God Knew My Heart Needed You
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The rain pounded on the roof of the truck, and I sat in the back with a blanket wrapped around me. The air conditioning had gone out somewhere between San Francisco and Sacramento, so the inside of the cab was hot and muggy.
I was too tired to be bothered by it, though. The long drive from the airport, the meeting with the governor’s office, and then the short flight up here had drained me.
I’d been on the road for almost twenty-four hours straight. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept, but at least I had the comfort of knowing that my friends were nearby.
I leaned against the back wall and closed my eyes. I wasn’t going to sleep yet, but just being able to rest for a few minutes would be nice. The storm was loud enough that I could block out the sound of the wipers going back and forth over the windshield, and the darkness outside the truck was complete.
I was lost in my thoughts when I felt a presence behind me. It was gentle, like an angel’s touch. When I opened my eyes, I saw that it was one of the angels.
“Are you all right?” the angel asked.
“Yes,” I said, reaching up to rub my eyes. “It’s been a long day.”
“You’re safe now,” the angel said.
“Why is that?”
“We’ve got your back,” he said simply.
My eyes widened as I looked at him. He was one of the most beautiful people I’d ever seen. His skin was pale, his hair black, and his eyes were the deepest blue. I couldn’t tell what age he was, but he had strength and kindness about him that made me trust him immediately.
“Thank you,” I said.
He smiled. “The pleasure is mine. You look exhausted.”
“I am. Can I ask who you are?”
“I’m Gabriel,” he said.
I nodded. “Gabriel. I don’t know if I should be flattered or freaked out by the fact that you know my name.”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “You’re not the first person to have a near-death experience and then come back to life.”
“I didn’t die,” I said. “I was attacked by a demon. I barely escaped.”
“That’s right. We’ve been watching over you since we found you, and now we’ll keep an eye on you until you’re safe.”
“And how do you plan to do that?” I asked.
“You won’t even notice us,” he said. “But we’ll be there.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He moved away from me and settled into the passenger seat. “Just try to get some sleep. I’ll wake you when we reach the convent.”
“I will.”
The next thing I knew, the truck was slowing down, and I opened my eyes to see that we were pulling up to the convent. The rain had stopped, and the night sky was clear. The stars shone brightly, and I could see the light from the nuns’ house shining through the windows.
“We’re here,” Gabriel said. “Let’s go.”
“I can walk,” I said.
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t. You’ll need the rest.”
“Okay.”
Gabriel climbed out of the truck and went around to open the door for me.
“Thanks,” I said.
He nodded and walked toward the convent with his wings out and his head held high. He was a handsome angel, but there was something about him that made me feel like he wasn’t quite all right. That made me wonder if perhaps I shouldn’t have trusted him so easily.
The nuns came out to greet us as we approached the convent. They were in their late sixties or early seventies, and they were dressed in bright robes that matched the color of their hair. I was still wearing my suit, which made them laugh.
“Did you just get here?” Sister Anne asked.
“Yes,” I said. “We drove straight up from San Francisco.”
Sister Anne looked at Gabriel, then back at me. “You look terrible. Go inside and get some rest. We’ll take care of everything.”
“Thank you,” I said.
She smiled. “It’s our pleasure. We’re so happy to have you here. Please come on in.”
Gabriel took my arm and led me toward the convent.
“Wait,” Sister Anne said. “I know we don’t have much time, but you should make yourself comfortable before you go to bed.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You’ve been through a lot,” she said. “Why don’t you stay the night? It would be an honor.”
“We’d love to,” I said.
“Great! We’ll take care of everything.” She smiled and went back into the convent.
“Who is she?” I whispered to Gabriel.
“The Mother Superior,” he said. “She’s been a nun since she was eighteen. She’s a brilliant woman, and she’s the one who brought us together.”
“And now you work for her?”
“Yes. Sister Anne and I have been working with her for years. We’ve been helping to train the next generation of nuns.”
“How did you find me?” I asked.
“We found you because of your mother.”
“My mother?”
“Yes. You’re her daughter.”
“How do you know that?”
“Your eyes. You both have the same blue eyes. It’s a very rare color.”
“So my mother is dead?”
“No,” he said. “She’s alive and well. And she’s also the reason you’re here.”
“Why am I here?”
“To help us stop Lucifer.”
“You’ve never told me why.”
“That’s because I haven’t known myself. But I think you do know.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because you were born under the sign of Scorpio. It’s a sign of rebirth and transformation, and it’s associated with the dark side of life.”
“It is?”
“Yes. I didn’t know any of this when I met your mother. I only found out later. We’ve been working together ever since.”
“How do you know my mother?”
“She came to us for help.”
“But how?”
“I’m not sure. Your mother and I had a conversation about the stars. That’s all I can really remember. All I know is that we talked about the stars and she left. When I saw you at the airport, I knew you were her daughter.”
“Is that why you wanted to protect me?”
“Yes,” he said. “When I saw you in the parking lot, I thought you might be in danger.”
“And you knew what I was?”
“I guessed. The only thing that made me certain is that you were carrying a gun. It’s a sign of violence, but it also means you’re someone who needs protection.”
“From what?”
“We don’t know. But from something. We just need to figure out what.”
“Who are you?” I asked.
