PRAYERS ANSWERED
Disclaimer: The Cullen's, the Swans, and most of the characters mentioned in the story that are known from Stephanie Meyer's beloved Twilight Saga, are all hers and hers alone. I neither have nor wish to pass them off as mine. I do appreciate the fact that she did bring them to life and allows us to play with them in our imaginations. The only thing I will claim is the current storyline.
The awesome and talented dowlingnana searched out my errors and corrected them.
The light chuckles and smiles that met Edward's questions had a way of giving him pause before he was informed, "Edward, you seem to misunderstand something; you won't be returning in your human form, but, in the spiritual form. So, therefore, you won't be needing to worry about where to live or work to maintain your appearance. And you will have someone to help aid you when it is needed, but, it will be you that will make the decision to follow the advice given or not to follow it."
"I WHAT?" Was the shocked response from a very surprised Edward? Then suddenly he was in a different location with a young man standing next to him. Looking around Edward realized they were in the alleyway where he had last seen the young woman he had gazed upon.
CHAPTER 2: DISCOVERIES
Looking around the alley and towards both ends Edward can't find the person he's looking for: the young woman he had seen from above that was part of his redeeming goal. He knew she had to be somewhere close by, but, had no idea how to begin to locate her. He looked towards his companion with a questioning look as if asking, "How?"
But, with a shrug of the shoulders his companion offered no help other than to tell him, "I'm here to aid you and to make suggestions when needed. You're here to find the ways to gather the necessary information you need and to help the young woman you're now seeking. But, at the moment I will offer this suggestion of advice by asking this question; how can you help someone if you don't know what the cause of the problem or problems might be? You need to know the problem, the cause of the problem before you can find a solution or render help to resolve the problem."
"You're right; that isn't something that I'd considered. Thanks for the suggestion. You know, I don't even know what to call you. What is your name?"
"Michael. My name is Michael and I'm assigned to aid you in whatever way possible to help you achieve your goals and to have ever possible chance for righting the wrong done to you. But, you have already been told that this is considered a way for you to learn to change your earthly ways once we have succeeded with your tasks."
"Well, Michael, I'm open to change and a better way since the old way has led to the death chamber. I also think that I need to find a way to go back to the beginning of this young lady's life to see what type of life and problems she encountered. Do you have any idea or suggestion as to how we might be able to accomplish this?"
Michael looked at Edward for a moment with a slight smile upon his face before replying in a cryptic manner, "What were you told as a child about spirits and ghosts? Think and apply that knowledge to the present."
Edward looked at his companion with a puzzled look upon his face. Then he wondered if some heavenly beings could be crazy as loons, but, still be allowed to work with others in heave. "I'm not understanding your meaning. What is it that you're trying to tell me?"
"Edward, I'm not trying to tell you anything since that isn't what I'm here to do. All decisions must come from you. I'm only giving information for you to use your knowledge to decide upon a direction or course of action that will help to answer your earlier questions."
"What kind of help are you if you can't answer my questions directly, or, give me the exact information I asked you about?" Grumbled Edward, but, made sure it was loud enough for it to reach far away ears. At least, in his realm of experience they would be far away.
"I'm not allowed to lead the way as that would be making decisions that aren't of your own. I can offer advice or help you to consider things within the scope of the knowledge that you humans contain. So, I say again to remember what was told to you as a child about spirits and ghosts."
Edward was a bit hazy still about what Michael was trying to tell him, but, he knew that nothing else was going to be offered. So, he thought and thought while trying to remember what was told to him. Most of the time when he questioned adults and asked the questions if there was such things as spirits or ghosts, werewolves, vampires, zombies, witches, and such he had always been told not to be silly as those things don't exist. However, he did question one day after going with his family to church 'how there could be a holy ghost' if there was no such things as ghosts.
"Son, there are heavenly beings that exist that are assigned by the heavenly Father to try to help us stay safe, make the right decisions in life and to watch over us.
"Then there are also evil beings that want to do us harm because the heavenly Father loves us and these evil ones that are ruled by the devil who was an angel that God kicked out of heaven and he wants to cause grief to our heavenly Father by hurting us, the ones the Father calls his children by using evil beings to accomplish the hurt and pain.
"Each type of being know things from the past and of the future as they are able to live for all times." And it was that final thought that caused Edward to pause and to consider all that he had been told as a child.
"So, ghosts or spirits or whatever name we choose to call them are not bound by time itself. They are able to travel as they choose." He was busily musing aloud and as he reached that last conclusion he suddenly raised his eyes to look directly at Michael. That is when he observed that Michael had been watching him, but, as their eyes met Michael gave a slight nod of his head.
