Teens

---

18 year old, Madison leaned on the railing around the bow of the rickety old ship, black skirts and hair fluttering in the wind behind her. The sea was more blue than green and the sky clear with the exception of a few dark storm clouds brewing on the horizon. Kye, Madison’s 20 year old boyfriend, joined her on the bow, wrapping his warm, muscular arms around her tiny waist. “Storm’s commin’” he grunted. They stood there awhile in peaceful content before preparing for the storm.

Their journey was a harrowing one, the sea was dangerous place to be but so was the land. Many had tried and failed, most never returning, this very quest. Kye was in search of a new land. One where the earth never shook, spat fire, or lost nutrients; a paradise. He was determined and willing to die trying; Madison was merely there for the adventure. She, like most others, did not believe this land existed but did not have the heart to tell Kye.

The storm came in an instant and ten million too soon. One moment all was calm and beautiful, the next they were in the black torrent of a hurricane. The strong wind blasted the ice cold downpour into the young couple’s faces. The rough waters tossed the boat around as if it were a small toy in a tub. Still clinging to the railing, Madison slowly stepped towards the mast. Fighting the powerful wind she reached for the sail to remove it. She only succeeded in creating a second sail, in one gust both sails were torn from small ship. Kye cried out, unheard. One sail fluttered away, the other was engulfed by the black water.

As Madison sunk into the icy depths she felt neither cold, nor wet, nor as if she was sinking. In truth, she was quite warm and dry and had as if she was gliding. When one should fell the talons of death sinking in Madison felt more alive than ever. Madison felt the wind in her hair and a strong arm around her waist and, for a moment, the notion that the storm was just her imagination gone wild. This moment ended when she opened her eyes.

Below she saw the tops of clouds and past that the deep blue sea. Above she saw beautiful winged man with slightly feminine features, or woman with slightly masculine features. It was twice her size, glowed, and seemed to have the kind of pure beauty that one cannot take ones eyes off of. The massive, white bird’s carried them to the edge of a volcano’s mouth.

It was hot, windy, and scary; up there in no man’s land. Madison peered cautiously into the firey lake. It spat red hot molten lava at her face. She whimpered and dug her face into the strangers white robes. It lifted her chin and said, “Fear not, my child.”

Madison was suddenly filled with courage, she bolted up and backed away from it as she said, “who? What are you? Why am I here? What’s going on?”

“I am the lord of angels and I love you. That is all you need to know,” the angel took her in one arm and carried her to a high cloud.

“You don’t love me! You don’t even know me. I want Kye, take me to him! Now!” she screamed.

“Shush, my child all will be clear soon,” the lord of angels made a sweeping motion towards the volcano. Madison’s eyes followed his hand and she watched what happened next in awe.

On one side came hundreds of angels, on the other came hundreds of giant winged lizards. They came at each other with great force, collided and fought. Dead bodies fell in to the hungry volcano. It spat them back up with fire and ash. One particularly large lizard with scales as cold as night and hot as fire called a retreat and flew away.

“What just happed? What were those things? Why bare you smiling?” Madison asked, she was very much afraid and wanted to go home.

“Those things are demons, the enemy of angels. For eons we have been fighting in an eternal war. What we just saw was a minor battle that we angels won. You humans can’t see us or our fighting but you can see the natural disasters that occur as a result. There is a legend that when mankind walks freely among angels the war will end,” mightiest angel said

“So you kidnap me and bring me here,” Madison finished, agitated, “well, what if I don’t want to be here? What if I want to be with Kye? Don’t I get the choice?”

“Yes you do. And if you really want make us loose all hope of ending the war, it’s your choice. On thing though, I didn’t kidnap you. You fell off the ship and I saved you,” he scooped her up and carried her to a beach.

They landed near a man breathing life into the woman he loved. Madison stepped into her body and opened her eyes. Kye held her close, crying. “Don’t you ever die on me again. Not ever,” he wept.

Madison looked into his eyes and saw his dream land. She coughed and sputtered and faintly said, “Your dream world exists but I have to leave so you can find it.”

“What do you mean, my love?” Kye was confused.

“I can’t stay,” she whispered before going limp.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE