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Books by Mary Sage Nguyen
The Malevolent Twin
Uriel’s Absolution
For my muse Perry Faulk
Acknowledgements
Lynn Ann Brewer
Thank you to
My muse Perry Faulk
The Ebook Launch Team
Again for assisting me in the creation of “Uriel’s Absolution”
“When angels go bad they are worse than anyone else. Remember Lucifer used to be an angel.”
Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere
Contents
Books by Mary Sage Nguyen
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Uriel’s Absolution
About Author
Uriel’s Absolution
By: Mary Sage Nguyen
Damon Garcia stared out the window of his bedroom. Some of the older boys were playing basketball. Damon longed to be across the street with them. His mother never would let him go over there. She said things along the line of the boys were gang members and are a nuisance to the community. Damon went to the kitchen to find something to eat. His mother was at work. Damon’s independence was due to his mother’s neglect. She was almost never home. For the rest of the day Damon watched cartoons of the TV and sat alone in the apartment. He heard the unique jingle of the knob and the apartment door swung open. His mother came in. She had been crying and appeared to be unstable.
“Oh my boy!” She cried in Spanish. She hugged Damon for a long time. He had no idea what she was upset about.
“What are you crying about mom?” He asked.
“Nothing baby. I love you so much. You are my precious baby.” She replied.
Damon spotted a manila envelope in her hand. It was addressed to her from the hospital they went to earlier. The doctors had put Damon in a machine and took pictures of his body. They were worried about him having an illness called cancer. Damon was twelve years old. He didn’t understand the full definition of cancer, and that he would die from it. The doctors had been nice enough not to tell him this critical piece of information. His mother on other hand knew what would happen.
“I am going to help you. I am going to come up with the money somehow.” His mother said choking back tears.
“Mom what is going on?”
“Nothing honey. Here is some money. Please, go buy some bread and whatever else you want.” She handed him a twenty dollar bill. Miss Garcia wiped her eyes and head to the back of the apartment toward her room. Damon skipped happily to his room. He threw on a blue sweater. He had been in the apartment all day so he was happy to get outside.
It was dark outside. They boys who had been playing basketball across the street were gone. The basketball court looked empty and ominous. Damon hurried down the street to a twenty four hour convenience store around the corner. It was windy that night. The moon was not as bright. The clouds cover it partially. At the convenience store. Damon bought bread, some chocolate, and a small carton of blueberry ice cream.
“Hello Damon! How is your mother?” The clerk at the registered asked. He wore a green polo and jeans. He was an older Mexican man who had a handlebar mustache. His stomach protruded outward.
“She is good. How are you?” Damon replied.
“Pretty good. It is quiet tonight.” Damon pulled out the twenty his mother had given him earlier.
“Don’t worry about it buddy. It is on the house today.” The clerk pack up his groceries.
“Thanks sir!” Damon was grateful for the clerk’s kindness.
“You’re welcome! Tell your mama Pete says hi.”
“I will, Pete.” Damon turned to the door and headed home. A plastic bag floated in the wind. If Damon had been watching this bag. He would have seen a very tall figured captured the bag, and was watching him. This tall figure wore a long black trench coat with polished black boots. He moved his black fedora adjusting it. He had been following Damon for a long time now. Just waiting for his chance.
Back at the apartment, Damon sat on the couch watching more tv. It was is sanctuary, since he didn’t have any friends at school. This was due to his unhealthy appearance. He was trying to drown out the noise he was hearing from the other room. His mother was in there with a man. This man came around daily. He helped Damon’s mom make ends meet. Soon Damon was fast asleep. Damon woke up on the couch. He could hear his mother crying. She was sitting at the glass table sipping on a cup of coffee. She was wearing a fluffy pink robe. Her brown hair was been pinned up into a bun.
“Mom are you okay?” His mother looked up. She revealed a yellow, and purple eye with a red scab underneath.
“Yes, dear.” Damon came closer to his mother.
“Mom you’re not okay.” Damon put his hand on his mother’s cheek. He studied the injuries on her face.
“I love you mom.” His mother looked away ashamed.
“One day I am going to grow up and take care of you.” Damon added.
“I have to go to work.” She got up and walked into the master bedroom slamming the door.
Damon sighed. He wished he was old enough to take care of his mother. Today was wet and cold as they day before. Damon walked to school without being fed breakfast. His stomach growled. A tall man stepped before him out of an alleyway.
“Hello Damon.” This man said. The man wore a long black suede coat and a fedora hat. His eyes were bright blue. He had brown hair. The man appeared to be in his late forties. He was tall and built.
“Who are you?” Damon asked curiously.
“I am Uriel.” Damon started walking again. He didn’t want to be late for school.
“Wait, Damon. I can help you.”
“How?” Just then some boys ran by Damon. They pushed down going by.
“Why are you talking to the wall stupid?” One of them yelled back.
“Wait, they can’t see you?” Damon asked Uriel. He was astonished and grew even more curious of Uriel.
“No they cannot. We do not have much time, young one. I can assist you with your mother. You want her to well taken care of right? I can also cure you of that vile disease you have.” Uriel started walking down the street.
“Okay, so if I help you. In return you will find some way to discard that man who beats my mother?”
“I will make sure he is sent to hell.”
“Well, then count me in.” Damon was so desperate to help his poor mother, he would do anything.
Uriel and Damon walked down the street to his car. It happened to be a white jaguar. Damon sat down on the plush leather seat. Uriel started the car and began to drive. He did not want to start a conversation with Damon. His mind was set on his mission.
“What are you? Why can’t the boys from school see you? You aren’t human are you?” Damon asked.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Yes, I would. I just want to know. What are you Uriel?”
“I am an arch angel.” Uriel replied vaguely.
“An angel, wow! A real one with wings?” Damon asked.
“Yes, I will show my wings later on.” Damon’s childish spirit was illuminating Uriel’s own spirit. It had been a long time since he had been with someone so positive.
“Where are we going?” Damon asked.
“To retrieve the spear of destiny.?
?? Damon thought for a minute. He had heard about the spear of destiny somewhere before. He contemplated for a bit. Finally he recalled where he remembered it from.
“It is the spear that killed Jesus. Why are we retrieving it?”
“We need it to kill that scum Tim Timberlake.” Uriel replied
“Hey, I know him. He is that universally famous musician! I like his music.”
“No, he is absolute filth! Tim Timberlake is a disguise. This abomination’s goal is wreak havoc upon earth.”
“So Tim Timberlake is a what?”
“Haven’t you been listening to anything I have been saying? He is a demon who crawled his way out of hell, and plans on obliterating the people of earth.”
“Oh, that’s really too bad. I admire Tim Timberlake.”
“Oh my worthy assistant, you have much to learn. I am sure it will work this time. Retrieving the spear of destiny with you.”
“Why is that?”
“Because, you are innocent, and pure as can be.” Uriel responded
“Okay.”
Damon wondered what Uriel was meant with the words innocent, and pure. Uriel drove on for miles. Damon digesting what he had been told. Everything was happening quickly. The landscape varied from cityscape to grasslands. They rode together in silence. Damon thought about how he would explain this to