Part 6 (2/2)

”Oh, Charlene, I wish you would talk to me. I feel for you. After that incident with your father, that had to be traumatic.”

”Yes, it truly was. I still don't know if I will ever contact him again.”

”Don't worry. I won't pressure you about your job. It's here waiting for you when you come back. Take all the time you need.”

”Jan, you're a sweetheart. Thank you so much.”

Shortly after that we ended the call. I was relieved she was so compa.s.sionate about my problems, even though she didn't really know what was going on. She didn't pressure me to find out either. When I was first hired, I told her about my mental illness and that I had spent time in the hospital. I had really nothing else to go by. My amnesia was still prevalent at the time. I didn't even know who I was. Slowly, the memories of my old life came back to me.

After I got off the phone with Jan, I sat down and opened a book to read. There was a knock at the door.

”Charlene, it's David. Can I talk to you?” he asked through the door.

”Yeah, just a minute,” I yelled out.

I placed the book down and answered the door.

”I heard about the break-in. Are you okay?”

”Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing was taken.”

”Well, you have nothing to take,” he said, laughing.

”Yeah, that's right.”

”I am glad you are okay. I would be devastated if something happened to you.”

The statement struck me by surprise. I mean, I was only his neighbor and not anyone really special. I didn't know I meant that much to him. I looked at him with a different aspect this time. He was really a loving person and cared for me more than I realized. He was a friend to me, and I liked that. I was starting to have mixed feelings about him.

”Ummayeah. I am glad nothing really bad happened. Glad they didn't destroy your building either. It could have been worse, I guess.” There was silence.

He looked around the room and then out the window.

”You know what you need?”

”What?”

”Something to spruce up this place. Your walls are too bare,” he said as he headed out the door and into the hallway.

”What are you doing?” I called out to him.

”Be right back! I wanna give you something.”

I heard him run downstairs to his apartment as I stood there for a few minutes, wondering what he was up to. He came back with a painting in his hands. As he turned it around, I was in shock. It was of an angel.

”Here, this is one of Jane's paintings. Let's put it to good use. She always believed in angels, why I don't knowa” his voice trailed off as he gazed at the picture.

”Sure you wanna give this up? It is truly a beautiful piece.”

”Oh, yeah. She would have wanted it that way. Besides, since I've been cleaning I feel better letting go of things.”

”It's good to let go. I need to learn how to do that myself.”

I held in my shock as I stood there staring at the painting. It was indeed a painting of an angela”a painting strikingly familiar to Delmara.

Chapter Thirteen.

A few days had pa.s.sed as all the turmoil continued on, yet something changed in me entirely. I felt like I was becoming more human, as I hadn't changed into my demon form for a while. That's when it happened. I checked the clocka”7:17 a.m. It had been a full twenty-four hours since I had changed. Was I human again? In the pit of my stomach, I felt cramping pain. I ran to the bathroom and starting puking out a metal-type liquid. As I curled up in the fetal position, I noticed blue blood seeping out between my legs. It felt like I was dying all over again, but in a more painful way.

After lying there a few moments, I saw a light spread through the ceiling as the walls opened up. I began to float upward and into the light. Here it was, I thought. It was happening at that very moment. I traveled the tunnel of light and heard a voice.

”Charlene, dear child, come. I must speak with you.”

It was Delmara. She was floating over me, carrying me with her wings.

”Your annual has arrived.”

I didn't know how to react. I couldn't move as she held me, yet I could feel soothing thoughts running through my mind like a cool breeze. Scared and confused, yet trusting Delmara, I finally let go.

She brought me to a place I had never been to before. It was as if G.o.d had created yet another realm.

I lay there on a bed of soft moss, smelling the scent of magnolia again. I knew Delmara was there somewhere, even though I couldn't see her.

I was in a forest of some sort. The leaves were thick with green fur and were soft and damp to the touch.

As I walked through the mist I could see the stars, yet it was a clear, blue day. They peered through the sky as gla.s.s-like shards. Everything was bright, and rainbows formed in the corners of my eyes. Was I dreaming again? Where was I?

”The time has come,” Delmara said as she came into view. She held up her hands, motioning the winds to rise. Swirling leaves of pastel colors flew in the air. I floated there in mid-air.

”You have gone through the first phase of your trial. Your annual is now complete.”

The winds continued to swirl as I was carried further and further away.

”Wait, I don't understand. Am I dead?”

My body was forced back through the tunnel of light again as I heard Delmara whisper, ”Time for phase two.”

I woke up on the bathroom floor, still feeling nauseous and uncomfortable, but the pain was tolerable. I got up and checked between my legs again. The blue blood still came down, but in slow drops. Great; my luck to have a demon period now. Just when I thought I was turning human again, it hit me in a different way. I still had so many unanswered questions, and Delmara wasn't much help.

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