Torn

by Ashley Stambaugh

  Melina nodded. "You're right. If I could just keep myself in that frame of mind, then I could have my angel powers back in no time."

  "Now don't get ahead of yourself," said Walter. "It'll be beneficial for you to keep that mindset, but it still may take some time to get your other two angel powers to come back. Besides, after that incident I think we should probably call it a day."

  Melina followed Walter's gaze over to Lee. He still looked a bit shaken up. She reached over and gently grabbed his hand. "Yeah," she said. "I think we've all had enough for today."

  They all went back to Melina's place for lunch. About an hour after that, she finally agreed to let Lee go home. She was nervous to leave him alone after that Noxin demon had attacked him, but he assured her that he was okay. He made Melina promise to call him tomorrow after they were done and then gave her a quick kiss good-bye before leaving. Melina and Dean laid low for the rest of the afternoon and since they were both pretty exhausted, they both turned in early for the night.

  ****

  When Melina woke that next morning, she noticed her appearance wasn't as dreary-looking as the day before. The dark circles around her eyes had lightened up and her face actually had a touch of rosy color to it again. She hoped it meant that things were starting to go in the right direction and the good in her was starting to outweigh the bad.

  She quickly got herself ready and made her way to the kitchen. Dean wasn't out there yet, so after making herself a bagel and a cup of coffee, she sat down by herself to eat. About twenty minutes later Dean joined her at the table.

  "Ready for another day?" he asked and took a sip of his coffee.

  "I am, actually," Melina replied. "I feel better, and I'm ready to be in control again and have this all over with."

  "Well, you definitely look better," Dean said. "I would take that as a good sign that things are headed in the right direction."

  "Thanks," she said. "I think so, too." She took a drink of her coffee and then heard a knock at the door. "I bet that's Tessa," she said as she hopped up from her chair. She opened the door to see her best friend's smiling face.

  "Wow," said Tessa as she stepped inside. "You look a lot better today."

  Melina closed the door behind her. "Thanks. I feel better."

  Tessa gave a quick wave to Dean and then turned back to Melina. "Where's Walter?"

  "I'm sure he'll be here soon and then we can get going." Just then, Melina heard another knock on the door. "Speaking of," she said and then went to answer the door again.

  Melina opened the door and in stepped Walter, dressed in his usual attire of a black trench coat and matching fedora. He greeted everyone and then looked back at her.

  "Are you all ready to go?"

  "Yeah, I think we are." Melina glanced at Dean and Tessa, and they both nodded. "But where's Phinneas? Is he not coming back?"

  Walter shook his head. "Not just yet. The other elders were shocked, to say the least, when he told them that Adelia was still here and had become a Fallen. We tried to find Adelia's location last night, but again we couldn't make out enough detail to recognize anything. He stayed back with Cecil and Helene to continue the search and said he'd come here right away if they found anything."

  "All right," she said and then glanced around at everyone. "Do you guys want to try walking around the downtown area today? There will be more people, and I thought it might speed things along."

  "I can drive," Tessa said.

  Melina raised an eyebrow. "Do you think we can all fit into your car?"

  Tessa put her hands on her hips. "My Mini Cooper is bigger than you think."

  "All right," said Melina. "Let's go."

  They were all about to head downstairs when Melina's phone suddenly beeped with a text from Lee.

  “Good luck today and be careful. I've got a busy day at the store, but please remember to call me later this afternoon.”

  She typed back a quick message saying she would call him later, and then followed everyone out to Tessa's car. When Melina stepped outside, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the sunlight didn't really bother her that much, so there was no need for her hood or sunglasses. They all climbed into Tessa's car and then headed downtown.

  Once Tessa found a spot and parked her car, they all climbed out and started off down the sidewalk. Just like the day before, Melina tried and tried to hear people's thoughts. But again, she had no success.

  "Ugh," she groaned. "What am I doing wrong?"

  "Just relax," said Walter.

  "You and Dean are clearly hearing these people's thoughts, right?" she asked as she looked back and forth between them. "I mean, everyone's not just walking around with empty minds, are they?"

  Dean shook his head. "No, they're not."

  "Then how come I can't hear any of them?" She gave them both an exasperated look. "I've even brushed against a couple of people, and I haven't had a single vision yet either." She took a moment to exhale and then looked over at Walter. "You told me yesterday that my emotions played a big part in all of this. That if I blocked out all of my fear, and the only thing that was on my mind was helping someone, then it would help bring my angel powers back. When we started out yesterday I was scared, so I understand why nothing worked at first. But I'm not scared today. I genuinely want to help people, but it's still not working."

  "You haven't come across the right people yet," said Walter. "When you cross paths with someone who's truly in need of the help that you're so ready to give, it'll happen."

  Melina sighed as she lowered her gaze to the ground. A few seconds later, she felt a gentle hand on her back. She looked up and came eye to eye with Tessa.

  "You're doing the best you can, so don't give up on yourself now," Tessa said. "Maybe you haven't heard any thoughts or had any visions, but you have been able to control your angry feelings. You haven't had one outburst yet. I'd say that's progress, given the amount of people we've been around all morning."

