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Bella jumped, almost losing her footing on the slick floor of the bath tub. Suds still clung to the edges as the last of the water slicked down the drain. She placed one foot tentatively on the floor, grabbing a towel from the rack beside the yellow painted walls. She wrapped it tightly about herself, pulling back her long red curls that were plastered to her neck; once removed they left a tingly feeling, and she shivered slightly. She took a cloth and wiped the water from her face, still shivering as goose bumps erupted along her arms and legs. She opened the door tentatively, steam billowing out from the heated room like breath on cold winter days
.
Her mind raced with ideas as to what the crash might have been; books falling over, perhaps? She did own an awful lot of them, and had the tendency to stack them against her wall in a rather precarious manner. Perhaps she had left the window open, and a strong breeze had sent her lamp to the floor. She sighed, either way; she was going to have a mess to clean up. She opened the door, and her breath caught in her throat. It was freezing! The blustery night air streamed into the room, greedily choking out any heat, blowing back the thin white curtains viciously. That's when Bella noticed something strange. The window wasn't open. In fact, the latches still held on top of the sill, from when she had locked it earlier. No, the window wasn't open. It had been shattered.
Her bed, covered in a thick crimson comforter, blocked her view from the scene. Possibilities surged through her mind like people rushing off a subway train. She moved forward, her steps a bit more delicate as she was wary of stepping on glass. She circled around the bed, and indeed, the floor was covered in glass, and something dark was staining the carpet as well. She knelt gently, pressing her finger to the stain. In the slim shaft of moonlight, her fingers came up red. Blood.
A shriek sounded behind her, and Bella let out a cry. Her heart thundered loudly in her chest, the blood racing through her, almost choking her as it tried desperately to complete its course throughout her body. She looked into the shadowy alcove to her left, from where the sound had emanated. In the shadows she was able to perceive a darker shade of darkness- and it was moving. It cried out again, and the sound was grating and unsettling. A crow.
She stepped forward carefully, determined to herd it out of her room. "Nice bird," she whispered, "Pretty bird, come here pretty bird. We'll get you back outside." she cooed softly, her hands outstretched in a sign of peace.
"Well, that would be rather counterproductive, you see, as it took some effort to get in here." The crow responded waspishly. Bella stopped breathing. "Excuse me?" The bird's head twitched back and forth restlessly, studying her. Bella shook her head. "Shock... just shock. Come on pretty bird." She slowly approached the side of the bird, and it flapped its wings restlessly, causing her to stop, slightly fearful. While it wasn't a terribly large bird, those talons didn't look any less sharp. She considered her possibilities. She could try and frighten it out- but then that might make it more likely to attack... "Shoo, go on. Go home."
Bella didn't think it was possible for birds to sigh, but sigh it did. "I would love to, but unfortunately, I can't leave until I complete my mission." Bella back peddled fast, tripping over her feet and slamming hard into her bed. She felt a hot sharp pain and knew her feet were cut and bleeding from the glass. "M-mission?" she stammered. She pinched her arm, as if that might make this nightmare any less real. Forget that- it wasn't real, it couldn't be. No rational person in their right mind would think that talking to a crow could be anything but a dream.
"Yes, my mission, dear child. I am here to steal your soul." The crow chirped matter o' factly, hopping from its perch atop her wicker book shelf and coming closer. Bella nodded slowly. "My soul. Of course..." She slid down against the wood of her bed, seating herself still further in the glass, but for some reason that really didn't seem to bother her. In fact, nothing really seemed to bother her. She couldn't even feel the cold wind anymore. I'm in shock, she realized dully. How funny... it's called shock, and yet I can't really seem to find any of this shocking at all. Her mind seemed to move at half pace, and the crow had tilted it's head to the side in a rather unnatural angle, looking at her. Black pinpricks began to appear at the corner of her vision. The pinpricks soon became thicker and thicker until all she saw was black.
The blackness swirled and gradually took form. It was the form of a man with piercing violet eyes and dark hair that reached his chin. What was more unusual were the black wings emerging from his back, like the images of fallen angels she saw in books sometimes. He smiled, his lips pale and perfect and began to recite as he brushed the hair back from her face:
Rip, tear, bend, break
A maiden’s bones I soon shall take
Hurt, crush, sheer, rend
No one escapes their deserved end
When you scream and when you burn
Soon a lesson you will learn
Catch a star, then let it fall
In the darkness whisper all
If I were you, then I would fear,
You’re going to lose your soul, my dear…
Bella woke up, her breath coming fast and quick. She had just had the strangest dream... broken windows, talking crows, and black angels... She looked over to the window, half expecting it to be broken, it had seemed so real. She smiled. It was perfectly intact, the sunlight streaming merrily through it, as if to mock her for disliking mornings. She shook her head, moaning slightly when the dull pain of a headache set in. She moved to get up, and her hand smacked against something hard and fleshy. Startled, she looked up to find a young man with startling violet eyes staring down at her curiously. She screamed.
The man continued to watch her, amusement entering his eyes. It was strange. Bella always felt as if something dramatic should happen after a scream, yet strangely, the world was oddly still and quiet. She moved slowly and cautiously, as if waiting to see if he would suddenly turn into a mad man and attack her.
He did not. He remained sitting there, his eyes following her- as if daring her to scream again. Bella couldn't decide what the appropriate response should be in such a situation. Anger finally won out. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" she demanded finally, her green eyes flashing murderously. The man rose from his perch atop the corner of her bed, his eyes leaving her for the first time as he surveyed the room around him. "You call this place a house." he observed.
Bella blinked incredulously. The man noted the gesture and continued, "Most people refer to their places of habitat as homes. There's something terribly...spiritual about the word. A bond that transcends temporal confines. And yet you call this a house. You have detached yourself from it. Why?" Bella looked around her room. She was certain she kept a Louisville slugger around there somewhere. Ahh- there it was, in the corner to her left. She marched over to it, reaching out to clasp it- and that's when she noticed the bandages on her hands. There were bandages on her feet too. Come to think of it, she was now dressed in sweat pants and a tank top. More anger- just who the hell did this guy think he was?!
She hefted the bat, advancing towards him. "I asked you a question." she said firmly. "Better yet, don't answer and just get the hell out of here!"
The man tilted his head to the side in exactly the same manner as the crow from the previous night. "You may call me Crow. And I believe I responded to your second query last night. I am here for your soul, Isabella Dantes." Bella's eyes narrowed. She swung the bat, determined to knock that smart-a** head right off his shoulders. She heard the satisfying sound of wood hitting flesh, but instead of landing him on the ground like she had intended, he had caught the bat in his right hand as if it weighed nothing. "Hospitable, aren't we? Sit." he said coolly, and grabbing her wrist with is other hand, he shoved her towards the bed, removing the bat from her grasp in the same motion.
Bella seethed angrily. "How dare you! Get the hell out! Get the hell out of my house right now!" The man, Crow, just shook his head, his chin length black hair swishing against the sides of his high cheek bones. "Of course. Give me command of your soul, and I shall depart; never again to darken your doorstep."
"You're out of your mind!" Bella yelled back at him, standing up and attempting to slug him in the stomach. That attempt went about as well as the first. He caught her arm and used her momentum to spin her around so that she was now facing the opposite wall, her back pressed close to his chest. That was much too close for her liking. She struggled from his grasp, glaring up at him from beneath narrowed brows. "And if I say no?" she hissed. The man smiled, "If you refuse, cheri, then I am obligated to stay here until you do."
