In My Dreams Page 20

  Michael shook his head. “This is different. It’s complicated,” he breathed.

  I stared at the man hoping that maybe he could shed some light on what the heck was going on.

  “She wants to know, Michael, and I think you owe it to her,” he said angling his head towards me.

  Michael closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, but kept silent.

  “Well, you’re boyfriend here,” he began.

  “Don’t.” Michael snapped.

  “Michael. Please,” I begged.

  “He made a deal…Strength and power, in exchange for his soul. That’s how he was able to kick ass,” he said with a glint of cockiness in his eyes.

  I looked at Michael. “In exchange for your soul? I don’t understand.”

  “There’s not much to understand. The only reason I stayed, was to keep you safe, and now you’re safe,” he whispered, looking down at my hand, which was clasped in both of his. I felt a heat burn through me.

  “Where are you taking him?” I asked, pulling away approaching the man.

  “Where the rest of them go… those that don’t make it to the light,” he said twitting his fingers toward the heavens and laughing.

  “You can’t take him. I won’t let you. He only did it to save me. Take me instead!” I screamed, begging.

  “Liz, no!” Michael said, holding his arm up in front of me.

  “Well, well. How sweet love is… But I’m sorry sweetheart… I have a signed contract right here.”

  He opened his hand and scroll magically appeared within his palm. He carefully unraveled it and read. “I Michael, yadda - yadda - yadda, give my soul, yadda - yadda - yadda, in exchange for great power, yadda - yadda – yadda, and his signature is right there.”

  He turned the scroll to me and pointed. Michael’s signature was across the bottom signed in what looked like blood.

  “No!” I yelled at him. I grabbed the scroll, tore it in half, and threw it to the ground.

  The man rolled his eyes.

  “Ahh- humans,” he sighed. He then opened his hand again and the scroll was there… untouched.

  I looked at the ground. It was gone.

  “It’s a binding contract sweetheart. It can’t be changed or undone. Now, stop stalling, Michael. I have places to go, and damned souls to see,” he said snapping his fingers towards Michael.

  I grabbed a hold of him. “Michael. Why?”

  “Because I love you,” he breathed. He hugged me like it was his last goodbye, and then gently cradled my face in his hands and kissed me, stealing my breath. At that moment I was in heaven with him.

  “Tick, tick, tick!” the man pressed, tapping his finger to his watch. “We really have to be going.”

  “Stop!” a loud voice thundered, shaking the ground.

  A bright light flashed and suddenly a man in white stood before us. He also had a handsome face with strong, chiseled features. He was clean shaven, and wavy, ash-blonde hair fell just above his shoulders. But there was something oddly familiar about his eyes; his big, bright sapphire eyes. He smiled at us, and then turned to the man in black.

  “Ah, Ayden. We meet again,” he greeted the dark man with sarcasm.

  “Well, Jonathan… it’s never a pleasure,” he returned, looking annoyed. Ayden shifted uneasily. Jonathan laughed.

  Michael slowly pushed me behind him, shielding me from these supernatural beings.

  Jonathan turned his attention back to us, smiling, approaching with his arms wide open.

  “Michael. Elizabeth. I’m Jonathan. It is a pleasure to meet you.” He held his hand out. Michael took a firm hold of it and shook it. Jonathan then turned to me and smiled, giving me a wink. His face was luminous, just like Michaels, and I could sense from the look of warmth and sincerity in his eyes, that he was a friend.

  He turned back to the man in black.

  “It seems you’ve been breaking the rules again, Ayden.” He swiftly moved back in front of him.

  “I haven’t broken any rules. He is ours. It’s a binding contract sealed in his blood.”

  “I see. And have you taken the time to read through the fine print?”

  Ayden scowled. “Yes, I have,” he spoke slowly through his teeth.

  “Well, it’s obvious that you haven’t. What… too many yadda-yadda’s for you, Ayden? Has your vocabulary diminished throughout these long years?”

  “Are you challenging me Jonathan?” Ayden hissed, lunging forward, inches from his face.

  “Why challenge you? You know you can’t win,” Jonathan responded, pushing him back with his finger. Ayden scowled but stepped back.

  Jonathan touched the same finger to the scroll and it instantly consumed in flames. Ayden dropped it desperately trying to stomp out the fire but he failed. It burned to ash.

  “You can’t do that!” Ayden growled. His accompanying demons advanced, hissing and snarling in the background.

  Jonathan snapped his fingers and three more dressed in white were at his side. They stood strong and majestic, just inches on either side of him.

  Ayden growled. Jonathan turned to the others and they all laughed.

  “Well Ayden,” Jonathan announced, “let me give you a very short summary of the yadda-yadda’s. The contract is nullified if the ‘said’ party takes their given power and uses it with pure intentions… or… out of love.” He turned to us and winked.

  I was beside myself, witnessing something that I’d only heard about, or seen in the movies. Michael wrapped his arm tightly around my waist, still shielding me.

  “You’re a liar!” Ayden rebutted.

  “Leave Ayden… and take you’re band of worthless, reprehensible, low-lives with you.” Jonathan spoke with authority, and the ground trembled with his words.

