Chapter Nine

I was still awake, done crying like an idiot in front of Zen. He had fallen asleep. He was breathing lightly, every once in a while he shifted. He still held on to me like I was dear life though. I was uber comforted, so I didn't mind.

I moved my arm, making him stir. He didn't awaken, however, so I continued traveling my hand down my side, then reached into my pocket. I checked the time. 4:00 AM.

I groaned softly, wishing I could fall asleep. There were too many things swirling in my head. I wrapped my arms around Zen's waist, gripping his shirt. This man could not be a Demon. There was nothing "evil" about him.

Everything I had ever heard about "Demons" registered as evil. They were created for causing pain, mischievous monsters with only one goal: eat. They were ugly and had claws and glowing red eyes, teeth sharper than shark's.

I felt like a child, naive and uncertain. "You're holding me too tightly." Zen whispered, though his arms tightened around me. I realized I had been hugging him so hard, my arms were numb. "S-Sorry," I said, flushing. I felt Zen snuggle closer, his mouth on my hair. I felt his mouth curve upwards in a smile.

"It's okay. It's nice to be needed so much, even just as a hugging pillow." he informed me.
"I'm sure I need you more than that. Like, you know, a bodyguard." I joked.

His chest vibrated, a quiet yet powerful laugh reverberating from his mouth. "That's okay too." he said.

"Are you tired?" (This was me talking.)
"Not really."
". . .Really?"
"Yes, really. Are you?
"Yeah, but I can't sleep."
"Count some sheep."

I burst laughing. "One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, this sucks." I counted off my fingers. Zen smiled. "Sorry, kiddo, I tried." he said. I nodded, then paused. "Wait. I found something to count." I said, closing my eyes.

"Which is?" he asked.

"Nothing much. Something special." I answered, smiling.

His heart skipped a beat, but I still counted it.


~Gabriel's Point of View~
(This is a few hours before the previous event that just took place above.)
I shut Anastasia's door, softly.

I made my way to the couch, then sat down, burying my face into my hands.

This was not going well.

We not only have to survive on our own, which is hard enough, but now we have human baggage. It was incredibly difficult to escape Angels, especially with Zen becoming so weak. Now we have a human with us, who's soft and light and easily breakable.

I gritted my teeth. Could you blame me? I had some serious stress going on here.

Angels were monsters. So were Demons. Even humans could be filthy and downright cruel. But somehow, I had a feeling, in all of history, not ONE Angel,Demon, or Human could recall a time that any Angel and Demon were friends.

Me and Zen had to be the first.

I remember how I met Zen. It was more than a few years ago. I had been collecting Prayers, and I ran into him. I knew he was a Demon right away, and vice versa with him. But, instead of immediately challenging me like all hot-headed Demons, he smiled at me and told me what a lovely day it was.

We began to bump into each other more and more often. I would usually be mean to him, but he didn't give up. If he got mad, he didn't show it.

Details not included, we became friends. And that was the best - and possibly worst - day of our lives. We condemned ourselves that day. It's too late to turn back now, though.

I wonder if we'll die.


~Anastasia~
I blinked my eyes open, then sat up. I rubbed sleep from my eyes, then looked down. Zen was still lying there, asleep again. I smiled. I felt better than last night, more reassured.

If you ever need to chillax, go find a hot guy to sleep next to and hug.

I crawled out of Zen's bed and went into the living room. I saw Gabriel sitting on the couch, staring down at his feet. "Real, good morning." I chirped. "You look lively. Did something good happen?" he asked, looking back at me. "Mmm. I slept pretty well. What time's it?" I replied, grinning. "It's about one in the afternoon." he said. "Ah, wow. I slept WELL." I said, amazed. There was a noise from Zen's room.

We looked back and saw Zen emerge from his room, looking sleepy. Like a sleepy guy. A gorgeous sleepy guy, that is. He mumbled something that vaguely sounded like "morning", then trudged into the bathroom.

"He looks chipper." Gabriel said. "Yeah, if you count half-asleep as being 'chipper'." I said, scoffing. Gabriel actually cracked a smile. He was pretty easy to talk to. "I guess he feels better." I said. Gabriel nodded his agreement. I sat down by him, then laid down, stretching out luxuriously. "I feel much better, that's for sure." I cooed, putting emphasis on "I".Gabriel smiled thinly at me, tipping his head to the side.

"You're feeling good?" Zen asked, appearing above me. I tilted my head even more up to get a better look at him. "Yeah. And you?" I asked. "Fine, besides the fact I have a big gaping hole in my side." he said sarcastically, smiling. "Oh, yeah, since no one's bothered to ask, I feel okay too,"Gabriel chimed. "Sorry!" Zen and I quipped. I sat up and hugged Gabriel , rubbing my cheek against his. "How do you feel today, Real, my man?" I asked lately. His face felt hot. "L-Like usual." he managed, blinking rapidly.

"I'm going back to bed." Zen said, yawning. I wanted to ask if I could join him, then felt like a pervert, so I said nothing but, "Mmkay." Gabriel was trying to decide if it was okay to hug me back or if he should keep his hands off. I beamed at him. "It's okay," I told him, grabbing his wrists and putting them on my back, then squeezed him.

For some reason, Zen was staring at me. He looked a little peeved. Gabriel finally squeezed me back. "Woot, I just hugged an Angel! Yeah!" I cheered, punching the air. Zen looked a little relieved, Gabriel disappointed. Weirdos. Zen walked down the hall, swaying. Blood dripped onto the floor. Gabriel caught my worried look and whispered, "He'll be fine. He just needs rest." I nodded uneasily.


~Zen's Point of View~
I was hungry.

And icky-feeling. Weird. I hadn't felt like this since the Blood Purge a decade ago.

Here's a little back history on me.

The Blood Purge was all my fault. As you can imagine by the name, it was a gigantic massacre. Huge. And yes, yours truly was the murdered.

I was hungry. And badly injured. I needed their bodies to live.

I went a little. . .weird. And I ended up killing a city of people. And. . .

Before I knew it, I was opening the window of that room, then climbing out. I was panting.

I felt weird again.

I'm hungry.


~Anastasia~
I changed the channel, watching whatever happened to come on, waiting for Zen to wake up and keep me company. Gabriel had just gone in to check on him.

I switched to the news. Random stuff, a little girl won a spelling bee. She was apparently seven and spelled "tintinnabulation" correctly. I smiled, proud of her.

I was incredibly accepting of people. If I saw something good happen to them, I was happy for them, proud of them. If something bad happened to them, I was angry and sad right along with them.

Though with people who were snots. . .I wasn't exactly fond of them. Go figure.

"Where's Zen?" Gabriel asked, coming back into the room. "Whaddya mean? He didn't leave the room." I said. I saw Gabriel's face take on a look of panic. I frowned, and just then, there was a crash from the TV. We whirled, stunned. The newscasters had their backs facing us. Theylooked tense and shocked. "What in the world. . .?" the newsman said. "What was that?" his co-host asked. Phones were ringing off the wall.

