Wild Nights:

Simone’s Notes:

Nephilim are beings who appear in the Hebrew Bible, in the Book of Genesis, and are also mentioned in other biblical texts and in some non-canonical Jewish writings. The Hebrew of “nephilim” means “those causing others to fall”. Abraham ibn Ezra proposes that they were called this because men's hearts would fail at the sight of them. Some have compared it to the usage in Job 1:15 "And the Sabeans fell upon them" in which Naphal means to take in battle, describing the warlike nature of the Nephilim. Alternatively, Shadal understands it as deriving from the Hebrew word Pela which means wondrous. The nephilim come from a union between “sons of God” and “daughters of man”. In Aramaic culture, the term Nephila specifically referred to the constellation of Orion, and thus Nephilim to Orion's semi-divine descendants; the implication being that this also is the origin of the Biblical Nephilim. Some commentators have suggested that the Nephilim were believed to have been fathered by members of a proto-Hebrew pantheon and are a brief glimpse of early Hebrew religion, most of the details of which were later edited out from the Torah, and that this passage may have offered monotheistic Hebrews a way to fit semi-divine pagan heroes into their cosmogony.

Syd and Ella were woken up by a loud growling outside.

“What was that?” Ella whispered to him. Syd slowly opened his eyes and listened closely. The growling came again. He sat up straight.

“It sounds like what I think it is!” the deity began. Then, the growling came again. Both of them quickly rushed out of bed to the window. A large scaly monster stomped along the street. It looked as brown as dirt and mud. Spiked fins went all the way down its back. Its webbed feet flapped against the hard road. The creature’s thorn tail dragged down the road. Syd sighed hard as he shook his head.

“A nephilim!” Ella called out.

“Yep!” Syd replied. That only meant one thing to them. The Red Harvest had begun. Not only have the incubi and succubi have gotten loosen, ugly creatures like the nephila could roam the streets stealing souls as well. Both sighed as they shut the curtains and sat under the window.

“Just like old times!” Syd whispered annoyed. “Just like old times!”

“Wanna just rid this one?” his bird asked. The bloke turned to her smiling.

“Hell yeah!” he replied. The deity sat up straighter. “We need to set a trap!” he resolved. Ella looked at him as she was following him carefully.

“With which type of blood?” she asked.

“A child’s.” Syd answered. His bird looked slightly worried. He noticed her face. “Come on!” he said to her. “You’ve done this before! Don’t get all soft on me now!”

“But which child?” his bird asked in a weak voice.

“We will see in the morning!” Syd replied. “Right now, get to bed!” Ella nodded. Then they headed straight to bed. Syd was asleep in seconds, but Ella couldn’t. She couldn’t let her mind free about which child had to die to be rid of the nephila. Sure, she had done this before, but why did it feel different now?

Meanwhile, Envy and Nyious were plotting for Ginny.

“The virus won’t get any stronger if we don’t get the Book of Niles!” Nyious said aloud. The Book of Niles was created at the height of the Council’s destruction. Inside held the knowledge of viruses and cures. After the Council fell, Mother Superior and the other main deities hid the book so it could be never used again. Many times, Ai-Oni and her brother had tried to find the book. Now, the book had been discovered. But only a human could actually retrieve the book.

“And how do we do that?” the homunculus challenged. “Who can we use to get this book that you speak of?” The soldier thought about that for a moment. A devilish smile came across his face.

“We can use Ginny!” he replied. Envy smiled back at him.

“Oh I see!” he called. Both grinned. They knew exactly how. The boys chose to act by morning.

Morning set in and plans sprang to life. Syd and Ella were at the playground looking at all of the children. There were so many to choose from. Ella just felt sick to her stomach thinking about it. They all kept scanning the playground. So far, none of them seemed right.

“They all are bland!” Syd spoke up.

“How do we know what we are looking for?” his bird asked.

“It’ll come to you,” he replied. Ella just nodded. They kept watching. In thirty seconds, the couple found the perfect candidate. Their choice was Alessia Bailey. She was sitting on the ground drawing. The deities couldn’t explain it, but the girl seemed to give off a powerful aura. Syd grinned to himself wickedly.

“She’ll be perfect!” he said. Ella looked at the girl uneasily.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked. “Isn’t there a better way of handling the nephila?”

“Don’t go soft on me now, woman!” her bloke barked. “Stay focused here!”

“Right!” Ella said as she nodded.

“Right,” Syd agreed. “We just need to gain her trust for tonight! We’ll use the abandoned airfields as an altar. The sacrifice has to be made with water!”

“I’ll talk to her!” his bird cut in. “You suck with children!” Syd looked at her sharply.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“You know what I mean!” Ella argued back. Syd rolled his eyes.

“Whatever!” he barked. “Just do it! And don’t get all soft on me!”

“I won’t!” his bird grumbled. Then she made her way over to their target. Syd watched her. “I mean it, El!” he thought. “Don’t screw up on me!

