Young Writers Society

Calvin Alder

My focus was completely monopolized by my marketing notes for Mr. West's class that I didn't hear the knocking on the door until the thudding became too noisy to ignore. My attention snapped to the dorm room door. Getting up, I walked over and opened it to girl with a yellow scarf. I immediately questioned her presence in my dorm. It wasn't like Mike, my roommate, to casually invite girls over while he was out but I asked anyways.

"Who are you? Are you the girlfriend of my roommate? He's not available right now..."

"No, Calvin, I'm not here for your boring roomie," she retorted.

I was a bit taken aback by her sudden pompous attitude. How did she know my name? I looked over my shoulder at my desk and notes. I needed to study...

"And... And... I'm..." She paused. "I know it'll sound ridiculous, but you need to believe me. I'm your guardian angel."

My head turned back in her direction and I cocked my head to the side, observing her. She looked particularly normal for someone who'd be accused of having mental issues so the statement confused me. I licked my bottom lip and crossed my arms in front of her.

"Is this a joke? Did one of my friends put you up to this?" I asked, bewildered.

She widened her eyes earnestly and shook her head. "No, no, no. I really am! I know it sounds crazy and that you probably think I should be locked up in an insane asylum for just mentioning such a thing but in all seriousness, I am your guardian angel!"

I couldn't help but laugh. This girl was preposterous! With a sigh and a muffled laugh, I brushed my hand through my hair and pointed at my desk. "I know, it's all fun and games for you freshmen sorority girls but some of us, some who are actually going to make something out of ourselves in life, we think that our time is precious. I have finals I need to study for and a test in three hours for a stupid anatomy class I took to meet my credits so I can graduate. Now, if your joke is over and if you've had your fun, please exit my room and never come back."

She wore a baffled expression, as if I honestly did something to hurt her pride. "Calvin!" she hissed after a moment of solitude.

I blinked, baffled.

"I can prove to you that I am," she said in a quieter voice.

A bemused smile crossed my lips. "Enlighten me." She wasn't going to budge until this thing was done and it wasn't like she had stalked me my entire life for this prank. . .

Noah Jeans

My mouth went dry at his challenge and I licked my lips as I fiddled with my eyebrow piercing. Without answering him, I picked my palette back up and went back to my painting. I wasn't even going to try, and by ignoring his challenge I knew I was only telling him that I didn't have the correct answer.
"Fine." I murmured. "I believe you. Besides, who said I ever believed in God?" To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure myself. I so far, in my fourteen years of life, haven't really decided a religion, and sometimes I wondered if I ever would. I knew that not to believe in the Lord would only further outcast myself, but the science my father had pounded into my head made me doubtful that there was such a person who could have created everything here on earth. I began to fill in the rosy pink sky of the knight's battle as I patiently waited for him to speak again.

Alex Smith

I sighed, nearly defeated. This is going to take longer than I thought. Hath Father who art in heaven, help me succeed in this mission. I played my violin once more, playing the hymms in a more sorrowful note. I wasn't going to give up too soon, not when I need this boy's help to keep the Queen of Hell right in her place. After a while, I decided to hit a nerve so the boy could choose for himself. "Your father was a man of very poor faith, much like my stepfather years ago. Science has no proof that heaven is real, only faith does. I've seen heaven and heard of hell, but I have no doubt in my mind that your father would've repented if he knew where he was heading. Only some of us angels have seen God, but I'm not one of those angels. If you really need to know my background, go to the cemetary and look for my name. My mother and father taught me the Bible, so I suggest you read it while I'm still here." I put my violin in its case. "Everything in the Bible is true, for it's the Word of God. Man can't prove the Bible false." As an angel, I had to be honest at all cost. I once lived by the Bible when I was alive, so I had good intentions to help others do the same.

