Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Secret Tragedies of the Heart ❯ The Tainted World ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1

The Tainted World

 

Careendor was a city of many people and cultures. The town had a sanctuary for every religion and the people lived in small parts of the city, divided from one another. People were closed minded to another and the children were never allowed to intermingle with other children from another section of the city. Schools were also divided. The students would all come from different sections, but they would be divided into classes among their section and never be permitted to see the other students.

 

Parents were paranoid. In the society, there were numerous crimes that no one could explain. People were dieing, and no one knew why. Deaths though had been decreasing, and again, no one knew why. Parents forbade their children to go into the city after dark so that they could have some hope that they will not end up dead somewhere in the night.

 

The city was dangerous. Gangs were constantly at war with another section of the city. Each gang wanted the title of number one amongst the city limits. Nothing mattered to the people outside of the limits though. In the city of Careendor, people only cared for themselves.

 

Even if the people didn't care, someone did. Someone was watching out for the people. Someone knew the truths behind the deaths that no one could explain. Some people had seen that someone who cared enough to help the people of Careendor. This sparked a rumor. The rumor had been spreading. In the result of the rumor, many people came to the large city to find the truth, and the lies within the rumor. This brought some tension to the community. So many people didn't trust one another, and it brought up a lot of fights broke out among small communities.

 

What people wanted to find out was very simple. People had stated that there was an angel watching over them. Though, exactly who were they? Each religious parts of the sections of the city claimed that it was their high being sending them protection from above. Others claimed that the angle was a curse, and that all he did was take souls of the living away unfairly.  The people who were unsure of what the angel was, accepted that it was only here to take the lives of the people.

 

Countless people have claimed that they had seen the angel. The angel is said to be a fair complexioned boy that seems to be around the age of eighteen. He has white wings that fold neatly down his back. The feathers appeared soft as the white clouds in the sky and were said that they emit a blue glow in the pure moonlight. It also seemed that the angel wore everyday clothing. Many people thought that maybe the angel was an ordinary person, and that someone had been fooling around with forbidden texts that were supposed to be locked away where no one can read them. Either way, no one could deny that the angel did exist in the city. What the people wanted to know was what type of life he lived.

 

In the city was a mistreated graveyard. Grave markers lay broken. Their pieces spread out upon the ground below them. Tombstones tilted to one side and had become brittle throughout the years. The grass was yellow and over powered the height of the stones that had names long forgotten on them. A mausoleum lay in ruins. It was obvious that there was no longer a caretaker around. The old graveyard was forgotten, and it was condemned. Sometimes, gangs would enter the grounds and take iron bars and metal pipes to smash the already brittle and breaking stones. Graffiti stained what still held its own against the elements that the world had threatened them with. No one cared to think about how the ones who were buried there would feel. The families that were buried there had long since been forgotten, only a faded tombstone marked that they had ever existed.

 

The moon was high and behind the cemetery was a vast blue ocean. The city circled around the vast water and no matter where you were, you could always see the ocean. In the middle of the ocean was a small island that seems to emit a small amount of light. Many people adored the light; it gave them a glimmer of hope. Scientists had discovered it was a small white flower. Though, no one could ever gather a sample to examine it. Rumors were that that was where the angel had come to their land. The graveyard was one of the best views you could go to see the small island. The graveyard was on a small cliff that came within five hundred yards from the small island. It also happened to be in the middle of the curve of the city. To cross over from the west side of Careendor to the east side, you'd have to pass by the graveyard on foot. Opposite from the graveyard at the other end of the city was a bridge that linked cars from the east side to the west.

 

The graveyard was usually dark with little exception from the light of the moon. Soft, mournful sounds, filled the air though, and one by one, small orbs of light filled the air. They danced and their sorrowful songs could be heard softly in the graveyard. The orbs were the lonely souls of the dead. Most of the souls were those of young children, their lives taken from them when they were small. Their families already passed on themselves to a life not restrained to the land.

