Absolution

Max awoke with a gasp.

“He’s back!” Izumi said.

“Don’t break the chain,” Natalia said. The lesbian angel stepped back into place. Max looked around as he sat on the couch.

“Huh? What happened?” he asked.

“Don’t move!” Yoshiko said. Max stared at them with a confused look on his face.

“What’s going on? What happened to me?” he asked. The confused man looked around on the floor.

“What the fuck?! Why is everyone like that?!” he shouted. Max shook Ben on his shoulder.

“Hey! Hey!” he whispered. His friend didn’t respond.

“Max!” Natalia shouted. The man turned his head.

“What?” he asked. The angels all had their eyes on him. He felt his stomach turn as he didn’t like where this was all heading.

“What happened?” Max asked with a concerned look on his face.

“Wait… did you do this?” he asked.

“No!” the angels all said. Max put up his hands.

“Okay, okay,” he said. “I believe you.” The man looked down at all of his friends on the ground at his feet.

“What happened to them?” he asked.

“We don’t exactly know,” Natalia finally said. “But we are trying to fix it.” Max frowned.

“So… we all were just on the ground in a daze like this?” he asked. The man looked over at Taro and his friends laying out in a daze just like the adults. He made a face of discomfort.

“Chill dude,” Liz said. “We’re trying here.” Natalia had an idea as she looked Max up and down on the couch.

“There is a way that you can help us,” she said. The man tilted his head.

“How?” he asked. The angels looked up as the two of them were talking. Even Natalia wasn’t sure how this was going to work exactly. Still, she had to try.

“Get up and touch my shoulder,” Natalia said. Max narrowed his eyes.

“Why?” he asked.

“Just do it!” the angel shouted. “Do you want to save your friends?”

“Well… yeah,” he said.

“Then touch my shoulder! Just do it!” Natalia shouted.

“Okay, okay!” Max shouted back. He jumped to his feet and made his way over to the circle of angels. The man was careful to step over his friends.

“Excuse me. Excuse me,” he whispered to them on the ground. Max stood in front of Natalia. He took a breath and grabbed onto her shoulder. A shot of warmth filled his chest. Natalia cocked her head to the side.

“Are you… crying?” she asked.

“Huh?” Max asked. The man reached up to his cheek. His fingertips became wet.

“I guess I am,” he whimpered. “And I don’t know why.”

“It’s alright,” Natalia whispered. “Don’t let go and let it all out.” Something about her words seemed to put him at ease. He looked down as the tears rolled down his cheeks. His body started to glow as he held on.