Box Set

by Kim Petersen

  ‘I always liked pink roses,’ she said.

  They spent the rest of the evening talking, eating and enjoying the wine. By the time she had eaten a hefty slice of the cake, she held her stomach and groaned. ‘I feel like Buddha!’ she jested.

  Craig wiped a crumb of cake from the corner of her mouth. ‘A pink-rose Buddha; now that’s something to behold!’ he chuckled. He searched her face. ‘You are something to behold.’

  Her eyes dropped and her fingers twisted in her shoulder-length hair as her heart skipped a beat. When she looked back up at him, her full stomach fluttered when she saw the desire his eyes revealed. What is it with this guy? she wondered. She had found him attractive the moment they had met, yet the way he made her feel was much more than attraction; Something more along the lines of affection, she pondered. That didn’t make sense to her considering her life was a mess lately. Surely there was no room for new love. Was there?

  She didn’t have time to think more about this, because before she could utter a response, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. His lips felt warm and soft as they lingered on hers and the fragrance of his spicy cologne flooded her senses. Suddenly she felt light-headed as a mixture of excitement and fear spiralled through her mind. She wanted to pull away. This is going too fast! – Yet the fluttering in her heart seduced her along with the growing fire in his lips as she found herself responding in a way that surprised her. And the world fell away.

  He caressed his thumbs against her cheeks and pulled away slightly, their foreheads touching as their breath still mingled.

  ‘You even taste like pink roses,’ he said.

  Bella grinned. Her body was filled with the warmth of his kiss and each stroking movement of his thumbs on her cheeks sent fireworks exploding down her spine. ‘You taste like honey,’ she said breathlessly.

  He closed the gap between them and when he kissed her again, his lips crushed hers with lust. His tongue entwined around hers. She felt as if she floated on air, and the mood was sprinkled with magic as they invaded each other intimately for the first time.

  Bella’s thoughts returned to the present as she pulled her car up in front of the gallery. Craig was a wonderful man, and a skilled kisser. He made her feel lighter; it was as if the burden of her worries suspended when she was with him. He saw life the easy way, and she loved that about him. She was curious that when the time finally came, what kind of lover he would make. She and Emma had discussed this observation at length over the phone the moment Craig had left that Saturday night.

  ‘Hi Bella,’ Millie called, opening the gallery door. She walked to the car. ‘Let me help you with your sculptures. I can’t wait to see them!’

  ‘Hey Millie – thanks.’ She handed Millie a sculpture as they unloaded the car, making several trips back and forth.

  Once inside the gallery, Bella hesitantly unwrapped each sculpture. Oh, I hope she likes them, she fretted.

  Millie’s delighted cries as she spied each piece revealed her appreciation as she marvelled at the delicately crafted models. When Bella unwrapped the last sculpture, Millie gasped as she regarded it with mouth agape.

  Bella frowned. ‘What?’ she asked. Is there something wrong with this one? she wondered. The cherry lips of a cherub smiled dreamily as the tiny angelic creature leaned against a froth of silvery bubbles that overflowed from a glass of champagne; it was her most recent piece and she was proud of this one.

  Millie’s eyes lit up as she grasped Bella’s hand. ‘Come with me!’ she said.

  She led her through the back door of the gallery, through the short narrow path of the back alley and into the studio, stopping only when they came to a canvas perched on a paint-splattered timber easel.

  As Bella peered at the canvas, her hands flew up to her mouth. The painting was the exact replica of her newly moulded cherub sculpture; even down to the sleepy grin playing over the creature’s lips and the shimmer of the bubbles that lapped over the long stem glass.

  ‘Oh my god! How is this possible?’ she said, turning to Millie.

  Millie shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘But when did you paint this?’ she said.

  ‘I’ve been working on it for a few days … you?’ Millie asked.

  ‘Same – it’s kind of bizarre.’

  They stared at each other with astonished expressions and Bella could feel the tiny spread of goose bumps as they fleshed across her skin. It was almost as if Millie’s eyes reflected her own; they seemed to visualise the same way.

  ‘Do you talk to angels, Bella?’ Millie ventured.

