Fallen Angels - chpt 14

The World Belongs To...

"I HATE being up so early!" Ashley spat the next morning. "Bloody sun just doesn't give in, does it?"
"Never mind that – let's move out!" Jake interrupted.
"Fine." Carolyn hissed, arms folded. The doctor's bag balanced around her wrist. She had returned from her stropping before the boys had woken up. She looked tired; there were darkening purple bruises under her eyes and a permanent storm cloud above her head. "But this time, I'M going with JAKE."
"Awww now that's not fair!" Ashley gave a playful pout. "We were just starting to get along soooo well!"
Carolyn snorted. "Hardly!" She clicked her fingers. "Jake, pick me up now, please."
"Try not to drop her, will you?" Ashley replied venomously as Jake lifted her off her feet. "I need some entertainment!" She poked her tongue out at him rudely before Jake flew off. Ashley was disgusted and looked to Andy for help, but he only smiled and shrugged. "Honestly, where did you find her??! Are all the Outcasts like that?!"
"No." Andy laughed. "Just her."
Ashley bent slightly and lifted Andy up off the floor. "That's good. If EVERY girl was like that I'd kill myself right now."
"Why do you like girls so much, Ashley?" Andy asked. They immerged from the tree tops. Jake and Carolyn were waiting above. Carolyn wasn't screaming as she had done before, but her eyes were scrunched tight and she was clinging to Jake's shoulder with a vice-like grip. Jake gave a nod, and they flew away.
"Because they're wonderful!" Ashley smirked. "They're so soft, and cute, and sexy; I can't help it! And they seem to love me, so who am I to complain?" He laughed. Andy did too.
"Starting to relax now, are you?" The Black Veil Bride murmured. It shocked him first of all; he hadn't heard her speak since the river incident. "I knew you would."
'You've been quiet.' He growled silently.
"I've been letting you develop naturally. What chaos would occur if gods always interfered with life as we know it? It's just wrong, Andy!"
'You're fickle.'
"How cruel! And all I want to do is help you!" She sighed. He rolled his eyes.



They had been flying a long while, when suddenly Carolyn opened her eyes and gazed down at the ground. Shakily, a hand left Jake's shoulder and she pointed into the distance. "Look there!" She cried out.

Andy stretched his neck out to see ahead. There was a break in the tree below with what looked like a cluster of buildings... and then more buildings. They multiplied the closer they got. The curve of the hills revealed a great city; a warren of towers and streets. All four of them were stunned by the vastness.

"What is that?" Andy breathed.
Ashley shrugged, for a rare moment lost for words.
"This isn't right." Carolyn seemed to have forgotten the huge falling distance. She frowned at the strange discovery. "There shouldn't be a city here. Legends say EVERYONE left the forest. So why is that down there? It doesn't make any sense!"
"Maybe you just heard the story wrong." Ashley remarked.
"Shut up, you!" Carolyn shook a fist at him in anger. "Fine! I'll prove it. Jake, land!"
"Excuse me," he growled, "I don't take kindly to being bossed around!"

"Land. NOW."

"...FINE."
"Ha. Chick-whipped." Ashley giggled.
"You're coming too." Jake barked.
"What?!"
Andy tried to stifle his laughter.
Jake suddenly halted and hovered in mid air. Carolyn began to squirm. His eyes scanned the city below. His wings widened. "Can you feel that?" He whispered.
"What?" Carolyn hissed.
Ashley frowned for a second. "I think..." he said slowly "...he's close."
They dropped down amongst the towers of bricks and windows, landing in a busy street. Andy squinted at the people passing. They were people alright, but there was an odd glaze to them. They always seemed to be looking to some distant horizon that wasn't there. Their eyes were like pieces of glass.
"I don't like it here." Carolyn folded her arms. "It's not like any city I've ever seen before."
"And how many cities have you actually seen, hmm?" Ashley interrupted.
"Oh great – so you're either flirting with me or insulting my intelligence?!"
"Hey, it's one or the other, baby doll." He shrugged. "Make your choice."
"I chose NEITHER, and I'M NOT YOUR 'BABY DOLL'!"
"Stop it, you two!" Jake drew them together in huddle. "Carolyn is right – this place wasn't here before." Carolyn sent Ashley a cheeky smirk. "I think he's here."
"Who?" Andy asked.
"Jinxx." Ashley replied.
Andy smiled. "Well that's good news, right? Now all we have to do is find him and..."
"It's not that simple." Jake sighed. "We all have something we can do, right? I poison things and Ashley makes fire. Jinxx creates illusions. He's The Mystic." Andy's smile slowly faded. "This whole city might not even really exist."
"He's also a master at hiding." Ashley added. "There one minute, gone the next."
"Let me get this straight; we've got to look for someone we can't even see?!" Andy frowned. "What the actual F..." Carolyn nudged his side sharply.
"So, where do we start?" She asked instead, as Andy recovered from the blow.
Jake shrugged. "I guess we should split up..."
"Great. As long as it gives me a break from him!" She barked. Ashley gave a sigh and looked mortally offended.
"We'll try to meet up again later…"
"Somewhere with alcohol hopefully." Ashley added. "I could use a drink."
"Alright." Jake said. "Let's go."
Ashley seized Andy's hand. "Come on, Andy!"
"Where are we going?" Andy cried as he ran alongside the new friend.
"Anywhere! Let's have some fun!"
"We're supposed to be looking for…"
"I don't know about you, but I'm not busting my tail looking for thin air. We need to draw him out to us." Ashley stopped at the corner of a busy street. "And the way to do that is to get him to notice us…" He tossed his head in both directions, scanning the building fronts.
Meanwhile Andy stared more closely at the inhabitant's faces. They had an unusual shine about them, as though made from china or polished wood, not skin. It chilled him to the bone, so he was glad when Ashley pulled him away.



