Chapter 1

"You're going to die, you stupid prick!"

Normally those words would be a reason for you to panic. However, to me, they seemed to be my biggest desire. That's right, I said it; I want to die.

Confused? You should be. Let me backtrack a little and you can see why I want to die.

My name is Jake Collins. I am 14 years old. I have a big brother named Peter. He is my 3 years my senior and I idolize him. I have a bad case of hero worship, believe me, I know. Then there's mommy, well here name is Regina. I know what you're thinking; 14 years old and he is still saying 'mommy'. If that bothers you all I can say is Fuck You. I love my mother, she is the best.

My dad is a sore point. He is abusive and jobless. If you're wondering why I idolize my brother it's simple. He is big enough to stop dad from beating mommy and me. Doesn't make sense; okay let me describe us to you.

Mommy is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Long red hair, warm honey eyes, legs that stretch forever; do you get the picture she is a total knockout.

Dad is a typical abusive drunk. He's barely forty and he already has the biggest bear belly in our town. I wonder what mommy ever saw in him. He had to be something at some point for mommy to have married him. He is already balding, I think it's cause he drinks too much, but what do I know. He is a very unpleasant man; to me he is the devil himself.

I have to laugh at that last idea, I know better now; but that's for later.

Peter is what I think dad was in his prime. 6 feet tall, short brown hair; I wonder how that worked with mommy being a red head and dad having black hair? That's neither here nor there. Where was I? Oh yes, he has hazel eyes and well toned muscles. Girls would define him as a complete hunk. I wouldn't say that, but he did look good.

Me? Compared to my brother, I look like shit. 5'8, 130 pounds soaking wet, my biggest muscle is my brain. I pretty much look like a nerd. My short red hair, yup just like mommy, and something my mommy and brother agree on is I have the most piercing blue eyes. They sometimes look like glass, weird huh? Even weirder was when I was born I had 8, yes 8, birth marks on my back. They looked like wings. Mommy said she thought they would go away as I got older, but actually as I grew so did they.

Mommy works as a nurse at the hospital, so me and Peter try to keep the house clean. Dad on the other hand just does everything he can to negate the work we did.

Moving along, Peter was the captain of the high school wrestling team. He never lost a match, he was fucking awesome!

When I was younger and Peter would care for me, he would always tell me, "Jake, you will be something great. I can see it in your eyes, and your wings, there's a reason you have those."

I miss him, so much.

5 months ago, Peter was at a party, I don't know the exact details but the punch-line was; he's dead.

My world crashed faster than I could breathe. Peter had been repeatedly stabbed with what was assumed to be a knife or shank of some sort.

Me and mommy were lost. Aside from being the biggest influence in my life, Peter was me and mommy's protector at home. With him gone... well you get the idea.

It wasn't even a week after we had buried Peter when dad unleashed the furry he had held back during Peter's reign. I tried to help mommy, really I did. Peter would have wanted me to, but I'm not Peter. Dad broke my right arm. Mommy was at least better spared a major beating. With his attention on me, she called the cops, Finally!

They showed up while he was still beating mommy. They took him away and I have yet to see of hear of him.

My arm was placed in a cast, normally this is the part where I tell you all my friends signed it right? Well that didn't happen. Did I forget to mention aside from my brothers 'buddies' who disappeared when he died, I have no friends.

All the time at home wasn't helping, I was alone. I would never get to hear my brother ever again. He would never protect me, play with me, give me advice, nothing.

In the back of my mind, a little voice said, "I should have died."

I tried to ignore it, but with things being so bad, and me missing my brother so much, it just grew stronger and stronger. Finally after 5 months, I've had it.

I walked out of our house and proceeded to find and alley where I could kill myself. I'd left mommy a note, I was sorry for leaving her, but my sorrow wouldn't let me see anything but my own pain.

So there I was walking trying to find a nice spot to die when I hear a scream followed by a whimper.

Looking around I spot a small alley tucked between a few abandoned houses. I saw Jeff Brag and Jerry Fuller manhandling a girl, she looked familiar.

As I got closer I recognized her, she was Amanda Rake. She was my crush. She looked like a miniature version of mommy.

I saw Jeff pull a small knife out. As Jerry began to unbuckle his pants, I knew I could do something good with my life before I died. I made my decision.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me and slammed right into Jeff, knocking both the knife and Jerry down.

"Run!" I yelled at Amanda.

Whose eyes were open in complete shock.

"I said Run!" That snapped her out of it as she bolted from the alley.

Jerry with his pants around his ankles got up and punched me right in the jaw, and sent me flying to the ground. Jeff picked up the knife he had dropped and looked at me.

"You're going to die, you stupid prick!"

Now that you are caught up, I have to die now.

I saw Jeff move his hand down to stab me, I'm not sure where when he suddenly stopped.

Okay, shit is definitely getting weird. Why am I still alive? Looking up at Jeff, he is frozen, looking a bit higher he isn't the only one. A couple birds in the sky aren't moving as well.

What the fuck is going on?

"Are you always this rude?" A voice called to me.

Turning my head in the direction the voice came from, my jaw hit the floor. An angel, LITERALLY!

She is beautiful. I can even see her wings. 4 shinny white wings, her body is covered is what I guess to be short white fur. A sword, is gracefully hanging on her waist. She has some sort of tight pants, I'm not sure what they're made of, but she looks good!

She has a shield in her left arm, along with some armor, her face is covered by a helm of some sort, but her long blonde hair flows from it none the less.

"I... ah..." I stammered.

"This is not the condition I had hoped we would meet under, but you have forced our hand. You have a great destiny ahead of you. We need you in the coming war." She said, her voice was as musical.

I moved to get on my feet and inspect her, when I read my finger out to touch her, to see if I'm not dreaming. She grabs my hand and pulls me close.

"Real enough?"

I simply nod my head.

"We must go, quickly now." She said as she kicked off the ground, her four wings carrying us higher and faster than I ever thought possible.

It felt exhilarating, I haven't felt this excited since I watched my brother wrestle. No, I don't mean that way.

It felt, good. I almost felt free.

"Amazing, isn't it?" She asked me.

I could only nod my head in agreement.

"You are one of us, you will enjoy this freedom too."

My eyes shot open in surprise. What did she mean 'one of us.'