by Annie Dalton
Mum was holding a shell to my ear, so I could hear the sound of the waves. But I was convinced it whispered my name. “The shell called you Melanie?” said Mum, half-laughing. “Not that name,” I kept saying. “My real name.” But I couldn’t explain what I meant.
I smiled to myself, remembering, just as some little nursery-school angels came racing across the sand.
“We found you!” they shrieked. They danced me round, giggling. None of them looked older than four (in Earth years), and they were totally full of beans.
I was bewildered. “You found me? You don’t even know me.”
“Yes we do. You’re Melanie,” they giggled.
A little boy tugged at my hand. “Come and play,” he insisted. He had the calmest face I ever saw and absolutely no hair. He looked exactly like a tiny buddha.
“I can’t,” I said wistfully. “I’m supposed to be doing Private Study.”
“Oh, pooh,” said a little girl with a sparkly hairband. “They just want you to use the Angel Link.”
My heart sank. Kindergarten angels know more than you, Mel, I thought.
“The what?” I said miserably.
“It isn’t the Link that matters,” my little Buddha explained in a gentle voice. “It’s what happens after that.”
“Yeah, like what?” I said, still depressed at being the slowest learner in Heaven.
His eyes shone. “You plug into the angel power supply and find your very best self!” he said.
“And you feel all safe and smiley,” said the hairband girl.
“Smiley,” echoed the littlest angel hoarsely.
“It actually makes you glow!” said another little boy.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. In two seconds flat, these tots had solved my problem! “And that’s all?” I gasped.
“Not exactly ALL,” he admitted. “Miss says we’ll understand the rest when we’re ready.”
“But how do you, you know, plug in?” I asked.
“Oh, that’s lemon squeezy,” boasted the sparkly hairband girl. “Here’s what you do, OK? First you get really quiet inside.”
The littlest angel waved her hand. “Let me, let me!”
“Go on then, Maudie,” everyone sighed.
Maudie took a big breath. “You let yourself feel all safe and smiley,” she recited in a hoarse little voice. “Then you picture being the best self you know! And then guess what!” she beamed. “You ARE it.
“Miss says when we use the Link, we’re connected to every angel that ever was or ever will be,” my little Buddha explained.
“Come on,” said the hairband girl impatiently. “Miss Dove says to bring Melanie back with us.”
The children started tugging me along the beach.
“Miss said we’d find you here,” the little Buddha beamed.
I stopped in my tracks. “But how did she know?”
“You asked for help, silly!” whispered the littlest angel.
She clearly saw nothing weird about pre-schoolers picking up someone’s personal distress signals. But I was in a total spin.
Melanie Beeby, I scolded myself. Four-year-olds know more than you. You should be ashamed. Go home and read your Handbook from cover to cover.
I didn’t, though. Want to know what I did? I spent the afternoon in nursery school!
First we did cutting and sticking, involving more glitter than you could possibly imagine. Small angels adore anything sparkly, apparently.
Then Miss Dove said we were going to grow tiny orange trees in pots. I thought this sounded almost as boring as normal school. But all the little angels immediately went “Yay!” like this was some big treat!
“You too, Melanie,” Miss Dove beamed.
“Oh, that’s OK, I’ll just watch,” I said hastily.
It turns out that no-one EVER just watches in Miss Dove’s class. She wouldn’t take no for an answer, just briskly handed me my personal tree-growing kit: a little pip and a pot of dirt. And we all solemnly planted and watered them.
At this point, things got a little different to my usual school seed-planting experiments. Miss Dove made us hold our pots in both hands. “Now I want everyone to go quiet inside and plug into the angel power supply,” she said in her special nursery-teacher voice.
And guess what! With no effort at all, I pictured myself being the best self I could be, just like Miss Dove said, and all at once I felt all that cosmic electricity whooshing through me, as if I really was connecting with all the angels in existence.
