Tessa and Morgan got the rest of their food to go and drove to her familiar neighborhood in Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania in a fog. The wealthy suburb of Pittsburgh was full of gated communities and prep schools. Tessa’s dad had been a federal judge and she lived in one of the most prestigious neighborhoods. Crime rates didn’t apply to them, so she never worried about it being just her and Morgan alone in the house.
As they passed by the security gates and waved to the guard, Tessa eyed Morgan inspecting her hands. Tessa looked at them too, but for very different reasons. Morgan marveled how the pain disappeared as fast as it had come, like a miracle. Every time Morgan said it, the knot in Tessa’s stomach grew. What exactly happened? How was any of this possible? Tessa pinched herself several times to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. It was the only logical explanation. Tessa thrived on logic, on the absolutes and order that science delivered and she believed wholeheartedly in its philosophies. She knew science always required hard proof, but in this case the proof didn’t seem real. Maybe she and Morgan just thought the wound blistered and it was actually much milder. How hot could that plate have been? Surely, it couldn’t have caused that much damage.
When they arrived home, Tessa went straight to her room, not feeling well and ready to call it a night. Her appetite was long gone and now she just needed some alone time to think. “Goodnight, Morgan!” she called as she ducked into her room. She changed into her pajamas and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She stared at her hand in the mirror as she brushed, thinking back to the accident last year. Much of that horrible day was lost to the holes in her memory, but one image plagued her dreams –glowing hands. The hands, large, thick and calloused, belonged to a man. They were deeply tanned, like the owner spent a lot of time outdoors. She’d thought she imagined the glow before, but after tonight, she let herself think there was a possibility it was real.
A light sweat broke out over Tessa as she thought back to the first time it happened. She awoke from her coma only days before and had started her first day of physical therapy when the glowing occurred. She’d run her fingers over a hole in her arm where an IV had been and screamed as light emanated from her fingertips. The therapist assumed she was hurt and asked Tessa to describe the pain. When she admitted her fingers had begun to glow, the therapist ordered a psych consult. After that, she never told anyone else.
Curling up in bed, she made a decision. She would handle this like a scientist: by doing an experiment. In the morning, she would cut a small section of her thigh, just a half inch or so, then she would see if it went away or if her hands glowed again. It might be painful, but living this nightmare of thinking she was crazy was more so. She turned on the bedside lamp and picked up a new paranormal book by Nichole Chase wanting to escape into the world of the characters. Maybe that’s exactly what her hands were—paranormal. She smiled at the silly thought of having superpowers. I really must be losing it if I start thinking any of that is real.
After a few pages, she noticed the security lights flip on in the yard. She threw off the soft comforter, slid her feet into slippers, and peered out the window. Her house, while in a gated community, was still pretty secluded. There were, at least, 100 yards on either side of the house before the neighbor’s property. Many of her snobby neighbors even purchased golf carts to visit each other in. Of course, they claimed they were “medically necessary”, but she suspected it was just because they were lazy. She hated the attitudes of her parents’ friends and even her classmates, as if they were better than everyone else just because they had money. Sometimes Tessa wanted to smack some sense into them!
She didn’t see anything. Maybe it was a squirrel, she thought absently. The lights flicked off after a few minutes, and she headed back toward her bed. As she sat down, ready to surrender to sleep’s warm embrace, the security light flashed on again. She rushed back to the window. There, sitting by an old oak in the front yard was Mrs. Wenzel’s teacup poodle, Sweetie Pie. Tessa sighed, she’d have to return the dog, but she dreaded getting sucked into one of the long conversations Mrs. Wenzel was known for. Maybe I could put the dog on the porch, ring the doorbell and leave, she reasoned.
She tossed a fuzzy robe on and padded down the stairs. The lights were off and she assumed Morgan was in bed. She flipped the deadbolt and swung open the door, heading for the dog. As she stepped onto the porch, movement from the wicker swing caught her eye. She turned her head toward it. There, sitting casually with his leg crossed and arms stretched along the back of the swing was a man. Tessa screamed and ran for the front door.
He stood up and held his arms out in front of him, palms up, indicating he meant no harm. “No, don’t scream. It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you,” The man explained, slowly advancing.
Knowing better than to take his word, she darted into the house, turned the lock and grabbed for the cordless phone in the foyer. She dialed 9 when a soft knock came from the door.
“Tessa? I’m not here to hurt you. I want to talk to you for a minute. You probably don’t remember me, but I was there the day of the shooting.”
Tessa stood paralyzed; her fingers unable to press down the other two buttons. She wanted to, but something prevented her from moving even a finger. Her heart raced with fear. Why couldn’t she move? She tried to walk, to go toward the stairs and the safety of her bedroom, but her feet cemented to the floor and refused to budge.
“What’s going on?” she cried out. “What’s happening to me?”
“Tessa?” the gravelly voice beckoned again. “You’re perfectly okay. I promise. What I want you to do is put the phone down. You don’t have to open the door, but will you put the phone down and hear me out?”
“I—I can’t move.” She wished Morgan would wake up and come to her aid.
