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 Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 1:34 pm
Ahhh, Saturdays. The perfect day to just relax and do nothing.
It was around noon by the time Hezekiah Spielmann entered his neighborhood bookstore with a peculiar little girl in tow. This was around the time he should have been at the synagogue with his family for prayer, but he told his parents he had some things to do before hand and would catch up with them later. Though, what that really meant was: the thirteen-year-old had no intention whatsoever in stepping foot in that house of worship that afternoon. Shabbat services were too boring, and he wanted to do something else with his Saturday. Hence this visit of his to the bookstore for the first time in weeks! This was a much nicer way to spend the day. After all, nothing was better than browsing through comic books and horror novels all day!
"Hezekiah," Eliana interjected just as he grabbed one of the newly published horror novels from the shelf, "is this where you keep all of your scriptures?" Scriptures? What? At his Herald's question, Hezekiah just rolled his eyes in annoyance. Honestly, what was it with her? She said the weirdest things sometimes! Of course, it wasn't for scripture! It was just your average, every day, run-of-the-mill bookstore! Mentally, Hez prayed that no one had heard the little angel ask her question out loud. How embarrassing would that be? The boy couldn't even bare to think of it as his eye's scanned over the cover of the book he hand in his hand. The title of the book looked intriguing enough; from the reviews, the young teenager knew that the book was probably going to be very good. As for the author...A. Murray? He had never heard of him before.
"This book looks good," Hezekiah exclaimed, completely ignoring Eliana's question, "I think I'll get it."
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:20 pm
"Mm, good choice," was the un-asked-for reply. Aodh stood beside the boy, eying him with an arched brow. It was not his intent to spy on his alphabetical place in the shop to see who bought his book, or how many, but he had not wandered into the horror section by happenstance. It was good to scope out the competition every so often; watch the trends of their stories and see what could be done differently, or just plain laugh at their ridiculous stories. It was as hard to find a good horror novel these days as it was to find a good horror movie, he thought. Either way, here he was watching a very young boy (really, how proud was he of today's youth?) consider purchasing his book.
"Are you familiar with the author?"
Niven looked up then from the couch at the end of the aisle; a part of the area where people could stop and bring their books for test runs, and where Daddy sometimes went to sign novels. He had taken a picture book open in his lap (one for the upcoming holiday, and it truly was sickly sweet), but his eyes were drawn away from it to see who his father was speaking to. A boy, it seemed, and his little sister. She had wings too! In fact, he would bet she was a Herald! He smiled and nodded to the child, hoping she would come to read or just keep him company while her brother talked.
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:48 pm
"Mm, good choice."
Upon hearing those words, Hezekiah's little heart nearly jumped out of his chest. Aodh had surprised him, as he wasn't exactly expecting anyone in particular to talk to him. Sure, the bookstore staff would walk around every once and a while, asking if there was anything they could help him find, but this? This was different. With wide, chocolate-brown eyes, Hezekiah stared at the older man at his side. The question rang out within his mind: was he familiar with the author? No, of course not. The author wasn't exactly something he paid attention to whenever he read. At thirteen, all one really focuses on is the story and that's it.
"Um...no. I'm not, actually. This is the first horror book I've picked up in a while."
As her guardian spoke to the older man who was interested in Hezekiah's book, Eliana's attention was drawn elsewhere. The Herald knew when her guardian wasn't paying attention to her, so there was no reason to sit and wait for him. Especially not when there was a whole bookstore to explore! This visit, it was all new to the little angel, so she was going to make the most of it. A moment later, she slipped away from Hezekiah as quietly as she could, and went about to examine the different sections of books. It was as she did that, however, that she came upon something else.
Another Herald just like her. Except for the fact that, well, he was a boy.
"Shalom," she said to Niven, moving to take a seat next to him on the couch.
Now things were getting interesting!
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:54 pm
Aodh clicked his tongue and shook his head as if disappointed. He had a strong Scottish accent and so he figured that, as a general rule, people who had been to conventions or book signings would remember him. Apparently this boy was neither.
"Ah, I see. One of those, eh? A damn shame, though. Horror's good for the soul. Makes one believe that their life could be so, so much worse." On the accented syllable, his voice grew somewhat dark and gravelly. It was a side-effect from writing such dark things for so long, he figured.
Niven blinked when the girl seemed to ignore him, and then approached. Well, it had certainly turned out alright! He was familiar with the greeting she gave in a sort of distant, faded way and so he waved silently again in response.
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 3:04 pm
Who was this guy?
Well, one thing was for sure. He certainly wasn't from around the area. His accent was enough to give that away. The man was interesting, though, to say the least. His words had seemed to have piqued the young boy's interest. So, so much worse, huh? This statement had made Hezekiah start to think of his own life, since at the moment, it wasn't exactly all that great. He was being pressured. Pressured, by his family, to become a rabbi later in life. That, however, wasn't his dream. He wanted to be a painter, but with the way things for going...that looked far from possible.