 

The spirits quieted themselves as a soft deep voice sang out to them. They remained quiet until a small being stood below them. The being emitted a small amount of light and attracted the souls to it. The being was immersed in the light of the souls and a soft emotionless look crossed its face. The souls cried out happily, for someone had noticed them. Their cries filled the graveyard with a small glimmer of hope as they were greeted from the being.

 

“Those who cling here desperately do not deserve to cry such mournful songs.” The being said as he held out his arms before him and let the spirits know it was all right. “You carry on as if you are alone, like there are no others with the same problem as yourself, but you area surrounded by others, who also share your same fate.”

 

The figure turned and sat on the crumbling steps of the mausoleum. The spirits joined the figure and danced happily, darting back and forth in the air. The figure no longer emitted a soft light. It slumped over and hummed softly to the spirits around.

 

Outside, a man who had been coming home from work passed by the gates and stared into the vast dark cemetery. He frowned upon seeing a young teenaged boy and hollered at him.

 

“Hey! No one is allowed in there. Don't make me call the police!” He yelled.

 

He held his head low as if he was not acknowledging the man on the other side of the gate. The man spat and went along his way. The boy who sat on the steps slowly raised his head. His skin seemed to glow once more as he peeked out towards the gate. The man had disappeared. The teenager wasn't hurting anything but he did look like some type of hoodlum. He wore a black beanie that covered the short, white hair on top of his head. He wore tan baggy cargo pants that covered his white tennis shoes, and he wore a black tank top for a loose comfortable fit. He didn't have any tattoos, nor did he have much muscle tone.

 

The boy softly continued to hum as the souls danced happily around his crouched form. He had better leave before the man came back, if he was true to his threat. He slowly stood and out stretched the white wings from his back. The souls darted away as he leapt into the air and gave them a glance as one would say goodbye. They slowly dimmed and the cemetery was vacant and dark once again.  

 

The angel hardly ever showed his feelings. That is, if he had any. The spirits that had created him wanted to keep him pure, and human emotions were impure. Blind rage causes other's pain. Lustful love taints the soul. He couldn't even cry for those who died an undeserving death. He was a figure. He wasn't a human, and he wasn't a spirit. He was just a figure. He didn't possess a heart, but he did have everything else a human had, except for a name. The name “Angel” was given to him by the people of Careendor. Since he wasn't born of any flesh and blood, he was never given a true name.

 

The angel soared the skies above, taking in the view and listening. He listened for the sound of the mourning cries of the living and departed alike. He was born with the ability to sense moods. Even though the angel couldn't comprehend them, he still knew what to do if someone was mourning.

 

Below the angel, sirens rang and smoke shot up into the air around a fiery car accident. He caught the sound of crying and soon found himself near the city hospital.  So much was going on, confusion and people running here and there. No one could make heads or tales of what was going on. The angel turned once more and looked back towards the billowing smoke rise into the deep dark sky. He then turned his attention back towards the building he found himself at and hovered, listening for the soft cry that had caught his interest from before. When he couldn't see where the cry was coming from, he then took off around the corner of the building to search for the source.

 

The angel searched the dim windows until he came to an open window where the noise was coming from. The room was dark as he peered inside and found a small boy sitting up in his hospital bed. His body was wrapped in bandages, and his white gown was stained red with blood and his hair in tangles. The boy's cheeks were glistening wet with salty tears from having crying so long alone.

 

Before the angel placed his hand on the window ledge, two glowing blue orbs circled his head. He looked at them and studied them for a moment and nodded.

 

“Alright…” He said quietly.

 

The angel slowly climbed through the window and his wings rapidly deteriorating behind him. He stretched his arms and placed his hands slowly at his side. The boy hadn't taken any notice of him yet. He slowly moved to the bed and stood quietly beside it, watching the boy cry and wipe his eyes.

 

Nurses ran back and forth outside the room, running here and discussing this and that. The people from the accident were here, and from the way people work acting, things weren't well at all. 

