The Story You Shouldn’t Know

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-Aftershock-

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Chapter Eight–

They landed on the ratty but cozy couch in her living room, Anna on top of him. She had no doubt he’d done it on purpose – the grin on his too-close face was proof enough. Feeling sick, she rolled off, stumbling back into the Wolf’s favourite armchair by the fire, breathing hard. Josh sat up relaxedly, putting his sneakered feet on the little wooden coffee table in the middle of the small room.

Anna looked away from his exquisite face, her mind in turmoil. She looked down at herself – Josh had considerately removed all the dust and dirt from her, leaving her more or less the way she’d started out, but she saw nothing. Behind her unseeing eyes, scenes of what she had witnessed replayed in her mind. Evil as she had known, but never seen, before. It made her nauseous, and it ripped her apart. She was keeping it together with the knowledge that at least she was dying too, soon. And at least she would suffer as much as they all had. It was small consolance, but it kept her from feeling too guilty for worrying about her own, petty life while such things went on.

She got up, walking to her bedroom, slamming the door open. The Wolf was waiting for her on the bed, his head between his paws. It was only when he saw her expression that he looked up, his red eyes alert.

What happened?

“Ask him,” she said tonelessly, moving onto her wardrobe until she found a pair of old, baggy jeans, and pulled them on over the hateful shorts. She never wanted to wear shorts again. Then she grabbed an equally old, oversize hoodie and wrapped it around herself. She was cold, and it wasn’t just on the outside. Josh had done something to her spirit. She was cold, and she was damaged.

She went back to the living room, only to find Josh and the Wolf locked in a fierce glaring contest. They were obviously communicating, but Josh must have blocked her from the conversation because she couldn’t hear a thing no matter how she strained her mind.

“That’s enough,” said Josh suddenly, and the Wolf growled – the sound that had once chilled her was comforting now, better than the screams of the tortured – and walked over to her. She flopped back down in the armchair, hugging him tightly.

“I know you’re a bit shell-shocked,” said Josh irritably. “But there’s no need to act like a zombie. Other people see these sights every day. I know you’re more sensitive, I know you felt every emotion they all felt, but that’s too bad. Suck it up, Anna. I’m not done with you yet.”

It was as though being broken had spilled something locked up inside her. Once these words would have scared her terribly. But she was different now. She wasn’t just perfect Anna. She was Anna, who had a great angel inside her, and she was Anna who was human, Anna who was capable of breaking free, losing control, being angry. Perfection – it was too late for perfection. She wasn’t perfect.

The mark on her wrist stung, but how was she to know, so early on, that she was losing perfection in more ways than one?

The angel had been broken, wrenched apart by the misery. But she still had her powers. She still had her anger. She still had the will to do good, even if it hurt her.

What she’d seen had unlocked something new. Defiance.

“Do your worst, Josh,” she said slowly, looking determinedly into his bright flaming eyes. “Do your worst.”

Josh grinned at her, then he disappeared, just as always.

I’m not so sure that was a good idea, fretted the Wolf.

Anna’s anger faded slightly now that Josh was out of her sight, and her fingers trembled slightly as she stroked the Wolf.

“Neither am I,” she confessed. “But there’s only so much I can take.”

“Oh, look,” sneered Crystal Halloway, a pretty blonde girl whose life revolved around Josh, glaring at Anna. “It’s what’s-her-name. The ‘gifted’ one. Little Miss Purrrfect.”

Anna looked up into the mirror above the sink, looking at Crystal’s reflection. Crystal’s blue eyes were hard, looking at her with undisguised disgust.

“What do you want?” asked Anna wearily.

“Nothing, no need to attack me,” taunted Crystal, sitting down on one of the benches lining the wall of the ladies’ room – also known as the WC with a skirted stick figure on the door. She crossed her legs smugly, admiring her expensive leather boots. Crystal’s parents were filthy rich, Anna knew. Mary had drilled it into her often enough.

Be in control. Don’t lose your temper, Anna.

“Don’t you get bored,” she asked carefully, “of playing the mediocre role of a nasty human being?”

“What sort of comeback is that?” demanded Crystal, confused.

“It wasn’t a comeback!” said Anna in exasperation. “I was just asking. Isn't it just better to be one of the nice guys?”

“Uh – coming from you, missus hypocrite?” said Crystal politely.

“I’m not a bad person, and you know it,” said Anna steadily, looking her straight in the eye. Crystal couldn’t meet Anna’s pure, deep green eyes then, because she knew Anna told only the truth. Everybody knew Anna was a goody-goody – she never hurt anyone if she could help it.

“Sure,” she snorted dismissively, anyway.

“You’ve got to be one of the good guys,” continued Anna. “Because there’s way too many of the bad.”

She smiled to herself, drying her hands on a wet paper towel. Crystal rolled her eyes.

“Whatever, Anna. We all know what a bi – ”

“Hey,” another girl stepped into the bathroom. The door swung closed behind her. She shot Anna a dirty look as Anna slipped out, her eyes blazing with all the unsaid things she had kept herself from blurting out.