She barked with laughter, "Right, you do that; we'll see how far it gets you." Crow bowed obligingly, as if she had just invited him to a tea party at her house. "I thank you. I'll do just that. Mark my words, Isabella Dantes, I swear an unholy oath in the presence of His Infernal Majesty that I will never leave you until you are mine, and I have claimed your soul for myself. “
Isabella flipped him the bird and stormed out of the room. “Excellent, I can check profanities off my list.” Crow chirped happily behind her. Bella whipped around to face him. “What the hell? Aren’t demons supposed to tempt people subtly, you know, old Uncle Screw tape and all that?” Crow looked thoughtful. He moved around her and began to head towards the kitchen, speaking as he walked. “Traditionally, yes, that was the way of doing things- but just because everyone’s doing it, does it mean you should? Peer- pressure and all that?” he mocked. Bella glared at him and moved to the cupboard to make some tea. While she was deciding between Jasmine and Earl Grey, Crow continued. “Do you know what the number one contributing factor in sin is Bella? Bad influences. You see them everywhere, on the television, in your music, in your friends. So one day, I was soaking in one of the molten lava pits of hell and I asked myself, ‘What if someone had a bad influence around them twenty-four-seven?’ I’m going to wear you down Bella, until you break; and break you shall, because that’s the only way you’ll ever be rid of me.”
“Oh because yelling at someone, ‘kill him!’ ‘Kill him!’, works all the time, does it?”
“You’d be surprised how often it does.” He quipped. Bella stuffed the tea into the microwave, punching the plastic numbers viciously. Crow came up behind her, his hands gliding over her waist until they found the indent of her hips. He brought his face close to her ear, so close that his hair fell forward, tickling her ears. “I can be very persuasive. You won’t last long.” Bella elbowed him hard in the gut, even though she knew it wouldn’t faze him. “You want to know something?” She asked, thrusting a hot mug at him. “You're an arrogant, self-centered p***k who always thinks he's right.” Crow smiled appreciatively. “I thank you.” Bella glared, “How childish are you? Saying thank you to insults?” Crow’s smile deepened. “I wasn’t thanking you for the insult, Isabella. I was thanking you for letting me know I got to you.”
Bella gulped down her tea, slopping some on herself, the hot liquid searing her throat. Crow laughed, grabbing a cloth from the counter, attempting to wiper her off. “Oh come now, you make this too easy. This is your soul that’s at stake. Put up a fight, won’t you?” Bella smiled sweetly and threw the contents of her drink on him. She marched back up stairs, pulling out her work uniform. Crow materialized on her bed, completely unfazed. She ignored him, which was hard considering she could feel him watching her. She pulled the Martin’s polo over her head, and added a pair of jeans to complete the ensemble. She pulled her thick curls into a ponytail, snatched her keys from a glass bowl on the vanity and walked pointedly out of the room.
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She started the car, satisfied when Crow did not appear beside her like she had expected. She arrived at Martin’s grocer, feeling markedly better now that she was out of the house. Steve called her over to stock with him, making her smile. She had been flirting with him for several weeks now, and it looked like it might have been working.
Steve tossed his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes with a casual flick, smiling at her, his lip ring glinting in the dull florescent lights. “Hey, Bella. Haven’t seen you in forever.” Bella smiled, “Steve, you saw me yesterday.” He grinned back, “I know, and it’s been, like, forever.” Bella laughed, feeling her heart beat a bit faster. Would he finally ask her out tonight? They began putting eye drops on the shelves, tagging them with prices. Steve reached over and pegged her on the forehead with one of the price stamps, Bella laughed delightedly and retaliated. Two hours later they were both covered entirely in stamps, and very little work had gotten done. Steve gave her a sexy smile, putting another sticker on her cheek, “So Bella, I was thinking, maybe after work, if you’re not doing anything-"
“There you are,” A hand landed hard on her shoulder. Bella’s heart plummeted into her stomach. She whipped around, “Crow- what the hell are you doing here!?” Crow grinned, his violet eyes flashing, “A dollar fifty? That’s much too cheap, darling. You could charge ten dollars at least.” He pulled one of the price tag stickers off her cheek. His eyes flickered up to Steve, and they suddenly became very mischievous. He smiled coldly and stuck out his hand, “Why hello, I’m Crow, her boyfriend.” Bella’s jaw dropped as Steve smiled and shook Crow’s hand. “What? No you’re not,” she turned to Steve, “He’s not.” Crow chuckled softly, “I know, love, we promised to keep it a secret, but now I’m beginning to wonder if you didn’t make me agree to that just so you could cheat on me.” He continued smiling, playing the part of a good-natured boyfriend to a T. Bella blanched and smacked him. “Get out of here!” she barked.
Crow tossed his head back and laughed, looking every measure like some dark angel. “Whatever you say darling. I’ll be back to pick you up in an hour.” He strolled off, and she knew there was a grin planted firmly on his face. She swore loudly. Steve smiled, “He seems nice.” Bella glared hard at him, “He is NOT my boyfriend, he’s this crazy lunatic that keeps following me-” Steve put up his hands defensively, “Whoa, hey, it’s cool Bella.” They worked in silence for the rest of her shift, and Bella felt like she could cry. When her shift ended, she hurried out of the store, determined to skin Crow alive when she got home. She went to the place where she thought she had parked, but the spot was empty. She looked around confused, had she parked somewhere else? A car honked to her left and she looked up to see Crow driving her little green bug, waving energetically out the window at her. Her hand shot down to her pocket, only to discover the keys were missing. “Damn him.” She swore. Crow parked the car, opening the passenger door. Bella slipped into the car seething. “So, where would you like to go, Bella? That is what they call you, isn’t it?”
Bella folded her arms over her chest, scowling. Crow started the car and began to drive toward the city, turning on the radio. Love like Winter was playing, one of her favorite songs, coupled with the city lights this would have been almost romantic if Bella hadn’t been so pissed off. “Keeping me from dating guys isn’t going to make me hand over my soul.” She said finally. Crow smirked, but his eyes didn’t leave the road. “No, but isolating you is.”
“How do you figure that?”
“When you’re alone, you’re going to be missing things, like love. You’re going to have to find substitutes to fill that gap, acting upon selfish impulse. Demon training 101, love. Plus, if there’s going to be any fornicating, it is going to be done with me.” He replied coolly. “Your sins into me… Oh my beautiful one.” He sang. Bella sat quietly, thinking.
They stopped on a street she wasn’t familiar with, but the trees were all decorated with lights, the shops having a quaint homey feel about them. He went around the car and opened the door for her. She climbed out and her eyes narrowed when she saw the restaurant. “A date? Are you serious?” Crow smiled and offered her his arm, “Quite, actually.” “Let me guess, make me fall in love with you so I’ll do what you want?” Crow laughed, “Perhaps. When the line becomes blurred, that’s when it’s most difficult to stay on the right path. It could also be that I find you beautiful, and enjoy your company when you’re not throwing tea in my face.” Bella studied his eyes. “More mind games?” Crow grinned, “Of course, but you’ll never know which statement was part of the game. Shall we?” She accepted his arm, and they were seated at a table in the back. The restaurant wasn’t crowded, far from it, actually.
