cover pic from Google everything else is an origonal idea from me


Mom pushed me again telling me to wake up the last pie was finished and it was time to eat. I felt her lightly push me again and breathe my name against my ear. I pulled the covers closer around me wanting to sleep some more, she would save me some food if I didn’t make it to diner on time. But when I pulled on the cover she said ow and she sounded like a man. My grip tightened on the blanket,

who was that?

“Mom.” I complained weakly in my sleep.

I felt the covers tighten around me and she said my name again but her voice sounded wrong. I finally opened my eyes to see her crying I tried to ask what was wrong but suddenly I was miles away and she was running after me crying my name franticly. Trying to get to me before the white ball of light got to her, but she never made it.

“Jasmine! Jasmine!”

“Mom hurry you’ll be safe with Cory hurry Mom!”

I couldn’t run to her I could only stand and watch as the light caught up to her and burned her alive in the blink of an eye. But to me it seemed like an eternity. My eyes flew open and I gasped for air. I still clutched what I thought was a blanket in my dream. I looked down and saw a hand full of black feathers startled and worried I might have pulled some out I scooted away from him glancing around to see that we were save and of course we were.

“I’m sorry Cory I didn’t mean to hurt you I was having a bad dream.”

The very thought of it scared me and I wrapped my arms around myself. Shivering in the little room a little I didn’t actually remember. The last thing I remembered was running to his house on the outside of town. He said it would be safe for the first day but after that we would have to keep moving unless we found another two story house.

So could this be his house?

I looked around the room it was kind of small and empty. It had a mirror on the wall. Two chairs and a table in one corner and a mini kitchen in the one next to that, the corner closest to us had a small TV on a stand and what looked like a Ps2 controller on the floor in front of it. There was a door in the corner in front of the bed we were on and I guessed it lead to the bathroom.

The bed, that was what I was sitting on that made me weirdly aware that Cory was sitting there with me in all of his Goth guardian angel hotness. Its funny how you can throw a sweet guy into a girl’s English class and their friends and she won’t notice him but as soon as he goes all badass angel he’s hot and she does. I’m so terrible. I hung my head feeling ashamed of the things I thought of him. He of course had no idea why I was so glum.

“Jasmine its ok I’ll get you through this I promise. I’m sorry about your mom I should have come sooner if only I had she would have still been alive. We would be at your house eating her pies waiting the whole thing out there. But I was foolish and argued with Alex I was so foolish.”

His attempt to sooth me started to sound more and more like he was trying to make me hate him and hate himself for something he didn’t have control over. I shook my head scooted closer to him on the bed because he wasn’t stopping. But he still wouldn’t stop. He was so silly. I had finally had enough of his self loathing ramble and placed my hand on his face.

Looking into his hazel eyes I could see he really did blame himself for my mother’s death. He finally stopped talking and looked at me. I almost couldn’t remember what I was going to tell him his eye had changed so drastically when he looked at me.

“Cory, don’t do that. Don’t hate yourself for something you can’t control you did wh-”

“But I failed to-”

“Shhhhh-” I cut him off

“Jasmine your mothers dead I made a deal with God to succeed from the Holey army to protect both you and your mother. I failed.” He said cutting me off again.

I was at a loss for words. Cory took this as a chance to go on. I didn’t hear him because my brain was going ninety miles an hour.

He asked GOD if he could QUIT the HOLY ARMY. Can you even do that? Was Alex part of the holey army? What position was Cory? How did he even become an angel anyway? Would he be punished?

That idea scarred me so badly I started to shake. I think he noticed and he grabbed my forearm.

Concern on his face maybe because he was rambling about my mother but that didn’t worry me, although it probably should have I must be a bad daughter not grieving over my mother’s death but being around Cory it was hard to. I couldn’t explain it but when I was with him I was just so calm and happy, content. Like the whole end of the world thing the only time I was scared was when he was in trouble like now.

“Will they punish you?”

“What?”

“Cory will they punish you for protecting me, one silly little human instead of obeying God. Isn’t that what an angel is supposed to do?”

He looked hurt because I was saying I wasn’t a good enough reason for him to be here. He let out a long low breathe. He seemed antsy about something,

but what?

I was still so worried about him. I want him to be ok. If this was all for nothing and humans were to die anyway let him go free. He was an angel after all.

