Earth Bound Death Angel

Monitors were humming in tune with the drops from the I.V.s. In the shadows is where I stood watching a family mourning over a child that lay in the bed.  Some were crying and others sat in a silent content way.  A thrilling smell reached my nose as I inhaled the surrounding air.  In the distance, a rush of nurses and doctors ran through the hallways to newly arriving patients.1

The girl who lay on the bed had lost her skin color to an ashen white, her hair that had lost nutrients, hid under her head like a pillow.  With a sullen face a doctor walked in the room, avoiding eye contact with the family members picked up a clipboard and looked over it.  As if trying to make up his mind whether or not to say anything, finally said,2

"I'm sorry, but Sydney's white cell count has gone down massively and her immune system has been wiped out.  We have done all that we can.  Medicine isn't helping her sustain anymore.  It's amazing she is still alive,” he said framing his eyes with his bushy gray brows.3

"Sydney!" screamed the female sitting next to the young girl.4

Shaking with tears and clinging to the girl's arm the man next to her turned the lady around and she let him hold onto her.5

"It maybe best to tell her that you love her and that it is okay, she can pass on.  She is barely clinging to life, she may think she has to stay alive for you" said the doctor looking at the girl's face.6

The family stared at the two holding each other as for a sign at what to do next.  The man gave a signal to them as if to go ahead and say what they needed to say to Sydney.  One by one they came to the bedside, told her how much they loved her and that they would always remember her, some went over to the couple, and gave them a hug before they left the room.  As it dwindled down to the two parents they knelt down by the bed and said, 7

"Sydney hun, you know how much mom and I love you," the man spoke cutting up in tears.8

"You remember the summers we went to the lake and the fish nipped at your toes? The sand castles and shooting stars we all saw...that is what we will remember, happy times." he finished giving into grief.9

"Sydney its okay to go, the angels must have missed you to much, God needs you back." said her mom, breaking into tears after every word.10

Few seconds passed and the room filled with silence until the beeper of the heart monitor went into one continuous beep.  Nurses rushed into the room; one giving out orders, obvious at who was in charge.  They took paddles to her chest to see if they could restore her life.  Nevertheless, the attempts failed and the nurses declared Sydney dead.  Her mother came into a silence accepting what had taken place, crying into the man's arms.  Be asked if they left the room and I was left alone in the room with the dead body.11

To see it so calm, so pale and so young I just wanted to cry.  Wanting to see it better, to come to an understanding of it, I went to look at the body.  Brushing the hair out of her eye, her skin felt warm, as I looked down I saw gray eyes staring at me.  Shock shook me with a temporary terror. I jumped back.12

"Where did everyone go?" Sydney asked sitting up looking straight at me.13

"Who are you?" She asked looking at me as if I had walked on holy ground with shoes.14

"I'm..." I tried to explain but was cut off by her asking for her mom.15

"They said it was okay to go, they said you can leave." I told her, seeing her stand completely away from her body as a shadow or ghost.16

" I can go home?" she asked,17

"Yes." I answered but she was fading, I couldn't tell her that she was dead that she wasn't going to her home.18

"Are the going to pick me up now?" She asked.19

By then, she had faded completely a cold chill shrilled through the hospital room as life went out of it.20

Opening my eyes, shadows of my bedroom grazed my sight.  The window had come open with the heavy winds of winter.  Like put on auto, I reached under my bed and grabbed my dream journal.  When the dreams had started, I thought nothing of them; they were rare.  Even as they progressed into many per week, I didn't think anything of it.  Not until the night I appeared at my grandpa's death bed, he faded away telling me that he loved me and that everything would be okay.  That morning a banging on my bedroom door woke me up.  Mom told me that grandpa had died.  It scared, me, to think I may be dreaming of the dead.  That evening I started a journal of the dream and kept a log of them.21

An alarm clock brought me back into the present time.  It was an ambition of mine to reach the front door before my mom could get to me.  At times, it seemed the only thing that got me to school.  Looking out the window to see if Brad was coming, I saw a movement in the woods that surrounded my house.  Gathering things from all corners of my room to get ready for school, I re-hid the journal.22

The sound of tires pulling up in the drive way set me on high drive.  I had to get out of there before he honked.  Going past my mother's door I saw that she was still asleep, through the crack of the door.  Yes, thank God! was all that ran through my head.  At that exact moment, he honked the horn.  A ruffle of blankets is all that it took for me to dash for the door.  As I was closing the door, I heard her say "Alexi, Brad is here!"23