Noah Jeans

"The only Bible I've ever seen is at the school library. I don't think Uncle keeps one in the house." I murmured. "So I wasn't exactly raised by it, nor actually read it." Except for the one I read that I keep under my pillow, that I study night. The Bible interested me, to a deep extent, despite my father's strong disbelief that there was a God. "And by the way, you know nothing of my father. Even if you do, what he did or didn't believe in doesn't matter to me. He doesn't matter to me. Not anymore." I focused on my painting the entire time I said this, once or twice wondering if he was going through my stuff. Not that I cared. I had nothing to hide, except my stories, and I was sure he wouldn't be able to find those. Nobody would ever be able to. I was almost finished with my painting-filling in the small details, which I considered the most important sometimes-when he spoke again, holding the Bible from under my pillow in his hands.

Oliver Applegate

I bet this chick was fun at parties. There really was nothing better than having a nutter at one after all. Not the serial killer kind though... I bet that wasn't any fun. Unless he was a nice serial killer. There weren't many of them around though apparently. I couldn't imagine why. It was then I realised I wasn't listening to what April was saying, so quickly, I turned my attention back to her as she swung her legs back and forth and continued talking.

Bless her. She really did need to spend some time in the local loony bin. Quite sweet really. Nonetheles, I humoured her as she asked if I understood what she was saying and nodded with a wink and a thumbs up. Well, I say I winked. That was sort of a lie. It probably looked like my eye had a spazm or something considering I couldn't wink to save my life. Ah well, she got the idea.

"Okay, well, to stop her, I need your help. There are another five humans and five angels that are going to help us too. We're going to meet in Denvor to catch a ferry to France and go from there to get to Beijing so that we can reach the devil's gates and defeat th--"

"I hate to break it to you, April, but Beijing ain't in France."

She lowered her eyebrows and gave me a look only a little kid could create. "I know." She sighed. "You understand what I'm saying, right?" Once again, I nodded and had an eye spazm. "Okay, good, so... are you... well, will you do it."

"Sure. It beats watching The Jerry Springer Show for the next week."

The shock on April's face was quickly replaced by an enormous grin. I heard her mutter something about something or other being easy as she practically galloped to the door of my flat. Not that she looked like a horse or anything. Those things were creepy. As she reached the door, she began rambling about me packing stuff, from clothes to tissues for the trip I was about to participate in. Bless, she really was convinced that she was some bible-basher thing, didn't she? It was mean of me to humour her really...

"Okay, look, this has been fun but you better go home now. I've gotta ring one of my mates to apologise about this whole breaking his toilet seat thing that I did the other day. It'll probably take a while: that guy was way too attached to his toilet seat." I leaned against the wall as April stared blankly at me beside my flat's door. "So yeah, see you later. Your folks are probably crapping themselves over you disappearing too, by the way."

"No! No, you don't understand. I'm not joking. What I've said is true. I can... I can prove it. Ask me any question about yourself and I can answer it."

Maybe this chick was just drunk, not mental. I didn't reply. Instead I nodded at my door but she didn't move an in--oh, crap, was that mould running down the top left corner of the door? I'd have to sort that out later. April was biting her lip before she began speaking again.

"You... You've been in eleven foster homes and only four you've liked, you were almost adopted about three years ago by the Morgan family but you were dumped before it happened, you're too nervous to get close to anyone because of what Jay did four months ago, you hate being alone and the last panic attack you had was nine days ago, up until you were eleven-years-old you had the same nightmare every night where you'd be alone in a forest until all of the trees started caving in on you. You still have that nightmare sometimes now and if you do, you can never get back to sleep so you spend the night pacing around the flat and try to keep yourself distracted because you're scared of having another pani--"

"Seriously, just piss off." There wasn't even a hint of humour in my voice this time.

Daniel Schille

I walked up to Alice's apartment as I would usually, almost excited to reveal myself to her. Her life had always seemed so sad to me, worse than mine, at least, and I wanted to see if I could make her happy, for once, by telling her that I knew everything about her, that she could confide in me.

I opened the door and walked in quietly, almost gliding through the apartment and into her bedroom.

"Alice?" I said quietly, as she was sleeping. I could feel the excitement building up in me, now.

I sat on her bed and reached over her face. Her hair had slid over her pale cheeks and I brushed it away lightly, awakening her.

