Now and Forever

by Casper Graham

  “What happened? Did your power fail you or something?”

  Connor shook his head and gestured around the room. Harley had no clue what was going on, but he glanced around anyway. That was when he noticed that the sitting room looked different. Most of the fixtures and furniture seemed newer, and there were quite a few items inside the room that weren’t present just a short moment ago. Before he could voice his question out loud, Connor spoke first.

  “Welcome to the nineteenth century.”

  Harley gaped at him. “What?”

  Connor chuckled. “Ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight—”

  “Connor—”

  “Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.”

  Harley was about to say something when two boys rushed into the room. Judging by their body languages, they were obviously close to each other. They were laughing as they played together. Harley was stunned when one of the boys fell onto him. However, instead of bumping into him, the boy simply passed through him.

  He stared at Connor in horror. “Am I dead?”

  Connor snorted. “Of course not, but you’re from the future. You don’t exist in this time and space. Nobody can see you or touch you.”

  “What about you?”

  “I exist outside of time and space. I’m not alive, but I’m not dead either. No mortal can sense me unless I allow them to.”

  “Oh!”

  Harley had been assuming the pawnshop owner, the butler, and Mr. Street could look at and speak with Connor due to the lingering effect of the eclipse. Apparently, he had been wrong about that for hours now. He was startled when Connor dragged him to his feet and led him toward the front door. He was taken aback again when he noticed how bright and shiny it was outside. He remembered the fireplace had been burning earlier, and those boys had been wearing thick clothing that would be more suitable for winter.

  “We’re in a different time period now,” Connor explained before grabbing Harley’s hand and pulling him outside.

  Harley was astonished when the scenery changed abruptly right in front of his eyes. He and Connor were standing on a wooden bridge somewhere. There were two handsome young men, probably in their early twenties, sitting at the edge of the wooden bridge. They had fishing poles, but they weren’t making use of them. Instead, they were kissing, slow and tender, and Harley averted his gaze.

  “Are they those boys all grown up—”

  “Yes,” Connor interrupted.

  They remained there a few seconds longer before the scenery transformed again, this time into the foyer they had left a moment ago.

  Harley realized it must be evening now because he noticed through the windows how dark it was outside. Two men were hugging each other tightly, one of them leaning against the wall while the other pressed hard against his companion.

  “They look so much older now.”

  Connor nodded. “Mr. Street’s great-grandfather is already married at this point in time.”

  “But he can’t let go of the man he loves.”

  Connor shook his head, and Harley noted the unreadable expression on the angel’s face. It was as if Connor was hurting about something deep inside. Before Harley could voice his concern, Connor pointed upward at the staircases. Harley followed the direction of Connor’s index finger and gasped.

  “That’s Mr. Street’s great-grandmother. Judging by her expression, she’s less than pleased about her husband’s action.”

  “Can’t blame her.”

  Connor smiled. “No, but her displeasure will soon turn into hatred and spite. I’ve seen her before.”

  “How do you know—oh!”

  “Yeah. She’s in hell right now, being punished for the things she did while she was alive.”

  “That doesn’t seem fair.”

  “On the contrary, karma is absolutely fair. Humans may think they’re justified in their actions if they’re simply avenging themselves for the wrongs that are done upon them or their loved ones, but that’s not how karma works. If she hadn’t done the things she did when alive, she wouldn’t be tortured in hell as of this very second. Every word or action has a consequence.”

  “Her husband cheated on her.”

  “And he will be judged accordingly,” Connor interjected. “Well, as soon as I can send his soul into the underworld.”

  “His lover’s soul, too.”

  “Yes. You’re right.”

  Harley darted his eyes between the woman, then the two men embracing each other. “I don’t know who I should sympathize with.”

  “All three of them, but karma doesn’t concern itself with whatever excuses you try to defend, legitimize, and rationalize with your actions and words. Right is right. Wrong is wrong. Period. There’s no gray area.”

  “I see.”

  Connor slipped one arm around Harley’s waist. “Should we leave now?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. Let’s go.”

  Mere seconds later, Harley discovered he and Connor were back in the sitting room while Mr. Street was staring at them with his mouth wide open. The cup of tea in his hand was raised halfway to his mouth, and he put it on the plate in his other hand before speaking. “The two of you remained stationary for nearly two hours. There was a point in time when I thought you were both dead.”

  Harley was taken aback. “Really?”

  Connor chuckled. “Mr. Street is right. Time travels at a different speed when you’re journeying through time and space.”

  “I wish I could have come along,” Mr. Street mumbled in a rather wistful tone.

  “You can’t, Mr. Street, because I need you here to make sure nobody disturbs Harley and me.”

  “I understand.”

  Mr. Street appeared to be so disappointed, and Harley could see that Connor was feeling a hint of sympathy for the man. He was proven right a second or two later when Connor spoke.

  “Do you want to meet with your ancestor?”

  Mr. Street’s face lit up. “May I?”

  Connor nodded. “I’ll give you that opportunity, but he can’t stay long. I need him to go into the light.”

  Mr. Street bobbed his head almost frantically. “It doesn’t matter. This will be such a treat.”