She slid into the booth, loath to be so close to him, but there was no helping it. The server brought them menus, and then disappeared. Bella twirled a fork absently, her mind working overtime as she tried to come up with a way out of this. “So, you’re here to, uh, corrupt me- right?” Crow looked amused and nodded. “And all I have to do is sin, and you’ll go away?” His lips curled into a crooked smile. “Not quite. Lesser demons might be pleased with that, but not I; but then, I suppose that’s what makes me the best.” Bella scowled. Gosh he was an arrogant p***k. Crow continued, “I am not satisfied with you just doing bad things to get rid of me, Beauty.”
“Beauty?”
“That’s what Bella means, does it not?”
“So does that make you the beast?”
Crow laughed, “Tre charmant. As I was saying, if you only sin to get rid of me, then your heart is not in it.” He moved his fingers under her chin, bringing her eyes to look up at his. “You are what your heart desires, cheri. I want you to do evil because that’s what you want. That is what corruption is.” His eyes were dark and entrancing. It made Bella furious. She smacked his hand away, annoyed, mostly with herself.
She ate in silence, Crow watching on silently. She wondered what he was thinking about. “Why don’t you ask?” Bella choked on her pasta, coughing. She gulped down some water. “How did you-“ “I did not read your mind, if that’s what you’re wondering. No, the expression on your face was sufficient.” Bella flushed. “So what are you thinking?” Crow tilted his head to the side, moving his hand to rest beneath his chin. “I was thinking that you are beautiful.”
“Liar.” Bella snapped.
“Perhaps, but that doesn’t make it any less true.”
“Why tell me to ask if you were just going to lie?”
“Just because I lie doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask.”
“What’s the point?”
“The point is, you can learn more about someone from their lies, than from the truth. Know thy enemy, isn’t that what you humans always say?” Bella frowned, and continued her pasta. “So how are you going to make me want to sin?” she asked casually. Crow leaned back into the red velvet of the booth. “I don’t have to make you want to sin, you already do. I have to make you act upon those selfish desires.” “And you’re going to do that how?” Crow smiled, but said nothing.
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When they left the restaurant, Crow led her on a short walk around the city. She found herself relaxing around him, smiling and laughing. It might have continued that way had they not come across the alley. Bella stopped, the image of the woman lying there burning a picture in her mind; one that she would never forget. Crow pulled her away, murmuring softly, “Come Beauty. She has passed; there is nothing you can do for her.” Bella shoved away from him. “I suppose you liked seeing that. Seeing how vile people can become.” Crow was silent for a moment, then said, “No, actually. I find nothing more repulsive than humans who do evil without any promptings at all. They are weak and cowardly, and I have no use for them.” Bella stopped and glared, “Then why tempt them at all? You make them give in and then you leave them in their sorry state, nothing more than vermin.” Crow sighed and stopped as well. “You misunderstand me. I like the challenge. Humans who present no challenge are weak. When I have brought a strong person down, that is true satisfaction.” His eyes flashed and became dangerous looking, “And know that nothing would please me more than to be the cause of your fall.” He walked off, not waiting to see if she would follow
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“Have you ever read Faust?” Crow asked her calmly one morning. So far, he had been living with her for two weeks, but appeared to be quite complacent. She had actually started to enjoy having him around. Bella glanced up from her book, “No, why?” “Well, the main character makes a deal with the demon Mephistopheles for his soul, and in exchange, Mephistopheles agrees to serve Faust until he has made him happy.” Bella nodded slowly, vaguely seeing where this was going. “How about it, little faustina?” Bella pretended to think about it. “Pass.” She replied coolly. Crow rolled his eyes, “Yes, because you’re so happy here, aren’t you?” He appeared next to her on the bed and began rubbing her shoulders, which made it very difficult to concentrate. “I am… content.” She said after awhile. “You could have anything you wanted, Beauty. Anything at all.” He murmured softly. Bella laughed, “For my soul?” Crow snorted, “Well it’s not like you’re doing anything with it. Saving it for God, perhaps; and for what- to sit around in a white robe strumming a harp all day? What a way to spend eternity, cheri. You and I both know you will never be happy there.”
Bella laughed, “You think Hell is so much nicer?” Crow grinned, “Of course. It’s always warm and sunny, and the people there are the best under the world. Sure, you’ll smell like brimstone for a few days, but you won’t even notice it after awhile.” Bella rolled over laughing. She stared up at him, his pale skin, violet eyes, and black hair. She had fallen for him, and she knew it. He knew it too. I love you so much it hurts. I wish I could hate you more. She rolled back over, unable to look at him any longer, burying her face in her pillow.
“Why do you want my soul, Crow?” she asked softly. She felt him lay down next to her, and turned her head to see him beside her, staring up at the ceiling. “Because this is a war, Beauty; the side with the most souls wins.” “Why bother with the war at all? Why not just be happy?”
“I am happy, Beauty. I wasn’t chosen for this job, I selected it.” Bella thought about it. “In church they say hell is a place of punishment for the wicked.” Crow smiled. “They misinterpret what the script says. How sad that a demon would know more of their scriptures than they. Yes, it is a punishment, in a sense, but the punishment is being cut off from God. What if you never wanted to serve him in the first place? Is it still a punishment?” Bella’s eyes searched his. “No… I suppose not.” “When each man dies, he is taken to a place according to the desires of his heart. If you do not desire to live with God, then you shall not.” Tears pricked at Bella’s eyes. She stood up and threw the pillow at him. “I hate you.” She hissed, and stormed from the room.
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That Sunday she went to church for the first time in years. She sat in the pews as the rest of the congregation left, until it was only she and the priest left. She watched as he put out the candles, the smoke stretching up and reaching towards the heavens. The irony that she could not find the same desire to do so burned. The priest finally noticed her, his wrinkled face smiling with pleasant surprise. “My child, is there something you need?” Bella nodded, “I have some questions, Father.” He smiled still further, “Well, this is an excellent place to find answers. Come sit with me.”
Light was streaming through the stained glass window above them, causing color and light to dance around in a beautiful array of patterns. She followed the dancing color with her eyes for, and the priest waited until she was ready to speak. “Why should we want to go live with God?” she asked softly. The look of surprise that enveloped the priest’s face was priceless. She watched the struggle on his face as he fought to stop himself from asking her why she would have such a question. “Because he loves you.” He said softly. “So? My parents love me, doesn’t mean I want to live with them.” The priest smiled, “You don’t want to be in the presence of a being that loves you so thoroughly and entirely that you would never feel unloved or alone again?” Bella thought about this and nodded slowly. “But what if I don’t want to spend the rest of eternity playing the harp? I hate harps!” The priest chuckled. “An archetypal image of heaven, and also, sadly, an inaccurate one. Do you think God would condemn his faithful sheep to an eternity of playing instruments they don’t like?” he continued chortling, “I don’t know what exactly lays beyond the veil, my child, but I do know it will be a place that you will be happy in. You are what your heart desires, and so you shall go to a place of that nature.” The breath caught in Bella’s throat. She nodded quickly, thanked the priest and fled the cathedral. All the while an angel of darkness watched over her, a smile on his face…
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Bella sat with her cup of tea resting between her hands, watching the leaves swirl within the amber liquid. Crow sat on the couch above her, reading Paradise Lost. It had been quiet these last few days. They rarely spoke anymore, which left Bella constantly wondering if Crow had given up. If so, why was he still here? She could never be at peace, never live a normal life so long as he remained her shadow. Perhaps that was all it would take. “I’m going out.” She said coolly and went up stairs to get changed. Crow didn’t move, but his eyes had stopped scanning the page.
