Almost Angelic Chapters One - Five

8/14/2019 Almost Angelic Chapters One - Five

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Almost Angelic Ant Gray

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b Among Us bAngels walk among us all,

There to catch us before we fall.Through acts of kindness all around,

Their love waits to be found.Gently wiping our tears away,As we face another day.Angels hold on to our hands

When no one else understands.God sent Angels for everyone,To guide us til our work is done.They turn struggle into glory,

Taking away all the worry.Faith helps us to believe,The love that we receive.

God sent his AngelsTo take away our troubles!

b Sharon Cutshall b


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ContentsPrefaceThe Beginning Chapter One

Party Time Chapter Two

The Photographer Chapter Three

The Conversion Chapter Four

London City Chapter Five


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The StoryPreface

ust like everybody else on this planet, I wonder

about life. I think about what the meaning of

life on this planet is, and why we are actually

here. I try not to see things this way, but its

hard not to. Sometimes, I feel like I am here for areason, and everybody else is obsolete. Like, I am

the lead actor, the world is my stage, and everybody

on the planet are the supporting actors, just to aid

me in my way to greatness.

J


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Though this seems highly unlikely, I still think

this is the destiny I am here for. As I said, I try

not to think of myself this way, and see the world

as my stage, but when you think youre destined for

greatness, you get stuck in that mind set, and only

aim to achieve that goal. I think, though, before Ican achieve this greatness, whatever it may be, I

will have to earn it, as every hero, business man,

or any other thing I could achieve. I do not believe

I should just be giving this gift, I believe I

should be put through trials, to prove Im worthy of

this ultimate prize, my dreams, my destiny...

b


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The BeginningChapter One

awoke to the buzzing of my alarm clock, and an

empty bed.

9:30am? I should still be sleeping! I

whined, as I got out of bed, reluctantly.

My room looked like a typical students room.

Lots of clothes on the floor, a brand new guitar

that I cant play in the corner, and a very bad

paint job. I couldnt wait to get out of this place.

The flat was too small, and I owned far too much

stuff to keep in that cramped space. But with money

tight, and nowhere else to go, I was stuck there fora while.

I


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I put on the first pair of jeans that I could find,

and put on an un-ironed, scruffy looking black

shirt, and looked at the tatty bit of paper next to

my bed;

Leon, Sorry Im not here when you wake up, Ipromised to meet Chantelle and Sarah thismorning at 9. Dont forget, you have aninterview at 11. I set the alarm for 9:30, so

youll have plenty of time to get ready andout. Ill see you when I get home, I love youxoxoxox

Stephanie, typical. I dont know why she leaves a

note literally every time she goes out without me. I

had to get ready for an interview for 11am, so I

started to get ready. After about an hour, I was

ready to leave. I had to catch a bus that only comesonce an hour, at half past the hour, and it was

already 10:25am. I had five minutes to walk a

fifteen minute walk. I dislike running, so much its

unreal, but Im not out of shape, nor am I unfit,

but running seems like a chore to run, yet, because

of my horrible time keeping, I will have to run,

once again, so I set out and left.

I missed the bus by seconds. A display of my bad

luck. This will mean Ive missed the interview for a

job I was hoping to get, a placement, wanted by a

good number of people in the town, to work in a

photography studio, with a professional

photographer. This would have been an amazing

opportunity for me to get into that industry early

on. I knew that by missing this interview, I gave up

my placement. I started to walk home, dragging my


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Right, right. I guess we have no choice. I

have an exam in the morning though, so youll

have to clean the mess up I told her. I hated

cleaning.

I dont mind cleaning, it passes the time Ispend doing nothing.

Thats alright then. I said, with a hint of

sarcasm in my voice. I noticed that Chantelle

hadnt said a word yet. Normally, shes very

talkative.

I guess you missed your interview. A

different voice said. Chantelle.

Yeah, I missed the bus by seconds. I wanted

that job a lot. I replied.

Thats s shame, should have left earlier. She

said, pointing out the obvious.

Well, I was just about to go now anyway. Ill

see both of you tomorrow night. Take care

Chantelle walked out of the door, and noisily

clambered down the stairs to the front door. The

rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur, doing the

usual playing of video games, talking with

Stephanie, eating, and then going to bed.

