“We no longer need David to rescue many lost souls.” She stated as her lavender filled with apprehension.
“What? I don't understand.” David said, distraught. He'd come so far and learned so much. He didn't want to give up now.
Michael looked sombre, as though Evangeline had already informed him privately, through telepathy.
“David, we still need you. It's just...the quest has changed.” She lowered her eyes as she continued, “The new quest, however, is far more dangerous than the original.”
Angel
Lily turned around to see if there was anyone standing behind her. Being a ghost, the little girl could be looking through her at someone else. There was no way the little girl could see her, could she?
Upon seeing there was no one behind her, Lily again faced the little girl, who was still staring at her.
“Do you want to see my teddy?” The child asked, looking at Lily with innocent eyes.
“Can you...see me?” Lily stammered as she walked slowly to the bed.
“Of course I can see you! Don't be a silly bear Mommy.” The little girl said as she reached under the blankets and produced a teddy bear. “This is Mr. Binx, he's my favorite bear.”
“Very nice.” Lily responded with a smile as she tried to decipher who this child was. “What's your name little one?”
Giving Lily a pouting look, she stated, “Mommy, don't play games. You know who I am.”
Mommy? Why does this child keep calling me that? Lily wondered, Quinn! She has to be Quinn's little girl. Quinn and I have always looked very similar...except Quinn cut off her hair.
Completely confused, Lily persisted in a new direction. “Is that...Uncle Gabe?”
“What?” the child frowned at Lily, “No, that's my Daddy!”
Okay, let's see here. Maybe Gabe and Quinn...got together...and had a child together...Lily smothered a pulse of pain as she contemplated Gabe and Quinn together. This child looked to be about five years old. According to the number of red roses that Gabe had left for Lily in the tree house, she'd been dead for five years. The math didn't add up. Lily felt like she was playing a game of Clue, but the puzzle pieces didn't fit together.
The little girl finally sighed, apparently sensing Lily's frustration, then declared. “Hope. My name is Hope Lily Konstantinos.”
Shocked, Lily managed to respond. “What a beautiful name!”
“How come you never visited me before?” Hope blurted out suddenly.
Lily sat on the bed beside Hope. It was obvious the child wasn't afraid of the fact she was chatting with a ghost, so Lily didn't think she'd mind.
“Um...I've been...away, for a while.” Lily had no other way to answer, she had no idea what was going on.
The whole situation reminded Lily of the weird Twilight Zone shows her brothers used to watch late at night when their parents were sleeping. Her brothers knew those types of shows wouldn't have been permitted by their parents, as they were paranormal in nature.
So, late at night, the children would sneak downstairs and quietly find the channel the show was on. Lily never liked watching the scary shows, they gave her nightmares, but she loved being up late with her brothers.
Maybe I'm having some kind of dream. A hallucination or something. Lily considered. Everything since her fall from the tree house had been bizarre, to say the least, so why couldn't this be part of the craziness.
As Lily sat on the edge of the bed, Hope leaned in closer to her and whispered, “I'm tired Mommy, I'm going back to sleep. Will you be here when I wake up?”
“Um, sure, I'll stay.” Lily smiled at the beautiful child. It really was amazing how much Hope looked like Lily, her hair, her skin, her eyes.
“Thank you.” Hope said as she yawned and lie down, pulling the blankets over herself. “Daddy said we might go visit you tomorrow. We always go for ice cream after. I like chocolate.” Hope murmured as she fell asleep.
Lily stared at Hope's angelic face for a few minutes, watching her drift off to a world of dreams.
“Visit me?” Lily repeated, wondering if she'd heard the child right.
~
The next morning, as Lily watched Hope and Gabe awaken for the morning, she felt an intense sadness sweep over her.
This is supposed to be my life. She thought, her heart heavy with regret, I'm supposed to be waking up with my family right now. Kissing Gabe good morning. Helping Hope brush her hair. This life was supposed to be...something else.
Watching Gabe as he performed his fatherly duties with ease and tenderness, Lily wondered what life would've been like if she hadn't died. She would be the one helping Hope get dressed. It would be Lily that made Hope chocolate chip pancakes and whipped cream in the morning. Lily would be the one to kiss her when she fell and scraped her knee.
Wait! Lily snapped at herself angrily, This child can't be yours, so quit your stupid daydreaming Lily!
Lily decided to smarten up and take things more seriously. She couldn't go around pretending she still belonged in the world of the living. She was dead. She knew she’d have to just face that fact.
Besides, the pain that swelled in her chest from thinking about ‘what could have been’ was terrible.
Lily felt stupid tagging along behind Gabe and Hope as they went about their daily business. She sat beside them as they ate breakfast, then followed them outside and watched them play on the swing set.
It surprised Lily that Hope never mentioned anything about seeing her the evening before. She surmised the little girl must have forgotten all about the encounter, plus it didn't appear that Hope could see Lily now.
Maybe I'm just going crazy! Lily thought to herself, though she wasn't convinced. She knew she had not imagined talking with Hope. Lily had also not forgotten what the little girl had said about going for a visit.
