Watcher

by Andrew Weis

The appeal to go anywhere in time intrigued me. I’d also get answers to histories biggest mysteries. The first question I’d ask was, who shot JFK?

  “This is incredible,” I said.

  “Should you choose to stay here, you’ll make your home place. Everyone has to have a place to return to, it’s a point of reference that anchors you, even if you never use it. You can make it as basic or opulent as you want. Nothing can harm you there and you’ll experience never ending peace.”

  “If I can time travel, why would I need my own house?”

  “You’ll need a place to call home. Everyone has one, even the Protectors. You can build your home place in any way you can imagine. It’s paradise in its truest, purest form.”

  “Are Grandma and Grandpa here?”

  A lump formed in my throat at the prospect of seeing my grandparents again. I was about ten years old when they died in a plane crash coming back from New York one winter. Every holiday reminded me of how much I missed them.

  “Yes. You can see them any time you want, but you’ll have to remember they’ll be following their heart’s desire too. You’ll experience them in ways you never could when you were human.”

  “Sounds great, I suppose,” I said.

  “You don’t sound too thrilled,” Dad said.

  “No, everything is great, but is Heaven all fun and games?”

  “That’s one way to put it.”

  To put it short, I wasn’t thrilled.

  “I’m not sure. It seems rather soft,” I said.

  “I think I understand what you mean. That’s why I recommended you to the Protectors.”

  “How come? Was paradise too boring for you?” I asked.

  “Something like that. Don’t get me wrong, Heaven is the place to be,” Dad said, then bit his lip.

  “But what?”

  “It’ll be easier to show you.”

  We darted into the sun and returned to Hali. We descended in a massive grove of trees that stood hundreds of feet tall. I watched colorful exotic songbirds as they soared through the trees chirping and singing their hearts away.

  Distant waterfalls cascaded over towering cliffs, and the vibrant tropical-like flora filled my senses with fragrant bliss. Angels strolled in the park while Dad continued to explain the purpose of Hali.

  “I’ll give you a quick tour,” Dad said.

  I felt as though I were in a candy store for the first time.

  “Whoa, those are big trees,” I mumbled. “They line the street the whole way. No cars, no noise. This is so beautiful.”

  “It’s an amazing place, all right. Also, you’ll understand why we work so hard to protect all of this. In the angel hierarchy, the Protectors consist of four classes of angels who protect humans; Guardians, Watchers, Archangels and Powers.”

  “How did I end up here?” I asked.

  “I showed you the most preferred aspect of Heaven, but I figured you wouldn’t find it as rewarding as Hali. Through some heavy lobbying on my part, I arranged to bring you here.”

  “I’ve never seen a sky so blue.”

  “Jessa, you have the rest of your existence to marvel at the sky. Come on, I’ll show you the main reason why the Protectors are so important.”

  I smiled at Dad as we took to the air again.

  Our wings didn’t flap like a bird’s. Somewhat opaque, the wings shimmered in the sunlight. I had no clue how they worked, but what did I know? I just got up from being dead.

  We flew over the central part of Hali where large clusters of art deco buildings stood in divine magnificence. Wide sweeping arches which defied all engineering principles connected many elegant structures.

  We landed in front of a massive facade with the word Library carved above the door. Angels of all sizes passed through its impressive limestone-like entrance and flew to the books they needed to access.

  “What’s in all these books?” I asked.

  “Everything about everything,” Dad said.

  I removed a random book and opened it. The contents seemed like a chronology of sorts, with details written for every second of time. I read one passage where a young girl reached for a frog in a creek. She stumbled, struck her head on a rock and fell into the water.

  “Dad, did this kid die?” I asked as I handed him the book.

  He read the text and nodded.

  “Yeah. This particular girl died over 18,000 years ago. Death comes at any time.” Dad returned the book to the shelf. “Come on, we have lots to do.”

  We turned down one aisle and walked about a mile to the center where a single book rested on a golden podium bathed in divine light. Four imposing angels with glowing swords stood watch around the book.

  “Whoa. Dad, who are they?” I asked.

  “They’re Power-class angels. No evil angel of any kind would dare try to get by them, not without a strong army, anyway.” Dad pointed at the podium. “That’s why the world needs Protectors. They watch over mankind, but most important, enforce the laws inscribed in that one text,” Dad said.

  “What’s so great about that book?”

  “That’s the Book of Ancients. It describes everything about humanity; how to create it, support it and defend it. If it falls into the hands of evil, they can use its powers to recreate mankind in an evil image or annihilate it.”

  Why would they put information in print for anyone to use? How reckless was that?

  “Are those angels like cops?” I asked.

  “I guess you could call them that. There aren’t any angels who serve as policemen or detectives because angels already serve a similar role by default.”

  “Still, they put four angels to watch the vault while all the other angels are out flying around unchecked?”

  “I see your point. Do you think they need to keep an eye on the angels to make sure things get done right?”

  “Doesn’t God do that already?” I asked.

  “Good question, but God works through the angel hierarchy. Like people, even angels can make mistakes.”

  “Has anyone tried to take the Book of Ancients?”