She went outside the bathroom and bumped straight into Hussein, who had clearly sneaked out of bed. He grinned at her, and she groaned inwardly. Avoiding Hussein had been on her to-do list.

“Hey, come on,” he said excitedly, pulling her towards a deserted corridor. She resisted, carefully at first, remembering he was sick.

But then he pulled her arm again, much harder, and she snatched it back firmly, digging her heels in. Josh had been right about one thing, at any rate. It was enough of Hussein pushing her around.

“What do you want?” she asked stubbornly.

“I – ” he stopped, looking confused. “Hey, are you mad at me?”

“Yes, I am,” she answered truthfully.

To her surprise, he hung his head. “I know, actually. I deserve it. I can't believe I acted that way.”

For a brief second, the temptation to read his mind and confirm his sincerity was almost too much to resist. She did resist though – barely. It went against everything she stood for to sneak into someone’s mind.

“Really?” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. He nodded, looking at her strangely.

“You’re different,” he murmured suddenly, eyeing her. “There’s something – stronger about you. More real.”

Human nature, she wanted to say. But all she could bring herself to repeat was, “Really?”

“Yes, really!” he cried, looking embarrassed. “I don’t know what came over me. I didn’t mean to do that to you – it’s just – I have been impatient, I wanted to know, but I never meant to take it so far. I knew you’d never refuse. I’m sorry.”

Her day was beginning to look brighter, albeit stranger. What was Josh up to now? How was this his worst?

“I ... this is good news,” she muttered uncertainly. He smiled at her sheepishly.

“I can always depend on you,” he said firmly. “And I want you to depend on me. I – we’ll be friends, for now. Best friends. I know you need me. I can't believe what I was thinking!”

It wasn’t really you. It was Josh, she told him in her mind. She was feeling joyful again, delight escalating through her. It was better than she had hoped – almost too good to be true. And she had learned. She would no longer place so much faith in Hussein, but she needed a friend. She needed his friendship. She was going through an unnatural and rocky phase, and she could use all the help she could get.

“Very well, then,” she said slowly, giving him a small smile. “I suppose I can forgive you – as long as you don’t do it again.”

“I swear to God I won’t,” he said solemnly, and she sighed gustily.

That was one problem solved. Several billion more to go.

“Hello, Kane.”

The cold voice of the devil sent a chill down Kane’s spine. He blinked slowly, then turned to look up at his brother, who had come all the way from his work just to visit him at a low-down underground club in the middle of Europe.

“What do you want from me this time, Josh?” he asked, trying to sound calm and collected, but his voice shook even as he spoke. Everyone around them was frozen, stuck in time, curtesy of Josh, who was not willing to waste time with people who had come to get drunk, get high, and party.

Kane was the fourth son of Satan, relatively harmless compared to Josh. He was as cruel as his brother, but on a smaller scale, more like an fairly evil human rather than the Satan’s son. He had almost been a mistake – he was weak and feeble, compared to the rest of the sons, but he was still alive for a very simple reason: his father had taken a liking to him. Possibly because Kane was the perfect minion – loyal, obedient, and easily satisfied. He was Satan’s henchman, around to bolster evil’s ego.

Josh couldn’t wait to kill him. He hated things like Kane. Puppets on a string.

There had been another feeble brother, but Josh had killed him already.

Unfortunately, his father had seen that as a sign that Josh was getting a little ahead of himself. And he’d reminded him of it, reminded him of his curse. It had made Josh hate him beyond all else, even God. There was nothing Josh loathed more than a greater power than his own, especially one that bossed him around.

That was another reason Anna was still alive. He had come to see the benefits of the curse. If the unthinkable happened – well, he had big plans for it. Big plans.

“I don’t really want anything,” said Josh easily. “You going back to visit the old man soon?”

Kane’s voice trembled slightly. “Maybe, bro. Why?”

“Tell him,” said Josh quietly, “that it’s coming. It’s close. Tell him I’m doing all I can to stop it.”

“It?” Kane’s attractive dark eyes bulged unattractively. “You mean – the blessing?”

“The curse!” hissed Josh.

“It’s soon?” breathed Kane in shock.

“Very soon. I don’t know if anyone is ready for this.”

Kane started trembling more violently than before. He was a good-looking young man, in his mid-twenties, dark-eyed, dark-haired, and dark-spirited. He was dressed in an open black shirt over jeans, chains criss-crossing over his muscular chest. Fortunately for him, there was no crosses, crescents or stars, otherwise Josh might have been forced to point out the irony. Instead, the chains were mostly skulls – with a little Ks and medallions thrown in. Kane wasn’t very impressive as demons went – he spent his time off partying, which Josh found almost as pathetic as Anna’s do-good attitude.

“Is – is it – c-can I ... see it?” he stammered.

Josh eyed him critically, then shrugged. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, easy to get along in unnoticed. He pulled down the hood, shaking his typically untidy hair away from his forehead, then pulled up the sleeve of his right arm, and turned his wrist over slowly.