Which reminded me to ask him about that, later. I yawned and looked out the window it was getting dark. The first day of the end was well almost at an end. But I had to know if he was going to be safe. I turned back to him grabbing his arm to make him focus on me again because he had looked away at the TV.

“Cory please tell me will they punish you. Will God punish you for leaving?”

My voice sounded strange slowed from the needed sleep and the hysteria that was building inside of me. I felt like I was going to cry. If he didn’t tell me something soon I was going to think he was going to be punished and it was my fault. But I refused to cry in front of someone, even him.

After my father died in 9h grade I told him I would never cry again no matter what, only I had cried when I thought Cory had died back in town so I wasn’t about to do it again. So if that meant playing dirty to make him tell me I would.

“Cory.” My voice cracked and was really quite.

I guess he knew something was wrong I mean why wouldn’t it be right. He Looked surprised and his wings pulled back away from his body showing my angel friend sitting Indian style still shirtless. I kind of looked him over; yeah he was hot with or without wings. He pulled one of his wings back over half of him and my eyes shot back to his face. I was sure my face was red but my eyes still burned threatening to betray me. I sucked in air and tried again.

“Cory do you remember when we had English in ninth grade.”

“Yeah we got paired for a project and I had to come to your house.”

“Right and it was also the same night my dad died. Remember when I swore I would never cry over a man again.”

He wouldn’t say a word to me and I wasn’t sure if he knew where I was going or if he was totally lost. But I knew he didn’t know I was about to cry even if I didn’t want to I just couldn’t hold it in anymore. He would tell me the truth once I started crying, he hated to see my cry even if the last time I cried was seven years ago. He still told me he hated it when I acted like I was going to cry and he meant it.

“I couldn’t keep that promise to myself today. When you were passed out I was crying and I won’t cry over the same man again so tell me Cory will they punish you!” I had to raise my voice by the end because at some point in the middle the tear works began.

I just wanted to go to my room burnt or not and cry there alone where no one would see me let alone him. The one person I told I would never cry again and the one person I’ve cried twice over in one day. My Gothic angel wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap cradling me to him as I cried on his bare chest, stroking my hair as I wrapped my arms around his neck, and comforting me as I soaked him like a water hose. After I quieted down he slowly pulled me away from him and looked me in the face.

“Jasmine, I. The reason, Alex” He struggled for the right answer, “ no God wont punish me he lets us choose our path. A few others choose to protect loved ones here on earth and others who didn’t want harm to come to humans by their hands asked if he would allow them to stay in heaven and help the souls that come up"

He paused then continued, "I. I asked him if he would grant me leave from the Holy army to be by your side. He said yes the choice to bring about the end of something he wishes is up to me. If there was someone, someone dear to my heart on earth I didn’t want harmed then I was free to protect them without fear of his anger or my brother’s attacks.”

Stray tears began to fall down my cheeks as I listen to him struggle for words and to tell me how he felt. I didn’t deserve it. Only now was I noticing him when he had wings when he was an angel not when he was just my Cory. I think that dried up my tears finally or maybe I only had so much to give in one day.

Either way the tears ran dry and I felt bad again. The way he was holding me was so loving I just couldn’t let him keep doing this it was wrong. I got off the bed and stood there looking at him eyes red n puffy.

“Cory do you really love me?”

His eyes did it again changing making me lose my thoughts. He stood up inches from me, wings limp behind him. Then he fully understood my expression and his face fell looking so wounded. I was beginning to really hate myself. I looked at his hazel eyes so sorrowful.

“I know you don’t have to tell me Cory it’s just that.” I clenched my fist I didn’t want to hurt him.

“Cory, I don’t think its right before all this I never felt this way and now I do it seems like it’s because you’re an angel. Like I can only love part of you not all of you. It seems wrong.”

“Jasmine that’s not true.”

“How do you know?”

He smiled wide lighting up his whole face. I yawned again,

stupid sleep,

we had such important things to talk about without it interrupting at the worst times. He brushed back a loose strand of my blond hair. I wanted him to tell me things still about him and the whole angel thing. But first.

“How do you know Cory? Are you sure I don’t just love the angel you and not my Cory part.”

“Yes I’m sure God wouldn’t have let me go on a pointless quest away from the army at the most crucial point of the war if he wasn’t sure. So you know I am and you just called me your Cory.”

“I-”

I had just called him my Cory? I turned really red covering my mouth for whatever reason.

I said that out loud! Wait I call him that in my head? I didn’t even notice that!

