by Jay T
6 evan
Just when I’m about to give up hope, a light flashes and an explosion sends us all flying backwards. I land on my back 20 feet away. It takes me a few moments to draw a breath. I look up and see Eva standing in the middle of the explosion, her light shining so bright I have to shield my eyes. But that’s not all, there’s a ring of fire surrounding her.
She did it. She found her light. I’ve never been so proud in my whole life.
She chose the light. Her hair is messed up, her face is bloody and her jaw is swelling. She’s oozing blood from her side and her shoulder is bleeding but she looks like a feral lion ready to kill everything in her path. I’m completely amazed. She doesn’t look weak; she looks pissed.
She looks down at her hands and sees they are blazing red. More darkness comes swarming towards her. She’s pissed off all of hell. Instead of the usual black darkness, it’s turning red. Just a little bit at first and then redder and redder as if it’s turning up the heat on the darkness, something I’ve never seen before. The screams from within it get louder. Eva doesn’t back down, she doesn’t run away from the red darkness racing towards her. I see her smile, scream and take off running towards it, a trail of fire following her.
I try to get to my feet as I watch her charge it, my jaw hanging open. I look back at the group of us that were blown back by the explosion and everyone else is trying to get to their feet. I make eye contact with Chad; his jaw is the same as mine. What happened to her in there?
With Eva ahead of us, Chad and I get to our feet and run after her, trying to catch up as she, takes on the red wall of darkness alone and without fear. Eva disappears into it but she is not out of sight. She is wields fire and it screams and sizzles. I reach the wall of red darkness and run inside. Eva has fire coming out of her hands and feet and she is taking on every snake that comes at her. One after another after another they keep coming and she keeps punching and hitting and kicking.
“You can’t have me!” she screams at a soul she’s just hit with fire. It shrieks and falls back as another one takes its place.
Chad is flying inside, taking out the flying creatures as quickly as he can. They’re falling to the ground all around us like rain. I’m stabbing and slicing and fighting every creature that comes my way.
I see a monster in the sky zero in on Eva. It’s round but has talons twice the size of an eagle’s with a distorted face. I race to Eva’s side as it swoops down from the sky. I arrive just in time to cut its talon. It misses Eva, but just barely.
She looks at me for a split second but we don’t have time to react before we’re battling the next monster. We fight side by side. Taking punches but giving just as many. A snake jumps at Eva, I cover her head and pull her down with me. Before I can stand upright again, another snake wraps itself around my neck from behind. I didn’t see it coming. The intensity to the red darkness is nothing like I’ve ever felt. I reach up until I feel the snake’s head and I stab it. It felt like eternity, but it was only seconds. I uncoil the snake as another one wraps around Eva’s leg. She screams in pain as I stab it and she blasts it with her fire.
A horn sounds and the darkness turns and runs, retreating back to the shadows and back to the ground.
I’m exhausted, sore, bleeding, and burned, but I turn to look at Eva, this crazy, beautiful, strong woman who is my better half in every way. She’s smiling up at Chad as he circles around, making sure all of the darkness retreats. His white wings are stained red with blood, his sword shines and shimmers with fresh red. All of the angels cheer at our win. He lands in front of her and she rushes to him.
Even though we’ve won this battle, I’ve lost her.
I turn around to look for Naomi. I don’t see her. I was so focused on Eva, I didn’t see what happened with Nickolas.
The dead are everywhere. The ground is saturated with blood. Light and dark both sustained losses, but light won this time.
There’s movement in the trees. I stay back and listen to the voices.
“It’s alright, Naomi. Just do it.”
“What if I can’t make it work. What if you don’t come back? I don’t want to be without you.”
“I can’t have you turn out like me. Please don’t make me watch that. Just do it.”
I peer over the bush separating us and I see Naomi on top of Nickolas, a knife pressed to his chest where his heart is. I sit down, the bush between us, and I listen.