“Gabriel,” he said. “At least that’s what I used to be called. Gabriel was my name before I became an angel.”
“An angel?”
“Yes. You might not believe this, but angels exist.”
“How did you become one?”
“It happened when I was eighteen.”
“What?”
“I was walking down the street on my way home from school when I saw a woman being attacked by a man. He was trying to rape her.”
“How did you know?”
“The stars told me.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No. I had this overwhelming feeling that something terrible was happening. I turned around and ran over there, and the man saw me coming. He tried to run away, but I tackled him. I hit him in the head with the gun and he fell unconscious. I carried the woman to safety, and then I went back to make sure the guy was down.”
“You saved a woman’s life.”
“Yes. And the stars told me it was my destiny to be an angel.”
“So you became an angel?”
“I’ve been an angel ever since.”
“But what about Sister Anne? Why is she helping you?”
“She’s a nun like us. She has a very strong sense of justice. We’ve been working together for years. It’s not easy. Angels don’t get along with other angels.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re all different. We have our own ways of doing things. It’s complicated. I’m not even sure why we work together. But we do. And now I need your help.”
“You want me to help you stop Lucifer?”
“Yes.”
“But how can I?”
“That’s where you come in.”
“Me? How am I supposed to do that?”
“I’m not sure yet. But I think you’ll be able to figure it out.”
“What about my mother?”
“She’s safe.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yes. She’s fine. The only thing she needs to worry about is that she hasn’t seen you. If she sees you, she’ll know she has a daughter.”
“Oh.”
“She knows she had a baby, but she doesn’t remember anything else. She doesn’t know who you are.”
“That’s horrible.”
“I know. But it’s the way it is. And the best thing to do is to keep it that way.”
“So you want me to disappear?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re in danger. If you don’t disappear, someone will try to kill you.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. I just know they’ll come after you. I’m not sure why. But it won’t be long before they find out who you are. You’re a Scorpio, and Scorpios have enemies. But there are others too. The people who kidnapped you when you were younger. They might still be looking for you.”
“So you want me to disappear.”
“Yes.”
“But I’m not going to go anywhere.”
“No. You’re not. And that’s where you come in.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You’ll have to figure it out on your own. We’re not really good at explaining things. That’s one of the reasons we don’t get along with other angels.”
“What are you trying to tell me?”
“There’s something you need to know. Something important. You need to understand what happened to you.”
“Why?”
“Because if you don’t, you’ll never be able to live a normal life again.”
“What do you mean?”
“The reason you’ve been having nightmares all these years is because of what happened to you as a child. There was something evil inside you, and it needed to be destroyed. Your mother didn’t know what to do.
She couldn’t leave you alone, so she took you to the convent, hoping that Sister Anne would help you. It wasn’t easy for Sister Anne to look after you, but she did her best. But she also knew that she couldn’t protect you forever. So when you turned eighteen, she told you that you had to go away and hide.”
“And you want me to go away, too?”
“Yes. As far away from here as you can.”
“How am I supposed to do that? I don’t even know where to start.”
“You’ll figure it out. You always do.”
“But I don’t understand what’s going on. What does this have to do with Lucifer?”
“I think he knows about you. He’s probably looking for you. He wants to hurt you. I don’t know why. But he’ll try. That’s how he gets his power. People suffer and die because of him. He’s like a disease. But there’s nothing you can do about it. All you can do is try to stay alive until I can come back and help you.”
“What if I can’t figure out how to do that?”
“Then you’ll be in big trouble. Lucifer will find you. And then you won’t be able to fight him off. You’ll be in real danger.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s okay. I’ll explain everything when I get back. And we’ll work together to stop Lucifer. But first, you need to disappear. You have to disappear. Do you understand?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Good. Then we agreed. The sooner you can go, the better. Because if you stay here, someone will see you. They’ll remember you. And they’ll tell everyone. Then you’ll be in big trouble.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“No. You’re not. But you need to figure out how to do it. Because if you don’t, Lucifer will find you.”
“What does Lucifer want with me?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think he knows yet. He’s just looking for a way to hurt you. To destroy you. You have to be careful. Keep yourself hidden. Don’t let anyone know who you are. That’s the only way you’ll be safe.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me?”
“There’s one more thing. Lucifer has a twin brother. A twin sister. Both of them have been sent to kill you. Lucifer’s sister, the Archdemon, is in town now. She’s hunting you.”
“Where will she look for me?”
“I don’t know. I can’t read her mind. But I can tell you that she’ll be looking for you everywhere. It’s best if you don’t go anywhere. Don’t leave your house. Stay inside and lock the doors. When you’re asleep, don’t let anyone in. Even if they knock on the door, don’t open it. If you’re ever in danger, run. Run as fast as you can. And don’t stop until you’re far away from here.”
“Will you come back and help me?”
“I can’t promise that. I might not be able to.”
“But you’ll try.”
“I will.”
“And then we’ll beat Lucifer. We’ll defeat him. We’ll save the world.”
“I hope so.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“So am I.”
“I have to go now. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I love you. I always will.”
“I love you, too.”
“Don’t forget about me. Never forget about me.”
“Never.”
“Goodbye, my darling.”
“Goodbye, my beautiful angel.”
The End