Prompt: A hell full of angels.
Source: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Márquez
Response:
I took a sip of my water. As I swallowed, I could feel the pulsing rhythm of the music in my throat. A wing brushed the bare skin of my upper arm and I shuddered, looking around the room.
There were angels everywhere; twining on the dance floor and leaning against the walls, black lights highlighting their great feathered wings. The music was not loud, but its pulse carried through the entire room, masking other noises and making the angels appear silent, ethereal.
I adjusted the wide elastic band of my wings. They curved high above my head and flowed almost to the floor in a cascade of translucent white feathers. I fit right in among the costumed angels. I felt a little dizzy. I fit right in among the charlatans.
I had been briefed. I knew that each of the angels tangling on the dance floor with such grace had been buying and selling black market goods for years - some even people. I knew that the winged creatures beside me were always looking for both prey and partners. I felt sick to be so well-suited to their world. The Gabriel might have looked like a picture of heaven with its dancing angels lit by glowing light, but I knew it was a charade. The Gabriel might have been full of angels, but it was truly its own circle of hell.
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wow. going in an interesting place. develop this one for me please!
ReplyDeleteThanks. Any developing on it may have to wait until December, though - I have no time right now :)
ReplyDeleteI am fascinated by this concept because I believe that more often than not we see, feel, touch, taste something believing/hoping it is one thing and discovering half way through it is another. This can be so disappointing, but when it isn't the suprise is amazing.
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