• Ever since Damien was young he was told he was evil, dangerous and not to be trusted. He

    was damned from birth. But as he looked into her eyes he wondered just who it was that would

    decide his destiny.

    **********

    As Clair walked down the hall she felt it again, the feeling of eyes on her. She instinctively

    quickened her pace. Of course people are watching you your practically sprinting down the

    hallway. she told herself. But still... It's different; It feels, cold in a way. Oh, what are you

    saying, its just one of you classmates wondering what in hell your doing like anyone normal

    person would! She talked to herself sometimes. In her distracted haste Clair failed to watch

    where she was going which resulted in one of those cliché moments where a girl bumps into a

    boy and her papers and books go flying everywhere.

    "I'm so sorry!" She apologized, forgetting what was what for a moment.

    He ignored her and walked off, that's as far as reality kept at bay. He didn't offer to help or

    even glance at Clair herself. This wasn't surprising. Boys avoided Clair. To tell the truth so did

    everyone.

    Oh come on! That was Dylan Mason! I never get a break. She thought crossly. What makes

    me so unapproachable? That was always the question.

    There didn't seem to be anything wrong with Clair at all. She had mahogany hair and deep

    blue eyes that almost seemed violet. She usually blamed her exile on the eyes though, she

    thought they made her look witchy. But other than that she was quite pretty. Her face was round

    and her lips full. She had the "hourglass" figure that every girl would kill for. Maybe it was her

    clothes? Her typical look wasn't much to brag about. She wore artfully faded jeans and T-shirts,

    usually with intricate designs on them.

    The final bell rang.

    "Crap! I still have to turn in this paper before I go!" Clair yelled, mentally chiding herself for

    forgetting. Luckily the hallways were emptying now and she could make her way more easily to

    her English lit. class. Mrs.Crilder even gave me the rest of the day to finish it. Leave it to me to

    still be late turning it in because I offered to erase the board after math for Mr.Grennic. How was

    I supposed to know that It would take that long? Whatever what's done is done and I can’t go

    back even if I wanted to. God I want to! Clair saw the door just ahead and pushed herself faster.

    She burst in the door, making quite a scene.

    "I got... the... paper.... Mrs.Crilder..." She said between pants

    "Well Clair it seems you made it just in time, but next time please try to get it done at home,

    alright?"

    "I would have its just-"

    "I know Hon, just relax. It’s done now and that's all that matters." She said with a motherly

    smile. It was obvious that it was hard for Mrs.Crilder to be nice. She was only human after all,

    and humans just didn't like Clair. She gave a sharp nod before turning to leave. She ran to the

    bike rack, slightly embarrassed by the fact that she was the only senior without a car. Her family

    just didn't have the money and what she made at her part-time job went to the tuition for her

    school, either way no one ever noticed.

    Clair went to Caitlin Gable Private School in Portland, Oregon. It was an amazing place to say

    the least. They had great extra curricular activities like drama and sports. Most of the students

    were on interscholastic sports teams. The 54-acre wooded campus had four soccer fields, a real

    track, two outdoor and two indoor tennis courts, a gym, and even a weight room. The woods

    surrounding were Clair's favorite place in the whole world. She could sit under the trees and be

    whoever she wanted to be. It was a shady place to read in summer and an incredible scene to

    see in winter. In the spring the wild flowers grew everywhere, ranging from deep purple to

    scorching orange. Fall, when all the leaves changed, it was an endless field of amber and ruby.

    Clair was riding fast back home, the trees and houses blurring to a gray-green wall beside her. It

    was winter but the first snow fall was yet to come. She wondered if this was what flying felt like.

    Then again many people have wondered this. Clair saw her house and slowed down. No matter

    how long she lived here and how many times she saw it she never could get used to the dark

    red house on the corner. It was such a vibrant and seductive color she was nearly taken into a

    trance every time she saw it. Her classmates called it the blood house, said the last person who

    lived there was a murderer and painted the house with his victims blood. The souls he reaped

    still haunt the house to this day. Perfect, a cursed house for the witch girl. Clair didn't even come

    close to believing this. She was sensible. Besides, she thought I think I would have noticed some

    "revenge seeking" spirits after living here for seven years. Heh, ghosts, right. She turned into the

    drive way and hopped off her bike to walk it to the back yard. Like anyone would steal a bike

    from a high school senior, they would feel too much pity to take it. She then took the two stairs

    to the back door and walked inside.

