Fallen

Chapter Ten: "Slide"

"I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all
So why don't you slide?"
-Slide, GooGoo Dolls

It was all over the news that next morning. A girl had been found dead right behind our school.

Her name was Anna Lawson. She was captain of the debate team and she was a nice girl.

They found her strangled, with burn marks around her neck and wrists. According to the authorities, she had received threatening notes a month before she was killed.

As you can imagine, school was closed that day.

I was nervous as I made my way back upstairs to my room. I don't think it was a coincidence. Someone was sending teenage girls notes and then killing them.

Once in my room, I was relieved to find there was no notes from the Stalker.

I climbed into bed, pulling the sheets over my head. I closed my eyes and let myself drift.
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I was running. Running so fast my lungs felt as if they would burst open.

Everything was on fire. The smell of smoke filled my nose, burning its way down my throat. I coughed, trying to keep my feet moving.

I heard it. The sound of wings fluttering above me. They were large and I knew if I looked up, I would see him.

I continued to run, coughing the entire time. My eyes began to burn, I was suddenly lightheaded.

Suddenly, he landed before me. In the midst of the burning trees, there he was.

My eyes widened.

Riven.

"Siberia, please," he begged me. "I know you don't trust me, but we have to go. He's here."

"Who's here?" I rasped, my voice hoarse from all the coughing.

"Trust me, Angel, you don't want to know. Now come on. Let's go."

I studied him with mistrust. Something was off.

I backed away slowly.

"You're not Riven," I said, swallowing.

He looked at me and grinned wickedly. His face morphing from Riven to someone else.

A man with long blonde hair and deep grey eyes now stood before me, his smile chilling. And his wings, dark as a night in Africa, stretched far out, seemingly resistant against the fire.

"Oh, Siberia," he cooed, coming closer.

I could only stand there and look. I couldn't move, I couldn't scream as he pulled a dagger from his pocket.

Finally he plunged it into my chest and I let out a gurgled cry. I fell onto the ground, my eyes turned to the sky as blood, warm and thick, poured from my chest.

It was the strangest thing. At first the sky was dark and suddenly it split open, revealing a bright light.

I reveled in the beauty. My life slipping away just as angels began to fall from the sky.
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I woke up in a cold sweat. My hand immediately went to my chest. It was unusually wet.

Heart pounding, I reached over and turned on the light and was immediately horrified by what I saw.

Blood was everywhere, darkening my sheets. I looked down at my hands, realizing they were bloody too.

But that wasn't what made me feel like I was about to crap myself. No, what scared me was him.