  Harley could tell, based on Connor’s expression, the angel must have regretted his decision, but a promise was a promise. An encounter with the dead wasn’t supposed to be “a treat,” and that must have annoyed Connor. However, Harley knew Connor wouldn’t renege on his words.

  He relinquished both of Connor’s hands, then observed as Connor squeezed the watches. In the next second, the spirits of two older men materialized next to each other. Mr. Street stared at them wordlessly for a brief moment before he toppled face down off the couch and fainted. The cup of tea, along with its content, and the small plate in Mr. Street’s hands fell onto the rug. Connor rolled his eyes while Harley patted Mr. Street’s face in panic.

  “He’s fine. Just unconscious,” Connor informed Harley before narrowing his eyes at the souls of the two older men. “You’ve remained in the mortal realm for way too long. Any last words before I send you on your way?”

  One of the men stepped forward and bowed at Connor. “Please tell my descendant to burn the pocket watches for us. That should have been done years ago.”

  Connor shrugged. “Okay. Now go!”

  Harley didn’t understand what Connor was talking about until he noticed the bright light that popped into existence next to the fireplace. The men held each other’s hands as they headed toward it. The moment they stepped into the light, it disappeared.

  “I could see those spirits, but was I supposed to be able to see the bright light as well?”

  Connor wasn’t able to disguise the surprise on his face. “What?”

  Harley pointed in the direction of where the light was located. “It was right there.”

  Connor gaped for a short moment. “You couldn’t…you weren’t allowed…I don’t know. That had never happened before. Not even dur
ing the eclipse or Halloween when the barriers between the worlds are at their thinnest and most vulnerable.”

  “Then what did that mean? I could view the light clearly.”

  Connor was speechless for a second or two. “I have to talk to the angel of death.”

  “When?”

  “Soon. In the meantime, we need to wait for him to regain his consciousness,” Connor said, cocking his head in the direction of Mr. Street.

  Harley burst out laughing, and Connor stared at him, obviously confused. “Mr. Street had been so excited earlier, but he keeled over mere seconds after those souls made an appearance.”

  Connor snickered. “Most people will be afraid of the spirits. You’re a rare one, Harley. You have guts.”

  Harley chortled. “Not as if I have any other choices. Besides, you’re more terrifying than any spirits, in my opinion.”

  “I have to be. It’s my job to collect souls that roam the mortal realm, the ones the angel of death misses.”

  After that, the two of them conversed about death while they waited for Mr. Street to regain consciousness. Harley had a few questions for Connor.

  “How is it possible for the angel of death to forget about so many souls in the mortal realm?”

  “Because there’s only one angel of death. There are people dying every single second of the day, and they’re all in different locations. In general, most souls are very well-behaved. They will wait patiently for the angel of death to guide them into the underworld.”

  “Is that the reason why you became a soul collector?”

  Connor nodded. “There are many. I’m just one of them.”

  “Oh! I didn’t know that.”

  “Now you do.”

  “Have you always been a soul collector? Or were you once a different kind of angel?”

  Connor abruptly grabbed his head and yelped in pain. However, Harley had no idea what might have caused that reaction from Connor.

  “Connor, what is it?”

  “I…I don’t know. There was a sudden flash of memory crossing through my mind, but the feeling associated with it was powerful. It was also painful. It felt as if my heart was being squeezed really hard. The hurt coursed through my entire being. It honestly felt as if my heart was breaking into tiny pieces.”

  Harley was horrified now. He hadn’t meant to remind Connor of something terrible from the angel’s past.

  “I’m sorry. Forget the questions. I was just being a busybody.”

  Connor smiled at him, but he didn’t utter a single word. Then, for the next several moments, they remained quiet until Mr. Street’s groan startled them. Harley continued to be silent as Connor imparted the last request from Mr. Street’s great-grandfather to him. Mr. Street promised to burn the watches as soon as possible. Then Harley and Connor left the mansion.

  On their way back to the house, Connor seemed lost in thought, so Harley decided to keep his mouth shut. He didn’t want to disturb Connor. Whatever it was that bothered him must be really important.

  Harley chose to think about Mr. Street’s poor great-grandfather and the man’s lover instead. Their love had been forbidden, but against all odds, they’d stayed together even in death. Harley frankly envied that kind of love. It was something he might never experience, but he had at least witnessed it, and that should satisfy him…for now.

  Chapter 5

  “Haziel,” Connor greeted in surprise when he saw the angel of death sitting underneath the tree.

  Haziel smiled. “Hello, Connor. It has been a while, hasn’t it?”

  Connor bowed. “Give or take a hundred years. Why are you here?”

  Haziel stood and walked toward Connor, her long dress moving with her. She was beautiful. And tall, too, almost the same height as Connor. Haziel’s skin shone underneath the moonlight while her white feathery wings flapped gently against her back. Then she stopped right in front of Connor and placed her right index finger in the center of his forehead. “Because it’s almost time to remember.”

