Taking on the Supernatural (Traveler & I)

The world seemed so calm and beautiful when you looked through the dark shades of most people in this world but when you remove those shades you see things that were never meant to be seen by human eyes. The things that ran around the earth wreaking havoc on the earth and that’s where the hunters came into view they were the humans that knew of the existence of good and evil… mostly evil. God had given up on humans a long time ago and wiped his or her hands clean of the mess he or she left the humans to clean up.

The devil was lose on the earth and it was the end of the world although there were people out there trying to keep the apocalypse at bay for those who were innocent to everything that was bestowed upon them by heaven and earth. Marie was like any other typical hunter always out hunting something that needed to be put back underground so to speak. Marie had been hunting since she was fifteen which her father thought was old enough to hold a gun even though her mother protested a great deal. It was after her mother’s untimely death that Marie really got into hunting and she was really good at it that after a few years of traveling with her father and some of his friends she kind of just took her own path.

Marie didn’t look the part of a hunter she was small standing at five foot three in a half inches tall and that was pushing it. She had the body of what most people would consider a goddess even if she thought she was fat after all she was still human and female. She had long wavy blonde hair that cascaded down her back and rested just inches above her ass. Marie was the like a rose a beautiful flower that could just as easily prick your finger if touched roughly.

Marie sat down in the car over by the window rubbing an apple against her shirt today was going to be a long day she had just finished waking off a pack of vampires that seemed eager to drink her blood as well as anyone else’s that got in their way. Marie bit down on the ruby red apple as she looked over the new papers looking for anything that would give her some kind of hint on where to go next.

Corruption could be beautiful.

Rafael watched the storm clouds gather over them as he spied on the woman in the car. She had death written all over her; she had dealt it, and it suited her. It added to her ethereal beauty and her sweet face, rather than detracting from her. AS he stood there he could feel that their destinies were intertwined... but it would be up to him to make it happen.

As the first heavy drops fell he opened the black umbrella in his hands and adjusted the priest's collar on his neck. Those stiff, uncomfortable things were always a thorn in his flesh. The priests weren't much better. He smiled and then strolled up to the car, slightly behind her line of sight so that he came up just behind her driver's side window in the mirror's blind spot. Then the tapped the window as the rains fell and leaned over to look at her. His dark, wavy hair, made more curly by the rain, accentuated the strong brows over his glossy deep green eyes. He knew that the sculptural qualities of his face took people off guard; it was both a blessing and a curse, to be so... lovely.

"Excuse please?" His heavy Italian accent was obvious even through the glass. "Can you direct me to the Mother of All Sorrow Cathedral?" He rolled his 'Rs", and his voice had that round, rich quality that the Latin tongue lent it. "I think I am lost." He smiled at her, hoping to seal the deal.

Marie sat in her car her new paper draped over the steering wheel as she skimmed over it wanting to find something no really anything that would catch her eye and yet so far nothing it was like the world didn’t want her to leave this stupid town. She took a deep breath trying to calm herself from ripping the paper to shreds.

Marie reached up running her thin fingers through her hair to calm her nervous energy that had built up in her body. Yeah it was the end of the world who wouldn’t be nervous as fuck right now? Marie looked out the window and cursed at the rain this was turning out to be one of those days. Something tapped on her window which made her look over with a quick whip of the head. She stared at him blankly for a few seconds and then noticed the priest’s collar around his neck and she cursed once again. “Why do all the hot guys always have to be taken?” she said silently to god although she knew it probably feel on deaf ears.

Marie heard his question and rolled down the window ever so slightly so that he could hear her answer. Marie wasn’t stupid she didn’t really trust anyone not even a priest. “Mother of All Sorrows…” she said, looking straight ahead and pointed down the road. “You take this road about three blocks and turn right on Miles road for about six blocks and then you turn left and it’s at the end of that street.” She said with a smile to be polite.

Marie looked at the man he was a priest so at least she felt kind of safe with him being near her it wasn't like he was a demon or anything and if he was she'd be able to handle herself. "Why don't you climb in priest and I'll take you there." she said rolling her window down more "It's raining hard and it'll be faster for you if I take you." she smiled to him her perfect girl smile.

He looked at her, his eyes appreciating the beauty of her face and the wariness he saw in her eyes as they reflected back at him. As she described the route to the cathedral he turned and looked down the street as if imagining the way to walk, and the water hit his face and dripped over each valley and bulge before sliding reluctantly off his tanned skin. His lashes sparkled with the tiny drops of dew that caught on them, giving him an almost angelic look.