He laughed for the first time since this whole thing started and I couldn’t help but smile at him. I always loved that laughed even in middle school when we first met.

I must like him all of him.

My Cory, the human part well I guess he was never human. So my Cory is an angel, a gothic hottie angel, my gothic hottie angel. I gave in and grabbed his hand which took him by surprise.

“How long is this end of the world thing going to last because I want to try.”

He was torn between a smile and a frown which made his face look disfigured somehow. He sighed and laced his fingers through mine looking off at the TV while he did it.

“Five days. The first day the Holy army goes to earth and destroys it with their light and blocks out the sun to make it very cold and dark. The second day is a day of destruction a global earthquake will cause the continents to move inward with wave one, wave two is fire different angels will burn cities and towns.”He stopped.

I had gasped and started shaking he wrapped a silken wing around me pulling me just a little bit closer to him. He squeezed my hand and mouthed the word sorry. I shook my head no reason he should be sorry he wasn’t doing any of this and I had asked.

“Please I want to know maybe we can save some people.”

“I can’t that’s the thing. An angel who has succeeded from one of the Armageddon armies can only protect the ones he has asked to not others. You are the only one I’m here for and can be here for Jasmine.”

“Oh.” Was all I could manage to say.

Shivers went down my spine,

Armageddon armies that meant more than one, how many more?

Cory felt me shiver and pulled me to the bed sitting me next to him. He was so much warmer than a blanket and his wing was so soft silk wasn’t even close to how soft some of his feathers were. I let him wrap it around me this time and lightly ran my hand over the feathers.

“Continue.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah we have to survive it I want to know what we’re in for.” I said sighing.

“Day three the Holy army returns but only the first division” He paused for a moment, “Um my division and we unleash hell hounds on the humans, Jasmine?”

I had stopped stroking his feathers and was looking at him his face looked agonized. I put my hand on his face again. This time he closed his eye leaning into it smiling and laughing quietly for some reason

had I missed a joke?

He whispered something I didn’t understand. Something about ‘angels on earth that run away from wars find real angels in flesh without wings that face down wars.’ But I was sure I had misheard him.

“And day five the earth will flood killing what humans remain. But some will survive and for the ones that do life will be better.”

“Better nothing will be left nothing but water.”
“No the water will recede and there will be one land mass again as it first was and the world will start anew.”

I yawned again. I needed to sleep and sleep well I had a feeling it was going to be hard to do soon. I yawned again bigger this time. I shook my head to fight it off but kept my eyes closed. Bad idea. I rested my head on Cory’s shoulder more exhausted then I thought and pulled his wing again to wrap around me. He said ow making me jump and fly forward off the bed landing; you guessed it, on the ground. Of course it would have helped if I would have let Cory’s hand go so he didn’t fallow me through the air.

He landed on top of me despite having wings. His face was so close to mine I could feel his breath coming in fast short pants against my own. I thought he was going to kiss me but then the house shook and the mirror that was hanging on the wall fell breaking into pieces.

Chairs toppled over and the house groaned and creaked before splitting in two. I screamed as a rafter fell down from the ceiling heading for my face. I was still under Cory so he scooped me up and rolled to the left bracing his back against the bed just as the rafted slammed into the floor where we had been.

I started shaking scared that I had come that close to being killed. Cory sat me on the bed while he grabbed a back pack from across the room barely dogging another rafter. He threw me the pack telling me to put it on while he looked around for something else. Cory seemed calm enough and I figure why wouldn’t he be I mean he was in the Holey army and all.

He knew what was going to happen. It gave me confidence to get myself under control if Cory could stay calm so can I. My shaking slowly stopped till it was a little twitch in my arm by the till Cory came running back with a rifle.

“Let’s go my house isn’t strong enough for a quake and the fires will start soon to. I didn’t know it was this late I’m sorry I thought you could get some sleep.” He smiled apologetically at me.

Then he looked at my tired face and my twitching arm his face looked sad. I absent mindedly put one hand on his face and shook my head.

“It’s ok I don’t think anyone’s getting much sleep.”

The side of his lips twitched in a smile. The house shook again throwing us off balance well throwing me off. Turns out angel wings not only help you fly and with good looks they give you good balance too. The pack Cory gave me was heavy and it pulled me back making me fall sideways toward the broken chairs.

