Disclaimer statement:

Ok, first off let me say that I own NOTHING. "Constantine" and the "Hellblazer" comic belong to their respective companies, and owners. I do not know any of the actors, writers or crew of these works. I am making no money off of this whatsoever.

Authors note: This story is highly spiritual, so if you don't like stories of this nature please don't read this one. Please give constructive criticism, and don't knock a story before reading it. Thank you. I hope you enjoy the story!

PS: I rewrote this a bit, and edited it a bit too. As you can see it's formated differently so that it's easier to read.

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Whispers in the Dark

Chapter one: Only a Shadow

A fierce cry rang in Ariela's ears, piercing through her sleep. She saw a brief glimpse of something evil, and it shook her emotions yet her spirit held fast. She saw a brown haired boy, defeated on a cold tile floor, blood coming from his nose. He looked confused, and scared. This wasn't right, it couldn't be. She jumped from her bed, and grasped the brush on her nightstand, and ran it through her hair as fast as she could. She frantically searched for clean clothes in the dark. She found some and quickly changed, from her nightgown into dark denim jeans, and a flowing white top. She also made sure to grab her little bottle of oil from the Holy Land, and her Bible. She would need them for what she was about to do. Her body seemed to reverberate with acute spiritual knowing. She could still seem to see the boy's face in front of her, and feel the dark presence that wanted to take his life.

"Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, cover me, go before me." she said, her breath coming in short puffs. As the words left her mouth she could feel her courage swell within her. "Thank you, thank you." she chanted as she sprinted out across her apartment to the front door. She grasped her car keys from the hook, and ran back into her bedroom, where she made quick work of running down the fire escape to the car below. She entered her car, revved up the engine and sped off. She raced through the streets as fast as the speed limit allowed her, the voice inside guide her. She glanced at herself in her rear-view mirror, and recognized a strange fire in her hazel eyes. Her body shuddered as street lights made streaks across the surface of her the vehicle. Oddly enough she hit no red lights, and there was little traffic. The sight of the boy's face flashed in front of her. His eyes were shutting, the look of sorrow etched across his face. She also saw someone else, and an even graver face. As if someone else was driving, her foot pressed against the accelerator, and the car raced forward. She turned the corner, and was suddenly in front of the Ravenscar Hospital. It's huge cross was not lit, and she could feel the darkness surrounding the place. She parked and looked around. She took her vial of oil from her pocket, and placed some of it on her forehead, blessing herself.

"Jesus, I plead your blood over myself, and the ground I walk on. May it be holy ground for you. No demon can stand where You dwell." she said, her voice unfaltering. As she said this the huge cross in front of the building lit, and she hid her face from it's brightness for a moment. She took it as her cue, and sprinted inside, her Bible and vial in hand. She walked to the front doors and they slid open automatically. The lobby was dimly lit, as when fluorescent lights are first turned on. The place felt like a ghost town, with hardly any sound save the sound of wind blowing. It stirred her hair, and set it trailing behind her, and she listened for the voice in her head to direct her next move. The place smelled of chlorine laden pool water and antiseptic. She heard the sound of an elevator open and she raced towards it. As she did a dark haired man emerged from it. His face was worry-lined, and she could tell that he was influential whatever happened in the hospital that night. She ducked behind the front desk, making her shoes squeak against the linoleum. She mentally kicked herself as heard the man say something to someone. She heard a woman's voice reply.

"I'll check it out" she said. Her tone was sad, and weary. She sounded as if she just came from a battle. Ariela quietly sat on the floor behind the desk and brought her knees to her chest, breathing as slowly and quietly as she could. She didn't feel the need to be discovered yet. She just wanted to know where the boy was. Footsteps drew nearer to where she sat and she prayed if she was discovered she would have favor with the woman. She didn't feel afraid of her, she felt unsure than anything. Nearer, and nearer they came until Ariela could hear her breathing from behind her.

"Who's over here?" she said with a strange authority in her voice. Ariela was silent for a moment, and then began to creep forward, and she heard a click behind her. She knew that sound as a gun cocking, and she froze.

"My name is Ariela." she said in a short spurt of air, as she slowly turned around. When she said this a she heard another set of footsteps on the tile. The man, she guessed.

"Why are you here?" the man said with obvious aggression and distrust in his voice.

