by Tiffany King
"I get to see Krista," He said happily munching his toast.
"I know sweets, are you excited?" I asked, placing juice and snacks in a bag.
"Hi sunshine," I said to Harmony placing a kiss on the soft locks covering her head. She lifted her chin and placed her tiny sticky hands on my cheeks to pull me in for a smacking kiss. She loved exuberantly loud kisses. I smacked my lips loudly against hers making her giggle with delight.
Within a half an hour we were in the car on our way to Melissa and Daniel's. I felt flustered from our mad dashing around. Normally we had a few days and an airplane ride to prepare for an assignment. I was really surprised Haniel was throwing us in so quickly. I guess our success rate had moved us up.
I glanced at Victor hoping to get a gage on how he was feeling, and was surprised at the giddy joy that seemed to be flowing through him. It had been ages since I had felt so much happiness in him.
I should have been happy at the change in him, but everything seemed off kilter. He had yet to mention the void of our dreams from the night before, and I was afraid to mention it myself. After this assignment, we were going to have to sit down and discuss things. It was important that we worked on strengthening our bond. Perhaps Haniel could work with us and show us tricks to work it out. Relieved that I had a plan, I settled back in my seat and watched the scenery pass by the window while Mark and Harmony chattered away in the backseat.
Everyone was at Melissa's house when we got there. I was relieved that Sabrina, Lacey's friend was helping her babysit. All the kids were good, but watching eight kids could still be tough.
Before we left, I knelt in front of Harmony to give her a light kiss. "I love you honeysuckle, you be good," I said sternly, making everyone laugh. Harmony was the happiest, most good natured little girl ever. She had a smile for everyone and I could count on one hand the number of times she had cried in the two years since she was born. Everyone loved her and loved being around her. She was like the sun coming out on a dreary day.
Mark was too busy playing to be bothered with goodbyes, so I blew him a kiss from across the room.
I felt the normal pinch in my heart as we headed out. Although the kids were pro's at handling our absences, I always worried leaving them behind.
We piled into the passenger van Chris and Kate had rented on their way over. I climbed toward the third row, sitting next to Kate and Melissa. Rachel, Nick, and Daniel slid into the second row and Victor claimed the passenger seat up front. The ride was loud and boisterous as the guys bragged about being sent into an assignment so quickly.
"I'm telling you, Haniel knows we have crazy mad skills," Daniel said, high-fiving it with Nick.
"Yep, we're the "unbeatable eight," Nick said, full of confidence.
"You ok?" Kate asked me quietly as the guys got louder and more outrageous in front of us.
"Yeah, I'm just trying to work through some issues. Maybe tomorrow we can grab a cup of coffee at the park and talk."
"Sure, sounds good to me. The kids love the park and Krista will be thrilled to spend the day with Mark again." I laughed at her words. The kids all shared bonds, but Krista and Mark's bond was already quite developed.
Our conversation was interrupted when Chris pulled into an empty parking lot riddled with potholes behind a huge industrial warehouse. He pulled the van into a spot near the back of the lot in the shadows of the trees that was encroaching the space. Victor hopped out and opened the door for all of us. I grasped Nick's hand and stepped onto the uneven pavement.
I used my emotional gage to get a read on the building, but was surprised when I couldn’t pick up on a single emotion. With teenagers involved I had been expecting to encounter several different emotions, ranging from animosity to despair.
Puzzled, I turned to my friends to see if they were getting the same kind of reading, but saw all of them were engaged in their pre-assignment rituals. All of us had our own rituals before we entered an assignment. Kate and Chris always shared a passionate kiss as if it was their last. Nick and Rachel would quietly discuss a strategy, while Daniel and Melissa would hold hands and connect their minds. Victor and I used to have our own ritual, but several assignments ago he had expressed that he thought they were silly and we should be focusing on the task at hand.
My feelings were hurt, but I downplayed them so no one else would know.
