Swift of Spirit Page 6

  When the dark red aura appeared like a rolling fog through the wall she jumped. This was obviously not Swift. It was definitely not Watcher either. Who or what was it? She instinctively pulled her legs tight against her chest, tensing up as though a hundred poisonous snakes had been released on the floor of her room. This type of intrusion had happened before, she remembered, but not since Swift started coming around. This spirit was probably not an angel at all, but a wandering mischievous demon.

  Holding her breath Sarah watched the crimson fog silently float across the floor and up the far wall, then back, as if it were colored water in an aquarium that had been accidentally bumped. Then the spirit creature pulled its energy tighter, causing its aura to form a ball, the red to grow even darker the smaller it retracted. Quickly the thing had morphed into a sphere about three feet in diameter and ominously hovered above her footboard.

  The demon at this point had to be aware that she knew it was there. There was no mistaking her terrified reaction. Plus, she was staring right at it. The thing chose to form the burgundy ball directly in front of her. No doubt it would not just go on its way after discovering her ability to see it. She braced herself for a confrontation.

  Abruptly a growl emitted from the gaseous appearance, causing her to bump her head against the wall and squeal briefly. Hopefully, her family would not notice. "What do you want?" she whispered in terror. The same first words she had spoken to Swift, she remembered, several weeks ago. Sarah wasn't so sure she wanted this one to answer.

  Slowly the spherical mass contorted into a gruesome face and another growl followed, this time sounding more like words. "What are you?" it asked.

  Her experience with Swift had apparently made the ordeal less traumatizing as in the past. This time she did not scream out in horror. The fact that it spoke to her instead of immediately terrorizing her she took as a relatively good sign. Timidly she quietly replied, "I'm just a girl. Why are you here?"

  "I can go anywhere I want," growled the face of red cloud before her haughtily. "And I can do what I want, too. I'm no angel, little girl."

  "I know what you are," Sarah heard herself saying. "I'm not afraid anymore." She knew she could not possibly be convincing. Shivers trembled her entire body. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her voice cracked when she spoke. And her eyes were wide in fear, especially when she noticed the red face getting closer.

  "Oh, you'll be more than afraid when I'm done with you. You and your whole family will be..."

  Instantly the crimson smoky face shifted back into a fog and blew away as if a large door had just been opened and a gust of wind took it. It was like there were fanned vents in the corners of the wall, the smoke blew thin and was gone. The creature’s scary, growly voice faded along with it.

  Sarah was still trembling as the familiar blue aura filled the room, then slowly transformed into a subdued blue human shape. The immediate improvement she noticed was how much dimmer his aura was. Thankfully, she would be able to do without the sunglasses from now on. "Are you okay?" Swift asked her.

  Sarah carefully took a moment to decelerate her breathing before answering. She glanced back at the wall through which the appalling creature had escaped. She half expected burn marks or cracks in the plaster as testimony of the demon’s departure. But, of course, the bedroom wall appeared normal. "I'm not sure. That demon was threatening me and my family. Why would he do that?"

  Swift adjusted his humanoid form to appear as though he was sitting on the bed close to Sarah's feet, which were pulled up tight against her thighs. This was his preferred position for most of their conversations of late. The dulled aura allowed her to make out detailed stitching in his simulated clothing. That was another improvement since his last visit. There was also the shadow of beard stubble on his face. That too, had to be new.

  "I don't know. Sometimes they don't need a reason. Perhaps it was because I drew attention to you. I am very sorry, if that is the case."

  Sarah reached for Swift's arm, desperately needing comfort from the one that had become her closest friend, forgetting for a moment that she could not actually make physical contact. Hopefully, the gesture conveyed her feelings just the same. She searched his pseudo eyes, imagining a deep desire there to hold her close. "Don't be sorry. You just saved me. Please tell me that you can protect both me and my family from that demon."

  "I will do what I can, of course," Swift replied, trailing off as he considered the implications of his actions. He was not here as a guardian. His job was to communicate, nothing more. "I was not authorized to push him like I just did. It's possible that I will be punished."

  "Why would you be punished for saving me? I thought that was what angels were supposed to do," Sarah replied enraged. Filled with mixed feelings of anger, confusion, and appreciation for her savior, she rested her face in her hands, trying to stop the trembling. Confusion, because she had been taught in church that it was the angels primary responsibility to protect people. Well, good people, at least. Wasn’t she good enough? Anger, that anyone would punish Swift for doing what was obviously right. And appreciation for who she had started calling her angelic soul mate, since he likely knew he was taking a risk before he even acted against the demon. He did that for her, despite possible repercussions.

  Swift considered explaining exactly how things worked in the league of angels. He was confident that Sarah would comprehend some of it. However, the conversation would be quite lengthy, with many questions to be answered. Should he be removed from this assignment due to his questionable actions, this could be the very last night he shared with Sarah. He was determined not to spend it in lecture and debate.