  “A fallen archangel named Turel made a play for it.”

  “How?”

  Dad lowered his head and took a breath.

  “A human interceptor was granted special permissions called Divine Endorsement to help the hierarchy, but that’s a long story that we don’t have time for right now.”

  “What happened?”

  “They put the interceptor through a personal hell. It’s a shame how they handled it, but that’s over now.”

  “What happened to the interceptor?”

  “He’s still alive and they’ve left him alone. I tend to think they abandoned him, but that’s not for me to judge. He’s different now and hates the hierarchy. In time he might change, but I don’t know.”

  Like a curious child, I walked around the podium, then looked above to see where the light originated. It came straight from the ceiling, but there were no openings nor light fixtures. The top rim of the podium hosted symbols carved deep in the stone.

  One symbol, an intricate mandala, caught my eye. Some of my friends got tattoos of mandalas on their arms or their feet. I never saw the allure of tattoos. I enjoyed the blank slate that was my body.

  “Light without a source? How do they do that?” I asked.

  “That’s divine light. Come on,” Dad said.

  “Dad, what’s with that mandala there?” I asked. “It seems out of place compared to the other symbols.”

  “It represents religions in other parts of the universe.”

  “Like other galaxies?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Hm. Okay.”

  We left the Library and walked across a broad parkway to the giant Sequoia-like trees that lined the boulevard. The immensity of this place overwhelmed me. It was too damn cool to describe.

  We stopped in front of another entranceway, the name above this building read, Training. I liked the single-word names of these buildings
; simple and easy to remember.

  “I wonder what they do here,” I said.

  “This is where the Protectors receive their instruction. Now, you’ll need to choose whether you want to train to be a Protector in Hali or stay in the separate part of Heaven where you can enjoy your eternity like everyone else.”

  “Do I have to decide right now?”

  “Not yet, but you’ll need to soon. So, which sounds more like your style?”

  I reflected on my life’s hardships and the things I missed.

  “Would you be coming with me?” I asked.

  “No, I have my own assignments to work on, but we may cross paths on occasion.”

  “What do Protectors do? Do you have a job?”

  “I’m a Watcher-class angel. I flush out possible infiltrators for the archangels. They administer the justice along with the powers. I think you’ll like what they teach there,” he said, grinning.

  I gazed back up at the towering trees and the fascinating birds flying among the far-reaching branches. The trees reminded me of the giant oaks and maples at the Museum of Science and Industry but ten times larger. I pondered how I could make things right with Daniel since we were now in two different realms. There had to be a way, but I was doubtful.

  Training for a greater purpose seemed like a better way for me to come to grips with my guilt. Perhaps I might forget about Daniel altogether. I doubted that possibility since my heart ached being away from him. Still, I needed something to do to keep my mind busy.

  “Okay, I’ll do the training,” I said.

  Chapter 5

  DAD SMILED AS I walked down the gleaming canyon of a hallway that opened to an arena bigger than Soldier Field. The angels inside directed groups of new arrivals like me to different parts of the room where, like drill sergeants, other angels gave further instructions like drill sergeants without all the yelling. I took inventory of the other recruits in my group. There were all types of people; young, old, chubby, skinny, from every race that walked the planet. One thing stood out to me; I was the only girl. Perhaps coming here was a bad pick.

  My comfort level bloomed when a beautiful woman angel with perfect curvaceous proportions smiled as she motioned for me to join a dwarf-sized angel wearing a stern militaristic expression. His combed-back silver hair hung over his shoulders as he watched us through his intelligent eyes. He wasn’t like any of the angels I saw so far.

  Other trainees joined me, and we waited for whatever would happen next in the bustling arena. I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he walked around assessing our group. When he spoke in a deep, raspy voice, I couldn’t contain my unexpected burst of laughter.

  “Something funny, Jessa?” the little angel said, with annoyed flashing blue eyes. How did he know my name?

  “No, sir. Sorry,” I said, shutting down my smile. My face grew hot as the rush of embarrassment flushed through me.

  In the background, I spotted an evil-looking demon-like creature creep up behind the little angel guy. Remembering what my dad said about infiltrators, I dove over the little angel and tried to tackle the demon. I looked around, perplexed, while the other protector recruits laughed at me.

  “Where’d he go?” I asked, scanning the immediate area. “He was right here.”

  “Who was?” the little angel asked, clasping his hands.

  “There was a demon thing behind you, and I thought he was going to jump you.”

  “You have strong protection instincts, Jessa. You might perform well here.”

  “Thank you.”

  “But, before you get too confident, you have much to learn about respect,” he said, then slapped me.

  I cowered back to my place among the others, rubbing my cheek. He didn’t hit me hard or hurt me. His strike was just enough to let me sense his disappointment.

  “My name is Kinan. I’m a Power-class angel. As a protector, you’ll guard the full spectrum of humanity ranging from revered kings to those shunned by society. Regardless of any human’s place in life, you must love them, and you can’t do that without respecting them.”

  “I’m sorry, sir,” I said.

  “You’re forgiven. Now, let’s begin.”

