Matthew

I take a quick trip to Nowhere

I was dead.

That much I knew. I was back in the place I had been resigned to when Rae had taken over. But it was a little different this time.

It was Lake Allen. I stood on the shore, my bare feet deep in the loose sand. I wiggled my toes, amused to watch the sand move, and looked out to the still water. I saw nothing beyond it. It was strange, it looked like I was watching a black and white movie. When I glanced at my hands, I was a pale blue color, and starkly contrasted with my surroundings. I glowed with my own light.

I glanced to my left, finding an old, shattered and washed up boat. That was ours. Me and my dad's. I remember we had to abandon it, but can't exactly remember why.

"Hey kid." A voice spoke up, and I looked to my right. A man sat on a breaking wooden dock, staring out at the lake. He glowed a vibrant blue as well, but the color would to shift to purple and even red. Somehow, this didn't surprise me. "Come talk for a while. After all, you do practically have an eternity." He said, apparently finding this humorous.

I walked to him, slipping my hands in my pockets. He pointed at the spot beside him, and I sat down, crossing my legs.

"Matthew Thomas." He mused. "I've been wondering when I'd meet you. Have to say, though, wasn't expecting it to be this early."

"Uh, mind telling me who you are, complete stranger?"

He glanced at me, and I finally got a good look at his face. He looked like me, in a way. Same chin. Same eyes. A similar, upturned nose. His gaze was kind, but I could tell it hid a subtle coldness, like you really shouldn't trust him. His hair was a bit wavy like my dad's, and long enough to be tied back into a ponytail.

"The name's Joseph. Ring any bells?"

Joseph. I stared at him in shock as a wave of red floated through him. This was my grandfather.

"You aren't old." I blurted, and immediately wanted to kick myself for sounding dumb. Joseph was an archangel, I don't think he really ages at all.

"I've been around a very, very long time." He said, chuckling. "I'm pretty damn old, kid. But thanks for the compliment."

I stared at the unmoving water, suddenly seeing something in our reflections. Joseph was inanimate, almost, save for his eyes staring into the depths of the lake. Two sets of massive black wings were folded behind him. Surprised, I looked to him, seeing nothing strange this time.

"Where are we?"

"Nowhere." He shrugged. "If you were fully human, you would've gone to heaven. But thanks to me, well, we're trapped in between. Your angel blood... It's stronger than most, which surprises me. Your father must've passed his powers along to you somehow. Not intentional, of course."

I hugged my knees close to my body, still staring at our reflections. Despite him there, I felt so incredibly alone. I was stuck here, wasn't I? I had gone out like a pathetic coward. Everyone was left to deal with the demons without me. My parents had lost their only child. What would happen to them? Would Rae succeed in raising the sins? It felt like someone was squeezing my heart in an icy fist. I couldn't think clearly.

"Hey, it isn't all that bad." Joseph said, noticing my crisis and not taking much interest. "You can go wherever you want now. Actually, not in the literal sense, but our surroundings can change. Where have you always wanted to go? Rome? Paris? What's hip with the kids these days?"

I bit my lip, trying to keep it from trembling and to force back my tears. "Can I go home?"

Joseph slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid not."