Thralls

Chapter 7

Was Azal really doing this? Going a date with someone who may not actually like him? Who may be being forced to like him?
Azal didn't want it to be that way.
He...liked Tom. A lot! He was almost...excited for tonight!

Azal looked in the mirror. He was wearing a thick pair of jeans and loose long sleeved shirt under his red sweater.  Azal was glad to dress warm. He came from a world of eternal fire so he gets cold easily.

Suddenly there was a knock on his door.
"He's early?"

Azal opened the door, and gasped.
"Hey buddy!" Adras grinned.
"A-Adras! What are you doing here?!" Azal stumbled back.
"I was thinking since its Sunday and you don't have plans, we could go wreck a church!" Adras laughed. "It'll be fun! C'mon!"
"I-I actually do have plans tonight!" Azal said.
"What? Since when? Do you have a job or?"
"N-No its no job. I'm...going on a date?"
"WHAT?!" Adras was angry.
"Wh-What?"
"Demons don't date! Demons, don't love! Its that human isn't it?!"
"S-So what if it is! Its my life!"

Adras grabbed Azal by the collar.
"Your life belongs to his majesty!" He yelled "What are you thinking?!"
Azal strugged. "Leave me alone! Why do you care?! You've never cared about me before!"
Adras dropped Azal to the floor. "I know your creation, stay with the human and you'll never know it."

Adras left and slammed the door.
Azal could feel tears and quickly ran to the sink.
Demons cry boiling water, and he didn't want to damage anything.
"-St-Stupid Adras!" Azal sighed. "Stupid me, I'm not supposed to cry!"

Suddenly there was a knock on his door.
It was obviously. Should he still go?
Well one date wouldn't hurt.

Azal opened the door.
"H-Hi Azal!" Tom smiled while blushing.
"H-Hey Tom," Azal smiled and blushed back.
"Ready?"
"Yeah! Where are we going?"
"You'll see!"

__________

Tom laid out a picnic blanket on the grass. Azal was holding a flashlight so Tom could see what he was doing.
"So we're stargazing?" Azal asked.
"Yup!" Tom said as the two sat down on the blanket. "Its been so nice out and there's no moon tonight. So its just us and the stars!"

The two talked and stargazed for hours.

"You know, my father used to say that stars are windows into the afterlife," Tom said, smiling sadly. "Sometimes, I try to peek through them to see him."
"Is he-"
"Yeah, he's passed." Tom said. "But I know he's always with me."

At least Angels are.
When Azal first learned of the "I'm always with you" notion, he thought it was true for all afterlifes.
But not hell. In hell, souls were destined to prison and torture. There was no escape.
Thats what made Heaven and Hell separate. In heaven you are in Paris ice and allowed to see you're loved ones. In Hell, you don't get anything like that.

"Thats good," Tom said.
"Are...your's gone too?" Tom asked.
"I'm not sure," Tom said. "I never knew them. And the one person who did refuses to tell me anything. He holds the knowledge above my head and forces me to do what he wants if I ever even want a chance at knowing."
"That's so not cool!" Tom cried.
"I just have to do what he says. He even tried to stop me from coming tonight."
"Azal I'm so sorry! I don't wanna be the reason you never know! You don;t have to see me-"
"But I want to see you!"m Azal blurted.

"I want to see you," Azal scooted closer to Tom.
"Talk to you," Azal leaned closer to Tom.
"Taste you..." Azal leaned in-

Bzzzt!

The two winced as they pulled away just short of their embrace.
Azal looked down at his phone.

Adras: Get I've here now. You know what will happen if you don't.

"Thats him," Azal said. "I...have to go."
Tom nodded.
"Thank you for tonight." Tom said softly. "Will I...see you again?"
Azal thought about it.

"Yes."