The Tiffany Box- ONC 2021 Shortlister

17- Oddly Mortal

When Eli opened his eyes, it took him a moment to realize where he was. Only when he saw pale hair spreading over an equally pale back did he remember he and Haven ended up in the bedroom.

Their evening kisses had turned into a shy make-out session where everything felt beautiful and unsure. For one sweet moment, Eli had felt as if nothing bad had ever happened. When he slid his hands under Haven's top and heard him softly cry out, Eli knew they could easily take it further. But Haven's nightmares stopped Eli from even daring to go there. There was no way he was going to ask for that. If Haven was ready, Eli believed he'd tell him. Giddy from Haven's warm skin and the way he held him close, Eli winced when he got the boner from hell. He wanted Haven to tell him he needed him even closer than they already were, but he was also content to spend the majority of the night going no further, even if a certain part of him would have to suffer.

When midnight approached, Haven had asked Eli to share his bed and if it would be alright if Eli lay next to him and held him as he slept. Sliding his fingers through Haven's hair, Eli had counted breaths until the other fell asleep. Wrapping his arms around Haven's waist, he had held him and protected him from the nightmares.

Now Eli's fingers darted to the wounds on Haven's back. There were two large, deep gashes that looked like someone had come at him with a butchering knife. The wounds were identical. Eli thought of how they reminded him of a painting he'd seen in a book once. The piece of art had been titled The Kadisin. Under bloody feet of what Eli had then assumed was a fallen angel, the painting displayed a pair of blood-stained white wings that looked as though they'd been ripped off the figure's back. Eli had asked his grandparents what a Kadisin was. He recalled his grandpa looking at his grandma as though they were about to share something that should be kept secret. But granny Dot had given her husband a smile as if saying It's fine. The boy has a right to have questions answered. and told him who the Kadisin were.

"Long ago, angels had come down to Earth. They were here to watch and protect. The angels, God's most worthy, had been warned against the evils humans do, especially love and lust. Yet some of the angels saw beauty in humans and they fell in love. Upon showing themselves to the humans, the Earthy and Unearthly fell in love. When their children were born, they bore scars that looked like wings had been torn off their backs. These children of mortal and angels were called Kadisin and they were all damned to live on Earth, each for one hundred years, each one needing to drink human blood like a vampire or else they would die. They were left on earth to witness every vile thing Man had to offer and suffer life not as humans, not as angels but somewhere in limbo of being oddly mortal and unwilling killers."

"Are Kadisin myths, granny?" Eleven-year-old Eli had asked, "like fairy tale stuff?"

His grandmother had shaken her head. "Kadisin are real, Eli. Just as the Bomb was real. Just as selling memories and dreams are real. But there are no more. The last ones perished a long time ago."

Eli trailed the tips of his fingers over the wounds wondering how someone could suffer through something that must have been so painful. Not losing wings, but by having to live a long and aching life. For a moment, he wondered if Haven was one of them, a Kadisin, but he found himself feeling foolish for even thinking that. Kadisin, granny Dot had said, were all gone.

When Haven woke, he rolled over and faced Eli, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Hi," he said sleepily.

"Hi," Eli said shyly.

Placing his hand on Eli's cheek, Haven smiled faintly. "No nightmares."

Eli shook his head and smiled. "They fear me."

Haven chuckled softly. "You're kinda like a knight in shining armor."

"Fuck that," Eli exclaimed, "If I'm a superhero I'm Batman."

Haven burst into a fit of laughter "Don't tell me you're a DC fan?"

Eli rolled his eyes mock-annoyed, "If you're Marvel, this friendship has taken on a dark turn and I'm not so sure about it."

"Dark?" Haven said though giggles, "you're the dark, brooding, DC fanboy."

"That's it," Eli said trying not to grin but the smile tugging up the corners of his lips was giving him away, "I'm outta here. It was nice knowing ya and all." Pretending to get up, he huffed through a badly hidden giggle and blew stray locks of dark hair out of his face.

"Noooo!" Haven chuckled. "The bed needs you. You're nice and warm and it's like having a heating blanket." Tugging him by the wrist back, Eli toppled over Haven.

With their giggles subsiding, Eli cupped Haven's face with one hand and used his elbow to keep from squishing Haven. "You're happy."

"I'm happy," Haven said honestly. Taking Eli's face in his he inched up and kissed him.

"How about I make you breakfast?" Eli said when they broke the kiss. "I make a mean cereal."

Biting his lip to keep from chuckling again, Haven nodded. "Sounds good."

"Hey, do you mind if I take off for a few hours?" Eli asked as he got out of the warm bed. "I really need to find someone to harvest from and I'm feeling lucky today."

"You'll come back?"

Crossing his heart, Eli replied, "Wild horses couldn't keep me away."

In her silent motel room, Ash lay on the bed watching patterns form on the ceiling. Though she was awake, her mind carried a hazy thought, like watching a TV show play in the background. In her subconscious, she saw a young boy sitting on a beige shag rug listening to an elderly woman recite him a story. Though she couldn't clearly make out all the words, Ashlyn understood what the old woman was talking about. An angel who was human yet not human. One who drank blood and killed.

As if someone had turned up the sound, Ash found herself mouthing the words coming from the woman's lips as if they were her own, "They were left on earth to witness every vile thing Man had to offer and suffer life not as humans, not as angels but somewhere in limbo of being oddly mortal and unwilling killers."

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