down everything inside her, Angel looked up for any last sign of beauty to take with her to the next life. She found a flower in the yard, beauty in the blackness of the night, and pressed the blade down. She had just broke through skin and flesh; she could feel the warmth of blood trailing down her ghost white skin, when she heard the door open. The blade dropped to the ground as Angel turned. He was there. He was real. So many words she wanted to say, so many thoughts she’d stored up in her heart, but it seemed impossible to say even one. Angel took one, then another tentative step on still wobbly feet to close the distance. She reached her bloody hand up to touch him unaware of the blood or the rain or her own mind turning on her. She had only one thought, but her body had given all it had. She was through. She managed to speak, just three words.)
Angel: Please…Save us.
(She fell forward, and her brain went black before she could note that he could only see one of them.)