What on earth could she have meant? She wondered as she replayed Hope's words in her mind. Suddenly, she understood. Oh...my grave. They're probably going to visit my grave. She thought with a heavy heart.
Gabe diligently pushed Hope on the swing. Though he was smiling, his blue eyes harboured a deep sadness.
It's all so sad, thought Lily wistfully; we should have had a lifetime to spend together. It must be so hard for him, taking care of a little one and having no one to share his life with.
“Daddy?” Hope said suddenly as she swung back and forth on the swing.
“Yes sweetheart.” Gabe answered.
“Are we going to see Mommy today?” the little girl enquired, her long hair swaying with the breeze of the motion.
Sighing, Gabe appeared to struggle internally, finally he answered. “We can if you like sweetie.”
“Oh goodie! I would like a chocolate sundae with sprinkles after.” She grinned, licking her lips in anticipation.
“Honey.” Gabe said as he stopped the swing and looked at Hope seriously. “We don't go visit your mother just so we can get ice cream afterwards, okay? Do you just want to go for ice cream instead?” He asked, apparently hoping to avoid the visit.
Hope thought pensively for a moment, contemplating her answer, then spoke confidently. “No, I want to go see Mommy. I told her we'd visit her.”
Lily was surprised when she heard Hope speak of their conversation. She was sure the little girl wouldn't remember it at all. Scanning Gabe's reaction, Lily was unsure as to how he was going to respond.
“You...told her?” Gabe asked, obviously confused.
“Yup. Last night, she came to visit me.” Hope stated bluntly.
Sighing deeply, Gabe lifted Hope off the swing and turned her to face him. Crouching down onto one knee, he looked her in the eyes and spoke. “Sweetie, we've talked about the difference between dreams and what's real, right?”
Hope nodded as she listened intently to her father.
“Mommy's not able to visit you, she's...” he paused, apparently searching for the right words. “well, she's...not here anymore.” Gabe explained as tears filled the corne
rs of his eyes.
“But she was in the room last night, she looked like an angel.” she told him excitedly.
Lily's heart filled with warmth when she heard Hope call her an angel. She didn't consider how the little girl might see her. An angel! Lily thought, How beautiful!
Gabe pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, obviously trying to think of how to proceed. Just as he opened his mouth to explain further, Lily's mother hollered to them from the front door.
“Lunch!” Maggie yelled with a smile.
Hope moved to run to the house, but Gabe stopped her gently. “Let's not talk about this sort of stuff in front of Granny, okay? It might...make her sad. Okay beautiful?” Gabe told her softly.
“Okay Daddy.” She agreed readily, turning to run towards the house. Halfway to the house, however, she stopped and turned around. “Daddy? If Mommy isn't an angel, why was she wearing that long white dress? It was pretty, it had long sleeves and ribbons on the back?” She said as she twirled once, spinning like Cinderella in a long gown, then skipped to the front door.
Lily turned to look at Gabe just in time to watch him pale. Standing beside him, she heard him utter under his breath, his voice shaky. “But...that sounds like Lily’s wedding dress. How could Hope know what it looked like? I never showed her.”
The Gathering
“Let's travel quickly then. Evangeline, will you bring David?” Michael asked of her.
“Of course.” She agreed, quickly extending her hand to David. “We'll travel by the speed of thought, it's much quicker.”
“Okay.” David answered, though feeling apprehensive about where they were going and what his new quest was to be.
Holding Evangeline's hand, he felt his aura quiver as she sped up their vibration. Similar to the travel he'd experienced with his mother when he first arrived in Heaven, Evangeline moved them faster than the speed of light into the centre of the crystalline city.
Michael was already standing there, waiting for them when they arrived. Considering how fast he and Evangeline travelled, it astounded him that Michael appeared to travel even faster.
“Let's go.” Michael stated as he walked towards a large building in the centre of the square.
The building had the most unique architecture David had ever seen. Enormous, to say the least, the structure sat upon twelve large Corinthian columns. The building it supported was surely as large as the Parthenon on Earth, if not bigger. The walls appeared to be made of quartz, mirroring the ocean blue skies in its reflection.
The three approached the entrance. Like the tunnels that had brought David and Michael to Earth, the doorway to this building was a miniature version. Stepping into the mouth of the passageway, they were transported into the building.
Inside, David was overwhelmed. A cathedral ceiling stretched overhead, so tall it made Michael look average.
Entering a grand doorway, David was surprised to now see sky above him. The building was designed like an enormous stadium, open to the heavens.
He could see thousands of beings encircling the sky overhead. Shining golden, they hovered as though waiting for an ethereal concert to begin. Spiralling upwards, as far as the eye could see; David was apprehensive as he was placed in front of this army of angels.
Evangeline and Michael sat themselves within the ring of beings, close to David.
“Welcome. We are the Council of Light.” The beings spoke in unison.
“Um...hi there.” David said, using his voice, rather than telepathy, for the first time since he'd arrived in Heaven. He sincerely wished he could think of something meaningful and wise to say.
“The level ten being has been located on Earth,” they began, “We need you to rescue her, David.”