From the corner of my eye I saw one of the chair legs broken off to a sharp point headed right for my abdomen. I yelped and closed my eyes as I tipped passed the point of no return.

“Jasmine!”

And then I stopped falling and a warm firm pressure held my waist. I opened my eyes and Cory was there next to me looking worried. I gave him a half smile that said I was sorry. He returned it. The house shook again making his expression change from one of worry to one of determination.

He never let go of my waist as he maneuvered us both through the falling house and out into the cold night air. Once we were out of the house he loosened his grip on my waist. I felt really tired all of a sudden and my legs fell out from under me.

“Jasmine are you ok?”

“Yeah I’ll be ok don’t worry Cory.”

He sprawled out on the ground next to me looking up to the night sky for a minute. The ground rumbled again protesting as it moved and shifted. I watched as Cory’s chest rose and fell, he was upset. He closed his eyes and turned his face away from me.

Whispering to me, groaning in frustration he said, “I’m trying to save you and what almost happens? Impalement by my own chair not death by something Armageddon related. I’m a horrible angel.”

“Don’t be silly I’m alive aren’t I.”

He wanted to protest I suspected, it was how he was, why he was silly. But he was surprised by how close I was again. I had moved closer to him and then leaned over top of him so I could look him in the face. His hazel eyes blinked and changed from surprised to loving and adoring. The earth shook again making my arms shake, or was it from the look he gave me? I pushed away from him then feeling my face heat up.

“Your being silly Cory. You’re doing just fine I’m still alive that’s all that matters.”

“Your right.”

He sat up behind me as the earth rumbled again and began to crack I looked back at him. He was already off the ground looking around for something. He held his hand out to me once I got up and I took it. I thought he would lead me somewhere else but instead he pulled me to him and picked me up. Smiling wide he spread his black wings and took off to the air.

I made a weird sound mixed between a scream and a laugh as he took off. It was so exiting to fly and so scary at the same time I wasn’t ready for it. The first part of the flight I had my face buried in his chest afraid of how high he was afraid I might get sick. He finally told me to look but I shook my head no.

He laughed and said it was ok it’s safe. I meekly pulled my face from his chest and looked down on the world. He wasn’t as high as I thought he’d be but it was still high enough that the fields and houses reminded me of Google maps. I smiled and laughed as geese flew by us protesting at Cory when he deliberately flew closer to any of them.

“You’re beautiful.” He said in my ear.

“Cory it’s the end of the world how can you think of such things.”

I mumbled through his chest I’m sure I was beat red. The fact that my face was buried in his chest didn’t help. I regretted saying that because I saw his face fall and I had thought the same things had I not. I clenched my fists I wasn’t being fair to him.

“You know you’re really hot.”

He didn’t answer me and I looked up he was red I couldn’t help but smile at him. He stammered out thanks and then turned a darker red. He cleared his throat and made a clear effort that he was concentrating on flying someplace. After a few minutes he cleared his throat again and seemed antsy.

“Say Jasmine you know I like you right.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you like me?”

This was kind of awkward I looked down and fidgeted in his arms. I thought about it for a moment did I like him? Then I remember the conversation we had in his house. I thought about my own feelings and answered him.

“Yeah Cory I do like you but you already knew that.”

He smiled and flied a little higher. “Yeah but it’s still nice to hear you say it you know.”

“Yeah.”

Did I ever.

I always felt so content around him and when he told me he liked me my heart did a flip. I never wanted to admit it to myself I guess.

I like my best friend who happens to be an angel. Oh and it’s the end of the world.

I looked out on the land below the fires had already started. I couldn’t tell what was from the day before or from the fires today. My face was still flush and I was still messing around with my hands when he asked me.

“Would you go out with me?”

My head shot up and I looked at him.

Was he serious?

He was. I couldn’t form the words I wanted to. I just looked into those hazel eyes to see if I could find the words I was looking for. The world was falling apart around us, but he didn’t care. He was supposed to destroy that world, but he didn’t care.

He had to tell God he wanted to quit the Holey army, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care because of a girl he loved and wanted to protect. I laid my head on his chest in hailing his sent.

“Yes.” I told him.

He smiled and flew like a maniac I had to laugh at him as if held on tighter to his neck. He landed not to long after that. He took my hand walking well almost skipping the rest of the way to somewhere. We made it halfway to the next town, I knew that because of a half intact road sign, when I had to rest I wasn’t use to walking so far.