I woke up even more tired than yesterday. I got out

of bed slowly and quietly, because Stephanie wasstill asleep on. I knew Id have to spend the day

revising for the test I have tomorrow. I looked at

the alarm, 8:30am. Id only had 5 hours sleep. I

should start going to bed at reasonable times. I

headed right for the kitchen to make myself some

coffee, before I started to revise all day. I wanted

to get right on with if after that, but, as always,

I couldnt find my laptop, due to the poor state of


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my room. I dug around for it for about half hour

before I finally found it, under my bed.

Why the hell is this here? I muttered to

myself, slightly confused.

I set it on the work desk I got specifically for the

laptop to be used at, so I wouldnt lose it. Im

good at wasting money. I spent 6 hours straight

revising. It was hard to keep focus on something as

boring as physics, but it had to be done. I browsed

the internet for a while, checking e-mails, social

networks, things like that. I searched for jobs in

the field of work Im most interested in,

Photography.

I found a lot of results, but none in the town I

live in. Luckily though, there are many jobs opening

in London, and Im going to be moving there with

Stephanie when we both finish college this year, so

she can study Music Technology at university. Im

not going to university though. I want the chance to

jump right into the industry. So with the breath-taking beauty of a city like London, I can build a

portfolio thats impressive enough to get me a job.

I finally came off my computer, to realize that Id

not seen Stephanie all day, since I got up anyway.

I went into our bedroom, and she was on her laptop,

writing up an essay. She looked absolutely stunning;

wearing just a red, short cut top, which only covers

the top half of her torso, and denim short shorts,which show off her immensely sexy legs. Although any

normal person would confuse her for like a model for

a short shorts advert, this is what she would

describe as dressing like a slob. I sat next to

her, put my arm around her waist, and we sat and

talked until it was time for the party.

b


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Party TimeChapter Two

thought itd be best to get the party food

sorted out before everyone got here, so I

ordered some pizzas, and put some chips in the

oven. I cleaned the house, for the most part,

and then I heard the door bell go. I got up to

answer the door, I could hear the voices of people

in the hallway outside of my flat. I opened the door

to twenty people, all armed with so many different

brands of alcohol, a wine shop would be jealous. I

said some awkward hellos to the people as they

entered. The pizzas had arrived, the party was

jumping, and most of the people where drunk,

including Stephanie. I hadnt drank much, due to the

fact I had exams in the morning, and Id been

revising all day, to get drunk and forget all Id

done in the day would have been pure idiocy, so Idecided to go for a walk.


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I went to the park, to clear my head, but as is

always the case on a Thursday night, people where in

the park, they cant have been much older than

sixteen/seventeen, drinking cheap cider, and

pretending to be drunk. I made my way over to a

bench, out of the way of the children, as I referto them as. After about 10 minutes, a girl sat next

to me on the bench, and started to read a book. I

couldnt see her face properly in the dull light of

the street lamps, but she seems to have a nice slim

figure, and long blonde hair.

Hi. She said, unexpectedly. My names

Chelsea.

Nice to meet you, Im Leon. I replied, with

slight disinterest in my voice.

I saw you at the party upstairs. Why did you

leave? She sounded genuinely confused as to

why I wasnt getting drunk, like everyone else.

Dont you drink?

Oh, no. I do drink. Its just I have an exam

tomorrow, and I cant afford to fail it. I

replied, still just as uninterested, but I

didnt want to be rude and not answer her.

Oh right, that makes sense I suppose. It

sounded like shed noticed the lack of interest

in my voice, and was getting bored.

So why are you here, rather then being

upstairs getting drunk? I asked, to keep to

conversation flowing.

Im waiting for my boyfriend to pick me up,

Hes late, as usual. She said, sounded more

annoyed than anything else now.

Her phone started ringing, so, naturally, sheanswered.


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Hello? What you mean? Oh come on! This is

stupid, you this every time! Right. Well, Ill

see you later. Bye.

She seemed pretty angry, I guessed her boyfriend

wasnt picking her up.

Hes not going to pick me up, says he has

some work to do. She told me, angrily.

How far away do you live?

Its only a half hour walk, Ill be fine.

How about I walk back with you?

Youd do that? Thanks a lot! Her mood seemed

to pick up almost instantly.

Yeah, yeah, I have nothing else to do anyway.

