The Angel Prophecies: Opal Sky

14. The Chase

Wednesday morning came, and I still hadn't heard from Joe. I kept watching the news, expecting to see headlines about Ruby missing; there was nothing. I even avoided Sophie and Calli, telling them moving stuff at work all day left me too tired to hang out, which wasn't entirely untrue. I missed them terribly, but it was for their own protection.

I hadn't eaten much since my visit with Joe on Saturday. I sat at the table, playing with my oatmeal, lost in thought.

Grams brought me out of my reverie. "Abigail, is something bothering you?"

"No." I lied, probably poorly because I hated lying.

"Are you sure? You know you can talk to me. Does it have anything to do with Travis?"

My mind went wild with speculation thinking he might have been talking to Grams. "What? No, why? Did he come here? Have you seen him?"

"No dear, calm down. I just meant that you've seemed distracted since your date, so I thought maybe it had something to do with him. He didn't hurt you or anything, did he?" her tone was demanding.

A huge wave of relief swept over me. "No Grams, he didn't hurt me. He just wasn't interested in me I guess."

"Oh, I see. He's giving you the slip, is he?" She winked, reached across the table and placed her hand on mine. "He's not worth starving yourself over if he can't see how beautiful you are inside and out."

"I know Grams." I smiled, taking a large spoonful of oatmeal to appease her. "I'm really not that into him anyway. "

"Smart girl." She said, patting my hand.

"Just promise me one thing, Grams?"

"Anything."

"Don't let him in if he comes looking for me. I get a bad feeling about him." I looked her in the eyes.

"Okay. You know you can tell me if something happened though, right?"

"Yes. It's just intuition, he's kind of creepy."

"Oh, one of those." she smiled knowingly, going to the sink to wash dishes. "So, today's your last day?"

"Yup, we're moving the residents to the new building. I'm not sure exactly how late I'll be."

"Don't worry. I don't plan on going anywhere, so I won't be needing the car."

Work was a welcome distraction from the potential danger from Abaddon. I was more concerned for my friends and family, than for myself. The last of the residents were gathered in the lobby, waiting to be transported to the new home, when I noticed an African American man, named Raymond crying hysterically.

"What can I say to make amends?" he wailed. "I tried to save him, but it got him in the heart. Please God, just take me now." His shoulders shook out of desperation.

One of the nurses was trying to console him. "It's okay Raymond. You're here now, safe. We'll take care of you." She patted his hand.

I wasn't sure why I took his hand, it just felt like the right thing to do. I knelt by his wheelchair and he looked in my eyes.

Suddenly, I was thrust in the middle of a battle, bullets and bombs hitting uncomfortably close by. Raymond, about 70 years younger, was next to me, leaning against the muddy wall of a trench. He was firing a gun , when suddenly he jumped over the trench wall, leaving the protection it provided. I watched as he made his way to a fallen comrade, struggling to make his way back with him, even after a bullet grazed his shoulder.

I wasn't sure how, but I knew the wounded soldier was his childhood friend, Joshua. I knew they grew up next door to each other and spent their boyhood summers, sleeping in Joshua's tree house, fishing and swimming. I saw the way Raymond looked at Joshua's sister ,Sadie, for months before he had the nerve to ask her on a date. Joshua hadn't been happy, because he thought she'd come between their friendship, but eventually he came around and was even the best man at their wedding.