The Devil's Apprentice by Patrick Stewart (polar express read aloud TXT) 📕

“So, you can only see the rod then eh?” the angel said. “A pity that. Thought you might be special. I suppose it’s something that you can see my rod of fire. Might explain why my hypnosis wasn’t working on you.”

“I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about,” Alex said to the angel. “But do we really have to fight? Can’t we just walk away?”

“Oh, we’re not going to fight, Demon Hunter. I’m going to whoop your ass. I’m going to hurt you so bad, you’re going to-”

Alex waited patiently for him to finish his sentence. The angel didn’t seem to have anything else to say. His “rod of fire” had now grown to about four feet in length. Holding it in one hand, he stepped forward menacingly.

The red-head looked up at hi with worry. “Are you really a demon hunter?”

This wasn’t the time, place or person to explain his situation to. So he nodded noncommittally. “Kinda new to the job though.”

“But he’s an angel?”

He nodded again. “Angels are assholes,” he muttered.

“Can you defeat him?” the girl asked. “Like, who’s stronger?”

“We’re much stronger,” the angel said. “We’re divine beings made of pure energy. Demon hunters are just humans without souls,” he said the word as if an insult.

“You don’t have a soul?” the girl asked.

Alex shook my head.

“How come?”

Alex watched the girl with curiosity. She was taking this whole Demon Hunters and angels existing thing pretty well. Why was she even here? Why hadn’t she buggered off already? She’d just seen the angel create a rod of blue light out of thin air, a rod he as now holding in his right arm in an offensive manner. And yet, she seemed more curious than afraid.

“It’s kind of a long story,” Alex said. “If I survive this, maybe you can buy me a drink and I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Deal,” the girl said, grinning.

A really odd thing to do, Alex thought. He’d just indicated his possible death… Most girls wouldn’t grin at that.

“So what can you do?” she asked.

“Huh?” Alex’s brows furrowed.

“He’s got wings and can create fiery rods out of thin air. What can you do?”

Suddenly, being a Demon Hunter sounded lame. Especially when compared to an angel. “I guess I’m pretty strong,” Alex said defensively.

He was wearing a polo t-shirt. The girl stared at his arms. She then raised her right hand and squeezed his biceps. And then, she shrugged.

“What?” Alex asked.

“Nothing,” she said quickly.

“You’re disappointed.”

She shrugged again. “I was kind of expecting more. Being strong isn’t really a superpower, is it? No offense, but I’ve been with guys bigger than you.”

Her eyes widened at that. “I don’t mean bigger in that sense,” she said quickly. “I meant your muscles… not your manhood.”

“Thanks,” Alex muttered. “I’m feeling great now before I go off to battle an angel with a rod of light.”

She slapped him on the back. “You’ll be fine, I’m sure. I have faith in you.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded. “Yeah of course, you’re my knight in shining armour.”

“You guys done talking?” the angel growled. He stood a few feet away, his rod now in his right arm, the end rested on the ground. “You’re only delaying the ass whooping.”

“Ass whooping?” the girl struggled to contain her smirk.

“Yeah, ass whooping.” The angel frowned. “Why are you laughing?”

“No reason,” the girl said, a broad smile on her face.

“Once I’m done with that fucker,” he pointed the rod at Alex. “I’m going to fuck you so hard, my big cock is going to tear you apart.”

The girl stopped smiling. She grabbed a fistful of his t-shirt. “Please tell me you can beat him.”

Alex sighed. “I’ll try.

He’d never been a fighter and the last time he tried something heroic, Mark had sliced him up and left him to bleed unconscious. Maybe the angel would go one step further and kill him…

Alex didn’t want to die. But he had no choice here. He had to fight the angel and hope for the best. For his sake and for the red-head’s sake. With steely determination, Alex charged.

 The angel’s wings spread out magnificently. With a flap of each, his feet rose off the ground. Alex stopped in his tracks in admiration. As much as he hated to admit it, the angel looked amazing. The wings were a thing of beauty.

And then, with another thrust of the wings, the angel came at Alex with his glowing rod of fire. Alex ducked as the angel swiped at him, barely avoiding having his head sliced in half. That had been too close. Alex had felt the heat radiating from the rod.

The angel turned in mid-air, then came at him again. All thoughts of taking the angel head-on vanished. For the moment, it was all about surviving. Alex jumped off the pavement and slid behind the red car parked on the road opposite the shop doors just as the angel took another swipe at him. Again, the angel missed by inches. Its rod of fire sliced the side mirror of the car.

Alex scrambled to his feet and ran around the car. The angel flew over the car to meet him. This wasn’t a fair fight at all. Alex was weapon less as he was wingless.

“Coward,” he called out to the angel.

That stopped the angel in its tracks. Hovering fifteen feet off the ground, its wings flapping gently, it glared down at him.

“What did you call me?”

“You’re a coward,” Alex repeated. He tried to keep an eye on the angel and at the same time scan his surroundings for a weapon to use. “You’re just a glorified pigeon!”

From behind him came a snigger. He turned to look back in surprise. It was the red-head. She stood by the bins. They were