“You can now. Put the phone down. Just try,” he reassured again. Tessa stared at the phone in her hand, her fingers curled around it. She flung it to the floor. A gasp escaped her and her eyes widened as her body moved without her consent.
“How did I do that? Or did you do that? How is any of this possible?”
“My name is David. I came here tonight to talk to you about what’s been happening lately. I know you have a lot of questions and I wanted to explain things to you. Will you let me do that?”
Tessa didn’t answer. Instead, she tried to remember his face. When she saw him on the porch, he looked familiar. It was something about his eyes, but it eluded her. She pinched her fingers at the bridge of her nose, thrilled she could actually move. Did she know David? Or was he trying to take advantage of someone who lost her memory. It was no secret she was now quite wealthy and couldn’t remember much. Maybe he was a scam artist, except he looked so young, barely out of high school. Nonetheless, she wouldn’t be duped.
“I don’t know anyone named David,” she replied with resolve, proud she hadn’t fallen for his con. “Go away before I scream. How did you even get in here? This is a gated community. My roommate is here, and she’ll call the cops.”
“Morgan has gone out to meet her boyfriend,” David replied matter-of-factly, still using a soft tone as if trying to lure a frightened kitten out of a tree.
“Then I’ll scream even louder. My neighbors will hear, and you’ll be in trouble,” she tried, knowing it was unlikely. They had their hearing aids out at this time of night.
“Tessa, I promise I mean you no harm. Besides, screaming until the neighbors call the police will only complicate our situation. I just want to talk to you.” David sighed, thinking of how to get her to trust him enough to hear him out. “How about this? We’ll talk as we are and you can stay inside with the doors locked. Feel free to grab the fireplace poker you’ve been eyeing for added protection.”
Tessa’s eyes widened and she gazed around the room, wondering if there were cameras around. How else could he know where she looked? The thick curtains were drawn so she knew he couldn’t see in the windows. Nonetheless, she quickly darted toward the fireplace and grabbed
the poker, holding it like a baseball bat. She inched back into the foyer and sat on the bottom step.
“I’m listening,” she started warily, “but you get one shot. If you try anything I’m calling the cops.”
***
David smiled, relieved she gave him a chance. He opened his mind, allowing his powers to flow out of him like tendrils until he focused on her. She was scared, but curious. It felt so good to hear her voice again, to see the sparkle in her eyes. He wanted to break the lock and go to her, alleviate her fears. He slid down with his back against the door and his knees up. His elbows rested on his knees and he embraced her emotions. Having not been human for so long, he delighted in the wide array of feelings that people went though in such a short time. His kind never felt with such voracity, instead only absorbing the feelings of others. He had the ability to feel his own emotions, of course, but rarely did so. They had to be quite powerful to stand out and such emotions were rare. It was one of the reasons he defected all those years ago. If only humans could realize how lucky they were.
“Tessa, my name is David. I came here tonight to talk to you about some things you’ve been worried about.”
“How do you know what I’m worried about?” she pondered so quietly he strained to hear.
David debated on how to proceed. He envisioned this night going differently, so he was a little lost at the turn of events. He couldn’t tell her everything at once, nor could he come right out with what he could share. If he did, she’d never open the door and would call the cops. He needed to put her at ease by breaking it to her gently.
“It’s so great to see how well you’ve recovered after the accident,” David began. He decided explaining how he knew her would be the safest option. He paused a moment to read her emotions again and was pleased to find she wasn’t terrified. She was receptive, so he continued, “When I last saw you at the hospital, I wasn’t sure you’d make it.” It was a lie, but he needed to say it. He couldn’t very well tell her she was immortal like him.
“Is that where we met? At the hospital?” Tessa guessed. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember much of that time. I was pretty well sedated for several months.”
“I did come to visit you in the hospital, but we actually met before.”
“At school?” she tried again.
David smiled, imagining himself sitting next to her in class, a studious look on her face and a pencil behind her ear as she listened to a lecture. He wished he could’ve known her then. “No, we met at the gas station that day.”
“Oh,” she replied simply.
A few minutes passed before either spoke again. Each remembered that fateful day, but from very different perspectives.
Tessa lifted the chain around her neck containing her parents’ wedding rings and watched the diamonds sparkle as she turned them over and over. “I lost a lot of my memories, but I remember that day as if it were yesterday.” She swallowed hard, not really knowing why she continued to talk with a complete stranger. “I was with my parents that afternoon on our way to see the new exhibit at the Andy Warhol Museum. I didn’t want to be there, I wanted to hang out with Morgan at the mall, but she was grounded again so I was stuck with my parents.”
Tessa winced thinking that if not for Morgan’s D in AP History, she might have missed seeing her parents one last time. If only they never stopped in the North Side. It wasn’t a good area, Dad should’ve known better. Taking a deep breath and blinking back tears, she continued her story, “We had to get gas, and Mom was pissed again. Probably afraid the poor might rub off on her.” Tessa rolled her eyes, “I couldn’t take their bickering, so I went inside to get a drink while Dad filled the tank. It was the last time I saw my parents.”
She wiped away a tear that spilled over the edge of her eyelid. Her pain broke David’s heart. If he could have healed her from it, he would have without hesitation. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Tessa.”
