Post by Dawnfire on Apr 4, 2017 18:36:27 GMT 10
Prologue
To strangers passing by, the women’s actions would seem strange and not far from insane. She was far too acclimated with their scorn and shrewdness. As she traipsed her way up the uncracked concrete of the small city’s pathway she notice that growing between the slates of concrete were the small tufts of grass that one would not usually notice within a metropolis. All those workers who continuously work on jobs that in the old days would be considered servile, solely to produce a perfect city where visitors jaws would drop at the beauty of such a magnificent example of man-made creation. Aiyanna strode, gracefully as always with an air of dangerous instability. Passing by her people shuddered, the way a child can sense the nature of a person merely by viewing them.
She shifted her coat closer to her body, cuddling into the warm it provided her with. Aiyanna stilled to lean against the gates of the hospital, her breathe releasing into small clouds. It was strange to think of, but she wondered for a small fragment of time if there was a religion where a god or deity would breathe out literal clouds of… well, clouds. She giggled quietly at the thought and stared up at the dull, gray winter sky. It was like a painting done by the saddest of children, a fitting scene for the families who walked by, their faces painted portraits of sadness. Could one class the pain they felt as ‘sadness’ or would it be offensive to downgrade their pain to such a weak synonym?
The short haired woman drew back her parka’s sleeve, checking the watch that constricted her wrist in a reminder of the fading time. She wondered how much longer those people in the hospital had- some of which were children whose clocks ticked too fast and mercilessly. Fate could really be a bitch. And as she fingered her necklace around her neck, she bit her lip, waiting for her next target’s family to exit. She knew their number plate, their car and all the members of the family. With all the hidden weapons on her person, she knew this would be an easy task. The kid was hardly a teenager for the star’s sake.
Aiyanna watched the car drive out of the exit, the people inside once again poised with masks of morbid plaster descended on their beings. She pulled down her own, her brow knitted with upset as she slowly moved towards the entry way of the human death bed centre. She stood in front of the technologically delayed doors, watching the glass pull back as the sensor finally picked up her presence. The woman strode forward and glanced around, already feeling as though the sanitising agents clung to her pores, fighting the diseases and infections that were trying to do the same. She was paranoid about hospitals- did all of her healing naturally.
The stramineous haired woman made her way to the front desk and after a short conversation she was allowed up to the room given to her target. As she passed through the hallways she found herself once again reviewing the sombre faces of the inhabitants. How the hospitals were titled as places of miracles. But if you hung around and took the time to learn death rate statistics, you’d find that 50% of the nation’s deaths were from people admitted into this place. That simply says that the people here weren’t very helpful.
Just as they wouldn’t help this child.
They couldn’t.
She walked into the room and closed the door. The woman produced a piece of paper from her pocket, taking her gloves off to push them in her pocket. She followed the instructions written in scrawled writing. First she knew she had to set the room up. She pulled out a box, flicking it open as the sound of the clip unlocking joined the sound of the little girls worked breathing. She walked over to the girl with a piece of red string. Aiyanna slowly traced the girl’s body outline with the cord and walked back to the box. She fingered a small bottle and moved over to the girl, humming a soft song. Glancing up at the monitor she noted that it would not be long before the girl died. She hummed a tune of forgiveness, and morbid death as she always did when carrying out a job. She traced the girl’s soft lips. Lips that would never know what it was like to be kissed by a person she loved.
Innocent lips that never spoke a bad word.
Innocent lips that would never speak another word.
She watched the monitor, watching the slow beeping jumps. Jumps that made her think of a rabbit, jumping through a mountain, or a field, heavily panted in the purple heather. Moments before a wild hunter pounced in it and killed that line. Causing it to flat line. The women caressed the face of the little bunny, watching the soft features of the girl move under her fingertips. How the pressure from her fingers drew her skin to mould around it. Black descended from her fingertips, tracing out the girls features. She knew this wasn’t what killed her. It never did. But even as Aiyanna focused in on the girl’s memories, she knew this girl would die in a matter of minutes.
