Melina stared at him for a moment and then turned her gaze back toward Adelia. The woman remained silent as she tilted her head to the side, causing her long blond hair to fall over her shoulder. She raised her thin hand up to her chin and scanned Melina over with her pale blue eyes. Even though she was one of the oldest guiding angels who existed, her uncanny and youthful beauty said otherwise.
“So, you’re one of them,” Adelia said as she stepped toward Melina, still eyeing her carefully.
Melina eyed her back, unsure of how to answer. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“You’re one of the rare human beings who was born with the ability to absorb the powers of an angel.”
Melina looked at both of them as if they were pulling her leg. “Okay, that’s the fifth time I’ve heard the word angel today. Do you really expect me to believe that that’s what you two are?”
They both stared at her.
“Show me then.”
“Excuse me?” Walter asked.
“Show me.”
Walter looked to Adelia who gave him a small nod. They both turned toward Melina as Walter said, “Are you ready?”
She swallowed hard and replied in a soft voice, “Yes.”
Walter nodded at her, then he and Adelia both closed their eyes. Melina took a few steps back, unsure of what was going to happen. Then all of a sudden they raised themselves into the air as a bright white light burst out all around them. The intensity of the light made Melina fall backward onto the floor. She lay there at first, shielding her eyes, but then she felt a soft breeze blowing over her. Cupping her hand over her eyes, she sat up and couldn’t believe what she saw.
They almost looked like ghosts, all white and transparent looking, but their massive wings were so majestic. She stared at them in amazement. They really were angels.
A few seconds later the glowing white light disappeared, and Walter and Adelia were back on their feet, looking just as they had before. Walter walked over to Melina and smiled gently at her as he helped her up off the floor. “Now do you believe us?”
Melina couldn’t speak. Her mouth had gone dry, and her tongue felt gritty, like it was coated with sand. The growing lump in her throat was another obstacle. She desperately tried to swallow to make it go away, but it was difficult to do with no saliva. All she could do was stare at him.
“Melina, it’s okay to be scared,” Walter said. “I know it’s a lot to take in at once, but you need to know you can trust us.”
After struggling to clear her throat, she looked into Walter’s eyes and said, “If that’s true, then tell me what happened earlier today in the park.”
Adelia stepped forward and answered for Walter. “When you made contact with Walter, a link was opened between you two that allowed you to absorb his powers. That was the surge of energy you both felt.”
Melina’s emerald eyes widened as she shook her head in disbelief. “I still can’t believe this is happening. I have guiding angel powers? Wait… do you mean guardian angel powers?”
“No, there’s a slight difference between us,” said Walter. “Guardian angels help by protecting. Our kind help by, well, guiding.”
Melina turned to Walter, looking rather confused. “Then how come I’ve never heard of a guiding angel before?”
Walter smiled. “Because not that many people have had experiences with us. Everyone wants to be protected, but not everyone is open to being guided.”
Melina’s eyes narrowed as she held Walter’s gaze, mulling over his response. After a few seconds, she relaxed her face and said, “So I took your powers?”
“No,” Adelia butted in. “He still has his powers. You just have them as well.”
“Okay, but what does that mean for me? What’s going to happen now that I have these powers?”
Adelia and Walter exchanged grim expressions with each other.
Melina looked back and forth between them. “What? Tell me.”
Adelia sighed. “I presume you’ve started to hear people’s thoughts, correct?”
“Sort of.”
“And what about the visions?”
“Just one,” Melina replied.
“I see,” said Adelia. “Well, if you’re wondering why you can’t hear our thoughts, it’s because of what we are. The power grants you the ability to hear human thoughts, not those of angels or any other supernatural being. You may also develop a shield, so to speak. While guiding angels don’t have protective powers, we can produce a defensive light shield around us. And the teleporting… that may come as well. But that’s enough about the details of the powers. What’s more important is the effect the powers will have on you.”
Melina’s eyes began to dart back and forth between Adelia and Walter. “What do you mean?”
Walter only responded to her with a solemn expression, so she turned her gaze to Adelia.
As Adelia approached, she gave Melina a small smile. “Your unique situation has only happened to three other humans before you.”
“They absorbed guiding angel powers?” Melina asked.
Adelia nodded.
“Only guiding angel powers? What about guardian angels? I thought there’d be more of them around humans than any other type of angel.”
“You’re right. Every human being has their own personal guardian angel, so yes, there are a lot of them, and they’re around humans all the time. But, we have the ability to take a human form, which is a necessity for the transfer of powers to even happen. As I was saying, though, it’s only happened to three other humans, and unfortunately, none of them were able to withstand the strength of the powers.” Adelia paused for a moment and then continued in a low voice. “The humans ended up being consumed by them.”
The color quickly drained from Melina’s face as Adelia’s words sunk in. “Consumed by them? You mean, they died?”
“Yes,” Adelia said in a solemn tone.
“Why? Why are the powers too strong for us?”
