A little slice of heaven and hell

4. The bookshop

Everything was black. She couldn't move, she couldn't look around, she couldn't even produce a sound. Mild panic lingered somewhere as she tried to recall what had happened to her, but her mind failed her.

Struggling to do something, anything, she eventually became aware of a mild pain spreading through her. She became aware she was laying on something soft and comfortable and was able to ease her mind a bit. She still couldn't move though and felt a fierce bumping pain arise in her head. Slowly she tried opening her eyes, but there came no movement. Trying a few times to get herself to stir or anything, she became aware of a sound. A voice slowly became understandable even though it sounded like it came through a radio that wasn't tuned right.

As time passed, the could now make out the voice, or actually, voices. Her brain still wasn't functioning right and she didn't really recognise the voices at first.

"This is a total disaster angel"
Angel..... Angel..... Oh, Crowley. It must be Crowley talking.
"Well disaster is much your thing, isn't it?" said the other voice clearly worried. Aziraphale, she realised.
"Yeah normally it is, but this isn't. Totally not." Crowley replied annoyed.
"Those were your men!"
"I didn't know this was going to happen, and especially not this soon. Damn technology has gone too fast lately."
"But it is your fault!"
"I am not the one who kept her alive. How are we going to explain this to her, huh?"
"Then what else was I supposed to do. Let her die?"
"For example. She is just a human."
"Just a human???" Aziraphale's voice had squeaked shortly. "Crowley we have talked too much with her for her to have stayed just a human. Also she feels different somehow. Like she shouldn't be human."
"Then what is she? Angel incarnated? Don't be silly."
"I don't know okay. I just didn't want to let her die. I panicked."
There was a sigh from Crowley's side. "Well you find a way to explain this to her."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"I dunno angel, just think. Otherwise we'll just wipe her memory. Of this event."
"But then we'll have to make her forget about us completely. Otherwise she might eventually remember."
"Then we'll do that and be over with it."
"Oh but Crowley, I don't want to do that. She is way too nice to have to forget." Another sigh.
"Do you have a better plan then?"
"Well.... No."
"Well then we..." he got interrupted by Aziraphale.
"Maybe she'll figure it out on her own? She is a clever lady perhaps we don't have to explain?" tried Aziraphale.
"Yeeees", said Crowley sarcastically. "Oh sure I have been saved by a miracle of two supernatural entities. Nothing abnormal about that."
Aziraphale muttered something.
"Angel", said Crowley pressing. "We have to wipe her memory. If she tells the world about us we will get problems with the higher authorities again. We cannot risk our brittle safety."
"Yes.... Yes I guess you are right." said Aziraphale eventually, weakly.

At this point Samantha realised two things.

Firstly she remembered what had happened on the plaza. She remembered vaguely getting blasted in the back and a sharp pain as her body.... She shivered and tried not to think of the moment. More importantly was that she had survived.

And secondly she realised she had been right with the joking assumption she had made. The two really were an angel and a demon. They existed. They really were a thing. She had befriended them and they had saved her.
But now she had to get up and stop the demon from wiping her memory, somehow. She didn't wish to forget this so soon.

She groaned and forced herself to stir and open her eyes. Everything was blurry, but she saw the vague outline of the demon walking up to her.
"She is waking up. I'll do it now before it is too late." he said.

She forced herself to lift her hand in a weak attempt of defence and tried to get him into focus. "N-no", she croaked hoarse. Her whole body hurt. It hurt even more when she tried to speak but she forced herself to explain. "Don't... wipe my memory... I won't tell anyone..."
Crowley smirked. "So you heard us. Too bad. We won't change our mind and..." he got interrupted by Aziraphale.
"Crowley wait. Perhaps there is a chance she speaks the truth. You know I can see that." He said while walking closer. "Please don't strain your body so much dear. I might have been able to save you, but it came so suddenly I wasn't able to get you out unscaled. I am afraid you have bruised almost everything in your body you could have possibly bruised." he said with sadness in his voice.