Shadow Lines

Ch. 10 Melting Eyes

Ch. 10 Melting Eyes

                I have to wonder how apples became involved. Or more specifically, the apple tree.

                The mystery started as soon as Evelyn Arousela burst outside and was literally thrown to the streets by two mountain-sized men. I stepped in between them and helped Evelyn to her feet.

                We walked to the car in silence.

                She sat at the steering wheel for a while, and made no move to start the car. Her eyes stared blankly ahead. They looked fragile and shimmering, like still water.

                It was then that I realized that she was about to cry.

                “I’m sorry.” I told her. “I should have known the demons would try something like this.”

                “It’s not your fault.” She said brokenly. “I was just stupid enough to believe the phone call. Now I have no job. I just lost Markus. I don’t know what to do. I might as well kill myself right here, right now, so you can take me away. You said I was an angel anyway. I don’t think I’ll mind dying.”

                “No!” I said. “That’s…that’s not how it is meant to be. You can’t die yet. It is not your time.”

                “Who cares, Will?” Evelyn yelled at me, suddenly becoming violent. She grabbed my shoulders and began to shake me aggressively. “Who cares? I want to die!”

                “Evelyn, stop. Calm down.” I said softly. She let go of my shoulders and began to tremble.

                “My life is ruined.” She whispered to me, silent tears falling down her cheeks. Like rain.

                Except God was not crying. Evelyn Arousela was. You know, rain usually symbolizes sadness for most people. It reminds them of tears. Of grief. Of dull gray lonliness.

                And right now, Evelyn’s crying seemed to create that for me.         

                So I suppose here is where the apple tree became involved.

                I’m not sure how it occurred to me.

                Human intuition, maybe?

                Let’s use our brains, now. I was not human. I was a Shadow. Or, half-Shadow, really.

                The idea struck me. It consumed me. I got out of the car, pulled open Evelyn’s car door, and pulled her out.

                “What are you doing?” Evelyn said. Her eyes still shimmered like the ocean.

                “I want to show you something.” I told her, and took her hand. “And, whatever you do, don’t let go.”

                I let our souls drift away, and soon I watched as both Evelyn and I became transparent. She looked alarmed. Frozen in disbelief.

                We drifted up into the sky, and suddenly our surroundings seemed to swirl around us. When they became solid again, they were no longer the same environment. No, we were gone from France. Now we were in Oregon, standing in front of the house where I had first met Evelyn Arousela.

                The air was chilly, but Evelyn didn’t seem to mind. She walked to her front house, looking around.

                “Is this my house?” she said.

                I let a ghost of a smile touch my face.

                Not a true, genuine smile. But close.

                I nodded yes.

                Evelyn reached out and touched the trunk of a tall tree. It had no leaves because it was winter here, but I knew she recognized it.

                “I can’t believe it’s still here. The apple tree! The one my brother and I planted.” Evelyn said. Her eyes no longer shimmered with water. “I thought I’d never see it again after my parents died and they took me away to the orphanage.”

                “The new owners took good care of it.” I told her. “I should know, I visited this place only last year, to take away the family’s elderly grandfather.”

                “Did you take away my parents’ souls here, too? You seem to visit my home a lot. Or people just seem to die here.” Evelyn said.

                I shook my head. “ I never took your parents’ souls. But I’m sure some other Shadow did.”

                “Why did you bring me here, Will?” Evelyn asked, looking at me. Her eyes were warm and melting, surprisingly. I had not seen her melting chocolate eyes in a while.

                “To cheer you up. I knew you loved this tree very much, since you spent a lot of time with your brother under these branches. I saw it in your brother’s memories.” I said.      

                “Well, thank you.” Evelyn said. She closed her eyes and smiled.

                And I suppose that’s how the apple tree became invovled.

                It’s amazing how something so simple can produce such happy memories.

                Another thing I learned.

                Happy memories can sometimes cure even the worst of heartaches.

                Or, at least, that was what I learned from the old woman’s memories in Minnesota.

                And I also suppose here is where the fight begins.

                Against the demons.

                “You’re welcome.” I whispered, finally allowing a genuine smile to grace my features.

                I looked up at the sky.     

                I remembered picking up a soul late last night and bringing it up to the Gates of Heaven. I remembered asking St. Peter how to cure sadness.

                “The past, the present, and the future.” He had told me, his twinkling eyes boring into mine’s. “The past because looking back on good memories makes you smile. The present because of feelings that you are able to experience. Happiness. Joy. Content. Love. And the future, because you look forward to the things that will happen soon that fill you with hope.”

                “I don’t understand how this will help me with Evelyn.” I had said.

                “There is always a reason to smile.” St. Peter had said to me. His twinkling eyes seemed to change color from blue to green to hazel to brown. “You never know, your reason might just be in the most trivial of things.”

                “Thank you.” I whispered to the sky, and looked back at Evelyn. She traced her finger along the trunk of the tree.

A Message:

There is always a reason to smile and keep a strong faith in God, even in the dark days.You just have to look in the small things. Like memories. Or even food. And maybe even a friend.