Prologue
"So, Liz. What college do you think you're going to go to, now that we're graduated?" asked Rose, outside of the school gym, where a large class graduation party is taking place. Earlier in the day, all of the former grade 12 students had had their graduation ceremony in the same gymnasium. Now they are having a late night party to celebrate their freedom from high school, and their entrance into college years. Rose is 18 years old, has light blue eyes, and light brown hair. Liz is the same age with hazel eyes, and blonde hair.
"I don't know yet. Probably same one you're going to I guess. Which one are you thinking about going too?" "I was thinking about Saint Micheals. It's the same college mom went to when she graduated. And it's a heck of a lot cheaper than the other colleges. And besides it closer to my church, so I don't need to walk as far." "That's because the school is named after the church. Why do you like to go there all the time anyway? Every time after school you go over there for hours at a time. Heck some people might think you live there or something." Rose began to blush. "I'm sorry. I just like to go there every day to think, and pray a little. It's quite relaxing. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Liz took a sip of her cola, and giggled a little. "There's no need to be sorry. I was just wondering that's all." "Oh." She blushed again. Liz spoke again. "To be honest I thought it was to get away from your father or something." Rose grew silent, and stared at the floor with a look of sadness in her eyes. Liz noticed, and realized the gravity of what she had said. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up. With him not even showing up to see you graduate and all." "It's ok. I'm sure he had a good reason." She said this so quietly that Liz barley heard what she said. Liz looked at Rose with great sadness and pity, as Rose began to rub her arm, which had a large bruise concealed by her denim jacket. Liz began to feel bad. "Hey, I'm sure your mom would have been proud." After hearing what Liz had said, Rose released a little grin. "Cheer up Rose. This is supposed to be a party. Lighten up." Rose sat up. "Your right Liz. I'm sorry." Liz began to laugh "You're too nice for this world Rose." "I'm sorry." Liz laughed even harder. "You've also gotta quite apologizing!" "I'm sorry." Then they both laughed.
Rose looked at her watch. She looked at the position of the hour hand set at the Roman numeral two, and the position of the minute hand move to the number eleven. Two-fifty in the morning. The Party had ended later than she had suspected. "Crap! I've got a job interview tomorrow!" Liz looked outside the large foyer window and watched the rain and hail heavily pounding on the window nearly cracking the glass. "You sure you wanna walk home in this weather?" "I'll be ok." Liz looked back out the window and flinched as five bolts of lightning strike in the same area in the direction of Rose's house. "Ok if THAT doesn't convince you than you must be crazy!" Rose looked at her puzzled as she put on her jacket. "What?" "What do you mean what? Five friggen lightning bolts JUST hit the same spot in the direction of your house!" "That's impossible Liz. Lightening doesn't strike in the same place twice! How could five lightning bolts hit in the same spot!" "I dunno! Maybe there's like a lightning rod there or something. Those things can kill you, you know!"
Rose opened the door, immediately turning the quietness of the foyer into a loud crack of thunder, mixed with the sound of rain and hail hitting the ground. "I'll be ok. After all, I have my guardian angel looking after me." Liz gave Rose a look of concern and annoyance. "I highly doubt that you guardian angel will protect you from getting struck by lightning." "No. But he will protect me from evil." Liz looked at Rose with greater annoyance. She was beginning to feel that she wasn't taking the situation seriously. "Well, then if you get struck by lightning, than I have the right to say 'I told you so!'" Rose giggled a little. "That's a deal" As Rose exited the foyer, Liz shouted, "I'll call you in about fifteen minutes, to make sure you're not burnt to a crisp!" Rose gave Liz a wave of her hand, and walked towards home. Liz watched her go, until she could hardly see her, and then mumbled "stubborn as a rock."
The night was as dark as ever, down the street in which Rose was traveling. She could hardly see within ten feet of the street in front of her, without squinting a little. The rain and hail didn't help either, in the situation she was in. The only bit of the sidewalk that she could see was under the occasional street light that illuminated the ground in a dull bright yellow. With that at least, she could see what direction she was going. As Rose walked down the wet sidewalk, she was thinking about her future ahead of her. She thought about what classes she was going to take in college, and all the new people she would meet. Her old school was a public school, and she was the only person who was catholic. Some people even picked on her for being catholic. It would be nice to be surrounded by more people who were catholic like her.
Then she thought about her father. She hasn't told him yet about what college she was trying get into. She just kept forgetting, that's all. No, she thought. That's not the reason. The true reason is because she feared his reaction. Rose feared her dad above anything else, other than Satan. She felt her bruise hurt again. She knows that at the bottom of her heart, she still loves him. But it's hard to love a man who drinks, and does every single drug in existence. Ever since her mom died, he was never the same. He fell into a deep depression, and was stuck there for a while. No, in truth he is still stuck there. He used to be a good and loving father to Rose and her mother. They used to be well fed, well off, and well happy. Know all there is, is depression anger, and sadness. Rose began to cry as she turned left into an alleyway, which inevitably is a short-cut to her home.