Bella put on a tank, minie skirt, and some high heels, grabbed the keys to her bug and took off. She needed to get out of the house, or to be more accurate, get away from Crow. When she arrived at the club it was almost midnight, prime dancing time. Bella flashed the bouncer a sexy smile when she slid him her I.D. The bouncer smiled, “I get off at two. Save me a dance?” She winked and slipped inside.
The music was pounding so hard, Bella could feel it reverberating in her chest cavity. It felt damn good. Bella shook her hair out and slipped into the center of the dance floor, not caring who she touched or bumped. A couple of other girls were in the center, and she joined them. It was hot, dark, and sweaty. Bella felt alive for the first time in awhile, feeling the blood pound through her veins, the music drumming in her head. Later, a man with curly brown hair and dimples began to dance with her. His eyes had a twinkle, and his laugh was absolutely infectious. He bought her a drink, and they sat and laughed for almost an hour. That’s when she noticed the ring on his finger. Her heart skipped a beat, feeling like lead in her chest. He glanced down to see where her eyes had landed and sighed. “Forgot to take that off.” He muttered, slipping the ring in his pocket. Bella smiled sweetly, and kicked him in the shin. “a** hole.” She muttered.
“Beauty, there you are.” Crow smiled, turning to the man, “Thank you for looking after her for me, I got off work later than I intended.” The man nodded, his eyes watering, trying hard not to cry out. Crow slipped his hand around Bella’s waist, leading her to the dance floor. “You didn’t have to do that.” She muttered. Crow smiled, “No. I didn’t.”
“Why are you still here?”
“I want to show you that there is another way to live. Is it so wrong to want to be happy? Why should you let some great deity, who has never held you or laughed with you tell you how to be happy? Sure, that might make him happy, but I want you to be happy. Are you?” Bella shook her head, a tear sliding down her cheek. “You hold yourself back too much. Let go. Just let go Beauty, of all of it. What do you want? What makes you happy?” Bella shook her head again, more tears sliding down it, “I hate you.” She breathed as she kissed him.
The next morning Bella lay in bed for a long time staring at the flaking paint of her ceiling. She climbed out of the bed, slipping a robe around her slight form, finally making the trip downstairs. Crow was waiting for her. She slipped onto his lap, her face buried in his chest. “You win.” Was all she said. Crow’s low chuckled rumbled in his chest beneath her. “You needn’t sound so depressed about it. Honestly, I think you’ll enjoy Hell far more than you ever would have Heaven.” “So when do you leave?” she asked sorrowfully, lifting her head up to stare into his violet eyes. “When you die; I can’t risk the chance of you having a change of heart after I’ve worked this hard.” Bella smiled, “I’d like that.” Crow snorted, “Only you would, my hell-bound little faustina.”
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Bella and Crow were walking together through the city. It had been almost a week since their fateful conversation, and strangely, being a condemned soul wasn’t all that bad. She was living in an upper class apartment in New York, had an amazing job, a brand new hummer, and a smokin’ hot boyfriend. Her old friends marveled at the amount of good fortune that had befallen her. Crow would just smile. Once in awhile though, Bella still thought back to her conversation with the priest. ‘You don’t want to be in the presence of a being that loves you so thoroughly and entirely that you would never feel unloved or alone again? You are what your heart desires…’ Walking around the city with Crow today, she felt her mind going back there yet again. While it was true, everything in her life was nice now, better than nice really, it all seemed so fake. She hadn’t worked for it, and so all of her success felt very short lived. What did she really want?
Bella saw the car as if it were standing still. It was a burgundy Cadillac, with rusty bumpers, dents along the side, and tires that were almost entirely devoid of air. The little girl looked up curiously, her eyes widening slightly as she saw the car, but she made no motion to move. She stood there calmly, as if inviting death to take her up into its sweet embrace, crushing her fragile body in its gory clasp. Instead Death would choose Bella for its bride. It enfolded her in a warm darkness, the rose left her pale cheeks, the light fled her eyes. The sounds of screeching cars became a dull buzz in the back ground, screams nothing more than someone humming a familiar tune. For a moment, Bella’s eyes surged with color, as if they were determined to see a lifetime of memories in their last few seconds. People were standing above her, shouting and crying. Bella didn’t care about any of them; her eyes quickly found those piercing violets and in them she saw complete and utter confusion. And something else; it was a lost sort of look that a child might have upon discovering that they had just become an orphan.
When Bella woke, she expected to see white. Either the white of a hospital room or the white of heaven, she didn’t care which. She was disappointed when she saw green; lots and lots of green. Sitting up, she found she wasn’t groggy at all, like she might normally be upon waking up. She rose to her feet and looked around. She was in a brightly lit meadow. She half expected to see ponies or unicorns prancing about with fluffy pink princesses perched upon their backs. Instead, she saw an angel- A dark angel. Crow moved toward her slowly and carefully, his brow creased in a frown. He had wings on his back; black of course, that shown with a blue sheen… like a crow’s. The thought made her smile, and she closed the distance between them in a few steps.
“Am I dead?” She asked softly. She saw a slight flicker of amusement in crow’s eyes, and his lips twitched with the ghost of a smile. “Yes.” He said softly. Bella put her hands on her hips, “Well then what the hell are you doing here?” Crow’s eyes flashed brightly, “Can’t you guess? This is hell. Your punishment is to be stuck in this charming meadow for eternity. I picked it out myself, do you like it?” Bella pursed her lips, her eyes feeling pricks of anger, and then she saw his face. She laughed.
Crow watched her, but did not take part in the laughter. He folded his arms across his chest, his black shirt ruffled by the breeze, as was his glorious black hair. He really is something to behold, Bella thought. “No, this is the go-between worlds, Bella. Everyone stops here, in the end, before they move on. Normally you would have been greeted by one of the Holy Order, but in this circumstance, they made an exception.” Crow glared at her for a moment and then said sardonically, “Really Beauty, shoving a child out of the way of a car? Could you have found a more cliché way into heaven?”
Bella smiled, brushing her red curls out of the way. “So, I guess this is good bye, huh? ” Crow said nothing, but his eyes were dark. “Would you tell me what your real name is?” Bella asked softly. Crow’s eyes remained just as dark, but the corners crinkled with amusement. “My name is Gabriel.” “Gabriel…” she tasted the name on her tongue. She walked forward, reaching a hand around his neck, pulling him down into a kiss. Crow slipped an arm about her waist, ensnaring it thoroughly. When they broke apart, a devious smirk crossed his features. “And what was that for?” he asked, bemused. Bella became puzzled, “It was my way of saying goodbye, of course.” A ripple of laughter erupted from his throat. “Oh? You seem to have forgotten my oath, Beauty.” Bella looked incredulous, “You’re oath? You can’t mean you’re still going to try and steal my soul- I made it into heaven! Game over, I won- get over it.”
