(Nathanial stands in a doorway made of pvc pipe. There are tendrils of gauze hanging down, settling on his shoulders. He looks triumphant. He wears something that gives the impression of nakedness.)
Narrator: He Stood in the doorway. Newborn. Again. The Darkest Doorway to the Soul had chosen him as its release. The release of a soul from the Door is an occurrence indeed. He had been locked in long ago, and now, he was breaking the lock. A miracle, of sorts, he was still dead, but not as dead as he had been. The Goddess had given him a lead.
Yes, Goddess. She is the One and Only Goddess. She rules behind the door. She governs the Lost Souls, like him. Once they passed through, by giving their souls to her, they can’t leave except with her Blessing. It comes with the mark of a Lost Soul: Sinuous wings, like soft leather with long extending fingers of bone stretching them to their full extent, invisible to the mortal eye. He flexed them as he breathed my first breath of air in the underworld. He had crossed over into The God's domain. The God had done his best to convince The Transients, the ones who's bodies were Mortal, that he was the only one. The God and Goddess were in an eternal courtship. Like the courtships that are witnessed in the Royal Courts of the Emperors of the Transients, They each tried to retain as much power as possible. It was said that when they finally decided upon the terms of the union, that it would be Judgment Day for the Transients, when their souls would be traded and bartered as servants for the couple.
He beat his wings and left the doorway. He nearly fell out of the sky when he felt his connection with the Goddess break. It was a horrible jarring sensation, like being ripped apart, and having the DT's at the same time. Shaky and sick and it hurt like hell, well, perhaps not like hell. He had learned not to take his current situation for granted. He could have very likely been sent to hell.
Finally, he was able to distance himself from the door. It was agony, but he had his Task in mind. (Actress playing Amelia removes part of the door with the gauze, replaces it with a wooden-looking door, sets out some clothes.) The Goddess had sent him through for a reason. He was required to bring back a little Transient female to serve as the Goddess's new handmaiden. The girl would be able to see his wings, which would make it harder to catch her. She would be terrified of him.
The girl was to represent the Goddess as the Maiden. Just as the God has three distinct energies, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the Goddess has three energies, The Maiden, the Mother, and the Wise Old Crone. The new female was going to be the Goddess's representation, but that meant that he had to find her, and bring her back to the underworld alive: which would be challenging to say the least.
But first he had to break free of the underworld. He climbed higher and higher in the air, expecting the usual amount of time to pass in the underworld -an eternity- but it wasn't long before the Mists of the Underworld were fading and he could begin to see the human realm. The light of the sun touched his wings and they disappeared from off his back! He fell through the air, landing on the Earth. He had made it.
Narrator: He looked around. He was in a tree in what looked like a city park, with paved trails and manicured lawns.
Nathanial: The sunlight warmed my soul. I feel almost alive again.
Narrator: But then he felt the pull of his addiction to the Goddess's Waters. He had to find a Transient Female, and fast. He gazed across the park, feeling for a Maiden. The Goddess had told him that she must have very specific attributes. She must already be a worshiper of My Lady, she must be young, and more importantly, she must be completely innocent, otherwise, she would represent the Mother, or the Wise Old Crone.
Nathanial: I can sense that none of the women here meet these qualifications.
Narrator: Night fall found him still looking for the Maiden. As the sun set over the city and the light left his wings, he could feel them reappearing. He flexed and stretched out as far as they would go, then tucked them close to his back.
Nathainial: Perhaps I should put on clothing before I venture into the mortal realm. Oh, look. How convenient, a drunk under a bush. He is well-dressed, for a drunk. (takes his clothes, which are fitted incorrectly.) At least the jacket will hide my wings from the girl.
Narrator: He left the park, satisfied that the type of woman He was looking for wouldn't be in the park after dark. He set about the city looking for her, and the look on his face prevented anyone from hassling him, even though he wasn't wearing shoes.
Nathanial: Perhaps I should rectify that matter. (Reaches into his pocket for the drunks wallet). A hundred and eighty-eight dollars American should get me some shoes for the duration of my stay.
Narrator: He walked into a small shop. (Slowly walks backwards till she is standing behind the door.)
Nathanial: (looks around. It was a dusty old shop selling old-fashioned-looking shoes and clothing; rings the bell for service).
Old Woman: (An older-looking woman comes out of the back, takes one look at his ill-fitting, but expensive attire, and decides he was worth baby-sitting around the shop.)
Nathanial: I understand that you measure feet here, correct?
Old Woman: (The woman looks down at his bare feet, sighs and calls out in a vaguely Italian accent), "Amelia, bring the foot measure!"
Amelia: (From out of the back room comes Amelia.)
Nathanial: (mutters toward the audience. The other characters don’t hear) 15, and a virgin. I don’t know weather she is a goddess-worshiper or not, but I feel the pull of my addiction coming from her. That is a good sign.
Amelia: (She holds out the foot-measure and smiles). Here it is.
Nathanial: (staring a little to hard at her, smiles, and averted my eyes.) (Again to the audience.) If she is a Goddess-worshiper, she is coming with me.
Amelia: (kneels down by his feet, Nathanial obligingly lifts one of them and places it in the foot measure. She adjusts it), Size nine, wide.
Old woman: what style of shoe did you want?
Nathanial: Loafer, please. (Old woman goes into the back to get the shoe), (to Amelia) You are a Wiccan, aren't you.
Amelia: (Startled) How do you know that?
Nathanial: (smiles).