 

The small boy, in a start, jumped as he saw a man standing next to his bed. He tried to crawl away from him but a sharp pain shot through him and he stopped, crying harder as he whispered with slight fear.

"Who…who are you?" He asked with a quiver in his lip.

"Who I am is nothing of importance." He said softly and paused, “You do not need to be afraid of me.”

The boy wiped his eyes and stared up at the man, "A-are you a patient here too?"

A nurse walked by and peered in the room. She saw the boy sitting up on his bed and sighed as she slowly walked in. The boy raised his hand to point at the man that she was about to run into. He dropped his jaw as she walked through the man and leaned over him.

"Best get some rest little one...your grandparents are coming to pick you up tomorrow morning. The doctor will release you after he checks your cuts and bruises to see if they will heal alright." She said with a soft smile. She stood up straight and brushed off her shirt and turned to walk out, passing through the man once more.

The boy looked around the man, "N-nurse...there's a ghost here! You walked right though him!" He whipped his eyes again to make sure he was seeing what he thought he saw.

The nurse looked around the room and could not see anyone else there. She walked back over to him and placed her hand on the small boy's head and sighed.

"You are warm dear, lie down and rest for a while." She said softly again as she covered him up and tucked him in.

"He's right next to you!" He said trying to fight to sit back up.

She looked beside herself to find no one was there, "There is no one there...go back to sleep little one." She said as she tucked him in again and left the room with the door closing quietly behind her.  

 

The small boy watched her leave the room and looked up at man, "...but?"

"Only those who need me can see me, and only those I want to show myself to can see me." He explained.

The small boy sat up quietly and looked at the man next to him.

"Please tell me how may I help you." The angel spoke in a quiet voice towards the boy.

 

“Are you the…angel?” The boy asked quietly towards the man.

 

The angel stood quietly as he stared at him blankly.

"My mommy...and daddy...they're gone.” The boy broke down into tears. “I don't know where they are...and I don't know why they didn't take me with them when they left." He paused between sobs. “They left me all alone here. I don't know where I am. I don't know anyone here. Why would they leave me here?”

"Your mother and father couldn't take you with them. Your purpose is still he-" He said shortly before getting cut off.

"Then you know where they are?” His expression brightened. “I haven't seen them since before the acc-" The small boy stopped, finally letting the night's events sink in.

"Accident.” The angel finished. “They are not here anymore. They are not part of this world anymore." He said quietly.

"Where are they...I want to see them...why can't I see them?" He cried louder.

"Little one..." He began.  

 

"No! Mommy told me she was talking me to work tomorrow! She can't break that promise! I wont let her!" He yelled.

The angel watched the little boy yell as he wept in his hands.

"Daddy was going to teach me how to catch a ball! He promised! And…and they said that if you ever break a promise, it…it is one of the worst things you could ever do! They said never break a promise! They told me so! They wont break a promise!" He stopped yelling and continued crying.

The angel sat on the bed beside him and slowly wrapped his arms around the boy to comfort him like he had seen other humans do with one another.

"Little one...” He stopped.

 

“My name is Daemon!” Daemon cried.

 

“Daemon…this time it is different. Your mother and father, they can't keep a promise if they are not here. They have passed on. They died in the accident." He said softly as the Daemon continued to cry harder. "Hold on to what you had. Never forget everything you did, and forget about the things you never did. They are always with you. No one truly dies as long as you keep them in your heart. They will continue to follow you through life." His wings appeared on his back as he unfolded them and wrapped them around himself and the boy. "Take a feather...it will help remind you to always remember and to always move forward. I am always watching and listening, you are not alone."

 

The small boy outstretched his hand and gingerly took a feather from the wing. He held it tightly in his hand as he slowly cried himself to sleep from exhaustion. The angel stood slowly and covered the boy back up in his covers. He slowly walked to the window and looked back at the boy and turned to face two orbs of light before him.

"I know you were worried...he is asleep now. You should be able to transcend into his dreams now. Say your goodbyes. He's waiting for you." He said as the souls flew over his head and into the room behind him.

