The Chamber of Sins

“I am sorry,” the woman muttered. “I thought you left us, forgot about us,” she continued. “It is just... I think that the one who is targeting me is an angel. Two acquaintances of mine got killed because they knew me. So it is like they are targeting me to find you. But why now?” Lionette concluded, and realising that she got him in the open, she started scrutinising the surroundings.

“There is nobody here except us,” he calmed her down.

“Would you help me? Would you help Claire?”

“I have been there for Claire all the time,” Gabriel confessed, round-shouldered.

“I know you have. She had these visions of the end of humankind and a lyre. Do you know anything about it?”

“The time spent here on Earth blurred my memory,” Gabriel frowned. “It was hard to live in the dark, but I have endured the curse as my repentance.”

“Do you think they know about you and Claire?” Lionette asked.

“Maybe. Pretty sure they know,” the man whispered.

Robert glared through the car window. He hated the way to Birmingham but couldn’t refuse the visit to his grandfather. He had suffered a heart attack, and he got discharged two days ago. Lionette agreed to go with him and left the house in his stepmother’s care. Robert stayed in the back, next to Margo. The girl was quiet just because she couldn’t start a dialogue with so many people witnessing.

The driver drank discretely from his cup of coffee as Lionette looked in her purse. Robert wrote a message on his phone and showed it to the girl.

Are you alright?

“Yes, I am fine. Why do you ask?”

He wrote again.

You don’t sound fine

“I have a headache,” Margo replied and looked out the car window.

The boy scoffed, “Smart.”

“Come again, dear?” Lionette turned towards him.

“Nothing, just a friend posting something hilarious on Insta,” the boy said.

As Lionette was showing the driver the exit to M54, Robert typed another message and showed the girl.

Where is Derek?

The girl shrugged.

They heard the explosion in front of the cars’ queue, followed by a ball of flame and a grey smoke curl. Then, a moment later, there was another outburst. The driver hit the brake just in time to avoid the car in front of them. Robert hit his head against the front seat, the coppery taste of blood soaking his mouth. He felt dizzy, his lungs craving for air.

The boy hobbled outside the car. He checked rapidly on Lionette and the driver and then headed towards the accident scene. It was a disaster.

Pieces of bodies and windshields broken off of the first two collided cars. The third car had hit the burning vehicles, flipped repeatedly and continued screeching along the motorway on its top, only to burst into flames. Robert got the time to see the unconscious driver and the back seat passengers screaming in fear.

A severe pain cut through his leg. He stopped for a second and looked around for help.

“Help,” he yelled, “Somebody, please, help them.” He stopped screaming as three black silhouettes descended from the sky, their wings fluttering slowly. They stepped on the ground and passed by, ignoring him. They grabbed three of the victims and prepared themselves to flee.

“Wait!” Robert screamed. “There is someone here, and he is alive. Help me!” A few people gathered, and Robert helplessly looked at the angels flying away.

A storm started out of nowhere, and wicked faces appeared in the sky. Demonic dogs, half wolfs - half flames- were accompanied, galloping to the carnage scene. The demons and their escorts were about to attack and feed the innocent souls struggling between life and death. They will be dead too and soon prey to the hungry demons.

“We have to save them,” Margo intervened, alarmed.

“How?” Robert asked.

“You are a half-angel. Camouflage yourself,” the girl said and grabbed his hand.

The boy blew with all his power towards the lined cars, and the fire got extinguished. Only wrecks and terrified people remained. A man had dialled 122 and was gesticulating while trying to stay away from the disaster. He was peeking at the remains from time to time.

Robert flew towards the first car. Two children were hiding in the back seats, partially covered by their mother. Poor them didn’t even realise that they were dead.

“Follow me. Now!” the boy said, snooping behind at the demons getting closer.

He grabbed the spirits and flew straight to the clouds, followed closely by Margo.

It was quiet inside Heaven’s Hall. The boy tried to remember what they had done last time when there. Finally, he sighed, realising that Derek wasn’t there and they won’t get inside without his help.

The small screen by the gate got his attention, and he took small steps towards it.

I can do it, ” Robert said, pressing all the buttons randomly.

“Hello?” he said and straightened his voice. “Is anybody there?”

A scratchy noise came out of the speaker.

“Who is there?” A tarnished voice responded.

“Aa, it’s Robert.”

“Robert, who?” Ramiel asked.

“Robert Midwinter, Derek’s friend,” said Robert.

“Are you dead?” Ramiel said.

“No, are you?”

“I am an angel,” Ramiel growled.

“Oh, okay. Can you open the door, please?”

“Who are you again?”

Robert touched the screen with his chest, and the pendant responded straight away. As the doors started moving, it revealed a sizeable glamourous room. Robert waved at the accident victims and entered together. The boy tried to stay calm and behave as if he knew what he was doing. Nobody seemed to notice the unusual group.

A long corridor loomed in front of them. Sealed chambers were lined on both sides. They were like the classrooms in his school. The hall was crowded with ethereal silhouettes. A wood desk decorated with a big screen with numbers popping up was placed at the entrance. Somebody was operating behind the desk. They had blurry faces covered by golden masks.