The newsman picked one up, listened, and then his jaw dropped. "Get a chopper downtown NOW." he demanded. He was already walking away, his co-host following behind.

"What happened?" I muttered, staring at the TV. After a few commercials, they were back. The man had a microphone, and he was sitting in a helicopter. The camera was shaking slightly as the helicopter sped towards the downtown area of my town, near my school. "We got a call that at least three people were brutally killed in public. The police are already on the scene, trying to restrain the murderer." the newsman said. He peered out the window, and dropped his microphone, hissing, "Oh my God."

The camera panned down, and me and Gabriel just knew who it was.

Zen, obviously, blinked rapidly, several lights turned on him. He looked startled, like he had no idea what was going on.  

"No, Zen. . ." Gabriel whispered.

"He ripped them apart with his bare hands!!" a woman shrieked. "W-What?" Zen managed, though he was hardly heard over screams. The bodies weren't shown, but I felt sick just thinking of it.

Zen finally reached the conclusion that he was out of options. His pitch black wings burst from his back, sending feathers everywhere. He ran (he was insanely fast) and jumped onto the trunk of a police car. He gave himself a sharp boost, throwing himself into the air. He twirled a bit, trying to right himself. In a second, he was miles away, his wings working powerfully.

Of course, the screams were louder now, so loud. The newsman was yelling something into the camera, police covering the bodies up and several trying to chase Zen down.

Gabriel and I exchanged looks, then the roof of the cabin made a loud crashing noise. It sounded like something was rolling off the roof. We opened the door and Zen crashed to his feet in front of us. He stumbled forward. We didn't need to see him to know he was hyperventilating.

His breathing was rough, strained. He ran over to the bushes, gagging himself to throw up. "Zen!" Gabriel called. Zen turned to look at us, his movements sharp and quick. "Y-You guys," he said. I had run inside, staring at the TV. "We found several bodies over the area. All-in-all, there were seven deaths, including four severely injured. The. . .seven that died were. . .they. . .had limbs missing. They were eaten." the newsman was saying, looking shocked, tears in his eyes.

I felt tears well up. Zen was a monster.

"An-Anastasia. . ." Zen said from the doorway. Gabriel was standing there, looking as stunned as the newsman. "N-No! Don't!" I snapped, whirling to face him. "No, please, you don't understand. That wasn't me-" he begged, before I barked, "Then who was it?!" I noticed his wound was all healed, the bandages falling off.

"W-Well, it was me, but-" he tried. "You're a monster!" I screamed, covering my ears. I saw his face, which almost made me feel bad for him. He looked hurt beyond words, stumbling back. "You're disgusting! I hate you! You're sick, a monster! Demon!" I sobbed. "A-Anastasia, you don't understand." Zen said, taking a step toward me and reaching his hand out.

Images of bodies flashed in my mind, and I screamed, "NO!! Don't you dare touch me! Gabriel! Gabriel!!" Gabriel was by my side in a second, hugging me, staring hard at Zen.

Zen stepped backwards, and then was out the door.

Chapter Seven


I fidgeted on the bench, staring at the trees. I hadn't walked in the cabin yet, darkness shrouding everything. I checked my phone.

12:35. . .

They had been gone for a LONG time. . .My heart was pounding. What if they had. . .died?!

I bolted up, sprinting out into the forest and scanning the sky. There was nothing up there, no noise except for crickets and running water. A twig snapped under my foot.

"Where the Hell is it?" a voice snapped.
"I have no freaking idea."
"She led you here, didn't she?"
". . .It was dark! I followed her directions!"

Gabriel and Zen arguing was one of the most beautiful sounds. I was relieved they were okay.

"Guys! Guys, over here!" I whispered sharply. "Anastasia?" I heard Gabriel asked. "Yeah, over here." I said, ducking under branches and jumping over logs. Gabriel had Zen's arm around his neck, supporting him. Zen was panting, looking a little worse for wear, blood leaking from his side like a faucet. I ran over to Zen's other side, pushing myself against his side and helping stand straight.

When I looked up at him, I expected something. . .demonic. Something like red eyes and fangs. Instead, I saw him smiling down at me like he had wanted to see me for years, his eyes lit. The face of an Angel, not a Demon.

We made our way to the cabin, and I dropping Zen's arm. "Wait here. It's locked." I whispered, though no one could hear us.

I snaked over to the window, taking a metal slate that was nestled under the frame. I pushed it up, opening the window. I slide in, then unlocked the door from the inside. Sometimes it rocked to be a scrawny little thing.

I opened the door and gestured for them to come in. "Down the hall there's two big rooms. You can have those. I'll sleep here on the couch. No way I'm going home. Right by your rooms, there's another door, and it goes to the bathroom. If you look to the left of the mirror, there's a cabinet with bandages and disinfectants and all." I instructed, ushering them away.

My adrenaline died, and I collapsed, my knees buckling. Hyperventilating, I stared at my hands, planted firmly on the ground.

This couldn't be happening.

Angels and Demons? Divine Punishment and whatever? No. Impossible. Not right. Far from normal.

"Anastasia? What's wrong? Hey, are you okay?" Gabriel asked, coming back into the room. He was covered in blood. I looked weakly up at him, smiling. "Just fine. Just. . .tired." I managed. He walked over, frowning, and picked me up like a bride. "Relax." he said, feelingmy heart skip four beats or somethin'.

He put me down on the couch, saying, "I'll sleep here. You need a bed." I was too freaked out to protest, so I agreed. He left the room for a split second, and there was this squishing sound, then he came back in, covered in even MORE blood. Jeezums.

Again, he picked me up. I noticed that he was tense, but extremely gentle, as if I were a delicate flower he was afraid of breaking.

Gag. Did that really just come out of my mouth? "Delicate flower"? Son of a batch of cookies.

He laid me down in the bed, pulling the covers up to my nose, smiling down at me. "Thanks to you, we were saved. I don't know how we can repay you." he said, kneeling by my bed. He did this adorable thing. With both hands placed on the side ofthe bed, he rested his chin on the bed, his hands covering up to his mouth. He looked up at me with puppy-ish eyes. I nearly fainted away.

"It's fine. Really. You're my friends, right?" I replied, rubbing his hair. He beamed at me, and said, "Yes. We're friends. Goodnight, Anastasia." I smiled back. "Goodnight, Real."

As soon as the door closed, I noticed how badly I was trembling. Held by an Angel. Touched by a Demon. They knew I knew. And if they decided I couldn't live? Or say if Alexandra decided that I shouldn't know about them or her, would she kill me?

I was too deeply involved.


~Zen's Point of View~
I was having a hard time remembering where I was. I had to keep reminding myself Anastasia had saved both of us, me and Real.

