Earth Angel

Part 7

One of the priests by the door snickered, sarcastically stating aloud.  "No, you're not. You look nothing like a grim reaper".  Mark thought the same thing.  Sean flashed a smile, but there was no life in it.  The old priest took another tentative step toward Sean, confidently telling him.  "I think you're bluffing. I don't believe you".  The priest gestured for the two by the door to move closer and Sean's voice lowered into a threatening growl as he told them.  "I wouldn't do that".  They didn't listen.  Sean quickly lowered his good wing, curling it around Mark protectively.  Mark didn't even have time to be curious, before Sean belted out an ear splitting shriek!  The priests jumped back in shock, covering up their ears tightly with their hands.  It wasn't good enough to protect them though!  The stained glass windows of the church shattered into a billion pieces and began to rain from the ceiling all around the church.  The bits of raining colored glass simmering like rainbows in rushing water!

Mark blinked completely shocked.  Why didn't Sean's shriek hurt him?  Sean took his wrist tightly, pulling him quickly toward the doors.  One of the younger priests snatched Sean's injured wrist, causing Sean to stop and cry out in agony.  Mark didn't even hesitate.  It was gut instinct.  Sending a swift kick to the priest's face!  The priest released Sean and they bolted back out into the rain.  Mark pulled the remote from his pocket as they ran, unlocking the car before they got there.  They managed to jump in just as the older priest dashed out.  Mark floored the car and never looked back.  His body was an emotional wreck.  The farther they got from the church the more relaxed he became.  Slowing the car back down to the speed limit, he let it all slowly sink in. 

 Glancing up into the rearview mirror, Mark asked Sean seriously.  "Is it true? Are you the angel of death"?  Rain water dripped from Sean's green bangs, when he answered solemnly.  "I'm just one of many".  Mark whirled the car over onto the side of the road and slammed his foot on the break pedal.  Sean wasn't ready for it and crashed into the back of his seat with a soft groan of pain.  Mark turned off the car and stepped back out into the heavy rain.  Yanking the passenger door open, Mark snapped out bitterly.  "That story about my dad. You killed him. Didn't you".  Sean lowered his eyes to the floor of the car guiltily.  Mark felt the air rush out of his lungs and had to turn away from Sean.  Taking a few deep breaths, Mark tried to calm himself down.  It didn't do any good.  The anger and pain were too much to hold in. 

Turning back to face Sean, Mark snapped back.  "WHY?! Why did you kill him"?!  Sean climbed out from the car, yelling back just as hurt.  "I didn't want to! I had to"!  Mark throw his arms out to gesture all around the barren death valley, screaming out.  "You could have taken anything or anyone! WHY HIM"?!  Sean moved closer to snap back bitterly.  "I DON'T KNOW! My job is only to take humans from HERE to THERE! They don't tell me anything! They give me a list and I have no choice but to do my job"!  Mark scoffed loudly, sarcastically shouting back.  "You always have a choice! You could have refused"!  Sean's expression became pained and his voice much softer, when he answered.  "If I refused to take him... You'd watch him suffer... Forever. His pain would never go away. He would never get better. That is not living. That is just not dying". 

Mark swallowed passed the tight lump in his throat, his voice quivering as he answered much calmer.  "You could have asked some healing angel to save him".  Sean shook his head and Mark dropped to his knees in the wet dirt.  Mark began to sob softly, when Sean moved closer.  The heavy rain stopped soaking him and he looked up to see Sean had extended his good wing over him.  Sean's face was turned away with shame though, when he told Mark tenderly.  "I watched a young girl suffer through four years of chemo-therapy. Everyday I watched her parents pray for a miracle. I refused to take her. She was in so much pain... She'd cry every night from the pain. The doctors couldn't figure out why the treatment wasn't working. Eventually, they tried this new treatment... I can still hear her screams. I did that to her. I made her suffer...".  Sean lowered his face into his good hand, trying to fight off his tears. 

Mark stayed silent, but put a comforting hand on Sean's leg.  He felt so bad for making Sean cry.  He hadn't meant to.  He wasn't thinking straight.  Sean sniffled, chuckling lightly when he continued on in a strained voice.  "What made it worse... When I finally took her. She was actually happy. She told me that she didn't want to see them cry anymore. Then she asked why I didn't look like a skeleton in a black robe. I told her because death isn't scary. It's just another form of life".  Mark staggered to his feet and wrapped his arms around Sean's neck.  Mark felt Sean's tears run down his neck, when he buried his face against it to whisper.  "I'm sorry".  Mark hugged him tightly, whispering back.  "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you".  Mark held Sean in his comforting embrace, when his eyes drifted to Sean's good wing. 

Smirking, Mark let the backs of his fingers slide up along the soft feathers.  He didn't know why he had the desire to touch them.  He just did.  It was like trying to resist touching a puppy.  There was just something about them that made him feel overwhelmingly happy.  Sean's wing twitched at his touch, but didn't move away.  Very gently, Mark continued to pet it.  His wing was so soft, but he could feel the strong bone hidden under the mass of stunning white feathers of all sizes.  Sean's voice was muffled a bit by his throat, when he suddenly purred out.  "You don't realize how weird that feels".  Mark chuckled, asking playfully as he continued to pet him.  "I guess, I wouldn't. What does it feel like"?  Sean carefully pulled away, stepping back with a bright red blush and it wasn't from crying.  Sean couldn't even look him in the eyes, when he mumbled out.  "You really don't want me to answer that". 

Now Mark was curious. Stepping around Sean to stay in his sight, Mark playfully coaxed out.  "Now I have to know. Come on. Tell me"?  Sean stopped trying to turn away, but his eyes still couldn't look up at him.  After a moment, Sean mumbled out in a low voice.  "You shouldn't touch an angels wings. Their sensitive".  Mark raised an eyebrow at first.  Then it hit dawned on him and a wicked grin spread over his face as he asked smugly.  "Angels can get turned on"?  Sean blushed an even deeper red and he growled out softly through clenched teeth.  "What kind of a question is that? I'm not built all that differently from you".  Sean moved around him to head back to the car, when Mark called out to him devilishly.  "Well, ain't that interesting. Did you at least enjoy it"?  Sean glanced back at him with a subtle smirk that he clearly couldn't hide.  To Be Continued...