Penryn parked her beat up Toyota between a pile of rocks that used to be a sidewalk and another car that looked like it had seen better days, carefully balancing her equally beat up cell phone between her ear and shoulder. Everything was beat up now days.
"Yes mom-" Penryn said, grabbing her backpack from the passenger seat and hitching it over her free shoulder, as she exited the car and slammed the door.
Penryn sighed, blowing a stray strand of dark hair out of her face and securing her backpack across both shoulders. Before her loomed a cluster of large red bricked buildings against a perfect blue sky. From the distance, Penryn could see that the bricks were marred by sooty ash and pitch black scorch marks. Fissures ran up some of the buildings like veins, threatening to crumble what was left standing into a pile. In place of perfectly maintained landscaping, now stood barren trees, blackened, broken and bent, scrubby bushes that reminded Penryn of tumbleweeds from old Westerns she used watch on TV, and little sprouts of green breaking through the crumbly earth like a fresh breath of air.
"Okay mom-" Penryn sharply inhaled, wishing her mother would just get off the phone already. Penryn's mother had never been okay. She was always a little paranoid and high-strung, enough so she used to take medicine, but since the Angel Attacks and no medicine, Penryn's mother had crossed the line into certifiable. She demanded to talk to Penryn, constantly reminding her of what she needs to do if the "demons" should call on her. Penryn could never get a word in edge-wise.
"Mom-"
"Mom-"
"Mom!" Penryn hated to raise her voice, but sometimes drastic times called for drastic measures. "Mom," she said more gently. "I understand that you are worried, but everything will be okay. I've already dropped Paige off at school, and I am here at Stanford, walking to class, and I'm going to be late if I can't let you go."
Penryn continued her trek toward the inner part of the cluster, bypassing groups of students socializing and piles of debris. The juxtaposition of something as normal as socializing young adults next to such a stark reminder of what the world was coming out of was odd to Penryn. Stanford University used to be the epitome of higher education. Just the place Penryn always dreamed of going. She even kept a brochure secretly stashed under her mattress to look at while daydreaming. But in this world, it was the only local university still standing - well partially standing, and everyone that wanted to go back to school went here. Once Obi's regime took control of the California government and the Angels decided to back off, getting an education system up and running was priority just after running water, electricity, telecommunications, and medical stations.
"I promise, mom," Penryn said swearing she would call when she was on her way home. Penryn sighed, tucking her phone into the pocket of her jeans and pulling a piece of paper from her back pocket.
"21B," Penryn mumbled to herself looking at the paper. She was going to her first class, and she was as good as late. The sun hung a little off center overhead and groups of people milled about the large quad Penryn just entered. It reminded her of the world before, when people had lunch dates and sat quietly under large trees reading books. The constant hum of conversation was a comfort to her. The quad was a contrast to the outside of the school. Here trees had been replanted and grown from saplings to substantial shade trees. Green bushes and various shades of flowers dotted beds lining the sidewalks. People lounged on benches reading, talking and laughing. Penryn couldn't help but smile at how far the world had come.
Looking across the quad, she spotted a group of guys with wings, and Penryn's smile faded, replaced by a thin, set line across her hardened face. When the Angels backed off and decided to let humans take control of the world again, they had one stipulation: that they be allowed to stay. They promised to be on their best behavior and protect humans from any other-worldly forces that should arrive. The government had no other choice - no freedom or an illusion of freedom? Obi, of course, went for the later choice. Penryn couldn't blame him, but she didn't have to like it. Her family had only barely survived the Angel Apocalypse, hiding out in their apartment. Had it lasted a week longer, Penryn was sure they would have all starved. Starvation would have been the least of her worries in light of everything else, but Penryn willed her mind away from those painful memories.
As she continued walking to class, Penryn couldn't take her eyes off the Angels masquerading as human students, laughing and high-fiving each other while wings of various colors hung effortlessly behind their backs. She clutched the straps of her backpack tighter and clinched her jaw, anger spread throughout her body.
"Ooof." All the air rushed from Penryn's lungs in a single exhalation. Her body flew backwards as if she was a rubber ball ricocheting off a wall. Penryn wondered if she did run into a wall as she lay huddled on the concrete floor, gasping for air, her arms wrapped loosely around her middle. Had she not been in so much pain, Penryn was sure her cheeks would have flushed red from embarrassment. When a shadow covered her, she was positive she was about to faint.
"You okay?" A deep masculine voice asked from above her. The source of the shadow Penryn realized.
Penryn craned her head up and around, squinting into the bright sun, seeing only a silhouette of a man's face. Penryn could only grunt. Lovely, her first day at school, college no less and she had already succeeded in running into a wall, turning into a cave woman, and embarrassing herself profusely. She buried her head back under her arms against the concrete, willing the world to go away.
"Are you dead, because you know I could just leave you here?" The shadow quipped.
This time Penryn looked up, finally catching her breath, and said, "Might as well be."
"Oh it wasn't that bad," he said reaching a hand out to Penryn. His hand encompassing hers as he pulled her to her feet.
Dusting herself off, Penryn felt her cheeks burn. "I can't believe I just ran into a wall."
"What wall?" the guy asked with a snicker.
Penryn looked around. She stood near the corner of the quad surrounded by wide open space, nothing but benches and trees and sidewalk. A few people were glancing her way, but most were carrying on with their lives. Relief relaxed the tightly wound coil in her chest.
"Well, what the hell did I run into? Because I know I ran into something." Penryn placed a hand over her heart, where she had felt the brunt of the impact. It still ached, but she shook it off, ignoring the pain.
"Me," he said matter-of-factly.
Penryn looked at the shadow, finally getting a good look at him. He was at least a foot and a half taller than her, but then again she was short, and he was built like the statues of Greek gods she had seen in the world before - broad shoulders, narrow hips, all lean lines and hard planes beneath the tight navy polo shirt he was wearing. Dark hair fell into his eyes and wound around his ears like gently curling vines. His deep blue eyes sparkling mischievously.
"You?" Penryn raised an eyebrow in doubt.
"Yes. Me. I do that to all the ladies - knock them off their feet, sometimes right out of their shoes." He smirked.
Penryn discreetly looked at her feet to make sure her boots were still on. She exhaled at seeing them still in place. The guy standing in front of her laughed a deep and melodic laugh that warmed Penryn to her core. She felt her cheeks burn again.
"I'm going to assume you're okay," the guy said, a full smile lighting up his face. "I'm Raffe." He extended a hand.
"Penryn," she said taking his hand. "What kind of name is Raffe?"
"Short for Raphael, but the real question is what kind of name is Penryn?" He asked, raising his eyebrows, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"I was named after a highway exit," Penryn said like she had been asked that same question her whole life. "Raphael? That's kind of archaic isn't it?"
"Well, I am an angel," Raffe said rising and partially extending a pair of snowy white wings.
Penryn's first instinct was to run a hand through the downy feathers, her fingers twitching as her hand slowly lifted from her side, until her logical mind caught up to the fact that standing before her, flirting with her, touching her was an angel. Her mind shot back to the group of angels parading around like humans and a memory further back, and fire ignited in her chest. Penryn could feel all the color drain from her face and her eyes narrow. A cold sweat broke out across the back of her neck. She had never been this close to an angel, and she never wanted to be again.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" Raffe asked, mocking her.
"I'm late for class," she replied tersely, turning and running toward the building opposite Raffe.