"Ah. Yes. Then I am near?" He turned to smile at her and thank her, but he saw the indecision in her eyes. Then she invited him to ride with her to his destination. "That is kind of you. Very kind, yes - I would be full of thanks." He looked at her smiling at him, and he smiled at her, and walked around to get into the car. Before he slid in, though, he tried to brush off the water that was on himself but it was in vain. Finally he gave up and climbed in. "Thank you," he said, extending his hand to shake hers. "I am Rafael. May God bless you for this kindness."

He pulled on his seat belt and gazed out the window as the rain picked up, just as the girl seemed to predict it would. What started as a gentle rain became a deluge in the matter of seconds.

Marie watched the rain drip down his face catching on his long eyelashes making him look angelic in a way and she quickly looked away trying to wipe that thought from her head. Angels were just as bad as demons in her mind they both used humans for their gain so they both were annoying.
Marie looked back at him as he spoke about him being near and she nodded she couldn’t let this guy walk in the rain all the way to the church so of course like the lady she was she invited him into her car to take him to the church. He thanked her as she reached over unlocking her passenger door. There had only ever been one other man that had ever sat in her Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 before and that was her father.
It was her fathers car but of course she had taken it off his hands when he said he was retiring like an idiot there was no such thing as retiring from hunting. She leaned back over into her seat and let him into her car watching him as he tried brushing the puddles of rain water that had collected on him. That was sweet of him to try and do it although it was futile. “Rafael… Like the angel?” she said not at him as she turned her engine over to start. Her car purred it was like music to Maries ears and god how she loved this car. “Lets get you to the church Rafael.” She grinned and drove to the church parking in front of it after a few minutes of driving.

He laughed pleasantly when she asked him if he was named after the angel. "Actually, mi madre was in love with the Spanish singer, Miguel Rafael Martos Sánchez. Have you heard his name? No? He was quite famous, much like your, eh... Barry Manilow? Ah, well... so I was named after the singer." He watched the blocks pass by as they drove through the rain.

"This is, how you say? A classic car? Very nice." He looked over at her and smiled as they pulled up to the church. "Thank you. May I ask you please, what is your name? So I can thank the Holy Mary when I pray tonight, of course." He reached for the door handle and then hesitated, reaching for his pocket and pulling out a black beaded silver rosary. He held it out to her. "For safe travels, and as a thank you. May you go with blessings, my child." His eyes drank in hers as he waited for her to take the gift so that he could leave and begin in his new assignment, in the Mother of All Sorrow Cathedral.

Marie looked at him as he explained he was named after a spanish singer and she chuckled “No sorry never heard of him.” She watched him closely with a grin and then looked at him in wonder “Who’s Berry Manilow?” she tried sounding serious like she didn’t know how Berry Manilow was. “It must be nice to be named after a singer.” She said as they drove down the street.

“Yeah it’s a classic!” she grinned “A 1970 Shelby Mustang GT500!” she said with pride. This car was her baby as her hand slid over the dash like she was petting a beloved animal. “It was my fathers.” She said with a nod “This thing was like my second home as a child.” She grinned as she pulled in front of the church and looked at him. “Here we are.” She said looking him over. “Oh… Marie.” She raised an eyebrow at him “There’s no need to pray for me father… plus I think it’ll fall of deaf ears.” She stated looking over at the church and then at his hand that held out the rosary for her. “Um… thanks.” She reached out taking the rosary. It was pretty enough she’d find somewhere to put it.

He gave a soft laugh at her insistence that the prayers would all fall on deaf ears. "Ah... a non-believer, hm? Well, even if you do not believe, gravity is still gravity, and God is still God, Marie. Like the holy Mother?" He nodded at her and thanked her again before getting out of the classic and dashing up the steps to the church sanctuary.

He had taken his small bag with him, but apparently unnoticed by him, his small black Bible had fallen onto her floorboard and was halfway under the passenger seat. She probably wouldn't see it for a few days, or a town or two, especially with the rain clouds blocking off most of the sunlight.

Lightning flashed and the rain continued to pour down, making the streets nearly impassible as the spring rains drenched the city streets. The old church seemed ominous there, on the edge of the sidewalk and towering above most of the other buildings on the block. Far up on the wall a bright spray of light illuminated a white form in the window, and then the darkness came and it was gone. Maria was once again, alone.