The walk to her place was quiet. She only spoke to

me when she was telling me what way to go, after

about half hour, wed reached her place.

Here it is. Want to come in forsome coffee?

she asked, politely.

Id love to, but I think Stephanie will be

wondering where I am by now.

YoureStephs Leon? Oh, Im sorry. Id better

let you get going.

She sounded startled, scared almost, like shed done

something wrong. I guessed that she was Stephanies

guest, as I didnt know her, but, I dont believe

she could be scared of her. What reason would she

have to fear Stephanie? Stephanie is a kind soul,

Ive been with her long enough to know that she

would never hurt anybody. As Chelsea walked into her

house, I still stood at the top of the steps to herdoor, confused about what she said to me. I figured


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I had to get back home, I needed to get some sleep,

ready for my exam in the morning.

Because I was trying to decipher what she meant

about Stephanie, it took me twice as long to get

back home. When I got back the party was juststarting to end. Out of the twenty people who had

turned up, only seven where still there. I next to

my friend Tony. Tony is a good guy, he does anything

for his friends, and goes out of his way to help out

a friend in need. Though, when hes drunk, hes no

help to anyone, other than himself.

Stephanie was clambering about in our room, so I

went in to talk to her. Just as I opened the door, Isaw a metal object flying toward me. I couldnt see

what it was, I ducked before I got hit in the face.

Where the hell have you been!? She yelled,

Id never seen her angry like this before.

Whoa! Hold on! What have I...

I tried to ask what was going on, but she threwsomething else at me. It looked like the clock that

I stand on the dresser.

I saw you with that slag! she shouted,

getting angrier, and louder.

Hey! Calm down, let me explain! I tried to

tell her.

Between yelling and throwing things, I kept asking

her to calm down, and after about 10 minutes of

this, she had ran out of things to throw, and

started to calm down.

What have I done? I asked, again.

I saw you in the park, with Chelsea She said,

not really giving an explanation.


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Sleep well, Good luck for tomorrow. She said,

softly.

She kissed my forehead, and climbed into bed next to

me. I got to sleep faster than is usual for me, and

drifted into a dream.

I dreamt that I was kissing Chelsea, in the park, on

the bench we where sat at. Stephanie walked past us,

looking more stunning than usual, but she didnt

look at us, she didnt take any notice that I was

kissing another girl. This was the main format for

the dream, but we where in different places every

time. My flat, by the beach, on the high street, at

the train station, and every time, Stephanie walkedpast, wearing the same green cocktail dress, and not

looking at us.

I woke up at 7:23am, seven minutes before my alarm

was due to go off, and feeling more refreshed than I

normally would. I got up and dressed, then turned

the alarm clock off before it woke Stephanie. I

straightened my long black hair, brushed my teeth,drank some coffee, made some breakfast, and packed

all I needed for my final exam. It was 8:30am

exactly when I left, It was only as fifteen minute

walk to the college from my place, so I had plenty

of time to spare. Halfway to the college, it started

raining.

Great, this is just what I need. I moaned.

I hate rain, always have, so I picked up the pace,

so I wouldnt get so wet. I eventually reached the

college, five minutes earlier than I expected to be

there, and twenty minutes before my exam started. I

sat in the common room, got out some books, and

stared to skim through the notes I made yesterday.

The bell rang for the students to enter the exam

room, so I grabbed my things, and walked to the

final test Ill take at this college.


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The test lasted about two hours, and it was a long

two hours. I had finished 30 minutes into the exam,

and I wasnt allowed to leave until the time had

finished. During the exam, I noticed Chelsea, from

the night before, sitting across the room from me.

It was then I got a real look at her face. She hadvery blonde hair, peachy skin, and a pixie-like

face, the exact opposite of what attracts me to a

girl. When we where told we could leave, I rushed to

the exit, and Chelsea was standing at the door

waiting for me.

Hey! I didnt know you took physics! she

said, she sounded almost excited.

Yeah, its just another A level to me though,

Im not interested in this stuff. My attempt

at making small talk.

Yeah, same here, I wanted to do a full time

hair dressing course, but I didnt get the

right grades for it, so I had to do A levels

instead.

I walked with her to the entrance, where she was

greeted by her boyfriend.

Hey, Leon, This is Sam, my boyfriend. She

told me.