  “I’m not leaving without him,” Ayden said firmly, pointing at Michael. He then curled his hands into tight fists. I watched his eyes, which seemed to be carefully calculating his next move.

  “If you don’t leave, I have permission to take you out,” Jonathan said crossing his arms in front of his chest.

  “If I return empty-handed, he will take me out himself.”

  “Well, it truly sucks to be you right now, because I will not allow it.”

  Ayden turned slightly to one of the demons on his left and gave a very discrete nod. In a second the demon charged towards Michael.

  At that same moment Jonathan stepped in front of him taking a defensive stance and with the artful precision of a skilled warrior, cocked his arm back and drove his fist straight through the demons chest, ripping out his heart.

  The demons eyes turned white as his body drained of life. His limp body fell into a burning pile of ash.

  Ayden growled, glaring at me and Michael with complete hatred in his eyes. He bowed his head in submission and took a few steps backward. The corner of his eye blazed blood red.

  I knew something bad was about to happen. In a flash he crouched and lunged towards us with a growl.

  I felt myself being thrust backward, and Michael turned and faced the demon to defend me. He thrust his arm out toward Ayden, and it plunged straight through his chest. Michael didn’t flinch. He stood strong and brave, ripping his heart from his chest.

  I curled up into a ball, covering my ears and eyes, but it didn’t muffle the sounds of Ayden gurgling in his own blood.

  Then I heard yells and cries, as a battle commenced. Angels and Demons warring over souls… our souls.

  Someone grabbed me, covering me with the warmth of their body. When I opened my eyes I saw Michael’s handsome face smiling down at me. He picked me up and held me tightly against his chest. I focused on his face. He glanced down and kissed my forehead, standing strong, holding me, and watching the battle unfold. His face was lit with strength and satisfaction. He saved me, again.

  I turned to witness something utterly amazing, something no human eye had ever before witnessed. A battle… an actual battle of good vs. evil. The warriors in white were skilled and quick,
eluding the attacks of the dark creatures. Shrieking screams of pain and agony filled the air. I buried my face deep in Michael’s chest.

  After a while the cemetery fell silent.

  “It’s over,” Jonathan’s sweet voice announced.

  Piles of smoldering ash were spread across the cemetery, but not a trace of blood anywhere. Jonathan’s suit was perfectly white and unblemished, as were the rest of them. All in white were accounted for. They stood powerful, untouched, displaying no signs of having been engaged in a battle only moments ago.

  “It’s time for you to come home now, Michael,” Jonathan spoke gently, placing his hand on his shoulder. Michael’s black suit had turned to white. He looked just like one of them. My heart fluttered at his beauty.

  Jonathan gestured for Michael to look behind, and in the distance, a couple walking hand-in-hand headed towards us. Soon, his grandfather and grandmother came into focus, smiling and waving enthusiastically. We waved back but they stayed in the distance.

  “Who are you?” I asked Jonathan. I was curious and had to hear it for myself.

  “Who do you think I am?” he asked, his gaze met mine, awaiting my answer.

  “You’re the wolf, aren’t you? You have the same unforgettable, sapphire eyes,” I noted with a smile.

  “You are correct. I thought the wolf was appropriate, given you live in Alaska,” he grinned slyly, “but that’s only a small part of what we can do.”

  “Are you an angel?” I questioned. He certainly looked like an angel. They all did, except they didn’t have wings.

  “You could say that, but I’d rather the term guardian,” he said, extending his hand to me. “I’m your guardian, Elizabeth.” He smiled, his sapphire eyes gleaming. I took his hand and blushed. Wow. This moment was beyond my wildest imagination.

  “Guardians are real?” I breathed, dumbfounded.

  “Yes, but with the influx of human souls over the past centuries, we’ve been assigned extra souls to watch over. Today, you were my priority.” He then turned to Michael and patted his shoulder. “Elizabeth, it seems you’ve been assigned another guardian as well.”

  Michael pointed to himself and Jonathan nodded in confirmation. I had never seen Michael smile more brightly. He turned to me with a look of pride and satisfaction; a single tear tracing his cheek - his pinnacle, his crowning moment. I smiled back at him. My heart swelled ten times larger, on the brink of bursting.

  “Do guardians really protect us?” I asked Jonathan.

  “Well, being a guardian is a complicated thing. We have our own set of rules which allow us to mostly watch and at times, nudge,” he answered. “Have you ever had that feeling in your gut when you know you shouldn’t be somewhere, or doing a certain thing and your heart questions it - the feeling that something’s wrong?”

  “Yes. I’ve been getting that a lot lately.”

  “Most of the time… it’s us. Like I said, we can nudge but we cannot interfere. You ultimately make your own decisions, whether right or wrong, and you live with the consequences which come with those decisions.”

  “So why did you help me, that night, in the middle of the road?”

  A sly smile grew on his lips. “I guess I bent the rules a bit with that situation. Michael did his best to get you to the road, and I didn’t think it appropriate for you to get run over by the very people who were coming to help.”

  They all laughed.

  “So, Michael, are you ready to come home yet? You’re new home?” Jonathan asked again, warmly.