    The inside of the house wasn't much different from the outside. Clair’s parents liked dark

    colors so they had cherry wood paneled walls, a black leather couch and arm chair and all the

    few paintings that hung on the wall were of in black and white (and that's just the living room).

    In a way the room reminded Clair of herself, dark, soft and completely out of the ordinary.

    "Mom, Dad, Tyler?!" She yelled. No reply. Not ever Tyler, her little brother, was home.

    "Must be out shopping or something." she told herself, but she didn't believe it a bit. Her

    parents often went out to avoid seeing her. She pulled herself up the stairs to her room. Clair's

    room was more like a studio apartment. She had a king size bed, a deep blue couch, a small TV,

    a desk with a computer and a microwave on it. She loved her room because it was her own. She

    could lock herself away for a few hours to cry or blast her favorite songs on the radio. Life was

    good when you were free to freak out over small things and scream where no one would notice

    you. Clair flopped onto her couch and brought out that nights homework. She had a science

    Project, math assignment and had to finish reading Hamlet for lit. class, nothing major.

    "Uhg, I hate homework on weekends." Clair complained. She did hate it but she had to do it to

    keep from being bored. When she was bored Clair tended to reflect on her life, and that was

    never good. When she was younger, around three or four that is, Clair had friends but over the

    years they grew farther and farther apart. They moved to Portland from L.A. when she was ten

    years old and enrolled her in Caitlin Gable. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Shainson, had thought it

    would be a good opportunity for Clair to make new friends. She never did. She became the social

    outcast and eventually they even stopped insulting her. That was the worst, worse than her

    parents pretending she didn't exist or her little brother wanting her dead, she knew he did, he

    wrote it in his notebooks. She could handle everyone hating her, at least that was an emotion,

    but this exile, this indifference she couldn't take. Clair finished her home work and at nine and

    went to bed.

    The rest of the weekend passed without much event. Clair spent her time writing music and

    rereading her extensive collection of books. Her parents returned home Sunday with Tyler in

    tow. He was upset about not getting to go to some party. He was at the age were the parties he

    went to were likely to have drugs and alcohol a plenty. Clair knew her brother already did drugs.

    She often wondered how her parents hadn’t noticed yet. Tyler was depressed so he used the

    drugs to feel numb, if only Clair had such an escape. But she couldn’t ever do something like

    that because once, when she was twelve, she had a real friend. Clair can’t remember his name

    but she does recall promising him that she would always take care of herself, or at least try to.

    He was left behind when Clair and her family moved to Portland. The next year all Clair could

    remember about him was the promise she made.

    Monday morning Clair woke up with fresh tears spilling down her face. She had had a dream

    that she hadn't had since she was thirteen and had hoped to never have again. She was alone in

    a field of daisies at night and she could feel the ice eyes on her. She started running but in the

    painfully slow run of a dreamer. When she finally got out of the field she was in a forest of

    evergreen. Clair's dream self meanders through the dense vegetation until she came to a brook.



    She looks in the water and sees something glowing at the bottom. Clair reaches in and grabs it,

    it's hot but not in an uncomfortable way. She always wakes up before she finds out what it is

    and cries. She wants to know what it is so bad because she knows it is the secret to being

    everything she wants to be.

    Angry at herself for crying Clair goes downstairs to see if anybody's awake yet. Her mom and

    Tyler were fighting again. This time about him cutting himself, that was a new one. Poor Tyler,

    Clair thought. this is all my fault! Why did this have to affect him too? Clair was done listening

    and decided to skip school and go for a bike ride. She felt better once she was on the rugged

    path through the woods, letting her soul be free. A few tears even slid out as she thought of how

    life should be. But don't think of that now of you'll run into a tree or something. You just aren't

    normal and for some reason everyone forgot you exist. Big deal. I mean who needs them. Bunch

    of stuck up preps. Yeah your fine on your own. Hey wait, watch out! Her mind was screaming

    the warning but Charlotte didn't look in time. By the time she did look she was sailing head first

    over the edge of a small cliff. Her head hit a rock jutting out of the side of the cliff before she

    could think. But if she could have thought something it would have been: s**t! Not very

    sentimental, I know.

    ****************************

    "Damien! Come on we've been called up for an assignment." yelled a pretty blonde from one

    side of the dark room.

