Dissonant Realities

Arms stretching, short but slim, just barely missing the alarm that has been buzzing for the past few minutes. Swinging for the top of the old digital alarm clock again, she misses the second time. With a growing frustration she slams her fist down on it and the alarm falls silent. "Finally" she mutters. The only sounds to be heard now was the distant chaos of war.

She Sighs, “That time again huh.” sliding out of her off-kilter, rusted bed, she gets ready for the day.

The outside is still roaring with sounds of gunfire and screams; “It never really calms down out there but you learn to sleep through it.” she grabs the cereal off the top of the fridge and one brown on both sides banana and then sits on the floor. Next to her is an old book she lifted from a convenient store when she was twelve it’s brown on the front and has an old heart shaped locket she now uses as a memento mori of a life she once had.

Sliding one finger across the book while picking up a pen that has traces of nibble marks around the sides as if its been bitten repeatedly, “Where to begin.” She mutters with her blue eyes fluttering and waling up like the sea. “I.. I. suppose it is time.” She lays the pen on the blank page.

I’m going to have to be honest about this. Because the reason why all this started in the first place and why I decided to start writing this now. To whom ever finds it after I’m gone, I want you to know that the humans tried and are still fighting, whether we fail in this war or not, we tried.

But before the war; our world was filled with technology and everyone looking for reasons to escape, I think we we’re trying to find reasons to fight for things even if they didn’t matter to us. We wanted a cause, I say we got more than we bargained for.

That meant banding together against a good movie franchise we once all loved and crapping all over it, only to forget about that and move on to the next thing. I think we lost what made the world beautiful through technology, it had helped out a lot but it is also what has caused us to be so disconnected from one another and also connected to one another. Like a purgatory and let me tell you that’s real.

She takes her finger and turns the page, just enough that her finger gets pricked by the page, “Ouch son of a..” shaking her hand back and forth and wiping it on the side of her thigh. *BANG!* “Shit time to go.” the growling becoming more apparent outside her door begins to follow a loud banging *Thump!* “Shit... shit.. shit.” She scurries around looking for an exit.

She remembers of a window down the bedroom hall where there’s a staircase that leads up to the top of the next floor level. Grabbing her knife off the kitchen counter and her already packed bag she slings it onto her back and climbs through the window running up the stairs that is on the side of the building.

The growling gets louder and closer she makes her pace even faster like a gazelle pouncing away from a lion. Feet scattering and slipping on each stair as her heart races faster and faster, she gets to the top and at the top of the dark lit sky of stars that once were, there was now only filled with screams and lost hope in the air.

Turning over and finding what she can to barricade the door she sits behind the door with the banging and growling still letting her know they’re there. “And there they are.” She says with discontent.

Taking her book back out of her bag as she waits for her visitors to dissipate into silence.

“Now where was I, ah yes.” I always wanted to be a reporter or journalist, so writing this may be my own little way of doing this. You see I never really saw the world like the rest of everyone else, going through your daily life and doing the cycle over and over, it never really felt like me, so in a way the world going to shit, gave me a second chance at a life in some absurd way.

In 2042 Angels and Demons became real, I was always an atheist so image how I felt when the news broke out, no one really knew what or why it happened only that one day our lives changed forever and now us humans try to stay alive for as long as we can while they battle it out over the fate of the universe.

I watched a lot of people I cared about die and the worst part was watching them come back as something else, you see they don’t just let us die and go to heaven or hell anymore, the moment you die you either become an Angel or Demon depending on your actions or how you feel internally about what you deserve truly.

But they don’t just take away your rest, they take away your humanity and force you to fight for them. And the demons got clever, they started killing us off and hunting us with hell hounds and The Angels started bargaining with us to make us seem like our souls were going to a better place. And wheres god in all this you may ask, I wish I knew, I really wish. Because if god is real then why’d he condemn us to a fate worse than hell.

The door begins to crack and she’s having a harder time holding the hell hounds at bay. The huffing of the dogs breath is coming through the seams and shes getting tired. She has a choice to make keep fighting or finally give in.

gripping her knife tight between her fingers, she puts on a brave face and swings the door open, she starts slashing to the side with her first attack the hell hound jumps back before the second one comes by to grab her legs and pull her to the ground and another pounces about to claw before a giant flash of light that takes over both her and the hell hounds, burning the hell hounds to a crisp of ash.

Tall wings in the air. Extended long and firm just gliding back and forth.

“Hey there little lady, looks like you were in a bit of trouble there.”

“Shut it, what ever you’re selling I ain’t buying” she says with her face snared like a dog.

“Are you sure, we need fighters like you in our war.” The Angel flies down to the top of the building landing and retracting his wings.

“And what war would that be exactly, because this fight seems like something my kind wasn’t suppose to be apart of, yet your kind decided to drag us into it and ruin our world may I add.”

“I’d mind your tone little lady”

“My names not little lady, it’s Diana.” He extends one arm and bows graciously.

“Well pardon me.. Diana then.” tilting his head up with a smile.

She turns her head disinterested and crosses her arms

“Don’t you got anything better to be doing right now.”

“Nope, not really, you see I’m here because I heard your distress, us angels can sense that stuff you know and well of course you know the demons just smell it.” he perks one eyebrow up all coy.

“I think you should leave now then, I’m busy.” she turns to walk away from him

“Busy doing what exactly.” he says walking towards her.

She picks up her bag irritated “Busy trying to live in a world you guys destroyed and if you don’t mind I would like to get back to writing in peace.”

He scoffs. “Writing?” She turns to him “Yes writing.” he crosses his arms and tilts his head, “Fine I’ll bite about what.” She looks down to the ground and moves her foot so it slides side to side across the pavement. “Well.. if you must know, it’s about this war and how it started.” she looks back at him rolling her eyes knowing his response.

The Angel slowly but building to laugh that becomes hysterical “Ha. Haa. Haaa. And who do you think is going to read that. Maybe a pile of corpses perhaps?” She stomps her foot down and turns away from him again “Well I didn’t ask your opinion anyways. Hmfp” crossing her arms.

“Well Now I’ve got to read it, come on show it to me I promise I won’t laugh or tare it up.” he says inching closer to her. “No, I don’t think I want to.” “You see all you angels are the same you just want me in your little war so you’re being nice.” she steps away from him. He moves closer again and puts his finger to his chin contemplating.

“Ah, I know, how about I make you a deal then.” Diana, steps one foot forward towards him “I knew there was going to be a deal made.” getting ready to grab her knife from her side. The Angel extends his arms out palms facing towards her. “Let me read it and I’ll leave you be and you won’t have to see me again.” “Promise” she says as she grips the knife even tighter.

“I promise.” He says with sincerity. She releases her grip from the knife. “Then that’s deal and what’s your name Mr. Angel man.” pulling the old tethered brown book from her side of her backpack.

“You can call me Lucy, but most people know me as Lucifer.”