  Kinan transported us to our training room. The walls shimmered like huge floating LCD screens. A series of three-dimensional images explained the angel’s purpose among humans on Earth. Kinan walked among us and observed our reactions to the holographic lessons.

  “Angels are everywhere,” Kinan said. “In offices, cars, factories, farms. Where there’s a human, an angel is nearby. It’s your job to protect the humans. Many times, you’ll watch people die. From your experience, you’ve learned that there’s something after death. You landed on this side of the afterlife, and that’s a good thing,” he said, pointing to the ground.

  “Sir, how long will we train here?” I asked.

  “It depends on your aptitude. You’ll soon discover that you won’t hunger or tire, or yearn for Earthly possessions. You don’t need them any longer. With time, you’ll embrace your position.”

  “Do we get any weapons?”

  Kinan raised his eyebrows, paused for a moment, then looked at me.

  “Please remain quiet while I’m speaking. There will be time for questions later.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You won’t receive weapons of any kind. You’ll begin as guardians. Focus on your training. Unless Jessa has any other questions, I’ll continue.”

  I smiled. “No, I guess I’m a little excited.”

  Kinan’s eyes glowed, and a door next to the main entranceway opened. Two columns of archangels filed into the training room, then split up, with each archangel going to a student and standing beside each.

  “I hand-selected the archangel beside you to escort you throughout your training life. You’ll develop close friendships during your field assignments, so ask all the questions you want.”

  I looked at my archangel, who didn’t seem thrilled to be with me. I wondered why he looked so disgruntled. The other archangels seemed to get along fine with their guardians.

  “Hi. I’m Jessa,” I said, to be cordial.

  “I’m Ellis. Are you ready to start your first training session?” he asked.

  I surmised that there’s nothing wrong with getting straight to business, but he sure made the experience as joyous as cleaning toilets.

  “Sure,” I said.

  Ellis escorted me out of the Training Center to a wide structure of beige stone that everyone referred to as the Temple. Even with the name carved above the entrance like every other building, I saw no one praying nor reflecting on their lives here.

  The Temple had a central dome, the same one I saw when I first arrived in Hali. The dome housed a huge revolving three-dimensional holographic Earth. The rotating Earth showed the smallest details; I even saw airplanes flying across it.

  On one side of the vast room, hundreds of angels stood in long lines waiting for their assignment provided by a Power-class angel named Arlen. He was a big muscular dude with a full gray beard. He looked intimidating as hell, but already I could tell that I’d like him. In quick order, angels darted from Arlen’s presence into various parts of the holographic Earth.

  Ellis stepped up to Arlen, who gave me a curious glance. I peeked around Ellis, raised my eyebrows and smiled. Arlen’s eyes glowed as Ellis and I ascended into the rotating holographic Earth.

  In an instant, I found myself in the passenger seat of a car speeding along on an expressway. The driver, an Asian woman about thirty years old, stole quick glances at her smartphone, smirking as she fired off a text message. I looked over my shoulder at Ellis, and he nodded at her.

  “See anything wrong?” Ellis asked, looking through the window of the speeding car. I shot the woman a quick glance. “She can’t see or hear us, Jessa. These training sessions run quick. Do you see the problem yet?”

  “Aside from sending text messages on the freeway, no, I see nothing wrong.”

  “I
n about two minutes every car ahead of us will lock up its brakes because of an accident that just happened four miles down the road. As it stands, she’ll rear-end that semi-truck in front of us and die. For this case, we prefer she live because her life path takes her on a course to save a dozen kids from an apartment fire fourteen years from now. However, she has to survive the next few minutes. As a guardian, you can influence the outcome of this accident and eliminate the damage to her and those unborn kids.”

  “What can I do if she can’t hear or see me?” I asked.

  “You have the means to materialize physical objects that exist on Earth. Like a banana, tax forms, hand grenades, whatever. You can also use internal energies to affect change. What you choose is up to you, Jessa, so make a decision. Tick Tock.”

  I considered my options. If I made an object appear out of thin air, that might scare her to death and cause her to crash the car. Somehow, I had to disable her smartphone. I looked at her phone, then touched it.

  I shot a small amount of energy through my finger, which zapped her phone. She gasped at her phone’s sudden death with a frustrated huff.

  With minimal warning, she slammed her brakes to avoid a rear-end collision with the truck in front of her. She squeezed her eyes and stopped the car in time. She then dropped her head and gasped. Ellis sat with a sly grin. She pulled up her black business skirt, and I saw the stain.

  “She needed something else to worry about so she’d get her inattentive ass off the road,” Ellis said.

  “So, you made her pee herself?”

  Ellis chuckled.

  It seemed mean doing something like that to her. She wore a stunning black business suit with an above-the-knee hemline. Her matching black pumps rolled along the passenger side floor. I never could drive barefoot like that.

  I wasn’t happy leaving her in her current condition so I waved her hair away from her eyes. She looked up to see what caused her hair to move.

  In stone silence, she stared ahead at the stopped traffic. She flipped on her turn signal and tried to move to the outer lane so she could deal with her unexpected potty break.

  “We’re done here,” Ellis said, pulling me from the car and hovering above the traffic. “Questions?”