Sam was a big guy. He was much taller then six feet,

and was well built, he must use the gym quite often.He was well tanned, and had a haircut so short the

hair may as well have not been there.

Nice to meet you Sam. I said, just to be

polite, but the disinterest in my voice was

clear.

Chels, Well have to get going now, I have to

be home by twelve. Sorry I cant stay and chatLeon, Im in a hurry.


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His voice was rough, the sort of voice youd expect

to hear on a drug dealer.

No problem, some other time maybe? My voice

still plagued with disinterest.

He just nodded once, and walked away from me with

Chelsea.

When I got home, Stephanie had cleaned the entire

flat, even the mess that was in the bedroom. I

looked on the table in the living room. Another note

from her;

Leon, Ive gone shopping for some food, I thinkyoull have just missed me. Theres a number forthe pizza place on the fridge, and some moneywith this note, in case you havent got your own.Can you take the rubbish out for me, I didnt havetime to do that, sorry. Love you xoxoxox

Sure, sure. I muttered to myself.

I took the bags out, and washed the few dishes that

remained in the kitchen. I was happy that Id

finally finished college. This meant I will no

longer have to revise. So I picked up my digital

SLR, a spare battery, and went out to improve my

photography portfolio.

b


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PhotographerChapter Three

had to get the bus to the best place to take some

pictures, so I headed for the bus station. I had

taken the money Stephanie left for me, and a

bottle of water, this is all Id need for the day. I

got on the number 10 bus to Lincoln, an ideal place

for photography, with all the tall, Victorian

buildings. I wandered around the city centre, taking

pictures of things I found interesting, abnormal,

and thinks I liked the look of. I started to walk to

the edges of the city, to the small estates

scattered over the place.

I spent all day in Lincoln, taking as many picturesof the most obscure things I could find. Things like


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odd looking bricks, birds in a water fountain, gum

on the back of a bus seat, shop signs, and much

more. At about 4pm, I knew it was time to go home, I

was sure Stephanie would be wondering where I was by

then. I called her to let her know Im ok and Ill

be home soon. I pulled my phone out of my pocket anddialled her number.

Hello?

Her voice always sounds worse on the phone.

Hey Stephanie, its Leon. Im just letting you

know Ill be back home in about an hour.

Oh, ok. She sounded surprised for some

reason. Where have you been all day anyway?

I went to Lincoln to take build up my

portfolio. I thought itd make sense to get a

good portfolio before we go to London, right?

Yeah, yeah, I guess it does. She didnt sound

very interested.

I thought I heard someone whispering, it sounded

like that person said who is it?, but I couldnt

be too sure, so I asked her.

Is someonethere with you? I asked.

No, why you ask? she didnt sound convincing.

I thought I heard whispering, thats all.

No, nobody whispered. Ive been here alone

since about 1pm, not had any visitors.

I could tell she was lying instantly. I know the

tone of her voice slightly changes when she lies.

But I let her believe I believed her.


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Oh right, ok, could be people on the bus

then.

The bus was empty, other than for me and the driver.

Yeah, probably that. Still lying. I have togo now anyway, how long did you say youll be?

About fifty minutes, maybe a little less.

Ok, Ill see you later then I heard the

whispers again. I really have to go, my

phones about to die. Lying again. Bye, I

love you.

I lov....

The phone went dead. I tried not to think that

someone else was with her, though I knew there was,

without a doubt. I knew this day would come

eventually, I knew she was for to sexy to not be

able to have any guy she wanted, and I was lucky to

be the guy she fell in love with, but I knew that

was all about to change. Just as I was getting lostin thought, my phone started ringing, so I pulled it

out of my pocket and answered it.

Hello? I said, curiously.

Hey Leon! I recognised the voice instantly.

Its Chelsea!

Oh, Hi. I didnt remember giving her mynumber.

Youre probably wondering how I got your

number, right. She said, in her cheery voice.

Youre a mind reader. I said, sarcastically.

I got it from Tony. Hes such a nice guy. She

told me.


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The type that had the aerial on the top of it. He

pointed it toward me, aerial end facing me.

What do you me-

I was wrong. The mobile phone was actually a taser.The buttons he was clicking, I would assume, where

the buttons to function it. I felt the shock go

right through my body, and I blacked out.

b


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The ConversionChapter Four

could hear the beeping of a machine, in sync with

my heart beat. Am I in hospital? I thought to

myself. I tried to move, but I couldnt, my body

ached all over.

