Part 59 (1/2)
”Leave it alone Rachel and get out of here.”
She picked herself up and tried to approach him once more but he only lashed out and told her to flee. Rachel frowned and told him she would not. ”You know I never meant to harm you, right?”
”That is not important now Rachel”
”Yes it is,” she cut in. ”Vladimir, I would never do anything to harm you.”
He paused and lowered his head for a moment. Vladimir released his grip on his shoulder and asked what she meant earlier when she said she wanted to be with him. ”What do you want Rachel?”
She hesitated to say anything. Her pulse raced at the thought of confessing her feelings for him, and doubted she could say anything romantic or overly heartfelt. She simply repeated what she told him at the museum, ”I meant that I want to be with you.”
Vladimir looked away and asked her in a whisper, ”Do you love me?”
Her heart beat faster at his words and with all the courage she could muster Rachel admitted that she did love him.
Vladimir only let out a sigh and told her he never meant to mislead her. ”I do not care for you in such a manner Rachel.”
Her heart stopped and she felt as if she was. .h.i.t by a truck. It took everything Rachel possessed to avoid tearing up and bawling, but she managed to contain herself and say, ”I-I thought this was what you wanted.”
He shook his head and told her she misread the situation. ”I should not be here, and neither should you. In fact, you and Jordan”
”I hate that a.s.s,” she spat. ”I broke up with him because I wanted...I want to be with you.”
”And I cannot be with you.”
”Why not?”
”Because I do not love you Rachel.” He watched her start to cry and tried to console her by restating their friends.h.i.+p.
”Why won't you at least try?” she asked. ”Couldn't we just see where it went? I mean, just to see if you could love me?”
Vladimir rubbed his eyes and told her things were not as simple as she believed they were. ”This situation, my state of being, that is, is far too complex for love. And I must add, not that I mean any harm or disrespect to you, but you and I, or myself and anyone else for that matter, will never be.”
”Why not?”
”I...” he stopped himself and tried to find the words to tell her what he needed to say without revealing anything, but could only manage to tell her that his life, the reason he was even in Was.h.i.+ngton State, was too complicated for him to explain to her.
”Could you at least tell me why you're flat out rejecting me Vladimir?” she asked while she wiped tears from her eyes and crossed her arms.
”I do not know if I can,” he hissed, ”That is why this entire situation irks me and is why I cannot simply tell you why we cannot be together.”
”Why not?”
”I have no idea Rachel!” he finally shouted. ”I wish I knew why I was even here in this city, or at that school, or why I even know who you are. I really do. But I am as lost as you are.”
”Then perhaps it is finally time to set things straight.”
Light emerged from the s.p.a.ce behind Rachel and a stranger in radiant armor descended to the rooftop. The area returned to normal and the man lightly touched down and joined Vladimir and Rachel.
The stranger smiled and spoke in a quiet, yet strong and resolute tone, ”I am sorry that it has taken so long for this arraignment to finally come to fruition, but alas, all good things come in their due time.”
Rachel felt a sudden familiar sensation at the end of his sentence. The clamor of the city stopped along with all of the traffic on the streets far below. Leaves hung alongside the birds, midair and motionless. All wind and motion died in an instant. She watched as the armored fellow and Vladimir readied for their conversation and beckoned that she joined them.
”Who are you?” she finally asked.
”We have met twice now,” he reminded her. ”I am Pyotr.”
”Vladimir's host brother?”
Pyotr chuckled and admitted that his role of host brother was nothing but a ruse. ”You see Rachel, Vladimir and I have been friends for a very long time. Comrades even before our common goal presented itself.”
Vladimir frowned. ”Pyotr, does she truly have to learn about all of this? Hasn't”
”Vladimir,” the armored man stopped him. ”Now is not the time to argue. I have my orders and I am here to fulfill them. This should not come as an astonis.h.i.+ng turn of events; you suspected this from the moment you met her.”
Rachel scowled and asked for clarification. ”What are you talking about?”
Pyotr said, with a smile, ”When I told you that Vladimir and I have been friends for a long time, I may have been too coy. I know this may come as a shock Rachel, but Vladimir and I are both roughly just over two centuries old, though to be correct, physically we are much younger, but we have tarried here on this earth, some more than others, for a little over two centuries.”
Rachel shook her head and muttered, ”That's not possible.”
Pyotr agreed that the claim seemed outlandish, ”But I a.s.sure you it is true.”
”How can anyone live that long?” she asked. ”Is that some sort of super power?”
The armored man laughed and told her she wasn't too far off from the truth. ”I am an angel of”
”You're an angel?” she blurted out. ”Do you really expect me to believe that?”
Pyotr frowned. ”Stopping time, appearing out of nowhere, flight, and the incandescent light which emanates from within me isn't enough to prove who I am?” He smirked, ”I guess times are changing and a super hero would sound more believable now...but I guess you will have to take it on faith that I am precisely who I claim to be.”
She turned to Vladimir and asked if he claimed to be an angel as well. ”Or are you some kind of cherub or something?”
Pyotr chuckled again, ”No no, Vladimir is a vampire.”
Rachel only stared at him without a word. Vladimir however was quite tired of Pyotr's intercession and broke in, ”I am aware of how frustrating this must be and I am sorry we are burdening you with all of this”
”No,” Rachel stopped them, ”No, this, this is absolutely insane.” She started walking away from them, and muttered, ”Most people who have super powers want to make the world a better place, but you two think it's funny to set up elaborate lies and use your power to threaten and intimidate others.”
”Rachel,” Pyotr called out to her. ”I apologize for the manner of my introductions, but I am not sure how I could better enlighten you.” She turned and waited for him to continue. ”But please, allow me to share something with you that may allow you to better trust in my words.”
Pyotr slowly approached Rachel, who recoiled as he reached for her hand, but upon his touch she felt a serene peace and calm overtake her. Warmth surrounded her like a midsummer's evening and in an instant the anxiety and unrest from the conflict at the museum fled and she felt her body relax. For a moment Rachel believed she was outside her body and that she floated unconscious in a near-slumber like state of mind. All of the stars above her shone bright through the ambient city light and the cosmos unfolded before her. She could witness and feel the universe expand and retract, she trembled with excitement as the universe collapsed in on itself and moments later burst and bloom into numberless celestial ent.i.ties, and Rachel heard each mortal soul in the universe gasp for life in a collective sigh.
And in that moment Rachel was right back where she stood with the angel and the vampire.