“Thank you.” A few minutes of silence passed before Tessa spoke about the day her parents were killed. It was hard to think it was over a year ago already. “So much of what happened after the shooting started is a blur,” she confessed, becoming serious again. “I’m not sure what are my own memories or the things people told me happened. I’ve talked to a few of the survivors, but I don’t remember you.”
David chuckled lightly, “Well everyone remembers you Tessa. What you did was heroic and brave.”
Tessa could feel the blush on her freckled cheeks and was glad he was on the other side of the door. “I just did what anyone else would have.”
“No, Tessa. That’s the point. No one else thought about the little girl in that moment. Their hands went to their own heads and covered themselves. Everyone except you. Your hands went to the little girl and left you exposed and vulnerable. I read in the paper that you still see the girl and bring her toys.”
Tessa smiled thinking of sweet little Beatrice, and how her eyes lit up when she brought her the Rainbow Brite doll the last time she visited. The six-year-old girl was supposed to wait in the car, but she needed to use the restroom. So at the last minute, she unbuckled her seat belt and left the safety of her mom’s car, stepping into the path of the bullets. From what Tessa’d been told, she dove for the girl, knocking her out of the way and took a bullet in the head that would have hit the girl otherwise.
“Beatrice and her mom have become like family since the accident. They stopped by the hospital several times a week and brought me flowers or homemade cards. They even invited me over for a huge thank you party,” Tessa said, remembering how it made her squirm and yet feel loved at the same time. “Beatrice’s mom, Erika, makes casseroles and platters of fried chicken and mac & cheese on the weekends and brings them so I have something other than take-out to eat during the week. I even get to babysit her while her mom runs errands. She’s an awesome kid.”
It amazed Tessa to think such open love and acceptance came from a stranger. Erika and her family embraced her as one of their own from the start. She had standing invitations for every holiday and birthday. She’d really become part of their family. Their gatherings were loud, crowded and full of energy, something Tessa was not accustomed to. For her sixteenth birthday party, her parents arranged a formal sit down dinner with people she didn’t really know—all friends of her parents. There was a four piece string ensemble and everyone spoke in hushed tones. It felt more like a funeral than a birthday celebration.
***
“It sounds like they’re taking good care of you. It must be hard to lose both of your parents.” David banged his head on his knees at making such a stupidly obvious statement without thinking.
“I’m just glad they went quickly. I would have hated for them to suffer.”
“I understand that. More than you know.”
David thought back to the days when he worked in Heaven as a Healer angel.
“I can’t do this E. How am I supposed to sit idly by while people suffer?”
“Using this gift freely is forbidden, you know this. It would tip the balance. You need to focus on the bigger picture.”
David sighed, rubbing his temples to calm his frayed nerves. “Thousands of people are needlessly suffering. What purpose does that solve? What balance does that keep?” Just once he’d like to ease their pain. It would be so simple.
“It is your job to wait until assigned.”
“What, for another war to break out? Or a plague? Famine? Even then I’m not allowed to save everyone. People need help more than ever during a large crisis.”
“There is no deviating from the master plan.” The older angel tried to make him see reason, but David would have none of it.
He had accepted his job and role in the universe until he took an assignment in a small village during the Vietnam War. A bomb hit a school full of children. As he walked through the throngs of bodies, he noticed several small children, no more than seven or eight years old, still alive and writhing in pain. He instinctively went to them an
d felt their terror, but his hands wouldn’t glow. They weren’t who he was supposed to save. He couldn’t walk away and leave them to suffer and die. The look in the little girl’s eyes as he stood up and started to leave her would haunt him forever. That day he abdicated from his position and went rogue. He knew it meant an eternity on the run and an eternity alone, but he never regretted his decision.
David decided to remove his wings the next day and set off for America. The process took weeks and was extremely painful, but he kept the faces of the suffering in the forefront of his mind and pushed on. Years later when he saw the movie 127 Hours, he almost fainted. He knew exactly what that guy went through.
“You said you were there?” Tessa asked, jarring him back to the present.
“Yes, I was. I just got off work and was walking home.” He simply omitted that home was a homeless shelter a few blocks away. For the last few decades, David constantly roamed the streets of just such neighborhoods.
“Were you hit?”
“I’m sorry, Tessa,” David apologized, “what did you say?”
Tessa rolled her eyes and loosened her grip on the fire poker as she moved closer to the door. She sighed, typical guy—never listening.
“I asked if you were hurt in the shooting too,” she repeated her question with a hint of annoyance.
“No. I was lucky. I was inside the store when the shooting started.”
“You were one of the lucky ones.”
“My luck began the moment I met you,” he whispered under his breath, recalling that moment.
He stepped out of the gas station’s convenience store as she went in. She held the door for him, causing him to pause. Most people wouldn’t bother, concerned only for themselves and hurrying to get through their day. Even though he was several feet away, she patiently waited for him go through. The simple gesture touched him deeply. His eyes met hers and he almost stopped in his tracks. Her eyes danced with life in a way he’d only seen a few times in all of his years as an angel.
Echo of an Earth Angel (The Earth Angel Trilogy: #1) Page 2
