Chapter Text
Chapter One
Sanity goes up with the smoke that chokes the sky. No one ever wrote the date when the blue disappeared because they didn’t realize it would stay hidden, not even the Doctor; and he says he knows everything for the good. Like the rest of the world, Kristen shrugged it off and simply trusted. But looking back, she was too young to care until today.
The group huddled around their teacher, (a lanky adult that would blow away if the wind still existed), staring at where the hazy orange light filtered through the monstrosity of the tower spearing upward; where it all started. The news had fired up overnight, telling more information about the Angel project because it was being kept secret for unknown reasons; “Now the children will know! We are doing what is best for the future generation of our kind!”
The field trip had been scheduled a few years ahead of time when the Doctor finally decided to let the Angel Engine out into the world. The humming energy practically vibrated in every step inside, Kristen bouncing slightly by the balls of her feet when following the tour guide through the twisting halls. Although all of it was blanketed with carpet to soften the senses of fear, Kristen had the gut feeling of metal underneath the foundation.
“And here lies a piece of the mosaic that contains holy power from the original itself!” The guide looks like his smile was tightened on by screws, one on each side of his mouth with eyes too tiny to fit in with it. Not entirely human nature anymore to be this friendly, but gesturing up at the hanging statue, there was definitely a proud glimmer in the guide’s eyes. The teacher and class gasped and oohed while Kristen marveled silently.
It was just a statue.
“Thankfully, those poor little legs of yours won’t have to suffer the wrath of the steps,” the guide jokes, flicking a switch in a slot randomly placed next to an empty space on the wall, “we’ll use the elevator!” All in, the box elevated to one of the highest floors, stopping at the last one until the very top.
One look around, the environment was made to appear different; it had no intention of hiding what wires, tubes or machines snug in the walls, running along the middle of the floor without a carpet to cover it. Something hummed above them; oil splattered among the rust and mold. The smell came from whatever was rotting, but the heavy, metallic taste of pennies stuck to the roof of Kristen’s mouth. It was as if the core itself was already dead, and they were walking in the deteriorating body.
“Now here, we all have to be very careful, any unplugged incident will lead to escaping energy and at this point, it is what humanity lives on!” The children dismissed it, continuing to gawk at what the creation had become.
Kristen felt a sudden chill, a sudden disorientation of direction when they all stopped at a lone door that had the blocky, alarming letters; Do Not Enter , with a small yellow sticky note barely holding on: Doctor’s Orders .
Almost instantaneously, classmates tensed, feeling more than a want to go in. Kristen then decided that their guide was indeed stupid in the head because the childish joy overflows like water in a jug and once it found its freedom, no amount of parental supervision will be able to stop them. Kristen strongly felt for this, the urge to see the monster hoarded on the other side.
“We’ll get a look at the end,” the guide promised loudly, over the violent hum of machinery. Kristen put her ear to the cold metal of the door; a faint rasp of forced airflow barely audible, she couldn’t tell if it was machines or the angel.
The angel.
What even is an angel?
At first, Kristen thought they were an endangered species, which was dragged down from the depths of spiritual realms– it was shut down immediately.
Mixed information was passed around frequently, then it got caught up by the new news of what the Doctor was planning and whatever rumor people, especially children, threw around. Whatever angel originally meant, everyone else forgot. With that specific thought in mind, Kristen tugged on the door handle, pushed it open and slipped inside.
The temperature rose drastically; heat clogged her throat and nose; tears blurring the gruesome red that smeared and dripped steadily from the humanoid form seemingly to be hanging by chords. Once Kristen's eyes adjusted, loud machines vibrated in her ears; almost like the sound of a heavy rhythmic pumping.
It was the smell that hit next. Something was decaying from the inside out; the interior exposed to smoky air while each organ was still forced to keep the soul alive.
It was unearthly and felt as if she was breathing in fake, chemical air; the more Kristen tried to inhale, the more it trapped itself in her lungs.
Oh gosh, don't cough now! She chided herself.
Before taking another step, white, milky glowing shapes that took on the approach of eyes opened; practically staring into her soul, but also through her at the same time. The thing cocked its head, still focusing forward but the slight emotion in the twitch of its 'eyelids' seemed...slow. Intentional. Or it was simply watching its prey.
But those simple thoughts don't flow with Kristen; she'd rather act than think.
So it stared. Long enough for Kristen to finally realize that the thing had its own ways to kill.