I looked down at my side. Bleeding and newly bandaged. I had lost quite a bit of blood. If a cross is applied to a Demon, nothing would happen. If applied to an open wound, it would burn a little, but nothing else would happen.

So, imagine a Demon. Imagine more than three-fourths of his life was taken, in other words, "Essence". Now imagine that Demon hasn't eaten anyone (blood and flesh sustains Demons) in over ten years.

Yeah, that's me. Stab me with a stick and I'd bleed. I'm pathetic.

My door creaked open. I propped myself up on my elbow, blinking hazily. Anastasia had her back to me, closing the door softly. "What are you doing?" I asked.

She jumped. "N-Nothing much," Anastasia replied nonchalantly, turning to face me. My heart leaped into my throat. She was wearing a shirt of Gabriel's, much too big for her. Might I add that was ALL she was wearing. She had nice legs.

Once I got past my raging hormones, I noticed she looked terrified. "What's wrong? Come over here. You look like Hell." I said. "Thanks. I was striving for 'Purgatory', but Hell is okay too." she said sarcastically. I smiled, making her face flush. "Come here." I echoed.

She did, looking like she was about to cry. "What's wrong, sweetie?" I asked softly, worried I'd break her with a single word or touch. "Can I sleep with you tonight? I'm. . .kind of scared." she whispered. There was a pain in my chest. "My poor love." I cooed, tugging her arm so she fell onto the bed with me. "Of course you can. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." I whispered back. I repeated "I'm sorry" at least ten times, whispering it senselessly into her ear. My shirt felt wet, and I realized she was crying. I hugged her close, and she gripped the back of my shirt.

My poor love. . .

T.A.A Chapter Six "Blood Made the Richest Sauce"

Chapter Six


I woke up, blinking. What time was it? I sat up and opened my phone, which was laying on my nightstand. 11:57. I frowned, flipping my phone closed. I heard something outside my bedroom. My door started to open, Zen peeking his head in and looking around.

I pretended to be asleep, wondering why in the world he was coming into my bedroom in the middle of the night.

He slid into my room, leaving the door cracked. He tip-toed over, kneeling by me. My hair was covering my face, allowing me to peek at him without him noticing. In a whisper, he told me, "Sorry, Anastasia. Thanks for letting me freeload here." I desperately wanted to ask what he meant, but he kept going, so I stayed "asleep".

"Thing is, I DO trust you, but I lied to you, so I'm sorry. And I'm sorry I can't say bye properly. But I gotta go now." he whispered, looking intently down at my face. My breath caught in my chest. What was he saying?! He lied AND he's leaving?!

He brushed my hair out of my face and gave me a kiss, right on my forehead. He got up and closed the door behind him. I shot out of bed, getting dressed. I grabbedmy phone and shoved it into my pockets. I waited until I heard Zen walking down the stairs before I opened my door and shuffle quietly to Mom's room. I grabbed her motorcycle keys.

Oh yeah. I was doing this. You're not imagining me, a sixteen year old girl with no motorcycle license, taking her mother's motorcycle. I was going to follow Zen. Reason being: I was incredibly bent on knowing the truth about him. Are you kidding? He had WINGS! Of course I was curious.

I slid down the banister of the stairs, seeing Zen folding my dad's shirt (I stole it before Dad left, because I wanted something of his.) and leaving it on the coffee table. He took something from Gabriel, putting it on. A tanktop and a jacket. The jacket was old and torn. I figured it must have been Zen's, and he lost it. He and Gabriel left the house. Luckily, neither of them noticed me. I ran my fingers over my dad's shirt, then I was out the door. I hit the garage, grabbed the motorcycle.

"Wait! Real, where will we go?" I heard Zen ask. "Anywhere but here. We gotta get lost. Angels are looking for us." Gabriel replied. I listened, stunned. Angels. . .Why did Gabriel call them Angels? Is that what the scientists called them? Wouldn't they think of some scientific term for them? Like. . .Avian-something? I gripped the handles, listening to Gabriel finish.

"If we run into an Angel, we're done for. You're weak enough, after they drained most of your essence. I can't do much against my own kind." he said.

Whoa. Freeze. His "own kind"? So Zen WASN'T an "Angel"? What was Zen? I needed to stop asking myself questions, really.

I was silent, my eyes narrowing as they started walking. I froze, suddenly impacted by something that just came to me:

How in the world would I follow them, UNNOTICED, with a motorcycle?!

I'm so stupid sometimes.

So instead, I followed behind them on foot, like the cute little stalker I am. They reached the road that led to an endless region. Both of them spread their wings, Gabriel supporting Zen. Before they took off, however, someone from the side said, "Hold up."

I covered my mouth, trying not to gasp in surprise. I whirled on my heel, standing behind a tree. Carefully, I peeked around the tree, my eyes adjusting to the pale moonlight. A girl stood a few feet from Gabriel and Zen.

"Deceivers. . ." she said. "Prepare yourselves."

In one motion, she was in the air, pure white wings snapping from her back. She swung her foot down, making Gabriel and Zen split and throw themselves to the side. Her foot landed on the ground, her long black hair covering her face. She raised her eyes at Zen.

I was gaping. I didn't even know what to ask myself.

"Demon."

I snapped back to attention when she called Zen a Demon. What was she thinking?

"I'm sorry I lied," he had said. So. . .

Wait. . .

Zen. . .and Gabriel were. . . ?

Oh. My. God.


~Zen's Point of View~
"If it isn't Alexandra." I hissed.

She glared up at me, still low to the ground. "Zen." she greeted. "So~ cold, sweetheart," I said, hugging myself as if chilly.

Alexandra gritted her teeth, seething with rage. I enjoyed seeing her angry.

"Hey, how about we make a deal, Alexii, darling?" I asked, smiling. I was acting cocky. I HAD to act cocky. if I let her know I'm injured, that was it for me and Real, who was staring menacingly at Alexandra.

"Deal? I don't make deals with Deceivers." Alexandra said. "Baby, don't be that way. We can easily overcome this little dilemma of ours." I said, shrugging sweetly. Alexandra wavered.

Yes, I smooth-talk. Is it natural? Yes. Is it one of my abilities as a Demon? Why, yes. Yes it is.

I milked on my ability, getting closer to her. "You and I are like two great minds. We think alike. You want to have a home? So do I." I whispered softly. She was loosening up, blinking at me. "I know what you're doing."Alexandra said. "Then stop me." I cooed, my voice like honey. I reached her, pulling her up from her low stance. While she was mesmerized by my gaze (another one of my fantastic abilities, might I add) I signaled for Real to run.

He vacillated. I waved even harder at him. I couldn't hold her for long. My side was aching, and when I glanced down, I noticed I had opened my cut by jumping out of the way. She could already smell blood. She looked down at my side. I cupped her chin and made her look at me.

