EPILOGUE

Epilogue

“I can’t find her anywhere, Tess,” Andrew called out as he and Tess met up a few hours later, having spent the time searching for their missing friend.  His eyes were filled with deep worry and concern and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible had happened or was about to.

“Me neither, baby,” Tess replied, her own eyes mirroring his concern,

“Where would she have run off to?”

“Maybe she didn’t run off, Tess,” He replied, running a hand through his short blond hair,

“Maybe Kathleen…” He stopped, unable to voice what he had been thinking.

“You weren’t gone that long, Angel Boy and surely Monica would have put up a fuss had that trouble maker shown up.”

Andrew shook his head, not convinced,

“Kathleen got to her today, Tess.  Whatever she said to Monica out on that field before I got there was weighing heavily on Monica’s mind.  I tried to find out more from her tonight, but she wouldn’t open up about it.  She’s in trouble, Tess.  I can feel it.”

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Monica awoke a few hours later, to find them at a Rest Stop off the highway.  Glancing over, she saw that Stacey was sound asleep, her head resting against the steering wheel of the car.  Quietly, so as not to wake her, Monica opened the car door and slipped outside to get some fresh air. 

Dawn was just beginning to break across the sky and she shivered in the early morning frost.  Oh, what she would do for a cup of coffee right now!  She knew she had to look an absolute mess, but she didn’t care.  Her life, as she knew it, seemed over now.  She had left her friends, the same way God had left her and now she had to get accustomed to living life as a human, if that’s the way it was meant to be.  She couldn’t imagine never seeing Tess or Andrew again, but what good was she to them?  A human couldn’t make people see the truth.  On top of that, she had gotten them both into so much trouble by thinking independently that she wondered if they would even want to see her again.  She had made trouble for them and for Stacey.  What kind of angel made more problems for their assignments? 

“The kind of angel who doesn’t deserve to be an angel,” She whispered aloud to herself.  She was so consumed in her thoughts that the sound of another voice made her jump.

“Well, well, well, what have we here?” Kathleen smiled sweetly as she appeared before Monica.

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“What kind of trouble, Andrew?” Tess frowned. She hated it when he talked like this because she knew that Andrew’s instincts were seldom wrong.

“I don’t know, Tess.  It’s just this terrible feeling that won’t leave me.  It’s like Monica and I both knowing that Kathleen was near, but yet we never voiced our thoughts.  It’s the same way now.  It’s like I can feel her fear…” Andrew looked away from Tess and off into the distance, trying to zero in on exactly what it was he was feeling.

“What do you mean ‘You can feel her fear’?  What is she afraid of?” Tess began to wring her hands nervously, unable to bear the thought of her baby being in trouble, real trouble.

“Shhhh,” Andrew silenced her.  He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and his palms began to sweat as he waited, hoping and praying for answers.

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“Kathleen,” Monica looked up and came face to face with the dark angel—the one who had created this disaster that Monica was now so much a part of,

“What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question, Miss Wings,” Kathleen chided, crossing her arms in front of her and smiling sweetly.

“Don’t call me that,” Monica replied softly, her heart aching at the thought of Tess and the nickname she had given her,

“And while we’re at it, I want you to leave Stacey alone.  She has nothing to do with this.”

“Oh come on, Monica.  You cannot expect me to just drop her like a hot potato, can you?  Not without something in return.” The dark angel moved a step closer to the human angel, her eyes sparkling. 

Monica was quiet for a moment, her mind spinning, nearly out of control.  She knew what it was she must do, but could she do it and what would be the consequences?

“No, of course not.  You don’t know the first thing about helping someone, do you Kathleen?  You wouldn’t know how to begin to give something up for nothing, to help someone other than yourself. “

“Not when I’m this close to getting what I want,” Kathleen growled, grabbing Monica by the wrist and pulling her closer.

Monica gave out a startled cry, but refused to take her eyes away from Kathleen’s as she looked at the dark angel defiantly.

“Monica?” Stacey called out, getting out of the car, having heard the commotion.  The girl froze when she saw Kathleen and Monica face to face.

“So, what is it going to be, Monica?” Kathleen hissed,

“Her?  Or you?”

Monica’s heart pounded loudly as she turned her attention to Stacey,

“Stacey, I want you to listen to me.  I want you to get in the car and go back to school, all right?  Kathleen isn’t going to bother you anymore.  I’ve taken care of that.”

“But Monica--.” Stacey began to protest.  She didn’t like what was going on here, even if it was between two angels.

“Stacey, please,” Monica pleaded, wrenching her arm away from Kathleen,

“Go back to school.  It’s where you belong.  I’m fine. Kathleen and I are just going to work a few things out.  Now go.”  Seeing that Stacey seemed rooted to where she stood, Monica closed her eyes and raised her voice,

“GO!”

Frightened now, Stacey backed away and jumped into the car.  Her hand fumbled with the keys, but she managed to start the car and in a cloud of dust, she was gone.

Kathleen watched as Monica turned her frightened eyes back to her,

“So, you’ve made your choice.” Kathleen began to laugh hysterically as suddenly they were surrounded by bright yellow flames and the sounds of a thousand laughing demons.

Monica closed her eyes, feeling her body becoming engulfed in anguish and pain.  Before she was swept away, she heard herself scream,

“Father!!”

The Rest Area was silent for a moment before a huge bolt of lightening lit up the sky followed by a deafening crack of thunder as the heavens opened up and rain came pouring down in the now deserted clearing.

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“I have to go,” Andrew looked at Tess, puzzled, as he heard the familiar soft voice in his heart.

“You have an assignment now?” Tess asked impatiently.  She fell quiet for a moment, hearing a voice within her own heart and she nodded her head.  Unshed tears glistened in her eyes as she looked back at Andrew,

“Go, Angel Boy.  God be with you and I’ll be waiting when you return.”

Andrew looked at Tess worriedly, not understanding her tears,

“I’ll be back soon and then we’ll find Monica, I promise.”  He moved to hug her before he vanished.

                       *****************************

An hour later, a crumpled figure emerged seemingly from thin air at the Rest Stop.  No one noticed her, lying rain soaked and unconscious amongst the shrubs.  She did not stir, but remained curled up in a tight ball, not awake, but still shivering from the severe cold. 

No one had known she was there until he showed up and he only knew as he had been told.  Softly, he approached her.  He could see she was still alive, though barely.  Sadly, he listened to her labored breathing, wondering what had happened to her or why she was here.  Slowly, he moved to brush the wet hair from her face, wanting to see her before she moved to the other side. His fingers carefully moved through the tangled brown hair, wishing he knew why things like this had to happen to humans.  Why?

A small cry escaped Andrew’s lips as he recognized the face that he knew and loved with all his heart.  Tears began to fall from his eyes as he gathered her into his arms and held her limp body close to his.  Sobbing openly, he rocked her as he kept repeating the words of his heart,

Why, Father?  Why?”

End of part one.  Stay tuned for Part two—The Darkest Hour