  Melina nodded. "You're right. Thanks, Tess."

  "Come on," said Walter. "You need to eat something for lunch. You all do. Let's take a break and find a place to eat."

  They all agreed, and then Melina led them to a small restaurant that was only about a block away. They all ate their soup and sandwiches quickly, and after only fifteen minutes had passed they were all finished and ready to pay.

  "This wasn't much of a break," said Walter.

  Tessa laughed. "I guess we were hungrier than we realized."

  "Here," said Melina as she stood up and handed Tessa her credit card. "Take my card to pay. I need to go to the restroom real quick."

  Tessa and Dean both started to protest, but Melina stopped them. "Think of it as a small thank you for coming with me today." Before they had a chance to respond, she gathered up her coat and purse and walked away.

  The restroom in the restaurant was sort of a fancy one with a small lounging area in the front. There didn't appear to be anyone else in there, so Melina plopped down onto one of the cushioned chairs. Walter was right about their short lunch not being much of a break, and she still needed a bit of time to herself to think and recharge.

  She leaned her head back against the chair and closed her eyes when suddenly she heard a soft sob coming from one of the stalls. Her eyes snapped back open, but she didn't move. Had she imagined the sound, or was there someone crying? She remained silent, waiting to see if she could hear anything else.

  Several seconds passed, and then she heard a loud click. She leaned forward in her chair and saw a short blonde woman dressed in a waitress uniform step out of the stall, wiping the backs of her palms across her tear stained cheeks.

  Melina immediately stood and stepped toward the woman. She looked up at Melina and gasped.

  "Oh, I didn't even realize anyone else was in here," she said, looking a bit embarrassed.

  Melina gave her a gentle smile. "Are you all right?"

  The woman sniffed and nodded. "I'll be okay."

  Mel
ina reached out to pat the woman's shoulder, and when her hand made contact, she was instantly pulled into a vision. She saw the blonde woman standing in what appeared to be the kitchen of a restaurant. She was dressed in the same uniform she was wearing now, and she was arguing with a man about something. The man was dressed in a button down shirt and tie with black dress pants. The woman was crying and was obviously very upset as anger, betrayal, and fear all swirled through Melina at once. She tried to figure out what the connection was between the man and woman, but before she had a chance, the vision disappeared.

  When Melina opened her eyes, she saw that the blonde woman was gazing down at the floor, completely unaware of what had just happened. She slowly pulled her hand back from the woman's shoulder, and just then she heard the woman's voice pipe up in her mind.

  I knew it was a bad idea to get involved with one of the managers. Now he's threatening my job if I tell anyone. But I have to tell someone. His violent and abusive nature has to be stopped. I don't know what to do.

  Melina's eyes grew wide. Walter was right. Once she crossed paths with someone who really needed her help, her angel powers returned. She just didn't think they'd both come back at the same time.

  The woman looked back up at her and smiled and then walked out the door. Melina wanted to follow her to make sure she was going to be okay, but she couldn't get herself to move. She was still in shock.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  A couple minutes later, she saw Tessa walk through the restroom door.

  "Hey," said Tessa in a soft voice. "Here's your card back."

  "Thanks," she said as she grabbed her credit card and slid it back into her purse.

  "Are you okay?" asked Tessa.

  "That woman," Melina said as she gestured toward the door. "She was in here crying. When I touched her shoulder to console her, I had a vision, and then I heard her thoughts. Just one after the other my angel powers came back."

  "Well isn't that a good thing?" Tessa asked. "I thought you'd be ecstatic, but you don't look too happy."

  "No, it's a great thing, and I am happy," said Melina. "I'm just still a bit shocked that they both came back at almost the same time. And I'm also worried about that woman. I should probably go and find her." She walked over to the door, and as she stepped out of the restroom she was greeted by Walter and Dean, who were both standing out in the hallway.

  "There's no need to go after the waitress," Walter said.

  Melina gave him a confused look. "What? How do you—"

  "I just heard you tell Tessa everything," Walter said. "The waitress already has a guiding angel helping her. I saw him a few minutes ago." He paused for a second and then smiled at her. "How does it feel to have your angel powers back?"

  Melina grinned. "Good," she said. "It feels really good."

  Tessa walked out behind her and joined them all in the hall. "Have you felt any angry or evil feelings at all today?"

  "No," Melina said as she pulled her coat on. "I haven't."

  "Maybe it's all over now," said Dean.

  "Maybe," she said. "I don't want to get my hopes up too quickly, though."

  Her thoughts immediately went to Maura. Who knew what the demon had in store for her. The last time Melina saw her, she was not happy.

  And then there was that last Noxin demon power that she didn't even want to think about—the ability to steal a human's soul. Her body gave an involuntary shudder. She didn't know if it had been reversed or not, but hopefully she wouldn't ever have to mess with it.

  She looked over at Walter and Dean. They had heard her thoughts, but they didn't say anything. "I should probably call Lee," she said after clearing her throat. "He'll want to know that I've got my angel powers back."