"It isn't that I don't believe... It's more like none of my prayers have been heard so why should I continue to pray if even the simplest of my prayers were never answered." she said softly to him looking him over. She waved good-bye to him as he slid from her car and walked up to the church and she zoomed away with a great deal of rush. She didn't want to be anywhere near any church they always gave her a weird feeling like someone was watching you. It was always probably her imagination but really who knew.

"Fucking rain." she muttered her windshield wipers going at full speed as she drove down the road. She was going to go a couple of towns over and hopefully then she'd find something to hunt down and destroy or whatever. Marie hated lightning ever since she was little it even still to this day crept her out. "It's only lightning." Marie told herself as she drove and huffed at the rain "Yeah try and stop me from leaving this town now bitches!" she told the rain with a grin.

The rain came down harder, and lightning crashed closer and closer to her car. Suddenly, as she came around a corner, a strong bolt of lightning split a tree and it fell across the road, blocking her exit from the little town. On the other end of the town the bridge to leave was washed out by a deluge of sudden rain.

There was no way for her to leave the town unless she was willing to hike out, and the hills around New Haven wouldn't allow that to happen without a lot of difficulty.

In the town one motel named Knight's Inn had a vacancy sign lit up, and across the street from that was a small diner. Everything else seemed closed for night.

Marie cursed the air and turned her car around checking the other end of town and just as quickly as that she knew she was stuck in this god forsaken place again. "Damn it! Another fucking day here." She looked up into the sky as if she were talking to someone and sighed "Fine you ass holes!" she snorted and drove over to a motel that had the only vacancy sign on and pulled in.

"Stupid fucking weather." she mumbled climbing out of the car and running over to the front desk her body getting soaked by the rain. She ringed the bell furiously 'ding ding ding ding' was what you could hear all over the front desk area and twenty something college student walked out with her hands on her hips like 'I heard you the first time' look on her face. "I need a room." Marie said "Please." she added and the girl checked her in and Marie of course gave her a credit card and walked away with a key to a room. "Room 113..." she grinned at least it was on the first floor.

The diner was a greasy place, the kind of place that served strong coffee, friend potatoes, and fatty burgers. But also the kind of place where the locals came every day and the truckers who drove through took high cholesterol pills to stave off their heart attacks.

The new priest had stopped in there because there was no working kitchen in the church, and no food even if the kitchen worked. He was looking over the confusing American menu and after figuring out that they didn't know what a true espresso was, he finally ordered some kind of flat cake and syrup to eat, and one egg. It was almost enough to make him want to take a vow of poverty. Rafael was busy trying to scrape butter across a hard piece of toast that the waitress had brought him, even though he didn't recall ordering it, and he had already set the coffee aside as being unfit for human consumption.

Marie parked her car out in front of the diner and opened her door mumbling how much she hated that stupid motel she was trapped in all night trying to get sleep but not getting any. She ran her finger over the black hood taking off some of the cold rain water with her. "Well I have to eat here..." she muttered to herself opening the door to the dinner and looking at all the people.
Marie smiled as her eyes caught hold of the priest that sat at the bar. "Rafael." she said sitting next to him "I thought I'd never see you again." she grinned "I guess I'm lucky I get to see you handsome face again." she said not trying to get fresh with him after all he was a priest. She looked down at his food and then at his coffee which looked like sludge. "You're not really going to drink that stuff right?" she whispered to him motioning to the coffee and how thick it looked.
The waitress walked over waiting for Marie to order tapping the pen against the pad of paper. "Ah... I'll have water a small glass of OJ and todays special. Eggs over easy and sausage instead of bacon." she said with a fake happy smile that she wore almost all the time "Thanks." Marie said as the waitress walked away to give the order to the cook.

Rafael looked genuinely surprised to see Marie as well. "Ah, Sweet Marie." He looked down at this coffee and sighed. "It leaves much for the desiring, but I give thanks for all things, even such a drink as this." Grimacing he took a sip. "See? This is my thankfulness face." His Italian accent seemed stronger because he looked so tired.

"Ah... so that is what "OJ" means?" He took a tentative bite of his pancake. "I thought that you were leaving the city?" He cut the egg on his plate with the edge of his fork, and the orange yolk seeped out blood red. "Is this... normal?"