"My parents..." Hez found himself murmuring, "they don't exactly like me reading horror books.."
Eliana flashed Niven a soft, gentle smile when he waved at her. He must have been shy, but that was okay. She would talk to get the ball rolling if she had to. The Herald had no problem with that. In fact, she distinctly remembered Hezekiah from time to time wishing she would...what was it again? Just shut up? Well, no matter. This Herald boy was probably nicer than her guardian was at times. "Nice to meet you," at this, the little angel girl stuck out a hand, "my name is Eliana."
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:44 pm
"Ah, one of those," Aodh nodded. After breaking the news to his parents that he could see ghosts, there wasn't much more he could disappoint them. They hadn't been surprised when he turned to the darker things in life.
"Over-worried or super-religious, if you don't mind my asking?"
His parents had been neither. In fact, he wasn't sure they knew what to do with him half the time. His poor parents. They were better off without him.
Niven shook the girl's hand, still smiling warmly.
"Niven," he responded, "It's nice to meet you." You must always use your manners when speaking to new people. Daddy had taught him so! Being silent was rarely polite to do.
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Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:54 am
Was both an acceptable answer? Hezekiah shrugged his shoulders and frowned somewhat tiredly, as if the thought of family alone exhausted him. And they did, to an extent. It was always study, study, study with them. Read the Torah, practice Hebrew, memorize prayers. All of it was enough to make the boy's head spin. Yet at the same time, he knew his parents meant well and had the best of intentions. They just wanted their son to continue on with their traditions and grow up to live a happy life. Family was the center of Judaism, after all.
"Kind of both, I guess," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. Why was he talking to this guy again? Didn't his family tell him not to talk to strangers? A thought ran through Hezekiah's mind: maybe he should just stop talking, tell the man he had to leave, take Eliana and go home. That way he wouldn't be drawing too much attention to himself. Then again...this guy was interesting, and for some reason, the young boy just found himself continuing to talk. "My father is a rabbi, and so is my grandfather. My whole family -- they are active in our synagogue. Plus my mom worries a lot. She only wants what's best for me."
Niven. It was a nice name. A grin broke out on Eliana's face after he responded to her greeting, and behind her the sound of ruffling feathers could be heard. Her wings fluttered enthusiastically, a habit the little Herald had seemed to pick up when she was excited. This certainly was an exciting occasion, indeed! She was making a new friend! How much better could it get than that? Curious as to how Hezekiah was fairing, the female angel blinked and peered over to him before saying to Niven, "Is that your guardian over there? The one speaking to Hezekiah? If so, he seems nice." She nodded to this and turned her attention back to her fellow angelic companion once more. With the discussion of guardians, he'd have to open up now. Everyone loved talking about their guardians, didn't they? Well, at least she did, and that counted for something!
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Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 10:07 am
So the kid was Jewish? For some reason that struck a note with Aodh's muse. He didn't have many Jewish characters...in fact, he didn't have any, and their mythology was so rich! Aha, well, there we go! He had a very bare starting point for his next novel.
"Ah, being forced into tradition. There's nothing quite like it, is there?" he asked, "My parents wanted me to be a priest for a while, before they were certain I was possessed or making...deals with the Devil. Fun days, those." He shook his head then and changed the subject abruptly.
"Anyway. That is a very good choice, if I may say so myself. Thrilling." Why, yes, he was a sneaky, nasty b*****d! But it was so fun!
Niven followed the girl's gaze and then smiled again, nodding.
"That's my father, yes," he said, eyes returning to level with the girl's, "He saved me. I'm sure yours saved you. What did he give you?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:39 pm
Making deals with the Devil? When he heard this, Hezekiah cast Aodh a dubious expression. Maybe...maybe he should just go home. What was it his mother told him about not talking to strangers? Oh, well. Whatever. For some strange reason, though, the thirteen-year-old felt like he could relate to his companion in a way. Both of their parents wanted them to do things they didn't necessarily want to do.
His eyes then drifted to the book at the swift change of subject. "I guess so," he said with a shrug, "it seemed interesting when I picked it up. I think this is the one I'll buy."
Eliana nodded when Niven mentioned being saved. Although that memory of hers wasn't as good, she did remember the young boy taking extra time out of his schedule to help her. Something that others wouldn't have done; they would have just stared, and then kept walking without so much as a second glance. "He did save me," she told her fellow Herald, "and he gave me a red string bracelet. They are supposed to protect the wearer from the Evil Eye. What about you? What did you get?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:26 am
"I got that book," Niven said with a smile, pointing to Daddy and the boy and more specifically the novel in the boy's hands. Aodh caught his son's glance and smiled and waved to him. Niven happily waved back.
"I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name?" Aodh asked, turning away from Niven to continue speaking to the boy, "I'm Aodh. Aodh Murray."
Whether the kid noticed nor or later didn't matter. Imagining the look on his face when he realized he had been unwittingly speaking to an author...well. It was enough.