"Alice?" I stretched out her name this time. I watched her emotions in her eyes as she woke up. She was sleepy but then was remembering where she was and became her usual stressed looking and depressed self. Then, she noticed me.

"Who are you?!" She scrambled away from me in her bed and I shot up and went to the other side of the room, as far away from her as possible. I didn't know she'd react like this. I thought she'd like me, immediately. What had gone wrong?

Then I realized she probably wouldn't like waking up and seeing some strange boy in her room, brushing hair off her face and calling her name like he knew her. Damn, I'd messed it up.

"I'm not going to hurt you!" I put up my hands in a position of submission. "I'm here to protect you... I'm an angel." I let myself fade in and out of her vision, to prove it.

Instead of calming her it seemed to make her freak out even more. Of course.

The All powerful Lordess of the Universe who will SQUISH you like a bug.

So, you might think the Devil gets an awesome house that sits on the River Styx with a hot tub and a veiw of dead souls being tortured, right?
Well, I don't. Unforgivably, when I came to town as the new Devil, the people of hell decided they needed to cut back on everything but the necessities. That meant a one bedroom apartment in the apartment house for judges (The people who decide for me where a soul is supposed to go.) Well, call me crazy, but I think the Devil that finally decided something needed to be done about souls not dying quickly enough should get a tower with a view. As all powerful Lordess, I should get what I want, correct? Apparently not. So, here I am, sitting in my small apartment, plotting the downfall of the Arch Angels, and I don't even get a hot tub. Life is cruel. The problem is, I'm not even alive! I'm dead. Shouldn't death be a little more nice? Sometimes I miss my old home up in heaven. Up there, I had a little cottage surrounded by a little picket fence.

But I'm the big bad devil now, who doesn't wish for such things... Right?

Oh great. Someone is banging on my door. Can't a person get a little peace?
I answer myself. No one can get a little peace in the underworld. That's the whole point of hell. I stand up, my long black jacket flapping behind me. I love this jacket, it makes me feel like an evil guy. Answering my door, I see a little man, his black hair tousled and his brown eyes glinting evily. Instantly I know I want an evil sidekick that does all my work, gets no credit and a really sad name. This guy and I are going to discuss things. He would be an AMAZING side kick. So short and dangerous.

I wonder if he knows karate?
"Ms. Dare?" says the man, licking his lips. "My name is Ammon Veilia. I have a business proposition."
"Well, Mr. Veilia. Come in and tell me your... proposition."
He walked into the apartment, his eyes still glittering sinisterly.

April Anne Zappa


"Okay, look, this has been fun but you better go home now. I've gotta ring one of my mates to apologise about this whole breaking his toilet seat thing that I did the other day. It'll probably take a while: that guy was way too attached to his toilet seat. So yeah, see you later. Your folks are probably crapping themselves over you disappearing too, by the way." I stared at him. What was with him? Was he suddenly bipolar or something? I realized suddenly that he didn't believe me at all. He was just nodding and smiling to humor me. The way you would treat a baby or a disabled person. Suddenly I became angry.

"No! No, you don't understand. I'm not joking. What I've said is true. I can... I can prove it. Ask me any question about yourself and I can answer it." I didn't know what else I could do to make him believe me, but he just looked kind of sorry for me and nodded towards the moldy door. I bit my lip. I could tell him anything about himself. I knew he'd have to buy my story then.

"You... You've been in eleven foster homes and only four you've liked, you were almost adopted about three years ago by the Morgan family but you were dumped before it happened, you're too nervous to get close to anyone because of what Jay did four months ago, you hate being alone and the last panic attack you had was nine days ago, up until you were eleven-years-old you had the same nightmare every night where you'd be alone in a forest until all of the trees started caving in on you. You still have that nightmare sometimes now and if you do, you can never get back to sleep so you spend the night pacing around the flat and try to keep yourself distracted because you're scared of having another pani--"

"Seriously, just piss off." He snapped at me. I glared at him. I knew he didn't tell his past to anyone, not even Jay; he'd make up a bunch of lies if you asked him about it. So why didn't he understand? He stepped forward and I could tell it was a threat. But I knew he couldn't hurt me. "I hope I didn't watch you all this time for nothing. You know you'd be dead in that forest by now if I hadn't been keeping you safe. Did you ever wonder why a man would somehow just walk into a woods with his dog randomly? I got him to do that. And I'm not leaving until you believe me."