Ella came up to Alessia. The little girl looked up when a shadow was cast over her. The deity smiled kindly at her.

“Hello there, Alessia!” she said aloud. The girl looked away from her shyly. Ella looked at her drawing.

“That’s a nice drawing!” the deity said to her.

“Uh-huh!” the girl said softly. Ella sat next to her. She looked at the drawing pad.

“What are you drawing?” the woman asked.

“The devil woman draining the life out an angel!” Alessia replied. Ella took a closer look at the drawing. It was of Manami draining Edward’s blood in bed. Ella instantly knew that this wasn’t a normal child. She knew what was going on! But… how? Ella would have to figure that one out later. But now, she would have to focus on the mission at hand.

Meanwhile, Ginny was in her room crying. She was remembering when Kate found out that she was pregnant. This whole misadventure led to her death. The worst part was, Gin still couldn’t tell anybody how or that her friend was really dead. They all thought that she was just missing. Some were even betting on how she would be found. It all made Ginny pretty sick. But soon, the hole in her life would get bigger.

A tap came on her window. The blonde Catholic looked up quickly. Envy was looking in at her smiling. Concerned, the girl walked to the window and looked back. The homunculus pointed at the locks for her to open them. Ginny hesitated at first. Then, she unlocked the window. Envy stepped inside. The girl looked at him confused.

“What do you want?” she asked. Envy smiled at her wickedly.

“I know your loss,” he spoke up. “Kate was your best friend, wasn’t she?” Ginny looked at him confused.

“What are you talking about?” she asked. “Who are you? How do you know about Kate?” The homunculus looked at her smiling.

“I know a way for you to see her one last time!” he said. “Her soul is restless and she can’t get to Heaven without saying goodbye one final time.” The Blonde Catholic’s eyes grew big in surprise.

“Are you trying to play with my head?” she asked. Envy shook his head.

“Fine!” he called. “If you don’t want it, I won’t help you!” He turned to leave.

“Wait!” Ginny yelled out. Envy turned to her.

“Oh?” he asked. The girl rushed forward to his feet.

“Tell how I can see Kate again!” she pleaded. Envy smirked at her wickedly.

“Okay,” he replied. “But you must do something for me first!”

“Yes, yes!!” Ginny said quickly. “Anything!” Envy smiled at her.

“I need you to go get the Book of Niles!” he told her strictly.

“Where can I get that?” Ginny asked. The homunculus whispered in her ear the exact location of the book. The girl looked at him as if to piece the information all together.

“So if I get you this book, I’ll see Kate again one last time?” she asked.

“Yes!” Envy said coolly. “It’s such an easy offer. Take it or leave.” Ginny nodded quickly.

“I’ll do it!” she said in a rush. Envy smiled at her wickedly.

“Good!” he said. “Do a good job and I’ll do the same! Meet me in the Roselyn Park at midnight and come alone!” Then he petted her on the head and headed back out the window. Ginny stared after him blankly. “That was too easy!” the homunculus thought to himself. “She’s just a desperate little soul!” Then he headed to the land of the dead.

 

 

 

Evening set in quickly. Ella, Syd, Envy, and Ginny were busy with their tasks. Ella was befriending Alessia very well. They seemed to be like sisters before the day was over. Ella just felt bad about having to kill her tonight. But Syd assured her that he would be doing that and not her. His bird took his word uneasily. She didn’t want to argue with him tonight. It was pointless to argue with him on missions. But Ella just couldn’t shake the feeling that the little girl knew what her role was in this twisted game Ai-Oni had started.

“Alessia?” Ella asked as they were walking along the moss and stony path to the abandoned airfields.

“Hm?” the little girl replied as she stayed close to the deity. Ella froze for a moment. She felt guilty about this. But she just had to talk to get the coming death off of her mind.

“Do you know about bad people?” the deity asked.

“Uh-huh,” Alessia replied. “Addi said that daddy was a bad person.”

“I see.” Ella said. Silence came between them for a moment.

“The devil woman has gotten the angel, hasn’t she?” the little girl asked. Ella went pale at that question. She just didn’t know how to answer that one.

“I am hoping not!” the deity replied.

“I think she has.” Alessia murmured. “He’s one of her demons now.” The woman looked really sick. Suddenly, killing her seemed like a huge mistake. Then, they made it straight to the abandoned airfields. The relief that Ella hoped would come when they arrived didn’t show up at all. She only felt sicker than before. Alessia walked ahead of her bravely. Ella just followed behind.

The girls found Syd standing at a huge water tank freshly filled with cold water. He had his hand outstretched for the little girl. She walked up to him boldly. Ella wanted to stop her, but something inside wouldn’t let her. All she could do was stand there and watch in pain. The little girl stepped up to the tank. Syd helped Alessia into the freezing black water. The girl shivered all over. Syd placed his hands firmly on her chest and began chanting. Ella wanted to turn away, but she just couldn’t move or look away. The deity was just stuck in her place.

