Re: A Sea of Crimson Blue (Round Two)
Tick… Tick… Tick… The steady, monotone noise tugged at his nerves as if attempting to yank that last stubborn weed out of the thick ground that served as his skull. He noticed the thin black hand of the clock pass by its twin for the fiftieth time. Impatiently, he rubbed two fingers gingerly against his forehead. He hadn’t expected it to take this long, by any means. He glanced across the stark white room, searching for any sign of a comforting change of pace.
A few certificates hung, one slightly crooked, some degrees for a grade of accomplishment by others in the service. The pieces of parchment differed in color and size, some yellowing in a graven age. On a cherry wood desk there lay sprawled out several month-old magazines, in the middle a dying fern, its tender branches limp and decaying. He shifted from his slouch, straightening and crossing one leg over the other, his toga-like attire rippling in effect. Besides the plush couch he sat on, and the three empty chairs across from him, he had no pleasure of company. Some unconscious little boy in his mind fidgeted, despite the fact he knew he was here of his own will. The room reminded him somewhat of a waiting room for an inevitable doom of eternal detention.
Just then, the fuzzy, garbled speech came in short spurts from the speakers stationed in the small confinement. “Mr… Brabosi…” He caught his name vaguely and stood listening, although the rest of the muttering turned out completely unintelligible. He cleared his throat, smoothing his hair down, determined to make the best first impression possible. Slowly, his fingers enclosed about the cool doorknob and he opened it, taking those fateful steps inside.
Clack, clack, clack. Her fingers tapped away on the keyboard of her silvery computer without any sign of stopping, faster than his eyes could follow. She glanced up temporarily, exhaling through her thin lips. As she did so, a round bright pink bubble expanded, reaching a point of covering her nose before breaking with a sudden pop. She chewed, resembling a cow with cud, pointing with a French-manicured finger towards the chair in front of her desk. Taking the hint without a word, Will seated himself, shuffling so he stood up straight, a pleasant smile plastered on his face.
She temporarily halted her typing, though her mouth chewed the gum continually. “Mr… Brabosi.” She stated, opening the cabinet below her desk with a screech and flipping though several folders, bent over. He remained quiet, straining to see exactly what the secretary did. Her dark hair spilled out in a well-organized bun, some cascading below it as if it were a waterfall. Behind one of her ears lay a pencil, while a pen situated the other. She took her glasses from her face and placed them gently upon the top of her table, beside a glass mug filled with a steaming liquid. “Do you know why you’re here?”
“I… I took things off balance?”
“That, Mr. Brabosi, is the easiest way of expressing this morass you’ve gotten us all into. Of all the incompetent, foolish, idiotic people… You must have some gumption to allow yourself to come here.” Her nasally tone echoed with the smacking of her gum. “Well.” She pushed herself ever so slightly back from her desk, drumming her long nails along the polished wood. “If I were in charge of these things, you would be in a bigger mess than you find yourself today.”
“And how big is the mess I find myself in today?”
The woman lifted her head for a moment to look him in the eyes, sending an icy stare through his body. She went back to sorting and flipping through numerous papers. “Let me put it this way, Mr. Brabosi. If you don’t find a way to solve your problem, you could conceivably become the worst-known incident ever to befall heaven or earth alike.”
He greatly paled at that statement. “Is it really that bad?”
“Well, let me lay down the situation for you, Mr. Brabosi. You lost your guarded, which means your whole purpose of staying on earth was a failure. Then you refuse your one chance to return to heaven. You tell me. Here’s the whole point. You can’t stay on earth in your current situation. You also can’t return to heaven. There’s only one thing to do.”
Will swallowed the lump in his throat. “And that would be?”
“Well, you have to be stripped of your wings and return to earth as a human, all memory wiped from your past.”
“You’re kidding…” Will looked into her stone face with a horror. His wings instinctively moved to the back of his chair, folded tightly against his ashen skin. “Isn’t there another way?”
“Well… Normally I would say no, but for you, Mr. Brabosi... Your father is of great respect around here. Because of that fact alone, let me see…” She flipped through a few more papers, the incessant clicking of her fingers on the keyboard echoing painfully through Will’s mind. “Well, if you… There is one way. You see, you may stay on earth as long as you are doing some non-detrimental to the society. Community service, if you will.”
“I’ll do anything!” Will knew how painful having one feather plucked from his massive wings turned out. He didn’t even want to consider having both appendages taken. “Name it.” Despite the fact that Will knew how to fight, it didn’t mean he liked it.
“Hm… Mr. Brabosi. I see your military records clearly state you have a good record of accuracy with the bow.” Again, her bubble popped obnoxiously, her pearly white teeth smacking, making it more frustrating for the angel.
“Yes, Miss. I was known as the best shot in the whole history of the camp, even better than my father.” She nodded absent-mindedly, obviously not listening to a word Will said with any care for his well-being. “Is that good?”
“Yes, actually, that’s very good. That over-qualifies you for the only available community service at the time. Which means, Mr. Brabosi, you may retain your wings. For the time being.”
Will slowly released a very relaxed breath through his nose. “Go on, please.”
“All you have to do, Mr. Brabosi, is sign these. I need your signature here, your full name here, your last name here, your initials here, and your middle name there.” Will accepted the pen she offered him somewhat disdainfully, scribbling the orders as given. She carefully peered through the thick stack of paperwork, smiling with a look that gave Will second thoughts. Perhaps he should have read what he was signing.