"For Chas…" she said simply, as she slowly looked in the direction of the man's voice. She could see his face more clearly now, as the light illuminated it. It was handsome, and yet lined with such deep pain it almost took her breath from her. His dark hair and clothes were dripping wet and his pretty brown eyes lined with red from obvious tears. He then chuckled, and shook his head. He looked as if he was going insane.

"You just missed him." The man finally said his face lined with pain, his face reminding Ariela of steel about to buckle under pressure.

"John!" The dark-haired woman reprimanded. The name suddenly jogged Ariela's memory.

"John? As in John Constantine?" she asked. "I don't understand. I know Chas is here."

"How do you know?" Constantine said, deadpanning again.

"I know!" Ariela said with more urgency. "I'm not a crazy person or a demon…"

"Certainly not a half-breed." John remarked.

"What?!"

"John!" The dark haired woman said again. "Stop it." she said, stepping towards him, and brushing the dark hair from his brown eyes. Ariela could see him suppress a sob then, his Adam's apple moving up and down in a strange way and her heart sank a bit in her chest. Her mind began to be flooded with words and images, about the man in front of her. Her eyes searched his face, and he took notice, and turned slightly away from her.

"I'm Ariela, a friend of Chas's, and I know I can help save him." she said boldly, finally standing up, her Bible in her hand. A light then flashed and Constantine could see the shine from the oil she placed on her forehead, in the shape of a cross. He grunted in response, and looked down at the floor.

"He's dead kid." he said bluntly, there was no reason to beat around the bush. "I'm sorry." he said, again choking back a sudden sob. Ariel took her gaze from John to the woman, and saw a form tucked against the wall. The lights above them became brighter, and she caught sight of the Chas's curly brown hair. She blinked in response, took a deep breath and began to walk towards when she heard the wail of sirens, as red and blue lights flashed outside the hospital doors. Angela went to stop her, but she was stopped by John.

"Humor her." he said, as a lone tear sparkled in his eye. Angela, suddenly curious followed Ariela to Chas's side. The girl was not really a girl, but a young woman barely older than Chas; tall, with a pleasant figure with hair the color of pale gold. She watched as she knelt beside him, and took his head into her arms, cradling him gently. The light caught the glimmer of the girl's gold cross necklace that was draped around her neck, as it swung back and forth as the girl placed some liquid from her vial onto Chas's forehead, and began praying in a language Angela had never heard before. The girl's tone became progressively louder and more confident as the paramedics ran towards Chas. As they approached him, she looked up, her eyes pleading with them to let them be. They gently pulled her away, but the girl remained close to him as they took his final vital signs. The head paramedic shook his head at Ariela.

Angela watched as he informed the girl of his condition, namely that there was no hope. She seemed unwilling to accept the news, but not unaffected. Angela had been in this situation many times before, viewing friends and family member receiving the horrible news of a loved one being murdered. The memory made her skin grow cold and she shuddered. She then went to stand with the girl. She didn't want to be as cold as John, he had an interesting way with people, and namely he was often rude. Before Angela reached her side, Ariela followed the paramedics as they black bagged Chas, and made her way over to John.

"Are you just going to give up now?" Ariela asked.

"Kid, look." he said sternly. "I'm an exorcist, not God. Take it up with Him."

"If you get me past the coroner I will." she said, tilting her head to the side, her eyes shone with a strange confidence. The girl seemed crazy, but the kind of crazy he liked. He chuckled.

"Alright…k…"

"Not kid. I said my name is Ariela."

"Like the Little Mermaid?" he said laughing as he strode over to the hospital doors.

"No, Ariel-a" the girl said, "its Hebrew, not that you'd care very much right now." she said, not hesitating to follow Constantine out the doors into the sidewalk.

"Obviously." he mumbled in response, causing the girl to suddenly laugh. He was as good-humored as Chas had said. It was dark humor, of course, but humor nonetheless. John's eyebrow rose as he shook his head.

"Hello Coroner." he said as he approached the woman dressed in a long white lab coat. He tried to convince her that Chas's death was due an accidental fall from the second story. Ariela listened as he did so, and was unsure of whether to interfere or not, as she highly doubted the death she saw was due to a fall. The world around her seemed to move in slow motion she watched them place Chas's body onto a stretcher. The wind picked up and stirred the hair on his head, which was still uncovered. It was almost like the paramedics were unwilling accept it just yet. She looked back over at Constantine, who surprisingly was looking her way. The intensity of his gaze made her move a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Time was ticking away; there was only so much time before Chas's body would be taken to the city morgue. Paramedics were scrambling about, along with a few cops taking reports and giving orders.