Meanwhile, Ginny went to the park with her backpack. She looked around quickly as she sat on the park bench. Her quest wasn’t a walk in the park. The book was found a graveyard under an old grave of the first fuhrer. She had to go at night and work discreetly so not to get caught. In the end, Ginny was dirty and tired. But the task would all be worth it to see Kate one last time again.

A light wind blew over her long blonde hair. Ginny looked up to see Envy walking towards her. She rose to feet when he came closer.

“Where is she?” Ginny asked the homunculus.

“Where is the book?” he asked her. The girl opened her book bag and pulled out the dirty sky blue and gold book. She handed it straight to him. Envy snatched it from her. He blew of the dirt off of the hard cover. Ginny looked at him waiting. The homunculus turned to her smiling.

“Good, my little girl,” he said. “Now, I am a man of my word! And here is Kate!” He held out his arms past the trees. Ginny looked and saw Kate’s ghost walking towards her. She looked just as young and beautiful as the day she died. Envy just walked off and left the girls alone to talk one final time. The Blonde Catholic became overjoyed. She rushed to Kate happily. The girl’s arms were open and outstretched to embrace the girl. Her best friend held up her hand.

“Please,” she said. “Gin, we can’t touch. I am dead.”

“Oh, right!” Ginny replied with light red cheeks. Kate just smiled at her. They both headed over to the bench and sat down. The living girl sat there not knowing what to say.

“Wow!” she said. “This is awkward!”

“I know!” the ghost said. “Why don’t you start first?”

“Okay!” Ginny replied. The blonde went on and on about the updates of life so far. She didn’t tell her ghost friend about Damon; she wanted to be remembered as a strong and proud pure Catholic den mother as she always had been. Kate just listened happily. It was just like the good old days.

But then, the wind blew over their heads. Kate turned to her living room smiling.

“I have to go now!” she said. The girl rose to her feet to leave.

“Wait!” Ginny called out. Her friend turned back to her.

“Yes?” Kate asked. The living girl rose to her feet as well.

“Please,” she pleaded. “Give me your blessing before you go again!” The ghost turned to her smiling.

“Certainly!” she replied. Then she walked over to the living girl and kissed her on the forehead and cheeks. Ginny shut her eyes for a quickly second and opened them again.

“That was very special to me!” Ginny said happily.

“It’s more than you will ever know!” Kate said in her usual sweet voice. Then she vanished into thin air to the land of the dead. Ginny walked home happy and at peace.

But when the Blonde Catholic got home, she was in for a big surprise! The girl took a shower, got dressed for bed, and brushed her teeth. But when she was brushing her teeth, something caught her eyes.

The mirror had some fog with words on it. Ginny looked on confused. Kate must be trying to tell her something. Ginny kept breathing out. More and more words kept forming on the mirror. When she was done, the message read this:

Syd and Ella are in danger! They are not trapping a nephilim, it’s the incubus Ramelm. He is going to attack them in the abandoned airfields.

Ginny looked in a panic. She raced out of her apartment to save the two deities.

Out in the airfields, Syd kept chanting over the submerged Alessia. He pulled out his dagger. The little girl’s eyes grew big in shock. She knew this was coming, but it was all still too scary. Ella forced herself to look away. The deity raised his weapon up high.

“I will send your blood down into the water to lure the beast out to us!” he yelled out. Syd was about to stab the little girl when both deities heard a growl coming behind them. The “nephilim” was standing over them. Ella looked at it worried.

“Uh… Syd…” she said. The bloke turned to it with his dagger in his hand. Alessia sat up in the tank gasping for air. Syd looked worried and pissed.

“Oh shit!” he yelled out. Then, the monster raced towards them. Syd and Ella prepared to fight. The beast lunged forward and scratched Ella in the face. Syd rushed forward and tried to stab the monster in the chest. It didn’t even make a scratch! That’s when it hit them.

“It’s not a nephila!!!” Ella screamed out. Syd looked around quickly. Just there luck that Ella didn’t bring the staff of St. Peter with her tonight.

“What do we do?” his bird asked.

“Guys!!!” a voice yelled out. The deities looked up desperately. Ginny was racing towards with the staff of St. Peter in her hands.

“Ella!” she shouted. She tossed the deity the staff. Ella caught it quickly and turned the symbols together so that they aligned perfectly. A great hot light flashed in the monster’s eyes. Syd took out his dagger and stabbed the beast in the chest. The monster burned away into complete dust. Ginny made it straight to the deities.

“You guys okay?” she asked. Syd turned away snorting.

“We didn’t need your help!” he snapped. Then he got up and left. The Blonde Catholic turned to them confused. Ella just shrugged.

“He’s usually like that!” she replied.

“I see.” Ginny replied. Ella just got Alessia out of the tank, wrapped her with a cloak, and headed home in the spring night. Ella would have to explain everything to Addi and Derek in the morning. But that was the least of their worries. This little battle wasn’t the end yet. The enemy had the Book of Niles in their possession. May the chaos begin!