  * * * *

  Connor abruptly opened his eyes, and he groaned under his breath. He could hear Harley snoring lightly next to him on the bed. It was yet another weird dream, but this one truly seemed real. He’d felt Haziel’s comforting energy inside the dream. It was familiar. Even her scent was familiar. She smelled overwhelmingly like a mixture of carnations and orchids.

  “What memory am I supposed to recall?” Connor muttered. “Why must Haziel speak in riddles most of the time? It has been more than six thousand years, but she’s as irritating as ever. Damn it!”

  Connor lay for the next several minutes while Harley continued to doze soundly next to him. He watched, amused, when Harley gradually scooted closer and pressed against him. He chuckled and pulled at Harley until the man ended up with his head resting on top of Connor’s chest. They remained in that position for quite a while. Connor grinned when Harley woke up and almost immediately blushed upon realizing how they were positioned.

  “Sorry.”

  Connor shook his head. “It’s fine, and don’t worry about your morning wood. I have one, too. It’s a very natural thing. I don’t know why mortals seem so embarrassed about nudity and sex.”

  “Because in a polite, civil society—”

  “There’s nothing wrong with nudity or sex.”

  “No, but—”

  “Forget it. Let’s just change the topic. What are your plans for the day?”

  “I have a job to do.”

  “On Saturday? I thought mortals don’t usually work on weekends.”

  “My occupation is unique. I don’t have a fixed off day. There are times when I’ll be swamped with multiple assignments. Then there may be a period of time when I won’t have anything to do at all. I’m busy most of the time, though.”

  Connor nodded. “I’ll accompany you then.”

  “Are you sure? I’ll be in the public library for almost the entire day, doing research and things of that nature. Nothing exciting at all. Besides, don’t you have spirits to capture or something? Or do they mostly come out when it’s dark?”

  Connor scoffed. “Spirits can appear any time of the day. Hunting for the souls of the dead isn’t the same as what you’re doing. I can’t investigate their whereabouts through books, newspapers, and the Internet.”

  “I’m amazed you even know what the Internet is.”

  “Just so you know, those of us who exist in heaven and in the underworld keep up with everything that’s happening in the mortal realm.”

  “Is there an Internet connection in heaven or in hell?”

  Connor pondered for a few seconds. “Technically, we can install it, but there’s no point. We’re all preoccupied with our individual duties most of the time. The remainder of the time is spent either sleeping or hanging out with friends.”

  “You guys have friends?” Harley asked, sounding astonished.

  “Of course.”

  “Families?”

  “We came into existence just like that,” Connor replied while snapping his fingers. “Anyway, let’s get ready. I’m sure it will be fun to while away the time inside the library. I can read several books while you do your research.”

  “Several books? Someone is overconfident.”

  Connor frowned. “What do you mean? I can finish a two-hundred-page book in about thirty seconds. Maybe even less than that if I speed it up a little bit more.”

  Harley’s eyes widened. “Wow! That must be a very useful skill.”

  Connor shrugged as he got out of bed. “True.”

  Then he smirked when he caught Harley staring at his erection. He knew all mortals who had ever seen him found him attractive, and he was especially pleased that Harley was no exception.

  “You can shower first,” Harley said.

  “Why? Are you hard underneath the blanket?”

  Harley blushed redder than a tomato. “None of your business.”

  Connor snickered. “Why are you so shy about it?”


  “I’m not.”

  Connor arched his left eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”

  “Yes,” Harley answered, but he didn’t look Connor in the eye. Instead, he glanced at the blanket. “Go ahead. Use my bathroom. I’ll shower when you’re done.”

  Connor was tempted to tease Harley a bit longer, but he took pity on the young man.

  * * * *

  When they got in the car a short time later, Harley drove them to their destination. Along the way, they made small talk.

  “Traveling anywhere by car is so time-consuming.”

  Harley chuckled. “I’m an ordinary human being. It’s either this or the public transport, which may waste even more of our time. Do you even know how to drive?”

  “No, but I don’t need to.”

  “Is it because you can go anywhere with your power?”

  “That, and I can just use my power to make the car drive itself.”

  Harley turned toward him, surprise written clearly over his face. “You can?”

  “Duh! As easy as ABC.”

  “Prove it!”

  Connor nodded as he allowed his power to seep into every single part of the vehicle. “Okay. Remove your hands from the wheels and your feet from the pedals.”

  Harley seemed rather frightened. “Are you sure? What if—”

  “Everything will be fine. My power will keep us safe. Trust me.”

  Harley hesitated a few seconds longer before he complied. However, he hovered his hands close to the steering wheel. Connor ignored that and simply enjoyed the scenery outside.

  Harley gasped, his eyes focused on the steering wheel, moving by itself.

  “This…this is so cool!”

  Connor laughed. “I told you. Just go to sleep. You still look rather drowsy.”

  Harley glanced in his direction. “How will the car know where to go?”

  “Because my power gets the information from inside your brain. Don’t worry about a thing. We will be fine. Get some shut-eye. I’ll wake you when we reach the library.”

  Harley put on such a grateful expression, Connor was both amused and proud. He liked it when he could impress Harley. Most importantly, he loved that he could also be helpful to him.