    "I'm coming, stop yelling at me!" Damien yelled back. He was royally pissed at having to do

    work in the after life, he was an Angil after all. Not the kind you read about in the bible but the

    real kind. There were two different sorts of Angils. Shadow Angils and Light Angils. Shadow

    Angils had more dark energy and controlled things such as the night, ice, the moon, and were

    considered the all around "evil" ones. Light Angils had control over things like heat or fire, plants

    and were loved by all. Humans had a perfect balance of the energies. Damien was a Shadow

    Angil. The assignments he and the other Shadow Angils got were going to a recently dead body

    with another Shadow and two Light Angils to judge if the former human was "good" or "bad". On

    rare occasions they were given a second chance. That's why they always sent a "reader" from

    the shadows to tell if their soul was pure or not. You get the picture.

    "Really Damien why can't you just be ready to go when we need you! It’s inconvenient to come

    all the way here to get you." The girl said now.

    "I read souls not minds Nora, don't forget it."

    "I thought I told you to call me Sapphire! Uhg, Nora is such a plain name."

    "Fine, whatever." Damien shook his head. He never caught a break with "Sapphire" who had

    been his best friend since they were born. They couldn't be separated. But now Damien

    understood how people said Hell was being trapped in a room with your friends for eternity. Why

    can't I just get her to leave me alone for ten seconds!? I mean really you would think after 14

    years of life and 3 years of this torture she would take a hint and go away! Damien thought

    angrily.

    "Why are you moping?" Sapphire said and then after Damien didn't reply "Oh I get it now."

    "Do you really."

    "You're upset because I have a cool nick-name and you don't! Well, let’s see. What would me a

    good nick-name for Damien...?"

    " Uhg, you don't get it at all. And I don't want a nick-name."

    "Sure you don-" She was silenced by and icy glare from Damien. "So I have a question for

    you."

    "Go ahead."

    "How do look?" she asked blushing.

    Startled Damien took a long look at her. Sapphire had shoulder length, spiky gold hair and

    wide, aquamarine eyes. Her lips were full and pouty. Heh, full and pouty wouldn't be too bad for

    describing her personality either. Full of herself that is. She was wearing a gray and black ultra

    mini skirt, a red tank top and a black and red hoody. Her clothes both exposed and concealed

    her body. She did look pretty good. "Um, well I hope I'm not being weird but, yea you do look

    pretty damn hot right now. What's the catch?"

    "Oh I didn't tell you? We are being paired with Cable, as in The Ca-"

    "As in my little brother." Anytime some one brought up Cable, Damien got mad. His brother

    wasn't living in this Hell. No he was above us all just radiating light and sipping wine with their

    parents. Lucky him. How did he even get in with the lights anyway? He was much more cruel

    than me. This is not fair. But of course he knew exactly how his brother who ran over dogs and

    set cats on fire was worshiped while he, Damien, who was innocent as can be and spent his time

    writing poetry, had been sentenced to eternal shadows and darkness. Damien shook his head I

    sound like a jealous little kid.

    "I - I guess he is. But he's only younger by one year! And, I mean he's just so full of, oh I don't

    know."

    Damien could think of a lot of things his brother was full of but settled on the nicer, easier path.

    "He's full of light and energy, I know."

    "Hey maybe if you clean yourself up you could get a date. I hear he's coming with Leah

    Cester."

    "Thanks so much for the advice. Let go already." As they were leaving Damien couldn't help

    glancing in the mirror. His green eyes shone back at him like thin cut emeralds held up to the

    sun. He needed a hair cut soon. His light brown hair had grown out so that his hair constantly fell

    into his eyes. He was pale, but then again he was dead. Cable look like he could almost be

    Damien's twin rather than his younger brother. Only now everything about Cable was brighter

    and had gold in it. For Damien the opposite was true, he was darker and looked as if he were

    swathed in shadows. All park of the job. Damien thought sarcastically to himself.

    Two minutes later Damien and Sapphire were speeding down the road in a midnight blue

    Porsche Boxster, not really very inconspicuous but, hey, most people expected Angils to come

    riding down from the sky in a silver chariot or fly down on giant bird wings. Yeah right. Where do

    people get these ideas? I mean really, it's just so- Damien was cut off mid-thought because

    Sapphire was slowing down and pulling up to the curb.

    "What's up?" Damien asks suspiciously. He never trusted anyone anymore.