Next Miss Dove showed us how to beam this energy into our little pots of dirt. “Gently, gently,” she kept saying. “We don’t want to fry them now, children, do we?”
Then we all popped our pots on the window-sill in the sun, and Miss Dove told the children to sing me a new song they’d been learning. I don’t know why, but something about their little voices reminded me of those wonderful cosmic sounds which lulled me to sleep every night.
During the singing, something extraordinary happened. Our orange pips began to put out shiny green shoots! By the time the children had reached the last verse, each pot contained a perfect miniature orange tree!
And I know this sounds silly, but mine seemed to recognise me, because when I picked it up, it instantly burst into sweet-smelling blossom.
“I grew a tree!” I breathed enchanted. “That is so sublime!”
At last it was time to go home. All the children in Miss Dove’s class shrugged on their cool little rucksacks (designed to look exactly like wings), and went racing out of school.
Miss Dove said I’d been invaluable, and invited me to pop in any time I was free. I repeated her words to my tiny orange tree, all the way home.
“You were invaluable, Melanie,” I whispered. “Invaluable.”
The minute I walked into my room, I saw myself in the mirror. And guess what? I finally had that authentic angel glow!
Lola popped her head round my door. She gave me a swift once-over, then grinned. “I see you finally cracked Private Study then!” she beamed.
“Really?” I breathed.
“Erm, have you checked your post, Boo?” she asked innocently.
I shook my head. “Uh-uh.
“Tada!” Lola waved an envelope with my name on it. “We’ve got tomorrow off! The Agency is having a Dark Study Day. It has to be something to do with the history club.”
“Omigosh!” I screamed. “We’re going time-travelling!”
Chapter Seven
The minute Lolly went back to her room I took my little beaded dress out of the wardrobe and tried it on. I told myself this had nothing to do with impressing Orlando. I just wanted to wear it.
Supposing grey isn’t dark enough for Dark Study Day? I panicked. Maybe I should wear black?
Then I had a good look at my reflection. I was looking unusually delicious, if I say so myself.
Nah, that’s dark enough for anyone, I thought. The dress was a bit on the short side, but so what?
Next morning Lola and I walked downtown to the Agency headquarters.
I’d been hearing about this mysterious Agency ever since I got here. I couldn’t wait to see it for myself. I’d forgotten that in this city, it wasn’t just what something looked like, it was what it felt like.
We were still a couple of streets away when a violent tingling started in the soles of my feet. Then we cut down a side street, and right in front of us was this amazing futuristic skyscraper.
It looked like it might be made out of the same magical glass as the Academy library. But instead of a built-in cloud feature, the Agency Tower was continually washed by lovely waves of colour.
In the time it took us to reach the entrance, the building shimmered right through glowing sunrise to twilight lavenders and blues. The tower was so tall that the upper windows were actually up among the clouds. But through the curly white wisps I glimpsed violent bursts of light. They seemed to occur about a heartbeat apart.
“What’s happening up t
here?” I breathed.
“The usual comings and goings,” said Lola casually.
My mouth dropped open. “You mean those are agents like, zooming out of Heaven?”
“Or zooming back again,” said Lola.
I threw my arms around her. “Totally luminous, Lollie!” I shrieked. “That’s going to be US!”
Amber was waiting for us outside on the steps.
“You look great, Mel,” she beamed. “Erm, but are you sure you’ll be able to run in that sweet little dress?”
I glared at Lola. “You never said we’d have to run!”
“It’s a training day, Boo!” Lola pointed out with a grin. “I thought you’d work it out for yourself.”
We stared up at the Agency building, working up courage to go in. By this time, the high tingle-factor was making me feel incredibly light-headed. But Lola is not a girl who is easily intimidated.
“OK, we’ll do it on three,” she announced. “One, two, THREE!”
We dived into the revolving doors and came out, giggling. Unfortunately, the Agency lobby is the size of a cathedral. The tiniest whisper echoes on for ever. The three of us tiptoed across acres of highly polished marble, trying not to laugh, and Lola gave our names to the guy at the desk. Then we stepped into a lift and went whizzing up into the sky for miles.
