Taking Angels (The Angel Crusades) (7 page)

I took another bite and turned back towards
Allister and his sister. I felt a connection to these two
strangers. I looked at them, pushing the idea they were
the angels from my mind and considered them as people.
It didn’t make them less fascinating. Allister Parks held
some inherent mystery I wanted to figure out. But a part
of me wasn’t sure I would like what I discovered.
I stared at them throughout lunch, scolded many
times by the girls for being so obvious. Angelina and
Allister didn’t appear to notice, only looking our way
once more as they stood to leave.
I shook my head, clearing the crazy feelings from
my mind. Get a grip, I told myself, he’s just a boy. Still, I
had a hard time convincing myself the truth of it. He and
Angelina were something more…but what?
We went to the rest of our classes and then home
after school, disappointed to find the Camaro already
gone from the parking lot when we left. I expected to see
him as we drove past their house, but again, the house
appeared lifeless.
With a mountain of homework after the first day, I
toiled away at it until late that night. Subconsciously I
wanted to stay awake as long as possible and maybe be
too fatigued to dream. When I finally clicked the light off,
my heavy eyelids unveiled my dream like the opening
curtain to a play as they lumbered shut.

I stood in a house, a kitchen to be precise, looking
into a family room from the darkness. I saw the back of a
woman’s head as she sat on the couch, wrapped up in a
blanket watching TV. I moved, unnoticed, creeping closer
and reaching a hand, extended by the now too familiar
hairy arm towards her. The hand contacted her shoulder
and she turned with a start, the pull of vapors from her
form already visible, as she screamed for a split second
then went silent. Her eyes glazed and mouth fell open;
her final scream silenced forever.

I woke with a shake as the bed still moved under
me and felt my heart racing in my chest. When would this
stop? How could I make these visions end? That’s what
they were; visions, not dreams. Dreams weren’t real.
These were real. Not knowing how much longer I could
withstand the mental anguish, I questioned if surviving
the waterfall was truly the better of my two options. Live
with the horrific visions and guilt of being involved in
countless deaths or ending it all at the waterfall. My idea
that saving a life could somehow counteract the taking of
a life didn’t line up with anything I learned about
Christianity growing up. Even my rationalization about
keeping the balance wasn’t working. That I was
connected to the nurse’s assistant, seeing him kill while
doing nothing to stop him, weighed on me.

I lay back, my bed damp with sweat. Maybe
Allister had some answers for me, at least some advice
for how to stop them. How would I ask him, even if he
did? Hey Allister, are you the cause of my nasty visions?
Did you save me so I could take the fall for this guy?
Yeah, that sounded like the perfect way to send him
running and screaming in the opposite direction. I’d
better rethink that.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the image of
Allister with a smile and then grimaced as Angelina’s
glare came to mind. What did she have against me?

The girls and I bundled up in our orange and
black school sweatshirts and jackets to root for the
Thunderhawks at the first football game of the season that
Friday night. The disappointment of not speaking to
Allister again that week overshadowed the excitement of
the home game. I did my best to push it aside. Our
meetings were restricted to passing in the hallway. Even
though he smiled as he walked by, we didn’t have another
conversation.

We went to the game and cheered our team on to a
17-10 victory, then rushed to the dance afterward at the
school gym, crowding into the bathroom at the school to
redo makeup and get ready.

I stood back, watching as the others put on
lipstick and touch up eye shadow. Since coming back
from Rochester I didn’t need to wear makeup.

Trish prepped frantically, her nerves at the
prospect of watching Jeb and his band play at the dance
getting the better of her. I’d never seen her like this
before. Usually very calm and confident, she fluttered
around like a bird caught in a tornado, her emotions all
over the place.

Tommy planned to meet Elisa at the dance when
he and his teammates finished celebrating. Elisa, calm
and collected as ever, touched up her makeup in the
mirror giving me a knowing wink as excited voices
echoed off the porcelain walls of the bathroom.

Cassie brushed her hair and applied lip gloss,
smiling at me through the mirror. Carl waited for her in
the gym.

