| |
WE BARELY HAVE ENOUGH space to squeeze into the van with the entire Huckland family. Anya and Austin are both crying, and I don't blame them. The weather is creepy, their dog ran away, and they have to leave everything behind. That would be stressful even if you weren't a kid.
With the windows down, you can hear the wind howling. What would it be like to stand in the eye of a hurricane? It's bad enough to hear it from a distance.
Jophiel says, “I suggest splitting up. I'll stay here with the Huckland family and deal with any complications that might arise. Chris, you and Haniel find the dog and try to lead him to us.” Under his breath, he adds, “Stupid dog.”
“Sounds good,” says Haniel. “We'll stay in contact through the LightTab. If anything happens, do let us know.”
I wonder if Jophiel is getting me alone with Haniel on purpose. If so, I owe him one.
Haniel warps us to Goro's location. He's cowering near a dumpster, behind a bar that's been evacuated. Even though he's whimpering, his tail wags when he sees us.
I ask, “Am I correct to assume that dogs and cats can see spirits?”
“Oh, yes. And not just dogs and cats. Many animals are way more in touch with the spirit world than humans.” When Haniel scratches the dog's head, his panic temporarily turns to bliss. Now the dog would probably follow her anywhere.
And so would I.
“I'm tracking the location of Jophiel and the Hucklands on my LightTab,” Haniel says. “It should be on your LightTab's screen as well.”
I check my LightTab. My usual DC Comics backdrop is replaced by a really complex-looking GPS map. I'm not sure I could read this map to save my life, but I guess Haniel knows what she's doing.
“We need to encourage Goro to follow us,” Haniel says.
“How do we do that? Manifest some dog treats?”
“No, that shouldn't be necessary. Animals are drawn to spirits, and especially angels. Now that he's seen us, he'll likely follow on his own.” Haniel takes a few steps away from the dumpster and calls to Goro, “Come on, Buddy!”
Goro, tail still wagging, abandons his dumpster and chases after her.
“Good boy!” Haniel cries. “Now... keep following us, and we'll get you back to your family, okay?”
We'll never catch up to the van, though. I guess he'll be following us for awhile. Goro looks a lot less frightened by the hurricane now. A few strokes from Haniel's hand was all he needed to soothe him. The hurricane winds don't affect me, but the pummeling rain doesn't feel too great. Coils of water are skating down the road, pulled by gale force winds. Trees are barely holding onto their branches as they're tested by the storm.
When Goro stops to inspect a toppled trash can, I clap my hands and yell, “Nuh uh! Keep following us, Goro!”
Goro barks and runs in circles around me.
My sandals squish beneath my feet as we tromp along the watery road. It's slow going, but at least we're heading in the right direction. When I have to dodge a hurtling branch, Haniel cries, “Look out!”
It barely misses my head. If it hit me, I wonder if it would've hurt. According to what I've read, spirits can get injured, but wounds are less severe and heal quickly. I would rather not get smacked with a branch to test that out.
Haniel suddenly asks. “So... why don't you tell me how you feel about me?”
I'm flabbergasted by her question. It takes me a moment to reply—and my reply sounds stupid. “Uh... what?”
“You like me. I know you like me,” Haniel says. “Why don't you ever tell me? The only time I've ever known how you feel is when I've accidentally heard bits of your thoughts. I was the one who had to ask you on a date. As I recall, you couldn't even get the words out!”
“I know. I'm pathetic,” I tell her. “I'm really shy, and... I haven't really had that much experience with girls, and... and you're really amazing. You're way too amazing for me. You're in a really cool band, you're an Archangel, you're—”
“You need to stop thinking that,” she interrupts me. “I'm not too good for you. If anything, it's the other way around. You're so good and so kind, you managed to get an Archangel as an instructor. I, on the other hand... I've made more than my fair share of mistakes.”
“Like what?” I ask, hoping its not too invasive.
“Oh, you know... I've broken several hearts. I'm not as cruel as Jophiel when it comes to love, but I know I've disappointed some people. I've betrayed friends. I've failed missions on purpose. I pissed off my band's last lead guitarist so much, she refuses to speak to me. I'm not a saint. That's the irony. Everyone seems to look up to the Archangels. We're held in high regard, but the truth is... we make mistakes just like anyone else.”
“You've failed missions on purpose?” I ask.
“It doesn't happen often, but... yes. I have,” Haniel admits. “To begin with, I refuse to help murderers.”
