God of my Choosing: Chapter 2 - Fractures in Heaven

Chapter 2 – Fractures in Heaven

Before Tyler wakes up and lights up the day, I’ve already made breakfast downstairs for us, eggs overlight, bacon, and bagels with cream cheese and orange juice, a usual special that my family makes on Saturday or Sunday to get us full and ready for the day ahead.

When Tyler heads downstairs, he says, “Ah! What’s the occasion for this special breakfast? It isn’t the weekend yet.”

“I thought I’d just make something today. Am I supposed to make breakfast only on special days and the weekend?” I ask.

“No, no, no. I’m just surprised is all.”

“Wake up, Giselle.”

“I’m awake. I got enough sleep last night.”

“I didn’t ask if you did. Are you alright, Giselle?”

“Yeah…yeah, I’m fine.”

Someone must’ve said that. I want to say it’s an echo from my dream, but it sounded like someone just said it in my ears. After shaking off my worries, Tyler go about our happy, daily life together. While working at my family’s restaurant, I hear whispers behind me.

“Being an artist isn’t enough.”

“It doesn’t pay the bills.”

“You can’t just sing, play music, and draw all day.”

These whispers cause me to mess up a bit while playing and singing. Looking around me, people seem to have noticed, but I try not to be too embarrassed and keep enjoying my craft.

“They aren’t your real parents.”

“Tyler isn’t yours.”

“Wake up, Giselle.”

“Shut up!” I say.

Everyone is silent now. I apologize for my outburst and walk away to get some fresh outside. While outside, a backup musician takes my place.

“I don’t think you’re okay today, Giselle,” Tyler says as he joins me outside. “You’re acting really off.”

“Maybe something is wrong. Maybe one of the dark gods or Xara has something to do with it. Xara always finds a way to continue to be a pain in my side,” I say.

“She’s nothing compared to you. You should relax today or at least take it easy.”

“You’re right. I’ll take it easy and let whatever is happening to me pass. Thank you.”

I kiss Tyler and head back in, ready to play and sing again.

“Why are you being so lazy?”

“You should be working harder.”

“That lady can play and sing so much better than you.”

“It’s why she has a career while you don’t.”

Ignore the whispers, Giselle. Ignore them. I play and sing as I usually do while doing my best not to let the whispers get to me, and thankfully, I manage to make it through the day without making another mistake. By supper time, I notice that it’s quiet. Hopefully, that’s the end of that. The rest of the day goes off without a hitch and Tyler even treats me to deserts after learning how to make it thanks to my family. He’s made cupcakes with all different kinds of sprinkles and colorful icing. I have my fill of them and leave the rest for my family to enjoy as I leave them and head back home with Tyler.

Again, I see the familiar face reach out to me, this time with an open hand as he says, “Wake up, Giselle.”

As I wake up, I see that I’m in a shed for an instant before everything reverts to normal except for Tyler being mysteriously gone. I call out to him and hear nothing in response. As I begin to get worried, the whispers respond, but they’re different.

“He isn’t yours. He’s mine!” I hear before behind taken down by a punch to my face.

I look up and am somewhat surprised to see Xana.

“I figured you’d show up sooner or later. You’re always the reason why something is wrong with my life,” I say.

Tyler is beside Xana who has a red energy emanating from his head that is swaying around.

“I am only trying to make you see the truth. Tyler is mine and you’ll never have him!”

Xana disappears in a flash thanks to Tyler’s teleportation magic. I run out of the house and go to the city of the dark gods, but I find that this city is under attack again by the same gods as yesterday. While trying to help as best I can with my singing and supporting music that I play on a conjured violin, two dark gods try to stop me, both of whom I barely recognize. They have aspects of my face, and yet, they’re disgusting and terrifying to look at as if my face has been filtered through a nightmare.

“We’re your real parents, Giselle,” they say.

“Come back home to us.”

“We miss you.”

“You need to be back where you belong.”

“Shut up and get away from me!” I say as I play my music more intensely.

“This music will do nothing for you.”

“It’s a mere hobby.”

“Do something more proactive and profitable.”

“You’ll need to if you want to survive in the world.”

My conjured violin starts to sound terrible as it breaks apart and my singing voice becomes raspy. With nothing to fight back against the dark gods, I resort to my last option. Using my creative imagination, I tell a short story about two parents who corrupted their child to the point where the child committed suicide. Because of their guilt, the parents killed themselves as well. This story makes the two people in front of me take their own lives by tearing their heads off. They then explode into particles of light and finally cease their endless talking.

I continue to use my creative powers by making the other dark gods kill themselves, turn on each other, and empower the other gods to show them no mercy even as the enemy retreats. Some of the gods look at me with worry in their eyes at what I’m doing.

“What? These bastards don’t deserve to die honorably or live another second. Now, if you’re not going to help me, I have to find my husband,” I say and then fly off to the city of the dark gods.