Trouble's Always Watching Volume 1: Volume 1 (The Trouble Series)

by Courtney Smith

  “I have seen how some of the other angels have treated you. I am not going to lie to you and say I am inclined to hold hands and skip into the sunset with you happily ever after, but I will show you a little more courtesy and respect than the other angels who have given you powers.

  I am still not inclined to like humans as a whole, but your victory and humility has made me think about my regard for humanity a little more consideration. I still do not like you, but I respect you. You have shown me there is some hope for the character and development of humanity despite how contemptible it appears.

  Anyway, the power you will be receiving from me is the ability to freeze objects upon contact with them by using your sword. You have clearly demonstrated a very competent use of my power; therefore, it is only fitting you should have the privilege and responsibility of being able to practice and perfect its use. I have no doubt if you have not already achieved mastery of its execution; it will only be a very short matter of time before you do. Anyway…goodbye. May the Almighty watch over you.”

  Trouble nodded with a slight smile before watching the frozen figure vanish into darkness, and a rushing wind immediately replaced him in the form of a figure appearing in the center. I do not hear or see anythin', but I know someone is here. Vinda walked up to the recipient, snatched the sword out of his hand, touched the blade, dropped it on the ground, and disappeared. Trouble shrugged his shoulder and maintained his composure.

  Finally, he heard the sound of waves crashing. Trouble clenched one fist and stood completely still before Hydros walked toward him with a smile and open arms.

  “Greetings, Trouble. I am here to give you power, but I would personally like to thank you for coming to my aid during the training session. I will admit Fornax had kindled my anger, but I was upset because he was right about the way my inconsiderate ambition affected my angelic brethren, and having Medius confirm it in his rebuke toward me deepened my rage, initially. I began to address the matter after my initial reprimand.

  If it were not for your involvement, Fornax may have surely destroyed or at the very least disabled me, severely. I only hope Fornax can forgive my ruthless ambition. I just regret he had to use an extreme degree of action for me to realize the fault in my tactics. It was also your willingness to help me defend myself against Fornax that has taught me the value of working in cooperation with others. You also made a good call in judgment to resume your fight against me after your assistance in defeating Fornax because I was about to attack you as well. I have never found myself opening up to anyone, especially a human for that matter, no offense intended. I never thought I would be saying this, but I am glad to have met and known you. I do not know how Fornax feels about this, but I would also like to extend my friendship to you as well.”

  Hydros immediately rushed toward the teenager, causing Trouble to tremble before stopping two feet in front of him. Most of the tides surrounding his body became whirlpools and left his body. A silver figure with white glowing eyes stood in front of Trouble. He knelt and extended his hand to shake it. Trouble jumped to his feet, grasping the angel’s hand with a wide smile. The most recently humbled angel in the group nodded in humility toward the trainee and disappeared. He reappeared and blurted out something:

  “I almost forgot to give you my last power, which is the power to manipulate water in your favor. If you are near a body of water when you are being attacked, you can easily use its presence to move, form, or shape it at your will.” The silvery blue light faded with the room being pitch black after the angel disappeared.

  The adolescent felt a sense of gratitude knowing the first and last angels were not rude to him like the ones he met throughout most of his training. He lowered himself to sit and relax before a very bright glow filled the coliseum. Trouble prepared to speak with Medius until a figure with the face of a lion, angel, human, eagle, and six wings walked toward him.

  Trouble dashed and rolled toward his blade and stood in an erect position on one swift motion. He unsheathed the sword and pointed it toward the figure with slightly bent knees. Another bright light appeared with Medius in the center of the dark coliseum illuminating it with the other angel.

  “Trouble, your combat training has ended, and there is no need for you to withdraw your sword and prepare for a fight.” The fighter raised one eyebrow before nodding and slowly returned the sword to its scabbard. He placed the scabbard upon the ground waited as he stared at Medius for an explanation.

  “I and the other angels have given you various provisions; however, your experience in Hell has given you an intense hatred of animals. This could prove disadvantageous to you, especially if there is a chance you would have to rely on an animal for assistance. The fact you almost attacked an angel with the appearance of a few animals without provocation proves there are some underlying factors within you necessitating acknowledgment.”

  The being with the appearance of four creatures approached Medius. Medius nodded his head in his direction and acknowledged him. “This angel is going to bestow a special provision upon you as well.” The large figure approached the silent teenager and paused. Trouble noticed the angel ceased his movement toward him. I hope I ain't disrespec' him. I meant no h... The regretful recipient almost opened his mouth to apologize before he was interrupted.

  “No need to apologize. I understand that humans are not accustomed to seeing our appearances in this form. I am not offended by your first response to my presence; I understand. I am not a threat; my appearance is just unusual in the eyes of humanity. Some humans might say I am ugly, but they can take it up with my Creator if they have a problem with it. I would like to address another issue within you Medius has brought to your attention.

  You have an intense hatred of earthly creatures that are not human with the exception of smaller animals you hunt as food. I cannot eliminate your hatred of them: this is something you must do yourself, but I can endow you with the ability to communicate with them.