Now that I was actually inside it, the Agency’s whizzy energy levels felt quite normal. But I noticed that Lola and Amber had suddenly acquired this extra-special angel glow, so probably I had too.
We hurried along a warren of gleaming corridors, following the signs to the Training Day.
The Dark Study area was crowded with alarmingly advanced angels, all standing around and using angel jargon until I thought I’d scream. You could just tell none of them would ever stoop to taking advice from toddlers.
I was almost relieved to spot Flora and Ferdy coming through the crowd. Following a few metres behind them was Orlando.
Just in time I remembered that I had not dressed to impress him, plus I was not one of his sad little groupies. So I gave him my briefest smile and said, “Oh, hi.”
At that moment Michael came in. I was more clued-up about archangels these days. But I’d noticed that despite Michael’s awesome cosmic responsibilities, he never acted as if he was in any way above the rest of us. Sometimes he reminded me of a big brown bear, right down to his podgy tummy. Then I’d see those eyes, blazing with terrifying intelligence, and have to look away.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming at such short notice,” he said. “The fact is, we’re facing a celestial emergency, and we need all the help we can get.”
I was stunned. This amazing being was actually asking me for help!
“As you know, certain eras in human history present the Agency with greater challenges than others,” he went on. “The Dark Ages is an obvious example.”
I couldn’t quite believe this was happening! I’d only been an angel for about five minutes, but here I was at the cosmic hub!
“The greatest drain on our resources, however, comes from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries,” Michael said gravely. “As some of you know, we recently received a severe set-back, and a large number of agents were wounded in the field.”
Then he launched into the usual team-work speech, and how connecting with each other through the Link was normally effortless.
“Unfortunately, on a turbulent planet like Earth, it does take more concentration,” Michael went on. “Just remember that the principle is the same. Through the Link, you are instantly connected with your heavenly power supply. And the Opposition will have no power over you.”
My eyes accidentally drifted to Orlando, who was sitting down at the front. Pay attention, Mel, I scolded myself. This isn’t school assembly. It’s real.
“The Opposition naturally prefers humans to believe they are alone in a hostile universe.” Michael took a sip of water. “It will do its utmost to prevent you carrying out your mission, either by separating you from your team, or by cutting you off from the Link. These Dark Study courses simulate the kind of trouble you can expect.”
We were all divided into teams. All six Academy kids were in one team. Orlando was our team leader.
“Just take a moment to establish the Link,” said Michael.
I sent up a silent thank you to Miss Dove. Thanks to her, I now knew that the Link was some kind of heavenly internet that connected me to every other angel in existence. Luckily, since my afternoon in nursery school, I totally had it down.
I took a big breath, went quiet inside, and WHOOSH! I was connected.
It was effortless, just like Michael said. I felt so peaceful that I knew nothing could ever hurt me again. I could see everyone else felt the same.
Then two agents sprang up from their seats and went to stand on either side of a door. Michael gave them a nod, and one of them pressed a button. The door slid back. When I saw what was on the other side, my mouth went as dry as cotton wool. I’d secretly been hoping for castles and knights in armour. But there was just icy cold darkness.
“GO, GO, GO!” chanted the agents, and they began pushing people through the door, one at a time.
Oh-oh, I thought. This was scarier than I’d thought!
“You’ll be OK, Mel,” said Orlando quietly.
I gave him a withering look. I didn’t care if Orlando had just read my most private thoughts, I refused to seem impressed.
At that moment, the agents grabbed my arms and booted me into space.
FLASH! It was a frosty night and I was in a crowded fairground, a disappointingly modern one. Not a bustle or crinoline in sight.
I should explain that Agency simulations faithfully recreate what happens when a celestial agent first hits Planet Earth - which is basically that it’s completely mad. My angelic senses were suddenly bombarded with about a gazillion conflicting signals.
