Save My Soul

by K. S. Haigwood

  He knew I was here. He stood, ignoring the Kendra on the bed, and held out his hand to me. I didn't want to, but the urge to touch him was almost too much to ignore. I was afraid. I was afraid he would hurt us. She screamed for me to "Run, get out!" He began walking toward me, and I to him. His face came into focus a bit the closer we got to each other, but I still couldn't tell if I knew him or not. I wanted to know him. I wanted to know everything about him. I didn't know what had changed my mind about him, or chased away my fear, but I didn't care. I had to touch him.

  "No, Kendra! It's a trick. Wake up! Wake up now, Kendra!" the Kendra on the cot screamed at me. I stopped, and so did the man. We both turned to look at her. She pleaded with her eyes, and I got a little more control of myself. I remembered that I'd been scared of the man. I was afraid he would hurt us.

  My face filled with doubt as I looked back at the unknown man, and I took a step back.

  The man held out his hand to me. "No, Kendra. Don't listen to her lies. You want me, I know you do."

  The voice was distorted so I still couldn't tell who it belonged to.

  He took another step forward, and I took one backwards step equal to his.

  "Kendra, wake up. Just wake up and he can't hurt us." she pleaded from the cot. My gaze shot back to her. "Just wake up." she cried.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the man running toward me.

  "Wake up!" she shouted, and this time I listened to her.

  I shot straight up in my bed and looked around me. I was shaking and scared. That was a first for me. I enjoyed living alone and didn't mind sleeping by myself. I had the urge to sit upright in the center of my bed with my teddy bear. It was like childhood all over again. I knew there was a boogieman under my bed, and I knew if I put a foot on the floor that he would grab a hold of my ankle and pull me under like the creepy clown in Poltergeist.

  I grabbed my cell off my bed side table. It was 7:28 a.m. I wanted to talk to Mason, but I didn't know his last name to look him up in the book. I didn't even know if he had a landline, but he was probably already at work anyway. I didn't want to tell anyone else what was going on with me. It was too much to explain and I didn't have time.

  Coen would know what to do. "Coen!"

  I waited a moment then heard a loud pop, then another. Coen and another man stood at the foot of my bed. The other man was very good looking. He looked to be in his early thirties, and he was wearing a scowl on his face. He looked upset, but I didn't summon him, so why did he come?

  Coen smiled at me. "Kendra, I would like to introduce you to Rhyan, your guardian angel. I figured with the recent activity that you would need a little more firepower on your side."

  I was confused. What recent activity? He couldn't be talking about my nightmare; it had only been a dream. I looked back at Rhyan, but he wouldn't meet my gaze. He looked a little nervous about being around me, but he didn't look so upset anymore. "What recent activity are you talking about?"

  Coen frowned. "You almost let him get control over you. I should have warned you better. Murry knows you are trying to save young Adam, and he almost took control of you."

  The nightmare had been real? "Are you talking about my nightmare?"

  Both of the men nodded. "That I am, young Kendra. It wasn't only a nightmare. Angels and demons are allowed to enter the dreams of humans, but we aren't allowed to mess with their freewill. You would have to choose on your own, but Adam's guardian demon is very powerful and influential. He will make you want to join with him, and when you do, he will win the souls of both you and young Adam.

  What the hell did he just say? "What the hell did you just say?"

  Rhyan looked angry again. "I told you this would happen, Coen! I knew you wouldn't tell her everything she needed to know before she agreed to your deal. If I lose her soul, I will hold you personally responsible and have you reprimanded."

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  Chapter Eight

  He couldn't be serious. So, this was why Rhyan had been trying to intercede yesterday, and why he was so clearly angry today. If I didn't complete my mission, then I wouldn't only lose my life, I would lose my soul as well. I stared at Coen in disbelief. "You tricked me? I bargained with you, not the devil. My soul shouldn't be up for grabs, Coen." The more I talked the more pissed I got, and I cry when I'm pissed. I felt the hot tears streaming down my face and I ignored them.