"Well, if you did somehow protect me April you did a pretty crappy job of it. There is no such thing as Guardian Angels. I think you should go run back to your mommy and daddy before they get sick from worry."

I brushed past him back towards the middle of the flat.

"We have to get to the ferry in Denvor by tomorrow! And you should be happy about this now you don't have to be terrified of being all alone anymore. Because I'm here, right?" I said the last bit sarcastically as scowled at him. How come I thought it was going to be oh so easy? Eva hadn't mentioned that they wouldn't believe us. But she probably assumed we would be smart enough to figure that out on our own, but I hadn't. Eva usually let you make your own mistakes. She always just figured we knew stuff even though we didn't. I wondered how the others were doing. Probably a lot better than me I though slightly depressed.

I looked up to see Ollie once again glancing at the door. But he was already dialing his phone. I couldn't tell if he was about to talk to the police or his "mate." For some reason, that word annoyed beyond description. I couldn't take a chance. I knocked the phone out of his hand.

"What was that for?"

"Listen to me! Stop doing your thing where your mind is in a million places at once and just focus for a second!" I could tell I was getting angry, but I couldn't help it. "Seriously, I'm not crazy!"

"Seriously, you need to go back to wherever you came from so the police doesn't come knocking on my door because your parents freaked."

"Stop talking about my parents, okay? I never met my dad and my mom. Well, she's dead. She died in 2013 from a heart attack. She was 50. I don't have anyone worrying about me." He looked at me like I had some sort of deadly disease.

"You have to go; I have stuff to do, people to see." Then he added in a half mumble, "And I don't want some cuckoo 12 year old stalking me."

Note: First, I hope I'm not posting too much. Second, I am so sorry skinsy. I can't seem to do your character justice. When you write for him he's so hilarious. Anyway, I can get too his character better? Am I doing it okayish anyway?

Millie

Millie stared at Cory. Cory stared harder at Millie. "You know, you've gone through like. Three tubes of mustard in the past month," he pointed out, one eyebrow starting to arch a tad higher than the other. Millie thought that it made the entire top half of his face rather unattractive.

"So?"

"So. That's disgusting."

She shrugged, maneuvering around her older brother- mustard bottle still in-hand. Heinz was by far the best, and what most people wouldn't think was that it tasted absolutely amazing in chamomile tea. She skipped over to the stairs, stopping momentarily to stare at the fish tank next to the wall. The poor things needed food.

Millie tucked her mustard under one arm, grabbed the little bottle of fish food and sprinkled a few flakes in between her thumb and index finger. "There you go," she whispered--

--and then she was gone. Bounding up the stairs to her room, just for the sake of a little privacy. She didn't normally enjoy not having people to talk to, but Cory was being annoying and everybody else was out. She slipped through the crack in her door, squeezing some of the mustard into her mouth and wandering over to her closet. These jeans were itchy as hell.

She pulled out of the ones she was wearing, replacing them with a pair of yoga pants. Not necessarily skinny-jeans, but they weren't itchy. Which was good, as far as she could tell. She spun around again, started heading for the mustard bottle (which she had apparently tossed on her bed while her brain wasn't looking), and caught sight of a half-filled cup of tea on the dresser.

Except- she wasn't in the mood for tea right now, as odd as that was. Millie wanted her mustard.

Mara Finch- Guardian Angel

"Enlighten me." Calvin said with a smile.

I knew that simple facts like knowing what his parents did for a living and knowing where he was born would only add on to his suspicion I was one of those pranking sorrority freshmen. He knew as well as anyone you could find that out about anyone by Facebook stalking them. I needed to say something that would blow him away, back him believe in the truth.

"I know that your brother told you Santa wasn't real when you were nine, and you stayed up all night trying to prove him wrong. When your parents came into the room with armfuls of presents, you started crying until they put you to bed."

