Unraveling of Avery Snow, The

by Sloat, Christy

  “She is a very happy little girl. Her parents are wonderful, so you need not worry,” she confirmed. I had wondered what kind of parents she had this time around.

  “It was painful to see her. Physically, I mean.”

  “Oh yes, well that is a very nasty side effect, isn’t it?” Amanda laughed. “I don’t mean to be insensitive, but it is so rare. You are so rare, Avery. You are very important.”

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, this nonsense again. How important I was and how Landon and I were pretty much famous in Heaven. I didn’t care about all of that. I just wanted a normal life. Maybe one day I would tell Amanda that. But I couldn’t do that, not with Sarafe out there somewhere. What if I told her to back off and then needed her?

  “I must go, you are about to wake. Be safe, Avery,” she said.

  My eyes popped open and I heard music in the living room. Landon was listening to his laptop while drinking coffee and reading the paper. It was such a normal human thing, but to see him do it seemed so sexy. I had to fight to keep my eyes off of him.

  “Good morning!” he called. “Coffee is fresh, want some?” I nodded and he made me a cup while I shuffled off to the balcony. He joined me a few minutes later. The view was clear and the sky was a stunning blue. “Everything okay?” he asked. Everything was perfect; I was just enjoying the comfortable silence between two friends. Yes, two friends. That’s what we were.

  “Do you remember last night?” I asked to change the subject. He laughed and coffee came out of his nose, his cheeks flush with embarrassment.

  “I am so sorry for that, really.”

  “No big deal. I was only giving you a hard time.” I was really trying to forget the scene that happened in the kitchen. I think I decided to sit outside so I didn’t have to have coffee where the slutty girl’s butt had been. Yuck! The thought of that made me sick.

  “Oh wow, do you see that?” Landon asked as he shot out of his chair. I followed his gaze out to the ocean where a spray of water shot up.

  “A gray whale!” I shouted. I loved whales, especially the California Gray Whale. They were majestic. They traveled all the way up the coast to Alaska, and many times had their babies with them. The mothers usually starved during this trek. To me it was the ultimate sacrifice for your child. I watched as mother and her baby, which had now come into my vision, swam around playfully.

  “Wow, that’s so cool. I love whales,” he said to my surprise.

  “You do?”

  “Yeah, they are so big that it’s almost a miracle they exist. Don’t you think?” I stared at him in awe, never having figured Landon as a whale watcher. Each day that passed I learned more and more about this once complicated man. We watched the whales in silence and then returned to our coffee as they moved out of sight.

  “That made the trip right there. Seeing that was my favorite part,” I told him.

  “What, you mean our mani pedi’s weren’t your favorite part?” he joked.

  Laughing at him, I got up and grabbed the menu. I really needed to fill my belly for the drive home. I ordered the eggs and bacon and got the same for Landon.

  “I think you like this type of life,” he observed.

  “What type would that be?” I put my hands on my hips, not sure what he meant.

  “I think that you like living like this, with this ocean scene. It makes you happy; I can see it in your eyes.”

  It was true; the ocean was making me elated.

  “I could live here, but I plan on living in Washington in a few years.” Filling up his coffee and then mine, he handed it to me and then sat down. He went on, “I went there a few years ago, I needed to think. Ya know?” I nodded and sipped my coffee. “I flew into Seattle, drove up to the HOH Rainforest, and camped there for a week. If you ever need a place to think and to clear your mind, go there.”

  “I will remember that.” I couldn’t imagine dapper Landon camping. The thought made me chuckle. I had been camping with Aunt Paul many times and it is not easy.

  “What are you laughing at?” he asked, poking me in the ribs.

  “You camping. It sounds like an oxymoron. I just cannot picture you in the wilderness,” I admitted.

  “I am so hurt that you don’t think I could camp. I’ll have you know I was a Boy Scout for ten years.” I dropped it since Boy Scout Landon was not to be messed with. Although I still couldn’t picture it.

