Mad As A Hatter (Completed 2015) [WATTY AWARD WINNER *Featured Story*]

chapter seventeen - neetneves retpahc

I was like, can you write a kickass chapter in twenty minutes?

And then I was like,

Challenge accepted.

+++

We were not thrown back to New York City.

Dirt had lumped in my mouth, fingers digging in it to lift myself off. Pine trees towered across miles of green foliage, the chirps of birds blending with the quiet wind. Two thumps came from my right and I glimpsed over.

"God damn!" Grim tossed the dead body bag off his stomach, twigs in his blonde locks.

Isaac was sprawled on a log like an eagle, groaning in pain. His clothes were in shreds but thankfully his muscles returned to normal. Suddenly, his glasses dropped from above, landed on his face, and he blinked back. Puzzled, he examined the closely and as if it were planned, we both looked up.

Dots were appearing in the sky. Soon it was only one, then they seemed to multiply and expand.

Grim scrambled onto his feet and lugged the sack behind his shoulder. "And that's our cue to leave."

"What do you..." I squinted hard at the dots. Hundreds, maybe thousands were growing bigger.

"Angels!" shrieked Isaac, slapping his own cheeks.

My face darkened. "Angels," I deeply growled.

Grim's voice was distant and I caught him already darting through the forest. "C'mon!" Isaac was ready to chase after my ex until he realized I wasn't moving.

"Protect Grim. He can't do as much with that sack," I responded.

"But-"

"That angel in the bag must be fucking important if it meant going through all this trouble. It's crucial to protect it as well." I unsheathed the two swords from my hip. The blade rang once it slid out the leather cover. "There's too many for all three of us to battle at once. I'll hold off the first few waves of angels." I grabbed his own swords from his belt and strapped them to mine. The Velcro strap groaned when I took the daggers from his leg, tightening the clasp around my own thigh. I clipped his emergency bombs to my hip. His anger and muscles were already the weapon. He didn't need these.

Isaac grabbed my shoulder, worry struck on his features. "Where will we meet?"

I grinned and flexed the blades to the ground with a flick of the wrist. We can communicate through thoughts now. Remember, we're connected.

He let of my shoulder and was startled at first, touching his temple.

I gave him a little elbow, gesturing to where Grim headed off to. "Now go protect that son of a bitch, okay?" He hesitated, gazing up at the quickening approach of angels. "Isaac." He yanked at my hair and I yelped, his lips forcefully smashing into mine. It was quick and surprising, and he released just as fast.

"Sorry for pulling your hair," he whispered and ran off for Grim.

This kid was something else.

A screech that I thought only demons could make was projected.

In the land of monsters, there was no such things as purity. Angel or demon, human or man. We were breathing, evolving mistakes waiting to strike, to break, to shatter from the perfect image of what was thought to be.

They swooped down to my level, arms out for dark revenge. I charged towards them, warm and cold energy braiding through my bones. My father's demon blood ran hot underneath, burning the feelings into a pumping adrenaline. I sprung from the top of the log, bounced off a tree trunk, sprung forward, arms back with my sword gleaming behind my head. The Angels shrieked and I drove the sword straight through a skull, gravity bringing the body and I down. The dead creature fell on the patch of moss, the green suddenly turning red at the leak of his stabbed brain.