Cory hoisted me onto his back and I rested on the way to town. I think I might have fallen asleep being there in the middle of those silken wings. I listen to Cory’s breathing and the next thing I knew I was out. Cory was calling my name telling me to wake up was he ran along and I heard screaming. Screaming that brought me back to reality and I saw fire lots of fire.

“Jasmine are you awake?”

“Cory where are we?”

“Harkin the second wave just started we should get to the sky soon.”

He slid me off his back I felt better. Whatever rest I got was enough for now it would keep me going. Cory grabbed my hand and we ran for some house’s there were still standing. Fire balls whizzed by our heads coming closer and closer. Somehow I didn’t think they would stay away like the white balls of light from yesterday did.

And I was right because one was headed right for me. I picked up speed hoping I could out run it. But I tripped over a piece of wood. Cory was there in front of me with a black feather in his hand.
Then he was up in the sky it parted above him and a fireball took out one of the angels that was shooting right at us, I covered a scream with my hands.

Why had he just killed another angel?

Didn’t he say his brothers wouldn’t hurt him? Now would he be punished?

He smiled weakly when he returned and turned away pulling a knife from his back pocket cutting his palm like Alex had. The feather sucked at his blood glowing white and then blue and exploding out from him the fire ball bounced off of the blue orb and landed thirty foot away on a house.

He gave me another weak smile and fell to one knee. I rushed to him worried he seemed worn out. He needed to rest too. He walked all this way with me on his back and then did that. Who knew what that took out of him. I took his face in my hands because he wouldn’t look at me until I did. He was pale and clammy panting from the effort.

He gave me that smile again and I smiled back worried. I saw another fireball coming for us and he did to somehow. He spun around holding the feather up and the blue barrier exploded out again from him bouncing the fire back away from us. He fell to both knees this time huffing but he kept the blue bubble up around us as he scanned around us.

“Cory, let it go. Cory, please. Drop it now Cory!” I yelled at the end.

He swayed back and forth like he was fighting to stay conscious. He had to let the barrier down now. When I yelled at him the last time I was standing over him fists clenched with a tear falling down my face. His eyes widened and he dropped the feather as he fell to his side.

I pulled his head to my lap brushing back his sweaty hair to see his face. His eyes were closed he had passed out finally. I checked the backpack to see what was in it. First aid, blankets, some water, pills, bullets, knifes. I pulled out a towel and dabbed his face. He moaned and turned the other way. I smiled and then felt hot.

I looked up to see a fire ball coming. It wasn’t coming right at us but it was close enough to hit us. I could out run it but Cory was unconscious and I can’t carry him. My heart raced. I shook Cory to wake up faster we have to move, fly, something other than the barrier.

That’s it.

I grabbed the knife and reached for the black feather but it shocked me.

Why did it reject me?

I didn’t have time for this I could feel the heat of the fire I cut my hand a bit deeper than necessary and grabbed the feather. It still shocked me bad. I almost dropped it and blacked out but I wasn’t going to lose my guardian angel to a fireball. He can stop them I can to.

“NO!” I screamed at to the top of my lungs.

My blood was seeping out of my hand I thought of that bubble Cory made and of protecting him even if it cost me my life. The shocking of the feather never stopped but I felt it suck my blood like it would except my blood and life to save Cory but didn’t like the idea of doing it nicely.

It felt like my soul was being sucked from me and that every shock I received was a direct line to my heart and was killing me, probably was for all I knew. There was a white light and then it turned blue as a bubble exploded around us. I don’t know why but a lot more fire balls came flying right at us.

I screamed louder and the bubble solidified instead of letting them bounce off they hit a wall of blue bubble and burned inches from my face. I never felt the heat and Cory was safe. He groaned again and jerked up right his wings limp behind him he heard me screaming and looked at me horrified.

“Jasmine what are you doing stop it you’ll kill yourself!”

“NO! It’s my turn to save you.”

My body convulsed I couldn’t take the electrical shock treatment anymore it was killing me. My head snapped back and I gasped for air as my lungs collapsed. Then I pulled in on myself wrapping tighter around the feather as it killed me. But I still had the need to keep the bubble up and for him which was silly because he was awake.

Cory grabbed my shaking arms and prided them open ripping the feather from me. The bubble never wavered but I did I fell into darkness as Cory caught me yelling my name in panic. I felt his wings wrap feathers that protect around me.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 30.05.2011

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