It is okay my dear… The pain will be over soon, you’ll leave, you’ll go to a better place. She purred sweetly in the girl’s ear as she curled up against her. The girl shook her head, her crying getting harder. As she clung to her weakly, Aiyanna reached to stroke the girl’s soft, brunette hair.
I know you love flowers, you always loved flowers, didn’t you? Her voice was once again soothing as the girl nodded and rubbed her eyes gently, looking up at Aiyanna in sadness.
Please… Please… Someone…
The little girl’s sobbing voice filled and echoed in the darkness she had descended into, and Aiyanna strode around a corner, through a doorway as the twelve year old’s voice filled her ears, echoing.
The walls of the home would be viewed as the average household, only, it was under a darker hue. This girl was living her final moments in the place that defined her afterlife. She sat, crying in fear as Aiyanna moved over to her, her strides making it seem as if they had all the time in the world. The worst thing to do was to panic the person on their deathbed. And so, she knelt down on the dark, urban style rug, and reached out for the poor girl. She trembled and reached out for her. Every inch of her skin was covered with the same dark veins her touch had caused, likely throbbing with pain. They had spread into the rug, reaching out to the ground, like a cat digging its claws into the bunny rabbit- stilling its heart.
It is okay my dear… The pain will be over soon, you’ll leave, you’ll go to a better place. She purred sweetly in the girl’s ear as she curled up against her. The girl shook her head, her crying getting harder. As she clung to her weakly, Aiyanna reached to stroke the girl’s soft, brunette hair.
I know you love flowers, you always loved flowers, didn’t you? Her voice was once again soothing as the girl nodded and rubbed her eyes gently, looking up at Aiyanna in sadness.
Sadness… There was that word again. She was so used to it that she was almost numb to it. The same way a married couple who was once taken away by someone’s smile would soon just accept it as part of the daily routine and it would lose its shimmer of fantail. She had gotten acclimated to the sad looks of the people she guided into the afterlife. It was nothing new and yet it still tugged at her to see such a little girl, an innocent twelve year old girl- die.
I do… I like flowers the most…
Aiyanna nodded and smiled down at her, Watch this my sweet.
She helped the girl stand and pulled a knife out, cutting away at the veins of darkness. You can change your final moments to however you may dream them. She informed kindly, putting the knife back in its leg sheath. The girl watched with wide eyes as Aiyanna led her through the house, to stop at the cracked old steps that were made of broken, dark, mildewy wood, half eaten by mites.
She smiled, gave the little girl’s hand a gentle squeeze and muttered a few words in ancient speak. From the soles of their feet the lower storey of the house transformed. From dull to beautiful. From colourless and bleak to a dollhouse. She turned her attention to the doorways- the peeling paint flaking away to expose high brick arches and beautiful cream paint, a gorgeous kitchen beyond. The urban rug crumpled in on itself and turned itself into a gorgeous couch with a fireplace and coffee table. A dog padded from behind the couch and the little girl knelt, holding her arms out with a soft, gleeful cry.
Milton! She giggled as the Border collie licked the girl’s face. Aiyanna smiled gently. Pets from their past would often hang around the Gates until their family joined them- greeting each member with the love needed for the journey.
Come on, Eliza. She spoke gently once more, and together, they ascended the now beautiful steps, Milton following as his tail wagged in absolute joy. With each step, the girl became older, shifting and changing. Eleven steps in total later and a twenty three year old woman stood beside Aiyanna. And as she turned, she was faced with her bedroom.
She looked between Milton and Aiyanna and smiled, a truly, happy smile. Striding forward, she investigated the room, moving to her bay window that looked out over a field.
Aiyanna watched from the banister as she held out her hand and pushed open the window. They both smiled and Milton jumped up to sit on the cushioned seat. The girl reached out the flower bed drilled onto her window sill, and they turned from dead to blossoming. A loud laugh of happiness reached her ears as the puppy barked and Eliza said, I’ve never been able to make these grow.
