Midnight Caper

[Wormwood]

The being looked around, turning it's graceful head this way and that, looking over the playground with it's gold-green eyes. No one here. Then again, what did Wormwood really expect? It was his first time out of the experimentation labs and it was nearly four in the morning. He would have liked to see someone, but even being alone was nice.

The body was wrong. He looked down. It looked right. Androgynous, curly blonde hair... they had the eyes in the right shape, but the wrong colour. His eyes should be golden, not green! But.... They had the wings...

He stretched them out experimentally to their full span of near 15 feet and flapped them once and then twice. Right...but somehow wrong. He folded them against his back and looked up to the 'sky'. "Dear God...." He started. "What have they done to me?" He bowed his head, seeming to listen. "Yes.... Yes, of course. Wait. I can do that. I've been doing it for years already. I'll see what I can do here... of course, yes..."

He looked up again, tears streaming down his slightly tanned cheeks. His skin glinted, as if covered in glitter. The moonlight caught on his skin, sparking off in little gentle sparkles. He sighed and wiped his hands, numerous bands covered his wrists. Hospital bands bearing his name and condition and status. Although, it seemed rather pointless. He felt fine. Better than fine. He had preformed all the tests up to their standards and excelled. His body worked perfectly. "I wonder where my old body is?" He questioned, raising a hand to his cheek.

"And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter." (Revelation 8:10, 11, KJB)

"I guess this is where I stay for awhile..."

He stepped up to a swing and sat himself down in it. He pushed lightly, the chains creaking as he swung gently back and forth. It was going to be interesting. The time was soon.

"The time has come, it is quite clear, our anti-Christ is almost here...."

[Anberlin Bennett]

Bare flesh met with false grass. It was all a cover, to make things seem more realistic. An outside world that was never experienced by Anberlin, a world that would probably never be explored. She had come to terms with this, there was nothing she could do to change what had happened to her so she might as well live out her life the best she could.

The false grass tickled her toes as she wandered blindly across the 'playground'. It was as close to the real thing she could get right now. She drifted gracefully in silence, adore in her assigned color. Her plaid purple pajama bottoms and a white tank top. Her brown hair cascaded over her shoulders in faint waves as her eyes were gently shut closed.

Her fingers were trailing over an old family heirloom, passed down to the first born daughter of each generation, a black onyx and white gold rosary. With her fingers starting at the cross she began her prayers. Every morning at four she prayed. She choose four because she had hoped at that time some would hear her. She had hoped that some one might silently join in.

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."

The prayer came out only as a mutter, a faint whisper upon the early mornings air. Her fingers felt their way from the cross of the rosary to the first large bead.

"Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen."

Her fingers moved the next bead in line. With each bead came a new prayer, each prayer was memorized. Anberlin thought there was nothing better then the quite sounds on the false outdoors to pray in. She took a few more steps before stopping in the middle of the grass and taking up a seat in the fake atmosphere. The presence of another didn't' even cross her mind.

[Wormwood]

Wormwood heard the faint mutterings of someone else. He twisted in the swing, but only managed to fall out of it, hitting the dusty ground under the swing with a dull thump. He pushed himself up and looked around. There was a girl with wavy brown hair sitting in the grass. In her hands....

The angel started, his jaw falling open with shock. She was praying and not only that, she had a rosary. There was a glow about her, the glow of a believer. Tears rose to the angels eyes. Since being at the lab, he had not met a single one. All the scientists were ridiculously close minded....Just because they had their facts and there stats, they thought God didn't exist! Well, if he didn't exist, than how was he here? After all he was an angel...didn't that prove the existence of God? He didn't understand it. Couldn't science and religion co-exist? But it didn't seem like it was possible at all. The angel heaved a sigh.

He stood up and flicked his wings this way and that, shaking the dust from the dirt off them and he made his way over to the girl. He sat down next to her. "God hears all." He said softly and laid a hand down on her shoulder. He was warmer than her. "And I am sure he is looking over you, for the Shepard is always watching the flock."

"I'm Wormwood." He introduced quietly. "It's nice to find another believer." He said, his voice was soft, but it had a smiling tone to it. This was the first time in weeks that he felt close to being happy.

"What's your name?"

[Anberlin Bennett]

The brunette didn't take notice of another live nearby, nor as it approached her. His voice is what got her attention. Low, soft, and melodic, the way she would have imagined an angels voice. Ironic. His touch was warm as he placed a hand on her shoulder. In the thirteen years that Anberlin has resided at the facility, this man would be the first to speak to her about God.

"I know he's watching over me." She smiled, her eyes still softly closed as she sat in her meditated state. Wormwood took a seat next to her, she finally opened her eyes. Her smile grew as she caught sight of his wings. They were beautiful, just like she imagined.

"Anberlin Bennett." She answered him. She felt very comforted by his presence. "And you would be..." She paused her sentence allowing him to fill in the missing pieces.