It was a cool October evening, the sun was just dipping below the horizon, the birds where singing their last song of the day and the tree’s where starting to loose some of their older leaves. Whilst generally people where bustling home from work, and housewives where gathering in their washing and ushering their children indoors. The children of the night where getting ready to come out and play.

Tally mcbaine was one such child, at the age of 20 she was amongst a dwindling few who had not yet been signed off with some man, or have a troop of young children following her around. Her mother always told her it was unnatural for a girl of her age to be single. You see tally wasn’t just temporarily single, she hadn’t had a sniff of a man for at least 2 years now, something most abnormal for a girl of her age. But tally didn’t care about the proper way for a young woman to behave. In fact tally quite liked upsetting people who thought her abnormal, by trying her best to stand out even more. Dressed all in black, with a long black leather coat and a huge pair of dock martins she trudged out the back of her garden, shutting the back yard gate very quietly. Her mother didn’t think much to people who where out after dark, “up to no good if you ask me” was a comment tally was all too familiar with.
Tally had an obsession with photographing things, she felt more comfortable going out at dusk, and taking pictures of the quite of the town. On this particular night she was slowly walking down an old back alley where some of the houses un touched since they had been bombed in the second world war where still standing, casting haunting shadows across the small littered alley. She was following an old cat, and taking photos from a distance of the cat perched amongst the rubble, when she started to feel like she was being watched. Looking around she started to realise how dark it had suddenly become. The shadows had started joining and huge darkened crevices gaped at her, sending shivers down her spine. something moved from within one such hole sending tally spinning around and dashing back down along the alley way, jumping over fallen bricks, she could hear the sound off something following her, either side of her shadows starting flickering and the sound of footsteps grew heavier and less between. As though her mind where crowded with voices she could hear chattering and screeching. She had an overwhelming feeling of dread like the whole world was just one breath away from caving in and swallowing her whole. She whipped around the corner of a particularly crumbled wall straight into a huge black mass…

Jolted into a lack of movement she stared at the man standing in her way. The voices stopped, although a faint ringing had sounded in her ears and she suddenly noticed how quite the night could be. He was dressed all in black, not dissimilar to herself and looks as though he has expected a sudden clash of being. He hadn’t even shifted his position and stared down at her with a faint smile. His eyes melted all the fear away from her and her heart started racing.

His voice, slightly raspy echoed out from the perfect curves of his mouth like an early bird song too her ears. Realizing that she was staring and still lying on the floor in a dampened patch of dirt her face flushed with blood and she repeated his words through her mind. “Are you alright” as if the past few minutes had been erased from all existence she answered politely that she was perfectly fine. “And why is such a young girl like your self wondering around the rubble and echoes of destruction at this unsightly hour?” The mans voice echoing amongst the maze of alleyways. “ I was walking and must have forgot myself” tally replied. “ well, let me escort you home, im sure someone must be wondering where such a pretty little thing as your self has wondered of too.” With that he pulled her up from the floor and set of in the direction of her home, hands clasped behind his back. “how do you know where I live?” tally questioned following him two strides behind. “I know a great many things, but im sure you will correct me if I make a wrong turn.” he replied with an air of arrogance showing in his voice. Tally briskly increased her speed until she was at a level with the stranger. “ may I ask your name?”. “sure, I have many names, but my most common is Azazeal.” He turned to her and whispered into her ear “I hope this meeting will not turn out to be my only chance happening of being in the company of such beauty ?” and with that he kissed her on her cheek and sent another shiver down her spine, only this time it wasn’t terror in her vains. Enraptured by his presence all caution evaporated and a sudden rush of exileration flooded her sence. The first streetlights where casting their golden beams of light across the street from where they had appeared, leaving behind the last of the maze of broken homes. Tally slipped her arm in between his, feeling safe in his presence she let him lead her, all sense had escaped her, and she didn’t have the power of mind to escape his spell of protection and see the fleet of shadows following their decent into the depths and belly of the town. As they neared the familiar buzz of the more enhabited streets of the town, tally became aware of the familiarity of their location, a slight rush of panic overcame her subdue behaviour as she realizes soon she would have to let him go and return to the drone of her uninteresting life. She looked up to his face and whispered to him “don’t leave me, I don’t want to go home yet” longingly she wished for a invitation into his life, and the reply brought sorrow and hope. “don’t worry my dear, all will not be lost. You must go home for now but we will meet again.” With that she let her grip on his arm slip away and half skipped to the yellow glow of her doorway, turning tally saw only the shadow of her new found companion, still spell bound she failed to see the army of chattering shadows amongst the houses across the street. With that she turned and slipped into the warmth of her house. “I hope I meet him again, maybe my life isn’t destined to be that of solitude”.

