Fallen Sparrow

Holding my breath, my chest began to burn from lack of oxygen. The water around me was calm, but I was having to contain how frantic my body was becoming. I rose up from the water that was drowning me. It was hot enough to leave my skin red and sore, but I enjoyed the feeling because feeling anything at this point was an achievement in my state.

I felt the cold air hit my skin when I sat up in the bath. It was an old-fashioned, steel tub standing on brass feet. I didn’t want to speak. I didn’t want to move. I had dragged myself to the bathroom for a wash but ended up just soaking in the water.

I heard a knock at the bathroom door. “Miss Sparrow,” a gentle voice called out. The maid was a lovely, polite woman. I somewhat felt sorry for her. She’d been dealing with my behaviour since I got here. However, most of me didn’t care. I didn’t want to be in this room, in this house, in this realm. “Miss Sparrow,” she called out again.

“Unless death is here, I don’t want to hear it.”

“Sire requests that you are present for dinner.” The people in Chaos’ realm think he’s the highest of the gods. They’re fouls.

“Well tell him I said to fuck off. He’ll get the message,” I shouted back. I heard the scurry of feet disappearing quickly. I stepped onto the beige bath mat and took a towel from the rack. I didn’t bother to wrap it around me. I simply dried my skin with it then dumped it on the bed I’d spent the last three days in.

The oak window beams framed the dark sky outside and the looming mist around the building. It was an old English, Victorian manor house with all the luxuries you can think of. He was waited on constantly by doting staff, any mess he made was clean up almost as it was made and he had women prancing around like parade floats.

I stared absent-mindedly out the window at the stars.

“What are we doing here?” Axel held his hands over my eyes, while I interrogated him the whole journey. I could feel the tree roots trying to trip me up and a chilly breeze on my bare arms. I could hear the leaves crunching under my shoes. It was autumn. Despite my lack of vision, I knew that I was surrounded by bright shades of orange and red, quickly turning to a warm brown.

“Just be patient and keep walking,” he said behind me, attempting to hide his excitement.

We’d just ditched a charity ball filled with grumpy, sexist men to come to this mysterious place. I was still wearing the dress Maddie had practically forced me into. It was a short, black dress with a layer of red lace. My legs were on show up to my mid-thigh. I didn’t want the attention, but Axel said I looked great, which made me feel a little better.

We stopped. “Okay. We’re here,” he sounded like a kid at Christmas, waiting to open his presents, “are you ready?” His voice by my ear sent shivers down my spine. I gasped quietly. When he removed his warm hands, I could see we were surrounded by tall trees. We stood in a small clearing. He came around me to meet my eyes. Standing in front of me silently, Axel simply pointed up towards the sky. The black sky was painted with purple clouds and bejewelled with tiny, white lights. There was a spark in Axel’s eye as he gazed up at the constellations that would normally be hidden by the city lights.

It was like I was being shot in the heart every time I remembered. Wishing I could shut my brain off, I flopped down on the bed. I wanted to feel his fingers brushing against my skin. I wanted to hear his laugh. I wanted to see his bright smile. Knowing I would dream about him like I had every time I slept since he was taken away, I closed my eyes.

My back was warmed by another body. Axel tickled my ribs with his fingertips. He kissed behind my ear, quickening my breath. His hands clenched my waist hard. When his nails began to dig into my sides, I leapt from the bed. I was met with flaming eyes. I attempted to cover my naked body. “Get away from me.” Trying to contain my anger, it came out as a strained whisper. He got up out of the bed and strolled confidently towards me. Arrogantly, he stood in just his boxers in front of me.

“Come on, you were enjoying it. Stop fighting and give in,” he hooked his arm around my waist and pulled me towards him. As his lips touched me again, it made my skin hot. It was not a good feeling, it was a burning, sore hot. It felt like I’d turned to stone, hardened by my hate for him. In a second, he was against the wall after I threw him forcefully.

“I will NEVER give in to you! I will always fight you!”

Straightening himself out, he stood in front of me with clenching fists. “You’ve changed, Cora. What do you want from me?” Chaos yelled back at me.

“You are toxic. You made me into a person I hated. You told me you loved me, then you’d break me down until I felt like dirt on your shoe.”

He spent years breaking me down, turning me into his own personal weapon and abusing the trust I had for him.

“I took you in when you were so broken you couldn’t leave the house. I helped you grow. And I did love you.” He spoke gently like he did when we were arguing and he wanted an advantage over me. I use to melt at the tone, the softness and the smooth rhythm. Now, I won’t give in. I know who he really is.