And now you have, my sweet. Aiyanna smiled and moved over to her, tucking the flower behind her ear and taking a hold of her hands, It is time.
The woman nodded softly, somehow knowing. Milton ran to leap onto her canopy princess bed. And as the two followed after him, there came the common question of the day, What of my family?
You will see them tomorrow.
She did not lie. A day in the afterlife was a long time in the real world. She would not need to wait very long before they would build a new life after this one. And so, the girl laid down on her bed, dressed no longer in a tear stained hospital gown, clad over the body of a frail, dying girl- but in a beautiful summer dress, fit perfectly to the body of a healthy, gorgeous woman, a flower tucked behind her ear and her brunette hair splayed over her pillow. Her family pet warming her feet and giving her the sense of comfort in her adventures.
Sleep well.
Aiyanna opened her eyes, hearing the flat line of the girl’s monitor. She thought once more of the bunny dying, making her sadness increase. She thought of the happiness of the girl and began, running a finger over those now painlessly poised lips. She parted them and deposited the liquid in the small bottle directly down her throat. Taking out the piece of paper, the woman read aloud the words inscribed on it.
She leant down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. A farewell kiss that shone and dissipated. The red string moved and faded into her skin and she turned away from the girl, mumbling, “Vale, et bene dormio.”
Chapter one
The sunlight beamed down in the park, and Aiyanna let out a long breath, tilting her head up into the sun again. She smiled softly, running her gloved fingers through her blonde hair, returning her attention to her book. She enjoyed watching the workings of all the people around her, the young couples, the old couples, the young children and the parents watching them with proud amusement.
She sighed heavily and leaned back against the park bench, her clothing consisting of ripped jeans with fishnet stockings underneath, winter boots, a long beige sweater that hung off her body and kept her warm and a dark blue scarf. In her hands she held a diary, each page filled with memory fragments, deep thoughts and feelings and all the insight into her job.
Aiyanna sipped at her peach tea as she watched a woman pass by. She didn’t pay attention to the woman though, or the man beside her- her eyes were on the little girl. A little girl with green eyes and dark brown hair that reminded her of Eliza. As pain shot through her, her brow furrowed and she turned her attention back to the book, finger clad gloves tightening around her pencil.
She was used to the people on the bikes and the people rollerblading over the pathways she had observed not a week earlier, but she wasn’t used to seeing people who reminded her of those she had helped travel to the afterlife. She never killed them, that wasn’t what she did. She helped them find peace and happiness as they died. And then sent them to the afterlife- Through the Gates.
Aiyanna sat on a newly founded bench, or so said the plaque drilled into it, of which was situated around a centre piece garden in the park. Within the centre of the garden was a fountain where people would walk up to it and throw a coin in. She would always wonder what they wished for- she could definitely take a guess for most of them merely by how they carried themselves and how they looked. You could tell a lot from a person’s walk.
She was watching a man in a suit and a phone crocked up between his ear and shoulder throw a coin in. She could see from where she was that the man wore a lavish over coat and beautiful shining shoes. He carried himself with pride and confidence- a man of wealth for sure. However, he lacked the happy air of someone who had everything. She could only assume he wanted some company, for he lacked the sad air of mourning that the people who came to the legendary fountain with the same posture usually carried.
Countless times she had found herself mourning with them despite not knowing who she was mourning for. As individual as human’s like to think they were- they were yet another herd animal. Though they denied it heavily while still using terms such as, ‘happy wife, happy life’ and ‘a mother’s mood sets the mood of the household’.
We truly are fruitless creations. Made to live one day and die the next. We work endless days to be noticed in a world that will die in a billion or so years. No one will remember soon. Everything lives, everything dies, and everything fades. Tis how the world works, my sweet.
She blinked as she snapped out of the memory. Aiyanna frowned and began writing down the quote. She had no idea who it was who said it, or why they said it- but she knew one thing. Whoever it was, she had once been close too- for she used the endearment with all her spirits she guided to the Gates.