“It all has to do with your feelings and emotions,” Adelia replied. “You see, while we angels certainly have feelings and emotions, they’re not like they used to be when we were human. Human emotions can be so powerful at times, depending on the character of that particular person, and they amplify the angel powers to the point of not being able to control them. The powers more or less take over.”
Melina’s head was spinning now. It was all too much for her to handle, and she didn’t understand why it was happening to her. Her hand began to shake as she wiped at a tear trickling down her cheek. She took in a deep breath and looked over at Walter, a desperate plea in her eyes. “Isn’t there some way you can help me?”
Walter glanced over at Adelia then back at Melina. “Yes, there is.”
“And?”
“Don’t fight the powers. You need to embrace them, see them as a gift.”
Melina’s eyes widened. “A gift? How can you say the powers are a gift when I probably won’t survive them?”
“Because being able to sense those who are troubled and help guide them down a path of healing and understanding is a gift,” said Walter. “And in order to have the strength required to handle that gift, you must learn to think like one of us and understand what it means to possess the powers of a guiding angel.”
“Okay, well, how do I do that?”
“You need to use the powers to help someone who is troubled and in need of guidance,” Adelia said as she stepped forward. “But it can’t just be anyone. It has to be a particular individual. You’ll know it when you find him. And the sooner you find him the better. Of course, the amount of time you have will be up to you and how you handle the full brunt of the powers, but I wouldn’t prolong it.”
Melina began to shake her head. “I’m not sure if I can do it.”
Walter stepped toward her and put a firm hand on her shoulder. “You have to, Melina. If you want to survive, you don’t have much of a choice.”
She moved away from Walter and sat
down on the couch, trying not to cry as she stared down at the floor. It all sounded so crazy, and she didn’t want to believe any of it, but she was hearing people’s thoughts. And that vision. It was so powerful and painful. But as bizarre as the whole situation was, Walter was right. If she wanted to survive, she didn’t have much of a choice.
“Okay,” she said as she stood up and turned to face Adelia and Walter. “But where do I even begin?”
“I can help you with that,” said Walter. “Come on. We need to visit a few places.”
“I need to make sure Tessa can handle the store first.”
Walter nodded. “I’ll meet you out front.” A second later both he and Adelia vanished into thin air.
Melina stared in shock for a moment but then quickly blinked it away. What was she going to tell Tessa? She tried to think of something as she made her way downstairs, but nothing clever came to mind. Maybe it was for the best. She didn’t want to lie to her friend. “Just be vague,” she muttered as she walked over to the front counter where Tessa stood.
“Feeling any better?” Tessa asked as she looked up.
“A little,” Melina replied as she smiled weakly. “I actually need to run an errand. Will you be okay with the store?”
Tessa gave her a curious look. “I’ll be okay. Do you need to tell me something?”
Melina hesitated then said, “Maybe I can explain more when I get back. Hopefully I won’t be too long.” She gave Tessa a quick wave and then left through the front door. Walter was waiting for her by the corner of the street.
“Are you ready?” he asked as she approached.
“Like you said, I don’t have much of a choice.”
Walter gave her a small smile. “Let’s go then.”
Chapter Three
Walter held his hand up to hail a cab.
“Oh, I have a car,” Melina said, pointing back toward the store. “I can drive us somewhere. Or, wait. Can’t you just teleport us?”
Walter walked over to the cab and opened the back door. “It’s part of your learning process.”
Melina’s eyes narrowed.
“Adelia may have said that the effects of the powers were more important, but you need to learn how to use the powers properly to survive the effects.” He motioned to the back seat of the cab.
Melina hesitated but quickly told herself to stop. She needed to come to grips with the reality of her situation. It was happening to her whether she liked it or not, and going along with Walter and listening to him was the only way for her to have any sort of chance. She let out a heavy breath and then slid into the back seat with Walter following close behind. He closed the door and then asked the cabdriver to take them to the art museum downtown.
“The art museum? What’s—”
“Shh.” Walter shushed her and then leaned over and whispered, “Listen.” He raised his hand and tapped his head with his finger.
Melina nodded slowly. It wasn’t long before she heard the low whispering sound in her mind again. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the cabdriver’s thoughts, but once she actually started to hear his voice, it was all broken up like a bad cell phone connection. She started to get frustrated. Why couldn’t she hear what he was thinking? She heard Tessa’s thoughts clear as day. She opened her eyes and threw her head back while letting out a heavy sigh.
“Relax,” Walter whispered to her. “You want to focus on him, but not that intensely. Just let it happen. Try again.”
Melina gave him a small nod and then turned back to look at the driver. She tried to focus again, tried to hear his thoughts clearly, but they were still a jumbled mess. Frustrated, she closed her eyes, thinking it might help. Why can’t I hear him? He’s just one person, and he’s right here in front of me. Are his thoughts that complex? Does he…
And then she heard it. The cabdriver’s voice rang clearly in her mind.
Nobody gives good tips anymore. They’ll probably give me a dollar a piece. Being laid off sucks. I’ve got to find something better. Laura and Timmy deserve better. I’m not sure how much longer we can make it.