  ‘Yes,’ Bella nodded.

  ‘Me too,’ Millie whispered.

  Bella was completely floored. She had spoken to no-one about her angelic experiences, expecting people to think she was crazy. And now, this woman, who felt so familiar, had painted her exact sculpture and was talking about visiting angels! She trembled as an electrical current ignited and buzzed through her while she noticed the same seemed to be happening to Millie. A radiant light gracefully bounced over and between them, and Bella could barely believe her eyes. Millie appeared angelic as the light enfolded her in a gentle glow.

  Millie smiled as she extended her hands towards her. Bella lifted her hands too and when their fingers touched, a sphere of white light intensified and blazed over their hands as if uniting them. A tingling sensation ran up Bella’s fingers and trickled exquisitely through her body. She returned Millie’s smile as she felt a calmness permeate her. She noticed an image of opaque coloured wings appear and extend from Millie’s back. The wings were elegant and engulfed in a glimmering haze. It was the most beautiful vision she had ever seen. She gulped and blinked in disbelief, but she had no time to question what she saw as Millie’s gesture summoned for her to look over her own shoulder. She twisted her head slowly, feeling as if she was captured in a wondrous dream that she didn’t want to end. And when her eyes looked behind her, she gasped at the delicately placed wings that unfurled from her own back and hovered behind her.

  Bella blinked hard. She swayed from side to side and twisted around to get a better view of her wings. They differed from Millie’s in that they were a soft pink colour with the edges crusted silver. They are magnificent, she thought. Her mind slowed to a serene melody, and she was barely able to comprehend the phenomena taking place. She took a breath and closed her eyes as she felt all tension dissolve from her, leaving a pleasurable perception of peace in its wake.

  ‘Wow!’ she whispered.

  ‘Wow!’ Millie whispered back.

  In moments the visionary wings softened with the dimming of the light until they both diffused altogether. Millie and Bella exchanged looks of awe, their eyes conveying a thousand words that neither of them could find on their lips, yet a profound awareness struck them and they both understood the gravity of what they had just shared.

  Bella’s light laugh broke through the silence. ‘So, what was that?’ she exclaimed.

  Millie wandered to a stool and sat down. ‘You must be a descendant of an angel, Bella,’ she said.

  Bella gaped with her mouth wide open. ‘Say what?’ she laughed. ‘No … my parents are no angels! I mean, they are lovely but they don’t have a set of wings that just randomly appear out of nowhere.’

  Millie shrugged. ‘You never know for sure.’

  Bella’s brows furrowed. ‘I think I would know that! How do you know about this anyway? It’s happened to you before?’ she said.

  Millie nodded. ‘Once before. My birth mother is an ascended angel. She no longer exists on the physical plane, but she is teaching me to use these gifts.’

  Bella watched Millie with interest, and waited for her to continue.

  ‘Okay, so here is what I know – the Ascended Angels are like God’s guardians to the earth. Each breath of God that comes into physical form – humans – come to earth to experience through their senses. To sift through our desires and learn to think and act from our higher beings rather than from physic
ality. Ultimately, the path of freewill will eventually lead us back to God – to the light. The ascended path.’

  ‘So, have you reached this stage? And why do we have wings?’ Bella quizzed.

  ‘I am still on the learning path. Sometimes I think I’ve got it sorted and other times, not so much,’ she shrugged. ‘The wings are your gift to the world. You’ll learn how to use them with time,’ she said.

  Bella went silent and began to amble around the studio looking at Millie’s paintings.

  ‘There’s something else, Bella,’ Millie said.

  Bella paused and turned to look at Millie.

  Millie’s expression became serious. ‘The serpent god; Apepsis. He seeks to populate the earth with his will, and uses humans that are vulnerable to his advances by instilling his dark force within them. These people are dangerous. They kill without conscience and their mission is to wipe out the Ascended Angels; and those of us that are angel descendants – or have wings!’ she winked.

  Bella’s jaw dropped and the lines above her nose etched deep. ‘Are you serious? This sounds like … like,’ she stammered.

  ‘Like a fairytale,’ Millie said.