  "It is the price for such a gamble. I thought you were aware. I apologize for not informing you better."

  I threw the bed cover off my legs and started for him. "The price!? It's the price I have to pay?" I pointed at my chest. "Well, if a soul is the price, I think it should be yours that we are gambling with. You are the one who has failed to keep Adam on the right path. Tell me something, did you cause my accident?" Rhyan's head turned swiftly, and there was a look of shear horror on his face as he stared at the other angel. Coen didn't flinch. I continued pressing for answers. "I think you did and then made your option of me helping you sound easier and better than dying and going to heaven. You knew I wouldn't turn you down. Am I right?"

  Rhyan stepped a foot closer to the angel. "You know I'll be able to tell if you lie to her, Coen."

  Coen dropped his head and clenched his jaw. He waited a full twenty seconds before responding to either of us. "I had nothing to do with your accident."

  "Liar!" Rhyan shouted almost before Coen finished his sentence, then hurled himself at the other angel and they both tumbled to the floor. Rhyan was straddling Coen's chest and had both hands around the other angel's throat. I didn't know what to do, so I backed up to the wall. I couldn't call the cops and say, "Oh, hey, yeah, my guardian angel and another angel are duking it out on my bedroom floor. One of them tried to kill me yesterday, and he will be the cause of me dying, for good, in six days. Can you send someone out to break up the fight for me, please?" Yeah, that would so not be happening.

  "What would you do if Patrick had her soul in the palm of his hand, and they only gave you a week to get her back?" Coen said, after taking three solid blows to the face.

  Rhyan got to his feet quicker than I would have thought possible. He looked down at Coen with a kind of sadness on his face. "I wouldn't have risked another human's soul for mine, Coen. I would have suffered greatly, but what you've done is unforgivable. You know the consequences of your actions."

  Coen closed his eyes in defeat. "My brother, I thought with the feelings you have for her that you would understand."

  My jaw dropped, and Rhyan slowly raised his head to meet my eyes. He wasn't holding Coen down any longer, but he didn't really have to, Coen was smart enough to stay on the floor. Our eyes met and we stared at each other for the longest time. He finally looked down at Coen, then bent and placed his hand on the angel's chest. There was a loud pop, and then both of the angels were gone.

  I guess angels just don't believe in good-byes.

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  Chapter Nine

  I showered quickly then took Hercules out for his morning run. Well, he was running, I was jogging. A dog that small just can't keep up with me if I'm at a full out run. I had to do something to clear my head and help me think. My morning jog usually helped me organize my day a little better. If I missed a day, everything fell apart. So, off we ran.

  I reluctantly turned on my cell phone, and set it so I could talk through my ear bud if anyone called. I would be breathless and winded, but if anyone called and wanted to talk to me for the next hour; that was how it had to be. I'd skipped the previous day's run to go repelling with my friends, and look where that had landed me.

  "Come on Hercules." We kicked it up a notch from our usual warm-up trot to my full out jog. Hercules used to struggle to keep up with me only jogging, but he realized that if he couldn't keep up, I would leave him at home and go running on my own. He was getting better. I'd considered getting a bigger dog for the days I want a good hard run, but Hercules is so possessive of me, it would have been a shot to
his ego.

  My cell phone went off. First one of the day, and I had a feeling that it was going to be a very long day. I glanced at the name before I hit my ear bud to receive the call. "Hello, Mom." I said a little winded.

  "My God, Kendra! What on earth are you doing? No, wait; don't tell me, I don't want to know. How are you, honey?" My mother sounded anxious, but I had to smile. She must have thought I was having sex. Now, why would I answer the phone if I was having sex? If it were good sex, there wouldn't be a chance in hell, but I admit I have answered a call a time or two. It kind of ruined the mood, but the times that I had, the mood wasn't really there for me to begin with. But I would never, in a million years, answer a call from my mom or dad in the middle of a sexual act of any kind, not even kissing. I wouldn't be able to hide the embarrassment in my voice.

  "I'm just taking Hercules out for his run, Mom, and I am fine."