"See, you do have the knowledge, you only had to take the time to consider and find the answer. Heavenly bodies aren't ruled by time as humans know time. We aren't bound to time periods, although, we have existed through all of time. We're able to move through time and space as is needed." Michael explained to Edward so he would have a better understanding of the information he had just discovered in his memory.
"How do we discover how far back we need to go to find out where all of her problems started?"
"That is something you are going to have to decide how to accomplish. As I keep telling you I can only aid, not tell, you how to do things." Michael reminded him once again.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. So, I guess the best thing would be to find the woman and try to determine her age. From that information we should know how far back we will need to go to start tracing out when her problems began and then move forwards with the advancement of her situations. That will help to give answers as to how we need to help her and help to determine what type of help we will need to try to give to her to bring back the will to live and the hope of a better tomorrow."
"But, Edward, all of that could take time. What about your own situation?"
"I haven't forgotten. To my way of thinking by tracing her situation will put me in the time areas of what could have started the circumstances of what put me in the situation that I found myself.
"That will help me to discover the necessary evidence needed to clear my name; at least, that's what I'm hoping." Edward explained. Michael nodded his head and moved to one side waiting for Edward to move forwards and to take the lead. And, although, Michael didn't point it out to Edward, he had unknowingly put someone else's needs ahead of his own situation. That was the beginning of a new Edward for if and when he was able to succeed in his task of discovering the real criminal and murderer that put Edward in the path of death.
Once the decision to locate the young woman was made Edward looked around the alley a little bit closer trying to see if she might be huddled somewhere along one of the walls, or, using one of the dumpsters as a sort of shelter. However, the more he looked the more frustrated he became since there seemed to be no sign of her.
It seemed that the harder he tried to locate her the more frustrated he became; it all was becoming a looping cycle. Michael knew that he needed to get Edward to calm down enough to pay more attention to what was around him, more unseen than the seen, and then to use his knowledge once more to be able to find the person he is seeking. The one thing that Michael hasn't been able to get Edward to understand as yet is that being in spirit form he isn't limited like he is in the corporeal form. In the physical form of a body a human can only move in a physical sense or use his senses in a limited capacity; spiritual has no such limitations. He can't seem to get Edward to understand that, or, to retain the information for very long. Then Michael had to remind himself that Edward was a newbie to this side of life.
Finally, Michael couldn't take it any longer so he called out to Edward, "Edward." But, Edward didn't respond, he continued trying to get a clue as to where his objective might be. So, Michael tried again, "Edward." Still Edward didn't pay him any attention. However, as the saying says, 'the third time is a charm', Michael placed his hand on Edward's shoulder, squeezed and said once again, "Edward!"
"What? I'm busy with trying to find her."
"I'm aware of that fact, but, I'm trying to help you achieve that." Once Michael made his intentions of helping clear Edward paused and stood still then turned towards him waiting to hear how Michael was going to help.
With releasing a small sigh, Michael saw that he had Edward's full attention once more. "If you will stop and think once more to what we had discussed just moments ago, you will realize that you have a certain ability now that will aid in locating the young lady."
"What we discussed earlier was about what could be done in a spiritual form." Was all Edward remarked.
"That's correct. So, what was it that you learned from that discussion?"
"That we aren't limited in what we can do." Edward answered the question.
"Correct, so, why are you still using the human limitations instead of your new ones?"
"What do you mean?"
"Edward, close your eyes, if you must, but, still yourself and take in everything surrounding you." Michael advised him.
Once Edward did this a lot of things hit him all at once; the smell of the dirt and garbage of the alley and the contents that were in the alley. And then Edward was hit with a smell other than unwashed bodies that were residing in the alley along with every other smell there, was a scent that didn't belong. It was that of strawberries and freesia. With that realization Edward's eyes flew open in surprise.
"I've got it. At least, I think I do." Was all he said. Then he began following the scent to see where it led him.
Michael smiled at his companion's excitement and followed along as Edward followed the scent. It took them down the street to a rundown apartment building that should have been condemned a long time ago and the owner should have been charged as a slumlord. It was criminal for someone to charge people to live in such conditions.
Edward shook his head and continued on inside still following the scent. He wanted to make sure that it was the one he was seeking. And as he kept getting closer and closer to his goal the scent kept getting stronger and stronger until he was right next to it.
It was indeed the one he sought, but, her condition was enough to make the angels wept. What could have brought her to such a state? Edward was now determined to bring her back to life.
A/N: Well, Edward is learning about his abilities as a spirit or ghost, depending on your definition. And, without truly realizing it he is starting to change from the type of person he used to be. Do you think this change is going to become a more permanent thing? Or, will Edward start seeking the guilty that will clear his name? Will he be able to do both at the same time? Or, are both incidents in some way connected?
Hope you'll enjoy the new story and will let me know your thoughts since Edward is going to need all of the help that he can get.