Life After Life
I was so angry with my father that I missed what might have been my last chance to speak with him ever. There was an odd shift in my surroundings and then I saw only the lightest of blue skies and cotton clouds under my feet. Slowly I turned to see huge arching pearlescent gates. Beyond them I was certain I glimpsed a castle with many towers stretching high into the sky. All around me doves flew, their wings glittering as if covered in morning dew.
A young man emerged from the gates, coming straight to me. His brown hair framed his face in short curls. His eyes were a deep grey. "Welcome to the Hall of Angels." His smile seemed so genuine I smiled back easily. "I'm Mark, and I'm on gate duty right now." He half rolled his eyes. "You'll learn all about gate duty later. It's a pleasure reserved only for new and low level angels. Everyone does it a lot for the first few years."
"Um, hi." For some reason I found him instantly charming, an effect few guys have on me. It made me all the more cautious. I just felt like no one should have that effect on me.
"Come on in, and I'll set you up with a guide who can show you around and set you up with a room and classes and such."
"Thank you," I followed him through the stunning gates where another boy stood as well, this one with black hair, brown eyes and a slight frown.
"Don't mind Jared, he hates gate duty, so he's in a foul mood," Mark told me cheerfully. I offered Jared a smile, but he just looked away. For some reason I felt like his problem was more personal than Mark had said, but I couldn't think how he'd know enough about me to have a personal problem with me already.
"Now," Mark said, "what would you prefer?"
A young man emerged from the gates, coming straight to me. His brown hair framed his face in short curls. His eyes were a deep grey. "Welcome to the Hall of Angels." His smile seemed so genuine I smiled back easily. "I'm Mark, and I'm on gate duty right now." He half rolled his eyes. "You'll learn all about gate duty later. It's a pleasure reserved only for new and low level angels. Everyone does it a lot for the first few years."
"Um, hi." For some reason I found him instantly charming, an effect few guys have on me. It made me all the more cautious. I just felt like no one should have that effect on me.
"Come on in, and I'll set you up with a guide who can show you around and set you up with a room and classes and such."
"Thank you," I followed him through the stunning gates where another boy stood as well, this one with black hair, brown eyes and a slight frown.
"Don't mind Jared, he hates gate duty, so he's in a foul mood," Mark told me cheerfully. I offered Jared a smile, but he just looked away. For some reason I felt like his problem was more personal than Mark had said, but I couldn't think how he'd know enough about me to have a personal problem with me already.
"Now," Mark said, "what would you prefer?"