Wings For Rent, Chapter One; Stalker Heaven

The bell rang, signaling the end of yet another day of boring classes. Everything that was taught, I already knew. The classes were simple and easy, and even the homework didn't take much time for me anymore. Posing as a high school student lost its charm after the first few times, but it was the fastest way to get to him. When you were eternally seventeen, what else is there left to do? Of course, I could never tell most people the true amount of education I have. Or even my true age. There are so many decades they can never know about. So much I've seen, done... they must remain oblivious.1

The crowd of excited teens that had poured out of the classrooms disappeared, except for a select few who had other, less urgent plans. It seemed to be a race to their locker, to the door. Almost as if every spare second was lost time in which they could be doing something more useful. Of course, in their opinion, the more useful thing would probably be something along the lines of video games or a movie. So few people read books or created art these days. Of the few children left in the building, some were there for after school activities, and some just liked taking their time leaving. I knew that amongst these few, there was one boy whom I wanted to find. Needed to find, even. The only reason he was here was to scout out his next victim. He liked the young, pretty girls who roamed the halls. Of course, what Vampire doesn't? 2

I wandered through the halls, pretending that I was just trying to find a friend. Of course, I wasn't looking for a friend. None of my friends attended this school. No, they were all quite far away. I knew the Vampire liked to stay for a while before leaving. Perhaps chatting with whatever poor girl caught his attention that day? Maybe it was at this time of day he deemed his victims worthy or not for his destruction of them. I searched in the typical areas where students tarried after classes, trying to locate the pale looking boy with dark eyes. No such luck. I felt someone staring at me, but I shrugged it off and paid no attention. This hunt was taking up most of my focus, which under any other circumstance might have been fatal. But, being in a high school building, I felt safe. I was surrounded by teachers and straying students, not in any immediate danger. Besides, I had nothing to fear here. 3

I had been tracking this boy for a while; he was hard to find. I couldn't sense him. Only old and powerful Angels sensed Vampires and their kind. Considering this, I sighed and brushed a stray piece of white-blond hair out of my eyes. Daemons were different. I could sense them. Everyone could. Even the mortals, with their limited senses. Everyone knows someone who just seems different. Cold, mean, calculating. Successful. Perhaps even loved... but always the sense that they lack whatever kindness and empathy people seem to be born with. 4

The one that was following me was starting to bug me. Did he really have to follow me around? We were after the same Vampire, that much was certain. I think he was following me because he wanted me to do all the work. He wanted me to find the Vampire's weaknesses, how to attack him best. Then he would come in, probably on some pretense of saving me, the "pathetic Angel". But I had to catch the Vampire first. I simply must. 5

As long as we didn't get in each others way, Daemons and Angels could work, sometimes even live, together. We're not really that different. Well, alright, so we are moral opposites. Isn't there a saying that goes something like "opposites attract?" Of course, Daemons are an Angels natural enemy, and vice-versa. In our own little circle of this world, we are enemies. But when we expand the circle, including Humans, Vampires, Werewolves, and other such things, Daemons and Angels often stand united. I would rather save a Daemon from the maw of a ferocious Werewolve than let said Werewolve eat the Daemon. Although I'm not too sure if Daemons would return the favor. Sometimes we had the same goals. Sometimes we didn't. In this case, we both wanted to get rid of this Vampire who killed innocence. There was a reason I had to get to the Vampire first though. I couldn't let the Daemon get him. 6

I couldn't because I knew who was stalking me. I knew if we worked together, when we caught our target, he wouldn't give the Vampire to me. Daemons and Angels had different ways of dealing with creatures, such as Vampires, who got out of control. The Daemons were merciless, heartless. They are the fabled evil. Daemons murdered them. Killed them. Vampires don't have a soul, so they disappear from existence. No afterlife. No heaven, no hell, no rebirth, nothing. Final death. No reward or punishment for their deeds, just life undone. 7

Angels did not believe this was the proper way to go about things. In our minds, it was cruel. It was murder, often unnecessary murder. We do not believe in killing these creatures, the creatures who often have no choice in the matter. Possibly it was our sense of kindness that made us protect these creatures, to a certain degree. We caught them, and sustained them until we got them into a Vampire community we built. Vampires are as complex as humans; they are not all the same. Some were innocents, thrown into a life they didn't want. Some were not so innocent, choosing this life. We give them the option healthy way of life, a reason to live without hurting others. As long as they didn't turn innocent people, or kill, they were allowed to survive. Those that couldn't follow our simple rules were punished. We gave them to the Daemons. Daemons were always willing to dispose of a Vampire that refused to adapt his ways. Of course, the Vampires were given plenty of warning first. Other Vampires were happy to adapt. Some just used their abilities for fun, to party - like immortal teenagers. Some dedicated their long lifespans to finding cures for diseases, or to making the world a better place for Mortals. They retain some of their humanity and give back for the havoc they had caused before we caught them. 8

The current situation was tough. This vampire appeared young and careless, but he knew what he was doing. We suspected he had been a smart, successful young adult before he was turned. He figured out we were chasing him and that we could not sense him. His name was Rem. I was not sure if Rem knew I could sense the Daemon, or that he could sense me. Maybe if he had, he would have already fled. Vampire fledglings tended to be taken aback at first when they learned of this strange connection that Daemons and Angels share. 9

I decided to stop referring to the Daemon following me as "the Daemon." His name was Damion, oddly enough. Day-mon, Day-mee-on. Different pronunciations, but almost the same word. Typical 80 year old Daemon. He acted a bit like a stuck-up 18 year old, but perhaps that was simply my opinion. Although he was a good decade older, I was sure I was more experienced when it came to catching Vampires. I consider him a little too immature for it. Either way, that was probably why he followed me. I knew what I was doing. I couldn't risk too much protection at school and carried a simple blade. Of course, I didn't need it. Not here, in this building. 10

It had been about half an hour since the last bell rang, and after checking the usual spots where kids hang out after school and not finding Rem, it was a little odd to still be at school. Almost everyone was gone, and Damion was making a good show of just wandering around, coincidentally following me. It was time for me to leave. There was nothing more I could do here in these bright halls at the moment. The hunt for Rem would have to continue another day.