J.C. leaned over to Angel and whispered, “You should apply.”
Angel shook her head from side to side implying “no.”
The meeting lasted two hours and Angel, as with the rest of the employees, was growing restless. She looked over in Theo’s direction again and noticed he was texting under the table. What is this little fucker up to? she thought. Okay, it’s time to get a reading. I need to know what’s going on. She continued to look at Theo from across the table. Minutes into texting, Theo felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked up only to see Angel peering at him through her black-framed glasses. Oh, what is this lady staring at now? he thought while forcing a smile at her. I really hope she isn’t into me. I mean, she isn’t bad looking, not normally my type with that boyish short hair-cut and all, but I’m not picky, Theo thought.
Angel just stared, feeling out what she could get from across the table. She sensed his uneasiness and could feel his anxiety rising. The smell of his scent released in the air and his skin glistened with sweat. Angel’s temperature began to rise and so did Theo’s.
“Now this is the time we have been waiting patiently for. I will announce the winner of this year’s competition,” stated Mr. Lee. “This year’s winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip for four on a fifteen-day cruise to Greece.”
All the employees grew anxious and some exclaimed, “Ooohhhh, ahhhhhhh” as a joke. Mr. Lee laughed. “And the winner of the trip is...Theodore Rosin.”
People began to clap, some were shocked, as were J.C. and Angel. Theo stood to receive his award; but before he rose, he looked at J.C. and commented, “Maybe next time, old man.”
J.C. smiled and nodded his head, trying not to show his frustration towards Theo. Angel continued to stare at Theo; she was slowly entering his mind and he had no idea.
Everyone wanted to hear Theo’s acceptance speech and advice to his fellow co-workers. It was a G & S tradition to say a few words after winning a competition and to also give advice on upcoming financial decisions. After all, they were all financial advisers; it was only right to guide your fellow co-workers. As Angel listened, she didn’t take her focus off Theo. Her temperature was boiling. She could feel her skin becoming hot as if it was scorching from the sun’s blazing rays. However, no sweat was pouring out, nor did she feel hot inside. The room flashed―she was no longer at her company’s conference room but stepping out of a fire. On the other side of the fire, the sun was shining brightly. Angel could smell sand, seawater, and clean air. As her vision became clear, she could see the rich blue sky and feel the sun warm on her skin. She felt sand between her toes and could hear waves hitting a shore. She heard chattering, lots of chattering.
I’m at the beach, she thought to herself. There were people tanning, drinking, and enjoying the weather while kids built sandcastles. Angel saw Theo sitting on a beach chair drinking a pink fruity alcoholic beverage and talking on his cell phone. He didn’t notice or see her. Angel began to wave a hand in front of Theo’s face to confirm she was out of his line of vision. He continued the conversation on his phone as if no one was there.
“Yes, dad, trust me, the fall of G & S was nothing. I told you we would be able to buy out the company. All it took was a little code-cracking, account stealing, and sabotage. That doesn’t make us bad people―it’s business, not personal. Yeah, and what about Littman, he’s dead. You think I give a shit about a dead old man.” Angel stared and listened intently to Theo. She focused so hard on Theo’s energy that she could read his soul of evilness. It slapped her into his future.
“Dad, you leave Mr. Littman’s widow out of this. No, I’m not in love with her. I promise you that. Alright, dad, I have to go. Business calls.” Theo hung up his cell phone and placed it in his pocket. Someone began calling Theo’s name. Angel and Theo both turned to face the woman running towards him holding two more pink girly drinks in her hands. She was tall, she was slim, she had big boobs, she was blonde, and she was beautiful.
“Well, if it isn’t the widow Mrs. Littman,” Angel said out loud. She began thinking awful thoughts. She smelled evilness; the malevolence that poured out of his scent was that of rotten flesh and death. Theo and widowed Mrs. Littman embraced passionately. It was at that moment that Angel envisioned herself squeezing his throat. She could see herself squeezing tightly and feel his rough skin between her delicate fingers, closing his throat together. Wicked little fuck, she thought. I will destroy you.
