The Six

The Hark

"He's here! He's here! Lina! He's back!" Sang out a giddy, tinkling female voice coming from above the much calmer Angel lazily sprawled out on a cloud. Her bright blue eyes were closed and she was trying desperately to fall asleep, to escape the endless, monotonous, spiritless, mundane, tedious and just plain boring ordeal that was her life in Heaven.

For 16 long years Evangelina stayed imprisined, if you will, in the Lord's kingdom, unable to leave. But, for good reason. Lina knew all too well of the dangers that lurked beneath the clouds, and she would much rather be safe up there than down there with those horrible monsters.

 
"There are...beings down there, darling, that we Angels should have nothing to do with." Lina destinctly remembered her father say when she had asked him 10 years ago when he had told her that he had to leave and fight. "They are terrible, cruel, unholy things that must be destroyed before they hurt anyone else."

She remembered her father's serious but loving eyes look into her crying ones as he tried to comfort her. He had hugged her tightly, filling her small body with warmth and light that she had ignored.
"But Daddy-"she had started to protest. "I need you to promise me something sweetie." Her father said, gripping her tiny shoulders and again looking into her eyes. "Promise me, Lina, that you will never, ever go past the Gates."
"But Da-"
"Evangelina!" He said, all of the compassion in his voice had been replaced with desperation. "Please, promise me that you will not leave the safety of Heaven."
Lina had been surprised by his harsh tone, even slightly scared, but she agreed. Her father smiled and kissed her pale cheek, for the last time.
"Michael! Come, we must leave now!" ordered an Angel the same age as Lina's father, Michael. He wore heavy white armour and a grave expression on his face.
"Goodbye, my Lina." Michael said, patting his only daughter lovingly on her curly blond head. "Be safe." Then he had taken off, his large, white wings carrying him off to his death.
Lina remembered that day well. Too well. And far too often. She held back a tear and sighed, hearing the approaching voice of Pearl, her best friend, a young Angel with far too much energy for her own good. "What is it Pearl?" Lina asked, trying to mask the irritation in her voice as Pearl interrupted her thoughts. 
Pearl hovered above Lina, her wings beating rythmaticlly.
"He's back, he's back, he-" "Who's back?" Lina interrupted, trying to hurry along the conversation. Pearl's smile dissappered and her face went blank. "Oh! Well...Um...you know..." She stuttered, looking at the ground.
"You've forgotten, haven't you?" Lina sighed, already knowing the answer. Pearl nodded slowly and hung her head, ashamed. Lina shook her head and chuckled. Reaching up, she pulled her ditzy friend into a warm hug. "Oh Pearl, whatever shall I do with you?" Lina asked. "Well, you could let me go, Li. You're sort of squishing me." Pearl wheezed. Lina released her friend and they both giggled, loudly.
"You know Pearl, sometimes I wonder why Gabriel has let you be a Messenger this long. You have a terrible memor-"
"THAT'S IT!" Pearl shouted, flinging herself into the air with a smile plastered on her face once again. "Um, what's it?" Lina asked confused. "Gabriel is back!" Pearl answered, proudly. "Oh, that's nice." Lina said, trying to slow the beating of her heart.
Gabriel was the wisest, oldest, and most respected Angel there was. He was idolized by everyone, including Lina. When he had left, she, like the others, had been worried. What had been so important that Gabriel needed to leave when they were in the middle of a war? Something important, obviously. But what?
Lina was too busy thinking that she barely heard what Pearl had said next. "Li, did you hear me?"
"What? Oh, um, no. Sorry." Lina said, snapping out of her thoughts. She could be so distracted at times. "I said that Gabriel wants to speak with you." Pearl repeated, with obvious worry in her voice. Lina's heart began to beat faster. "Why?" she asked, a bit louder than she had meant to. "I don't know Li, but you better hurry. He didn't look...like himself when he arrived. I-I think something's wrong." Pearl said, nervously fidgeting with her hands.

Lina nodded and stood up from her comfy cloud seat. She arched her back and her pure white, feather wings fanned out to their full length. She took off and flew nervously above the clouds to find the Angel bearing news that would change her life forever.