  Hopefully, this will establish the ability for you to understand things from their perspectives if you are willing to consider it. You are also going to help people throughout the planet; therefore, it is imperative you have the ability to speak their languages. This ability will also endow you with the ability to speak every language in the world extremely fluently, including your own.”

  Trouble stretched his hand out, and the angel responded by touching it with one of his fingers. The angel immediately returned to Medius’ side. Medius then addressed the young beneficiary of the angelic provisions:

  “I have already presented you with power, but I am actually about to give you something that provides a certain degree of protection against evil, spiritual enemies. You never have to worry about running out of it because it replenishes itself.” Medius had a clear, vial with crimson fluid within it. He handed it to the juvenile with a glowing hand. Trouble suddenly felt vibrations and saw glowing-white, wavy lines rising off of Medius before they resembled white flames extending thirteen feet above the angel. Uh oh! What's goin' on?!!

  The angel with the appearance of four animals immediately walked toward Trouble and escorted him away from Medius before explaining the event. “Medius is experiencing a form of elation, which occurs when it comes to thanking God for helping them accomplish a task or simply giving homage and glory to the Almighty. In this case, he is giving God praise for providing you with abilities to aid in defeating supernatural entities you will encounter.”

  The other angel realized it was necessary to assume Medius’ duties and instruct the trainee. He walked toward the human warrior and finished what Medius had started.

  “The name you shall use to address me is Linguinal. I am a seraph with the ability to communicate with many types of creatures and humans through many languages. It is not generally a good idea for anyone to display weapons in plain sight of others, not to mention fourteen-year-olds; therefore, another ability most angels have will be given to you as well. You will be able to access your wea
pons by mere thought, and you will be able to disclose it, accordingly.

  It will be displaced in a dimensional plane when you are not utilizing it. You will be able to conceive the thought, and it will be in your hand upon provocation. You can disclose and return the vial Medius has given you in the same fashion. The vial is useful as a weapon under certain circumstances. You also possess the ability to leave your body and enter different spiritual realms, or you can actually convert your physical body into a spiritual form and the opposite at will.

  This is useful for traveling long distances in very short periods of time or going to locations without having to rely upon maps or physical transportation. You have completed the training you have been summoned to undergo. Farewell, Trouble.”

  Trouble woke up to see he occupied the same box before he slept. He glanced around the car and noticed his physical body was in the same place, but he knew the experience was very real. He grabbed his empty blanket upon the floor and shook it, and he panicked before he remembered what the last angel he had spoken with told him. He closed his eyes and thought about his sword. The hilt appeared in his hand, immediately. He heard footsteps and immediately thought of hiding the weapon.

  The adolescent smiled upon seeing his right hand was empty after conceiving the thought. The footsteps became silent, but the noise of the brittle floorboard became much louder. Trouble turned his head to see the gaping jaws of a lion closing him. I actually slept next to a lion's cage where he can reach through the bars and kill me. I am about to die!!

  An Unlikely Ally

  This is it! The smell assaulted his nostrils before a sudden vibratory sound was heard. I could punch through this box, but I could be lunch for whatever might be on the other side. He saw something he did not notice before: he observed thick, black, iron bars separating the cat from himself. He learned this was a caged animal, but he still needed to be careful about moving between the box and the bars, which the lion could easily put his claws through. The smell of feces and urine permeated the train.

  How come I did not smell that before? Oh, I must have been too tired. The stowaway glanced through an opening in a pair of the crate's boards to see it was clear. He smashed through the crate and scurried out just as it was crushed and reduced to splinters by the lion’s paw. Was I too tired to notice a flesh-eating lion? That is too tired!! The stealthy adolescent crept through the train with footsteps as lightly as a cat.

  Trouble passed other growling, caged lions and tigers. A crack through the sliding door revealed daylight piercing the dim, dusty, interior of the car. How come they were so quiet, last night? They are acting like they have been released, now! The stowaway peeked through the opening. He slowly and quietly eased the sliding door open wide enough for him to slip through. The boy landed on his feet, disturbing only a few grains of soil.

  Trouble's feet felt short, dry strands of grass brushing against his moving sandals. Loud trumpeting jarred the awareness of the stowaway. He glanced at the other cars. Elephants raised and swung their trunks above their car.

  Why are animals from other countries in the United States on railroad cars? He saw several men surrounding cages with wheels, attaching chains with chains, and carefully rolling them down upon planks. Thick, tan billows of dust rose from the ground, nearly entered Trouble's eyes, and formed clouds concealing the activity. Great bands of orange, white, yellow, and red rose to the sky with numerous men pulling ropes and inserting tall poles into the ground. This must be a circus!! The cautious observer kept his distance, but some of the lions and tigers paced rapidly and repeatedly shoved their paws through the bars.

  Numerous workers guided trumpeting elephants off of the railroad cars with ropes. One suddenly turned around with several men swinging from the ropes used to guide it, moments ago. Others threw ropes around it to find themselves dangling from the mammal as the previous ones. The ropes snapped at once with gray fury charging into the crowd. Numerous trainers fled with others screaming behind them with an enraged animal breathing down their necks. One of them fell on the ground only to look up and see a large, gray foot over his head.