The waitress glanced over the counter. "What the hell?" She looked at the eggs on Marie's plate as she set them down. "That's not normal here, Hun." She looked at the woman and nodded at the plate. "Do you want to make sure yours is okay? I'll get you another egg, Father."

Marie looked at Rafael with a grin she'd never been called sweet before or at least not to her face. "I like that thankful face." she said making fun of him with a overly large grin slapped onto her pretty face.

"What did you think OJ meant Rafael?" she asked taking a drink of her OJ thankful it wasn't the coffee he had sipped on. "Yeah I tried but it seems the city loves me to much to let me leave." she grinned "I'm trapped here till the water recedes or they get rid of the large tree out of the road." She stated softly as she looked over at Rafael as he cut open the egg.

Marie's eyes went wide she'd never really saw a York so red, no so much like blood. She covered her mouth raising an eyebrow as the lady sat her food in front of her. Marie almost didn't want to cut into hers but she had too. She picked up her fork and knife and cut into the eggs.

He chuckled. "Orenthal James, actual. I heard about OJ when there was that most terrible murder, about... ten years ago? Fifteen? It seems so long ago."

Then the eggs happened, and there was blood in his yolk, and when the pretty girl with the classic car cut into her yolk it bled as well. Worse, it pulsed several times before subsiding and dripping onto her plate.

Rafael crossed himself with his hands and slowly stood up. "First the church, and now this?" He shook his head. "It's the blood of innocents.. a plague." He looked over at her. "I think that you should leave this town as soon as you can, Marie. Bad things are happening here." He shook his head. "This is no place for an innocent."

Marie looked down at the egg as she cut into it the yolk was the same blood red color as the one from the priests was. "Shit... in my breakfast really?" she slapped her face she was really starting to hate the fact she knew about the evils in the world and that they were almost always thrown her way. She looked over at the priest when he said something about the church and she looked at him "What about the church?" she snapped grabbing the priest in a slight harsh way. "What happened at the church?" she took a deep breath calming herself.
"A plague really? That's what they're throwing this way?" Marie huffed annoyed with the situation she really didn't like plagues they were always messy and Marie hated messy.

"Sorry Rafael but I can't exactly leave this place nor do I really want too..." she said "Innocent... wow I haven't been called that since sixth grade." she said dumb founded by the priest. "You see me as innocent? At least someone does I suppose that's good." she grinned.

He grimaced when she grabbed him. "Ah... the church? The statues are crying blood. Every night at ten; that is why they called me here." He smiled nervously. "A plague, yes? Like... blood running in the rivers, and falling animals from the sky, that kind of thing."

Rafael looked over and scoped her out. He actually scoped her out, just like any other man would. "Ah... well, we are all evil in our own ways."

Loud thumping sounds on the diner drew their eyes to the window, where frogs were falling from the sky.

"Ok so crying blood... not normal but normal enough... who would do that?" she thought about it "At 10 it's not Lucifer he's to smart for that... I think, although maybe not it is Lucifer after all." she more or less was mumbling to herself about this. "Great so we'll have rivers of blood and frogs falling from the sky or maybe locusts!" she said looking out the wind as if waiting to see these things.

Marie looked over her shoulder and saw the priest checking her out and grinned "It's a great sin for a priest to wanna touch a girl you know that right Rafael." she grinned teasing him.

Marie whipped around when she heard thumping sounds coming from the window and her eyes went wide with wonder and she pulled her arm out then back in like someone just won something "So it's a plague of frogs, crying blood, what should be next..." she searched her mind trying to think of what would be doing this.

"It depends," Rafael said as he leaned over her shoulder and peered out the window. "Is this the judgement of God, or the tauntings of Lucifer? I hope it's not God's judgement. I'm a firstborn son, and I don't believe that I could find a perfect lamb to slaughter on such short notice."

He was standing so close to her as he watched the frogs fall that she could feel his warmth. Rafael had the clean scent of soap to him, and he was taller than she was enough to make a nice shelter for her, if she was to lean back. He glanced over her body and noted the long, graceful curve of her neck and the way her hair laid against her skin. "As far as touching you goes, it's only a sin for a Buddhist monk to touch a woman. A Catholic priest may touch one, but not marry." His lips curved into a smile.

"Although we have been accused in the last two or three hundred years of having our way with one too many boys." He stepped back slightly as he saw that the rain of frogs was dying off. "I have to get back to my church... it was good to see you again, Marie."