Calvin paled, but I knew it wasn't enough to convince him. "Plenty of kids have that happen." He protested.

"Whatever you say. Still, I remember when you were in High School-" I paused, trying to place my next words carefully- "and you were... less than the standard 'handsome.' I remember that gorgeous- although ugly on the inside- girlfriend, who dumped you for that exchange student. He wasn't even that good looking, and had awful personality. I know that you wear Calvin Klein underwear-" I blushed- "not that I've ever looked. I've seen your drawers, that's all. And... the biggest fact that makes me your Guardian Angel... I have wings."

At my words, my wings unfurled. They were, with a straight face, my favorite part of being dead. I mean, seriously. Wings. White and gorgeous, wings. Actually, 'white and gorgeous' would be a good way to describe Calvin's face right now. He was flushed pale, mouth open into a little 'O'. Dang it. Maybe I should've rethought my plan of action.

"Okay, Calvin." I needed to talk, get him to understand me before things got even more out of hand. "The devil- a red-haired jerk of a girl who reminds me of your ex-girlfriend- is causing people to die. Trying to destroy Heaven, okay? You must've seen those death statistics in one of your buisiness classes- they've been rising, and in no steady way. Five other angels, and myself, have been chosen to go and...well, guard the gates of Hell. The thing is, we're all Guardian Angels- the humans are the most important part of this whole crap-load." I paused. Dang, I hope I was doing this right. "I would've let you be your whole entire life if I didn't need your help. All twelve of us are going to meet in Denvor tommorow to catch a ferry to France. Then, we go to Beijing to kick some Devil butt. I hate to load this all on you, but it's the truth." I rolled my lip under my teeth and gave him a grim smile, tucking in my wings. "Do you believe me now?"

Alex Smith

I didn't want to give up now. I discovered a Bible from under the pillow beside me. I held it in my hands and studied its cover. It was a New King James Bible, the same one I lived by during my living life. I challenged, "Then explain this Bible I just found. You say you never read the Bible, yet you have a New King James version in your possession. This tells me that you have faith." I opened the Bible and found the Book of Daniel, one of my favorite books in the Bible. I smiled as I read it thoroughly. "The Book of Daniel, a prophet of the Lord who walked with Him all through his days. There's no other prophet I find as a favorite than Daniel." After finishing the Book of Daniel, I shut the Bible and held it in my hands. "Explain to me why you have a New King James Bible in this very room when you said you never read the Bible." I waited for him to answer.

Ronnie Haze

Ronnie Haze seemed to appear out of no where, suddenly visible to any observer who happened to be focusing on the small forest of trees located outside of the town's local park. He acted nonchalant, as though he'd merely been standing behind a tree. He rolled his shoulders back and growled as his arched white wings, invisible to the human eye, rolled into slits cut into his angel bones and disappeared. Ronnie paused for a moment and raised his chin, staring up at the sky and letting loose a relieved sigh. It was a lovely day. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and there was a peaceful breeze, blowing amongst the college students. It'd been so long since he'd stepped foot into the mortal world; so long since he'd actually felt the cool air breezing through the trees and through his shaggy mahogany hair. He flipped his bangs out of his dark emerald eyes and fixed his gaze on the mass of students wandering around the park, laying on the ground with books open and eating. Ronnie skimmed his eyes through them, intending on finding his charge. He spotted a blonde-haired man sitting alone by the fancy fountain, his blue eyes fixed on a book laid out in front of him. Ronnie's jaw dropped a little and he froze for a brief second. By the Gods, this man was absolutely gorgeous. Just simply gorgeous.

Ronnie shook his head and sauntered over to the man, not noticing the stares he was getting. In truth he was absolutely stunning, with his angelic features and his sad eyes. He never noticed how shocked humans could be when they first catch sight of him; his angelic glow stunned and dazzled them and stopped them in their tracks. He brushed past everyone, mumbling apologies and never slowing his pace. He arrived in front of his charge in a flush, his eyes slightly wide with amazement.

The man didn't look up at first. He just flipped the page in his book and continued to eat his apple.