  Melina took a few steps away from the others and called Lee. As the phone rang, she found herself becoming more and more excited to tell him the good news. He had told her that he was scared for her, especially when the demon powers had started to take over, so she hoped her news would alleviate those worries. She didn't want him to have to be scared for her all the time.

  The phone rang one final time and then went to voicemail. She ended the call and put her phone back in her purse. Hmm, she thought to herself. He always has his phone with him, so I wonder why he didn't answer.

  Just then her phone beeped with a text from him, answering her question.

  She pulled it back out and read, "In a meeting. I'll call you when I get home from work tonight."

  Melina thought about texting him about her angel powers but then decided against it. She wanted to tell him in person. She quickly typed back, "Looking forward to it," and then went to rejoin the others.

  "What did Lee say?" asked Tessa.

  "He's in a meeting at work, so he didn't answer. His text said he'd call me later."

  "Well," said Walter, "Let's get you all safely back to Melina's apartment, and then I need to go and talk to the other elders. They'll want to know that you have your angel powers back."

  "Okay," said Melina. "And if they have any ideas yet on what the Noxin demons want to do with our powers, or what to do about Adelia, will you please come and tell us? Both of those scenarios make me nervous."

  Walter nodded. "I'll return as soon as I know anything."

  As they exited the restaurant and made their way back to Tessa's car, Melina couldn't help but smile at all the thoughts buzzing around in her head. She really was happy to have her angel powers back. When they arrived back at her apartment, Walter teleported away, and Tessa left to go downstairs to the bookstore to update Gwen. Melina and Dean decided to relax in her apartment by watching a movie. It would also help to pass the time until Lee got off of work.

  As the evening hour approached, Melina started to become anxious, wondering why she hadn't heard from Lee yet. Every few minutes she would check her phone to see if she had missed a call or text, but there was nothing. She stood up from the couch and went into her bedroom to call him.

  The phone rang and rang and then finally went to voicemail. "Lee, it's Melina. I haven't heard from you yet, and I'm a little worried. Please call me back as soon as you get this." She ended the call and then sat down on her bed. Hopefully he was okay.

  About a minute later, she received a text from him. "I had to work late, but now I'm home. Why don't you come over?"

  Melina smiled and texted back, "I'll be there soon."

  She walked out of her bedroom and back into the living room where Dean was still sitting on the couch. "Lee's finally home from work, so I'm going to go over there to tell him everything that happened today."

  "Okay," he said. "Be careful."

  "I'm going to teleport," she said. "I figured it would be safer, plus I can't wait to tell Lee the good news."

  "That's a good idea," said Dean. "I'm not going anywhere, so I'll be here when you get back."

  Melina smiled at him. "I'll see you then." She then closed her eyes and thought, I want to teleport to Lee's apartment. An image of the foyer area outside of his door appeared in her mind, and within seconds she was there.

  When she opened her eyes, she saw that the door to his apartment was ajar. Her brow furrowed as she stared at the open door. "That's weird." She slowly walked over to the door and peeked her head inside. "Lee?"

  She waited a few seconds for a response, but she didn't hear anything coming from inside the apartment. Not even Lee's thoughts. The entire place was silent. She pushed the door open a little farther, and as she stepped inside she saw that there wasn't a single light on anywhere. Dark and quiet usually weren't good signs. She swallowed hard and then started to tiptoe down the hallway.

  As she approached the kitchen doorway on her right, she crouched down low to the floor and then peered around the corner. The moonlight shining in through the windows wasn't too bright, but it was enough for her to see that no one was in there. She stood up slightly and then made her way over to the next doorway on her left. Crouching down again, she peeked her head into the living ro
om.

  At first she didn't see anything, but as she continued to look around, she noticed a dark mass in the middle of the floor. She leaned forward a bit, and as her eyes became more adjusted to the dark, she was able to see that the dark mass was a person.

  Her breath caught in her throat, and her entire body froze. Was that Lee? She squinted her eyes to try to see more details, but it didn't help much since the person's back was to her. She was going to have to go and investigate.

  After taking in a deep breath, she slowly started to crawl across the floor. When she finally reached the person, she looked down at the face and saw that it was Lee.

  "Oh no," she said in a frantic whisper. "What happened?" She rolled him over onto his back and leaned her head down to his chest. A sigh of relief escaped her as his heartbeat thumped softly in her ear. She sat up and grabbed his shoulders and gently tried to shake him awake. "Lee, wake up. Wake up. Please, wake up."

  The more time passed, the more worried Melina became. What had happened to him? And why wasn't he waking up?

  "Lee," she said, her voice now filled with desperation. "Please wake up. Please." She sat back on her heels as her eyes began to brim with tears. Why wasn't he waking up?

  Then suddenly a familiar voice rang out through the darkness. "It's a little difficult for someone to wake up when he doesn't have a soul."

  Melina's eyes widened and her entire body went rigid. She slowly turned herself around and came face to face with Maura.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Melina slowly stood up from the floor as she continued to stare at the demon. "What are you doing here?"

  Maura flipped on the living room lights and then gave her an evil grin. "I came to pay your boyfriend a little visit."