His name is Leon. I found him last night,

beaten and dying in the streets. A male voice

explained, and lied. I think he will be

perfect for our objective.

What will happen if he turns on us when the

process is complete? A female voice asked.

I


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I have the tools to destroy him if it is

necessary. But I dont think it will. Ive been

watching this one personally; his good will is

what makes this one special.

What if he declines the offer? the femalevoice said. Why would you take the chance of

converting him before he knows his objective?

I know this will work, I have a good feeling

about this one.

You said that about the last three Vaughn! Of

all the people, I thought that you would

understand my point. I guessed Vaughn was thename of the male who was speaking.

I do, but were running out of time, and I

have to get this done.

I know there is no time to spare, and

everything needs to be done as fast as

possible. But taking risks like this can be

very dangerous. Even you know that!

I know, I know. Vaughn agreed. But, I have

no time at all to spare, asking him would have

taken too much time, and if he refused, I would

have to find someone who is just as perfect for

the job. Do you not see Carmen, this guy is

perfect.

I hope youre right Vaughn.

The female sighed, and I heard foot steps walking

away from me. A door creaked, and the footsteps got

quieter, and quieter. I felt a sharp pain in my left

arm.

Dont worry, everything will be fine. Vaughn

whispered in my ear.


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I lost all feeling in my body, and fell into a deep

slumber.I woke up to the sound of panicked voices from the

street, and an empty bed. I rolled to the edge of my

bed, but I over shot it and fell off.

Leon! Look! A familiar male voice said.

I looked up, Tony stood in the doorway of my room

jabbing his finger at the window.

Look! He repeated, and pointed his long

finger toward the window again.

What is it? I asked, whilst turning around.

I was surprised by what I saw. I huge blimp was in

the street, the tail end was just outside of my

window

When did this happen? I asked, confused.

Id not heard anything fall in the night, and Iwould normally wake at the smallest bump in the

night. I got dressed, and went outside to check out

what was going on.

It seemed like someone had landed it in the street,

not one house had been touched, from what I could

see. There where no markings that suggested a crash

landing in the road either. I tried to think of when

this could possibly have happened, but I didnt hearanything in the night. I couldnt think of a logical

reason why there is a blimp in the street I live on.

I was interrupted in my thought when my mobile phone

started ringing. I pulled it out of my pocket, and

looked at the screen. Withheld number calling it

stated. I didnt normally trust withheld numbers,

but I answered it anyway.

Hello?


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Leon? An unfamiliar voice asked.

Yeah, whos this? I asked.

I will tell you in all due time. Do you know

where you where last night?

I tried to remember. I know I hadnt had any

alcohol, but I found it hard to remember where I was

last night. I concentrated, blocking out all the

shouting from the madness in the street. I couldnt

focus right, or I had no memory of the night before.

I focused on trying to remember the day, but that

failed also.

Do you? he asked again

No. I have no idea. I cant remember the

daytime either.

Perfect. He said.One more thing, does the

name Vaughn mean anything to you at all? He

asked.

No, I dont know anybody called Vaughn.

That is all. I will be in contact soon, when

the time is right, and your time will come.

What do yo-

The phone line went dead. I tried to think of

someone with the name Vaughn. Vaughn The Menace?That cant be it. I couldnt think of a single

person called Vaughn.

I started heading back up the path to my house, when

I head a soft female voice say Vaughn. I didnt know

the voice of the female who spoke those words, yet

it sounded familiar. I thought hard about the name

Vaughn, but all I could think of was the female

voice in my head saying the name, over and over. I


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gave up trying to get the information I wanted form

my mind. I went inside to have a shower.

By 5pm, the emergency services had removed the blimp

from the street, and the chaos of the whole thing

had died down. The local news crews had been up, andasked some questions, but I refused to talk to them,

as I was confused about the whole thing myself.

I went to bed early that night, around 10pm. I was

still awake when Stephanie joined me, at 2am. I put

my arms round her as she got into bed.

I thought youd be asleep by now. She said,

quietly.

I cant sleep. I keep thinking that the blimp

in the street today was something to do with

me. I told her, just a quiet.

