Fallen Angel

Chapter 28: Emily

Waiting for Brannon to return was torture. I couldn't even remember if he said how long he would be. So much had to be said, I now realise that trying to pretend that things would be okay was not going to work anymore.

To keep my mind occupied, I took a walk around the island to continue mapping things. I could hope for this, I could pretend that this was going to work. All I was doing was fooling myself which was ridiculous but at least I wasn't sitting in the hut crying.

A note was left on the table, telling Brannon to come find me. The place wasn't that big anyway, it wouldn't take much for him to search.

Monkeys swung between the trees, deep within the jungle I could hear them chatter and screeches. A few of them watched me, jumping higher into the trees if I ventured too close. They weren't like that when Brannon and I were sitting in the trees eating fruit and it made me wonder what had changed to make them so wary of me. Was there something wrong with me now? Of course there was, they knew exactly what was wrong with me.

Finding one of the places that I had scouted from the sky, I bent down to the ground at the edge of the jungle and looked at the ground. It was a mixture of sand on the top and dirt that was packed tight underneath. Digging into it, I loosened the dirt and picked a clump of it up.

"Well dirt, you certainly seem rich enough for some veggies."

There was a flap of wind that gusted over me, I smiled as I looked at the shadow that loomed over me.

"You're talking to the dirt now?"

I dumped it back onto the ground and stood, wiping my hand clean.

"Beats boredom."

"Sorry." Brannon said looking a little sheepish. "Dad was up for a chat."

"Is that right?" I said dryly. "So did I pass the test?"

"Of course you did, you're still here aren't you?"

Yes but for how long? Brannon wasn't acting like he normally did, he was a little off. I barely knew him but I could see that he was being a lot more cautious that usual.

"You know if you want to have an eternity with me, I have to believe that I am faced with someone that is being open and honest with me."

Like his father, Brannon had one hell of a poker face. Plain and offering not a single scrap of emotion.

"I know that something is up, I can see that you're acting odd. You're off for hours talking with your father and you come back with that lame attempt at making me believe that everything is okay, that I passed. I'm not an idiot Brannon, your father would not instantly pass me like you say he has. He's the devil and he has to make sure that his world is dark, that the purity of my world does not invade it."

"I know that Emily." He said, sounding rather frustrated.

"Of course you do but you are clearly missing something about it. Hell has to be pain, it has to be suffering. It is the place where those who are evil are sent because they did not adhere to the commandments. Your father cannot allow an angel into hell, no matter how much you beg or plead, it cannot be done. Angels will disrupt the fabric, the longer they stay the worse it will get. I know that angels have been in hell before, I know that it is not uncommon but it has only ever been for short amounts of time. That is why your father has to do more than just pass me. I am still too pure for hell, I am still an angel. No matter how much darkness seeps into me, I will still be this good."

"So what does he need to do?"

I turned away, saddened by the thought of it. Try as I might, I could not escape the reality of my situation.

"It doesn't matter Brannon, he will never do it. I have seen the goodness in him, I have seen how much he loves you. It would hurt him to see you suffer such pain and even though I barely know him or you, I wouldn't want anyone to suffer like that."

"Tell me Emily, please." He begged, gripping at my arm.

Brannon turned me back to face him, wiping the tears from under my eyes.

"I will tell you what your father needs to do to make hell safe from me if you tell me what's going on."

His hand slid away from my arm, morosely nodding.

"We can both feel something is wrong, something heavy is weighing us down. I worry that the angels will break into this place to take you away from me. I don't want them to do that."

I sighed, taking his hand.

"You won't have to worry about that Brannon, they won't care for this lowly infra. I am nothing to them, easily replaceable."

Wiping the tears away from my eyes, I took a step back and let go of his hand. Wrapping them around me, I looked at Brannon and wondered how far his father would go. If he would do this or if he would refuse. It was a terrible task, one that many would turn away from.

"Your father would know this Brannon but do not be upset at him for not telling you, I know that he loves you and only has your best interest at heart. He would not want to upset you or hurt you, what he does, he does because he cares."

I let out a pained laugh as I stepped back again. Brannon looked at me with a frown, taking a step forward.

"It is sad really, two meetings and I have seen what parental love looks like and to say that I'm jealous would be an understatement. You are very lucky Brannon."

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and tried to find a calm place. At the moment, it was not here.

"In order for hell to accept me and not destroy itself trying to purge me, your father has to take something from me. He has to rip it free from me and crush it over the pit, letting the fire of hell destroy it forever. There is no other way Brannon, you understand this, don't you?"

He nodded, worried for what this one thing was.

"But the problem is, once this thing is gone, I won't be the same. I'll be different. I will remember you and everything that we have done and have planned. I will remember that I love you and want a very long future with you. But inside of me, there will be a hollow space. It cannot be filled with anything else, trying to replace it will only half fill the void and still leave me feeling like I am nothing but a shell. I have tried to think of another way, I have tried to distract myself with other things and hope that I can avoid it but it is pointless. Your father has to do this and I have to accept that I will be a different person and that there will be a piece of me that is gone forever."

"What is it?"

Brannon took my hands, his face filled with desperation.

"My soul."