Theo began rubbing his neck. When the pressure would not lessen, he grabbed his throat and began coughing. The coughing grew louder and more annoying. The beach around Angel began to disappear. It was as if someone had turned off the lights and turned them back on and she was right back where she started. A light flashed rapidly, and Angel was back at her company’s conference room. She was as rigid as a statue.
The room around her was in complete mayhem. Theo collapsed to the floor, coughing and panting like a dog until he fell unconscious.
“OH MY GOD, Theo, what’s happening,” a woman cried.
“Someone call 911,” screamed Mr. Lee.
“Is he breathing?” a random man yelled from the crowd. People were running toward Theo, trying to help. Others were running out of the room to get help. Mr. Lee moved Theo on to his back and held his head while one male employee conducted CPR.
“Come on, Theo. Come on, young man. Breathe,” yelled Mr. Lee. The employee performing CPR stopped. “Mr. Lee, I can’t. I need to stop. Theo is starting to bleed from his nose and mouth.” Mr. Lee looked on in shock and then lost consciousness, terrified at the sight of blood.
The paramedics arrived within minutes and rushed into the conference room. They were able to stabilize Theo and help Mr. Lee regain consciousness. After all the chaos settled down, Angel finally snapped back to reality. J.C. stepped in front of Angel and looked into her eyes. “Are you back, darling,” he asked in a concerned hushed tone. “You seemed as if you went into shock.” Angel blinked, then rubbed her forehead. She looked past J.C. and excused herself. The paramedics were about to move Theo out on the gurney; but she stepped in front of them, blocking their passage. She looked down at Theo and he opened his eyes. What he saw was incredible and unbelievable. There was a beautiful woman smiling down at him. Her teeth were perfectly white and straight. Her long luxurious black hair flowed down to her waist. Her body was perfectly glowing, and her eyes were grayish-green and sparkling. Her skin was flawless, tan, and smooth. The image was magnificent. Theo looked happy and excited, he thought; I’m going to heaven, this…is…awesome! Angel moved down to his ear and whispered, “This is a warning, leave the company today. I know what you’re up to. Next time there will be no accidental choking,” she grinned. Theo’s heart sank in terror.
“Theo, I’m so sorry,” as she pouted her lips together in a sad face. Theo’s vision cleared. The beautiful image was gone and it was only Angel, his co-worker, standing in his sight. He heard her message. He hung on every word and couldn’t understand how she figured him out or if she tried to poison him. Theo tried to make sense of the situation, but the pounding in his head made it difficult to concentrate, and his vision began to fade again. The pain made it unbearable to see clearly; it felt as if his head would explode. Angel touched Theo’s forehead and smiled anxiously. Theo stared deeply into Angel’s eyes through her black-framed glasses. It was almost as if they were having a mental conversation. Angel smelled the fear in Theo. She sensed that he was silently praying to himself, asking his God for forgiveness and begging someone to help him. He was sweating profusely under Angel’s palm. Angel continued to smile her signature bright smile; within moments Theo’s pain was gone. The interaction between Angel and Theo only took seconds; but from someone staring from a few feet away, as was J.C., it felt like minutes. Theo nodded his head in relief and closed his eyes to sleep. The paramedics continued their mission to hoist Theo away to the hospital. Angel ignored J.C., who was watching her every move as she walked back to her office.
Angel sat at her desk
, tired and drained. She turned on her computer and had several emails from clients. She tried her best to concentrate on the words, but she was having trouble comprehending. Angel began feeling overly winded. She placed her elbows on the table and grabbed her head between her hands. Oh geez, Angel. Pull your ass together, she thought. What the hell just happened? Angel sat back on her chair to digest the series of events that had just occurred. It was so unreal what she did. Fuck, she said softly to herself. My hands are ice cold. But internally I don’t feel cold, she thought. Angel took her shoes off and felt her feet, ice cold. Seconds later J.C. walked into her office.
“Knock, knock, puedo entrar,” he asked in his Spanish accent, gesturing permission to enter.
Angel looked up at J.C. still holding her foot in her hands. “Shit, you scared me, Juan Carlo. Si, entrar,” she replied, waving him in.