“Hurry, Naomi, I’m slipping. He’s calling me bac-” the knife slides in, cutting of his last word.
“I love you, Nickolas. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Forgive me. Please come back.”
I listen as he struggles to take his last breath and finally, silence.
I hear Naomi moving as she removes the knife. I feel warmth on my back where I’m sure she’s using her light.
“Come on, come back.”
Nothing.
“Come on, come back to me.”
I hear her pound on something and scream, “Nickolas, come back!”
I get up and come around the bush. Naomi has her hands over his heart, shining her light on him. She reaches up and kisses his cheek, “Please, come back.” she whispers. “It’s not working, Evan.” She didn’t need to look up to know it was me.
I put one hand on her shoulder and I the other one over the top of hers, covering Nikolas’ wound and shine my light for them both. Courage for her, strength for him.
We wait and wait and wait.
The longer it takes, the weaker she’s becoming, the less light she has to give him.
“You need to stop,” I tell her. “He’s gone.”
“I won’t stop until I’m gone too. I won’t do this without him,” she says as tears start to flow.
I watch her turn from sad to determined. She’ll give every last ounce of light she has to her soulmate because she loves him that much. She would lay down her life for the chance that he might live, despite the mistakes he’s made, despite the evil things he’s done, despite the pain and hurt he’s put her through.
Uncle Mitch comes around the corner.
“Naomi, I’ve been told to bring you home,” he says.
“No, he’s not better yet. He has to come back. I can’t go without him,” she says shaking Nickolas.
Mitch reaches down and pulls Nickolas free from Jacob. Nickolas’ still not awake but Mitch takes flight and looks back at Naomi, “You coming?”
She looks at me, “Good bye Evan. Remember what I told you, make sure she finds love but make sure she can stand on her own.”
I look over at Eva who is hugging her family goodbye, Chad at her side. I shrug and say, “Good luck, Naomi. I’m rooting for you guys.”
“I’m rooting for you too, Evan. Don’t be too hard on yourself, find forgiveness.”
I nod.
Naomi hugs me good bye and follows Mitch up into the clearing skies.
A fog rolls in and the souls and blood start to disappear as the fog cleans up the evidence of the war.
7 eva
A fog rolls in so thick that I can’t see anyone anymore. For a moment, I enjoy the peace it seems to bring. My hands and feet cool and I no longer have fire coming out of me. I close my eyes and let the peace within the still calm of the fog wash me clean. When I open my eyes, all the blood that was on me is gone. My face, side, and shoulder are healed and I feel a wonderful peace within my soul. No more ear ringing or memory changes. The fog cleans everything in its path, taking away the bodies of the lost souls around us. The angels gather their own and fly them into the sky. The fog gets lighter and lighter and then it’s gone and I can see clearly again.
Across the clearing, Uncle Mitch reaches down and pulls a soul from Jacob. Naomi hugs Evan and I can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy over how close they are. I watch her as she touches Evan’s shoulder and says something to him. He looks down at his feet. What did she say? Did she tell him she loves him? That she’ll miss him? Uncle Mitch, with his clean beautiful white
wings, says something to Naomi, and she follows him into the sky.
My mom and dad fly over with their beautiful white wings and land in front of me.
“You did so great today, Eva, we’re so proud of you,” my mom says.
“Yeah, not so bad, kiddo,” my dad adds. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fire-wielding angel yet, but nice work. I knew you were special.”
“So, I’m an angel now?” I ask. I can’t help but worry about Aunt Kami. What would that mean for her?
“No, you’re just our angel, sweet heart,” my mom says. “You need to go back and take good care of my sister, ok?”
“I don’t want to leave you guys.”
“Oh, sweetie, haven’t you learned anything?” my mom chuckles, “We’re not gone. We’re with you every day, we’re your angels.”
My dad adds, “But that doesn’t mean that bad stuff won’t ever happen to you, because if nothing bad ever happened, how would you ever learn to appreciate anything?”
