Nightmares

Two Giotti angels (guardian angels?) floated on either side of him. Behind him, he could hear the underbrush being ripped apart. It was getting closer. Damn, it seemed he had been running for hours, but there it was, just behind him - relentless - nothing he did would either stop it or lose it. His chest was heaving, his lungs desperately trying to supply oxygen to aid his heart pounding in his chest.

"Damn!" He stopped just in time. He was at the edge of some sort of cliff, or gorge. Below him nothing. The darkness prevented him from judging whether the drop was only a few, or thousands of feet. Behind him, he could hear the creature getting closer. It had slowed now, becoming more cautious, moving more quietly. It knew he was trapped, with nowhere to go but back or down.

The angels had also come to a stop, floating just a few feet above and in front of him, their wings outstretched. "Well," he snarled, "you just going to float there looking pretty or you going to help me?" The larger of the two angels opened its mouth and issued forth a painful high-pitched scream. "What the?" He put his hands to his ears, desperately trying to block the sound. Again the angel opened its mouth and again the same sound echoed around the wood. Behind him the creature stopped, but only briefly, and then continued its approach.

He looked up at the other, silent, angel; his hands still clasped over his ears, "Tell him to stop it" he pleaded. However, this seemed to simply spur the other angel on, as once again it opened its mouth, this time its cry louder then before.

Behind him, the creature leaped from the darkness. He started to turn, his hands coming up to defend him. As he turned, it leaped at him pushing him over the cliff and into the darkness below. Falling, he turned to see the angels above him, disappearing into the darkness. As the night began to engulf them, the larger angel opened its mouth again, tears in its eyes, it screamed again and as he fell the scream became the ringing of his telephone.

"What the?" waking, he lifted his head and tried to focus on the digital clock on the bedside cabinet. 03:17am, it told him with the electronic efficiency of a clock that somehow managed to keep it self up to date with its more sophisticated equivalent at Greenwich. The telephone rang again. He grabbed at the receiver, blindly. "This better be good" he barked.

"Sorry sir." the male voice at the other end of the line sound more then apologetic. He was aware of his superior?s well-documented short temper, now legendary around the station. "Sorry sir. I didn?t mean to disturb you. I hope you weren?t sleeping sir?" His nerves where making him babble.

"Wake me? Goodness no. I was sitting here at home just hoping someone would call me at?.", he looked across at the clock again, "?3:20 in the morning. I have a very lonely life you see; no friends!"

"Sorry Sir but it?s important".

"O! Really? And there was me thinking you just wanted to ring for a social chat, ask about my day, that sort of thing" He picked up a packet of cigarettes and lighter from the bedside cabinet. "Well?" He pulled a cigarette from the packet and lit it.

"I've been asked to call you sir. There's been some," he hesitated, "some sort of incident in the city centre. I?ve been asked to tell you to get there ASAP Sir" He stopped, waiting on more of his superiors venom. "Sir?"

"Its nearly 3:30 in the morning man, and I'm not even on duty! Isn't there anyone else in the bloody force that can deal with this or are budget cuts making us very desperate for policemen?

"Its come directly from the Super Sir. He's out there himself, now Sir."

He sighed, "Ok." He responded calmly, ?Where abouts does he want me?" He took a deep inhalation on his cigarette and began to get out of bed.

"Bright Street Sir, Blaze Tower, number?"

"Ok, OK. That'll do. I'll get the rest o the address when I call back. Tell the boss I'll be there in? he hesitated, ?about 40 minutes." He replaced the receiver without waiting on an answer and headed towards the bathroom.