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Wings
She was babbling. "A-angels and de-demons…"
The White Coats closed in on her. "Calm down, Grace. Calm down. You're safe here. No one will hurt you."
But her eyes swung wildly around in her head, taking in her surroundings. They were a bright, crazed blue, bloodshot and glazed. "No, no, no. Not safe. They'll find me. They said they'd find me. I've gotta hide. Gotta hide. They got my parents. Killed them. Blood. All blood..."
Hands wrapped around her arms. She fought in their hold. "Calm down!" Voices shouted around her. So many. All changing. All different. "Someone get a sedative!"
She fought harder, thrashing against those around her. "NO! Get away from me!" She stared up at a fair-haired man and screeched. "Get away from me! Get away! NO! Get away! No!"
Grips tightened. Fingers dug into skin. Bruises.
"Hold her tight!" Someone shouted, shouted so loud. She saw a flash of silver. Liquid sprayed into the air. She watched it, mouth hanging open. A scream tore up from her throat as the needle punctured her skin, guttural and afraid. It warbled into silence. She fought until she had no strength and even then she tried to keep going. "No…" she moaned, her lids heavy as they flickered shut. "Gotta geh…way…"
Darkness consumed her.
-
Rocking back and forth, her arms wrapped around her knees and pushing them into a rapidly beating heart, she flicked her eyes quickly about the room. They were there. In the shadows. She knew they were. Watching her. Laughing at her. Plotting ways to kill her. She shuddered as images flooded her mind.
Blood. Blood everywhere. Splattered over the floor and broken faces, broken places. The rug on the floor, once white, was now stained scarlet. It was on her. Warm and slippery. It was on her fingers. Her face.
"No…" she moaned, rocking faster, harder. "Stop."
But they didn't. Memories came over her, blending with reality.
They had just finished eating. They sat in the Lounge Room, watching television. She had gone to get a drink and when she returned, They were there. A group of them. Dressed in darkness.
Some had things on their backs. Big things, white and brown, grey and black. They were feathered. Others had a texture like leather. Wings.
Their skin was dark, light; stained red. Coarse hair and lines of feathers, patches of leather and flesh that revealed pulsing veins underneath.
Others had tails. They wound around their owner's legs and bodies, flesh coloured, some hairy, long and rodent-like. They hadn't seen her. They were talking to her parents. But she could hardly hear. She was too busy staring at their hands. Claws. Talons. Mouths opened, voices raised. Shouting. Cursing. Then, she saw them. Teeth. Fangs.
They approached her parents. 'Sorry's and 'too-lates'––
"Blood," she gasped, her fingers ripping into her skin. "So much blood."
Destroyed. Her parents were destroyed. All blood and skin and shrieking. She could hear material ripping, and she knew the talons had cut into the cushions on the lounge. Her mother had been screaming. Her father couldn't. His throat had been ripped out. Blood. So much blood.
And then they saw her. Pale blue eyes caught mine, set in a face of scars and blackness. He nodded his head to the others. They turned to me. All with frightening strange faces, that made my heart leap and twist. They approached. Speaking— Turning, I fled.
Blood. So much blood. Everywhere. All over her. And then the thumpthumpthumping. Feet on the floorboards. Claws taptaptapping on the wood and the walls. Closer. Closer. Fresh air. Death. So close. Hands on her. Around her. Wings beating—black like the night sky. Green eyes. Blonde hair. An angel. A black-winged Angel.
An ethereal voice that came from Lucan. My name is Lucan.
Hands on her. Tight. Painful. She thrashed. "No! Let me go! Help!"
White Coats closing in. Hands and needles. Voices telling her it was OK. It would all be fine.
Pain and darkness.
The White Coats closed in on her. "Calm down, Grace. Calm down. You're safe here. No one will hurt you."
But her eyes swung wildly around in her head, taking in her surroundings. They were a bright, crazed blue, bloodshot and glazed. "No, no, no. Not safe. They'll find me. They said they'd find me. I've gotta hide. Gotta hide. They got my parents. Killed them. Blood. All blood..."