Micah joins us. “We try our best to keep the terrible things away but you gotta help us out. You can’t let the darkness in your mind. There’s nothing we can do to help you with that. Those dark thoughts, those thoughts that say you aren’t good enough, that nobody likes you, that you can’t make it, those thoughts are darkness and you can’t listen to them. Find our voice instead, the quiet ones that say, take one more step, you can do it.”
“And quit being such a cry baby! Good grief, I’m so sick and tired of you being such a whiny little brat.” Bryant adds, joining us.
Tears are threatening to spill in from eyes but Bryant makes me chuckle and I punch him in the arm. “I missed your smart ass.”
“We never left you sis.” He pulls me in for a hug and I feel the soft wings on his back.
I pull back and look at Micah and Bryant, “I’m sorry I got you guys killed. I’m sorry I didn’t look before I stepped onto the road.”
Micah chuckles, “There was another moose on the side of the road. If you hadn’t stepped out, it would have and the outcome would have been the same. We went into that life knowing that was going to be our fate, and we did it for you.”
“Why? Why did you all have to leave me?”
Mom brushes the hair from my face and looks over at Evan, “Because everyone makes mistakes and sometimes it takes a little darkness to remember the good and where you want and need to be. If you take nothing else from this life, at least you found your light and your soul found its fire. But hopefully you can find love again someday too.”
A horn sounds and my family smiles at me one more time.
“We love you, Eva Mathers.” Dad says. “We’re with you, don’t forget it.”
Uncle Mitch comes back down from the sky a few moments later with the little girl with pigtails I’d seen earlier in the car with Aunt Kami.
“I thought you’d like to meet your cousin,” he says. “This is the sweet baby that Kami gave me. They never got to meet, but we watch over her. Will you tell her to stop it with the ‘I’m sorrys’? She gave me a wonderful gift that I get to hold onto until she joins us.”
“She never told me she was pregnant,” I say in complete awe as I reach out and take hold of the little girl’s soft hand.
“I know. It was too hard to admit because she lost her about the same time she lost me.”
When she lost Uncle Mitch, I overdosed and died shortly after. Kami couldn’t ever tell me because I wasn’t strong enough to handle it. She’s did it all on her own.
“How do I get back?”
“You fought the darkness and won. I’m sure Evan can guide you there,” Mom says.
“Love you, kiddo. Keep your chin up,” Dad says.
I nod but I don’t feel like keeping my chin up. I haven’t been there for Aunt Kami or any of my friends. I’ve been selfish and only worried about me. Mitch and my cousin fly back to the sky and Christey comes over.
“Nice wings,” I joke.
“Thanks, I’m a fan,” she kids back, fanning herself with them.
I chuckle.
“Amy needs you, Eva. She’s hurting too.”
I feel a stab of guilt.
“I don’t mean to make you feel guilty because you’ve had a lot to work out on your own first. I get it. But when you go back, she’s going to need you. Be there for her, please?”
I nod. She gives me a hug goodbye. My last goodbye is for Chad.
His wings are tucked back and he looks like his old handsome self, his hands tucked in his pockets, his scruffy face, and his beautiful hair.
“I miss you so much.”
“I miss you too, baby.” He wraps me in his arms and I feel safe and loved.
He pulls me back and looks me in the eyes, “I’m sorry I had to leave. I was with you in the hospital and I haven’t left you for a single day. But you know who else never left you? Do you know who’s broken every rule to be with you and help you?” he looks over at Evan. “That man is your soulmate. He’s everything you need. He’s your match, your other half.” I don’t want to hear this and tears begin to stream down my face.
“I want you, I chose you,” I whisper.
“You chose me because I was there. I was human. But even before that, you knew him, didn’t you? You loved him before you even loved me.”
I remember Evan at the accident. I remember him in my dreams. I remember wanting to sleep just to be with him.