  Breakfast came and we ate it quickly so that we would have time for check out. We both showered and hit the road. The drive home was actually fun. Landon told me stories about his travels and more on camping in Washington. He also told me about his hiking and his love of rock climbing. I had no idea he was such an outdoorsmen. It was intriguing to learn more about him and to see him in this light. He wasn’t as mysterious as I had first thought. I remembered when I first met him, I thought he was different. Different in a good way, of course. It was true, he was much more complex than anyone I had ever known.

  Before I knew it I was pulling into Dallas’ driveway. His truck was gone and I knew he wasn’t here. I felt sad, but I was so tired from the drive that it was best to catch up after I had rested.

  “Thanks for the trip!” Landon said as he pulled his bag from the backseat.

  “Don’t thank me, thank your cousin,” I reminded him. I was glad I brought him, he looked so much happier than he had only a few days earlier. I could honestly say Landon was a happy guy and we were now friends.

  “Ah, I get to thank him now, I guess,” Landon said as he motioned towards Dallas’ truck pulling up behind me. He was here.

  I got out and once I saw him emerge from the truck, I realized I had missed him more than I thought. His face looked tired and worn. He was no doubt over working himself. He slammed his truck door and hung his head as he walked towards me with a slow stroll. When we reached each other I slung my arms around his neck and he nuzzled mine. He smelled like garlic and herbs, and I didn’t care one bit. His lips slowly met mine and his kiss was soft and apologetic. I could feel the sincerity in the way he had said he was sorry on the phone.

  “To say I missed you would be a lie,” he said as he pulled away from me, “I think I died a little inside without you here.” Gah! How do I respond to that?

  “I missed you, too. Although I honestly didn’t know how much until you pulled in,” I replied. His smile faltered a little. I could tell he didn’t like my response very much, but it was the honest truth.

  “Stay the night?” he asked as his smile found his lips again.

  “Not tonight, I am too tired from the drive. But I will come in for a cup of coffee,” I offered.

  Sipping coffee a short while later, he caught me up on the last few days. I could tell he was trying to not talk about work as much. It wasn’t like I didn’t want to talk about it, I just didn’t feel up to listening to it 24/7, especially after our fight. He told me he met Kerri and Justin for lunch and Ianni came as well. I was happy to hear she was getting out. I missed her most of all. I had not talked to her much.

  Landon had disappeared into his room once Dallas pulled up. It seemed like he was never around when we were together. He had commented that he loved my new hair, saying it suited me, which made me sigh happily. To be honest I had been worried he wouldn’t like it. But with Dallas, he pretty much loved everything about me.

  “So how was Landon? A perfect gentlemen, I hope,” Dallas inquired. I did detect a tad bit of jealousy in his voice. I set my coffee down and nodded. “Good. I know he would never try anything, I just want to make sure is all.”

  “Dallas, you have nothing to worry about. You know the reason I took him—” He put his fingers on my lips to stop me mid-sentence.

  “I know, Avery, and I owe you for it. He hasn’t been the same since, well, since the incident.” I wasn’t aware that’s what we were calling it. He meant the fact that an angel shaved his memories. I thought he could have called it something else. I didn’t really feel the word did it justice. It was more than an incident,
more than a single event. I almost died that night, for God’s sake. But we never talked about that.

  “Avery, where did you go?”

  “Huh?” I snapped back to focus.

  “Just now, you were staring off when I was asking how the hotel was.”

  I smiled. “It was stunning. I’m sorry I am just super tired.” He took my coffee cup and rinsed it out. I noticed movement behind me and it was Landon in a pair of boxer briefs. Holy God, the sight was incomparable. I mean, Dallas’ body went on and on for days. His tattoos were beautiful, but Landon had this tight, toned body that I had never imagined he hid under his clothes.

  “Just came down for a snack, you’re still here?” he asked.

  I pulled my eyes from his abs and smiled. “Yep.” I couldn’t say anything else or the drool might fall out of my mouth.