Crow’s smile remained firmly in place, but a more frightening and animalistic presence entered his eyes. Strangely, Bella found she liked it. He clasped her wrist, pulling her closer to him. “I swore that I would never leave you until you were mine. Ever hear of a fallen angel? A little thing like eternity isn’t going to stop me, cheri. Not even the peace of eternal slumber will rid you of me. I’m your seductive nightmare, darling. Sleep tight.”
.
Her mind raced with ideas as to what the crash might have been; books falling over, perhaps? She did own an awful lot of them, and had the tendency to stack them against her wall in a rather precarious manner. Perhaps she had left the window open, and a strong breeze had sent her lamp to the floor. She sighed, either way; she was going to have a mess to clean up. She opened the door, and her breath caught in her throat. It was freezing! The blustery night air streamed into the room, greedily choking out any heat, blowing back the thin white curtains viciously. That's when Bella noticed something strange. The window wasn't open. In fact, the latches still held on top of the sill, from when she had locked it earlier. No, the window wasn't open. It had been shattered.
Her bed, covered in a thick crimson comforter, blocked her view from the scene. Possibilities surged through her mind like people rushing off a subway train. She moved forward, her steps a bit more delicate as she was wary of stepping on glass. She circled around the bed, and indeed, the floor was covered in glass, and something dark was staining the carpet as well. She knelt gently, pressing her finger to the stain. In the slim shaft of moonlight, her fingers came up red. Blood.
A shriek sounded behind her, and Bella let out a cry. Her heart thundered loudly in her chest, the blood racing through her, almost choking her as it tried desperately to complete its course throughout her body. She looked into the shadowy alcove to her left, from where the sound had emanated. In the shadows she was able to perceive a darker shade of darkness- and it was moving. It cried out again, and the sound was grating and unsettling. A crow.
She stepped forward carefully, determined to herd it out of her room. "Nice bird," she whispered, "Pretty bird, come here pretty bird. We'll get you back outside." she cooed softly, her hands outstretched in a sign of peace.
"Well, that would be rather counterproductive, you see, as it took some effort to get in here." The crow responded waspishly. Bella stopped breathing. "Excuse me?" The bird's head twitched back and forth restlessly, studying her. Bella shook her head. "Shock... just shock. Come on pretty bird." She slowly approached the side of the bird, and it flapped its wings restlessly, causing her to stop, slightly fearful. While it wasn't a terribly large bird, those talons didn't look any less sharp. She considered her possibilities. She could try and frighten it out- but then that might make it more likely to attack... "Shoo, go on. Go home."
Bella didn't think it was possible for birds to sigh, but sigh it did. "I would love to, but unfortunately, I can't leave until I complete my mission." Bella back peddled fast, tripping over her feet and slamming hard into her bed. She felt a hot sharp pain and knew her feet were cut and bleeding from the glass. "M-mission?" she stammered. She pinched her arm, as if that might make this nightmare any less real. Forget that- it wasn't real, it couldn't be. No rational person in their right mind would think that talking to a crow could be anything but a dream.
"Yes, my mission, dear child. I am here to steal your soul." The crow chirped matter o' factly, hopping from its perch atop her wicker book shelf and coming closer. Bella nodded slowly. "My soul. Of course..." She slid down against the wood of her bed, seating herself still further in the glass, but for some reason that really didn't seem to bother her. In fact, nothing really seemed to bother her. She couldn't even feel the cold wind anymore. I'm in shock, she realized dully. How funny... it's called shock, and yet I can't really seem to find any of this shocking at all. Her mind seemed to move at half pace, and the crow had tilted it's head to the side in a rather unnatural angle, looking at her. Black pinpricks began to appear at the corner of her vision. The pinpricks soon became thicker and thicker until all she saw was black.
The blackness swirled and gradually took form. It was the form of a man with piercing violet eyes and dark hair that reached his chin. What was more unusual were the black wings emerging from his back, like the images of fallen angels she saw in books sometimes. He smiled, his lips pale and perfect and began to recite as he brushed the hair back from her face:
Rip, tear, bend, break
A maiden’s bones I soon shall take
Hurt, crush, sheer, rend
No one escapes their deserved end
When you scream and when you burn
Soon a lesson you will learn
Catch a star, then let it fall
In the darkness whisper all
If I were you, then I would fear,
You’re going to lose your soul, my dear…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bella woke up, her breath coming fast and quick. She had just had the strangest dream... broken windows, talking crows, and black angels... She looked over to the window, half expecting it to be broken, it had seemed so real. She smiled. It was perfectly intact, the sunlight streaming merrily through it, as if to mock her for disliking mornings. She shook her head, moaning slightly when the dull pain of a headache set in. She moved to get up, and her hand smacked against something hard and fleshy. Startled, she looked up to find a young man with startling violet eyes staring down at her curiously. She screamed.
The man continued to watch her, amusement entering his eyes. It was strange. Bella always felt as if something dramatic should happen after a scream, yet strangely, the world was oddly still and quiet. She moved slowly and cautiously, as if waiting to see if he would suddenly turn into a mad man and attack her.
He did not. He remained sitting there, his eyes following her- as if daring her to scream again. Bella couldn't decide what the appropriate response should be in such a situation. Anger finally won out. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" she demanded finally, her green eyes flashing murderously. The man rose from his perch atop the corner of her bed, his eyes leaving her for the first time as he surveyed the room around him. "You call this place a house." he observed.
Bella blinked incredulously. The man noted the gesture and continued, "Most people refer to their places of habitat as homes. There's something terribly...spiritual about the word. A bond that transcends temporal confines. And yet you call this a house. You have detached yourself from it. Why?" Bella looked around her room. She was certain she kept a Louisville slugger around there somewhere. Ahh- there it was, in the corner to her left. She marched over to it, reaching out to clasp it- and that's when she noticed the bandages on her hands. There were bandages on her feet too. Come to think of it, she was now dressed in sweat pants and a tank top. More anger- just who the hell did this guy think he was?!
She hefted the bat, advancing towards him. "I asked you a question." she said firmly. "Better yet, don't answer and just get the hell out of here!"
The man tilted his head to the side in exactly the same manner as the crow from the previous night. "You may call me Crow. And I believe I responded to your second query last night. I am here for your soul, Isabella Dantes." Bella's eyes narrowed. She swung the bat, determined to knock that smart-a** head right off his shoulders. She heard the satisfying sound of wood hitting flesh, but instead of landing him on the ground like she had intended, he had caught the bat in his right hand as if it weighed nothing. "Hospitable, aren't we? Sit." he said coolly, and grabbing her wrist with is other hand, he shoved her towards the bed, removing the bat from her grasp in the same motion.
Bella seethed angrily. "How dare you! Get the hell out! Get the hell out of my house right now!" The man, Crow, just shook his head, his chin length black hair swishing against the sides of his high cheek bones. "Of course. Give me command of your soul, and I shall depart; never again to darken your doorstep."
"You're out of your mind!" Bella yelled back at him, standing up and attempting to slug him in the stomach. That attempt went about as well as the first. He caught her arm and used her momentum to spin her around so that she was now facing the opposite wall, her back pressed close to his chest. That was much too close for her liking. She struggled from his grasp, glaring up at him from beneath narrowed brows. "And if I say no?" she hissed. The man smiled, "If you refuse, cheri, then I am obligated to stay here until you do."