  Michael nodded, turning to me with a smile, but he had that look of sadness embedded in his eyes. “Yes, I’m ready.”

  “Michael.” My voice trembled. My heart was breaking all over again. “What am I going to do?”

  He smiled the biggest, brightest smile.

  “Just live, Liz,” he breathed in my ear. “Live and be happy.”

  I felt hot tears swell in my eyes and roll constant down my cheeks.

  “I’ll still be around, watching over you from time to time, since I am officially your guardian now,” he said with a sparkle in his beautiful brown eyes.

  “Liz, we’ll all be keeping an extra eye on you,” Jonathan added, with a wink.

  “I’d like that,” I said, trying to force a smile but the pain in my heart wouldn’t allow me to.

  “And please don’t worry about Michael. We’ll take good care of him and will keep him busy.” I smiled and nodded as the tears kept flowing. Michael laughed, pulling me close to him, making my heart anguish and flutter at the same time. Jonathan smiled, giving Michael a nod. Michael nodded in return. I knew our time was short.

  “We’ll be watching you, Elizabeth.” Jonathan and the others dipped their heads in a bow, and in a split second, Michael and I were alone in the cemetery.

  “It’ll be your eighteenth birthday soon,” he said wrapping both arms around me tightly. I held him close, knowing this was our last goodbye.

  “It won’t be the same without you,” I sobbed.

  “I’ll be there. I promise.”

  “But I won’t be able to see you.”

  “I know. But I’ll be there,” he said, pressing his warm lips on my forehead.

  “I’ll be thinking about you every day,” I breathed.

  “Well, you should be getting a gift… the Porsche. Just because it can go fast, don’t go kamikaze on me and run into a moose or something.”

  “Maybe that’ll be a good thing,” I breathed.

  “Don’t you even think about it,” he said. “One day, I’ll be seeing you again…but not too soon,” he said softly, his hand reached for my face. “I love you, Elizabeth Hayes.”

  He caressed my face in his hands and pressed his mouth to mine, kissing me gently. I was intoxicated by his smell, the way his hands caressed my face, the warmth of his breath on my cheek, the feel of his lips against mine; it was magical. I’d never forget this moment for as long as I lived.

  His body began to evanesce, slowly transforming into an untouchable vision.

  “Michael,” I cried.

  “Promise me you’ll live, Liz.”

  I nodded in promise, not able to speak. I knew not having him around me would be the most difficult obstacle I’d ever overcome. For the past eight years he was there for me. He was my best friend, my shoulder, my rock, my protector. But he was leaving, forever.

  “Always remember that I’ve always loved you, Liz. Since the day we met, I’d fallen for you.”

  I nodded. My heart was on the verge of bursting.

  “I’ll always love you, Michael,” I sobbed.

  “I’ll be waiting,” he breathed.

  Through teary eyes, I watched the breeze gently carry his shimmering essence toward the heavens until he was finally gone.

  “So will I,” I whispered to the wind. “Goodbye my love.” Then as magical as the moment already was, tiny white flakes began falling from the heavens. It was our first snow.

  Michal was gone, but knowing that he was finally at peace made me happy. He showed me how much he loved me, enough to sell his soul. But that same love, the purest and truest of all love is what saved us both.

  My thoughts were suddenly broken with the sound of someone crying. I turned to find a little girl wandering in the cemetery, alone. She looked to be around the age of eight, was petite, and had blond ringlets that curled down just below her shoulders. She must have been freezing because she was only wearing a thin, pink, frilly dress, definitely not suitable for the Alaskan winter.

  The sun was quickly fading and the ground was now dusted in a layer of white.

  “Hey, are you okay?” I called out to the girl.

  She looked at me stunned. Her eyes opened wide in amazement.

  “What’s your name?” I asked warmly.

  “Annie,” she said in between sobs. “You can really see me?”

  Her question threw me.

  “Of course I can see you. Are you lost?”

  “I can’t find my momm
y. I’ve been looking everywhere for her, but no one will help me find her. They all just ignore me, like they can’t see me. Why won’t they help me?”

  I was suddenly hit in the gut with the reality of my new gift. A gift I’d been entrusted with; a gift given to a select few to help trapped souls find peace and cross over. This was exactly what Michael and Lucy were telling me about.

  This little girl was a Michael, and I was her Lucy. She’d found me, somehow.

  I looked into her wide, terrified eyes and suddenly felt compassion. She was so young.

  I wondered if her mother knew that she was gone, or if she realized that her little girl was dead. How did it happen? Did they know what happened to her? Did they find her body? These questions bombarded my mind, but no matter what the questions were, I knew that I had to help her.

  She stared at me through big, blue eyes, and I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Why don’t you come with me Annie? I’ll help you find your way home,” I said kindly, waving her to come and join me, as I began to walk out of the cemetery.

  “Really?” she questioned, drying her tears.

  “Really,” I said, assuring her. She grinned revealing two large dimples, and quickly followed after me.

  A single tear traced my cheek as I thought of Michael. With a smile on my face, I glanced upward.

  I’ll never forget you, Michael. Forever in my heart.