Can you imagine being forced to listen to all the radios, mobile phones, TVs and stereos in existence? Only Earth isn’t just blasting you with a cacophony of sounds -it’s also broadcasting this nonstop uproar of thoughts and feelings, all rushing through you like light waves. Not only is it scary and overwhelming, it hurts.
I clutched my head. “Ow,” I whimpered.
FLASH! Lola appeared beside me. Amber appeared next, then the twins, followed by Orlando.
Ferdy instantly clutched his head. “Aargh! Total brain melt!” he gasped. We were all in genuine agony at that point, but everyone cracked up. It was the most human thing I’d ever seen Ferdy do.
Orlando quickly showed us how to tune most of this hubbub out. You just focus on the Link, and the other stuff fades into the background.
But as it turned out, our melting brains weren’t the worst thing we had to deal with. Amber gave a muffled shriek. “Eek!” she shuddered. “That woman walked right through me! I know she’s only a hologram, but it felt SO indecent.”
“Get used to it,” Orlando said coolly. “On Earth, humans will walk through you constantly.” He cleared his throat. “Now, we’re looking for a kid who’s run away from home. Just one problem - the Opposition is after him too. So you’re also keeping your eyes skinned for the bad guys. Only they won’t necessarily look like bad guys,” he added confusingly. “They may not look like guys, full stop.”
“So how will we recognise it, um, them?” asked Amber.
“Practice,” said Orlando tersely.
I gave a mock salute. But secretly I thought Orlando made an excellent team leader.
The training exercise was actually really interesting. We had to run all over the fairground looking for our runaway. We jumped on the dodgems and searched the cars. We hitched a ride on the Ferris wheel. We even went whistling through spooky tunnels on the ghost train.
Unfortunately my dress was totally embarrassing me. I was definitely going to have to rethink my outfit before I went on an actual mission.
Then, like someone throwing a switch, everything changed. You know when th
e sun goes behind a cloud, how all the light drains out of everything? It was like that. I felt a prickle of horror.
“They’re here,” said Orlando softly.
“I can feel it!” I said gulping.
“Ugh,” said Amber. “Black slime.”
Lola was deathly white. “Not slime, treacle,” she said in a sleepwalking voice. “Evil cosmic treacle, oozing everywhere.
That’s when I found out that the Opposition can only be recognised through experience. It’s pure evil intelligence which can disguise itself any way it likes. If Orlando had actually explained this, I think I’d have panicked. As it was, all my angel senses were suddenly functioning on red alert. But they were totally focused by this time, so it didn’t hurt.
And all at once I heard the boy, or rather, I heard his thoughts. We all did.
Flora’s brow crinkled. “Melanie,” she said in her clear little voice. “Does Earth have a thing called a Hot Dog Stall? Because if so, he’s there. His name is Curtis and he’s nicked his mum’s purse.” She frowned. “I think that’s what he’s saying.”
We all went dashing off to the hot dog stall, and there was Curtis, shivering in a flimsy jacket and hungrily polishing off his frankfurter.
We weren’t a minute too soon. Some menacing older kids were heading right for him. In a flash, I saw what was going to happen. Those kids were going to get Curtis into major trouble; all because he’d made one stupid mistake.
“Curtis,” I said. “It’s OK. Go home and tell your mum you’re sorry and everything will be all right.”
“Yeah, but you’d better clean up your act, boy,” scolded Lola.
“No more nicking, young man!” said Flora, shaking her finger.
“Nice try, team, but use the Link, OK?” suggested Orlando. “It’s more effective.”
We gathered around Curtis so closely that I could smell his hot-dog breath. Then we linked him up with our angelic power supply and bombed him with heavenly vibes. Curtis’s thoughts calmed down at once. Not only that, the evil treacle phenomenon totally evaporated. It was as if the Opposition simply lost interest. As for those menacing kids, they sailed past Curtis as if he didn’t exist.