Finally when everyone was ready, we quietly headed toward the vacant warehouse in front of us. The Protectors walked in front of the Guides shielding us from any threat, but the closer we got to the warehouse, it became obvious that the building in front of us was empty. Maybe Haniel had mixed up the days or maybe Victor had written down the wrong address.
I exchanged looks with my fellow Guides who shrugged their shoulders with as much confusion as I had.
Victor pulled the heavy warped industrial door open. The metal groaned in protest and we all paused cautiously. After several moments, we proceeded into the building cautiously. The interior of the building was dark and smelt like death, the only light source was the narrow dirty windows at the top of the structure; it took several moments for my eyes to adjust. Finally, my eyes adjusted, but the smell was another issue all together. I placed my hand over my nose and mouth trying to block it out.
"It's from the bums that camp out in here," Nick said, seeing my look of disgust.
"It smells like it," I said, my voice coming out muffled behind my cupped hand.
The warehouse broke off in three different directions at the end of the cavernous room.
"I say we split up," Victor said, pointing down the three different hallways. "Jenna and I will stay here as lookouts."
"That sounds good man," Nick said, grabbing onto Rachel's hand and leading her down the hall on the right.
Kate and Chris took the hallway in front of where Victor and I were standing, while Melissa and Daniel headed down the far left. I watched their retreating backs, uneasy about the whole situation. Something just seemed off.
I glanced at Victor to see if he was getting the same vibe. I was surprised to see him studying me intently.
"What's wrong?" I asked confused that he was watching me and not being the lookout as he had suggested.
"I have dreamed about this day for years," he said, sounding gleeful. "Well, the dreaming I do that you don’t monopolize that is," he added sarcastically.
Chapter 4
"What?" I said again as ice cold dread began to fill me. What was he talking about?
"All of this. The end of our bonds and unfair links," he shouted, suddenly sweeping out an arm, pointing to the dark hallways that had engulfed the others. "Can't you feel it? Our bond is broken."
Everything spun out of control as his words began to register. I reached out with my emotions trying to find the loving soul in him that belonged to me, but came up empty.
It was gone.
My emotions snapped back to me and I gasped out loud in pain. This was impossible. We were created to be together. How could our bond be broken?
"Didn't you wonder why our dreams were blissfully empty last night? I'm surprised you abstained from mentioning it this morning. I was all prepared to ward off your questions, and yet not a peep."
"I was waiting until this assignment was over," I said, sinking to my knees as reality crashed in on me. "Is this even an assignment?" I asked brokenly, already knowing the answer.
"It was an assignment for me. It was time I took back what I was never given which was my own freewill. Of course, I had to make a bargain with The Dark One in order to gain my freewill, but it was for the better anyway."
"What bargain did you have to make?" I asked as bile rose up in my throat.
"Our friends of course, though I'm sure given the opportunity, the other Protectors would have gladly joined me. Being tied to an individual is unacceptable. Why should we die because you're too weak to protect yourselves?" He said, all but spitting the words at me.
"What have you done?" I asked choking
back a sob.
"Just put it this way, there are no more bonds in this building," he said, flashing an unfamiliar smile my way that turned my blood to ice.
Backing up away from him, I turned and raced down the hallway that had swallowed Kate and Chris, using my god given speed to outrun the monster behind me. Tears blinded my eyes as I finally skidded to a stop at the doorway in front of me. Placing my hand on the knob, I opened the door softly and stepped inside and peered at the horror in front of me.
Swallowing a sob, I knelt at the sides of my friends. By the angle of Kate's head, it was obvious her neck was broken. I collapsed on the ground beside her.
As Victor approached, I could feel a tangible evil that was stronger than I had ever sensed. How had he been able to hide this from me?
"How could you do this?" I asked in a whisper. "Why them?"
"Because, they stood in the way of making my vision a reality. I have plans for future generations and their interference would have hindered it."
"What do you mean future generations?" I asked, rising to my feet on wobbly legs.