“You don’t even know what love is if you believe that. I watched you flirt with other women right before my eyes. You cheated on me constantly. I was inconvenient to you unless I was naked or you wanted to a woman on your arm. Don’t give me that crap Chaos, because I see right through it.” Stomping out of the room, he muttered incoherent words to himself. I relaxed my hands from the fists they were in. As I stared down at my hands, I saw all the hurt I’d caused as well as the ones he’d hurt too unnecessarily.

A monster was waking inside me. Claws scraped on my insides. I could hear it in my head and feel it in my clenched muscles. I could see what I needed to do… for Axel.

“Where is she?” a stern voice shouted. The familiar sound brought me a strange sense of comfort. I headed silently to the wardrobe. I pulled on a pair of tight, black jeans; a camouflage green shirt; and the leather jacket Axel brought me. After I got here, Chaos sent his minions to raid my apartment for my belongings. Slipping on a pair of sneakers, I headed out of the room and down the stairs. Each step was louder than the last as I plodded down.

He had dark hair like his brother, Chaos, but instead of being clean cut and perfectly styled, he had long hair with a dust of facial hair around his chin. Chaos was stood in a navy shirt and tailored trousers. Death showed he hadn’t embraced modern times. Unlike Chaos, he didn’t leave his realm very often. His black cape disappeared as it approached the ground. It slightly hid his medieval style clothing. I always loved his boots. I’ve never found anything like them. The auburn coloured leather had a unique, red shine. They were never scuffed despite how much I knew he trained.

“I need you to come with me.” It wasn’t a command. He spoke softly and reached out welcomingly with his hand. I smiled triumphantly as I glanced over to see Chaos’ possession burning into his expression.

“No arguments here.” I placed my hand enthusiastically in his and he rolled his eyes, frowning. Pulling me out of the front door, I listened just after it closed and I heard the crashing of furniture. It was Chaos. He was angry. It was just what I wanted.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” I asked. I saw Death smirk devilishly and then my body jolted as we were warped through into his dimension.

The sun never touched the sky of Death’s realm and the trees never wore leaves of any colour. There’s no technology and he spent his days in a stone castle. I’d been there before, actually many times. Guarding the structure was five wide turrets, forming a pentagon, with a larger one in the centre. It stretched up into the grey clouds. Thunderstorms roar frequently in Death’s realm. He told me that he believes they are created by his father’s resentment towards him.

He’s the quieter of all of the siblings. He’s an outcast amongst them. Rumours say he wasn’t supposed to be born. Naturally, as Satan’s twin, they hold similar positions, but he always does the dirty work.

After following his cloaked figure through long corridors, we enter his office. He opened the door and let me enter first. I was hesitant at first but found no reason why he’d want to lock me in the room. Actually, despite his reputation amongst the humans, Death is very passive and is probably the least likely to become aggressive in any way.

“Take a seat,” he gestured towards a cushioned seat facing his desk. I watched him place his cloak on a coat hook and take a seat behind a grand, thick, wooden desk. “So where have you been?”

I smiled, “why do you bother to ask? You already know.”

“I can only watch. I want to hear it from you. I want to know what the hell you were thinking.”

I looked him straight in the eyes, “I was done being your brother’s prisoner. And I was done doing being your spy. I wanted out. I wanted my own life. I didn’t want to take orders anymore.”

“So, you don’t take orders as a detective?”

I tilted my head, “touché. But with them, it was simpler. I didn’t have to worry as much about being stabbed in the back.”

He nodded acknowledging my opinion, spinning a pencil between his fingers. “I have to say, I didn’t prefer the blonde hair,” he stated randomly. I’d dyed my hair purple after I left chaos’ realm. I wanted to flip him off, but before I could his office door opened and a striking girl came in. She was wearing a pale blue dress and had blonde hair that was almost like snow. “Sweetie, have you seen my bookmark?” She looked up and her eyes widened, “I apologise, I didn’t realise you were in a meeting. I’ll come back later.”

“Don’t worry. It’s only Cora. I think you left it on your bedside table in our room.” I heard the door closed, before looking at him with raised eyebrows.

“I bet you did like my blonde hair,” I winked at him suggestively, “find a special friend while I was away?”

He frowned, “I never looked at you like that. And don’t call her my special friend.”

I shrugged. I’d noticed the way he looked at her. Axel use to look at me like that, but I’d never fully admitted it to myself that he was expression affection on another level. My body felt heavier with the thought. I wanted to leave.

“So, what are you going to do now?” he caught me before I could exit the room. I stared him straight in the eyes.

“You’re going to take me back to Viridity City and then I’m going to kill your brother.”