Real was still there, confused. He wanted to help me, but if he made a move at Alexandra, she would finish me. We were stuck to our spots. If Alexandra broke from my control, I could at least get Real away.

Her eyes started turning cold again. She was slipping from my grasp. In one last attempt, I held her close, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. I stared at Real, willing him to run. I noticed how goodAlexandra smelled.

You may have noticed how I keep noticing how good girls smell. Why? I'm a Demon, kiddos. I want to eat 'em girls. Yes, they smell good. But as dinner. Blood made the richest sauce.

Except Anastasia. She smelled good in general.

I tore my mind from Anastasia and focused on Alexandra, keeping her staring into my eyes. Real was being a freaking idiot. I glared at him, about to yell.

Then I realized I had let Alexandra go. She was holding a cross.

Ohhhhhhhhh, shi-


~Anastasia~

I gaped, watching Zen woo her ("Alexandra" or whatever), trying to get Gabriel to run. Gabriel didn't move.

Then, Alexandra tore a cross from her chest. With no hesitation, she had taken it and stabbed it into Zen's open wound. There was a hissing sound.

Zen's hand flew to his mouth, muffling his scream. He fell back, his bandages completely burned off, fire licking at his wound. He was screaming all sorts of swears.Alexandra wasted no time. She sat down on top of Zen, straddling him down, then smiled. "Well, 'sweetheart', this is the end for you." she said. "Receive God's Wrath, babe." she mocked, smirking. She held the cross up, the end bladed. Real tackled her, pinning her to the ground. "An Angel protectinga Demon!" she spat. "A pair that can only be made in Hell." she hissed. Real stared emotionlessly down at her.

"He's my friend."

Alexandra stopped struggling. Gabriel bared his teeth, showing his anger and pain. "God? Who loves His Children? He who bears no grudge, sending His own son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus, to die for mankind? What God are we talking about?! If God 'bears no grudge', loves His Children, then WHAT is He doing, sending our death to us?!" he demanded.Alexandra was speechless for a second.

"You have sinned! Therefore you must be punished!" she snapped, finding her words. I ran through the woods, back inside my house for a split second, going through a kitchen drawer. I found what I wanted.

When I came back out and reached the clearing, Zen was still laying on his back, eyes half closed, panting and sweating. He was reaching for Gabriel, who was struggling with Alexandra. I held up what I had found.

Mom's gun. For emergency only.

This clarifies as an emergency, right?

I took aim at Alexandra. Even better, she kicked Gabriel off. She stood up, then noticed me. I fired. It hit her in the shoulder.

I'm so grounded. And going to Hell.

"Ana. . .Anastasia. . .!" Zen panted, bleeding onto the street. I fired again. And again. And again. Alexandra's body flinched with each bullet hitting her.

She stared at me, then inhaled. The bullets fell out. Like a movie.

Of course bullets wouldn't kill Angels. I'm an idiot. But then Zen snapped, "Real! Get her out of here! Get her to the place you found. I'll holdAlexandra off." Gabriel obeyed instantly this time, grabbing me.

The next thing I knew, we were miles in the air, Zen and Alexandra tiny dots below us. Despite this dire situation, I beamed. Dude, I was flying!! "Don't squirm so much!" Gabriel commanded. I looked up at him, my smile shrinking. "Oh, sorry." I said. I glanced back, seeing nothing but trees. "Where are we going? What about Zen?" I asked, my adrenaline faltering. "I don't know where we're going. I don't know what will happen to Zen. Now be quiet, so I can concentrate." he said, staring ahead of him.

". . .If it helps, I know this forest like the back of my hand. Which has 'love' written on it, whaddya know? I don't remember writing it. But that's not the point. Point is, I know of this awesome cabin that's hidden practically under this rock. And it's surrounded by trees. No one can find it but me." I informed him. "Directions." he said. "Take a left. . ."

In just a few minutes, we had landed. I showed him the cabin. It was tiny, which helped hide it, and it was practically covered in green, which made for good camouflage. The "rock" I mentioned was like a wave of earth, starting to stretch out, then cave in. If you stood on the tip and look down, you couldn't seethe cabin. ((Maybe it's my writing skills, but I can't explain it well.))

"That'll do, pig, that'll do." Gabriel told me, rubbing my hair. "WhatEVER, don't be jello." I teased, 'hmphing' him and looking away. He grinned. "Wait here. I'm going to get Zen." he told me, then he was in the air.

I wasn't very religious, but watching Gabriel fly, I prayed to God that the Demon Zen would be okay.

T.A.A Chapter Five "No Flippin' Way"

Chapter Five



Real took Zen and both of them retired to a different room. I smiled as they left, but then immediately got up when I heard the door close. Time to Google it, baby.

I ran (quietly) to my room and flipped the computer on. My fingers flew as I typed in "Genetic Manipulation". Waaaay too many things came up, so I narrowed it down.

"Winged humans". I typed. Lots of myths and legends and stuff came up. I erased it. I tapped my chin, trying to think of a clearer way to get this across. Finally, I typed in the simplest thing that came to mind.

"Angels".

Of course, I felt dizzy after looking through two pages of "Angels" on Google.

Angrily, I shut my computer off. I sat there for a few minutes, then turned it back on and searched "Angels" again. I took a closer look, and in the middle, there was something that caught my eye.

"Scientist Johnathon Burke (1967-2005) claims Angels to be real, as well as Demons." it read.

Burke? What a terrifying last name. (Dictionary.com it, lovies.) I clicked the link and read quickly, blood pounding.

"Scientist Johnathon Burke (1967-2005) claims Angels to be real, as well as Demons. On May 4th, 2005, Burke declared to the public that he had witnessed two Angels fall from Heaven, and a Demon rise from Hell. He had direct footage. The debate about these 'Angels', however, continues to. . ." I stopped reading and clicked the link leading to Youtube, where someone had uploaded the video.

My chest tightened. You could hear Dr. Burke whispering, "There was a light outside. I looked out the window and there was this hole in the sky." The camera shakily showed the door opening, leading outside. This guy was seriously trembling. His breathing was getting hard. Dr. Burke was muttering some scientific bushwah about dimensions or whatever, but then he barked a few cuss words,the camera swinging to face the hole he had just seen. Out of this gigantic hole of pure white, two silhouettes fell. One of them was thrashing for the other. The other was not moving, just falling. The first one reached the motionless one, grabbing it and hugging it close. They fell fast, but then the silhouette sprouted the biggest wings I had ever seen, besides Zen's.

The camera then shook wildly, making the rest blurry. Dr. Burke was screaming curses now, and finally he stilled the camera enough to let us get a good picture. A new silhouette was coming towards Dr. Burke fast. The only thing visible on it was it's piercing red eyes. "DEMON!!" Dr. Burke was screaming. The Demon swiveled its head to stare at the Angels falling, the first one's wings working powerfully to steer the unconscious one to safety.