She barked with laughter, "Right, you do that; we'll see how far it gets you." Crow bowed obligingly, as if she had just invited him to a tea party at her house. "I thank you. I'll do just that. Mark my words, Isabella Dantes, I swear an unholy oath in the presence of His Infernal Majesty that I will never leave you until you are mine, and I have claimed your soul for myself. “
Isabella flipped him the bird and stormed out of the room. “Excellent, I can check profanities off my list.” Crow chirped happily behind her. Bella whipped around to face him. “What the hell? Aren’t demons supposed to tempt people subtly, you know, old Uncle Screw tape and all that?” Crow looked thoughtful. He moved around her and began to head towards the kitchen, speaking as he walked. “Traditionally, yes, that was the way of doing things- but just because everyone’s doing it, does it mean you should? Peer- pressure and all that?” he mocked. Bella glared at him and moved to the cupboard to make some tea. While she was deciding between Jasmine and Earl Grey, Crow continued. “Do you know what the number one contributing factor in sin is Bella? Bad influences. You see them everywhere, on the television, in your music, in your friends. So one day, I was soaking in one of the molten lava pits of hell and I asked myself, ‘What if someone had a bad influence around them twenty-four-seven?’ I’m going to wear you down Bella, until you break; and break you shall, because that’s the only way you’ll ever be rid of me.”
“Oh because yelling at someone, ‘kill him!’ ‘Kill him!’, works all the time, does it?”
“You’d be surprised how often it does.” He quipped. Bella stuffed the tea into the microwave, punching the plastic numbers viciously. Crow came up behind her, his hands gliding over her waist until they found the indent of her hips. He brought his face close to her ear, so close that his hair fell forward, tickling her ears. “I can be very persuasive. You won’t last long.” Bella elbowed him hard in the gut, even though she knew it wouldn’t faze him. “You want to know something?” She asked, thrusting a hot mug at him. “You're an arrogant, self-centered p***k who always thinks he's right.” Crow smiled appreciatively. “I thank you.” Bella glared, “How childish are you? Saying thank you to insults?” Crow’s smile deepened. “I wasn’t thanking you for the insult, Isabella. I was thanking you for letting me know I got to you.”
Bella gulped down her tea, slopping some on herself, the hot liquid searing her throat. Crow laughed, grabbing a cloth from the counter, attempting to wiper her off. “Oh come now, you make this too easy. This is your soul that’s at stake. Put up a fight, won’t you?” Bella smiled sweetly and threw the contents of her drink on him. She marched back up stairs, pulling out her work uniform. Crow materialized on her bed, completely unfazed. She ignored him, which was hard considering she could feel him watching her. She pulled the Martin’s polo over her head, and added a pair of jeans to complete the ensemble. She pulled her thick curls into a ponytail, snatched her keys from a glass bowl on the vanity and walked pointedly out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She started the car, satisfied when Crow did not appear beside her like she had expected. She arrived at Martin’s grocer, feeling markedly better now that she was out of the house. Steve called her over to stock with him, making her smile. She had been flirting with him for several weeks now, and it looked like it might have been working.
Steve tossed his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes with a casual flick, smiling at her, his lip ring glinting in the dull florescent lights. “Hey, Bella. Haven’t seen you in forever.” Bella smiled, “Steve, you saw me yesterday.” He grinned back, “I know, and it’s been, like, forever.” Bella laughed, feeling her heart beat a bit faster. Would he finally ask her out tonight? They began putting eye drops on the shelves, tagging them with prices. Steve reached over and pegged her on the forehead with one of the price stamps, Bella laughed delightedly and retaliated. Two hours later they were both covered entirely in stamps, and very little work had gotten done. Steve gave her a sexy smile, putting another sticker on her cheek, “So Bella, I was thinking, maybe after work, if you’re not doing anything-"
“There you are,” A hand landed hard on her shoulder. Bella’s heart plummeted into her stomach. She whipped around, “Crow- what the hell are you doing here!?” Crow grinned, his violet eyes flashing, “A dollar fifty? That’s much too cheap, darling. You could charge ten dollars at least.” He pulled one of the price tag stickers off her cheek. His eyes flickered up to Steve, and they suddenly became very mischievous. He smiled coldly and stuck out his hand, “Why hello, I’m Crow, her boyfriend.” Bella’s jaw dropped as Steve smiled and shook Crow’s hand. “What? No you’re not,” she turned to Steve, “He’s not.” Crow chuckled softly, “I know, love, we promised to keep it a secret, but now I’m beginning to wonder if you didn’t make me agree to that just so you could cheat on me.” He continued smiling, playing the part of a good-natured boyfriend to a T. Bella blanched and smacked him. “Get out of here!” she barked.
Crow tossed his head back and laughed, looking every measure like some dark angel. “Whatever you say darling. I’ll be back to pick you up in an hour.” He strolled off, and she knew there was a grin planted firmly on his face. She swore loudly. Steve smiled, “He seems nice.” Bella glared hard at him, “He is NOT my boyfriend, he’s this crazy lunatic that keeps following me-” Steve put up his hands defensively, “Whoa, hey, it’s cool Bella.” They worked in silence for the rest of her shift, and Bella felt like she could cry. When her shift ended, she hurried out of the store, determined to skin Crow alive when she got home. She went to the place where she thought she had parked, but the spot was empty. She looked around confused, had she parked somewhere else? A car honked to her left and she looked up to see Crow driving her little green bug, waving energetically out the window at her. Her hand shot down to her pocket, only to discover the keys were missing. “Damn him.” She swore. Crow parked the car, opening the passenger door. Bella slipped into the car seething. “So, where would you like to go, Bella? That is what they call you, isn’t it?”
Bella folded her arms over her chest, scowling. Crow started the car and began to drive toward the city, turning on the radio. Love like Winter was playing, one of her favorite songs, coupled with the city lights this would have been almost romantic if Bella hadn’t been so pissed off. “Keeping me from dating guys isn’t going to make me hand over my soul.” She said finally. Crow smirked, but his eyes didn’t leave the road. “No, but isolating you is.”
“How do you figure that?”
“When you’re alone, you’re going to be missing things, like love. You’re going to have to find substitutes to fill that gap, acting upon selfish impulse. Demon training 101, love. Plus, if there’s going to be any fornicating, it is going to be done with me.” He replied coolly. “Your sins into me… Oh my beautiful one.” He sang. Bella sat quietly, thinking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They stopped on a street she wasn’t familiar with, but the trees were all decorated with lights, the shops having a quaint homey feel about them. He went around the car and opened the door for her. She climbed out and her eyes narrowed when she saw the restaurant. “A date? Are you serious?” Crow smiled and offered her his arm, “Quite, actually.” “Let me guess, make me fall in love with you so I’ll do what you want?” Crow laughed, “Perhaps. When the line becomes blurred, that’s when it’s most difficult to stay on the right path. It could also be that I find you beautiful, and enjoy your company when you’re not throwing tea in my face.” Bella studied his eyes. “More mind games?” Crow grinned, “Of course, but you’ll never know which statement was part of the game. Shall we?” She accepted his arm, and they were seated at a table in the back. The restaurant wasn’t crowded, far from it, actually.