  "I will report what happened and see how my superior responds. It's likely that my coworker, Watcher, will report before me. I believe he was close enough to witness the entire incident."

  "Yes," Sarah replied quickly, suddenly realizing that the green angel remained as a spectator through the haunting she just experienced. "He was in the back yard, but he drifted away when he noticed that I saw him. If he saw the demon approach why didn't he step in to rescue me?"

  "It is not his job, unfortunately," Swift answered apologetically. “The demon unquestionably knew that Watcher was nearby when he appeared to you. No doubt, he also knew that Watcher would not interfere. He probably figured the same for me.”

  “Well,” Sarah replied, trying to lighten up the mood. “You showed him!” Swift did not laugh, or even respond to her attempt. She didn’t feel much like laughing either, to be honest.

  Sarah was bewildered to hear that angels would stand by as demons did what they wanted to her and her helpless family. As she envisioned the two spirit creatures both giving their own individual accounts of the incident to some high-ranking angel, she realized that no one would be around to protect her from the next demon attack. Swift already made it clear that Watcher would be of no help."

  "Swift," Sarah asked, "Can you trust Watcher to give an accurate report by himself so you can stay here to protect me?"

  "Watcher will most definitely give an accurate report. It is the one thing that he does well," Swift responded with a hint of distaste in his human voice that surprised himself. "Though you and I both agree that I did the right thing, I have found that those in charge focus more on the bigger picture. You are correct, though. I can allow Watcher to report alone and remain here with you until I receive other orders."

  Once again, Sarah felt the presence of a second spirit while already close to one. Tensing up she whispered, "I think that demon might be back already."

  "That is Watcher," Swift replied. "I'm sorry that I did not alert you. I forgot that you could sense him nearby. I called for him to approach so he knows my plan to remain and protect you while he reports. He does not agree, of course, that I should be protecting any human without orders to do so. But he can be relied upon to carry the message. He has asked that I remind you that you need not fear him. He is just here to monitor progress and report. Are you able to tel
l him apart from others?"

  Just then the other spirit's green mist penetrated the outside wall of her bedroom. Turning to see how close he would get Sarah replied, "Yes, he is the only green aura that I have encountered. If he is within my vision I will be able to tell him from the others. If he keeps distant, though, I probably won't know. Maybe with some practice I might be able to sense the subtle differences between spirits. If he is not a threat, there is no reason for him to stay so far away. Do you think his presence will help at all at keeping the demons away?"

  "As I mentioned, they likely know that he is just here to watch, but they would not be privy to any changes in assignment that we receive. Since this last encounter, they may expect that orders have changed. Obviously, the demon was shocked by my interference. It's possible that having Watcher around could be a deterrent. It's hard to tell, really. He has just been a watcher for so long, I personally would not expect him to protect anyone. Why do you ask?"

  Sarah breathed in deeply then slowly exhaled. "If you get called away to report I would like Watcher to stay close by. I trust you, and you vouch for him. Maybe it will help. But I must tell you, that if you do not return I'm not sure what I will do. I've been thrust into another world. I was lost and scared for so long. Then you came to me as a guide and made everything so much better. I cannot let that you be ripped away from me now. What can I do to make sure they don't take you away? Is it possible for me to talk to your boss and tell him what a great job you have done?"

  Deflated, Swift slumped the shoulders of his energy/aura form. Displaying himself for Sarah's view was beginning to feel almost natural. For centuries, he had roamed the earth, completing assignments as they were given, learning such great knowledge in the process. Alpha Omega had perhaps achieved his finest accomplishment in his creation of the human race. For a long time, he had felt so. But never in all his centuries here had he been appreciated near as much as he was now by this lovable human girl. If he had tear ducts, he would cry. If he were a human, he would hug this fragile being and nuzzle his face into her neck and sob. He wanted so much to convey his feelings, but he was incompetently equipped to do so as a spirit creature.

  "Thank you, Sarah," he said, trying his best to put the appropriate emotions into his voice. "You could not possibly imagine how much that means to me. I firmly believe that Watcher will tell my superior how you feel. I'm hoping that they value you enough to take your opinions into consideration. I think maybe it will account for more than how I feel about the matter. You are truly unique, Sarah. Your ability to see or sense us sets you apart from any other human I have known in thousands of years. Really, over six thousand years. But in our short time together I have grown quite fond of you. Your soul is pure and kind. You have been tormented, but you have not hardened your heart. If I had my say, this would be my final assignment. Nothing after this could compare. I will beg and plead to remain with you for the rest of your life."

  Another voice boomed in, like a megaphone outside announcing that the place was surrounded by police. Like from the movies. It was apparently Watcher. Sarah could tell it was his voice somehow, even before she understood the words.

  "Swift, I will go now to report to Hover. I will let him know how you both feel. If it helps, I will recommend that you remain on this assignment, despite your transgressions. That is the best I can do."