The Demon turned back to stare at Dr. Burke. ". . .get. . .and. . .move. . .they. . .kill. . .help. . .me. . .don't. . .wife. . .and. . .run. . .!!" it screamed.The camera was acting weird. Dr. Burke's reply could not be understood. There was this bone shattering screech, piercing. The camera started to jostle up and down. When Burke managed to calm himself, the picture was horrifying.

The Angels had descended upon the Demon, thrashing it it. The second Angel had regained consciousness. They were still silhouettes, the darkness shrouding them. The Demon had given off another ear-piercing shriek, and one of the Angel's voices was heard, "Kill him! Kill the Fallen!" The first Angel was then in front of Dr. Burke. "Human. . ." it whispered.

"Have you any sin?"

"What are you watching?" Zen asked from my doorway. I shrieked. Zen winced, then fell onto his perfect butt, startled. "W-W-What's wrong? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" he said, blinking in surprise. I shut the video off, heart drumming. "S-Sorry. I was watching a scary movie. It was at a scary part, so you, you know, scared me." I lied. "I'm sorry." he said, stunned.

"We just said 'scare', like, four times." I said, breaking the silence. He cracked a weak grin. "Well, Real's leaving, so I'm saying goodbye." he told me. "Okay. I'll finish this movie. It's practically over." I said. He smiled, and said okay.

Fingers shaking, I quickly started the video again, skipping to the part I was at.

"S. . .in. . .?" Dr. Burke managed. The camera was cutting off. "Don't. . .do. . .this. . ." the Demon was saying, the second Angel holding the poor creature to the ground.

I had a feeling the Demon was the good guy.

"Kill the Sinner, then kill our friend here." the second Angel said. The camera was clear now. Only for a few seconds.

The first Angel unsheathed a sword, glowing like fire. It raised the sword, and the video ended. I gaped at my screen, adrenaline pulsing through my veins. No way. No flippin' way!

"Is your movie done?" Zen asked, coming back into the room. I smiled at him and nodded. That was incredibly realistic. "Yeah." I said. I calmed down, realizing that what Dr. Burke experienced was not like Zen or Gabriel. Though, that mark on Gabriel's palm. . .

I stared hard at Zen, making him tip his head in confusion. I wanted to ask Zen all about it. Why he was crying, what "Communication" was. Zen gave me a huge smile, making every nerve in my body catch fire. "Well! Are you hungry? It's lunch time, right?" I quipped cheerfully, standing up. He smiled, knowing how awful my food tasted, but nodded nonetheless.


~Zen's Point of View~

Anastasia smiled at me as me and Gabriel left the room.

"We have no time to waste. We both have to find a new sanctuary. Since we were found, we have no place to go." he said.

I gave him a sheepish smile. "I kinda like it here-" I said, but he held his hand up. "Are you serious?" Real asked. "I-I mean, yeah, why not?" I asked, blinking rapidly. "Zen! You should know NOTHING ever good will come out of us staying with HUMANS! I can't even put into words. . .how STUPID you sound! Have you FORGOTTEN everything?!" Real snapped, his eyes large and surprised. "I. . .I know, but. . ." I started, my voice weak. He interrupted me.

"I don't know what to do with you."

His words penetrated my heart. I felt the already broken heart shatter into little pieces. "B-But. . ." I tried saying, but it only came out like a whisper. Real's look softened. "Zen, you know I love you. You're like family to me, my big brother. But lately, I'VE been the big brother. Why is that?" he asked.

I wanted to tell him everything. How tired I was of running. Sick and tired of it. It wasn't worth it anymore. In the end, we were always found.

And we could NEVER go home. We were in the most danger at home.

"M-Maybe you grew up a little." I lied instead. Real beamed at getting my praise, but then his look soured once more. "Zen, I'll give you until midnight to stay here. Say goodbye to your little girlfriend, then you're joining up with me. When it's dark, we can fly-" he planned, but I said lowly, "I can't fly right now." He blinked. "Why not?" he asked. "My wing is healing. They broke it." I said, gesturing limply to the window.

Real's face? Priceless. He practically screamed, then, seething with rage, swore revenge on those who hurt his beloved family member.

Unfortunately, Gabriel was not my brother. We were not blood-related.

We were stuck together for a very long time though.

I walked over to Gabriel, wrapped him in a hug, and tried not to cry in front of him. I loved Real with all my heart, like the little brother I abandoned. I felt Real tense, then relax, as he patted my back.

He knew the hug was more comfort for me, not for him. "Listen, Zen, I'll support you. If you can fly with one wing, I can be your other wings." Gabriel said. I felt my mouth smile. "Alright, Real. Midnight it is."

Real walked out of the room, telling me that he was leaving. I walked up to Anastasia's room, leaning on the door. She was staring, wide-eyed, at her screen. Her hand clutched at her chest, wringing her shirt around her fingers. God, she was watching something kinda scary-looking. I sat there for a few minutes, taking in what she was watching.

Stunned, my mouth moved on its own. "What are you watching?" I asked. The voice didn't sound like mine. She screamed.

I was so startled, I fell back onto my butt. I stared up at her, apologizing. She shut the video off. Breathing hard, she stared at me like I had sprouted wings.

Oh, wait, never mind.

"S-Sorry, you scared me." she said, going on to say she was watching a scary movie. I stood up shakily.

That movie looked awfully familiar. I went back down to say bye to Real. "Mid-night." he said, separating each syllable as if I was four. "I-got-it." I said, rolling my eyes. I closed the door as he left.

I went back up to her room, and asked if her movie was done. "Yeah." Anastasia said. She stared at me, making me shiver.

Is it late (or even kinda weird) for me to say she was incredibly cute? Well, she was. She had short black hair, stopping at her shoulders, cupping her face. She had a nice body, but absolutely NO chest. Nice curves though. She had this little beauty mark right below her right eye. She wore glasses that didn't make her look nerdy, just adorable.

Ooh-la-la.

She asked me if I wanted lunch, and I nodded. Her cooking was kinda iffy, but compared to going days on ends without food, her cooking was the best thing I had ever tasted, besides Real's. Real could cook surprisingly well.

I pushed him out of my mind, want to only focus on her, take in every detail of her. I didn't want to leave. Sadly, Real was right. I couldn't STAY. I'd be putting her in danger.

When she passed me, I had the same eerie thought that reminded me of who I really was.

She smells so good. . .

T.A.A Chapter Four "Sugar-Coated"

Chapter Four

I blinked my eyes open, sleepy.

I remembered falling asleep on Zen. My face flushing, I tried sitting up, but I couldn't. I glanced up.

Zen had his arms around me, his eyes closed, sleeping as well.

Was it just me, or was it kinda hot?

When I took a closer look at Zen's face, I noticed something odd. There was a trail leading down his face. He had been crying.

Crying?! Why in the world. . .?