He spread his wings and took flight into the night air. Leaving the boy to his dreams and to his new life. The moonlight reflected off his white feathers as he soared silently by the hospital wall. He usually heard nothing except the city's usual sounds, but tonight he heard something new.

He didn't hear the sounds of pain, nor did he hear the sound of someone hurting. This struck him with curiosity. Why would he hear something from someone who doesn't need him? He ended up following this sound to another open window.

 

He nearly missed it. Time stood still suddenly as he came upon a young woman. She sat in her bed watching the stars. She hummed a tune so beautifully that it could catch the attention of the heavens above. Her voice? It was a young and crisp. Soft, not one you'd expect for a young woman of her size. All the same, it still matched her somehow.

Her tanned skin appeared to glow faintly in the light of the moon. Her eyes were as bright as the stars themselves. Her well-kept deep chocolate hair appeared almost black in the little light. Her hair lay delicately on her shoulders and the rest of it laid a little ways down her back.

He was captivated, why? Why now? Why her? He landed quietly on window ledge and sat there in almost a daze. He closed his eyes as he listened to her hum softly. The girl never noticed his presence. He felt a dull sense as he listened blindly.  He felt a peace he had not felt before, but some how it was familiar to him.

 

He had fallen asleep before the girl had done so herself. The sun showed brightly over the horizon in the east as morning soon arrived. The blinding light slowly woke the angel. He shielded his eyes and opened them slowly. He looked to his watch and gracefully stood on the window ledge. He turned back and peered into the room behind him, almost forgetting what had captivated him. He watched her sleep before leaping into the air and leaving the girl, as she was, to sleep into the late morning.  

 

Soon he came to a small drugstore with a darkened alley behind it. He softly touched down, daring not to make a noise. When he was standing on his feet, his wings vanished, his appearance dimmed, his hair turned golden brown, and his eyes changed to a blue like sapphires. He withdrew a pair of small-framed glasses from his pocket and placed them on.  He dirtied his clothing and made his appearance rugged.

 

With his new ragged appearance, he slowly walked to the back door of the store and slowly opened it. He quietly walked in and grabbed a brown apron from the back wall. He tied it on before walking around the shelves to take inventory on the stock. He was about to reach for the light bulbs on the shelf when a loud, gruff voice shouted from behind him.

"You're late Matters!" He yelled as the boy dropped the light bulbs that shattered all over the floor. "That's coming out of your paycheck also!" He marked Matters down on his clipboard before heavily walking off.

 

"Don't forget your name tag!" The boss yelled as a small plastic clip was thrown through the air and bounced off of Matters's forehead. Matters slowly bent down and grabbed the small white plastic clip and pinned it onto his apron strap. The name read 'Hello, My Name Is Ian Matters'. Ian grabbed a broom from the corner of the room and began to sweep up the small pieces of shattered glass.

 

Ian Matters was a name the angel had taken from the humans so that he could live among them and learn about them. When the angel had needed a place of employment, he had needed to require a new name, and does so every so often so people would not notice his lack of growing older.  

 

After the mess with the light bulbs was cleaned, he finished taking inventory before going to the front of the store where a few customers were shopping. He trailed the isles and placed anything that didn't belong, or that was messy, into the correct places in the store. He continued this as a normal day began to progress.  

 

Ian's daily shift was from six in the morning until two in the afternoon. He'd put up his apron and his tag and punched his card before leaving. His boss always yelled at Ian for not helping customers when they would wander around the store aimlessly looking for something. They never asked him for help so he didn't bother with them; he was busying putting away misplaced items and liked his solitude. This was a daily routine for Ian, besides being constantly harassed by fellow workers and by his boss.

 

After his shift, Ian trudged home. He lived in a small apartment with clothing and junk scattered over the floor as he entered the small, one roomed apartment. With the curtains drawn shut, he dragged his feet over to the small bed before falling face first into the bundled up covers. He didn't bother to change or remove his shoes. He just fell onto his broken bed and drifted of to an instant sleep.