  Dallas pulled out a tray of cheese and crackers and Landon attacked it. I passed on the food since I had to go home. I had plans to make for Kerri’s bachelorette party. I also had to catch up with Ianni.

  “Time for me to say farewell,” I told the boys. Stuffing their faces, they waved. “Okay, don’t choke on your food, guys.”

  “We won’t,” Landon said with a mouth full of crackers and a goofy grin.

  “Drive save, babe,” Dallas called after me as I left them.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Black Feather

  The clouds were covering up the moon as I drove home. It wasn’t as clear a night as it was in Monterey. I missed it already. It was great to get away from everything and I should have done it right after the incident. I laughed at the thought of calling it that. I had survived two Dark Guides, but when I thought about it, I gained Ianni and my father back. So many bad things have happened, but good things turned up in return. I wondered if that was the way of the world. Bad things have to happen in order to make room for good. I pondered the question as I searched for a decent song on the radio. Finally I found one; a song with a morbid name, The Funeral, but it was beautiful. I cranked it up and drove home with the windows down. I came to the light by my house. I was almost home now. Almost in my jammies with Ianni, talking about everything.

  I put my brakes on and sat at the light. No one was around tonight, the streets were empty. I listened to the words of the song and the strums of the guitar. I sang the lyrics out loud as I looked around at the quiet town, “I’m coming up only to hold you under, I’m coming up only to show you wrong.” As I heard the beat quicken I also heard a screeching sound behind me, and when I looked into my mirror I was blinded by lights.

  The impact hit me before I was even aware of what was going on. My radio still played as I sat in the car, which was now in the middle of the intersection. Confused, with no idea how I had gotten here, I looked up and around me. I felt fine and I wasn’t bleeding. I saw the car behind me that hit me, still idling in the road. But this time it was in my old spot, where my car should have been had they not hit me from behind. I pushed my car door open and got out. I still felt fine as I walked towards the other car. No one got out; all I saw was the damage to my car and theirs. I was mad now because my car was a mess!

  “Look what you did to my brand new car!” I yelled at the driver. No one emerged still. “Hello!” As soon as I said it a pain from my neck ran down my back to my legs and I fell to the asphalt. My head smacked first as my knees buckled beneath me. I felt my head bounce off the ground and I thought I heard a crack.

  As I looked up, hoping for help, I noticed a girl on the side of the road standing with a man. I hadn’t seen them there before. She was on the phone. “Yes there was an accident on Forester Street,” she said to the person on the other line. I hoped it was the police. I looked up toward the driver who still had not gotten out of their car yet. Suddenly they shut off their lights and I saw into the car for a moment. The driver was a girl, with long dark hair. An instant later the lights were back on and she sped around my body and took off. “She left,” the man told the woman. “It’s a hit and run!”

  I looked up and saw something floating above me. They flew in the wind, swirling down upon me, and then landing on my face. I couldn’t move my arms, to touch them, but I knew what they were. Black feathers.

  The man rushed to my side and picked them up from my face. He studied them and even smelled them. I scrunched my face in disapproval. How weird, I thought. I tried to say something to him, but my voice faltered.

  “Don’t try to talk or move,” he said. He looked like someone I knew, or thought I knew. He leaned in and swept the hair from my face.

  “Wh—” was all that came out of my mouth.

  “Who am I? That’s what you’re asking, right?” I blinked for yes. “I am someone who is here to help you. That’s who I am,” he said. But that wasn’t true. I knew his face, I knew him.

  “John, they are on their way. It’s time to go,” the woman called to him. John? No it couldn’t be. This wasn’t the John I knew. This John was young, not old. But the eyes were the same. His smile was even the exact same. He leaned in closer and I knew it was him. John!

  “Avery, we have to go. The ambulance is on their way to you right now,” he said with a tender voice.

  “John,” my voice was working a bit better, though it shocked me to hear the desperation.

