Liminal

Chapter 19

I’ve been exploring the woods surrounding the house more often, following small paths and game trails, but each time I’m drawn to the abandoned church.

There’s something about the sacred atmosphere surrounding it that allows me to think about the things I’m too afraid to consider when I’m alone in my bed at night.

Here, considerations of good and evil, life and death, don’t seem too overwhelming. This place was meant to bear the weight of existential thoughts.

I wrap my arms around my torso in an attempt to shield myself from the cool breeze.

Summer has slipped away, and autumn has crept in.

The leaves have begun to turn from deep, vivid green to pale gold and orange.

It’s always been my favorite time of the year.

There’s a beauty in the way nature fades slowly in its temporary death, only to be reborn in the spring.

I’m just about to round the last bend of the trail when my skin prickles, some primal instinct immediately setting me on edge.

It takes a moment for me to realize what causes it.

The woods have gone completely silent. No chirping crickets or cicadas, no birds calling in the distance, no animals rustling through the underbrush.

Nothing.

An eerie, unsettling paranoia falls over me, and I glance over my shoulder, suddenly sure that someone is watching me.

Then, in the terrifying silence, a low whistle pierces through the trees.

My mother’s words from when I was a child surface in my mind. It’s a warning most kids in Appalachia have heard: “If you hear a whistle in the woods, pretend you didn’t, and calmly walk the other way.”

Once I got older, I realized it was likely a warning meant to avoid the moonshiners and growers hiding out in the mountains, not some mysterious supernatural force.

But now, I’m doubting every assumption I made. The forest doesn’t go silent from human presence.

I slow my steps as I round the bend, and as the church comes into view, so do two figures standing at the end of the trail. They’re both facing me, waiting for me.

My heart lurches into my throat, and I’m all too aware that I have nothing to defend myself with out here. I don’t even have the necklace on, though I’m not sure it would help me out here, anyway.

I cautiously approach the two men, who are unnaturally still and calm.

It’s only when I’m close enough to see their faces that I notice they give off the same inhuman beauty Ambrose does.

But while their features mimic his in the sharp angles and unnatural beauty, the resemblance ends there.

Both are wearing white and beige clothing that doesn’t look entirely out of place in front of this church, and their expressions are kind, though the taller one shifts on his feet like he’s nervous.

The shorter one is only a couple inches taller than me, and his white-blonde hair, blue eyes, and perfectly straight teeth fixed in a smile all seem unnaturally bright.

They seem friendly, but their presence still sets me on edge. The stillness of the forest is uncanny.

“Who are you?” I ask cautiously.

“I’m Samuel,” the blonde one says, then gestures to the taller man with tanned skin and dark hair. “And this is Elias.”

Elias gives me a hesitant wave.

They don’t ask me who I am.

“Why are you here?” I ask.

“We’re angels. We’ve been sent here to warn you and offer you a deal.”

A deal. Those two words echo in my head, a reminder of why I’m stuck here in the first place.

Maybe their admission to being angels should placate me, but something about their presence keeps me agitated.

It could be because that they’re supernatural beings and I’m a human, considering the similarity to how I felt when seeing Ambrose for the first time.

I don’t feel that nervous humming beneath my skin with Ambrose anymore, but maybe it’s simply because I’ve become accustomed to his presence.

Speaking of… “I thought angels and demons weren’t separate entities.”

Samuel frowns. “What would make you think that?”

“I was told that it’s all part of mythology that derives from the existence of immortals, that you’re all collectively called Liminals, and the only difference is the powers that you have.” I avoid saying Ambrose’s name, though I’m not quite sure why.

He gives me a pitying look. “Ambrose told you that.” It’s not a question, but a statement. Still, he’s looking for confirmation.

I nod.

“It makes sense that he would try to convince you of that. He’s attempting to sway you, to give you some semblance of comfort because he does not want you to realize who you’ve made a bargain with.

There is a reason that there are so many stories around these mountains that warn against making a deal with the devil. ”

My heart sinks. There’s no way… “Are you telling me that Ambrose is the devil?”

“Not quite,” he answers with a chuckle, mindlessly fiddling with a small pocket watch at his waist. “But he may as well be. He’s taken the gift he’s been given and used it for evil instead of good.

The difference between angels and demons is not in how we are created, but what we do with the gifts The Creator has given us. ”

With each second that passes, each word that comes from his mouth, the panic in my chest grows. Is the situation I’ve found myself in even worse than I thought? Have I been consorting with someone much more evil than I had assumed?

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” I manage to ask despite the knot in my throat.

Samuel raises his hand, palm facing upward, and a ball of pure, white light grows before my eyes. I blink a few times to make sure I’m not hallucinating.

