Wendy

Chapter 3: Clouds & Surprises

Wendy had always found it hard to understand the concept of death. So as the man told her she had died, she didn't immediately feel sadness, the news just made her feel... loss. If this was how death felt then maybe it's not as bad as the grownups kept saying. The only pain that tugged at her heart was the fact that her mummy would be so sad and lonely.

"Why did I die? Was it because I was bad? But I always did my homework, I always helped mummy out."

The expression on the huge man's face softened, it seemed as if he didn't know the answer to the question. Wendy sensed that even if he did know, he wouldn't tell her.

The feeling of loss was increasing, it was beginning to grow into sadness. Or was it sadness she could call it? It was nothing like Wendy had ever felt before. The feeling just swirled on her inside like a little tornado. Why didn't tears come? It had always been so easy to cry before, so why was now different? She looked from the huge man's face to the scene below, contemplating her next action as she chewed on her lower lip.

Without thinking, she did something. Swooping without bearing, she toppled downward. As she somersaulted crazily, she tried in vain to steady herself. Wendy knew she had to learn how to move properly in her new weird form.

Maybe I should have thought before diving. Wendy thought in dismay as the ground came closer way faster than she anticipated.

The wind was whipping at her curly black hair and her cloth felt like wings- ­very unsteady wings. When she was almost certain she would hit the ground, she found herself landing lightly on her feet, hovering inches above the ground.

She looked around. Everything looked scattered, there were several cars and people everywhere. She heard a swooshing sound behind her; without looking, Wendy knew it was the giant in a dress. As her eyes scanned the scene, she noticed their crimson coloured car; it was upturned and heavily dented in several places. The car looked so different from what it used to be, now it just resembled a crushed coke can. It had once been very shiny and nice to look at, she remembered her mummy saying it was an expensive necessity. Wendy sighed as she shook her head. This was bad.

She caught sight of a figure walking dejectedly towards an ambulance. Huh...how did she know that was an ambulance? Wendy was certain she didn't know that before now. She could have been thrilled about that new piece of knowledge, but the realization of who the dejected figure was threw that thought out of her mind.

"Mummy!" She called out. "I'm here, don't cry...please. I'm here," Wendy said weakly.

Knowing that her mum couldn't hear her, she still tried. Wendy moved closer, stretching her hand, attempting to touch her shoulder. But she knew, even before her hand passed right through her mother's shoulder, that that wouldn't work either.

Wendy wished with all her heart that she could reassure her mummy; to tell her that everything was alright and that she need not worry about her anymore. She wanted to introduce her mum to her new friend who likes smiling and wears a dress.

Smiling sadly, Wendy knew that her mother would also  find that very funny.

She felt the giant's hand on her shoulder and instantly felt deep comfort.

"My name is Abel. I was your guardian angel." Wendy still felt sad, so she just nodded her head dismally.

"Why did you let me die? Were you not supposed to guard me?" she stared at Abel, waiting for a reply.

"I guarded you well- up until moments ago. Some things are really beyond our control." There was a grim expression on his face as he spoke those words. Wendy still found it hard to understand.

"God wanted to bring me to this place by allowing me die?" Wendy asked as she sat on a fluffy cloud. She hadn't even noticed they were floating upward, she just worried her fingers and stared at a distance. Abel sat next to her but remained silent for a while, he seemed to give her the silence she needed to take in the news.

"It's not His will for anyone to die. The world you just left is a very broken place. Destruction and death is a basic part of it."

That didn't answer her question but Wendy let it slide. She watched the clouds go by as they drifted farther and farther from the accident scene. The shrinking structures looked like tiny Lego buildings, the cars resembled insects scurrying on long curvy paths and there were patches of greenery all over the landscape. For a while, Wendy simply stared in quiet fascination.

The cloud she sat on felt like an incredibly soft pillow. She giggled as she bounced on it- this was fun. She turned to Abel and asked,

"How come we can sit on this cloud and we just pass right through the others?"

Abel looked down and Wendy did the same. Now they were so high up that all Wendy could see were clouds upon clouds. She noticed an odd thing; the light from the setting sun did not bother her at all; her eyes could actually take in all its light without having to squint. She was really liking her new super powers.

"This cloud is the way it is because we're sitting on it. If we stand, it would become like the rest." As Abel spoke, he stood, helping her to her feet.

"See?" He stuck his hand into the already drifting cloud to prove his point. His hand passed straight through.

"Whoa!" Wendy said, clapping her hands as her brown eyes widened in awe. Giggling in delight, she stuck her hands into a passing cloud and parted it.

"This is so cool!" she exclaimed as she parted more clouds. Abel released a deep rich laugh as he watched her scatter clouds and attempt to bring them back together.

"Do you want to see your mum again?" Wendy looked up sharply and blessed him with a toothy grin. It was as if Abel could read her mind.

"Yes please."

"We'll go see her when she's at the hospital. But first, I want you to come with me; there's a place I want you to see, and it's way cooler than this." Abel wiggled his brows and winked at her as if they shared a secret.

Wendy's expression turned curious. "Really? Where?" Wendy asked as she looked around eagerly. She felt so giddy with excitement.

Abel smiled and shook his head.

"It's a secret," his eyes lit with humour as he feigned a serious expression. Now Wendy's curiosity was piqued.

"Tell me. Please, please, please." Abel refused to answer, instead he took her hand in his much larger one and began soaring west.

"Come on, don't spoil it, Wendy. Our destination is not so far from here." 

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