Saving Heaven
Written for Bi-Visibility Day.
Saving Heaven
I’d broken away from all that religious nonsense several years before the incident, and was living estranged from my family for the effort. It was a Thursday when the knock at the door came. I pulled it open and an older man in a fine but dated suit stood there, he was of a slight frame and muscle toned, in short he was the kind of guy I would fancy but would decide was too old for me. He had thick curled hair that sat around his face, it had once been black but was no more.
‘Hello?’ I said puzzled.
‘I am looking for the witch,’ he said.
I paused for a moment and then slammed the door in his face, anger pulsed in me. He knocked again, I stood not sure what to do, he knelt down and opened the letter flap, ‘I can shout my business here or you can let me in.’
Sighing I unchained the door, he was brushing himself off. He smiled, it dimpled his only slightly haggard face in an annoyingly cute way. ‘Better,’ he said stepping in. I shut the door and turned to demand what he wanted but he had moved off and into my kitchen. There was the repeated clamour of cupboard doors being opened and shut. He’d put the kettle on, he’d actually made himself at home!
He turned round and gave me the cheeky grin once more, then he sobered, he radiated a sorrow and the tongue lashing I was going to give withered. ‘Heaven is invaded.’
I stared at him, what was he talking about?
I was used to hysterical religious types hunting me down, either to try and extricate the devil or to plead I work God’s miracles. I had seen through the whole lot when I was about 14 but it had taken me until I was 19 to completely pull away, psychic churches were hard to leave, any religion is hard to leave.
Part of you never does leave and it is the part I was always fighting and here was this idiot trying to drag me back into the madness. I realised I was grinding my teeth.
I took a deep breath, ‘I think you need help.’ I said it as kindly as I could but he misunderstood me and nodded.
‘Yes very much, that is why I was sent to find the witch only they told me you had left, they didn’t tell me you where a boy, they said you don’t believe anymore. I can see that this maybe the case but it does not matter, you do not need to believe to help us. Do you have any sugar?’
To my amazement I pointed to the cupboard where I kept the sugar. ‘Are you a friend of my parents?’ I asked slumping down on one of my beige Ikea kitchen chairs, the sort with the metal frame.
‘I know of them, they are psychic fools, you know? Been deceived by all the hippy stuff, nice people but deluded, you though, you I can feel from here. Maybe once they had it, I don’t know.’ He paused in the act of adding the too mounded tea spoon of sugar to his mug, he seemed to freeze for a moment and then sigh. The scratching clink of the spoon was somewhat annoying and I wasn’t sure if I was impressed or insulted.
‘I really can’t help you, I don’t do that stuff anymore.’ I made a conscious effort to unball my fists and drape my hands in a more relaxed manor in my lap. He just smiled, dimpled cheeks and all and bought me my favourite mug – a little sailor dragon going on holiday.
I took the mug, and fell into his well timed trap, his skin touched mine, no more than an accident but far more than on purpose, his vision rammed into me and I saw great winged creatures shooting up into the sky and turning urgent somersaults. I smelt the burning of the citadel below them, heard the screams of souls in anguish.
I shuddered back to myself, sloshing scolding fluid onto my hands, I swore and almost dropped the mug, would have if his hands had not gently been there to rescue it for me.
Swallowing I tried to get back the initiative, ‘who are you?’ it would have worked better if it had not been such a breathy whisper.
‘Pahaliah, don’t try to get your tongue round it, you will only fail, call me Pal.’ He stroked my hand and I felt my heat rise, I was about to embarrass myself and he knew it. I shook him off in annoyance.
Smiling he stepped back, giving me room. He turned his back and I saw the glimmer of wings, just a faint outline, not really there, they could not exist in this realm. Shakily I grabbed my tea needing to sip.
‘Oh little non believer, what am I to do!’ he announced looking back at me from over his shoulder. ‘You are a pretty boy, boy witches are rare you know. Just say you will expel the deamons and I will break my vow for you.’
‘Your vow?’ I stammered, blushing and thinking I should have asked about expelling deamons.
‘I vowed 500 years ago that no one would share my bed, your books record us wrongly, we are not sexless, no never that, it’s just we may choose and change. Ah I see that pleases you.’
I cringed at my body and tried to hide slumped in on myself. ‘Say you will help! Say you will save heaven!’ His voice was harsh now.
‘I don’t know how!’ I whined.
‘All you need to do is try!’
The space between us was covered in moments and he raised me from the seat, he seemed bigger now, ‘help me?’ I whispered and he nodded, the dimpled smile playing on his lips as he lent in for our first kiss.
Posted: Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014 @ 7:45 am
Categories: Flash Fiction.
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