Light and Shade: Angel Yard

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Michael scrunched up his eyes as the bull opened the heavy door and shoved him outside into the sunlight. After a while he was able to open them a bit better. He was barely awake, sore all over and his head throbbed. Assessing his surroundings, he found himself standing on a concrete pad about 12 feet square. The door that he had come through was set in a concrete wall. It was the only way to get here. The other three walls were chain link. Probably 10 feet high the roof was chain link as well and the sun – the sun was relentless.

There was a patch of barren dirt beyond the back wall of his cage and an identical one about 50 yards away. It seemed to be attached to a separate wing of the same building. Lucifer was standing in the far cage, leaning against a corner post, talking with a couple of others from his posse, and smoking. Michael waved in greeting and Lucifer raised the middle finger of his left hand. “Same to you buddy.” Michael shouted across the open space.

Satan smiled, happy that he had provoked his adversary. Then he yelled back, “Tough night Mikey?” He turned, walked over to the door and pounded. “Hey,” he said as the door was swung open by a burly guard. Satan waved over his shoulder as he vanished into the gloom of the other building.

Michael spread his wings and knocked on the door through which he had so recently come. The guard opened the door and shook his head. “It hurts to see you in here Michael,” he said. “I’d never have believed it would happen. You oughta take this time to walk it off some. I had to pull a lot of strings to get you into the yard. The exercise will help to clear your head before your lawyer comes and, believe me sir, you’re gonna need a clear head.” He started back into the building, pulling the door shut.

“Wait, wait,” Michael folded his wings back down and pleaded with the guard. “Where am I?”

“Santo Piedras Cárcel,” the guard replied. We don’t get a lot of your type here and, I’ve never seen anyone of your stature here. We segregated you from the general population for your own safety. The warden was afraid of what that mob would do to you if they had found you in the condition you were in when you got here. It would have been a riot for sure.”

“What are you talking about?” Michael asked. “I don’t remember much about last night. Gabe and I went out for dinner and a few drinks. That’s all.”

“There musta been more than a few drinks sir. You should have been in the drunk-tank with those devils over there but, like I said, we kept you away from that mob by putting you over here.” He pointed to the sign above the door.

“Angel Yard”

 

Michael sat down and leaned against the concrete wall. It was hot. He buried his face in his hands. “What’s the boss going to say now?” he thought.

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Light and Shade Challenge 23 June 2014