Gently, I pushed his arms off and shook him. He stirred, but then mumbled and went back to sleep. It sounded like he said, "Don't leave me." I grabbed his shoulders. "Zen!" I snapped into his ear. He sat up, frightened witless, and we smashed heads.

"O-Owwww. . ." I said, rolling on the couch. "Oh my God, what do you want?!" he muttered, holding his forehead, just like me.

"You know, I forgot." I said, wincing in pain. He threw his hands up, exasperated. I burst laughing, which got him going, and both of us collapsed onto each other, laughing like idiots. When we managed to calm down, Zen stretched out luxuriously on my couch, draping his arm over his eyes. "Jeez, we slept in. It's almost noon." I said, checking my phone.

"Is it?" he asked, frowning. Laying down, he almost took up my couch. This guy was tall. At least 6'7". "Yes, it is." I said, poking him hard in the side. He gave me an "oof", but his mouth was smiling. I couldn't help but smile back.

Then I suddenly remembered what I wanted to ask him.

"Hey! Zen, I remembered. When I woke up, you were-" I started, before the bell rang. Multiple times.

Zen and I both stared at the door, whoever on the other side smashing the doorbell like there was no tomorrow.

Which could be true for Zen if it's another Science Sicko (my name for 'em). "Stay here," I said, nodding. He looked up at me with his silver eyes, as if I had just told him I was Arnold Schwarzenegger. I opened the door, my black hair mussed and messy. "H-Hey, afternoon." I said, blowing strands out ofmy face.

My mouth practically dropped.

In front of me stood a drop-dead delectable guy, his black hair hanging limply to his neck as if he had straight-ironed it. His eyes were the perfect shade of blue, not washed out like mine, and not so intense that you felt he was scary. He was almost as tall as Zen,his hands in his pockets. He sported a long-sleeve black t-shirt, a mini jacket that cut off at his abdomen and had no sleeves, and black jeans, the knee and below hidden by his belt-buckled boots.

"I'm looking for Zen." he said, his dark voice sending an electric current down my spine.

"W-Who?" I managed. Zen, who was behind the door, peeked out the window. "Ah! It's okay, Anastasia! I know him!" he said suddenly. Zen stepped out from behind me, striding up to the guy. "I've knownGabriel here for years!" he said, putting his arm around Gabriel and tugging the poor guy forward. Gabriel nodded, in a headlock. I smirked and stepped aside so they could come in.

"Anastasia, was it?" Gabriel asked once we were all seated comfortably. "Yea. And you're Gabriel?" I replied. He nodded. "You can call me 'Real'. Everyone else does." Gabriel said. He was so menacing, but his personality was like the little brother you wanted to sadistically make cry. I tried to hide my grin at this sudden thought. "Anyway, how'd you find us?" Zen said, straight to the point.

Real stared at his hands (which were clasped, his elbows resting on his knees) and finally said lowly, "They're all looking for you." Zen's smile vanished like air. My grin was plastered tomy face . "They want you back, and they're not going to give up. They're sending Angels like me." Real managed, sitting back and propping a foot up on my coffee table. Zen stared at the ceiling. Finally, he whispered a colourful word angrily, and buried his face intohis hands.

If you looked up the word "stressed" in the dictionary, you'd see a picture of a 6'7" Angel with black wings sitting with his face inhis hands next to it.

Not really, but there should be.

"I still have our Connection." Real said, holding his hand out. I saw a glimpse of their "Connection". Real's hand had some kind of ancient-ey looking sign CARVED into it, the scar healing, but visible. From the looks of it, it would never go away.

And just seeing that sign, I knew something was up with Zen. Something not sugar-coated and sweet and gorgeous.

Something ugly and terrible, something I honestly didn't want to know.

T.A.A Chapter Three "Trust"

Chapter Three


I woke up at six-ish, because I like to wake up early.


The other night I practically murdered Zen with my "incredibly delicious" cooking. He's way too nice. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, yawning.


I glanced out my window, brushing my short black hair back. I heard a car door slam, then someone approaching the door.


It had to do with Zen, I could already tell.


The bell rang. I was down the stairs in a few seconds. When Zen opened the guest room door, blinking sleepily, I shushed him. He nodded, sliding out of the room and into the bathroom.


I answered the door.


"Good morning. Can I help you?" I asked. A pretty girl stood in front of me. "Yes. Did you happen to see a speeding car the other day?" she said politely. Didn't even return my greeting.


"Uhm, no. It's kinda early, and as you can see, I'm in my pajamas. I'd really like to get back to bed, thank you. It's Saturday." I said, frowning.


"Are your parents home?' she asked, unfazed. Was she deaf? "No. My mother is on a business trip and my father lives pretty much across the globe. Anything else or are you gonna let me get back to my bed, where I was sleeping soundly until you woke me up?" I said, adding extra sharpness to my words. I wanted to protect Zen, and if it meant getting mean, I would get mean.


She went red, and stuttered, "Y-Yes, sorry. Have a nice day." She turned tail and ran off, her perfect blonde hair streaming behind her. I grinned and shut the door.


"Zen! Hey, good morning." I called, once the car was gone. He smiled at me like I was the greatest thing he had ever seen and replied, "Morning. What was that about?" He gestured limply to the door.


"Oh, that? I think she was looking for you." I frowned. "She wanted to know if I saw the car that trashed you."


He grimaced, which still looked perfectly hot on his face. He reached over and rubbed the back of his neck, sighing deeply. "I should probably tell you this since I'm freeloading here." he said. God, if it was something important. . .

"It's kinda important." Zen said.

Whoop-de-doo.

"Well, I told you that scientists put wings on my back, right? (I nodded here.) Well, there's kinda like a rival scientist group who. . .well, they hate the idea of genetic manipulation. Basically a buncha hippies. The car you saw? Well, I belong to them, in a way. They shoved me out of the car because we were being followed. Luckily you found me before the hippies caught me." he said, nodding.

It was a little hard to take seriously since he called them "hippies".

"In other words, you were dumped for your protection?" I asked. Zen nodded. "Harsh," I muttered.

He gave a small shrug. "I can't go back." he said at last. "Why not? Wouldn't you be safer with your. . .owners?" I questioned. That felt weird to say. No human being should literally belong to another.

He looked solemnly at his feet. "If you want the full-on, honest truth. . .I was somewhat of a failure." he said. Zen stretched his gorgeous black wings out, the sun catching them and making them look purple. "Those sickos are striving for perfection. White, feathery wings. Mine are black. And mine are actually larger than the ones before me." he said matter-of-factly. "And. . .Well, I'm not much of an Angel, to say the least." he managed, looking away.

What did he mean by that? "So your wings aren't quite right. Why does that mean you can't go back?" I said hesitantly.

"Do you see any Angels walking around normally? If I go back, they'll cut my wings off. My wings are attached to my nervous system and my brain. If they cut them off, I die." Zen said, his usually good-natured voice steely and dripping with rage.

