L. Castillo - After the Fall

He had promised Naomi that he’d get her to Earth to find Welita and Chuy. Thinking they would surely empathize with Naomi’s situation, his first thought was to ask Rachel or Uri for permission. He axed that idea when he remembered all they had gone through and the centuries of separation from each other. It wouldn’t be fair to ask them, only for them to get in trouble. Archangels were not safe from being punished. Raphael could attest to that.

That only left one person who could help him, and it irritated him to no end that Lash had to ask him for help.

He shuffled slowly up the flower-lined path to Jeremy’s door. Jeremy lived in a one-room cottage along the stream, a few miles away from the bridge that was a gateway to Earth. Like his clothes, Jeremy kept his living quarters spotless, which was a difficult thing to do, especially after poker night. Even when Lash had offered to host, Jeremy refused, claiming no one would be able to get through the front door with the mountain of mess in his room.

Jeremy did his job like he led his life. Everything had its place and purpose. Although lately, he didn’t seem to be his usual self.

Lash tried to shake the memory of the way Jeremy acted around Naomi last night. Deep down, he knew Jeremy was truly happy for him and his announcement that he would be bound to Naomi soon. Then why did he feel like he couldn’t trust Jeremy near her?

It didn’t help that he had to ask Jeremy for a favor. He hadn’t minded before, but now, things were different.

He knew Jeremy was eager to prove himself as a true friend and brother to him, and he was confident Jeremy would say yes. And that was the problem. He wanted to be the one to give Naomi what she needed to make her happy. Not Jeremy.

He was about to knock on the cottage door when he heard a whistling in the distance, followed by a loud splash of water. That could only mean one thing—Jeremy was swimming.

When he approached the stream, he paused and leaned against a tree, watching Jeremy swim. He remembered what Raphael had told him about Jeremy being favored by others. Now he saw him with new eyes.

Jeremy’s body was tanned golden by the rays of the sun, whereas Lash was pale in comparison. Jeremy’s thick arms moved effortlessly through the water, and Lash gritted his teeth as he noted the size of them. Where Lash was tall and lithe, Jeremy was huge and muscular. All the years he’d known Jeremy, he had never noticed or even cared. So, why now?

“Lash!” Jeremy cried when he saw him. “What brings you here?”

Lash’s stomach twisted with envy as he watched Jeremy step out of the stream and head towards him, perfect white teeth flashing him a smile. He was taller, stronger, and loved by all the other angels. Lash could never compete with him, and for a brief moment, he wondered what Naomi had ever seen in him. Were her feelings for Jeremy buried along with her memories? What if she got them back?

Knock it off! Naomi is not like that. She loves me. He felt her love every time she looked at him. That would never change.

And Jeremy? He had to believe Jeremy would never do anything to hurt him or Naomi.

He focused his thoughts on Naomi. Her needs came first. Swallowing his pride and forcing a smile on his face, he said, “I need a favor.”

There was a light crunching sound when Lash’s feet landed on the dead grass covering Welita’s backyard. The house looked worse than when they saw it from Heaven. It was as if the life that once filled the home, the entire neighborhood, had been sucked out and all that was left was a skeleton.

He reached out to grab Naomi’s hand, knowing she would be heartbroken.

He watched Naomi bite down on her lip, her pale blue eyes watering. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just give me a moment.” Her voice quivered.

“Don’t you want to go inside? Maybe we can find some clues as to where they are.”

She nodded. Her face was a mixture of emotions. “Yes, I do. It’s just, everything is so different. I mean, it’s more than just the empty house. It feels different. I don’t know why. I feel like I’ve lost something, or someone.”

“Maybe it’s because you’re different.”

“How? It hasn’t been long...well, at least for me it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long.”

He gathered her into his arms and kissed her forehead. “So much has happened to you in such a short amount of time. It’s not surprising that you’d be confused. Part of you still feels like it belongs in this world.”

“I don’t know who I’m supposed to be: Welita’s granddaughter or Heaven’s seventh archangel.”

“You’re young for an angel, and it’s so rare for humans to be placed with us.” He gave her a gentle squeeze. “I’ll help you through this. I promise.”

“I know you will.”

“Why don’t we look around the outside and then work our way in, okay?”

They walked hand in hand toward the front, passing through the weeds and overgrown rosebushes. Naomi bent down to touch the wilting flowers, stifling a sob. “Welita’s roses. Chuy and I worked with her for days planting them around the house. She talked to them, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She watered and talked to them all the time. They were gorgeous. And their fragrance...” She let out a breath. “You could smell them from down the street. They smelled so good. And now, she’s gone, and they’re gone.”

Her fingers glided over the browning stems. “She said flowers had feelings too. I think she was right.”

He squeezed her hand, trying to comfort her. As they continued walking through the tall grass, his foot hit a small plastic object. He bent down and smiled sadly as he picked up a dog dish.

He stared at the red dish, surprised when his eyes pricked with the threat of tears. He recalled how he’d hide behind the bushes and Bear would dash to him like a little furry jet. Ignoring the dog food in the bowl, she’d run around his feet until he gave her the little sausages he’d bought just for her. He’d grumble at her as he took the smelly dish and disposed the contents with not even a lick of thank you.

Ungrateful dog, he thought as a lump formed in his throat.

He swallowed thickly. “Let’s see what we can find in the front.”

The front yard didn’t look any different from the back. Trash littered the steps of the house. Beer cans, bottles, an old sock. Graffiti was written on the front walls.

“Don’t do that,” he said when Naomi bent down and picked up a flattened basketball.

“Why? I want to clean up.”

“You’re in your angel form. No one can see you. If someone passes by, they’ll only see the objects in your hand and not you.”

“Oh, right.” She dropped the deflated ball. “I forgot about that. Can we change into human form?”

He looked around the neighborhood. It didn’t seem like anyone was nearby. But if one of her old neighbors just happened to be around or if they ran into someone who knew her, it could be trouble for them, especially since they thought she was dead. “I don’t want to take a chance on someone seeing you.”

“Okay.” She glanced over his shoulder and furrowed her brow. “Is that a sign over there? I don’t remember seeing it before.”

They headed toward a large sign on the corner of the street. Lash scanned the area as they walked over, studying each of the houses as they passed. Other than a few stray cats that scrambled underneath a house porch when they passed, it was obvious no one had lived in any of the homes for quite some time. He listened carefully for any sounds of life in the surrounding area. There was nothing.

The entire neighborhood for blocks around was empty.