  "We were so worried about you yesterday. I can't believe your friends would tell us that you were close to dying, when there was clearly nothing major wrong with you."

  "I know. It was just a misunderstanding. They thought something was wrong, don't blame them." My phone beeped, letting me know I had another call waiting. "Mom, I have another call coming in. Can I call you later?"

  "Yes, honey, we're just so glad that you're all right. I'm sure your phone will be ringing all day. We love you."

  "I love you and dad too. I'll call you later. Bye."

  "Bye, baby."

  I glanced at my phone, but didn't recognize the number. It was local, but I usually didn't answer to anyone I didn't have programmed into my phone. Calls like that went through my landline, they were mostly business, but my cell phone was private.

  I went ahead and tapped my ear bud. "This is Kendra Larkin."

  "Ms. Larkin, my name is Cal Hanner of the Independent. I would like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."

  Great. There was a leak somewhere, and that leak had given my personal cell phone number to the press. "Actually, Mr. Hanner, I do mind." I hit the button on my ear bud and ended the call.

  My phone immediately rang again. I was ready to be angry when I hit my earpiece, but the voice that came through made me smile instead. "Good morning, Kendra. How's my favorite patient?"

  "Well, I'm fine. Thank you for asking, Mason."

  "I need to do a follow-up on you, you know, vitals and stuff, to make sure everything checks out all right. Do you mind if I drop by your house, say around six-thirty tonight?" He sounded a little nervous, but I didn't know what he was doing besides talking with me, so I had no clue why.

  "Actually, I was going to run into town later and try my luck at Dr. Chamberlain again. I could look you up for a vitals check then if you want."

  He laughed lightly. "Well, that would be fine, if that's what you want to do. I was just trying to get up the nerve to ask you out tonight. I was using that excuse to come by and pick you up. I know you are fine or you wouldn't be exercising right now."

  I looked immediately to my left, then my right. Could he see me? Was he hiding somewhere watching me? "Where are you?"

  "I'm at the hospital. I could hear your labored breathing. I didn't figure you were lying in bed taking it easy like the doctor ordered."

  I smiled. "Actually, the only thing the doctor ordered was for me not to leave the hospital. He didn't say anything about jogging or any other type of strenuous activities. Hercules needed a run, and I felt good enough to take him."

  Mason laughed. "So…can I pick you up at six-thirty?"

  I'd completely forgotten that he'd asked me out. Coen may be the cause of all of this, but some of the things he'd said made sense. What would one little date hurt, though?

  "Kendra?" Mason said.

  "I'm here, and yes…six-thirty will be fine Mason."

  I could almost hear him smile through the phone. "Great! I'll see you then. Good-bye, Kendra."

  "Bye, Mason." I hit my earpiece with a smile.

  I rounded the halfway mark of my jog. Hercules was panting heavily, but we weren't stopping and he knew it.

  I heard a loud pop and ran smack dab into Rhyan. Couldn't he see where he was going to appear? He caught me, but I was going too fast to help him balance. We went down on the hard pavement and he broke my fall.

  "What in the hell are you doing?" Hercules was whining as I got to my feet. He didn't get tangled up with us, but I knew he was worried if I was hurt or not.

  Rhyan stood up and brushed off his clothes. He was wearing a short sleeve polo shirt with khaki shorts and flip-flops. He looked nice, really nice, but that didn't explain him popping up in front of me where I could run over him.

  "I don't think the date tonight is a very good idea, Kendra. You have things to take care of, and I don't think getting distracted is the best option for you right now. Besides, I can't find Mason's guardian angel. I don't know what type of person he is."

  "He believes me, Rhyan, and he's the only person I can talk to about all of this." I said.

  "That isn't true. You can talk to me," he said and dropped his head to stare at his feet.

  I looked at him a little closer. Did he really have feelings for me? I didn't know him, but he had known me my whole life. Imagine the things he'd seen. I sighed, "What happened with Coen?"

