“I like to give my victims one kindness before I kill them,” Matthew spoke softly now, placing the gun against his own head, his eyes staring into the gun. “They say the cold touch of a barrel is the worst feeling a man can feel before being killed, I however, like to feel it. I know that one day I will feel it too.” Matthew paused, gazing out the window deep in momentary thought. Shaking his head, Matthew smiled, continuing, “Say your prayers, you will be visiting whatever god you worship quick enough to hear their responses”.

The man finally spoke, interrupting Matthew’s thought process, a surprisingly strong voice, non-reflective of the man’s demeanour. “I’ve heard about you, you used to be the best of the best until you went rogue and lost it all, they say you went crazy, killing your whole team without remorse, everyone but one, the only female on your team. I’ve read your file! They said you shouldn’t have been trusted!” The man’s eyes opened wide, realising what he had said probably shouldn’t have been said, judging by Michael’s grim expression. “I’m sor-” The man had no time to finish his sentence as a red hole appeared appeared in the centre of his forehead.

For this is what we do, put one foot forward and then the other. Lift our eyes to the snarl and smile of the world once more. Think. Act. Feel. Add our little consequence to the tides of good and evil that flood and drain the world, drag our crosses into the hope of another night. Push our brave hearts into the promise of a new day. With love: the passionate search for a truth other than our own. With longing: The pure, ineffable yearning to be saved, for so long as fate keeps us waiting, we live on. No matter what, we live on.

Utopia Preview #1 
I felt the gurgling of my stomach in protest, uneasy of the news that had just been announced. I thought it would be wise to finish off my morning directives and head straight to the Central Command Office (CCO) immediately. Jumping up I pressed the top button on the wall, watching in fascination as the table opened up, swallowing the surface as the bowl and spoon disappeared, most likely to be cleaned by level 2 citizens. I grabbed my overcoat anticipating storms later and rushed to the door, opening it to see two Kasthunah’s about to knock.
    “We want you to come quietly, without a word.” The one on the right said bluntly.
    “What do you want?” I questioned curiously. Today was not a good day it seemed, the two Kasthunah’s stood in at 7 feet tall wearing long white velvet cloaks, identical in their appearance, apart from the tattoos placed on their arms, the red numbers were their only unique trait. Kasthunah’s were not normal humans, but genetically engineered; cloned from their original several generations previously, a smart and very intuitive creature born in pairs, able to determine what someone was thinking before they did. What truly made them impressive was their ability to behave independently whilst sharing a psychic mind link between itself and it’s twin.
The one on the left scowled, raising it’s electric baton, bringing it down swiftly on my forearm as I attempted to defend myself. The bright electric blue sparks filled the room and my eyes as I fell to the ground spasming uncontrollably, the room fading as I began to fall unconscious, my hearing unaffected heard one of the Kasthunah’s speak pointlessly

     “We said without a word.”

I groaned in protest as the world went dark.

My communicator began to vibrate on my concrete bedside table as the voice continued excitedly rattling off the laws that I was without a doubt, going to hear at several points throughout the rest of the day. As I picked it up and placed it to my ear,

“Good Day Citizen!” The voice through my communicator erupted in happy flow, similar to the one still babbling on in the background, “We are pleased to announce that your Superior ‘Gracious Kasthunah Graham the Second’ requests your prompt presence, following your Morning Program in a meeting of the utmost importance! A late attendance will not be tolerated! We wish you a good day and to ensure that you follow all directives as set by our Gracious Kasthunah’s and by our glorious leader of Valhalla - ‘Patter Mars’, but most of all “Enjoy your Paradise!”

As I heard the click of the communicator as the operator hung up I heard “Enjoy your Paradise!” Echoing from the commspeaker, the phrase albeit pleasant always made me shiver, I had never known exactly why. 

She ran, the sound of her heavy breathing filtering through her headphones, her eyes focusing on the unworn track in front of her so she did not trip over the rocks and thick tree stumps of the Forrest around her.