They took forever so I wandered out of the
bathroom and stepped out a side door into the parking lot
to get some fresh air. A bunch of guys leaned against
some parked cars, smoking. They flashed a wary look as I
came through the door, hiding their glowing butts at their
sides in case I was a chaperone or security.

I turned away, trying to assure them I wasn’t
going to rat them out. They moved in closer, surrounding
me on three sides. I looked at the closest and smiled,
trying to push my nerves down.

“Hey,” he said, giving me a smile.
“Hi.” I looked around as if waiting for someone. I
felt confident the girls would rush to the dance floor,
never expecting me to be out here.
“You’re Britt Anderson, right?” the guy asked,
“The cancer girl?”
“That’s me.” I gave him a sideways glance while
continuing to scan the lot.
“You sure don’t look like you had cancer,”
another guy piped up.
“How am I supposed to look?” My glaring eyes
met his boldly.
“Uh, I don’t know, maybe skinny,” he stuttered.
“She don’t look too sick or skinny to me,” a third
boy said, “but how can you be sure with all those clothes
on?”
“I’ll check.” The voice came from behind me as
an arm wrapped around my waist and a hand reached up
under my shirt.
I gasped and struggled to move away. The guys on
either side of me each took an arm and held me tight. The
hand crept further up my shirt, searching for a prize. I
started to scream, but the hand around my waist moved
and clamped heavily over my mouth, muffling my
attempt.
“You need to let her go. Now,” a smooth voice
said from my left.
I looked up and Allister stood tall and solid, his
perfect eyes so intense it sent a shiver down my back.
“If it isn’t the new pretty boy trying to be a hero,”
the boy holding me with his hand up my shirt growled in
my ear.
“I won’t tell you again. Let her go,” Allister
repeated.
Two of the guys rushed Allister as he stood
motionless. It happened so quickly. One minute they
charged him and the next they lay on the ground, Allister
standing over them. I didn’t see him move.
The others flung me face first to the ground and
attacked Allister. I pushed myself off the ground and
looked up as Allister reached down and helped me to my
feet.
He smiled, his eyes filled with assurance. “Are
you alright?” he asked.
“Yeah, fine,” I whispered.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone.”
“I’m not, you’re with me.”
“I shouldn’t be with you after what’s happened,”
he said, his smile now gone.
“What?” Crap, he knew. He knew about those
people in my dreams. My heart raced and I began to
panic.
“You had better get back inside,” he suggested.
“Wait, I can explain,” I pleaded, taking a step
towards him as he turned to leave. I stumbled and he
spun, catching me in his arms.
He stared into my eyes. His were so deep and
clear I could see my reflection. He leaned closer, his
breath against my face.
I don’t know why, but I felt the urge to kiss him,
leaning in, forgetting everything but the need to kiss him.
His lips brushed mine, their soft skin caressing me softly.
The connection drew me in as my lips parted and yearned
for more. I gasped as he suddenly pulled away.
The doors burst open and the three amigos rushed
out.
He gave me a smile, turned, and disappeared into
the darkness.
“Oh my God, Britt,” Elisa cried. “This is where
you’ve been hiding? What happened to these guys?” She
added looking at the unconscious boys scattered around
me.
“They tried to get to know me better and Allister
stopped them,” I said.
“Making out with Mr. Gorgeous,” Cassie
squealed.
“You should have told us where you were going.”
Trish was not pleased. “Grand Rapids might be small, but
not everyone is nice.” She looked down at the boys
beginning to stir, giving the one nearest her a little kick in
the side.
“Sorry, I didn’t plan it that way,” I tried to
explain.
“Too late now.” Trish crossed her arms, giving me
an angry look. “So tell us all about it.” She grinned
suddenly, sending me stumbling with a hip check. “Is he
a good kisser?”
“I only have Jimmy Reynolds in the fourth grade
to compare him to,” I reminded her. “It wasn’t actually a
kiss, but close.” I shrugged.
“Sleepover at my house,” Elisa cried and we
nodded our agreement. “I want every detail.” She took
me by the arm, gave the boys on the ground one last
glance, and pulled me into the dance. Trish and Cassie
followed close behind.
We danced every dance together, Carl and Tommy
joining in, until Jeb ended the night with a song dedicated
to Trish. Trish blushed and stood swaying in front of the
stage the entire song.
We stayed around until Jeb finished packing up
the equipment. Trish and Jeb then spent about a half hour
making out in her Jeep while we waited for them. Elisa
and Tommy steamed up the windows in his car and
Cassie, Carl and me, sat awkwardly in Carl’s car. Carl
looked at his watch every few minutes, afraid of staying
out too late and getting in trouble with his parents. Trish
finally opened the door to the Jeep as Jeb stumbled out
his side, reluctantly ending a lip lock with her. He gave us
a smirk and hurried to his waiting band mates. Elisa and
Cassie said goodbye to their boyfriends and I wandered
over to the Jeep, feeling more than a little left out.
We stopped by Sammy’s to pick up some pizza
and then headed over to Elisa’s house for a sleepover. We
talked into the early morning. I explained the ‘kind of’
kiss with Allister at least a dozen times before the girls
finally drifted off to sleep.
I knew he’d saved me twice now, but still didn’t
know why. He didn’t act like anyone I ever knew. What
would he do when he found out about my dreams? What
if he knew? My hand slid to my lips, thinking of what
almost was.
I fell asleep on the couch, my hand still to my lips.

