Stanford University
Department of Psychology
Lecture Hall
Alison Olsen adjusted the lapels on her dress coat before entering the lecture hall. It was a strange force of habit that Alison had always indulged in before public readings. While she had given hundreds of lectures before as many as 150 students, reading her work in public always made her strangely nauseous as if she were being stalked. While Alison could never see her stalker, she knew who it was: the archangel Michael.
"Dr. Olsen," said her graduate assistant, Jasmine, poking her head out of the door of the lecture hall, "they are ready for you."
Alison grabbed the lapels of her coat again and smoothed them out again. She was giving her first public reading of her new book, The Lucifer Effect: Why Good People Do Bad Things. This was the latest book, of four books, that Alison had written on Lucifer. The joke around her department was that Alison was infatuated with Lucifer. Colleagues even accused Alison of using valuable research funding to pander to the public's obsession with evil. In academic circles, Alison was respected, even if grudgingly, for her work. To the public, however, she was an academic superstar on par with Stanley Milgrim and Philip Zimbardo. Her books always sold briskly, and as a result, Alison was awarded tenure for attention she brought to the department.
If only they knew, thought Alison opening the door to lecture hall. Since she was five years old, Alison knew two things: she was a prophet and the archangel Michael was her protector. It was, she thought with some bitterness, the reason for her success and for her loneliness.
Walking briskly down between the rows of seats, Alison put on a smiling face and even waved to some of her students. As she approached the lectern, Alison suddenly felt nauseous. She quickly scanned the room and then saw him. It was Michael. He was wearing a suit and her dark brown hair was slicked back. He was clean shaven with high cheekbones and strangely full lips. His brown eyes looked innocent while revealing nothing. His visage, she thought, was quite glamorous and she noticed that several women were looking at him, but Michael, she thought morosely, only had eyes for her. He was standing five rows back from the stage and when the lights were lowered; Alison could see his true form. His eyes were black. His cheeks were sunken in and his lips were thin, revealing sharpened teeth. If Alison didn't know any better, she could have sworn that he was a demon. Maybe, she thought, his obsession with Lucifer was causing him to finally lose it. Good, she thought, maybe he will finally leave me alone.
Once her lecture began, Alison completely forgot about Michael. As she always did, Alison delved deeply into her work to forget about her life. As her lecture silently slide from one slide to another, Alison remembered the fire that claimed the lives of her parents while she was taken out of the flames unscathed. She remembered the stomach cancer that claimed the life of her husband. Even now, as she rambled on, she could remember how the cancer ravished his body until a normal 200 pound man was rendered a skeletal 125 pounds. How his soft black hair fell out from the chemotherapy until there were only bare patches on his skull. Perhaps, reflected Alison, the worst part of his cancer was the smell. Paul's body was rotting from the inside out and even worse, Alison knew that she had a direct line to a cure: Michael.
Alison had done everything to save her husband. She had begged, pleaded and even offered her own body to Michael; something she knew that he wanted. Yet, he refused, telling her it was God's will that her husband die like this. When Paul died, every part of Alison that was human died. She went to work, paid her bills, wrote books and made public appearances, but her love, passion and faith were all gone. Alison scanned the crowd and saw that Michael was still watching her. From the small smile on his face, she could see that he was satisfied with her performance. Alison put a hand on her back, and thought of what would satisfy her tonight: Castiel. At that thought, Alison could feel Michael's dissatisfaction and enjoyed it.
Alison wrapped up her lecture and the house lights came up to reveal that Michael was gone. Alison quietly nodded at the applause and greeted several students and guests as they approached her. As she talked to them, she felt herself become anxious about ending this evening so she could go home. Alison hoped against hope that Castiel would be there. Since angels came down to earth, Alison had been under the protection of Castiel since Michael was only able to walk the earth if his vessel said yes to him. Michael could visit earth, but only as a visage and only for short periods of time. Michael asked Castiel to look after Alison since the angel was also looking out for Michael's vessel Dean. At first, Alison didn't like Castiel at all. The angel was too remote, but since Castiel discovered that the "upper management" in heaven was attempting to bring about the apocalypse, he chose the side of humans and rebelled. As he spent more time with humans, Castiel became more open to her and even took care of her when she ended up in the hospital. Alison knew that Michael deeply disapproved of her attachment to Castiel, but she did not care. For the first time since Paul died, Alison found a ray of hope. Still, that hope was fleeting.
The last time she saw Castiel was the night he decided to rebel. Castiel came to her and wanted to know if she thought he should help Dean, who was being held prisoner in heaven. Alison remembered telling Castiel that if he could help Dean prevent the rise of Lucifer, then he should do so. As she walked to the bookstore, Alison remembered that before Castiel left, he walked over to her and touched the side of her face and as if he was trying to remember what she looked like, then he disappeared. Alison learned from Michael that Castiel had rebelled and been destroyed. Alison remembered that she spent almost a week in bed from depression before Jasmine, her trusty graduate assistant, forced her to get up. In her heart, Alison felt that Castiel was still alive, but all evidence proved otherwise and now Alison was forced to deal with Michael alone.
As she smiled at guests and signed books, Alison silently prayed that Castiel would be waiting for her at her house. Alison knew that she would throw her arms around Castiel, which he would hate, but she needed to feel his body against hers, smell his hair, which always seemed to smell of flowers, and look into his blue eyes. While she knew that Castiel did not share her emotions, she needed to see him.
Getting into her car, Alison paused before turning the key. Please, she prayed, let Castiel come home.