Watching Over You

Chapter 9

After a moment he seems to realize something and looks almost guilty. I don't understand why, but I don't know what to do or say. Neither of us do. Finally I have to give into my curiosity.

"Michael. Where am I? What did I do? This place feels like I have been here before but I'm not sure when. What's going on?"

"You..." He fumbles for words. "Yeah it should feel familiar. This place" he waves his arms around, "is where you were very briefly about 137 years ago. I must confess, we were all shocked by Raziel's verdict to let you...linger instead of just crossing over like everyone else." He says and after a moment I realize, this is where I went after I died before I was sent anywhere.

"So what-this is like some in between place of life and death or death and the afterlife or something?"

"Yeah pretty much" he scratches the back of his head. He is hiding something.

"What is it?" I ask

"What is what?" His eyes widen. I try to think over the last few minutes as to what suddenly bothered him.

"You've been here." I say as it clicks. "Twice. But your an angel. You've always been an angel...haven't you?" I ask.

"Err. Can we please talk about this at another point in time? It would be best if we get back before something happens."

"And what on Earth-"

"We aren't on Earth," I glare at him but otherwise continue as if he hadn't spoken

"Would happen while we are here? It's not like we are in any danger. And besides. I don't know how to take us back, any ideas oh wise one?" I hear myself grow sharper as I speak but I am past the point of really caring about my tone of voice. He, however, looks very surprised by my outburst. "Nothing? well it seems you have to tell me something after all-about the last times you were here and how you left." I really try hard to keep the smugness off my face and out of my voice, I am not fully successful but I certainly did better than I could have.

"Jessie. You really don't want to know," he says, probably hoping I will butt in and cut him off giving an opportunity for a distraction in conversation but I just look at him expectingly. "Fine. Just leave it as I wasn't alone either time and I will not elaborate on that understood?" He talks to me like I'm a child. He is one of the few who have never treated me as such to my face. "Anyway, others showed up to get them out and I managed to slip out behind them unnoticed. this time we have no such luck. So we are going to have to put some energy together because surely you are beyond drained at this point."

"I don't understand why you keep saying that. I am fine. truly."

"But you shouldn't be!" Michael throws his hands in the air. "And normal angel would be completely drained-practically dead again from all the energy and power required to do all of what you just did. I just...I don't understand and you know," he runs his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"I know. You don't like not knowing. But that is something we have to put aside for the time being. How do I get us out?" I ask trying to figure out how to stop all of his needless-well, hopefully needless-concern.

"Okay. I think that we can do this similar to how I transported us to our place in the park. No offense, but I think I'll do that-don't wanna end up somewhere else?" He tries to lighten the mood and I laugh because I know that is what I am supposed to do, but we are both trying too hard to keep a serious but still free conversation. "Okay. I can do it-but..."

"You don't think you are strong enough?" I ask him and I can tell by his eyes that he is ashamed but that it is the root of this problem. "It's okay. I'm a freak who has energy to spare-you are- I almost say he is my freak but instead I just say, "someone who needs help. Here," I hold out my hand hoping this will work and somewhat surprised at myself. He stared at my hand for a moment and I'm not sure of what is going on in his mind. I start to lower my hand but he grabs it hastily. I feel a jolt of energy surge through me-not like the way people in books do when they touch someone-it's like I was just electrically shocked. Judging by the way he jumps he felt it also. I raise an eyebrow at him but he ignores me. Lovely.

"Alright. Just clear your head. All clear?" He asks and I don't respond just barely listening. He takes my lack of response as a Yes, "alright. Now just think about me and think of yourself strong and sleeping at once." I do as he says forming a rather odd picture in my mind. "Now add me to that picture standing over you-still sleeping-now see yourself going slightly weaker and myself getting stronger." This is getting creepy but I do it anyway. I feel slight tiredness hit me, and I feel Michaels grip tighten. I assume that means this is working so I picture myself becoming smaller and he larger and I feel the energy leave me. It's an odd feeling-as if someone has removed part of one of my lungs and sealed it back half the size as before. But I keep doing it and I feel his intake of breath and feel his grip tighten even more. "Stop if it gets too much" he tells me but I keep going. I feel sleepiness sneaking in. I keep seeing myself smaller and him larger until I feel a swirl of air and sag against him nearly fainting. I hear him say something. I think it was"There it is" and it was definitely a tone of relief. I hope he means that we are back in the park not that I am passing out. I try to stand myself back up straight but find myself on the ground going into darkness.

1/29/16
Hallie
Nothing happened. Except that we all  have some insight of his past and now we-me and Ari-can go far from that. Secret keeping...imagine the possibilities that that holds.