"Hello." Ronnie said stupidly, instantly closing his eyes and biting his lip in anger. He always seemed to blurt the stupidest and simplest things when he was around humans, especially soft and good-looking ones. He sighed quietly and took an unnecessary breath. "May I sit?"

The man looked up in surprise, his bright blue eyes curious. He stared at Ronnie for a couple of seconds, for it seemed he was contemplating an answer. "Sure." He said hesitantly, attempting to move his book, but before he could put it away, it fell off the edge and into the water. Ronnie's eyes narrowed and he aimed his gaze at the book. The book flew up and closed itself in a snap, flying into the man's book bag and disappearing from sight. Surprisingly, the human didn't jump in shock. Instead, he slowly raised his head and fixed Ronnie with a curious gaze. "You have nice eyes." He commented wryly.

Ronnie blinked. "You're an odd one." He mentally smacked himself across the head. Nice going, Haze. Anger the poor human.

"I know." The human shrugged and glanced idly around the lawn. Ronnie stared at his mouth, noticing his stubble and pinkish lips. He wondered how soft this human was; he'd forgotten the feel of a warm and living creature, the soft feel of their skin. He sighed softly.

"You didn't even question why I'm here, or the wind blowing the book." Ronnie stated.

"The wind didn't blow it; you did." The human said simply, turning back to Ronnie. He showed no anger or fear; he lacked emotion. "I know why you're here."

"You do?" Ronnie leaned back slightly in shock.

"You're here to take me on whatever mission I'm destined to undertake. There's a reason I love fire so much, and why I can affect and manipulate it any way I wish. There's a reason why I can see an aura around your figure, glowing in a magnificent way. You're an angel, aren't you?" David Stiles said in a quiet tone, watching Ronnie.

"How did you.." Ronnie couldn't even process the sentence right; he was utterly shocked beyond words. He didn't see this coming.

"Well, you can forget it. I'm staying right here." David turned away from Ronnie, clearly dismissing him. "I'm sorry, Ronnie, but I can't."

Ronnie began to speak, then froze. He didn't recall introducing himself. "What an extraordinary human.." Ronnie mused to himself.

"I'm not extraordinary. I'm normal." David whipped his head around and gave Ronnie a gentle but slightly angry look.

"My apologies." Ronnie bowed slightly. "David Stiles, you have to come with me. No questions, no arguments. I'm afraid you need to abandon your duties and ties to the humans, pack what you need, and come with me. You see, you're my charge and I'm your guardian angel."

David stared at Ronnie in disbelief. Ronnie feared he would argue and rebel, which was just fine with Ronnie. He always had a soft spot for humans, especially rebellious ones with bold blue eyes.

(Hope this is cool with you, G! ;D)

Casi | Millie's room

I stared at the girl, and then at the cup on her dresser. It appeared she was a bigger fan of the mustard than her tea. She was an odd one, but she wasn't a stupid girl. I'd give her that. There was only one word you could use to properly describe Millie. Interesting. That's what made her so perfect to be my human, she kept my mind off things I would rather not worry about. She was always up to something... As if that hair wasn't enough of a distraction. She must have had to dye it weekly to keep all those colors in it.

"Hello Millie," I murmured, rubbing the back of my neck as I leaned against her dresser. "Do you know who I am?"

The girl turned around and stared at me, her mouth still full of mustard. I didn't know how she could stomach that stuff, it looked pretty nasty in my opinion. Then again, what did I know? She swallowed hard and stared at me with a rather blank expression.

"No. Who are you?"

I pushed off of her dresser and held a hand out to her, which she just stared at. "My name is Casimaro, I'm your guardian angel. I have a very important job for you."

Noah Jeans

I sighed deeply, dropping my palette at his challenge. "I...may read it a bit at night." I mumbled under my breath, shuffling my feet and playing with the emerald ring on my hand. "I find it interesting." I bit back the urge to tell him to be careful with it, instead turning to put away my easel and set my painting out to dry. I didn't bother telling him about why I found it so interesting, that my mother used to read stories from it whenever my father went to bed. She tried to savor the little faith and belief I had left in me after Dad had nearly beaten every drop of it out of me. How it was the one possession I had taken with me when I ran away, the only thing I had bothered saving and taking with me to remember what life I was leaving behind when coming to London to live with my Uncle Charlie. My Uncle was just as disbelieving as my father, so I made sure to to keep my reading the Bible a secret.