“What is it exactly that I’m doing for community service, miss?” He asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.
“Surely you’re familiar with the humans and their celebrations by this time, am I correct, Mr. Brabosi?” She asked, primping the papers so that they were lined up perfectly before closing them in the drawer with a slam.
“Somewhat, yes. I believe I know enough. Why do you ask?”
“In the month of February, the humans commonly throw parties on the fourteenth. They have named it Valentine’s Day. Now, on this day, there is a certain individual they call ‘cupid’ that uses his arrows to make people fall in love. We previously had a man that volunteered every year, but there recently was an accident with a mirror… And just let me advise you not to shoot yourself with the arrows, Mr. Brabosi.”
“You don’t mean…”
At this point, the woman stood up from her desk and thrust a hand out, grabbing Will’s own sweaty palm and shaking it vigorously. “Welcome to your new job, cupid.”
Will gaped at her, even as she went back to her business. “Wait a second!” He sputtered, attempting to speak coherently. “You’re telling me I’m supposed to take the role of this guy, flying around and shooting people to make them fall in love?”
She merely glanced up and nodded curtly. “Oh, and don’t forget to change before you leave. Be glad, Mr. Brabosi. You’re one of the lucky few we make changes for. Your uniform is in the closet, there.”
Will stood after a moment, holding his breath as he opened the dusty door. “You’re joking. Tell me you’re joking. No. There’s no way I’m wearing that. I don’t care if people can’t see me, I’m not wearing it.”
“Oh yes, you are. Either that, or I can have you scheduled in for a memory wipe.” Her dangerous eyes sparkled threateningly. “Your first mission will be made simple. There’s a new cruise ship called the Fleeting Nova currently situated near the Caribbean Islands. It’s sunny, warm, perfectly suited for an angel, even on duty. Think of it as an easy vacation. Several old couples, as well as many young children, all needing a good poke in the butt are waiting for you. Please, Mr. Brabosi. It’s only one day. Surely you can stand it for one day. Even if you do fail to shoot all those cute couples quick enough, we have the ability to slow time for you. Easy as pie.”
“I pray it’s so.” Will slowly removed the plastic-covered white shorts, looking at them with disgust. “This is going to be a long day.” He slung the small leather pack of arrows over one shoulder, opening the door and giving her one last long look.
Once his job legally began, Will found the ship easily. Far from any civilization, he began to imagine the woman would be right. His first targets, a pair of children sitting by the pool, were pure teasing for Will. He set them into the process of love without a moment’s hesitation, although deep inside he felt a spur of guilt. He didn’t want to force people to fall in love. As the angel passed over one of the several pools, he shuddered to see his reflection. He wore nothing to speak of clothes besides a short white pair of pants, glad it wasn’t a diaper like most humans pictured cupid, or worse, wearing nothing. Over his well-formed chest lay the strapped arrow quiver, incapable of running low.
The arrows themselves consisted of a thin body, though extremely difficult to break. Very slim and perfectly designed to soar aerodynamically guided by his expert touch, they nearly always hit their target directly. The only thing about them Will found not favorable to his personality was the sharp pink heart in place of the normal head. Will finished up with two or three more couples, seeking out the perfect scenes for a possible romance. He was somewhat surprised of such good weather in February, but then again, it was a cruise. He spotted two empty chairs and a half-used tube of sunscreen in a bored glance as he hovered over the wooden deck.
Though Will bit his lip, the sun’s glare convinced him no one owned the nearly empty container. He rubbed the ointment all over his white skin, worried for his bare body with all the exposure to the heat and light reflected off the waves. It was only after he tossed the plastic into the trash can nearby that he paled. A woman had returned to her seat, apparently the owner of the useful substance he claimed as his own. She wore a rather large puffy dress of a light lime color. Spread here and there about the collar were white flowers in differing patterns, and strapped sandals covered her feet.
“At least she has good taste in footwear.” Will mumbled softly, watching her actions further. As she looked for her missing helpful tool, her lip quivered in indignation. She took off her hat, setting it upon the pure white sunning chair and flicked her dark sunglasses upwards above her hair. Shaking her shoulders a little, the thin young passenger swung open a door, obviously returning to her room for more of the stuff she brought along. Will shrugged with disappointment at himself. He returned to work, pinpointing another couple near the volleyball nets, the girl sitting near the edge of the railing. “Nice shot, here. There’s no way I can miss it.”
Following this statement, Will pulled back on the taut line, aiming directly at the girl’s derriere, smiling at the various ocean’s creatures jumping around the boat’s stern side. Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared out over the deck. Various lights flashed before the angel’s eyes, and with a shocked reaction, he released the bow, completely unprepared. Will strained to see where the arrow had flown, but he caught no sign of it.
Everyone ran in a flurry of panic, guests desperately begging the guards for information. Will visibly jumped as a repeated sound of gunfire echoed out, very close to him. Carefully, the angel landed on the deck nearest, folding his wings behind him, glancing below. Horrified, the angel clapped a hand over his mouth to keep from gagging at the sight of the numerous dead bodies. He set his sights upon the one living figure nearby. This unknown person could use a good arrow in the backside, and Will knew just the person to give it to him.