Constantine looked at the girl, who had most likely woken up in the middle of the night, judging by her slightly rumpled appearance, that her confidence almost overshadowed. The florescent lighting that shone from the hospital gave the girl's hair a strange glow. He felt refreshing peaceful feelings rush over him like a wave crashing upon a shoreline. It was foreign, and strange. Distrust rose within him, and the pushed the feeling away. A sneer appeared on his lips, trying to project an image of being unaffected. It wasn't true, but he could fall apart later.

She looked at him insistently and gestured with her chin in Chas's direction.

"Coroner, this has really been devastating for this girl here." he said, gesturing Ariela to come to his side, which she did, trying to look as normal as possible. "She's his sister, and she'd really just like to ride with him to the Morgue."

"His sister?" The middle aged woman answered suspicious of him "For all I knew Chas Kramer doesn't have a sister." She then folded her arms in front of her, not in the mood for games. Her brown eyes probed for a better explanation.

"Please, Ma'am, forgive me, but this young lady was a very, very good friend of his, and she just wants to say her goodbyes." John said, tying his best to sound sincere. Ariela heard the word "goodbyes", and suddenly had to fight a lump in her throat. Doubt tried to creep into her mind, and she pushed it away. Her mind was suddenly flooded with information about the Coroner.

"Ma'am, your grandmother was a Christian right?" Ariela said, her voice cracking the slightest bit. Tears of frustration threatened to surface in her hazel eyes.

The woman's dark eyes scanned Ariela's face for any signs of deception. Her arms were folded in front of her, in an effort to ward off the growing chill of the night air.

"Yes, she was." she answered, cocking her head to the side as she did. Her auburn hair flipping as she did so. Her hair cut in a blunt bob.

"And so are you right?" Ariela asked. The woman nodded, amazed.

"You know Jesus heals, and I believe He can even raise that boy from the dead. Just give me a little time. If nothing happens…" she paused, not even wanting to think of what might be if for some reason she was unable to raise him. She hadn't exactly ever tried it before. "…then shame on me for not having enough power."

"Alright, go ahead, just tell God to not let anyone stop you." The coroner said realizing that time was running out.

Constantine watched as the girl's face brightened, and saw the coroner delay the paramedics from loading Chas's body into the awaiting ambulance. He saw the girl who unzipped the black bag, and continued what she attempted inside the building. This time her hands floated above her head, smiling. Then she began to sing. Her voice was sincere, and sweet. It was positively alien sounding to John's ears as the lights from the cop cars flashing blue, and red across her face.

"Holy, Holy, Holy merciful, and mighty, God in three persons, blessed trinity.

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,

All that that was shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea

Holy, holy, holy, I cry Holy!"

Again, and again, she sang those lines as she held Chas's pale face in her hands, while the paramedics looked on, unsure of what to do. To his surprise they suddenly grasped her by the arm, and pushed her aside, but only long enough to push Chas into the ambulance, and to coax her into the back with him.

"What are they doing?" John asked almost to himself.

"Maybe they don't want her to make a scene." Angela said, almost breathless from the display. It was so sure, and so strange. Her brown eyes fought back tears. She prayed that the girl somehow was able to do as she said. She wanted Chas back too, even if she didn't get to know the boy personally. She saw the way if effected Constantine, and she didn't want to lose him either. "It's only a shadow after all."

"What is?" John asked.

"In the valley of the shadow of death." she said trying to find hope, quoting part of Psalm 23.

Just before the ambulance doors shut, Ariela eyes looked like they were screaming as they searched to meet Angela's gaze. She was saying something but it was too dark to tell. Angela saw her lips moving as the ambulance pulled away the only word she could make out was …"pray".

Angela nodded in time for Ariela to see, she nodded back.

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Dun, dun,. DUN! I know, cruel spot to end this chapter at. I told you it was spiritual, as it said in the category. Please have an open mind concerning this. You just may like it. Will Ariela, and her strange ways be able to save Chas?

PLEASE read, and review, as I'm open to what you have to say. As long as it's constructive. I'll post more once I get a review on this one.