"And...yeah, maybe I do have a little bit of faith." I mumbled in an undertone, fiddling with my ring again as I began to clean my brushes and clean out my water. I watched him examine my Bible some more, glancing him up and down and taking in his features for the first time. His short cropped hair and nimble hands, no doubt made that way but his prestige violin playing. His face was serious and looked like he was a man who didn't smile often, if at all, which made me want to make him laugh. I bet he had one of those hearty laughs that's contagious when you hear it and makes you want to laugh yourself. I glanced at my converse skate shoes than back at him. I wished he would put my Bible down, but he continued to flip through it interestingly, looking at all the post-it note flags I had made to mark the pages I had found the most interesting. He seemed to take them in with interest, which concerned me, but I didn't protest, not wanting to seem over protective of my things. Besides, it's not like he was really harming the book. Just looking through it. I waited quietly for him to speak while he continued to read through my Bible.

My Uncle's yelling filtered through the walls again, and I just wished he would shut up. I rolled my eyes as his voice escalated, growing about three decibels higher. I willed him to go away, willed him with all the might I could muster, wishing he would just put a freaking sock in it-
Suddenly everything was quiet. Not a single sound occurred except for Alex turning the pages of my Bible. I smiled and relaxed, my eyebrow twitching as I leaned back and began to massage the headache out of my head through my temples.

Calvin Alder

Holy f*cking crap! My heart nearly jumped out of it's ribcage as white wings erupted from the girl's back, glowing with a halo light. My mind tried to ration things out immediately. How could this be? There was no reason that could explain this and without any logic, my mind began to crumple and everything that held every bit of reasoning in the world seemed be tip and teeter with questions that I've repressed my whole life. God? Angels? Devil?

Mara continued talking fast about an evil demonic force and that somehow I was responsible for helping her along with a few other people stop this force from taking over control of the world - something in that aspect anyway.

When she looked back up at me with wide, hopeful eyes, I could only stare back with uneasiness. She knew about my girlfriend and the devastation I went through. I hadn't told anyone about my past relationship with that girl to anyone...

"I'm..."

"Yes?" she asked, leaning forward enough that she'd probably trip over if there was a draft in the room.

"I'm...breaking down," I replied slowly.

She cocked her head with a quizzical look. "Breaking...down?" She blinked but then she realized what I meant. "I know, Calvin, I know this is hard for you to take in - you're very logical and rational but I promise you, this is as real as two plus two and all your mathematical equations. We don't have much time, we have to go."

A shudder ran down my body and it happened again, the holographic screen with green colored text that flashed across my eyes in array of complex patterns like a encrypted computer screen. My fingers itched to make sense of things but it was gone like a toasted television screen before I could do anything.

"What's wrong, Calvin?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. "Are you okay? You look...like you saw a ghost or something."

I laughed at the irony. "Didn't I?" Then I thought of something. "If you're really some sort of guardian angel, then can you tell me what I've been seeing my entire life?"

She pressed her lips together and pouted. "Is it the holographic screen that displays a whole bunch of weird symbols and stuff?"

I nodded. I felt emotionally and mentally exhausted that her knowledge of my mental pictures weren't even a bit fazing.

"It's your gift," she answered. "A power."

I dropped down to my bed and rubbed my face with my palms and then grazed the back of my neck with my fingers hoping to relieve whatever it was I was feeling at the moment. "Powers? Now I'm a super human?" I laughed. This day was going to the gutter and I had completely forgotten about my test, not that it mattered. In a matter of minutes I had turned from a rich college student with straight A's into a freak with powers and a guardian angel. But Mara had been spewing out information that amazed me, things I hadn't told anyone had surfaced with our conversation and I still couldn't even begin to rationalize the wings.

"Holy mother of God," I screeched suddenly, catching her off guard. "This...this is really happening!"