Hands wrapped around her arms. She fought in their hold. "Calm down!" Voices shouted around her. So many. All changing. All different. "Someone get a sedative!"
She fought harder, thrashing against those around her. "NO! Get away from me!" She stared up at a fair-haired man and screeched. "Get away from me! Get away! NO! Get away! No!"
Grips tightened. Fingers dug into skin. Bruises.
"Hold her tight!" Someone shouted, shouted so loud. She saw a flash of silver. Liquid sprayed into the air. She watched it, mouth hanging open. A scream tore up from her throat as the needle punctured her skin, guttural and afraid. It warbled into silence. She fought until she had no strength and even then she tried to keep going. "No…" she moaned, her lids heavy as they flickered shut. "Gotta geh…way…"
Darkness consumed her.
-
Rocking back and forth, her arms wrapped around her knees and pushing them into a rapidly beating heart, she flicked her eyes quickly about the room. They were there. In the shadows. She knew they were. Watching her. Laughing at her. Plotting ways to kill her. She shuddered as images flooded her mind.
Blood. Blood everywhere. Splattered over the floor and broken faces, broken places. The rug on the floor, once white, was now stained scarlet. It was on her. Warm and slippery. It was on her fingers. Her face.
"No…" she moaned, rocking faster, harder. "Stop."
But they didn't. Memories came over her, blending with reality.
They had just finished eating. They sat in the Lounge Room, watching television. She had gone to get a drink and when she returned, They were there. A group of them. Dressed in darkness.
Some had things on their backs. Big things, white and brown, grey and black. They were feathered. Others had a texture like leather. Wings.
Their skin was dark, light; stained red. Coarse hair and lines of feathers, patches of leather and flesh that revealed pulsing veins underneath.
Others had tails. They wound around their owner's legs and bodies, flesh coloured, some hairy, long and rodent-like. They hadn't seen her. They were talking to her parents. But she could hardly hear. She was too busy staring at their hands. Claws. Talons. Mouths opened, voices raised. Shouting. Cursing. Then, she saw them. Teeth. Fangs.
They approached her parents. 'Sorry's and 'too-lates'––
"Blood," she gasped, her fingers ripping into her skin. "So much blood."
Destroyed. Her parents were destroyed. All blood and skin and shrieking. She could hear material ripping, and she knew the talons had cut into the cushions on the lounge. Her mother had been screaming. Her father couldn't. His throat had been ripped out. Blood. So much blood.
And then they saw her. Pale blue eyes caught mine, set in a face of scars and blackness. He nodded his head to the others. They turned to me. All with frightening strange faces, that made my heart leap and twist. They approached. Speaking— Turning, I fled.
Blood. So much blood. Everywhere. All over her. And then the thumpthumpthumping. Feet on the floorboards. Claws taptaptapping on the wood and the walls. Closer. Closer. Fresh air. Death. So close. Hands on her. Around her. Wings beating—black like the night sky. Green eyes. Blonde hair. An angel. A black-winged Angel.
An ethereal voice that came from Lucan. My name is Lucan.
Hands on her. Tight. Painful. She thrashed. "No! Let me go! Help!"
White Coats closing in. Hands and needles. Voices telling her it was OK. It would all be fine.
Pain and darkness.
231 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 13, 2017
3 people want to read
About the author
Anna Morgan
69 books9 followersAnna Morgan is a former staff reporter at The Canadian Jewish News. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The National Post, and Toronto Life Magazine. A finalist for the National Magazine Award, Anna has written many articles about Ethiopian Jewry.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 27, 2017
So good I'm hoping it is a series!
Wow! I love this story. I could not put my Kindle down, was excited through its entirety. A story for all ages-LOVED IT!!
Wow! I love this story. I could not put my Kindle down, was excited through its entirety. A story for all ages-LOVED IT!!
Displaying 1 of 1 review