Why would it be? Im sure theres a reasonable

explanation for it. She knew her silky voice

has a calming effect on me, I guess thats why

she was speaking to me.

I know. But I feel somehow bound to it. I was

getting quieter. I dont know how to stop this

feeling. Its scaring me.

Listen to me. Its not your fault. How could

you be the one responsible for this crazy thing

happening? she sounded like she was almost

pleading with me, to see it how she does, and

her silky voice won me over.

I guess youre right. Thanks. I kissed her

forehead. I love you.

I love you too. She whispered, as I drifted

into unconsciousness.


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things too. I packed your clothes in a separate

bag, because I had too many of mine in this

one. She said, with a huge smile on her face.

No worries. I like travelling light, though I

know Ill be carrying your bag too.

Thats because youre a gentleman she said,

and winked at me.

Yeah, I guess youre right. Ill need to get

some money from the bank too, I dont have

enough cash on me to pay for the train.

Thats alright. Theres an ATM just over fromthe train station, conveniently

If its working, every time Ive wanted to use

that machine its been broken.

Im sure itll be fine

I started planning out what Id do in London while

Stephanie was sorting out our living arrangements. Isearched for my laptop, having lost it again. I

found it under the table I had for it, so I turned

it on, and went onto Google Maps. I typed in

London on the main search bar, and then typed

Photography in the find a business bar. I looked

at all the results, and visited some of the

websites, to see if they could give me any details

about any jobs they might have going. None of them

where advertising, though I copied the addresses,

and added them to a notes list on my phone.

Any luck? Stephanie said, from behind me. I

didnt know she was even there.

Not really. Got some addresses, Ill check

them out when we get there.

Well, good luck.


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I stopped looking for places after about an hour, as

I had enough addresses and phone numbers to last a

lifetime. It had been a while since I last checked

my e-mails, so I logged into my inbox, and had a

sort through. Free Viagra!, or a variation of

that, was the title of the first twenty three e-mails I had received. I sent them to the junk

folder, and read the more important emails.

One from an unknown sender caught my eye.

Leon, I must speak to you. Meet me outside of the book store

at 5pm in the town centre on Saturday. I will be wearing a

black jacket, and denim jeans, and have a bowler hat on. I

have something urgent to tell you.

I thought it was a bit weird that I received an e-

mail, from who knows, that didnt explain what they

actually wanted. I thought it would make sense to go

see what he/she wanted.

By the time Id finished IMing people, and playing

mind numbing games, it was 1am. So I thought itdmake sense to get some sleep, as Stephanie will be

eager to go as early as she can in the morning.

b


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London CityChapter Five

s is typical with trains, ours was late. I was

waiting an extra half hour than what I should

have been. But the train finally arrived, and we

boarded.

The train ride took three hours, which I think is along time to be sat on a train. After all the

travelling, we finally arrived at London Victoria

Station.

I need to get some things done right away. I

thought wed be earlier than this. She sounded

like whatever needed doing was urgent.

I need some things doing too actually. I

lied. Ill meet you at the hotel.

You remember the address right?

Yeah, yeah, I have maps if I get lost.

Okay, Ill see you later, I love you.

She kissed me.

A


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I love you too.

She walked out of the train station, and out of

sight. I watched her walk away, and I headed for the

tube ticket office. I waited for thirty minutes

before I got a ticket to Piccadilly. The tube was afast way to travel, though ever time I use it, I

feel uncomfortable. I thought this would be a good

time to review my maps. I had circles points of

interest with multicoloured marker pens, each colour

corresponding to the activity noted in the legend I

drew at the bottom of each map. This was what I had

Indicated in the key; Red for photography shops,

orange for train stations, blue for public toilets,

and green for things for tourist attractions.

I thought itd make sense to get the job hunting out

of the way. I headed to a place called Portrait

Photographer. It was only a forty five minute walk

from the tube station. After taking some pictures of

the city, whilst on my way, I reached my

destination. I opened the glass doors and walked in.

Good afternoon sir, may I help you? The man

at the counter asked, politely.

Hi. I was wondering if you have any vacancies,

or expect to have any within the next two

weeks.

Let me just check.

He typed into his computer on the counter, and

examined the screen thoroughly.

Youre in luck son. We do have one place

going, but we have had some applications

already, and as you can imagine, those people

have a good portfolio, showing off their work.