"Our children of course. I have high hopes for how they will turn out after my little experiment."
The thought of him harming our children turned my anguish to rage. I used my fist to pummel against his rock hard chest, but my attempts were feeble next to his strength. After all, strength was not my virtue, emotions were. Before I could back away, he placed his hands on my shoulders making my skin crawl as my eyes welled up sending warm tears down my cheeks. I wept for our children. Who would protect them from this monster? What kind of life would they have without us? His hands moved to my throat in a seemingly light caress. I stared into the darkest blood-red eyes of the man who I had loved my entire life, hoping for any sign of grace that wasn't there.
"I love you," I said as his grip tightened around my neck. And then, everything went black…
Epilogue
I broke a commandment by loving the soul that I carried to heaven that day. Her soul belonged to another, and yet I coveted its beauty, breaking my vow. I would later rationalize that I loved her soul because it truly did not belong to The Dark Angel, but in truth I can't help wondering if I was somehow responsible for missing the signs that one of my Protectors had crossed.
I see her soul often in heaven and I watch her from afar, staggered by her beauty that shone brightly on earth and was even more spellbinding in the heavenly realm. I dream about one day being free from my duties so that I might claim her soul as my own. For now though, I must protect the young ones left behind without care that were forever altered that fateful day.
An excerpt from ‘Collide’ by Shelly Crane
I glanced up into my bathroom mirror to see a pitiful sight really. The only feature I would’ve labeled as nice was my long brown curly hair but the rest of me left something to be desired. Boring brown eyes, five foot zero inches. Yeah, that’s right, I was a toddler. I was healthy and petite, curvy yet slim.
As I looked in the mirror at my naked, wet, pale bathed body through the steam from my shower I was somewhat overwhelmed. If I saw me on the street I would think ‘fragile’ or ‘too much coffee as a teen stunted her growth’. That was not really what I was going for. I was nineteen but to me I didn’t look a day over sixteen.
I dragged my clothes on, slicking on a smidge of makeup. I wasn’t sure what I’d classify my style as. I’m wasn’t really trendy, not preppy, not grunge. Cute I guess. That’s what you get for having to shop in the juniors department most of the time.
Most of my clothes were jeans or skirts with comfy plain v neck t-shirts and layered tanks. My staples were silver hoop earrings, the necklace I wore every single day and coral toe nail polish. Probably pretty boring to others but, to me it was my comfort zone.
I swept my curls into a loose and low hanging shoulder ponytail and mentally prepared myself for yet another day in the life of me.
“Got anything to eat, sis?” Danny was already in the kitchen behind me when he asked me, startling me with his ninja quietness.
“Yeah, lunchmeat and sandwich bread. That’s about it until I get back to the store.”
He had been staying with me since our parents went off the deep end.
A whole clan of individuals had begun a club of sorts where they got together every day to meet at the ridge with signs pointed to the sky that said ‘Welcome To Our Planet’ and ‘Make Yourself At Home’ or ‘Take Me With You’, convinced that the beings were aliens trying to make contact with us but were too scared of us beastly humans with our guns and Mohawks and pop stars and Republicans.
It was happening everywhere, every big city in the world had stories of invaders pouring out daily and every big city had a clan of idiots ready to welcome them with uneducated naïve open arms. Acting like ambassadors for the welcome wagon.
“Could you make me one too? I have got to go into the office in a few minutes. Are you gonna be ok here?” I asked, frantically looking for my keys.
“Yes and yes. I’m eighteen years old now, you know.”
“I know that but I’m still scared. Things are getting worse, more people are claiming to have seen them and I know it’s probably a farce but I can’t help it. This has been going on for months that we know about, who knows how long before that. Something is happening and despite was the Lefters say, it’s not global warming. Something is happening. I don’t think the world will ever be the same again. It’s just going to keep getting worse, not better.”
