Bridge of Dreams

Chapter 8

I look at her, surprised. "How do you know my name?" I ask.

She waves her hands in the air as if her mind-reading was all nothing. "I'm an angel. God gives me a few of his powers to spread goodness throughout and keep the balance between good and evil. Knowing people's names are just one of my skills."

She goes inside her tent and I follow. I mean, I feel like I'm stuck in this dream world.

"Tea?" Beatrice offers.

I shake my head. "No thank you," I respond.  If you don't mind me asking, why are you calm? There are demons at the front of your gate!" I exclaim. "One of them is my friend!"

"No, you must be in a parallel universe," She shakes her head and drinks her tea. The teacup trembles in her hands. "Malcolm, he... He..."

Even though I didn't ask her, my guess is that Mallory is Malcolm in this world. How is he doing in his dimension? How about their revenge plan? Is it succeeding?

Beatrice places the cup on a floating cloud. She clears her throat. "Malcolm used to be an angel like us. A strong, powerful, and kind-hearted angel." A slight smile curls upwards, and she chuckles. "We were friends... lovers in fact. We shared the same belief of goodness and happiness.

Her bright face darkens. Her hazel eyes turn into a shade of fiery red. "But fate tells us that we belong on the opposite spectrum of good and evil. He talked to a serpent who convinced him to serve Satan's side!" Beatrice punches the cloud's soft cotton.

I watch the sinless angel ranting about a former angel. She does look like me and has my temper. I believe her. 

She frowns and exhales. Her eyes look at mine and her curly brown hair falls to her face. "Listen, as I said before, I know you are not from this world. Wherever you come from, there will be some consequences if you don't realize it soon enough."

My brows furrow. "Realize what?"

Panicky and hard knocks make the tent's door shake. Beatrice pursues her lips. "That can't be right..." She walks over and opens the tent door.

A scaly hand grasps her neck and lifts her.

My eyes widen. "No! Beatrice!" I shout and run towards the danger.

The demon merely flicks his hand, and a wave of strong air keeps me stuck against the tent's wall. I squirm as I try to raise my fist.

He scoffs. "A measly mortal can't block my determination to come to you, my love,"  he whispers seductively at Beatrice.

The angel sneers and kicks his chest, but it didn't do anything to hurt him. "I should have known you will go to the outskirts while allowing one of your demon friends to impersonate you."

I gasp. "Is he Malcolm?"

He chuckles and places his face closer to Beatrice. "You relayed our love story to that mortal? I must say, love, you are becoming soft."

"I'm never soft. I learned to toughen my heart after you broke its pieces a long time ago," she whispers back.

The wind that holds me back seems to loosen from her comment. I squirm out quickly and hide. I need to find a weapon... anything to help Beatrice.

"I had to do this, you know. I did this to protect you!" He shouts. "You were not listening to me or understanding my reasons!"

"You and I could have killed anyone who threatened and hurt our significant other!" She yells back. "I love you, but the more I keep you close to me, the more I suffer from the flames."

I patted my jacket, and I couldn't believe it! Mallory's gun! I have two more shots left to use. If I miss, then I can take a second shot. I look at the raging couple arguing. Should I shoot or stay back hidden?

Malcolm loosens his grip and brings her down. He places his horned forehead on hers, careful of not impaling or scraping her smooth angel forehead. "I still love you too after all these years. I would always want you back. You never left my mind and you haunt my dreams. I miss you so much..."

Beatrice leans on him. Her neck starts to bruise from his hand, but she does not seem to care. "I miss you, too... Why did you become a demon?"

Screams from outside broke the loving reunion. They separate from each other again as I hide the gun back in my jacket.

Malcolm looks around, worriedly. His eyes of two colors look around the tent. "I will take you far away from here. My group... They are here and will not give a second thought to show mercy," he mutters.

The tent flies off. Hundreds of demons with sharp black wings, horned foreheads, and sharp talons looms over us.

All around us, furniture is thrown everywhere and tents are upside down. Multiple angel bodies litter the floor. Children and females are held captive while the men still fight with anything they get their hands on.

Beatrice creates a shield as demons swoop down to cause havoc. She looks at Malcolm with hatred. "You led them here. You tricked me once again! You are a liar! A demon!"

Malcolm shakes his head and pulls her in his arms. "No. No! No! I thought they were fighting in the front! I did not know someone followed me!"

Beatrice pushes him away as sparkling crystal droplets fall from her eyes. She looks away and her eyes land on mine. "Wherever you go, you will fall in love with your sworn enemy! Destiny calls for you to be on the opposite side from where he is. Never trust him. Whoever he will be, push him away for he will lie and deceive like the devil he is!"

She walks towards me and puts a loose strand of hair from my face to the back of my ear. "I'm running out of time. But you still have yours. "Wake up, now. Set the course on its rightful path. Keep your heart chained in your chest."

After her advice falls to my ears, sparks of the shield shatter. "Wait! Beatrice!"

She smiles. "I am you. You are me. I know you will make the right decision. The better decision than what I made."

Flame-tipped arrows rain down on us from above. We both shut our eyes, getting ready for burning pain, but it never came.

Malcolm uses his body as a shield. Arrows pierced his torso and legs. His body darkly singed. 

Beatrice's eyes widen. "Malcolm!" she cries out. 

More projectiles rain down on where we are. She pushes me away like all my other look-alikes in my dreams did before her. She looks at me for the final time as she held the demon. "Trust your heart."

As the scene slowly fades, the angel and the demon share one final intimate moment before arrows with flame pierces their bodies.

-🏙-

I wake up to the warm bright sun. I press my hand on my wet cheek from the tears running down my eyes. I think I have enough rest for the time being. The dream in my nap seems more powerful than before. I tremble and hug my blankets close to me.

Beatrice... Malcolm... Mallory...

Should I trust what Beatrice even said? She shared a kiss with Malcolm before they died. I don't even think Mallory likes me in that way...

I slap my face twice. What am I thinking?! I saw death before my eyes like in other dreams before. What is the difference now? We might not have been close, but Beatrice shared her personal life before she... passed away. Where do mythical beings go when they pass? Will they finally learn peace?

Those might be a different question to find out at another time. For now, the question that bothers my thoughts is:

Should I trust Mallory at all?