Silent Forrestis what they called it, where if a tree fell you wouldn’t hear it for miles around, the trees were thick except for the track that she herself had discovered as a little girl, now 19, she had been running along this track for almost 7 years.

She enjoyed it, the low light filtering through the thick branches and leaves 8 feet above, made it difficult for her to see, she liked the challenge, she often thought seeing was believing, so what happens when you don’t see?

CRACK! The loud noise interrupting her pace, looking around she tripped over the branch she had only just noticed at the last moment. Scolding herself for being distracted, squinting through the low light for the source of the noise she rubbed her grazed knee, the blood now oozing from her; a deep red. 

As she stood up, dusting herself off and picking up the headphones on the ground, still able to hear the music softly playing, she heard a rustling behind her.

“Hello Clare” the man’s deep brazen voice came out of the darkness.

Whirling around to see the identity of her sudden companion, she saw his face and screamed her face now white with shock and horror as she realised who it was.

His arm holding a bat came up slowly as he sneered, a throaty gargle emitting from his mouth as he laughed swinging the bat towards her, as she stood paralysed with shock.

Darkness.

- Roaring Fox Stories

“What do you expect? Do you expect your tough love to make you feel good? Make those people you help feel pain? Or does it allow you to know that you’re better than anyone else, that you’re above them?”

I stared down at him, my shoulders rising, helping my lungs collect air after yelling, my voice now hoarse. Raquel was shaking next to him, she drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, pulling them closer, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Do you realise what you’ve done?!” I yell once more, “Do you realise the hurt that you have caused me? Did you have any consideration for how I feel?” My voice now turning soft to a whisper. 

“I cared for you, everyone knew it was you that I wanted.” I paused. “Everyone!” Now pacing, backwards and forwards trying to vent my frustration, my chest tightening in the heat of the moment, I could feel my arteries pulsing, my blood pumping. “Get out of here Raq!” I snapped. “It’s not your fault but get out of here before I make it yours!” She ran out eyes still brimming with tears, the door slamming behind her.

A momentary silence, before I turned back on him.

“You’re nothing but a player, nothing but a self obsessed power hungry arsehole who will do anything to make his next ego trip a bigger one than ever before!”

I glared at him, his eyes aware of betrayal. I did not expect however, the words that came out of his words next.

“You made me do it.”

-Roaring Fox

(Source: roaringfoxstories)

Matt slowly removed his sunglasses, rarely would you see him without them, his excuse for doing so often varied; the real reason was because true emotion was revealed through his eyes, something Matt did not enjoy others witnessing. Today however, his feelings were on display for his mother as tears began to streak down his face to match the downpour from the dark clouds above.

She admired him in the dim moonlight, his breathing barely heard over the slight breeze and the sound of the ocean that passed through the open doors of their bedroom.

Curling herself up, she pulled the white sheets tighter around her, absorbing every detail of his slender body. He was different from other men, he treated her with respect, curious to know about her life; just as much as she was with his, without false interest. He stirred slightly, still resting on his left side. Opening his eyes slowly, seeing her staring at him, he grimaced, rolling onto his stomach, as he tried to hide his face and break her gaze in embarrassment.

Muffled words emitted from the pillow that he spoke into. “Sorry?” She responded, smiling as she attempted to decipher the first words from his slumber.

Sighing with his whole body, he relaxed only momentarily, before mustering his energy to turn his body and face her.
“Why were you staring at me?” He managed to whisper while he struggled to keep his eyes open.

“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.” She replied, smiling softly as his body collapsed slowly into sleep once more. She reached over for her handbag on the wooden bedside table, withdrawing a small needle; Smiling as it slowly pierced the skin on his neck, injecting the fatal clear liquid into his carotid artery.

“Say goodnight forever.” She said.

-Roaring Fox Stories

(Source: roaringfoxstories)

If you haven’t yet. Read Ark Angel Part One.

