Three

I didn't wake up in my house. At first, I thought maybe someone slipped me LSD and the last hours of my life were a bad trip. I mean, it Sunday night. Maybe Amanda convinced me to go to a party. It would explain why I felt so groggy. I wasn't the type to do drugs, but given the oblivion that I was faced with- I couldn't be sure of anything.

I remember there was two brothers who broke into my house last night, but I don't remember why. They left peacefully and then I went back to sleep, at my place, I was sure of it. I had no idea how I got here.

I was in somebody else's house, completely unfamiliar to me. It was pristine. I was lying on the carpeted floor of an over posh living space. My bones were stiff and cracked when I tried to sit up. The ceiling was so high, I felt as if my breath echoed. Windows glittered every wall, and old gold articles were displayed in every corner. With the chandelier and the spot lights on all the old crap, I wondered if maybe I was in a museum. There was no one else around, which alarmed me the most.

There was something off about this "house" for sure. It hit me that there was no furniture for sitting, sleeping, nothing. Maybe that's why I passed out on the floor. Or maybe this was a museum? With no ropes? What was this place?

"The human is awake." A voice yelled in the background, with a familiar tone of petulance. The tall ceiling made it reverberate around me.

"Human?" I muttered under my breath. I rubbed the back of my neck, and stood up to try and find the source of the voice. Zeke was leaning against a door frame, staring at me. He was shirtless, which wouldn't have been such a big deal- except his nipples were so erect. How was I supposed to look anywhere else? They must have been two centimeters off his chest, pointing at me.

"Is it necessary for you to be shirtless?" I was squirming, trying to make eye contact- trying to avoid eye contact. Trying not to stare at his nipples, honestly. I covered up my own chest with my arms, because for some reason I felt self conscious. Was I comparing our nipples? What?

"This is my house. Is it necessary for you to be here?" I looked at him, confused. I don't even know how I got here. Why was I here? This was his house?

"I...um. I-" I gave in, I looked at his nipples. Just for a moment though.

"Nah, I'm just fucking with you. It is necessary for you to be here. How are you feeling?" His demeanour changes gave me headaches. I scratched my head, a thought on the edge of my brain. What was it about him? What was I forgetting?

A loud door slam was heard across the house. Zeke's head snapped towards the sound. He immediately stood up straighter and his nipples now pointed away from me.

There was something about his glare from this angle that tickled my memories. I wanted to bash my head against the wall, because it was so close, I could feel it. An unfamiliar face walked into the room.

He was decked in all black robes; black hood, dark skin, bright blue eyes- almost white. Tattoos of unusual lettering stained every inch of visible skin. When he got close, it felt as if the room got colder. Talk about an aesthetic.

"It is a temporary fix. Next two hours- it will go away. You have until then." He never even looked at me, but I wasn't sure I wanted him too. Some people just feel dangerous, and that's how he was. He spoke in some sort of accent, but at the same time, there was something else to his voice. Something just off.

"Thanks, John. I owe you one." Zeke smiled warmly at the older man, who still had not glanced in my direction. I was mesmerized by the movement the man seemed to have even as he stood still. His robes danced around his feet in a slow waltz, his figure impossible to focus on. Finally, as he turned to leave, he looked to me.

Our eyes met, and he seemed so surprised. Almost afraid. His eyes seemed to contain a wind, where the blue became ice- and he never blinked. The letters around his eyes shifted and moved, until they became words on his lids.

The beginning and the end.

What the fuck? I blinked, and looked away. I shook it off, and when I looked up a moment later- he was gone.

"What the fuck was that?" Zeke seemed alarmed as well, but not quite surprised.

"Could you see him?" My jaw dropped.

"What do you mean, could I see him?" Zeke looked to be in physical pain. He bit his lip and looked away. He shook his head and sighed. He crossed his arms across his chest, and glanced around.

"Now look what you've done, you made me put on a shirt." In a flash of light, Zeke was suddenly wearing a shirt. I stumbled back.

"What?" He ignored my mental breakdown, and went to go stand by a window. He seemed to look outside, looking for something- but the glass was textured so I don't understand how he could see anything.

"I don't know who you are, or what you are, but I'm on babysitting duty until we figure it out. You know about the existence of angels- you can see reapers- and our powers don't work on you. In two hours, your memory of the night before will come back, and you'll be more difficult to deal with. I'm hoping we can reach an understanding before then. John was called in to erase your memory for a temporary fix. Reapers can do that, but even he was unsure of your origin."

So... I am definitely on drugs.