J.C. pulled up a chair and Angel placed her foot back inside her shoe. “Your feet hurt?” J.C. asked, concerned.
“No, just cold.”
J.C. rose from his chair. “Give me a second.” He returned holding a pair of grey knitted socks. Angel looked at J.C. questionably, wondering why he would have a pair of socks lying around in his office. J.C. handed the socks to Angel, “They were a gift from a client a long time ago. She owns a knitting company. Take them.”
Angel grabbed the socks and slipped them on. They were as comfortable as they looked. “Thank you J.C.,” she said appreciatively.
“You want to tell me what happened, Angel?” he asked in a serious tone.
Angel leaned back in her chair and remained silent. J.C. leaned in and touched her hands. “You’re ice cold in case you can’t feel anything. I don’t know what’s happening to you, but maybe you should go to the ER.”
“NO!” Angel protested. “No doctors, I’m fine,” she snapped. “I will be alright.”
J.C. remained quiet, then asked calmly and quietly, “What did you see?”
“What?” Angel was surprised by the question.
J.C. stared at Angel seriously and spoke in a tone where he demanded answers. “Growing up in Cuba with my grandmother taught me a lot of things. Number one is that some of us humans are “gifted.” My grandmother used to have visions up until the day she died. I used to think she was just this crazy old lady who had no sense of reality. When I was ten I was getting ready to go to a baseball game and she had one of her “visions.” I will never forget the look on her face. She was next to me, but her mind was somewhere else. Her face was blank with no expression, no movement, she was still as a statue. No matter how many times I called her name or shook her, she didn’t respond. After a few seconds she blinked back to reality, turned to me and said, “Carlito, no baseball today,” and walked away. I was pissed and was forced to stay inside. Later that night my family was informed that my baseball team’s bus crashed off a cliff. Everyone was killed, except for me. I was not on the bus and the people in the town wanted to know how I got so lucky. My grandmother told them I had the stomach flu.”
Angel continued staring at J.C.
“Soon after, I overheard my mom speaking with my grandmother. My mother was pleading for answers while my grandmother sat there sobbing, saying she couldn’t save everyone. She tried, she tried to call my coach and tell him it wasn’t a good day for baseball. It wasn’t safe. The coach ignored her. Apparently, her word wasn’t good enough. My grandmother stated she had seen the bus crash, she saw me dead, and she could not live with herself. She classified her visions as a curse. A curse given to her from hell as punishment for what her ancestors did. It never made sense to me. As time passed, she refused to stay with us any longer. She strolled the streets of Little Havana as a bag lady; raggedy and dreadful. I would often see her praying, talking to cats and buildings, and anything else she thought was listening. It was sad. She would see me and say, “Carlito, you live for a purpose. You live to help the Angels.” I never knew what she meant or believed what she was saying. But, I do believe it now, now more than ever. You had the same look on your face the day my grandmother envisioned me dead. So I ask you again, what did you see?”
Angel hesitated, then answered inaudibly, “I didn’t have a vision, I had a flash-forward. With visions, you see fragments of an event or snippets of images leaving you to piece everything together. With a flash-forward, I’m physically at a place. I was at the place where Theo was thinking during his speech.”
“Greece?” J.C. questioned.
“I don’t know. I was at a beach. I could see and feel the sun on my skin. The water, sand, children playing, and I could see Theo. I could hear and feel him. I reached out to touch him and he couldn’t sense me. I saw him talking on his phone, and I clearly heard him say how he sabotaged this company by stealing our accounts, ruining the employees. The worst part is that he was at this beach with young Mrs. Littman.”
J.C. stared in shock. “Wow! You saw all that?”
“Yes!” replied Angel. “I was so angry, all I could think of was choking the life out of him, he had no remorse. He didn’t care that he crashed a billion-dollar company and left all of us out of work. We all have investments in this company. We could lose everything―our retirements, clients, our kids’ college funds. Theo could ruin us. The hatred I felt was stirring something inside me. J.C., you’re my best friend and I’m only telling you this because I trust you. You can believe me or not, but that is what I saw. It was as if I was literally in Theo’s mind.”
