Toxicity || Chapter Five: A Long Road

The first days on Earth for the Fallen are the hardest. They are filled with the most angst, the most anger, and the most exhaustion. The Fallen are desperate for companionship, but terrified to become close to anything, in case of rejection.

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Riddia stared blankly at the TV, unsure of what was happening on the screen. A few minutes into the movie, he had no clue what was happening. He opened his mouth to ask Ali a question, only to realize the small girl had fallen asleep. 'What am I supposed to do now?' he wondered with a huff. Using the hand furthest from her, he pushed his hair from his face. In her sleep, Ali murmured quietly, words he couldn't quite hear. He frowned, leaning in closer to her. Just as he did, she shifted in her sleep, dropping her head onto his shoulder. He frowned deeper, sighing. 'Stupid girl, now I can't get up.'

He closed his eyes, relaxing. If nothing else, he could rest while he waited for her to wake up. He listened to the dull drumming of the television, to the even breathing of the girl beside him, to the gentle thrum of rain on the roof. "Maybe I can like it here... maybe this wont be so bad," Riddia sighed, shifting slightly.

Peering up from beneath heavily lidded lashes, Ali watched him rest. His movements had woken her from her nap, and his words made the girl curious. She sat there, watching him, for what could have been an hour before he opened his eyes and glanced her way. Sleepily, she smiled at him. "Hey," came her quiet greeting.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked gruffly.

"Um... Maybe a half hour?" was her uncertain reply.

He frowned. "You've been awake that long, and haven't said anything?"

"Well... I was just watching you. You're different."

"Different how?" 'Does she know?'

She smiled lightly, shrugging. It's not like it was a bad thing, her comment. Ali sat upright, stretching her arms up high. It had only been a few hours since she had found him out in the woods. Time felt like it had been passing quickly. "I don't know, I mean, you're... angry, for one. Why? Why are you so mad all the time?"

Riddia relaxed some. There was no way she could know if she were asking that. "I, uh, ended up here against my will. I'm pissed off that my brothers could just drop me here with no care." He looked out the window, falling into thought. Instead of responding to him, she nodded quietly. The girl stood, moving over to the DVD player, turning the thing off.

"Well, that sucks. But, the only thing you can do is make the best of it," she stated matter-'o-factually after a while of silence. He wasn't listening anymore, though.

'So, we see you found a little poppet to help you,' came Gabriel's mocking voice into the mind of his Fallen brother.

'What do you want? Haven't you done enough today?' Riddia thought sourly.

'Little brother, you did this to yourself. You left your position, abandoned your brethren, when the time was most dire. If you had done as you were told, you would still be among us.'

'If I hadn't left, that little girl would have died.'

'It was her time.'

'It's never the time for an innocent!' Riddia growled, clenching his fist. He jumped up off the bed, pacing around the room. Ali had long since left the room, searching for something.

Alone.

He was alone. That's when they tried to get to him. If he could stay near someone, they would leave him alone to adjust to his new life... Right?

"There's a long road ahead of me..."