  As the words reverberated throughout the room the green aura withdrew, and Sarah could sense that Watcher was no longer near. She stared at the new and improved human form of Swift's aura. She wanted badly to cling to him, to prevent anyone from prying him away from her. She had never fallen in love with another person. But she imagined that this is what it felt like. Deep inside her she felt hollow, and yet full and warm at the same time. Somehow, she knew the hollow was the fear of losing Swift, and the warmth was that he was currently still with her.

  Sarah decided at that moment to skip dinner, and perhaps not even sleep that night. Swift was there now. She needed to savor the precious time she still had with him. "Swift, please tell me about your life. I want to know everything about you before we met. Will you tell me?"

  Swift chuckled. "I believe that is more information than you care to hear. I have lived for millions of years, most of which was before coming to this planet. A printed report on my missions and personal findings could fill a library larger than this city, perhaps this county. And yet, it seems so small now, in comparison to my time with you. Yes, I will tell you as much as I can. Or, at least, as much as I believe you will enjoy. Can you imagine that humans and the planet earth are the forty-third project of Alpha Omega's that I have been assigned?"

  Swift searched his memory for the best parts of his life, concentrating mostly on his earthly missions and observations. He felt a rare happiness enveloping him as he recounted the most joyous occasions of his lengthy, but lonely, existence. He had no desire to bore or frighten her in what could be their last moments together. He compared her to other women in history, some of them famous, then pointed out many that he believed she would have liked to have known. There truly had been so many good humans over the last few thousand years. It was comforting to him to know that, despite the tendency for people to get worse in a bad situation, there were still so many that were worthy of their gift of life on this paradise planet. And Sarah certainly was one of them.

  CHAPTER NINE: OVERWHELMED

  Sarah's head was spinning when she woke up the next morning to the sound of her brother banging on the bedroom door. It took a moment to return to earth and realize she was late getting ready for school. The night before she had stayed awake as long as physically possible, which turned out to be just shy of three in the morning. She had never intentionally stayed up that late before. The resulting morning grogginess was like a thick, wet blanket on her brain. She shook her head to try and get clear of it, then rubbed her eyes hard.

  Swift had remained all night, revealing an unbelievable amount of details regarding his life before they met, which included much classified information on the spirit realm. It wasn’t like a history lesson or science class, or even a religious sermon for that matter. The information came in a casual flow of specifics that simply clarified things as he went through his stories. For example, the earth existed for a long time before man was created. Many angels were assigned to the planet to care for its development, which included reporting on plant and animal life. The demon that they now call Lucifer, or Satan, was one of those angels. In fact, he was the high-ranking angel that was in charge of the Earth project.

  Swift may have had forty-two jobs before earth, but none were remotely as important. He was not assigned to this planet until immediately before man arrived. His primary focus since that time has been observing and assisting in the guidance of the human race. There were several other inhabited planets, diverse in their own environments and native species. Swift touched on a few but avoided the topic of intelligent beings like humans.

  If it weren't for the trust Swift had so firmly established she wouldn't have accepted the majority of what he had told her. Though she understood that most of what was discovered had little or no bearing on her own life, she believed that many truths would devastate much of organized religion on earth. The true relationships between man and angel, as well as man and the creator, were not at all like the preachers said. They were also a far cry from those depicted in the fantasy novels, thank goodness.

  Scrambling out of the confining blankets of her bed Sarah dove for the closet to quickly grab some clothes for school. Skipping a shower would have no negative impact in her personal life, since she didn't really have one. Eyeing the alarm clock, she was confident that she would be at the bus stop on time even taking a moment to brush the snags from her hair. Tugging on a tight pair of jeans and a bulky sweater she listened for the sound of the school bus accelerating and braking through the neighborhood. That's when she relaxed enough to realize that Swift was no longer around.

  "Swift," she whispered,
figuring that yelling would draw more attention from her family than any spirits nearby. "Where are you?" she asked as she opened the curtains to view the back yard. Her blue spirit buddy was nowhere to be seen or sensed. It wasn't until her hand was on the bedroom door knob that she perceived a spirit presence nearby. Closing her eyes, she stood motionless to concentrate on the sensation, and resolved the subtle differences that marked Watcher. Hoping for an update she released her grip the knob and returned to her bed.

  "Watcher, is that you?" she questioned the thin air. Seconds later his green aura permeated the outside wall enough for her to see.

  "Yes, Sarah," his deep voice replied, "it is me."

  "Where is Swift?" she asked impatiently.

  "He is giving his report as we speak. I just relieved him as your companion shortly before you awoke."

  "Relieved him?" Sarah worried what that meant. "Has he been taken off my assignment?"

  "No," Watcher replied. "At least not yet. However, in light of new information, I fully expect that he will remain as your spirit companion for a while more. He will likely be in your presence once again by this afternoon. I will stay close by until then."