As she walked, with tears in her eyes, she heard something, and froze. 'What was it', she thought. It sounded like footsteps. "Who's there?" she yelled. She stood there waiting for a response from, what she hoped for, was a cat or a dog. Her call, however, was answered by the sound of footsteps, from five men walking toward her. They had strange hair. Two or three of the guys, had green and blue hair. They all wore Leather jackets, except for one guy, who appeared to be the ring leader. He wore a brown trench coat, and had piercings on his nose, and lips. His had black eyeliner and a chain in his right hand. The other members had other various weapons as well. "Well, well. Look what we have here boys. We've got some company." As he said this, a flash of lightning appeared, and quickly flashed across his face for a split second, which made his appearance more intimidating. Rose began to feel terrified of the man. "What's a girl like you doing in a place like this at this hour?" For some reason this lead Rose to lift her arm to look at her watch. It was three o'clock in the morning, on the dot. Coincidentally, this was known as the devils hour. The opposite of three o'clock in the afternoon when Christ died on the cross. Knowing this information, this scared Rose even more. "Aw, seems like someone is a little shy." He came up to her and grabbed her shoulders, and hit her against the wall with extensive strength, making her bruise hurt. "I guess were gonna have to make her more comfortable." They all began to laugh, and Rose was at the epitome of fear.
Then at that moment, she heard a great whoosh sound, followed by something hitting the man in the back of the head. This hit made his head collide with hers, making her black out and collapse to the ground. As her eyes slowly shut, she saw the feet of the gang leader fly into the air, and a new, unfamiliar pair of shoes hit the ground. Then, right before her eyes completely shut, bringing her into unconsciousness, a white feather landed before her. This feather wasn't like any feather she had ever seen. This feather was pure white. So pure, that it almost glowed. She then, instinctively, reached out her hand, and grabbed it. Then she blacked out completely.
She heard strange noises. She heard what sounded like the gang members screaming. It was odd though. The screams were like nothing she had heard before. It sounded partially human, but it also sounded like that of a large animal. What the animal was uncertain. It was almost a mix between a lion, a pig, and an elephant, all put together. Then she heard the sound of chains, and metal hitting each other. Then she felt great gusts of wind from all directions of her. Almost like a bunch of large birds picking up in flight. Then she heard the sound of flesh being torn and something wet hit her face. She assumed that it was blood, but this blood burned her skin, like as if she put her face on a burner, set to max. Fortunately, the rain wiped the blood off before it could burn her any further. These sounds kept repeating themselves, until all she heard was the sound of the rain and hail hitting the ground, mixed with the sound of something sizzling, and the smell of sulphur and smoke.
For a long while she heard nothing, until she heard the familiar sound of chains, and footsteps coming toward her. She felt fear again, because she thought it was the gang leader. Then the sound of chains stopped, and the footsteps grew closer. "Hey." The voice said. To her surprise it wasn't the gang leader's voice. It was a new voice. The voice was soft and gentle, but yet strong and stern. "Hey! Wake up!" Then Rose came to, and opened her eyes, to see who was calling her name. She looked into the bright blue eyes, of a boy. He was about her age, with blonde and brown hair, and a kind smile rose across his face. "I'm glad you're ok. For a minute there I thought you were dead." He helped her up, gently, and got a better glimpse of him. He was a bit taller than she was, had a red and white hoodie, with jeans, and runners. The same pair of runners that came out of nowhere before she blacked out. "Wha-what happened?" Rose asked so weekly that it almost sounded like a whisper. "The gang ran off. I guess I scared them." Rose was confused. How could a nice guy like this scare a gang like that? What about that chain? "I'm gonna take you to the hospital." "No. I-I can't. Gotta get ho-home. Dad" "No you have to get to a hospital. I think you had a concussion. Can you stand?" Rose tried to take a step, but fell. The man had caught her before she hit the ground. "C'mon. I'll take you there. It's just around the block here." "Isn't it that way?" Rose tried to look behind her to point in the direction, but the man turned her back, harshly. "No. That's the long umm... long way. This way is shorter." "Oh. Ok then." Right before they turned the corner, Rose asked "What's your name?" the man looked at her and said "Gabriel." "Like the angel...right?" Gabriel laughed "Yes like the angel." Rose laughed a little.
She then realized that she was still holding the feather from before. She opened her hand, and saw that the feather was still as white, as ever. She then noticed that there was a cut on her hand in the same shape of the feather. She must have been holding it quite tightly. But why didn't the feather crush? It was as if it had just fallen before her again. As she was thinking of this, Gabriel looked back at the alley, and watched as the scattered limbs, and blood of what was once five people slowly disintegrate into a cloud of sulphur. Then a gust of wind blew the cloud away. Gabriel let out a deep sigh, and proceeded down the street to the hospital, where he knows she will be safe.