    "The body for examination is in this area of forest, out about five or six miles." Sapphire

    replied, mechanically repeating the directions one of the lead instructors had given her before

    they left the HQ (for the less informed HQ means Head Quarters.). HQ was a lot like boarding

    school for dead high school students. Lessons and such, room and board for life, or eternity as it

    was. The lessons were very different though. Things like drawing the energy of shadows around

    you for power and soul reading were taught. When you completed all the lessons you were sent

    into the primary work source. The same was not said for the Light Angils of course. They were

    considered the good guys and therefore got special treatment. Instead of "Boarding School" they

    got a five star hotel. No lessons and no hard work. sometimes, if none of the Light Angils want to

    work they would just send three Shadow Angils out. More than enough to handle things but not

    enough to completely destroy anything. Most of the Shadow Angils wouldn't even consider

    hurting human because they had been there, done that. But according to the "Heavenly Ones"

    they were not to be trusted. Being a Light Angil was a high honor because it supposedly meant

    you had lived without sin and you were pure. As if, they are not pure by any means, Damien

    thought with spite They think they're so great, they don't even lift a finger to help a mortal. In truth

    they have taken their honor and power and misused it. At least we try to help the good of

    mankind.

    "Um, Damien? Are you there?" Sapphire inquired

    " What?"

    " Wow, space out much? I said 'Glow Boy and Co. coming up quick.'."

    " 'Glow Boy and Co.'? whatever happened to 'The one and only Cable' ?"

    " Why are we quoting each other any ways? "

    " Good point. "

    " It was a question not a point but thanks anyway. "

    " Of course, my most sincere apologies ma'am. " Damien started cracking up but stopped

    himself because of the way Sapphire was looking at him. " Sorry, let’s go. "

    " So you want the details on the girl? " Sapphire asked when they started walking.

    " The Angil girl or dead girl? " Damien said, answering her question with another question.

    " Take your pick. " Sapphire tittered

    " Ok let’s hear about the dead girl. "

    "Her name is Clair Shainson, she's 17 years old, and she's dead. Need to know anything else?”

    " No that's enough, I'll know more soon. "

    " True my friend. " Then it was silent because they could feel the power of the other two Angils

    drawing ever closer. Their aura was blinding to the Shadow Angils, who never grew to like the

    light. Damien and Sapphire felt themselves slip through the protective barrier that had been but

    up. It made the golden light radiating from the Light Angils easier to bare. A few feet farther

    down the street Cable and the famed Leah Cester came into view. In all respect Leah was a

    beautiful girl. Her hair was pale blond, so mush so that it was nearly white but with the trademark

    gold spun into it. Her eyes were as brown, again with gold flecks shining in them. She was tall

    and skinny but not flat. Not my type, Damien thought immediately. Then there was Cable. He

    looked much like Damien but with gold everywhere about him and he was just a little shorter.

    Cable had lighter hair and eyes and he always seemed to be smiling. As Damien and Sapphire

    climbed down into the deep ditch Sapphire went to stand with Leah who was staring greedily at

    Cable.

    " Don't stare it's impolite. " Sapphire whispered snidely to Leah as she walked to stand by the

    golden air head.

    " I wasn't, " protested Leah in a loud whisper " I'm just observing, this is my first time in the

    field. "

    " My apologizes. "

    " I'm sure. Ya know your one to talk, I mean your practically drooling over his brother and-"

    Leah shut up then because Sapphire was glaring at her like a hungry wolf. Standing a few feet

    away Damien was giving Cable this same stare but with triple the intensity. Cable gave a small,

    grim smile in return.

    " It's been too long brother. We should have arranged this meeting sooner. " Cable said

    tauntingly to Damien.

    " Too long, not long enough, same thing. " Damien replied, putting as much ice into his voice

    as he could. By the time the words came out you could almost feel a drop in temperature, his

    voice gave Sapphire and Leah chills. Even Cable shivered lightly.

    " Now don't tell me your scared Damien, really I would have thought you had been planning

    this day for the past three years. But no, certainly not, you were off in corner sulking because you

    weren't good enough to become like me. It’s funny to think how that turned out. Do you still

    remember the pain of the day you died for me? I'm sure you do so don't say you've forgotten."

    " I could never forget, now enough stalling, let’s get to the point. "

    " And what point would that be dear brother? "

    " I did not come to fight I came to work, now can we please get this over with? "

    " Surely. " Damien left his spot to examine the body. Her hair was as black as midnight, her

    skin as pale as the moon. She was beautiful, but Damien had seen plenty of beautiful girls, it was

    her heart he was to read to decide her fate. Damien gently laid his hands on her body, one on

    her chest, by her heart, and one over her mouth, the door to life. The whole clearing got lighter,

    all the shadows cast by trees and the solid rock wall to the left vanished.

    " What's happening? " Leah asked anxiously.