Do you think Id have a chance of getting itif I had an impressive portfolio?


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Sure, we believe in equal opportunities here.

Every applicant gets a thorough looking at and

examination of their work before we consider

taking them. If you e-mail the address on this

card, he handed me a business card I will

look at your work and get back to you.

I have a FlickR account, would you like the

address to that instead? I asked politely.

That would be much better. If you write it on

this bit of paper,-he handed me a small bit of

paper and a black vGrip pen-Ill have a look

when I get some time, and let you know my

decision.

Thanks a lot! I said as I wrote down my

address.

I left the shop, and visited the next one on the

map, a place called I Heart Studios. This was a fair

distance from where I was stood, so I called a taxi

number I had in my wallet, from my last visit to

London. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket, and

pressed the call button in one swift movement.

Hello, Hoxton Car Services, how my I help?

The friendly voice said.

Hi, Id like a taxi from Portrait Photographer

to I Heart Studios as soon as you can get one

to me.

I heard some mumbling, and a distorted voice

following it.

Is ten minutes good for you?

Thats perfect, thanks a lot!

The phone line went dead. I put my phone in my

pocket, and waited for the taxi. I realized I hadnt


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given the shop keeper in this shop my contact

details, so I rushed back inside.

Sorry, I forgot to give you my contact

details.

I was just wondering about that.

If you call this number, youll get through to

me at anytime.

Okay, thank you.

I rushed back outside, to see my taxi waiting. The

ride to the next studio was shorter than I expected,I could have walked that distance.

I had similar conversations with the owners of the

next three places I visited. In all, the process of

finding the places, and talking to the owners, took

4 hours. I had no time to visit tourist spots, so I

followed the directions on one of my maps to the

hotel I was staying at.

Good evening sir, may I help you? The

receptionist asked me, in a friendly voice.

I have a double room booked, under the name of

Stryker.

I have nothing on the compute, sir.

Its spelt, S-T-R-Y-K-E-R

Ah, we have a double room booked for one

night, is that right?

Yeah, thats perfect.

A Stephanie Mason has already checked in to

the room, she said shes your girlfriend, is

that right?


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Yeah, thats right.

Okay, here is your key and room number. You

are on the fourth floor, the elevators are just

behind you.

Thanks a lot. Good night.

Good night sir.

I walked over to the elevators, and pressed the

button to call it. The wait for the elevator was

expectedly short. I took the elevator to the fourth

floor, and searched for my room.

406, this is it. I said to myself.

I opened the door, greeted by Stephanie lying on the

bed, looking exceptionally stunning.

Wow. You look amazing. I complimented her.

Please, youve seen me looking better than

this.

Good point. I agreed.

Arent you going to kiss your beautiful

girlfriend? she said, and winked at me.

I think I just might.

I walked over to the bed, and climbed onto it.

Did you find what you where looking for? She

asked.

Yeah, I gave my FlickR link, and contact

details, so Ill hopefully have a job for when

we move down here.

She kissed my forehead.


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Thatsgood, I secured a job, so if you dont

get one, well be good for a while.

Nice one. Wheres that at?

A shop round the corner from the flat. I alsogot some decorators in to do the flat up. Its

going to look amazing. She kissed my lips.

I put the TV on, just for background noise.

Im going in the shower. She said.

ok, have fun.

Stephanie went into the bathroom, taking off her

clothes as she went, rather than waiting until she

was in the bathroom to do so. I flicked through the

TV channels, and saw what was on the news.

A blimp was found in the street of a small

rural town the other day, eye witnesses say the

blimp appeared out of nowhere. The news woman

said.

The news then played some recorded clips, of people

who, by what I could tell, didnt live in the area

of which they spoke of.

I saw a big flash of light, and a blimp

appeared in the middle or the road! some woman

said.

I was walking down the road, at maybe 10:45am,

and I saw a flash of light, and heard a loud

crashing sound. Next thing I knew, there was a

blimp in the middle of the road. A hoarse

voices man said.

Eye witnesses? Yeah, like hell they are. I

muttered to myself.


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The next train we need isnt until 11:09am, so

were all set to go.

No more running?

No more running.

Good. I hate running.

b


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Documents

Almost Angelic Chapters One - Five