- - - -

Cranathia placed her hand on my wrist, the feeling of pins and needles starting to form, smiling at my surprise and discomfort, she explained,

“You Humans, always looking for a complex explanation in some shape or form when the answer is right in front of you. ‘Pins and needles’ has nothing to do with blood flow, it’s the lingering or current touch of your Angel protecting you. Many Human religions mentions Angels as  messengers from God, when in fact we were messengers from our own race, only to be misinterpreted as the stories were retold. UFO’s and Ghosts - also us, seen as glimpses which you assume to be ‘Alien ships’ or your deceased, whereas they are just mere moments when we happened to have been seen.

I realise this is a lot to take in Kyle, but we do not have much time. This place is unknown to The Fallen, but the secrecy will not hold for much longer.” She paused, allowing me to think.
 
“Why are The Fallen after me? How will I know what they look like? What do I do?” I blurted out in a panic, my body tensing, eyes darting as I struggled to search the dim pale moonlit landscape around us.

“The Fallen have been awaiting this moment for years, long before the day you were born Kyle, before your parents had even met, you and the events surrounding your life, both past and future were foreseen several centuries ago, you are not the only one, the first, nor the last.” Her eyes gazing into mine hypnotically as images flooded my mind again.

A girl talking to another Ark Angel her face taut, revealing no emotion as the Ark Angel no doubt was telling her what Cranathia was telling me. “Her name is Amanda, She like you, is an ‘Astreston’, able to see the Ark Angels, able to help us rid the world of The Fallen, to help us fulfill the prophecy.” She stopped, breaking the mental connection, my arm still prickling where her hand had been touching me.

“Why are The Fallen so bad, why must they be stopped?” I asked, uncertain if I wanted to know the answer.   

“The Fallen will never be accepted back into The Realm, they are now just humans with the skills and abilities of The Ark Angels, they want to destroy the Realm, and can only do so one way.”

“Through the Astreston.” I interrupted, my thoughts now racing, as the severity of the situation clicked in my mind.

“Yes. That includes you,” She confirmed bluntly.

“The Fallen are after you, and her.”

-Roaring Fox Stories

(Source: roaringfoxstories)

“Call me Ark Angel” she whispered.
“What’s an Ark Angel?” He stared at her, entranced by her beauty, her flawless pale skin shining in the moonlight surrounding her emerald eyes that only pulled his curiosity in further.

She smiled slowly, as she began to retell the story she had told many times before, her words placing pictures in his mind as she created a mental connection.

“I’m not the Angel you may instantly think of, I am not a worker of a deity. I am one of an entire species, our world coexists with yours.” Images of  hundreds of Angels in different parts of the world filled my head as she described the greatest secret of the Earth that few, if any Humans knew of.
“Generally we cannot be seen, only The Fallen can be seen by Humans, but even then, they will only be seen as one of your own, The Fallen are a dangerous part of our species, banished from their duties forced into your society, revoked of their privileges, only to return under the most extreme of circumstances.” Furrows formed ever so slightly on her forehead as a glimpse of emotion showed.

“We are the people that guard your race, we are the beings you swear are hiding in the shadows, or always following you, the things you almost see, but never can quite confirm it.” She continued as flashes of my own life played in my head, with her revealed, watching me; by my side, behind or near me, her Emerald eyes always piercing, always watching.

The images stopped as she paused, bringing me back to reality. The pale moon reflecting off her eyes; always gazing at me. She smiled as she watched the realisation cross my face; “You’ve been watching me my whole life?” I stammered, still coming to terms with the enormity of what she had just shown me.
“How, I mean, Why do you angels do this?” I stuttered, tripping up over my own words. “What do I even call you?” I paused, trying to gather my thoughts.
“You may call me Cranathia, but you already knew that Kyle, you’ve always known that.” She replied, pausing for a moment.

“That’s the problem,” Cranathia smiled grimly.

“Now the fallen are coming for you.”

-Roaring Fox Stories

Read the next segment of Ark Angel

(Source: roaringfoxstories)