She slid into the booth, loath to be so close to him, but there was no helping it. The server brought them menus, and then disappeared. Bella twirled a fork absently, her mind working overtime as she tried to come up with a way out of this. “So, you’re here to, uh, corrupt me- right?” Crow looked amused and nodded. “And all I have to do is sin, and you’ll go away?” His lips curled into a crooked smile. “Not quite. Lesser demons might be pleased with that, but not I; but then, I suppose that’s what makes me the best.” Bella scowled. Gosh he was an arrogant p***k. Crow continued, “I am not satisfied with you just doing bad things to get rid of me, Beauty.”
“Beauty?”
“That’s what Bella means, does it not?”
“So does that make you the beast?”
Crow laughed, “Tre charmant. As I was saying, if you only sin to get rid of me, then your heart is not in it.” He moved his fingers under her chin, bringing her eyes to look up at his. “You are what your heart desires, cheri. I want you to do evil because that’s what you want. That is what corruption is.” His eyes were dark and entrancing. It made Bella furious. She smacked his hand away, annoyed, mostly with herself.
She ate in silence, Crow watching on silently. She wondered what he was thinking about. “Why don’t you ask?” Bella choked on her pasta, coughing. She gulped down some water. “How did you-“ “I did not read your mind, if that’s what you’re wondering. No, the expression on your face was sufficient.” Bella flushed. “So what are you thinking?” Crow tilted his head to the side, moving his hand to rest beneath his chin. “I was thinking that you are beautiful.”
“Liar.” Bella snapped.
“Perhaps, but that doesn’t make it any less true.”
“Why tell me to ask if you were just going to lie?”
“Just because I lie doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask.”
“What’s the point?”
“The point is, you can learn more about someone from their lies, than from the truth. Know thy enemy, isn’t that what you humans always say?” Bella frowned, and continued her pasta. “So how are you going to make me want to sin?” she asked casually. Crow leaned back into the red velvet of the booth. “I don’t have to make you want to sin, you already do. I have to make you act upon those selfish desires.” “And you’re going to do that how?” Crow smiled, but said nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When they left the restaurant, Crow led her on a short walk around the city. She found herself relaxing around him, smiling and laughing. It might have continued that way had they not come across the alley. Bella stopped, the image of the woman lying there burning a picture in her mind; one that she would never forget. Crow pulled her away, murmuring softly, “Come Beauty. She has passed; there is nothing you can do for her.” Bella shoved away from him. “I suppose you liked seeing that. Seeing how vile people can become.” Crow was silent for a moment, then said, “No, actually. I find nothing more repulsive than humans who do evil without any promptings at all. They are weak and cowardly, and I have no use for them.” Bella stopped and glared, “Then why tempt them at all? You make them give in and then you leave them in their sorry state, nothing more than vermin.” Crow sighed and stopped as well. “You misunderstand me. I like the challenge. Humans who present no challenge are weak. When I have brought a strong person down, that is true satisfaction.” His eyes flashed and became dangerous looking, “And know that nothing would please me more than to be the cause of your fall.” He walked off, not waiting to see if she would follow
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Have you ever read Faust?” Crow asked her calmly one morning. So far, he had been living with her for two weeks, but appeared to be quite complacent. She had actually started to enjoy having him around. Bella glanced up from her book, “No, why?” “Well, the main character makes a deal with the demon Mephistopheles for his soul, and in exchange, Mephistopheles agrees to serve Faust until he has made him happy.” Bella nodded slowly, vaguely seeing where this was going. “How about it, little faustina?” Bella pretended to think about it. “Pass.” She replied coolly. Crow rolled his eyes, “Yes, because you’re so happy here, aren’t you?” He appeared next to her on the bed and began rubbing her shoulders, which made it very difficult to concentrate. “I am… content.” She said after awhile. “You could have anything you wanted, Beauty. Anything at all.” He murmured softly. Bella laughed, “For my soul?” Crow snorted, “Well it’s not like you’re doing anything with it. Saving it for God, perhaps; and for what- to sit around in a white robe strumming a harp all day? What a way to spend eternity, cheri. You and I both know you will never be happy there.”
Bella laughed, “You think Hell is so much nicer?” Crow grinned, “Of course. It’s always warm and sunny, and the people there are the best under the world. Sure, you’ll smell like brimstone for a few days, but you won’t even notice it after awhile.” Bella rolled over laughing. She stared up at him, his pale skin, violet eyes, and black hair. She had fallen for him, and she knew it. He knew it too. I love you so much it hurts. I wish I could hate you more. She rolled back over, unable to look at him any longer, burying her face in her pillow.
“Why do you want my soul, Crow?” she asked softly. She felt him lay down next to her, and turned her head to see him beside her, staring up at the ceiling. “Because this is a war, Beauty; the side with the most souls wins.” “Why bother with the war at all? Why not just be happy?”
“I am happy, Beauty. I wasn’t chosen for this job, I selected it.” Bella thought about it. “In church they say hell is a place of punishment for the wicked.” Crow smiled. “They misinterpret what the script says. How sad that a demon would know more of their scriptures than they. Yes, it is a punishment, in a sense, but the punishment is being cut off from God. What if you never wanted to serve him in the first place? Is it still a punishment?” Bella’s eyes searched his. “No… I suppose not.” “When each man dies, he is taken to a place according to the desires of his heart. If you do not desire to live with God, then you shall not.” Tears pricked at Bella’s eyes. She stood up and threw the pillow at him. “I hate you.” She hissed, and stormed from the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That Sunday she went to church for the first time in years. She sat in the pews as the rest of the congregation left, until it was only she and the priest left. She watched as he put out the candles, the smoke stretching up and reaching towards the heavens. The irony that she could not find the same desire to do so burned. The priest finally noticed her, his wrinkled face smiling with pleasant surprise. “My child, is there something you need?” Bella nodded, “I have some questions, Father.” He smiled still further, “Well, this is an excellent place to find answers. Come sit with me.”
Light was streaming through the stained glass window above them, causing color and light to dance around in a beautiful array of patterns. She followed the dancing color with her eyes for, and the priest waited until she was ready to speak. “Why should we want to go live with God?” she asked softly. The look of surprise that enveloped the priest’s face was priceless. She watched the struggle on his face as he fought to stop himself from asking her why she would have such a question. “Because he loves you.” He said softly. “So? My parents love me, doesn’t mean I want to live with them.” The priest smiled, “You don’t want to be in the presence of a being that loves you so thoroughly and entirely that you would never feel unloved or alone again?” Bella thought about this and nodded slowly. “But what if I don’t want to spend the rest of eternity playing the harp? I hate harps!” The priest chuckled. “An archetypal image of heaven, and also, sadly, an inaccurate one. Do you think God would condemn his faithful sheep to an eternity of playing instruments they don’t like?” he continued chortling, “I don’t know what exactly lays beyond the veil, my child, but I do know it will be a place that you will be happy in. You are what your heart desires, and so you shall go to a place of that nature.” The breath caught in Bella’s throat. She nodded quickly, thanked the priest and fled the cathedral. All the while an angel of darkness watched over her, a smile on his face…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bella sat with her cup of tea resting between her hands, watching the leaves swirl within the amber liquid. Crow sat on the couch above her, reading Paradise Lost. It had been quiet these last few days. They rarely spoke anymore, which left Bella constantly wondering if Crow had given up. If so, why was he still here? She could never be at peace, never live a normal life so long as he remained her shadow. Perhaps that was all it would take. “I’m going out.” She said coolly and went up stairs to get changed. Crow didn’t move, but his eyes had stopped scanning the page.