  “You’re going to be okay. You will be in God’s hands, he will take care of you,” he told me as chills ran over my body. When an angel tells you God will take care of you, it’s a whole new experience. You have to believe them, and you have to believe in them. “I told you I would be watching.” He winked at me and the woman joined him. I didn’t recognize her, but she was beautiful. She had to be an angel as well. I could hear the sirens coming closer.

  “They’re almost here, Avery. We have to go and try to find her. She did something a Dark Guide should never do,” John told me. He held up the black feathers and twisted them in his fingers. “She left her scent behind. Now I will be able to find her easily.” He shot me one last glance and then he was gone. My eyes fluttered and I felt a drop on my face. Rain.

  I was lying there in the rain as the sounds of sirens filled the air. I was alone. Sure, I had Dallas, Kerri, Ianni, and Landon. I even had my dad back in my life. But here I was, alone on the street, crippled in pain, as the rain now poured onto me. I cried, but the tears mixed with the rain and seemed non-existent.

  Finally I felt a touch; a paramedic was with me now. I could hear him talking, but I didn’t want to respond to his questions. He told me I would be okay. The same thing John said, but I closed my eyes and cried. All I kept thinking was maybe it would be better if I wasn’t okay. Maybe it would be the best for all of us. The person that hit me was no hit and run; it was Sarafe. Someone who was out for revenge. She was probably just trying to remind me that she was around and she wanted to kill me and everyone I loved.

  

  “I am not family, but I am her best friend, so you have to let me see her.” I could hear Ianni’s voice loud and clear from my bed in the E.R. I was never so happy to hear a loud, angry redhead in my life. Finally her face appeared at the foot of my bed and I mustered up a smile.

  “Got your way, huh?” I asked. I was feeling pretty good now after the doctors gave me some ‘feel-good cocktail’. She grabbed my feet and squeezed.

  “I am so happy to see you,” she cried. “You had us all worried. Dallas called a little after midnight to see if you got home okay, because you weren’t answering your cell.” Ah, so he did call to check up on me. I had wondered if he would as they were checking me in here. Ianni looked bushed; her hair was pulled high up on her head and her eyes were red from crying.

  “It was Sarafe,” I said, shocking her. “She hit me and left. John was there, and he said he was going to go find her. She left a feather.” Yeah, so I didn’t mean it to come out so jumbled, but that was the best I could do under the circumstances. Then I closed my eyes and felt her hand in mine.

  “He will find her, he will,” Ianni whisp
ered as I fell asleep.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Disappointment

  I only spent a few hours in the hospital and was released in the early morning hours. My injuries were very minor and I didn’t need to stay too long. I had whiplash, a back sprain from the impact, and I had a minor concussion from hitting my head on the pavement. I was told to rest and apply ice. The pain was minimal now. The doctor told me that I fell because I was in shock. My body wasn’t ready to jump out of the car like I did.

  Ianni stayed with me the whole time, holding my hand, and eventually lying in bed with me until the doctor came in to discharge me. I was still groggy from my cocktail so I needed someone to drive me.

  “Well, I can call Dallas,” Ianni offered. I nodded; Ianni still didn’t have her license. She left the room and went outside to call him. I was left with the doctor who checked my eyes one last time.

  “Your brain scans came up normal; the nurse will be in to help change your bandage.” He left me and I sat back in the bed staring up at the ceiling. I couldn’t help but think how messed up things in my life are. Sure, people get in accidents all the time, but never like mine. Never do people have a Dark Guide out to kill them.

  “Miss,” a small nurse said as she entered the room. She held a silver tray of bandages. “I am just going to re-dress your wound.” I smiled at her and let her do her job. She was very gentle as she cleaned my cut. I tried to think of anything other than the way my head smacked the ground. It was painful and out of my control. I had no control at all of my body at that time. I remembered how lonely I felt as I lay there. But I wasn’t alone now; Ianni was here. Even so, something was bothering me terribly. I just didn’t know what.

  “There you go,” the nurse said. “You’re going to be okay.” She put her tray back together and threw out the old bandages.