“He’s here now. He fell from heaven to be with you. He’ll never have wings again but he was willing to give it all up and face whatever consequences there were because he would lay his soul down for you.”
I look over at Evan and see him this time clearly. I see him without the anger or the deceit of not telling me he was here for the first time. There are no more lies from the darkness twisting everything I know about him. I do love him. I’ve always loved him.
“What if they take him from me?”
“They’re going to try. They’re always going to try. But don’t forget, you have a team of angels behind you, and we’re all rooting for you guys. And when his time is up, he will join us in your team of angels, and together, we’ll fight for you.”
“All of this was for me? This whole war, all these deaths? All this blood?”
“We live for the chance to fight for what’s right. This was our pleasure.” He kisses me on the forehead and says, “Good-bye, Eva. I hope you can find forgiveness and love.”
His wings rise as he takes flight and joins the last of the angels in the sky.
Chad disappears from sight and I look over at Evan. He’s watched the interaction between us. He slowly walks over to me.
“You ready to go home?” He holds his hand out for me.
I take it. “Yes.”
8 evan
Careful not to mimic Chad, keeping my hands out of my pockets, I walk over to Eva, hoping the entire way she doesn’t decide to yell at me when I get there.
She just looks at me, like she doesn’t know who I am. My heart hurts.
“You ready to go home?” I finally ask. I can’t help myself, I need to touch her. I hold my hand out and say a quick prayer she takes it.
She reaches out and takes my hand as my heart hammers. “Yes.”
I drive the truck to the hospital. It’s morning and Aunt Kami’s car is here. “I’ll see you inside,” I say to the empty seat beside me. I don’t pull out of my body to look at her because I’m scared to see her anger. This is going to be difficult with Kami here. I fidget for a moment longer before I finally make my way to the front hospital doors. The first person I see inside makes me halt. There’s a lady in scrubs walking past me down the hallway. She has no fire in her eyes. I shake it off and walk a little farther before I pass an old man with a dozen roses is his hand slowly making his way along. There’s no fire in his eyes either. A doctor passes, no fire. What’s going on around here? I make it to Eva’s room and hesitate just outside the door. Eva’s soul is here, waiting on me to help her get back inside her
body. I sigh and enter the room.
“Hi,” Aunt Kami says, not coldly, just hollow. She has no fire behind her eyes either. They look sad. I shake it off and focus on the task at hand.
I smile and nod at her.
“Who are you?” she asks.
“I’m…” crap. I’m nobody, you don’t know me, you may never see me again. “Just a friend of a friend,” I finally say.
“What are you doing here?” I make my way further in the room.
“I’m just trying to help. Could I have a moment with her?”
She crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow at me. She’s not moving.
“I promise I won’t hurt her. I just need to tell her something really fast.”
“She’s not home,” Kami says pointing at Eva. “Something happened to her. She’s in a coma or God only knows what.”
“Really, it will only take a moment.” Please leave.
“I’m going for a coffee. I’ll be gone less than a minute, if you do anything to her-“
“I won’t. I promise,” I say.
She reluctantly leaves the room and I move to Eva’s side. “Eva, come on back.” I touch her soft cheek and shine my light on her neck.
I hear something at the door and I look up to see Kami watching me. She sees my eyes; she can see a small glow in my hand where it meets Eva’s skin.
Eva’s eyes open as she looks up at me. I can’t see any fire in her either but I know after last night, it’s there. She doesn’t smile, but she doesn’t glare at me either. Her eyes glow purple as the room warms.
“Eva?” Kami’s focus has moved from me to Eva’s eyes.
I rub one small circle on her cheek before I remove my hand and turn my light off, my eyes returning to normal with brown contacts. Eva’s eyes stop glowing and the purple retreats, but not completely. Her right eye has a purple ring around it. “Welcome back,” I say and leave the room, walking past Kami who just stands there, unsure of what she’s just seen.