It was nightfall when Carolyn attempted to find the others. The streets had ceased to bustle with life and had fallen still. She frowned as she strode down the sidewalk, her heels ticking on the flagstones. It was odd for a city this big to be so silent only minutes after sundown. It occurred to her that it was as though all the people had been packed away into boxes, like mere children's toys.
"Ronnie."
She stopped, freezing her body still. Her ears strained. What was that? She stared down the empty roadway. No voice came again. Spooked, she wrapped her arms around herself and continued on.
There was only one source of light on this street – the still glowing orange windows of… yes. As she had expected; a tavern. She put her hands to her hips and gave a deep sigh.
Boys. Who needed them?
She hesitated for a moment at the door, and pushed. The room was small; crammed with old trophies that littered the four walls. Slumped at the bar, his hand around a glass was Ashley. He didn't see her at first. She marched over. "There you are. I thought I might find you in here!"
He slid her a glance. "Annnnd a very very very very how do you do too!" He slurred.
"That makes no sense." She replied, folding her arms. "You do realise that that glass isn't really there, right? I've worked it out. I put my hand straight through a lamppost earlier."
Ashley frowned at the glass and held it up to the light. He squinted at the orangey liquid with a sense of theatricality, and then tossed it down his throat. "…Tastes pretty real to me…"
"What have to you done with Andy?" She narrowed her eyes. "Where is he?"
Ashley thrust his hand to his heart. "And why," he said, swaying on the stool, "do you… you… YOU… instantly assume it is ME who has done wrong? Hmmmm??" She raised an eyebrow. "He's fine! He's here!"
"Where?"
"Just here…" Ashley swung around to indicate an empty seat behind him. He paused a moment. "He's jusssst… ah…" He pushed his hair back from his face to look again. "We've temporary… tempo… rarily… missssplaced him, right now, Missss… I'll just put you on hold…" With that, he fell backwards into thin air and landed with a crash on the floor.
"You're pissed." Carolyn snorted, leaning over the bar stool to look down at him.
A sudden peal of hysterical laughter erupted from another corner of the room. Carolyn stretched over Ashley's limbs, much to his amusement, and rushed between the chairs. Jake was leaned up against the walls, laughing into another glass and clutching at the table top, almost sliding under it, was Andy.
Carolyn's eyes widened. "Andy? What are you doing?"
He heaved his elbows up onto the table, still giggling. "He fell ooooover!" He shrieked, and collapsed into giggles once again.
"Oh Andy, what have they done to you?"
"Oh shhhhhhhshshshsh you old fusspot! I'm having fun!!" He chuckled.
"So this is the reality of our beloved angels, is it?" Carolyn shook her head. "I don't suppose any of you have managed to find Jinxx?" Jake blinked at her, his eyes struggling to focus as he slipped further down the wall. She scoffed, "Of course not. How could you when you're having trouble just generally seeing right now?... And he is underage, do you know that?" She pointed a finger at Andy.
"He's ok…" Jake swung a hand through the air. "You know he downed an entire pint? That's pretty impressive for a first go!"
Carolyn gave a shriek of frustration and dropped down onto a stool. "What am I going to do with you boys? Hmm?" She muttered into her hand.
"Yeah, see?" Andy grinned. "I'm impressive!!"
"You're hammered, that's for sure!" She replied.
"Hey hey hey hey hey, come over here!" Ashley beckoned violently. Jake shook his head. Ashley stamped his foot. Jake still refused. Ashley marched over, doing his best to walk as straight as possible, and grabbed hold of Jake's foot. Suddenly he found himself being dragged across the floor, wings and all; chairs scattered as he thundered past. Ashley stopped at the bar and dropped him with a hefty THUMP! "Come party with me! Theren't any girls, so you're ssstuck with me!"
"And who am I, eh?!" Carolyn screeched. "Scotch mist?"
"I like this!" Andy staggered clumsily to his feet.
"What?" Carolyn frowned.
"This!" Andy pointed at Ashley and Jake. "Being with people!! People like me!" He laughed. "I'm not so alone anymore!" With that, not noticing the fading light in her face, he stumbled over to join them. Quietly, she watched as Jake threw and arm around him, pulling him into the huddle. The glass Andy had left on the table had just a tiny measure of alcohol left in the bottom, she took it and stared down at the reflections. She was happy for him, she was. But she'd always been the only one; the only one he'd come to at a time of need. And now he didn't need anymore. It that single second and that single sentence that had fallen from his lips, he had let go. She knew it was natural. She watched them and forced a smile.
'Oh well'. She thought grimly. 'If you can't beat them, join them.'

"Oi! Boys! Move over! Let me show you how it's done!"