“You don’t know that. We have no idea what’s going on. I’ve never even seen one. Have you? No. Only hearsay. No one even has any pictures of them. I think it’s just some kinda phenomenon blown way outta proportion.”
“The moon missing is a phenomenon?” I countered, turning to face him akimbo.
“Yes. If the moon was really gone wouldn’t it affect us? The tides? Why hasn’t the earth skipped off into orbit because we were pulled off our rotational spin? Why hasn’t anything they predicted happened yet? It’s freaky, I’ll grant you that but aliens? Come on college graduate, you can do better than that.”
“I never said that’s what I thought it was. I don’t know. I’m trying hard not to have an opinion.”
“Whatever. I’m hitching a ride with Jamie to work today. She’s gonna wear that button up shirt, not quite buttoned up all the way. I can feel it.”
Danny’s eyes glazed over like some idiot ogling cheerleaders at halftime as he spoke. I’d seen Jamie and, yes, that was exactly what she’d be wearing.
“Swine! I’m outta here. Be careful and please come straight home after work unless you call me and leave a message at home, ok?”
“Yep. You too. Wait, here’s your sandwich! You owe me a load of laundry for it.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed it, hugged him swiftly, thankful for his good sense lately. Not in girls of course but the street smarts anyway. We always called if we were late, we always looked out for each other and always hugged before leaving. We’d already been abandoned by our parents, literally. They called one year ago and told me they were sending Danny to live with me and we’d hear from them soon. Just like that.
Pain in the butt, yes. Brother I love and would kill for, yes.
The office was buzzing, the fifth floor was a hopping place these past few months, loaded down with your plethora of different opinions of the happenings. We had them all and so far, aliens were winning out in the office pool. I refused to participate and was labeled along with the other Debbie Downers as uncooperative and would be the first to die if an alien invasion were to come.
“Comforting,” I would spout. “Who wants to live in a world that no longer belongs to you anyway?” Which in turn received rolled eyes and walk-a-ways. Mission accomplished.
The story for that day was a Goth teenage boy who had been mistakenly identified as a visitor and wanted to sue the city for discrimination, as he was embarrassingly hauled into a cop car outside of a pool hall and carted in for questioni
ng. His argument, quote, ‘I should be able to walk around the city with my black clothes, spiked hair and guy liner and not have to worry about getting arrested.’
That was a valid point but still a ridiculous lawsuit. He was one of those looters that raid department stores after a natural catastrophe. He wasn’t actually stealing anything but, still trying to cash in on fame and wealth at a time of world crisis was the same thing in my book. He wasn’t special. In times of crisis not one should be counted special. Everyone was human therefore equal to the same misery and misfortune and good luck as everyone else. What happened to the whole ‘we gotta stick together’ motto? When hard times came-a-knocking, people baled on good sense and decency. If nothing else, I had learned that this past year.
With the story done, I headed back to my crumby hole in the wall apartment. I hadn’t heard from Danny at the office so I was assuming he was home already. I hadn’t heard from anyone lately. Matt hadn’t even called me in a while- meaning two days, a record for him.
When the news first started reporting on the visitors he had called or came by everyday, sometimes more than once, whining and crying about how he couldn’t die knowing how he’d hurt me, he needed me, wanted me, I needed him.
As soon as the door was shut in his face though, the fist banging and cursing followed.
Danny had manned up once and went out there to defend my honor against some of the obscenities coming out of the foul mouth attached to the violent man who claimed he loved me. The only deterrent for Matt was the baseball bat in Danny’s hands and the fact that he practically fell backwards down the stairs in his drunken stupor, leaving him embarrassed and disoriented. Any other time, Matt wouldn’t have backed down and I was afraid of what would have happened to Danny.
Matt wasn’t exactly little. He wasn’t overweight but he worked out incessantly. His eyes were deep brown and his hair black, short and a little wavy. He was tan and pretty gorgeous by anyone’s standards which, as shallow as it sounded, was one reason I agreed to go out with a guy I didn’t know anything about in the first place.