Bella put on a tank, minie skirt, and some high heels, grabbed the keys to her bug and took off. She needed to get out of the house, or to be more accurate, get away from Crow. When she arrived at the club it was almost midnight, prime dancing time. Bella flashed the bouncer a sexy smile when she slid him her I.D. The bouncer smiled, “I get off at two. Save me a dance?” She winked and slipped inside.
The music was pounding so hard, Bella could feel it reverberating in her chest cavity. It felt damn good. Bella shook her hair out and slipped into the center of the dance floor, not caring who she touched or bumped. A couple of other girls were in the center, and she joined them. It was hot, dark, and sweaty. Bella felt alive for the first time in awhile, feeling the blood pound through her veins, the music drumming in her head. Later, a man with curly brown hair and dimples began to dance with her. His eyes had a twinkle, and his laugh was absolutely infectious. He bought her a drink, and they sat and laughed for almost an hour. That’s when she noticed the ring on his finger. Her heart skipped a beat, feeling like lead in her chest. He glanced down to see where her eyes had landed and sighed. “Forgot to take that off.” He muttered, slipping the ring in his pocket. Bella smiled sweetly, and kicked him in the shin. “a** hole.” She muttered.
“Beauty, there you are.” Crow smiled, turning to the man, “Thank you for looking after her for me, I got off work later than I intended.” The man nodded, his eyes watering, trying hard not to cry out. Crow slipped his hand around Bella’s waist, leading her to the dance floor. “You didn’t have to do that.” She muttered. Crow smiled, “No. I didn’t.”
“Why are you still here?”
“I want to show you that there is another way to live. Is it so wrong to want to be happy? Why should you let some great deity, who has never held you or laughed with you tell you how to be happy? Sure, that might make him happy, but I want you to be happy. Are you?” Bella shook her head, a tear sliding down her cheek. “You hold yourself back too much. Let go. Just let go Beauty, of all of it. What do you want? What makes you happy?” Bella shook her head again, more tears sliding down it, “I hate you.” She breathed as she kissed him.
The next morning Bella lay in bed for a long time staring at the flaking paint of her ceiling. She climbed out of the bed, slipping a robe around her slight form, finally making the trip downstairs. Crow was waiting for her. She slipped onto his lap, her face buried in his chest. “You win.” Was all she said. Crow’s low chuckled rumbled in his chest beneath her. “You needn’t sound so depressed about it. Honestly, I think you’ll enjoy Hell far more than you ever would have Heaven.” “So when do you leave?” she asked sorrowfully, lifting her head up to stare into his violet eyes. “When you die; I can’t risk the chance of you having a change of heart after I’ve worked this hard.” Bella smiled, “I’d like that.” Crow snorted, “Only you would, my hell-bound little faustina.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bella and Crow were walking together through the city. It had been almost a week since their fateful conversation, and strangely, being a condemned soul wasn’t all that bad. She was living in an upper class apartment in New York, had an amazing job, a brand new hummer, and a smokin’ hot boyfriend. Her old friends marveled at the amount of good fortune that had befallen her. Crow would just smile. Once in awhile though, Bella still thought back to her conversation with the priest. ‘You don’t want to be in the presence of a being that loves you so thoroughly and entirely that you would never feel unloved or alone again? You are what your heart desires…’ Walking around the city with Crow today, she felt her mind going back there yet again. While it was true, everything in her life was nice now, better than nice really, it all seemed so fake. She hadn’t worked for it, and so all of her success felt very short lived. What did she really want?
Bella saw the car as if it were standing still. It was a burgundy Cadillac, with rusty bumpers, dents along the side, and tires that were almost entirely devoid of air. The little girl looked up curiously, her eyes widening slightly as she saw the car, but she made no motion to move. She stood there calmly, as if inviting death to take her up into its sweet embrace, crushing her fragile body in its gory clasp. Instead Death would choose Bella for its bride. It enfolded her in a warm darkness, the rose left her pale cheeks, the light fled her eyes. The sounds of screeching cars became a dull buzz in the back ground, screams nothing more than someone humming a familiar tune. For a moment, Bella’s eyes surged with color, as if they were determined to see a lifetime of memories in their last few seconds. People were standing above her, shouting and crying. Bella didn’t care about any of them; her eyes quickly found those piercing violets and in them she saw complete and utter confusion. And something else; it was a lost sort of look that a child might have upon discovering that they had just become an orphan.
When Bella woke, she expected to see white. Either the white of a hospital room or the white of heaven, she didn’t care which. She was disappointed when she saw green; lots and lots of green. Sitting up, she found she wasn’t groggy at all, like she might normally be upon waking up. She rose to her feet and looked around. She was in a brightly lit meadow. She half expected to see ponies or unicorns prancing about with fluffy pink princesses perched upon their backs. Instead, she saw an angel- A dark angel. Crow moved toward her slowly and carefully, his brow creased in a frown. He had wings on his back; black of course, that shown with a blue sheen… like a crow’s. The thought made her smile, and she closed the distance between them in a few steps.
“Am I dead?” She asked softly. She saw a slight flicker of amusement in crow’s eyes, and his lips twitched with the ghost of a smile. “Yes.” He said softly. Bella put her hands on her hips, “Well then what the hell are you doing here?” Crow’s eyes flashed brightly, “Can’t you guess? This is hell. Your punishment is to be stuck in this charming meadow for eternity. I picked it out myself, do you like it?” Bella pursed her lips, her eyes feeling pricks of anger, and then she saw his face. She laughed.
Crow watched her, but did not take part in the laughter. He folded his arms across his chest, his black shirt ruffled by the breeze, as was his glorious black hair. He really is something to behold, Bella thought. “No, this is the go-between worlds, Bella. Everyone stops here, in the end, before they move on. Normally you would have been greeted by one of the Holy Order, but in this circumstance, they made an exception.” Crow glared at her for a moment and then said sardonically, “Really Beauty, shoving a child out of the way of a car? Could you have found a more cliché way into heaven?”
Bella smiled, brushing her red curls out of the way. “So, I guess this is good bye, huh? ” Crow said nothing, but his eyes were dark. “Would you tell me what your real name is?” Bella asked softly. Crow’s eyes remained just as dark, but the corners crinkled with amusement. “My name is Gabriel.” “Gabriel…” she tasted the name on her tongue. She walked forward, reaching a hand around his neck, pulling him down into a kiss. Crow slipped an arm about her waist, ensnaring it thoroughly. When they broke apart, a devious smirk crossed his features. “And what was that for?” he asked, bemused. Bella became puzzled, “It was my way of saying goodbye, of course.” A ripple of laughter erupted from his throat. “Oh? You seem to have forgotten my oath, Beauty.” Bella looked incredulous, “You’re oath? You can’t mean you’re still going to try and steal my soul- I made it into heaven! Game over, I won- get over it.”
Crow’s smile remained firmly in place, but a more frightening and animalistic presence entered his eyes. Strangely, Bella found she liked it. He clasped her wrist, pulling her closer to him. “I swore that I would never leave you until you were mine. Ever hear of a fallen angel? A little thing like eternity isn’t going to stop me, cheri. Not even the peace of eternal slumber will rid you of me. I’m your seductive nightmare, darling. Sleep tight.”
FIN