“Me?” He responded, bewildered as to why he would be the one to help the lost level ten.
After a few moments of silent soul searching, David finally asked the question that had burned inside him since he'd arrived in Heaven.
“Why me?”
“David,” Their voices patient, “while many beings have had many reincarnations, only a precious few have ever carried out the same purpose in every lifetime.”
David looked nervously at Evangeline and Michael, who both beamed with confidence at him.
“You, David, have been a healer in every life.” The Council spoke reverently. “You have lived over six hundred lives, each for the sole purpose of healing others. Your dedication to humanity is exemplary. Having given so much of yourself to others, your power to heal and protect is incomparable. Thank you.”
A sensation of immense pride washed over David as the entire Council blessed him with their feelings of gratitude.
“Um...you're welcome.” David responded sheepishly, grinning at Evangeline and Michael who nodded their thanks to him.
David still didn't understand why someone as strong as Michael couldn't return to rescue her.
Sensing his question, the Council explained, “Angels are bound by different laws than humans. They are strictly forbidden to engage in warfare on human territory.”
“I see.” replied David, thinking back to the terrifying event he and Michael had endured on their field trip.
“Will you help us?” The Council asked respectfully.
Bowing his head, the gravity of the situation sunk into his system. He considered everything he'd learned and experienced since he'd been in Heaven. The prospect of facing the dark energies again frightened him, but he knew he must try.
“Of course.” David held his head high, feeling noble and confident. For the first time in his life, or death, he believed in his purpose and in something bigger than himself.
As he answered, the entire Council stood and applauded. The sound might have been deafening on Earth, but here in Heaven; it was glorious. Like a thousand drums beating in rhythm; all for David.
Grave Thoughts
Paranoid, she kept a watchful eye on the bushes near the car. As Lily walked, following behind Gabe and Hope, she thought she saw the leaves rustling. Freezing on the spot, Lily waited.
Come on you snaky jerk! Lily thought to herself, daring the creature to come forward, Come and get me if you're there!
Hope and Gabe were already inside the car and putting on their seat belts. Lily moved stealthily passed the bush, praying she was just being irrational. Edging her way along the side of the car, she passed through the side door and sat herself next to Gabe. Hope chattered in the back seat non-stop about a movie she'd watched about mermaids.
Breathing a sigh of relief as Gabe put the car into gear and drove away, Lily watched as her childhood home faded from view. It felt good to be in the car, driving around like a normal, living, human being.
Lily closed her eyes and pretended they were all going to a family picnic together. She imagined singing songs and playing eye spy to pass the time until they reached the park. Taking long walks together beside a glimmering pond, playing hide and go seek in the trees, and eating ice cream cones while watching the baby ducks waddle behind their mother—all things they would have done as a family on a picnic.
Sad, Lily watched the world fly past the car window and wondered if the sins she committed were really as bad as the punishment.
I wonder which graveyard I'm buried in. She thought suddenly, The one on Berry Hill is truly beautiful. I hope it's that one.
“Daddy?” Hope suddenly piped up from the back seat, “Do you think Mommy still remembers who we are?”
“Of course sweetheart!” Gabe answered, obviously startled by the question, “Why wouldn’t she?”
Hope looked down at her lap and fidgeted with the hem of her sundress. “I don't know. It's just that...” she paused.
“What honey?” Gabe asked, concerned. Lily smiled at his handsome face, thinking what a wonderful father he was.
“Well, the other night, when Mommy came to visit me, she didn't know my name.” Hope pushed out her lip a little.
Sighing, Gabe looked wo
unded and tried to explain, “Sweetie, it was just a dream. Don't worry, I'm sure Mommy knows who you are.” he soothed.
Lily sighed as she watched the world flash by, Why did I have to die? Was it...just my time? Morbid thoughts of her death then invaded her mind. Grimacing, she wondered how hard this moment was going to be, seeing the place where her body lie just under a shallow mound of dirt, decaying.
She wondered how she was dressed, lying in the coffin, at her funeral. Did they do her hair fancy? She wasn't trying to be vain; it's just one of those things she was curious about. The last thing she wanted was to appear grotesque the last time everyone was going to lay eyes on her.
Shuddering, she closed her eyes and focused on Hope's cheerful voice emanating from the back seat.
It was then the car turned into a parking lot.
Lessons
“See him? Over there, in the corner?” Michael asked with his voice hushed.
“Yes.” David replied, already regretting this latest field trip. While he was grateful for another Earth excursion to practice his healing, his stomach churned with anxiety as he watched three dark serpents bully an old ghost.
After searching only two homes on a busy street, Michael and David discovered this wayward soul within a suburban bi-level. An elderly woman dwelt there; unaware her late husband was still haunting the premises.
As David admired the couples' family photos adhered to the walls, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of homesickness. He'd been avoiding thinking of Ellen and Tiffany since he died; the sadness of being away from them was disheartening. It was just easier to forget about them, or at least, try to.
He wondered what life might’ve been like if he hadn't died. It didn't take him long to realize that nothing would’ve changed; he would’ve lived out the rest of his days trapped in unhappiness.
Dimensions of Genesis Page 20