Kane took in a sharp breath. “That – it’s clear!”

Josh nodded, looking down at the black pattern etched into the skin of his wrist. It was easy to see now, easy to make out, and there was no doubt left in his mind.

“The shape,” Kane went on, and now his voice was awed. “That’s – it’s ...”

“I know what it is,” snapped Josh.

“But what does it mean?”

“Long story, Abel,” said Josh curtly. “Just don’t forget to pass along the message.”

“Do I tell him what you just showed me?”

“Ah, about that,” said Josh apologetically. “You won’t be able to, I’m afraid.”

“Why not?”

“Because you won’t remember it,” answered Josh, and he tapped his brother’s forehead so quickly Kane could have never seen it coming. His eyes closed, his expression becoming blank.

Josh leaned over to inspect his brother’s face. Undisguised, uncovered hatred twisted his features as he patted his brother’s head gently, whispering, “Next time, Kane. Next time I’ll kill you.”

He stood up, pulled his hood back up, shaking the sleeve back down, and disappeared on the spot. As always, he had things to do.

A few minutes later, they started dancing again as though nothing had happened.

Author’s Note

WARNING!!! MASSIVE AUTHORS NOTE! PLEASE READ/SKIM, BUT DO NOT SKIP!

Yes, this was a short, filler chapter. Well, not so much fillers – the stuff that happened in the past two chaps is important. Important for the rest of the plot, no matter how confusing it might seem. Lots of mystery, I know. Will be answered, worry not. If not by chapter nine, then by chapter ten. At LAST! I can get on with new stuff!!!

Ohh ... and about Kane. I’ve changed that part. I needed to introduce him, but at the same time, killing him this time around needs to be postponed a bit, so I have my plot straightened out. Never mind that if this is the first time you read this.

Now, on with the real reason I wrote this A/N – about the religious references in the last chapter, particularly the bit with the New Testament. This is, once again, NOT a religious story. I’m not Christian, but I actually did research that quite a lot. I didn’t write much of what I planned to at the beginning though, because I decided it’d be better to keep it vague, and because I didn’t want to offend anyone who is Christian. You notice I left it open as to whether or not Josh is telling the truth – Anna chose not to believe him, or at least not to let what he said affect her choices – so you can read this according to your beliefs and not be offended. On the other hand, everything said actually is widely believed by many people, and quite a lot of it is true, which makes it sort of interesting, I s’pose. Anyway, please don’t be offended as I did not mean to offend at all. If it bothers you, it’s fiction ^^ (fiction to everyone non-religious as well xD) but either way, I had to add it in because of the whole devil thing. I needed to get what Josh does straight, for once, and for all, so I can move on with the story ^^

That done *whew*, I know the last two chapters were a bit strange. They were awkward like you can't believe to write – partly because it’s a double update and the last was so long to write, but also because this is a really awkward phase in the story, where nothing is as planned out as what happens next. Glad that’s over!

Oh, and don’t kill Anna over the Hussein thing. She’s forgiving, plus she’s kind of desperate, so it wouldn’t have made sense for her to turn his apology down, even with her new ‘stand-up-for-myself’ thing going on there. Gawd, I can't wait for Josh to tease her over it - *remembers mustnotturndevilstoryintocomedyandshutsup*

Anna’s personality – it didn’t change drastically. But she will be different for some time, and then she’ll be very different, but all within reason. What Josh showed her was mostly what I needed so the change that has been happening gradually over the past few chapters (the un-perfection-alization of Anna, I call it) can finally be completed with a sudden event that makes it happen. Anna’s now almost-human, just a little more with the anger.

And the angel side of her, the stately, elegant persona within (didn’t that sound schmancy?) will reappear, but not for some time. It was mainly because I like it better than perfect Anna squealing ‘OhmiGosh that’s so sad!’ – thought I’d make it a real divine reaction to human suffering. I hear angels like humans and want to help, so it goes well enough with my based-loosely-on-fact theme.

I know this is all slightly confusing and very mysterious (tension much!) but I swear it will all be explained soon – and unlike the last version, Anna really does hate Josh in this one. Hard not to, after what he did, eh? Not your typical bad-boy (actually, I’m trying to keep this as untypical as possible, although romance readers always like a smidge of cliché...) Even I disliked him for a minute there!

Anyway!!! (I know this is a massive A/N, but just read it anyway, the chapter was only about three pages!) THANK YOU ALL SOOOOO, SOOOO, SOOO much for the reviews! I know the review-replies for the last one have not been sent yet, but our internet is still down so I’ll have to put this up by some miracle. I read the reviews off my phone – boy, do I love that phone now – so please forgive the lack of replies for now. Just know your review was greatly appreciated, and that you better send one this time telling me what you think of everything that happened! I’m sooo happy I passed the 100-review mark, can't wait to go for a 200! (help me with it if you think this is worth it ... okay, even if you don’t ... I just really love feedback) sooo drop one review here before you close this page ^^

Last but not least – thank you for reading this far :)