part 2

Part-2 Tally receded back into the warm glow of the kitchen. Her dad and brother where sat around the kitchen table eating their tea and watching television. Her mother was stood washing the pots. Tally slipped in as quietly as she could, dropped her coat into the cupboard under the stairs. She was half way along the stair way when her mother glanced up and saw her. “Where have you been young lady, me and your dad have been worried sick” her mother said. Tally looked back at her sheepish; she could feel her face flushing with colour. Luckily she was stood in a half cast shadow, so her mother failed to notice her guilty look. “ ive been out…..ive been out photographing” she replied with some force “ no need to get gobby with me young lady, i have a good mind to come right up them stairs and give your legs a pasting” her mother ranted before turning back to her pots.” Ungrateful child, coming in at all hours, she treats this house like a hotel. Derek are you listening, ooohhh what the use” her mother voice faded as tally raced from the kitchen scene back to the sanctuary of her room. Her mother never bothered coming in her room, she was left mostly to herself. Which is how tally liked her life, left well alone. Jumping back onto her bed, and lying down so that all she could see was the posters on her bedroom ceiling. Jimmy Hendrix was staring back at her with his knowing eyes. Her thoughts then cast back to the night she had just encountered, briefly disturbed by her mother, the feeling of longing soon crept back into her consciousness. His eyes where so deep, and knowing, his arms so strong, yet gentle and guiding. Tally didn’t believe in love, well, not until now. All she could think of was Azazeal. “Azazeal” she whispered out loud. A smile spread across her face, and she turned to face the wall before dropping of to sleep. The sun was filtering through her open window when she started to wake the following day. She felt someone brushing her hair away from her eyes and a smile spread once again across her face,” Azazeal” she whispered before opening her eyes. But I was her brother James who stood before her. He had hold of her camera, and was taking pictures of tally asleep. He laughed, and who is Azazeal, not another one of your fantasy friends tally. Oohh, mum will be interested to hear this one, and so soon after you stopped taking your pills. James dropped her camera onto her bed and strutted out her room laughing at her. “Aarrgghhh, he is such a pain” James was 2 years older than tally, at 22. But sometimes he could be so childish. All that stacking shelves at the supermarket has made his brain rot. Tally stood up and assessed herself in her mirror. She had fell asleep fully dresses. “God, how tired I must have been, I feel so filthy”. Selecting a new combination of black attire, she dragged herself to the bathroom. Her mother only allowed baths once a week, so tally had a quick wash before getting dressed. On leaving the bathroom, tally made a quick stop back into her bedroom where she grabbed her camera and a fresh film before skipping downstairs. It was early, so her mother and father hadn’t awoken yet, her brother started work at 7am, so he was finishing of a jam butty before leaving for work, engrossed in his paper, he didn’t notice tally slip down the stairs and out into the hall way. She opened the door very carefully and closed it in much the same fashion. Skipping down the road, thoughts of Azazeal drifted through her mind. Before she realized she was back at the scene where she first encountered Azazeal the night before. Cautiously she peered around an old yard wall into the remains of a bombed house. Their he was, sitting on a block of overturned concrete, stroking the old cat that tally had followed the night before. She gasped, and he glanced up. “Ah tally, how nice to see you again” his words like silk flowing in the breeze, she melted into his every move.” Come sit with me” tally moved towards where he was sat and positioned herself quite close on a mound of bricks and gravel.” you’re here early” tally enquired “I could say the same thing about you little miss, but lets keep our private business our own shall we” tally looked slightly hurt by this comment and made a move to leave” “where are you going?” he asked “I only meant, if we are to become friends, lets not bore each other with family talk shall we” A goofy grin spread across her face. He had said friends; wow I think he likes me. Her thoughts raced along with her heart beat. “Now, how are we this morning, no longer skulking around I hope. I am glad you came to see me, I have a gift for you” Azazeal looked upon tally with his beautiful eyes. Tally leaned in closer surveying his pockets with hope and wonder. He lifted out of his right higher pocket a blue pendant and beckoned her to turn so he could place it around her neck. The pendant felt cool, but not as heavy as she expected. As she lowered her gaze to look at her new gift she felt something brush against the back of her neck. Then a kiss was planted against the side of her neck. Tally turned to face Azazeal and leaned in to kiss him back. At first he felt gentle and loving, and her heart raced at the thought of how amazing she felt right now and how wonderful Azazeal was. Then his kisses turned fiery and more intense. Tally felt excited and scared at the same time, she had never been kissed like this before. She rolled onto her back, ignoring the rubble below her, her heart rate rising all the time. A small voice started to work in her mind “what am I doing, he is a complete stranger, and this is moving way to fast” he was on top of her now, and his hands slid to the buckle on her jeans. Tally started to resist her hands pressed against his chest, trying to hold him back. “No” she whispered. He had undone her belt and was moving her trouser zip lower and lower. “No” she said again with much more force, and tried one more time to move him, he grabbed her arms and held them down, tally started to scream. He laughed at her. “This is what you wanted isn’t it, this way we are all happy, we both get what we desire” she made one last attempt at a scream. At this point he was unbuckling his belt and lowering his trousers. Out of nowhere something sprang. Azazeal was thrown away from tally, and the face of her brother filled her vision. “James, thank god” James turned around to face Azazeal head on. He stepped towards her, “leave us be James you don’t know who you are messing with” Azazeal warned. James replied “that maybe, but no-one messes with my sister” with that James threw his body weight into a right hook punch, landing Azazeal with a bloody nose. James turned and grabbed his sister and dragged her into a run with him. Azazeal’s shouted after them “I will remember this James and you and your family will pay, with the price your ancestors paid many years ago, I will have my way” and with that they turned another corner and his voice was lost….