  The massive, gray appendage lowered itself upon him until a flash of blinding speed thrust into the man with great force, pushing him out of the way of the rampaging animal. The man opened his eyes in a fetal position with quivering lips to see he was safe. Some trainers surrounded the beast, gently stroking its sides and whistling while pulling ropes, but they were casted in many directions and nearly crushed under the behemoth. Several others surrounded the animal with aimed rifles before the same brute force, saving someone's life, knocked over the beast with dust flying throughout the area.

  The cloud cleared, revealing an elephant kicking and twisting its head with a skinny adolescent wrapping his arms around its neck. The trainers slowly lowered their rifles with open mouths. A trained elephant is going to go on a rampage for a lack of any apparent reason: something or someone made this animal very upset...but what? Trouble stole a few quick glances around the area until he saw some men in tan uniforms surrounding a smaller, elephant cub and striking it with their boots and fists to direct it. It trumpeted with tears streaming down its face and blood trickling down its bruised back. There it is!

  “Where is this elephant’s trainer?”

  A man with light-gray hair, brown leather clothes, large muscles, and a wizen face approached the adolescent and the elephant and spoke, “I am the man you inquire about.”

  “I am not a veterinarian, but I believe this elephant is reacting to the way those men over there are treating a cub,” observed the teenager as he pointed to the group of men surrounding the cub briefly before placing his hand back on the elephant’s neck. The trainer looked up, saw the men, and immediately approached them. Trouble heard screams exploding from the man.

  “You sorry excuses for trainers! You could have gotten us all killed! You expect a creature to standby as you mistreat its cub! I don't know what I pay you for, but apparently it isn't thinking!!! Do you know this agitates the animals?! Do you know it is willing to kill to protect its young?! Do you know A is the first letter of the English alphabet, or did you just throw any letters together and call it spelling?!”

  The trainer gently stroked the cub's back as he escorted it to its struggling mother...

  The young man gently rubbed the massive mother's neck and released the animal, slowly and gently. The gray beast rose to its feet and nestled its cub. The trainer silently approached the teenager’s side.

  “I believe any mother would be concerned about their child being mistreated.”

  “So, she was reacting to someone harming her baby.”

  “Yes, I do not know who you are, but we are indebted to you. Where do you come from?”

  “I probably should not be telling you this, but I am not part of the group nor am I a spectator. I am a stowaway who just jumped off a train. If you want me to leave, I will do just that.”

  “Tell you what, son. You have probably saved several lives here today, and you identified the source of the problem. So, if anyone asks and you would like to stay, just tell them you are with Mr. Scottsdale,” offered the gracious English man.

  “It is nice to meet you, and I will accept your offer. I am not certain where I will be going at this point, but I will do whatever you would like for me to do,” accepted Trouble.

  “Well, I believe your work is done for the day, but tomorrow will bring about some tasks I will have you assist me with,” informed Mr. Scottsdale.

  “What are you doing for dinner?”

  “I am going to go into the woods and hunt for some animals to kill, clean, and cook over an open flame,” answered the vagrant.

  “No, you are not. You are having dinner with me and the crew,” insisted the English man.

  Brilliant red and yellow stripes on the tents formed beams of orange as they vied for visual supremacy upon the brightly lit, cascading tents. The serene atmosphere of the night was deceitfully misleading of wh
at occurred inside of one particular tent. Everyone sat on old, wooden benches with splinters and chips of white paint falling from it. Trouble folded his arms upon large, brown tables with equally lengthy pieces of lumber. The shadows danced to the rhythm of the swinging light bulbs above their heads with a few insects circling them.

  The observant guest sat with a large group at an assembled table under one of the tents. Casual conversations regarding their activities and other discussions filled the enclosure with shouts, screams, and laughter. Silence quickly permeated the thin, plastic shelters with the settling aroma wafting unto the group. A blonde woman with a bulging stomach brought a smoked turkey to the table and gently set it down.

  Hands energetically shifted the roasted fowl with smaller plates of vegetables following the entree. Voices gradually drove out the dying silence previously dominating the atmosphere. Trouble glanced upward, seeing green eyes belonging to a clean-shaven, red-haired man piercing his comfort like pins near balloons.

  “Who are you and where do you come from?” demanded the red-haired stranger as he leaned in Trouble’s direction. The silence increased in enveloped the room like a blanket. Everyone immediately paused with their eyes toggling between teenager and the questioning man.

  Trouble opened his mouth before Mr. Scottsdale interrupted him.

  “He is my assistant. Some of you may have seen how he has helped me with the elephant, today.” A bench crashed to the floor as men stood and applauded Trouble for his role in the event.

  “I remember seeing how he was able to hold the elephant’s head and neck without being carried off or trampled by it!" shouted one man with flailing arms.

  “It was amazing to see him pacify the beast without receiving any injuries to himself or the people surrounding him!”

  A teary-eyed man with jet-black hair, bright-pearl skin, and rough clothes stood up to address the guest.