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An Angel's Respite (Chapter Fourteen)
He didn't know how high he flew.
He also didn't know where he was going.
But still, he continued.
Hester had never felt so free before, the wind whipping at him as he soared across the air, it felt like he was in water the higher he went.
The moon shined down at him as comets shot past, still after so many years—still so many questions about the stars, and still having Hester's breath being taken away by the awe of them.
He closed his eyes as the air became thin the familiar dizziness contorted his vision and movement—Hester wasn't worried however this meant he was close.
His wings seemingly froze the farther up he went, soon the dizziness took over he felt like he had just flew head first into a net, or the spider's web, like the air was trying to push him back to the ground.
He didn't hit anything.
But when he woke up, he felt like he did.
He opened his eyes and surrounding him was the void, the abyss the dry almost dead feeling emptiness that was the decaying darkness, which just so happend to be his destination. He couldn't tell if his eyes were opened so he held up a hand to his face, a calloused tanned hand met him. He was awake—he couldn't tell if that was comforting or terrifying.
He stood up slowly taking in his surroundings. Unsurprisingly, nothing, he spun on his feet trying to see anything—was he sure his eyes were open? He looked down at his hands again and just like before found them. There was nothing here—really nothing not even Death.
He stood there perplexed, seemingly frozen to the ground, am I too late? Hester didn't know what he was late for—if anything at all, but the thought scared him nevertheless.
"Hello?"
No response.
"A-anyone here?"
Nothing.
Hester didn't dare move—barely breathe, the original confusion turn to wild and desperate fear. Like the whole world fell from beneath his feet leaving him suspended mid-air, he was falling—not flying.
Free falling, with no true end in sight.
No.
He thought or maybe said, or maybe screamed.
No. No, no no no no no no no.
A sudden pain erupted from his chest, one of discomfort and burning like he was being ripped apart, watching a dam break, or seeing the seams fray as the fabric pulls back, the feeling being hug with arms wrapped around his torso squeezing harder and harder trying to fracture his rib cage.
The feeling felt confusingly familiar, how did he know what this was like? Maybe in a dream—or a nightmare, was more accurate, but he's felt this before, where thought? Then it hit him, like a dagger being in his heart.
Grief.
No. No, no, no, no no no no no no!
He didn't remember falling to his knees but he blinked and saw his arms wrapped around himself—he blinked again and heared the piercing silence that was left behind in his wake, it was almost as bad as the screaming itself.
His lungs heaved for air it becoming a sharp pain like a knife was plunged into his chest just for someone to twist it in further. His lungs ached from the quickness of his breath.
Exhaustion was a cold uncomfortable blanket weighing him down as he breathed his throat felt raw like he had burned it or eaten broken glass by the handful, -what am I doing?- He asked himself, he had a kid, and a friend waiting for him, he breathed again. -what the hell am I doing?-
"I, I want to go home."
Hester said suddenly putting his hands on the ground and pushing up to stand.
"I said, I want to go home."
Nothing, just like last time.
"Hello?"
Hester cupped his hands to his mouth trying to make his voice louder.
"Let me go!"
Hester yelled, his calm...
He also didn't know where he was going.
But still, he continued.
Hester had never felt so free before, the wind whipping at him as he soared across the air, it felt like he was in water the higher he went.
The moon shined down at him as comets shot past, still after so many years—still so many questions about the stars, and still having Hester's breath being taken away by the awe of them.
He closed his eyes as the air became thin the familiar dizziness contorted his vision and movement—Hester wasn't worried however this meant he was close.
His wings seemingly froze the farther up he went, soon the dizziness took over he felt like he had just flew head first into a net, or the spider's web, like the air was trying to push him back to the ground.
He didn't hit anything.
But when he woke up, he felt like he did.
He opened his eyes and surrounding him was the void, the abyss the dry almost dead feeling emptiness that was the decaying darkness, which just so happend to be his destination. He couldn't tell if his eyes were opened so he held up a hand to his face, a calloused tanned hand met him. He was awake—he couldn't tell if that was comforting or terrifying.
He stood up slowly taking in his surroundings. Unsurprisingly, nothing, he spun on his feet trying to see anything—was he sure his eyes were open? He looked down at his hands again and just like before found them. There was nothing here—really nothing not even Death.
He stood there perplexed, seemingly frozen to the ground, am I too late? Hester didn't know what he was late for—if anything at all, but the thought scared him nevertheless.
"Hello?"
No response.
"A-anyone here?"
Nothing.
Hester didn't dare move—barely breathe, the original confusion turn to wild and desperate fear. Like the whole world fell from beneath his feet leaving him suspended mid-air, he was falling—not flying.
Free falling, with no true end in sight.
No.
He thought or maybe said, or maybe screamed.
No. No, no no no no no no no.
A sudden pain erupted from his chest, one of discomfort and burning like he was being ripped apart, watching a dam break, or seeing the seams fray as the fabric pulls back, the feeling being hug with arms wrapped around his torso squeezing harder and harder trying to fracture his rib cage.
The feeling felt confusingly familiar, how did he know what this was like? Maybe in a dream—or a nightmare, was more accurate, but he's felt this before, where thought? Then it hit him, like a dagger being in his heart.
Grief.
No. No, no, no, no no no no no no!
He didn't remember falling to his knees but he blinked and saw his arms wrapped around himself—he blinked again and heared the piercing silence that was left behind in his wake, it was almost as bad as the screaming itself.
His lungs heaved for air it becoming a sharp pain like a knife was plunged into his chest just for someone to twist it in further. His lungs ached from the quickness of his breath.
Exhaustion was a cold uncomfortable blanket weighing him down as he breathed his throat felt raw like he had burned it or eaten broken glass by the handful, -what am I doing?- He asked himself, he had a kid, and a friend waiting for him, he breathed again. -what the hell am I doing?-
"I, I want to go home."
Hester said suddenly putting his hands on the ground and pushing up to stand.
"I said, I want to go home."
Nothing, just like last time.
"Hello?"
Hester cupped his hands to his mouth trying to make his voice louder.
"Let me go!"
Hester yelled, his calm...