J.C. paused for a brief moment. He looked deeply into Angel’s eyes. “I believe you, don’t worry,” he said calmly. Angel smiled and could sense that he meant it. She could feel that J.C. wanted to protect her like a daughter.
He sat back amused.
“Why are you laughing? questioned Angel.
“Theo was up at the podium with such confidence, as if he had us right where he wanted. All I kept thinking to myself was how much of an ass he sounded but also that he was going to make it in this business. Until he started coughing dramatically, I felt sorry for him, almost ran to get help but then I saw you didn’t move. That’s when I knew something was up. So I waited for the storm to end. Glad I did!” he smiled.
Angel pinched J.C’s shoulder. “Now don’t be asking me to flash into the future every chance you get,” she replied playfully.
“No, I’ll only ask you to flash forward every time the Power Ball comes around. I need those lucky lotto numbers,” he chuckled.
Angel felt amused but then wondered if flashing forward was something she was going to be able to do constantly. She grabbed her belongings and shut down her computer. “I’m sure you have clients to attend to,” she stated.
“Yep, I’m going to have lunch with Ex-Mrs. Littman and go home from there. I take it you won’t make this lunch with me?”
“No, that account is yours now that you will be staying,” she replied.
“I’ll let you know, retirement still sounds good to me and the Mrs.,” he responded.
“Aye Dios Mío, you wouldn’t last a day in retirement, ” Angel said giggling. She kissed J.C. on the cheek and began to exit the office. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m going to work from home then meet the kids for an early dinner,” she said to J.C. over her shoulder.
“Alright! Call you later,” J.C, responded, returning to his office.
Angel rode the service elevator back down. She exited the building and realized it was extremely quiet. There were no cars driving through the busy streets or people hustling back and forth. She checked her watch: “11:30 am.” She looked to her right and saw a couple staring through a store window at the corner. Okay, well it’s slow today. Great, less people on the subway now. I can’t wait to get home. I’m so exhausted, she thought. For a cold day, Angel felt the sun was shining brighter than usual. Damn, I need my sunglasses, the sun is hurting my eyes. She stopped to search inside her shoulder bag for her sunglasses. The gleam on the license plate reading “BENT_LY” on the Bentley parked across the street was bothering her ey
es as well. She shook her head from side to side in annoyance and switched out her black-framed glasses for her aviator sunglasses. “Ah, much better,” she said aloud, feeling her eyesight thanking her as her vision shaded.
“What is much better?” asked a cool English accent behind her.
Angel turned around swiftly. “Excuse me?” Angel responded, annoyed.
The man in front of her seemed unreal. He wore all black, had pale milky skin, and blonde hair in a short cut. He wore dark glasses and stood a lean 6’2”. He had an incredible smile, warm and inviting; but his persona screamed trouble. Angel began to feel ill. Her stomach instantly turned into a knot as something inside her screamed trouble.
The man proceeded to speak, “You said, and I quote, “Ah, much better,” unquote. So I’m asking, what’s much better?”
“My sunglasses. I’m sorry, do we know each other?” Angel replied hesitantly.
She began to edge backward, but the man walked directly in front of her. He was so close his lips were inches away from her face. She froze, uncertain of what was to come next.
The man looked directly into her light-brown eyes. “I know who you are, Angel Quinn-Reynolds.”
Angel tensed and she backed further against the cold concrete of her office building. The man placed his hand against the wall, leaving her no space to move. Her heart began to pound inside her chest; she almost screeched but fear caught her voice and trapped it in her throat.
“Do not even think about running, for the sake of little Maggie and Jesse.” Angel’s eyes began to fill with tears at hearing the strange man speak of her children.
“My children?” she questioned, quivering.
“They are safe, for now. But we will be forced to hurt them if you do not cooperate. Now come with me freely, Angel.The Master gets impatient when his demands are not met in a timely manner,” he said nonchalantly.
The man turned away in hopes that Angel followed suit. Instead, she screamed at the top of her lungs, “SOMEONE HELP ME, PLEASE!”
Trapped Inside Humanity Page 4