Marie looked up as Rafael leaned over her it wasn't like she wasn't use to men towering over her after all she was short as all hell. "I would have a guess that this probably isn't gods judgment or at least not yet." Marie reached out touching the window and biting down on her lower lip. She grinned when he mentioned not being about to find a perfect lamb to slaughter on such a short notice. "Being the first born son must suck." she pulled her hand away from the window.

Marie could smell Rafael from far away but now that he was towering over her his smell was so intoxicating it was a clean smell as well as something else that seemed to pull Marie in and made her lower half burn with the need to be touched by him. She pushed her hair back behind her ear looking out the window "I bet those frogs hurt when they hit you." She muttered to herself trying to calm her nerves around him. She wasn't sure why he made her fell nervous and so sexually amped. "Catholic priest take a vow of celibacy priest." she said looking up at him with a grin "But if it's the end of the world why not lay your hand upon a women." She quickly looked back out the window "Not that I'd be that women or anything." she said trying to save herself from sounds like she wanted him.

"Have you been accused of doing such things priest?" Marie looked over her shoulder at the priest teasing him ever so slightly. She knew the raining of frogs was dying off and she'd have to go back to the hotel and do some research and a few other things to figure out what exactly was going on here but maybe she'd help the priest out a little before that.

Marie watched at Rafael pulled himself away from her and he told her head have to get back to the church. This was Marie's chance she'd could always use his help if something horrible happened after all he was a priest and who better to get some holy water from. "I can take you back." she said motioning to her car "After all I have a awesome ride." she grinned widely "Plus it's not like I have anything better to do."

Rafael only smiled mysteriously when she brought up the vow of celibacy. His hands rested briefly on her hips before he drew away, and the feel of them was warm and strong around her slim body.

"I would enjoy being given a ride in your, eh - classico car again. If you are quiet certain that you do not have anything else to do. Like cooking the legs of the frogs, perhaps?" He smiled teasingly at her and then paid for the bloody eggs and pancakes. "But yes... a ride back will be appreciated, and perhaps we will hear that the frogs are a natural phenomenal, hm? Like... eh.. locusts. And the drought."

His smile was one that showed he highly doubted that the 'signs' would be proven innocent. He easily slid into her car with her, and as they made their way back to the church he asked her "So.... what is a woman alone driving across this country for? Are you, hm... hunting for some meaning in your life?"

Marie wondered what that mysterious smile meant as she showed it to her. His large hands were on her hips although be it brief it still felt good to have a good man touch her in such an innocent yet tempting way. She grinned widely at him calling her car classic and it was but it was still a hunk of junk at times.
Marie eyed Rafael closely as he teased her playfully. She grinned widely she wasn't sure why but she was highly attracted to Rafael even though he was a priest and that was so wrong on many levels. She pulled out her wallet grabbing some money and paying for her bill after Rafael paid his. "Well then I'll gladly give you one." she grinned "And if they find a reason for this frog pandemic and how it happened I'd love to hear why frogs feel from the sky like rain." she grinned "Maybe I'll win the lottery and become a millionaire." she joked walking him to her car and unlocking her door then his.
She slid into her car and started the engine with a large smile sure the car was a piece of crap at times but it was her piece of crap and she loved with the engine purred for her. She turned the car into reverse then took off out of the parking lot to and to the church. "Hunting demons." she said with a grin making herself sound like she was joking but she was being serious. "And I think I found me one in this town." she looked at him.

"Hunting demons?" He gave a gentle laugh. "And you think you've found one? What... exactly, makes you believe that?" He looked over at her and smiled. "Even the Pope seems to think that the times of demons and angels are over except for the occasional sign... like the statues weeping blood."

The church was only a few blocks away. Convenient for a priest on foot. Several priests were standing in the alcove of the church and speaking excitedly to each other, their hands waving too and fro while the last few frogs hit the ground. Then the clouds parted and the sun came out, and the frogs that were still barely alive twitched on the warming pavement.

She looked at him "Well it's either this is a sign from god or a demon." she stated towards the dead or dyeing frogs that twitched on the ground. "The pope is an idiot." she stated bluntly "The time for demons and angels is never done it's always an ongoing battle between them." she stated like she knew what she was talking about.
Marie pulled up to the church and turned off her car. "You mind if I come in and see this bloody tears?" she asked softly watching Rafael's reactions to her words. She didn't want to sound like a bitch towards him cause she did like him and a lot.