  ‘Yes!’ Bella asserted. She pushed her hair from her face as she attempted to grasp Millie’s words along with the mystical encounter they had experienced together. Is this really happening? she wondered. Her eyes settled on a canvas that portrayed golden-crusted pyramids, a shimmering blue lake and majestic unicorn gates. A vividly striking sunset cast heavenly hues over the canvas.

  When she glanced back at Millie, she wore an expression of nostalgia. ‘I’ve been to this place,’ she said, gesturing to the painting.

  The string of bells on the gallery door chimed loud, breaking through their discussion.

  Millie rose to her feet. ‘The Golden World,’ she said, turning to head for the gallery.

  Bella trailed her with an air of elation sweeping through her, yet her stomach flipped with uneasiness. It was then she knew there really was truth to Millie’s words. It was then she somehow knew her life was about to be turned upside down.

  When they re-entered the gallery, Millie caught sight of a woman lingering in the front corner among the French provincial pieces and the scented candles. She seemed particularly interested in a sculpture of a man and a woman leaning towards each other and joining at the lips. The carefully carved wooden couple was connected from the bottom down in a circular twist.

  Millie approached behind the woman. ‘The artist calls it “Eternal Unity”. It symbolises fertility and relationship energy-balance and it’s quite lovely,’ she said.

  The woman turned around. Her dark eyes flashed as she smiled. ‘It really is something, pussy-cat,’ she said.

  The woman’s voice was gravelly and rugged, and fell on Millie’s ears with a shudder. Her pulse began to race on high alert. She eyed her cautiously as she noticed the cloud of dark haze drifting over the woman like a dreary shadow.

  She cleared her throat. ‘Can I help you with something?’ she said.

  The woman tilted her head as if in deep thought. The red shock of her curly hair dangled and brushed against her black attire. ‘Oh, that depends.’ She lifted a silvery-ringed hand to clasp the pendant that hung from her neck and began to meander through the gallery.

  Millie followed her discreetly as her stomach began to churn.

  The woman paused in front of one of Millie’s canvases. It was a bleeding oil colour of a willow tree. Its long leaved branches were captured in a gentle sway and white dandelion thistles littered the scene like a mantle of snow.

  The woman swung around to face Millie. ‘You’re Amelia Anderson, right?’

  ‘That’s right,’ she replied.

  ‘Thought as much.’ Her eyes explored Millie for a moment. ‘Oh look, you have fluff!’ She reached out to dust Millie’s shoulder.

  Millie shrank back as the woman roughly groped at her shoulder, capturing a few strands of hair as she did so. ‘Ouch!’ she snapped.

  ‘Oh my god; I’m so sorry! I was just trying to get the fluff off your shoulder but you moved,’ she smiled.

  Millie drew her cardigan tighter around her. ‘It’s okay. Is there something in particular you are looking for?’

  She clutched at the pendant again. ‘Do you have any snake art? I just love snakes.’

  Millie’s eyes dropped to the woman’s hand that twisted the green stone between pudgy fingers. Her mouth grew dry, and for a moment she dared not breathe. She glanced over at Bella who was busy setting up her sculptures on a display shelf and appeared oblivious to their interaction. When she turned back to the redhead, she was watching her with a smirk.

  ‘I’m sorry, we don’t have snake art. You might want to try the reptile store across the street; you’ll find snakes enough there,’ she said, trying to keep her voice from quivering.

  ‘That’s too bad pussy-cat,’ she hissed, retreating towards the gallery entrance before pausing to watch Bella setting up. ‘Because snakes are much better than angels, and so much more interesting.’ She leered over her shoulder as she pushed open the door. ‘Maybe one day you’ll realise that.’

  Millie watched as the woman strolled down the street until her eyes could no longer follow her. She noticed her pass the reptile store without going in, and head on towards the bay. Millie pulled her woollen cardigan together until it wrapped snugly around her. However, no matter how tightly she held the soft stitches, she could not stop the incessant shiver that crept through her body like a minor earthquake. Who is she? Why did she call me pussy-cat? Her thoughts spiralled. There was only one person who had ever called her by that name; and she was gone. Bella saddled up beside her and placed a hand on her arm, splintering her troublesome thoughts.

