Detroit, Michigan 1992
The engine rattles like a loose bolt, forcing me to turn on the radio. I’ve never been a fan of music, too many rock stars with bad haircuts.
I switch it on and relieved, just a newscaster reporting today’s stock exchange.
A sharp pain erupts inside me, I rush my right hand to my ribs. All this excitement, made me forget about my broken body. I reach for the radio, searching for something to take my mind of the pain. My eyes leave the road for a second, when they return their gaze back above the dashboard an angel appears before me.
I slam on the breaks, all the while skidding to the left, onto the sidewalk. Car meets post whilst head meets window.
I black out for a second, seems longer.
Awake now, an angel asks me if I’m okay, she pulls me from the twisted metal. Golden hair, bright blue eyes... and white heavenly wings.
This must be what death feels like, if so, its been given a bad rep.
The blurred world turns into its sharp counter part, I’m not dead... even so, a woman with wings stands before me.
I climb to my feet, juggling my head with my hands. The cars done for, I almost was as well.
“Are you okay.”
Her voice is as soft as it is heavenly.
“You hit a post with your car.”
She’s clearly not one for stating the obvious.
“I’m fine, just a little shaken up.”
I lie. She smiles.
“Listen, I’d feel a whole lot better if you’d let me take you to the hospital.”
Her smile becomes sincere.
“Already been to one hospital this week, bunch of guys tried to kill me. Probably be safer out here.”
Despite her obvious dismay she maintains a healthy looking smile.
People who smile that much give me the creeps. Always think they’re hiding something dark behind it.
“Besides, I need to get somewhere... guess I’ll have to walk now.”
The grinning angel’s smile finally dissipates.
“Where? Maybe I could give you a lift.”
I’ve spent the duration of this conversation blocking the wings from my mind. Angels and Detroit don’t tend to last long in the same sentence.
“You mean carry me? As in fly?”
She smiles again, even giggles a little.
“No silly.”
She removes the wings from her back and places them on the bonnet of the car.
“I’m gonna hail a cab.”
So many strange things in the world, heroes that can fly, teleport and punch through walls... sometimes you forget normal people are still out there.
“Fake wings?”
She bites down on one, then crinkles her nose.
“Yep. It’s part of my costume.”
The angel points across the street to a place called “Kitty Katch”. Strip club, got a bad rep... used to get call outs every weekend for something or other.
“Its not something I’m proud of, but it pays the bills.”
She mumbles under her breath.
“...barely...”
She pulls out a coat from her bag, it rivals my own in length.
“So how about that taxi? It’d help me sleep better knowing you got where you wanted to go safely.”
I almost knock her down with my car and she’s the one who feels bad... go figure.
“Okay... but I’ll pay.”
A cab drives by like a message from god, except god doesn’t live here, and all the angels are strippers.
The angel turned human sticks out her thumb, the cab driver isn’t planning to stop... a gust of wind lifts her coat from the ground revealing sparkling flesh to the moonlit night... he changes his mind.
We head to the cab leaving the wrecked car behind, I’m almost inside when it hits me, my hats still in the car... I love that hat.
I turn to my companion.
“Hold on a second, my hats still in the car.”
Like clockwork the angel sings.
“Stay here, I’ll go get it.”
I could get used to this.
She heads to the car, all the while feeling a sense of familiarity.
The door is stiff, she moves away bits of broken glass and leans through the window. My hat it on the backseat, she climbs inside and takes it.
Her eyes are drawn to a cigarette burn underneath. She wonders how so many people manage to burn holes in car seats, how they manage to rip the side of the drivers seat with their heels, how they chip the dashboard accidently whilst trying to fasten the steering lock in place, how...
“Oh my god, this is Mike’s car!”
To be continued...
The engine rattles like a loose bolt, forcing me to turn on the radio. I’ve never been a fan of music, too many rock stars with bad haircuts.
I switch it on and relieved, just a newscaster reporting today’s stock exchange.
A sharp pain erupts inside me, I rush my right hand to my ribs. All this excitement, made me forget about my broken body. I reach for the radio, searching for something to take my mind of the pain. My eyes leave the road for a second, when they return their gaze back above the dashboard an angel appears before me.
I slam on the breaks, all the while skidding to the left, onto the sidewalk. Car meets post whilst head meets window.
I black out for a second, seems longer.
Awake now, an angel asks me if I’m okay, she pulls me from the twisted metal. Golden hair, bright blue eyes... and white heavenly wings.
This must be what death feels like, if so, its been given a bad rep.
The blurred world turns into its sharp counter part, I’m not dead... even so, a woman with wings stands before me.
I climb to my feet, juggling my head with my hands. The cars done for, I almost was as well.
“Are you okay.”
Her voice is as soft as it is heavenly.
“You hit a post with your car.”
She’s clearly not one for stating the obvious.
“I’m fine, just a little shaken up.”
I lie. She smiles.
“Listen, I’d feel a whole lot better if you’d let me take you to the hospital.”
Her smile becomes sincere.
“Already been to one hospital this week, bunch of guys tried to kill me. Probably be safer out here.”
Despite her obvious dismay she maintains a healthy looking smile.
People who smile that much give me the creeps. Always think they’re hiding something dark behind it.
“Besides, I need to get somewhere... guess I’ll have to walk now.”
The grinning angel’s smile finally dissipates.
“Where? Maybe I could give you a lift.”
I’ve spent the duration of this conversation blocking the wings from my mind. Angels and Detroit don’t tend to last long in the same sentence.
“You mean carry me? As in fly?”
She smiles again, even giggles a little.
“No silly.”
She removes the wings from her back and places them on the bonnet of the car.
“I’m gonna hail a cab.”
So many strange things in the world, heroes that can fly, teleport and punch through walls... sometimes you forget normal people are still out there.
“Fake wings?”
She bites down on one, then crinkles her nose.
“Yep. It’s part of my costume.”
The angel points across the street to a place called “Kitty Katch”. Strip club, got a bad rep... used to get call outs every weekend for something or other.
“Its not something I’m proud of, but it pays the bills.”
She mumbles under her breath.
“...barely...”
She pulls out a coat from her bag, it rivals my own in length.
“So how about that taxi? It’d help me sleep better knowing you got where you wanted to go safely.”
I almost knock her down with my car and she’s the one who feels bad... go figure.
“Okay... but I’ll pay.”
A cab drives by like a message from god, except god doesn’t live here, and all the angels are strippers.
The angel turned human sticks out her thumb, the cab driver isn’t planning to stop... a gust of wind lifts her coat from the ground revealing sparkling flesh to the moonlit night... he changes his mind.
We head to the cab leaving the wrecked car behind, I’m almost inside when it hits me, my hats still in the car... I love that hat.
I turn to my companion.
“Hold on a second, my hats still in the car.”
Like clockwork the angel sings.
“Stay here, I’ll go get it.”
I could get used to this.
She heads to the car, all the while feeling a sense of familiarity.
The door is stiff, she moves away bits of broken glass and leans through the window. My hat it on the backseat, she climbs inside and takes it.
Her eyes are drawn to a cigarette burn underneath. She wonders how so many people manage to burn holes in car seats, how they manage to rip the side of the drivers seat with their heels, how they chip the dashboard accidently whilst trying to fasten the steering lock in place, how...
“Oh my god, this is Mike’s car!”
To be continued...
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