I couldn't help it - I winced. He noticed and looked away again. "Sorry." he said. "It's fine. Zen, you can always stay here with me. Mom is hardly ever here. Maybe for a week or two, and it'd be easy to hide you in this huge house." I offered. "I can't do that. I was practically unconscious when you found me. I wouldn't have been able to get far on two feet. They'll find out I'm here." he said. He reached over and gripped my hand. He pulled me over to him, then placed my hand on his left wing. It felt like he had a broken bone in that wing.

"I can't fly anymore." he said. Zen looked incredibly sad. My heart ached. "Do you trust me? Utterly trust me?" I asked. He raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I do, actually." he said after a moment. "Good. I'm calling a vet."

"Linda, please, fix it so it'll heal right." I begged. "Oh, yes, sorry, Stacy. (This was her preferred name for me.) I'll break it back into place."Linda said, rolling her sleeves up. Zen's face paled. "Here, sweetheart, bite on this." Linda said, passing a dishtowel to him. He glanced at me. "It's clean." I said, smiling weakly. "Why? What's it for?" Zen asked. "Just bite it, hon."Linda said.

Zen put it up to his mouth and bit down hard. "One, two, three," Linda counted down, placing her hands on his wing. When she reached three, she brought one of her hands down sharply, her other hand keeping the wing in place.

I could practically see Zen's bone breaking back into place. He had given Linda a sharp scream, which was muffled by the dishcloth.

So that's what it was for. . .

I begged Linda not to tell anyone about Zen. She wanted to ask me everything, but she said she understood Zen needed time to relax, and I needed to sort things out. She left, giving me a huge hug, and finally it was quiet.

I sat down by Zen, who was recovering on the couch. "You know, I don't think I trust you anymore." he joked weakly. I cracked a smile. "Sorry. At least with that, you'll be able to fly again, sooner or later." I said. "Yea, that's true. Thanks." he said. I grinned. "Hey, this is the first time I haven't been alone without my mom." I informed him. He gave me a funny look. "Congratulations," he said humorously. I let myself fall onto his shoulder, all the tension in my body leaving in a whoosh.

~Zen's Point of View~
"This is the first time I haven't been alone without my mom." Anastasia said. I didn't know how to react, so I just said whatever came to mind.

Honestly, I DID trust Anastasia. I hardly slept last night, on the alert just in case she came in and snapped some shots for the Internet or something.

She didn't.

And then she got rid of that girl who was looking for me.

Anastasia dropped onto my shoulder, her eyes closed. I had to look away. Embarrassed? Me? Nooo. . .
In just a few minutes she was lightly breathing, fast asleep.

What should I do? Anastasia was the first human contact (besides "sicko scientists") I've had in years. I was rusty on socialization. I seemed to be doing fine. Sometimes, though, I felt like I didn't know what to say to her.

I wanted to stay on her couch, with her sleeping on me, her tiny form trusting me completely. Like I trusted her.

I wrapped my arms around her, smushing my mouth against her hair. She had NOT treated me like a freak or worse, a monster.

Which I was.

The winged thing, yea, but there is more to me I can't explain. Something I've done before that I never wanted to do again. My little brother would never get to see me again.

And it was my fault.

Man, she smells good. . .

T.A.A Chapter Two "For Better or For Worse"

Chapter 2


My first reaction? Scream.


Once my voice died, I took in a large breath to start another scream. He clamped his hand over my mouth. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please, don't scream." he said lowly, his eyes darting around to catalog his surroundings. I blinked, stunned.


He propped himself up onto his elbow. "Listen, please, go home. Just go home and pretend you never saw me." he managed. He was practically begging me. "W-Why do you have wings?" I asked.


"Ah, these. . .er, were put on me." he said, frowning. He looked away, ashamed at being different, and I made up my mind.


"Get up." I said, standing as well. "Can you stand?" I asked a second later, realizing he was still bloody. He stood up shakily, almost falling. I supported him, feeling him totally lean on me. Almost all of his weight was on me. Why would he trust me so easily?


"Where are we going?" he asked, wincing when my hand groped his stomach. I tried to get a firm grip around him so I wouldn't drop him. "Well, home." I said, smiling up at him.



"Wait here. My Mom's inside. I gotta get her to leave before you can come in." I said when we reached the clearing.


My house was smack in the middle of the circular clearing. The field was green and lush. I adored where I lived, but hated the distance it was from town. My house was a nice red colour, bricks forming the walls. It was a totally cozy house.


(Here's the house-----------> http://www.tennessee-fieldstone.com/fieldstone/natural-stone-house.jpg)

I ran inside, trying hard not to freak out. Hey, Mom! I brought a sexy guy home, who, by the way, has wings! Imagine her face.

"Mother?" I called. She was in the kitchen. In front of clients, her hair was down, voluminous, auburn and her face was perfectly made up, not a wrinkle in sight. Her clothes were the latest fashion.

In front of me, she had gray in her hair which was up in a teachery fashion, wore cute baggy sweaters and jeans, and glasses drooping to her freckled checks. Her green eyes were bright, and I wished I had gotten her eyes. I inherited my father's washed-out blue eyes.

"Ana-Sweetie, I'm happy you're on time. I'm just about to leave." she said, scooping me up in a gigantic bear hug - which I adored. I hugged her back hard. "Come back soon, okay?" I asked, trying to sound cool, but my voice cracked. I hated being alone in this huge house without her.

She cupped my chin in her hands and kissed my forehead. "I will be back as soon as I can, Ana-Sweetie." she promised, holding her pinky up. We locked pinkies, grinning at each other. Then, a car honked outside. "That's Jack!" she said with plenty of excitement. Jack was her driver AND her hairdresser. Not to mention, he was at the top of her list of "Potential Husband Number Three". My father had been her first husband. He lasted a year, then they divorced. I was born after that.

She remarried when I was three to fur-selling Zack. He lasted only a month. I had hated him. He kept calling me "Sunshine". Gag.

Now she's preying on Jack. I loved my mom, but she has awful taste in men. Except for my dad. Dad was a keeper. She shouldn't have lost him.

"Bye, Mom. Love you." I said, waving. She waved back and blew me an air kiss. She ran out the door, leaving me entirely alone.

Almost.

As soon as she hit the steps that led to the driveway where Jack was waiting, I hit the back deck. I ran faster than lighting, I think. Maybe. I have no idea, but I came across Light (what I'm calling him for now), bleeding and waiting. He smiled at me when he saw me.

"I'm sorry. It took a little longer than I thought." I said weakly, offering my hand. He took it, and I glanced back to see Jack and Mom driving away. "Come on." I said, helping him up. We reached the deck and went inside. I led him up to my room (my thoughts were pure, I swear!) and he sat down heavily on my bed.

