Ablackwing 9

"You say it's a curse, right. I'm giving you one more curse. The price you've to pay shall be this then. You will live on, always haunted by this curse. You can no longer live your life the way you've been living. From this day on, you'll have to sacrifice the pleasures of your life. Your life will be full of hardships, suffering, sorrow. You can't have peace anymore, my dear, you can't. But I believe in you. You'll be just fine with it." I whispered in his ears.

My hand, placed right over his back, felt sticky like I was holding a thick liquid moments ago. While still hugging him, I raised my hand to see what it was covered in. The white pure moonlight reflected the dark crimson color on my hand for a few moments before hiding behind clouds. Those moments were enough to realize it was blood.

He withdrew from my embrace as he looked at me with those shining emerald eyes. "I don't deserve it, I know I don't. Even you know I don't. But this curse..." His lips were trembling as he spoke, his eyes were filled with tears. "I do solemnly accept."

And I woke up.

Just like that, I woke up. I couldn't believe it. It gets so annoying when a dream ends before you reach it's conclusion. Imagine you are reading an interesting and amazing story at night. A story that could take you to another world. And then there is an abrupt power cut. You've no flashlight either for if you think you can use flashlight. Or even a candle. You can't read even though its there. That's what you feel then. Annoyed!

It have an open end and all you can do is make guesses but the thing is, you'll never know how correct your guesses are.

I was awake but still my eyes were closed. I was thinking about that dream. Never in my life I had seen such dream. It was first of its kind but little I knew there was so much more to come.

I had seen myself falling from heights in dreams, being chased by hounds, sometimes ware wolves, sometimes, I even see myself failing in exams. But never did I saw such dream about that angel. I wonder if it were a true thing too like I couldn't imagine the possibilities of why I would even utter word curse and why would he say he accept that curse with a smile on his face. That angel had surely some screw loose.

Angel, as I thought, I realized that I had fallen asleep with him last night. I had fallen asleep with someone other than Lucy. I panicked. I got frightened. I was afraid to open my eyes thinking that he'd be present there right besides on the bed. He fell asleep in my arms last night as if he was lover of mine. It would be so much embarra.s.sing if he was awake. But then I wondered what if he was still asleep. I wondered if he would have same shine on his face, perhaps even more intense because I would see the first light of the sun falling on his face. Gosh. I wished I never have to open my eyes. But it was so intimidating.

I did open them, even though it was frightening.

To my disappointment, there was no one. There was no one on the other side of the bed. Come to think of it, he fell asleep in my embrace, he shouldn't have been on the other side but in my arms. It's kind of awkward but I remember I was caressing his long hair when I fell asleep. All the excitement of being able to see him just vanished. The room felt empty. And so did my heart.

I turned to look at the opposite side towards the window. The blinds were undone, just like they were at night. But window was open. I could see the rays of sun sloping down towards the floor as if they were a little slide. The little golden specks of dust colored it beautifully.

I felt a little stir in the air. I just wondered if he just went away from here the same way he came. Maybe he went inside the clouds again the same way he came, flying with his one wing, somehow or he was magically teleported to heaven back again. But then I hard some noise coming from outside the room.

It must be him. Who else could it be.

I got up in an instant. My eyes wanted to close again and sleep but I wanted to see him so bad as if he was a childhood friend of mine I hadn't seen in decades. I can't deny what I was feeling for sometime I didn't even know.

As I entered the kitchen, I saw him. That angel was there, standing, shirtless, cooking something. I wondered if angels don't feel cold. I'd be shivering towards mt death if I weren't wearing my sweater. The important thing was, he didn't have manners. You don't run around in someone else's house shirtless.

"Good morning angel eve."

"Good morning stranger." he looked at me as if asking me why I called him a stranger but he focussed back on his cooking. He must have realized he didn't tell me his name.

"It's not like I'm not telling you. It's just that I've nothing to tell." he poured some oil over the pan. I saw he had got all ingredients for making omelette nearby. He should have worn an ap.r.o.n at least. He might get burns if he wasn't careful. Dufes.

"Liar. You told me yesterday that people call you too by a few names." I said this think instead of the real thing in my head. We don't show a guy our feelings that easily.

"Well I know you won't use them."

"At least I'll at least be able to tell my grandkids about how I met an angel fifty years down the road." he looked at me again, I guess wondering till how far I've planned my life. No words spoken but I knew exactly what he was thinking. It's a best feeling. When you don't need any words to express how you feel. He read me a few moments ago and I read his mind this time. Perhaps we were really connected deep down, beyond which even imagination can't comprehend. Too big words I know.