Every class seemed to drag out twice its time.  Luckily, enough homework was assigned in every class, in a sarcastic sort of way.  It was a true relief walking out the doors of school knowing that it was the weekend.  A person dressed in black ran around the corner after spotting me.  Being a bit scared and wanting to confront the problem I chased after the person.24

"Hey you, stop!" I screamed.25

A flash of transparent blue eyes stung my sight framed by beautiful tanned skin and black hair.  He was slim and very fast.  Why he looked back puzzled me.  He could have gotten away clean.  A terror ran through me, what if he was stalking me.  Brad came around the corner to see what was going on.  Nothing was in his view and he passed it off as one of my crazy things to do.26

When I got home, a letter of hope was on the table.  Mom said she wouldn't be back until later that evening.  Taking advantage of the free time, I turned on the radio and lay down on the couch.  With in minutes I fell into a restful sleep, no dreams, like finally breathing in clean air.  Hours must have passed by quietly until shaking awakened me.27

"You have to go look for Spook." said my mom.28

" Why?" I asked.29

"He got loose and I can't catch him he went for the woods, you know the woods better then I do." she explained.30

"But it's dark!"31

"Just don't go to far into the woods, to get lost, if you can't find him we'll just wait till the morning." she said.32

"I'm going...let me get my shoes." I said rubbing the sleep from my eyes.33

A trail of dog prints led straight to the woods where I had saw the shadow this morning.34

"Nice." I said with a sarcastic tone ringing through my head.  The snow was getting into my shoes.35

The woods were extremely dark under the massive tree branches.  Snow had a purple hue but the dog prints continued foreword into a winding path.  Shadows seemed to be things that would lash out at you.  At that moment, I understood Snow White's terror.  A crackling of brush breaking echoed behind me.  Turning to see what it was, a hand caught my mouth and the other snaked around my chest pulling me toward a destination.36

Orange light danced on the   trees as we drew near a fire.  An old man sat there warming his hands.37

"Ah you found her, bout time!" he said to my captor.38

"Now young one, calm yourself you wont be hurt.  We just need to talk with you.,” he said in an old husky voice.39

"Like in puberty, our young need to know what is happening, it’s only your spirit ripening to your true value." he explained.40

Stunned with what he was saying I calmed down.  With that ignition, the captor let me go and led me to a log to sit on.41

"Dreaming is our way of doing work.  It is how we can still be human and be what we are..."he continued.42

"What dreams?" I asked, I hadn't’t told anyone about my dreams.43

"You know the ones I speak of – The dead, of the passing, the relief you feel as you know they are gone."44

"No we aren't crazy, we aren't actually human either, we are grim reapers...or earth bound death angels." came a melodious voice of the young captor, whose eyes shone with a transparent blue.45

"Our eyes are portals to an afterlife, we do not know if there is such a thing as heaven or hell, all we know is that we are soul collectors.  A tunnel we know nothing of except maybe a reflection off our eyes." came the old man's voice again.46

A shadowy figure ran toward me making me scream with surprise and fall back onto the ground.  As I stood back up the fire was gone and so were the men.  No trace of foot prints to signal an exit.  Cold winter chills ran through me now as if I had been out there for hours.  Gathering myself up, talking to convince myself I wasn't crazy, I made it home.47

"Took you long enough." mom said as I came into the door.48

"I couldn't find Spook, it took me forever." I replied.49

"Was someone out there? I thought I saw a fire." she asked randomly.50

"No! No I didn't’t see anyone." I almost screamed at first.51

Wanting to get away from her I went up to my room.  The memory was overwhelming so I went to write in my journal.52

Dear Journal,53

Chasing after Spook again I had to go in the woods, but there I think I was kidnapped.  They took me to a hallow spot in the woods and had a fire going high with flames.  They told me my dreams were actually real, said I was a grim reaper.  Whether it is true or not, it made me feel like I had purpose in the world.  When they left, I can't even make sure they were there in the first place.  Except maybe, my mom saw the fire.... but she thinks the woods are possessed or something.  What if I am really what they said...What do I do next...How do I die...What happens to me?  Am I really crazy?  God help me!54

Love Alexi55