"Okay, how about this: I get you some Band-Aids or something, a shirt, and you explain what's up?" I asked. "I'm gonna need more than a Band-Aid." he said, frowning. He lifted his arm, revealing a large gash on his side. "Oooh. Yea, you're gonna need some. . .gauze or something." I managed. He raised an eyebrow.

"Better than being a toilet paper mummy, right?" I said a few minutes later, wrapping gauze around his stomach. He shrugged. "What's your name, anyway?" he asked logically. "Me? E-Er, it's Anastasia." I said. He stared at me. "I know it's weird." I said. That was the most common reaction to my name. I had always hated my name.

"I think it's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl." he said.

I had always hated my name until now.

Trying hard to keep my cool (and most probably failing miserably) I thanked him. "And yours?" I asked. "My what?"
"Name."
He laughed. "Mine's weird too. They call me Zen." I looked up from cutting the gauze. I had always thought Zen was, like, Buddhism. Though I think I love the word 'Zen' now.  

"I like your name." I managed, blushing furiously. Zen beamed. "Who's 'they', anyway?" I asked. No rhyme intentional. "Well, I don't really know myself. They're the ones who put wings on me. Scientists." he said. Whoa.

"God, did they kidnap you? Were you sold into it at birth? What happened?" I said, stunned. "U-Uhm, yeah." he said indirectly.

He didn't want to talk about it. I got it. I shut my mouth and stood up. "Done?" he asked, looking at his stomach. "Yup, all done." I said.

"Thanks," he said, smiling at me. He looked sooo like an Angel. He stretched his wings out, fluttering the feathers a bit, trying to get blood back into them. "Do you keep them tucked in all the time?" I asked. "Yea, most of the time. It fells good to get some air through them, though." Zen replied. "You can FLY with them? They're not just for show?! Really?" I said, ecstatic. It had always been a dream of mine to fly.

"Yeah." he said, enjoying my delight. After basking in my attention for a few minutes, and telling me all about flying, he said, "Anyway, I should leave now. Thanks for your help, Anastasia." he said, standing up.

As soon as he did, he clutched his side, wincing. "You should stay awhile. There's a guest room. You can have that one." I said.

He stared at me for a few minutes. ". . .You're a sweetheart, Anastasia." he said. My face flushed. "I don't know how to thank you." Zen went on. He grinned at me. "W-Well, what can I say?" I played it over.

For some reason, watching Zen walk out of my room, I had a feeling my life was gonna change drastically.

For better or for worse, you know?

T.A.A Chapter One "Tall, Light, and Gorgeous"

Chapter One

"Oh my goshhhhhhhh, he's hawt isn't he, Ana?" Poke asked, hugging my arm. I rolled my eyes. "You can be considerably annoying."
"And THAT, my friend, is why you love me."

I grinned. Poke (her real name was Cindy) had been my best (and only) friend since kindergarten. I called her Poke because her finger always found its way on my arm.

I glanced at the guy Poke called "hawt". Mid-teens, dark eyes and hair, scruffy. If he was a puppy, I'd take him home. Poke had already moved on to a different guy though, a skater. Poke was right on the money one minute, then ADHD the next.

Siiiiigh.

"Ahh, son of a biscuit, Poke. I gotta go now. Promised Mom I'd be home to say bye to her." I said, looking at my watch. " 'Nother business trip?" Poke asked, waving as I walked away. "As usual!" I said, laughing a bit. "See you, sweetie," Poke called. I said back, "Sweetie, you'll see me."

That was our thing, our goodbye. I have no idea how it started, so please don't ask.

So, Mom worked as a business woman, and she had it MADE. Big bucks were rolling in like stones. (Ha! See my pun?) She could have any, repeat, ANY big fancy house she wanted, and she chose one smack in the middle of the forest a mile outta town.

Walking home kinda sucked.

Pity-party over, I was dragging my feet against the asphalt, crossing the road, and already saw my lovely little forest (which was actually huge, since our town was pretty much surrounded by forest) and ducked under a few branches.

I walked next to the road, twigs and rocks crunching underneath my feet. It was incredibly eerie. I liked the silence though. "Jeezums, sometimesPoke is a little too much for me." I whined aloud. Actually, a lot of things were too much for me. I was a quiet girl, usually reading or something.

Not that I'm not cool or anything. Just sayin'.

Just then, I heard a car rev its engine. I ducked farther down into the darker parts of the wood. Safety precautions, you know? The guy could be drunk and ram into me or be a. . .Cough cough. Never mind that.

The car sped past, screaming coming from inside. As it passed me, the door opened and two men shoved a younger, shirtless guy out of the car.

I covered my mouth, horrified. I waited for the car to be a safe distance, then ran like hell over to the body laying crumpled on the ground. "W-What do I do?! What do I do?! Oh! One-one-nine! I mean Nine-one-one!!" I screamed, taking my phone out. My hands were shaking so much I dropped it.

The guy stirred. "Hold on! I'm calling the hospital! You'll be okay!" I said. He sat up with a sudden strength and barked, "NO!!!" I flinched. His adrenaline burst suddenly died, and he coughed, slumping back down onto his elbow, then easing himself onto his back. I noticed he was bleeding.

"Listen, dude, I don't know if you noticed, but you were thrown out of a FREAKING CAR. Might I add that the driver was speeding." I said, grabbing my phone. His hand gripped mine.

Uhm, despite he was just "thrown out of a freaking car", my heart lurched. He was drop-dead gorgeous. Angels, are you singing yet?

He had long blonde hair. No, really long. Like it hadn't been cut in five years. It reached his shoulders, in which it kinda flipped out to the side. His bangs were parted to the side, covering one of his silvery eyes. His face was perfectly chiseled. His shoulders and chest were large and broad. Six-pack, slim waist, long legs. I usually went for Tall, Dark, and Handsome, but I was all for Tall, Light, and Gorgeous.

Oh, by the way. I forgot to mention one minor detail.

He had wings.

~Intro~

Yes. A new blog. >:D Ha ha! Victorious! Anyway, we're going through the regular procedure, so just skim through it for a general idea of what this lovely story will be about. :)

Rating~

PG-13 for mild blood and gore, as always. There's-some-kissing-and-stuff. I believe that's it. xD

Plot~

Anastasia has a somewhat normal life. She's a regular sixteen year-old girl, never had a boyfriend, and only one friend. One day, her seemingly regular life is disrupted by a speeding car, and out of the car, a young man is dumped. And he has wings. So, what to do when a winged boy is dumped at your feet? Take him home, of course! The man introduces himself as Zen, a "seemingly" innocent man who was tampered with. However, when Anastasia meets more of Zen's kind, "Angels", she begins to dig into the dark secret Zen is keeping. What are "Angels"? What is Zen? And what is the "Diary of Prayer"? Anastasia needs to know, but if she's not careful, she may end up losing herself.

Sound interesting? xD

Enjoy. :)