Old Woman: (comes back) Brown or black
Nathanial: Black. (They made the exchange, and he takes another long look at Amelia.) Good night.
Narrator: He would wait until the old man was asleep to take her.
Nathanial: (walks back into the night in his new shoes, thinks about her name, tries it out experimentally.) Amelia. . . Amelia. She will be taken from her life so suddenly, jarringly. (feels a pang of guilt, tries to deny it), That is how most death happenes! Unexpectedly, painfully! (takes off his jacket.)
Narrator: He flies to the roof of the two-story shoe-shop.
Nathanial: (motions leaning over the side and looking into the window, Amelia walks through the door and sees him sitting there). She must live here, above the shop, and the old woman must be her grandmother. (feels another pang of guilt. Amelia cannot hear what he says and walks closer. ) I will be taking Amelia away from her, possibly the only family she has. (sighs, sits back on the roof).
Amelia: (Coughs gently to get his attention).
Nathanial: (turns)
Amelia: Hello. what are you doing on my rooftop?
Nathanial: (turns back.)I was waiting for your Grandmother to fall asleep.
Amelia: (swallows) Why?
Nathanial: To take you to the Underworld to serve as the Goddess's handmaiden.
Amelia: (Taking a step back and stuttering), "W-what?"
Nathanial: (In a grand motion stands and opens his arms. We can tell his wings are open. She gasps, and he grabs her. She struggles and bites down, but he is still to strong.) Narrator: He takes off into the air with her in his arms.
Amelia: (In an effort of self-preservation, she stops struggling.) W-what are you?
Nathanial: I am a person who death has marked.
Amelia: "I don't understand." (She looks down and gasps, they are flying over the city. She clings tighter to his arm).
Nathanial: You are to be a Handmaiden to the Goddess in the Underworld.
Amelia: Why me?
Nathanial: Why not?
Amelia: I- I... please let me go!
Nathanial: Unfortunately for you, if I let you go at this altitude, you would die." (She starts crying. He looks guilty). There are three reasons why you were chosen. One, You are an innocent-you have never even been kissed- Two, you are young, Three, you are a Goddess-worshiper."
Amelia: (holds on tightly and cried into his chest he flies with her in silence in this manner for a few more minutes, eventually, she clears her throat, sniffs. Who are you?
Nathanial: My name is Nathaniel. When I died I was twenty years old. I walked through the doorway and thus gave my soul to the Goddess. She needed a new Handmaiden, so she gave me wings and sent me to find one, and bring her back. I found you.
Amelia: How do we get to the Underworld? Are you going to kill me?
Nathanial: No. I am already dead, so the Underworld calls to me. You will be protected by my wings as we enter.
Amelia: Will I die?
Nathanial: Everyone dies, but you will live longer than most.
Amelia: Will I ever see my Grandmother again?
Nathanial: If she gives her soul to the Goddess you will.
Amelia: she won't. she is a devout Christian."
Nathanial: That doesn't necessarily mean she will make it to the Farthest Door. It is very confusing in the underworld.
Amelia: I-I'm afraid.
Nathanial: I would be concerned if you weren't.
Amelia: (looks down). I don't want to go. Please don't make me. (She gets an idea). What if I don't worship the Goddess?
Nathanial: You don't believe in Her after seeing me?
Amelia: "I-I..." (she starts to hyperventilate and struggle). No! NO!
Nathanial: (holds her tighter). shhhh. It's inevitable. You cannot stop this.
Narrator: The guilt and the addiction warred within him.
Amelia: Please, please, let me go! No!
Nathanial: (holds her tight until she stops struggling. She still cried. he tries to comfort her). Shhhh. Don't cry. You will serve the Goddess and you will be alright. Nothing bad can happen to you when you're in her care." (His guilt is growing by the second).
Amelia: slips her arms around his neck and holds him tight. Her hands brush against his wings.
Narrator: An electric shock passed through him.
Nathanial: (stares at her).
Narrator: Time seemed to slow. He could feel everything about her. She was a good girl. She got good grades in school, cared for her grandfather, was kind to everyone. Amelia didn't deserve this. Then he realized something else. If she wasn't an innocent, he couldn't take her.
Nathanial: Amelia. (She looked at Him through her tears). "What would you give to not have to leave the Earth?"
Amelia: (Realization dawns in her eyes. She pales). "I- I... I don't know."
Nathanial: Amelia, I am offering you a way out. Do you want to take it?
Amelia: (There is an endless moment as she makes her decision). Yes, I want to take it.
Narrator: They landed back in the park.
Nathanial: (sits her on the soft grass.) Are you sure?
Amelia: Yes. (She sits still as kisses her. She cries when he is finished, but after she is silent. When it was done they hold each other in their arms and she clings to him, her head low, her eyes downcast).
Nathanial: I feel as if I am drowning again. No way out. No where to be safe. As the guilt overwhelms him, I buries his face in her hair and cries). In death, as in life, nothing was fair. And our deities were sure as hell not going to help us.
Amelia: (feels what he is doing and turned toward him). Do not cry, Dark Angel. I made a decision. You did not take anything from me. You saved me. (She kisses both his eyes.) Thank you.
Nathanial: (smiles at her),
Narrator: but he knows that even if Amelia forgives him, The Goddess won’t. He could feel her anger emanating from everywhere.
Nathanial: I am sorry Amelia.
Narrator: The Goddess's anger swelled. She burnt him from the inside as he screamed. he was becoming no more. As he faded, He thought he saw Amelia reach for him...
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