  ‘Are you okay? You are as pale as a ghost,’ Bella said.

  She nodded slowly. ‘Did you see that woman?’ she said.

  ‘The frizzy redhead?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Millie turned to face Bella. ‘Remember how I told you about Apepsis instilling his will in some people? Well, she is one of them.’

  Bella gasped. ‘But … how do you know that? She seemed nice enough,’ she stammered.

  Millie’s expression was grim and her green eyes flashed in a golden ark. ‘She knows we are connected with the Ascended Angels. Bella, we have to be careful now; do you understand?’

  Bella’s eyes widened. ‘Okay, but I’m sure she was just checking us out, right? Nothing serious.’

  Millie grasped Bella’s arms firmly. ‘You can never underestimate a sleeping snake; they can see with their eyes closed. I know them only too well,’ she said.

  ‘How well?’ Bella ventured.

  She sighed as she dropped her arms. ‘Very well. I even love two of them,’ she murmured.

  ‘Oh my!’ Bella paused in thought. ‘Okay, listen. Let’s not get too carried away with all this; I’m sure we won’t see that woman again. Geez, we just had the most awesome experience out there! Let’s focus on that instead.’

  She grabbed Millie’s hand and pulled her towards her sculptures. ‘What do you think?’

  Millie chuckled. ‘They look beautiful. You’re right, I’m probably over-reacting,’ she said, giving Bella a light squeeze. Their eyes locked. ‘Thanks Bella,’ she said.

  Bella wrapped an arm around Millie and rested her head on her shoulder as they both studied the display. ‘Thanks Millie,’ she whispered.

  Millie snuggled her head against Bella’s. She absently looked over the sculptures while taking a deliberate breath. Bella’s presence gave her a sense of warmth and a peace she could not explain, yet as they stood together looking over the beauty of the sculptures, and breathing in the aroma of scented candles that wafted through the gallery, she was unable to shake the feeling of dread that quivered through her and settled in her gut like a tightly woven knot. There is a snake in town, and she slivered way too close for my liking.

  Ace sat on the cobblestone steps and looked over the unruly yard. His blu
e eyes furrowed with the frown that etched over his face. He had hoped his father had maintained the garden as they had done so together during his time at home. The weeds were beginning their relentless tangle through the flower beds and even poked between the cracks in the steps. He reached down and began to pull at the unwanted plants as he heard the thud of the back screen door behind his father.

  He glanced at his dad as he sat down next him. ‘Remember the time when we spent all summer out here clearing out the weeds?’ he said, throwing a handful of shrubs aside.

  Glen nodded and chuckled. He gazed out to the yard and his eyes glazed over for a moment. ‘That was a good summer,’ he replied.

  ‘Yeah, until Millie dug up that damned box,’ Ace scowled. He could feel his father’s eyes on him as he clutched more weeds and pulled hard. ‘Everything changed after that.’

  Glen’s sigh was heavy, yet he said nothing as he continued to observe Ace.

  Ace tossed the plants aside again. ‘Something else happened that day. I remember how scared I felt clutching Benny-boy and covering my ears while you and Millie went to battle. But when it was all over, I wasn’t scared anymore; I was angry,’ he said.

  Glen squeezed his eyes shut for a second, and when he opened them again, they were filled with unspent tears. ‘I know. I’m sorry; I should have been there for you, and I should have helped you overcome the darkness …’ His voice trailed and he brushed his eyes with the backs of his balled fists. ‘Only, I didn’t really know back then how to overcome him. I tried, yet I failed so many times. I can help you now though; I’m here now.’ He awkwardly put an arm around his son.

  ‘What if I don’t want your help, pa?’ Ace said.

  Glen’s eyes narrowed.

  Ace gave a half laugh. ‘I mean, I’m going well now. I’m better and I have kicked the dark force in the butt!’ he joked.

  Glen searched his son’s face with deep furrows showing on his forehead. Ace noticed how worried he looked, and for the first time that day, realised how much his father had aged since the few months he had seen him.