My dream came slowly, easing into clarity as a
window slid open. Why would anyone leave their window
unlocked? Standing on a fire escape with looming
buildings all around, the sound of traffic came to my ears
as I turned and looked to the highway close by before
stepping into the room. It was a bedroom, small and
cramped, and cluttered with too much furniture. A young
woman lay in her bed, sleeping peacefully as music
played from a tiny stereo in the corner.

As I moved closer a wispy image surged towards
me, confident, defiant. It resembled the woman sleeping,
but more ghostly, spirit-like, her face stern.

“You don’t belong here,” she scolded, her lips not
moving. “Be gone with you.”
“I don’t come for her,” I said in a deep voice.
“Your kind is responsible for these deaths,” the
spirit accused. “I know it.”
“Being aware of it and being safe from it are two
entirely different things,” I laughed.
My hand reached out quickly, gripping the ghost’s
neck, not realizing what happened until I heard the
gasping.
“How is this possible?” It strained to speak.
“All is possible for us,” I said as the spirit went
limp. Then the wispy body was drawn into my own,
absorbed.

I woke up screaming, sitting up on the couch
where I’d fallen asleep. Elisa, Trish, and Cassie gathered
close, their arms around me trying to comfort me. I cried
so hard my blanket was soaked with my tears.

“It’s okay, Britt, it’s just a bad dream.” Elisa tried
to soothe me.
I looked to each of them, their eyes filled with
worry.
“But what if it isn’t?” I cried.
I rushed to the bathroom, closing the door behind
me feeling their eyes on my back. Leaning on the sink I
stared into the mirror. Foreign blue eyes, red from the
tears, were reflected back at me. It was as if a stranger
stared back, someone I didn’t know anymore.
I splashed cold water on my face and wiped it
away with a towel, leaving my face perfect. Perfect like
them; Allister and Angelina. They knew something.
Allister and his sister held the key to this mystery.
I needed to find out what they knew. No more delays.
I raced out of the bathroom, grabbing my clothes and
stripping off the t-shirt I wore to sleep. I quickly pulled
my shirt over my head and yanked my jeans up, fastening
them. I glanced up and Elisa, Trish, and Cassie watched
me, motionless, their faces a mix of confusion and fear.
“What?” I asked, looking around the room for my
shoes.
“What? That’s all you have to say. You wake us
up screaming to death, nearly giving us a heart attack and
all you can say is ‘what’?” Trish had the edge in her voice
I knew wavered on the verge of a blowup.
“What do you want me to say?”
“Try explaining,” Cassie spoke up.
“Fill us in,” Elisa urged.
“I don’t think I can,” I sighed, pausing to look at
them for a moment and then renewed the search for my
shoes.
“Great.” Trish threw her blanket back from her
legs and stood up. “Just keep it to yourself. That usually
works for you. Like when they diagnosed your cancer. It
took you six months to tell any of us. You’d rather keep it
all inside and then drop the bombshell on us. I for one am
not going to sit around and let you rip me up like that
again.” She turned and stormed into the bathroom,
slamming the door behind her.
“Is that what this is about, are you dying again?”
Cassie asked, tears filling her eyes.
“No,” I cried. “Not that.” At least not from cancer.
“Then what?” Elisa asked.
“I’m not sure and don’t want to tell you anything
that might complicate things,” I said, trying to explain.
How could I share something I couldn’t understand
myself?
“Did anyone
tell