  He spoke without looking at me. "He's confined and waiting for a hearing." He looked up at me then. "What he did was inexcusable, but it won't change the outcome. I begged for them to release you from this deal, but they will not. You have to get Adam's soul back. You made the deal, Kendra."

  I looked shocked, I know I did. "I didn't know what I was agreeing to, Rhyan."

  He nodded with unshed tears in his eyes. "I know…I know."

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  Chapter Ten

  Rhyan had popped out of sight before I had a chance to say anything else. I guess he didn't want me to see him cry. I wouldn't have held it against him. I wanted to cry myself.

  I didn't have time for Hercules' short legs to try and keep up, so I gathered him up in my arms and ran as fast as I could back to the house.

  There was a dark cloud moving in and I felt the first sprinkle of rain just before running through my door. I had to take a quick shower; I couldn't talk to Adam smelling like sweat. I jumped in the shower before the water was completely warm and made a loud girly exclamation. I looked at my dog sitting on the tile staring up at me. He seemed to be smiling. "That wasn't funny, Hercules." He licked his lips and curled up on the ceramic tile.

  I was in a hurry, but I took the time to shampoo and condition my hair. I couldn't put it off any longer. I finished up and quickly got ready. I did take the time to apply a little makeup and fix my long hair. I felt like I was running out of time, but I have learned that men are more apt to talk to a woman who looks professional or pretty, than one who looks like she just crawled out of bed. Better to be easy on the eyes in any situation involving a man.

  I knew that Rhyan and Coen were right about me staying away from Mason until all of this blew over, but I felt a strong pull toward Mason. It would be rude to break the date with him. I sighed. I had to break the date with him. I would tell him that, mentally, I had way too much going on this week. If he couldn't understand that, then he wasn't right for me anyway.

  I looked in the mirror one last time. I wasn't beautiful, but I could turn a few heads. I'd always had a good complexion; I was one of the lucky ones throughout my adolescence. I had bright green eyes that were now expertly applied with eye makeup. My sister was a consultant for Mary Kay, and she gave me free samples and makeup how-to's all the time. I was five-six, and I wasn't too thin. I had an athletic build with runner's legs and got compliments on my body all the time, so I didn't think I looked too shabby.

  My cell phone rang, and I answered it without looking, which I normally didn't do. "Hey babe, how're you feeling?" Aven said through the line. I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw. I so did not want to talk to him right now.

 
"I feel all right, Mason. I mean, Aven. I took Hercules out for a run…"

  "Wait, what did you just call me?" I had hoped he hadn't caught that, but I guess he had. Well shit. It wasn't like we were in a monogamous relationship or anything.

  "I'm sorry, Aven. Mason, the nurse from the hospital, called me a little earlier and wants me to come in for a checkup. I still have that conversation on my mind, and I'm actually about to leave right now."

  "Oh, well in that case, I'll drive you. I have a few errands to run and I would really like to hear what he has to say." I'd just bet he would. I rolled my eyes.

  "No. I don't have time to waste in town. I have a client showing up at twelve-thirty. He promised he would be quick so I could get back home in time." I said then held my breath.

  "Oh, okay." I could tell he was disappointed, but I didn't say anything. "Will you call me as soon as you get back home? I really would like to know how this miracle happened. I held your limp, beat-up body in my arms all the way to the emergency room yesterday. I thought you were gone and it made me realize a lot of things about us. I'd like to talk more in-depth about all of this with you tonight over dinner."

  Did I just get asked out twice in one day, and both times before ten a.m.? "I would love to, but my week is all booked up. I'll be working until ten or eleven o'clock all week. These Juniors are all wanting their Senior pictures done this week and next. Call me next Sunday and we can reschedule. I'll be busy, but I think I can squeeze you in somewhere."

  "Yeah. Okay, Kendra. Whenever you find time for me, I'll be around somewhere. Call me."

  "No, Aven…" I pleaded, but I was talking to myself. He'd hung up on me.

  "Dammit!" I didn't want to upset anyone, but Aven was probably the first of many this week. I sighed then opened and closed the door behind me.