part one: hells angel

the scent of jack daniels lingered in the air. as it always seemed to in the interior of the huge black king ranch truck. "hey baby" a dazzling smile flickered in his eyes, but never dared to reach his mouth. nah. too much effort.
"hey yourself" she smiled innocently back at him.

tonight was a game night. she knew the routine. go around, pose for the paper, the news, the school yearbook committee, and cheer and smile for the boys. but really, for number 8. she burned with pride when he bantered onto the field. sultry self confidence exuding from every inch of his exquisitly muscled 6" 1' frame.

the night drug on. she was absolutely miserable. she hadnt seen one glimpse of her bronzed QB all night. coach couldnt have benched him... right? it was the last game of the season. they needed him. this was snyder for crying out loud. those good for nothing rednecks had payed off the referees to make them win.

they were losing horribly. 67 to 50. they needed him. she flipped off the ref as she went to the sides. there he was, red faced, angry, hatred burning in the smoldering blue eyes. " coach benched me! get back out on the field! no doubt the home side has already noticed your absence." what on earth had coach, his IDOL benched HIM for?

she walked closer, to console him. he smiled a wary smile and waited. knowing. she stopped dead at the corner of the endzone. smelling his suspension. the scent of Crown Royal Special Reserve wafted off him powerfully. she smiled a rueful smile. "again?" he looked away, laughing.

that night after the boys pitiful loss, they went to the bar, and yet drank more. they went home, her powerful possessor in a daze. it was a long night. he sat at the table. glaring over pictures of the family that had once held him to the ground of spirituality. he cursed her, saying she would never be what he expected. his slicing words tormented her as she walked shamefully up the banister to her chambers, crying silent, hopeless tears.

the next morning, still angry at the world, his fist connected to her body. she endured, went to school and smiled at the passers by. they had it so blissfully easy, she thought as she turned her sleek camero into the mall parkinglot. still, she drudged into Abercrombie and Fitch. a princess shall always be well adorned. never to be looking shabby against the King. Her lord.

the road was icy. the cold december chill rocked her to her core as he stared spitefully out the windsheild. willing herself to remain still and quiet, begging the long painful ride to be over, she wept inside her head.




part two: the cherub

evvanne smiled at the girl asleep in his arms. nestled trustingly into his sculpted chest. he ruefully let his tawny green eyes lavish over her. so innocent.

tonight was the homecoming game. he knew she would be standing for the stars and stripes, scantily clad in little boy shorts and a tied tshirt. but as a chivalrous boy would do, he would let his barbie revel in the attention and bright lights, as only she could.

the team lost pretty steeply that night. the guys, the ones made of gold, that never had to worry about money or food or a stedy job. went to the bar and drank the loss off their aching hearts.

after the game, he took her in his arms and they watched the red eye flights zoom lazily towards the big city under the bleachers. she looked up at him, her eyes awash with sparkle and gleeful child like essence. "I love you." she smiled sleepily. "I love you to the moon and back an infinitesimal amount of times. I win."

the next morning was a blur. he went to her quiet little room at the top of the mansion stairs, picked out her clothes for the day, kissed her and thanked her for the pot of coffee already boiling in the immaculate kitchen below. "sleep now. I'll be home before you can wake."

Part three: collision

the road was wet. he was tired. damn late practices. coach knew he was too valuable to work this way! his momma was the millionaire of the town for gods sake. he jerked his shoulder to keep away from the median made in the mud of the county road. too corrected. wham. his truck rolled. he was dead on impact.

dang mud. evvanne pulled out slowly from the railroad crossing. he saw something through the driving rain, but assuming it was a cow or something, he continued. then, as fast as he did a head check, shock gripped his fingers..... they were leaden against the wheel. he felt the impact, heard the shriek of protesting medal as he was thrown. then, nothing. blackness... gone.

beep. beep. beep. tears. tears. tears. "the end." the angelic voice had just finished reading to kill a mocking bird. the end. the words sliced into her as they eminated from his still, frozen body.

suddenly, a little winged man appeared, taking her off guard. "what the heck? what are you?"

"i'm Lyric. your guaridan angel. you jumped off the train bridge when they told you about aaronn. youre having an out of body experiance. you think youre here but youre really not."
"then where the heck am I"
"youre in heaven, little one. god is now bearing your burden."
"if this is heaven, where's evvanne.... and aaronn."
"evvanne, for his lack of faith in the seed of god, is in hell. along with your betrothed for his alcohol abuse and lack of godly intimacy. you now have a soul bearing choice to make little one..."
"I... I have to be with them. I will simply... cease to exist if I continue this way..."
"so, child of the lamb. you have chosen to go to the firey torment pit of pyre to exist with those whom you solely desired of the flesh, rather than adorning your new existance with the help of the work of the lord?"
"yes.... I do."
"very well then, child. take your leave. I do wish the best of your choice. "
a lever was pulled, the heavens parted and she dropped to the heated smell of the sulfurous underworld. there, waiting in adoration, was evvanne. she melted into his burning embrace. he carressed her hair with his lips. forward came another figure... one much more daunting. she knew it to be the soul of only one. aaronn. he smiled, turned, and as his silluheltte revealed, a burning bottle of jack daniels was clutched in his right hand, a football in the left."welcome home sweetheart."

she shied away from the scary whisper in his once demanding voice. it sounded.... sickeningly.... distant. dead. just as he was. she ran, until her nonexistant figurative legs could carry her no further. evvanne drifted effortlessly into the flames beside her, took her face in his scorching hands, and kissed her. she jerked, feeling the fire as his mouth ravenged hers, but allowed him to continue. aaronn came to her, knelt and ran a willowy hand through her curls. she then vaporized at his touch. the level of pain was so distinct she could be sure only of one thing. this was a dream. no level of pain could be so real.

but no matter what, she couldnt jerk awake. he continued running his hands, a flash with licking flames, over her body. now, she understood her horor. this was symbolic of his distant remembered abuse. she punched at the figure and felt strong, hot arms around her, constricting her into a painful, yet safe cocoon. "stop this now. he's paid for his sins. come now and let me hold you." evvvanne, she realized. that was the voice. she turned one last time to look into the face of the soul who had inflicted such misery upon her, and crying into evvannes blazing chest, she realized then, that the face of aaronn, or rather in the place where the face of aaronn should have been, was the face of the devil.