you not to share this with us?”
Elisa pressed.
“No, but if I don’t believe it, how could
you
believe it?” I asked.
“Have we ever
not
believed you Britt?” Cassie
asked.
No. They were always there for me. Since first
grade, they were there for me. Why did I need to shut
them out? Allister told me to stop healing people, he
never said I couldn’t tell anyone.
“Get Trish,” I whispered. “I doubt you’ll believe it
because I don’t believe it myself.”
Elisa ran to the bathroom and dragged Trish back
into the room. Trish had her arms crossed in front of her,
not a good sign, as she stared at me with doubt filling her
eyes.
“I think it’s time you knew the whole story of
what happened to me, my cancer and … the dreams,” I
started.
Trish sat down in a chair across from me as Elisa
sat on one side of me and Cassie slid in closer to place a
comforting hand on my knee. Good, I had their attention.
Now, if I could only make them believe.
“You know we went canoeing at the BWCA a
month ago,” I began as they nodded. “When we were
there something happened, something that changed
everything about my life. Something totally out there, but
I need you to listen and try not to judge.” I looked to each
face, relieved no skepticism showed. Hoping it would
stay that way.
Taking a deep breath I rushed into the story,
beginning with me sitting on the rocks in the river, the
thoughts of suicide, and the change of heart which came
too late. I raced through the part with the angels, not
looking up, instead staring at my hands in my lap. I went
through all the testing, the dreams that I now knew were
visions, the hospital, and finally, my belief that Allister
and Angelina were the angels from the waterfall.
When I stopped I still looked down, waiting for
the doubting accusations or their laughter at my delirium.
When the room remained silent, I cautiously lifted
my eyes.
Trish met my gaze first, her face awash with fear,
her eyes, full of tears.
I turned to Cassie and she leaned into me,
throwing her arms around my neck and crying on my
shoulder.
Elisa stared back at me, no expression, not
anything. Her face so void of emotion, she might have
been a porcelain doll.
“Say something,” I urged.
“That explains a whole lot,” Trish spoke softly.
“Why all of a sudden you got better. Why you’ve
been acting so weird and enthralled with Allister and
Angelina Parks. Everything.”
“You really think they’re angels?” Cassie asked,
seeming to agree with Trish’s synopsis.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head.
“So what are you going to do?” Cassie brushed
my hair off my neck where her tears had plastered it.
“She’s going to confront Allister and find out,”
Elisa finally spoke.
“What if he won’t tell me anything?”
“You don’t think he would hurt Britt, do you?”
Cassie’s concern was evident.
“I don’t know how he’ll react when I tell him
about the dreams.” I rolled my shoulders.
“But if he has the power to save you, he has the
power to…” Trish started, unable to finish the thought.
To kill me. We all understood without her saying it. We
stared at her, our combined fear filling the room at the
prospect.
“We need to go over there,” Elisa insisted.
“I can’t ask you to put yourselves in danger like
that,” I protested.
“It’s the only way,” Trish agreed.
“We won’t let you go there alone,” Cassie added.
“If we go in the day it should be safer, more
chances to be caught if he does try something,” Trish
pointed out.
I nodded my agreement. It made sense.
The girls scurried, getting ready as I sat watching
them flit around me. It felt good to have them on my side.
I didn’t feel so alone anymore.