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:36 am
"That book," Eliana said, peering over to where Hezekiah and Aodh were. She blinked at the book, and then smiled when she peered back at Niven's wings. She could see it now. The male Herald's wings did resemble the pages of the tome her guardian held in his hands. "I can see it now."
Aodh Murray. Murray. Where had he heard that name before? Absentmindedly, the teenager peered down at the cover of the book, and then snapped his head back up abruptly. That was it! He knew he had seen the name somewhere. This man - the guy he was talking to...he had written the book he was about to buy! Whoa! Never in his life had he met an author before; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"I'm Hezekiah. Hezekiah Spielmann. Though, you can just call me Hez. As for you...you wrote this book," the boy exclaimed, raising the book up in the air. Maybe Aodh would be kind enough to sign the inside after he bought it? Boy, how awesome would that be!
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 11:14 am
There were indeed small-printed words on Niven's wings, some mottled with what looked like blood. He was indeed a book-Herald.
"Your wings are very pretty."
Aodh gave a little laugh and nodded.
"Yessss. I was wondering how long it would take you. Apparently not long! I've written quite a few others, if you ever care to read horror again. Of course, I'd rather you didn't tell me if you hate them. Critique is always fine." He winked and nodded at the book.
"I had a signing in Durem two weeks ago. A shame you missed it."
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Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 6:22 pm
"Could you sign it for me, anyway," the young boy asked, holding up his copy of the book. He hadn't had the chance to go to a place like Durem - not when he had other things to do. Plus, some of his family members wouldn't look too highly on him reading horror books. His eyes then fell on the book he was holding as Aodh mentioned critiques. Hate it? There was no way he would hate it, probably. If anything, he would love it. And as far as critiques went, well...Hez wasn't one to give them. He couldn't write a novel himself, so he had no right to critique them, as far as he was concerned.
"Actually, I should probably go pay for it, first."
With that, the teenager walked up to the cash register and placed the tome on the table in front of the cashier. She was a middle-aged woman, probably about no older than thirty, with a kind smile. "Will this be all," she asked. Hezekiah simply nodded and pulled out the money he had saved up. With his change in hand, the boy quickly pocketed it and walked back over to the author with his newly purchased book. There. Now it was ready for signing!
At the compliment about her wings, Eliana couldn't help but beam. Although she was just a reborn Herald, they clearly meant a lot to her, and she adored them very much. "Thank you," she exclaimed with a pleased expression, "God gave them to me, so they are a gift. I'm blessed to have them." As she said this, the female Herald extended a small hand out to gingerly brush her fingers against Niven's page-like wings. The blood on them was rather unsettling - or at least, it would have been to most. To Eliana, it was intriguing.
"Your wings are dotted with spots of blood. How come?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 4:53 pm
Aodh poised his pen, but watched the boy escape away almost immediately. He chuckled softly to himself and waited until Hezekiah returned to scroll a messy note on the inside cover.
May your parents never find this.
A Murray
He had made a habit out of signing with his pen name, even with people who knew who he was in reality, or who he knew personally. At this point it even went on his legal documents.
he handed the book back and smiled, something mischievous and affectionate in his eyes.
"You remind me a bit of myself as a child. Never squander that."
Niven's eyes narrowed when Eliana mentioned God. The same God who had cast them all down? Who had forsaken them? Don't get him wrong, God had reasons for everything, but it seemed a bit strange to be so inexplicably thankful. Perhaps red string bracelets were more of a religious relic than the girl had originally put on.
"The book was bled-on," he replied, moving away from the touch with a soft rustle. He was feeling strange with this girl now. Uncomfortable.
"My father gets nosebleeds."
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Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:11 pm
The teenager's head tilted off to the side as the author mentioned of how he reminded him of himself in his youth. That wasn't something you heard every day. Aodh had to be sincere when he said it, since that wasn't something people told each other on a day to day basis. "Do I really," he asked, reaching out to take the book. Once it was in his hand, Hezekiah then opened it to read the inscription. His response to the message was a grin - a big, amused grin. The older male couldn't have written anything better. This was perfect! "Thanks for this, by the way," added the thirteen-year-old as he shut the book close. "It means a lot."
"Nosebleeds," the young female Herald repeated, her eyes full of curiosity. Well, having the pages of a book bled on wasn't that good. It ruined the quality of the book! Not to mention it stained the pages and possibly made words illegible. "That makes sense." Eliana nodded at this and didn't seem to notice (or much mind if she did) the fact that Niven scooted away from her. She just flashed him a gentle smile before turning her attention over to the other books and to her guardian who was speaking to Niven's "father." The two humans looked like they were getting along quite well, and that made the little angel happy. "Hezekiah is a good young man," she told the book Herald, regardless of the fact if he wanted to hear what she had to say or not. "But he has a lot to learn, and so do I. That's why I'm here..." Her voice then trailed off into silence before she added, "That's why we're all here."
For a reborn Herald, Eliana was definitely wise beyond her years. There was no doubt about that.
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