“Each of us is given a different set of powers. I was bestowed the gift of light. Elias here possesses the power of healing. Both are good, honorable abilities we have been entrusted with. Now think about it for a moment; What does Ambrose use his gift for? Manipulation, obscurity, trickery, and avoiding perception. Does that not say enough about his character?”

With every word he speaks, my heart sinks. It makes sense that Ambrose would take advantage of my ignorance and use it to make himself seem less malevolent.

Not only have I been manipulated, but I was stupid enough to fall for it yet again.

The other night, it had almost seemed like Ambrose and I had shared a moment of understanding, that some sort of companionship had passed between us, but how real can our connection be if it was all built on lies and trickery in the first place?

I had allowed myself to forget how I got into this situation. I can’t let that happen again.

Still, I don’t trust these angels entirely. My gut is telling me to be cautious. “So what do you want from me? You said you wanted to warn me and offer me a deal.”

“Well, that depends on how much you know. Are you aware of how he maintains his immortality?”

“Yes, he told me. Is it different for you?” I can’t help but ask. Even despite the growing ache in my chest, curiosity wins over.

“It is not different.”

“How are you any better than him, then?”

“We are much more deliberate about the lives we take, only taking what we need, whereas he does so with reckless abandon. Ambrose enjoys the hunt, manipulating one’s emotions before taking everything away from them.

It’s a game to him rather than an unfortunate necessity. But surely you know that by now.”

The words are a blade through my chest. It’s not like I didn’t know that’s what he was doing with me, so why does it still hurt so much? I’ve had weeks to come to terms with it.

But I suppose that no matter how much time you have to get over it, being betrayed by someone you thought would save you will always be devastating. Giving someone hope before breaking them is infinitely more vicious than simply hurting them from the start.

I need to be careful. I’ve started to let my guard down with Ambrose, though maybe that’s been part of his plan all along. Lull me into a false sense of security so I can continue to do his bidding.

When the angels realize I’m not going to respond, Samuel speaks again. The other man hasn’t spoken once.

“You asked what we want from you. All we need is information.”

“And what do I get in return?” I ask, although I’m hesitant to make any sort of deal with another supernatural being.

“A secret for a secret. Ambrose has told you many lies that we can expose, some of which may be relevant to whatever deal you made with him. There may be a loophole.”

I wonder how much they know.

“You’re in a position where you can help us,” he continues. “He’s dangerous, and by helping us, you can make this corner of the world a safer place.”

“How would you know about the lies he’s told me if you don’t know about the conditions of our deal in the first place?” I assume angels wouldn’t be asking for my help if they knew what sort of sins I’ve already committed.

They exchange a weighted look, and Elias speaks for the first time.

His voice is softer than Samuel’s. “He has been known to manipulate helpless women by any means possible. He will say whatever he needs to to ensure you don’t leave, call for help, or otherwise mess up his plans.

” He runs his fingers through his dark curls, clearly uncomfortable.

“What do you want to know?” I ask. I can almost taste the bitterness in my voice. Of course I’m not the first one he’s done this to.

“Each of us has an artifact that allows us to channel our powers and increase our lifespans. Have you noticed any sort of item that he keeps on his person?”

The necklace. But for some reason, my instincts are telling me to keep the information to myself. At least for now.

“I’m not sure,” I lie. “I haven’t been paying much attention to anything like that.”

“It may look like a perfectly normal item or accessory, but no matter how inconspicuous it may look, it is an item of both protection and power.”

“What do you plan on doing with it?”

“We simply need to get the item from him to dull his power. He likely has dozens, if not hundreds, of lifetimes left that he’s already collected. He will not die, but he will not be able to benefit from taking any more lives.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for it.”

“In return,” Samuel says, “we can help you get away from him without causing you harm.”

It’s a tempting offer. Freedom, and the ability to run away from this place. But that doesn’t solve all my issues with Joel, and I’d still have no money and no place to go. Right now, I don’t think it’s wise to make any more bargains with supernatural beings.

“Meet us here again in exactly three weeks. We will wait in this same spot, just before sunset. Do whatever you need to in order to learn what his artifact is. We will see you then.”

With that, they walk across the small clearing and behind the church, disappearing into the woods.

As soon as they’re out of sight, the forest comes alive again with rustling trees and buzzing cicadas and singing birds, as if I’ve been surrounded by a silent bubble that’s popped with their departure.

The tightness in my chest loosens slightly, and I take the first deep breath I’ve been able to take since I saw them lurking in the distance.

Instead of exploring the church more, like I had planned to do on my way out here, I turn around and walk back to Ambrose’s house with conflict whirling through my head.

He’s done nothing but manipulate me since I got here. So why am I struggling so much with the idea of selling him out?