I had some unknown relation with him for all I know.

"I guess I'm gonna call you stranger from now on if you don't wanna tell." he poured that mixture of eggs on the pan and gently twirled the pan around to spread the mixture. His moments had a particular grace in them as if he was a professional cook.

"Well if you wanna know, some call me one winged demon."

"Um... You're not a demon, are you?" he was actually a lot different from other angels. I had to know to make it certain, you see.

"No, I'm one of angels."

"Why do they call you demon then?"

"Because I guess I act like one," that man who was cute, friendly, innocent, crybaby and sweet said he acted like a demon. That was hard to digest. His eyes separated from the pan and looked towards me. Again. He did it again. He read me again. "...well, most of the time."

"Wait a minute. Let me finish this one." the smell of delicious food was in the air. He placed fillings on one side of the top surface. I guessed the fillings had cheese, onion and tomato. I couldn't see much because he folded it. It looked like a taco. He took off the omelette and placed it over the plate places on the dining table.

He even decorated with mint.

"Go on."

"It's for me?"

"Yeah. I was going to take breakfast to the room before. But you're here now, so dig in." that was absolutely wow. I cursed myself for getting up from bed. A few more moments and I'd have an angel getting me breakfast in my bed. Why did I have such a bad luck?

"Why are you being so sweet?"

"Well you took my care when I was out cold. This is the least I can do."

"That was nothing at all."

"That was very adorable of you." even though it was a short time, I was kind of used of him referring to me as angel.

"You're very kind, stranger." he smiled and turned back to cook. I guessed be was going to make one more for himself.

"Well my other names include black swordsman, the devil reaper and inheritance of Eden's scream." he said while pouring the rest of the egg mixture in it.

"Whoa. Now you're a swordsman and a reaper too and what's with inheritance stuff. What kind of bully are those other angels!?"

"They don't call me that without reason hon. I really have killed devils. A lot of them. I've killed more than anyone else ever did."

"Lies and lies. I don't believe you. Whatever, if you kill a bad guy, it actually means you're a good one right."

"I wished that was the case." he murmured but I could hear him.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. Morning is not a good time to discuss such stuff, is it?"

"No, it's not."

"So how was the French omelette?" he asked me.

He hadn't looked back. That's why he didn't know I wasn't eating. I was waiting for him to join on the dinner table. He looked behind when I didn't answer. I guess he understood again my unspoken words.

I wonder how long I was lost in the thoughts of what he did say about himself. The next thing I know is that he was sitting besides me, exchanging my plate with his.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked.

"Cuz angel eve deserves the best. Now eat it quick or this one will get cool too."

"You know, you're too much of sweet, stranger." I said and at the first bite. It was exquisite. Even though he hadn't added anything special in the ingredients, it was magical how good it tasted. I couldn't ever do that. If he exchanged positions, he would make a d.a.m.n awesome wife one day. I looked at him and he smiled. I guess my expressions said it all. I still told him though hand sign that it was yummy. My mouth was full then, couldn't speak.

My eyes went to the kitchen. It suddenly felt so strange. I realized I hadn't been eating on the dinner table from the time my parents and sis pa.s.sed away. The dinner table felt empty without them. There was no one to speak while having dinner or breakfast, or to crack jokes on me, or to wake up early in the morning and cook for me, I guess that was the reason I stopped eating there. I either ate out or on my bed.

And there I was having a normal time with an angel who made all the memories fade away and made me look at something else.

I had heard about it but I didn't know it was so true. When angels are around you, you feel happy inside.

"You are still going with stranger."

"Yeah, I agree with you now. You were right. I won't use them ever." he was expecting that answer.

"I've an idea. Why don't you give me a name?"

"Oh no, no, no. That's the right of your parents." I paused a little and realized that he might not have parents.

"I don't have parents. You're the only person special to me." he was a sweet talker, wasn't he. But he wasn't lying at all. His eyes were firm. He left me in a awe. I must be blushing at that moment. I felt my face all heating up. To name someone is a special thing. If he was really saying true, I wanted to give him a perfect name. But all those various types of names swirled in my head.

"Well... I don't know... There are so many names. I can't choose any in a short moment." I was so horrible. He asked me for one simple task and I couldn't do that.

"Close your eyes." he said.

"Why?"

"Just do it." I followed his command.

"Okay. Now what."

"Now think of me. What comes in your mind when you think of me angel eve."

And I imagined him. The picture of him trying to fly with his one wing while his hand was trying to reach out for me formed in my head. His dark black feathers were falling nearby while he was falling down the sky came to my mind.

"So what comes to your mind?"

"A black wing."