“That wouldn't make you a bad person,” I tell her. “I think that would probably be a good thing.”
“Well, oddly enough, we are supposed to help everyone. Judgment isn't part of the job,” Haniel says. “Anyway, my point is... I don't want you to keep thinking I'm above you, or that I'm too good for you, or that you shouldn't tell me exactly how you feel.”
I check on Goro to make sure he's still following us, but I'm probably stalling. Haniel would probably prefer a guy with confidence, but I'm the shyest person I know. If I'm actually going to have a shot with her, I need to be brave.
Taking a deep breath, I tell her, “I really like you, Haniel.”
“Good.” She bumps her shoulder against mine. “That's good... because I really like you too. You're sweet. I don't think I've ever met anyone as sweet as you.”
I get an update from Jophiel on my LightTab. According to his message, the Hucklands are stuck in traffic on the highway.
“Good. We can use that to our advantage,” Haniel says. “If they're stuck in traffic long enough, maybe we can catch up to them?”
When we increase our pace, Goro seems to think it's fun. He keeps dashing ahead of us, trying to outrun us.
I, for one, have never been able to run this fast before. My weak heart wouldn't allow it.
“Good boy, Goro!” I encourage him to keep chasing us. “Good boy!” He barks and bolts, showing us how fast he can run.
After a few minutes, I check Jophiel's location on the LightTab again. It looks like the Hucklands haven't moved. I thought it would take forever to reunite the dog with his family, but as long as they're stuck, we're actually gaining ground.
Haniel's wings suddenly explode out of her back. At first, they look white, but I think they're actually a really pale lavender.
“Hold on to me!” Haniel exclaims. I don't react right away, so she grabs my arms and wraps them around her waist. “Goro can run faster than us, so I'm going to fly!”
When we lift off, it's a little unsettling, but after you've warped a few times, flying seems dull by comparison. Haniel continues to shout commands to Goro, and I keep an eye on my LightTab. The van's moved a bit, but it looks like they're stuck again.
Goro has his eyes locked on Haniel's wings as he races after us. His tongue is out of his mouth and flapping. The poor guy is really trying to keep up.
“Come on, Goro!” Haniel calls to him. “Come on! We've almost made it! Come on, Boy!”
We eventually reach the highway, and when we spot the van in the distance, I shout another command to him.
“Bark, Goro!” I have no idea if he can understand me, but it's worth a shot. “Bark, and let them know you're on the way!”
Like magic, Goro starts barking. I think he's spotted his family's van, and he's zigzagging between cars to get to them. It looks a little dangerous, but as long as everyone's stalled, I hope he's safe.
Anya jumps out of the van first, followed by her brothers. They fall to their knees and greet their hero dog with open arms. When I glance at Haniel, she has tears in her eyes.
“I have a soft spot for animals,” she confesses.
“Yeah. Me too,” I tell her. “I always cry at dog movies.”
I probably shouldn't have told her that. It makes me sound lame, doesn't it?
“No, it doesn't make you sound lame!” Haniel corrects me and punches my arm. “I think it's sweet.” It's a little weird to hear her respond to my thoughts, but Jophiel's done it enough that I no longer bat an eye.
Goro jumps into the Hucklands' van, as do we. About five minutes later, the traffic subsides, and we're on our way out of Charleston again.
“Well done, you two,” Jophiel praises us. “I hope you enjoyed your time together?”
I guess I was right. He was trying to give us some alone time.
“We did,” Haniel says. “Chris was very helpful.”
I'm not sure about that, but I'm not going to question her compliment in front of my instructor.
I whisper to Jophiel, “I thought you said it would be a miracle if I actually got Haniel to like me. So... why are you helping me?”
“Because I'm Archangel Jophiel. Miracle is my middle name... if I had a middle name... which I don't. I don't have a surname either. Perhaps I should give myself one?”
“Jophiel Miracle Maker?” I suggest.
Patting my back, he declares, “I like it!”
We ride with the Hucklands to a hotel, safe from the hurricane's path. It's a long ride, but I keep myself occupied with comics on the LightTab.
“Well, they made it,” Jophiel notes as the family exits the van. “That means your fourth mission is complete, Pho. We only have one mission left. How do you feel about that?”
“Good,” I tell him—but it's only a half-truth.
I'll miss working with him.
I don't say that to him, but he's grinning again, so I think he knows.