Melina opened her eyes and looked over at Walter. He gave her an encouraging smile. She opened her mouth to say something when she felt the cab stop and heard the driver say, “Here we are.”
The meter on the dash read ten dollars even. She pulled her wallet out from her purse and flipped through it. There were a couple of ones, a five, a ten, and a twenty-dollar bill. She stared at the cash for a few seconds and then plucked the ten and twenty out and handed both bills to the driver. “Keep the change,” she said as she smiled at him.
“Thank you,” the driver said as he stared down at the money.
Melina nodded and then shoved her wallet back into her purse as she exited the cab. She shut the door and looked up to see Walter smiling at her.
“That was nice of you,” he said.
“It was the least I could do,” Melina said in a proud voice. “It felt nice to help him.”
“Yes, even small gestures help.”
Melina’s smile faded. “A small gesture? But I gave him a twenty dollar tip.”
“I’m not saying that your gesture wasn’t generous,” Walter said as he began to climb the steps to the museum’s entrance. “I’m trying to get you to think like a guiding angel. Yes, you helped him out with his financial struggles, but that’s not his main problem.”
Melina didn’t say anything as she followed him up the stairs. She simply looked at him, confused.
Walter continued. “The main thing that he’s struggling with is losing his job and having to take a cab-driving gig to get by.”
“But I heard his thoughts clearly. He was complaining about not having enough money.”
“Yes, and do you think he’ll be able to obtain a better job, one that will pay him anything close to the salary of his previous job, when he’s angry all the time? No matter how much he tries to hide it, his bitterness will show through in an interview. No, what he needs to improve his financial situation is help in changing his attitude and outlook. That’s what the majority of our charges need help with.”
“Of course,” Melina uttered as she shook her head. Changing people’s attitudes and outlooks. The answer was so obvious. I’m going to fail.
“No you’re not,” Walter piped up. “You just need more practice. Shall we?” He opened the front door to the museum and ushered her inside.
Melina didn’t come here often, but now she regretted the decision. The paintings that lined the walls were beautiful and intriguing, but the place itself was spectacular. Majestic stone pillars flanked each room, and the black-and-white marble floors were as sleek as glass. She stood in awe of the place until she was interrupted by the sound of Walter’s voice behind her.
“It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?”
“Oh yes,” Melina replied as she turned back to him.
“Unfortunately, though, I didn’t bring you here to enjoy the view. The museum is perfect to hone your mind-reading skills. You’ve mastered it with one person, but now we’re going to try it out with various numbers of people. That way you can try blocking out people’s thoughts as well. Some exhibits will be crowded, and some will only have a handful of people around them. Let’s start with the less-crowded and work our way up.” He gestured over to his right where two elderly couples were admiring a landscape painting.
“Okay.” Melina nodded as she followed him over toward the couples.
“It will also help to strengthen your visions.”
Melina paused for a moment. The visions. How could she have forgotten about them? She let out a low groan as she rubbed her left wrist. The one vision she did have was awful enough. She didn’t want to think about how they’d be once she had strengthened them.
As they approached the couples, the murmuring started up again in Melina’s mind. The voices eventually turned into loud chatter, but it was difficult to make out what any of them were thinking since she was hearing all four of t
hem at once. She closed her eyes, trying to focus, when Walter leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“It’s impossible to make out what they’re all thinking at once. We can’t even do that.”
Melina opened her eyes and turned to look at Walter.
“You need to learn to tune the others out and try to focus on one at a time. It shouldn’t be too difficult with only four of them. Once you’ve figured it out, tell me which one is the most troubled.”
Melina turned back to the couples and started with the man who was closest to her. What seemed to work before with the cabdriver was thinking about him. Maybe thinking about what the old man looked like would help even more to single out his thoughts from the others. She began to list off details of his appearance in her mind. Average height, thin build, gray hair combed over to the side, mustache, hazel eyes…
The other voices slowly started to fade into a low background like sound as the man’s thoughts were amplified. Her eyes narrowed as she took a step closer.
I wonder who the artist is? Where are my reading glasses?
The man started to pat around on his jacket. Melina moved on to the woman next to him, presumably his wife. Short and plump, curly white hair, dark brown eyes…
It happened the same way as before, with the woman’s thoughts slowly projecting over all the others.
I have no idea what to make for dinner tonight. Maybe George will want to go to bingo with me. Then we can eat there.
Melina smiled a little and then turned her gaze on the second couple. She started with the man again. Tall, very skinny, wispy white hair, pale skin, light blue eyes…
Again, it took a little while for her to tune out the other three, but she eventually honed in on what the man was thinking.
Maybe it was my fault that he left. I only wanted what was best for him. I didn’t want to push him away. I’ve got to call him and make it right. He’s my son for goodness' sake.
Melina frowned and hesitantly moved on to the woman, again probably his wife. Very tall for a woman, slender build, brownish-gray hair that comes down to her chin, blue eyes…