Chapter 2

The searing pain didn't lessen at all as I gasped for air and sank down to my knees. I looked down to where all this agony was stemming from. My pink suit was ripped open near the section where the little skirt started. Of course. The suit was made of nylon. Blood seemed to gush uncontrollably from the wound. Yep. That was definitely a gun I heard.

I remembered the first-aid training my Grandma had put me through. It had made me mad at the time. She was constantly looking for new extra-curricular activities to make me do. I don't know if she just wanted me out of the house or what, but it was kinda annoying and frustrating.

It was during the fifth grade that I actually took the training. She had said that if I could get in 40 hours of community service now, while she had me volunteering at the hospital, then I would have 40 extra hours later in high school to do whatever I wished. That was the only reason I had agreed to it at the time. Of course, it'd be redundant if I died now. Fear gripped my body in an instant. Death was what I was facing now.

I sucked in air and held my breath while I examined myself. Ignoring the spasms of pain, I pressed and prodded. I felt the inside of the entry wound. Health class lessons came rushing back to the front of my mind. With a flash of horror, I realize what exactly got injured.

"My liver!" I gasped. I would have to have a transplant if it was too damaged, and even if it's not too badly hurt, the recovery time for my cells to replicate and heal the organ was daunting in my mind. Suddenly, a lot more blood seemed to be pouring out of my wound. My head began to swim. Death! If I didn't put forth the effort and knowledge, I was going to die! I ripped both sleeves off my suit. I balled up one and pressed it tightly against the wound. I winced and almost fainted with the intensity of pain. Then I wrapped the other around my waist, thankful that I was always so slim.

Blood still seemed to gush out through the makeshift bandages. My head grew faint. I tried to stand up, but I felt like I had been zapped by lightning. All my energy was just suddenly GONE! My knees gave way and I collapsed. What's happening to me? My breathing grew more ragged, as I struggled to keep conscious. My eyes screwed shut as I concentrated. I opened them again and—

"AAAAAHHHHH! What—where the Hell did you come from?" I screamed.

Right in front of me stood the most beautiful boy on the planet. Or I should say boyish man. Because he seemed to change from boy, to man, to boy again, it was hard to tell. The air about him had a type of glow to it. His hair and clothes lifted gently around his face, like he had his own personal breeze to surround him. He wore a loose, white shirt that poofed a little in the imaginary breeze, and white slacks with a gold cord around his waist. He was barefoot, which didn't make sense, seeing as we were in a dirty alley. His hair was chin-length, wavy-ish, and golden. It was shiny like the hair that super models you see on TV have. But I felt like I was staring at a rainbow, the way it glittered. His eyes were also a brilliant gold, so at first, I thought he was a vampire, which was pretty cool, except for the fact that I was bleeding. Hey everyone's read the Twilight saga; who wouldn't think he was a vampire? It would certainly explain the indescribable beauty. I could condense it as much as I want, but there really were no words to do him justice.

My evaluation took only a second. He reached his hand out to me, as if he wanted to help. I suddenly felt compelled to take the hand, however much my mind screamed at me not to, that there was something not right about him. Just as I started to reach for the hand, I noticed something else, something I hadn't noticed at first because I was caught up in his eyes: he had wings and a halo! Suddenly, adrenaline cleared the fog that had begun to settle on my mind. I pushed myself to my feet and sprinted towards the alley's end. An angel had been sent to collect my soul! A distant voice in me noted that I must be going to Heaven. I ignored it and listened to the other voice cursing how long the alley was. I don't want to die! I don't want to die!

But if you did, that other voice said, if you did then you could finally be with your mom and dad! One happy family together at last in Heaven. All you'd have to do is wait for Grandma! Dying can't be that bad if you get to spend eternity with the ones you love! Just stop. Give up. Wait for the blood to leave you and let the angel take you away—

"I don't want to die! I don't believe in that Heaven crap! I know that there's possibly more than one way to go! I have more respect for myself than to just quit! I will never quit!" I shouted at myself. I put one foot in front of the other, the fear of death forcing me forward. I could feel the angel's gaze on my back as I tried to escape, still stealing my energy, dragging the blood out of me. I could feel him doing it!

Almost there now. I can see the red and blue lights of squad cars, parked across the street at the bank. I trudged slowly forward, holding the wall for support and keeping a hand on my wound, still bleeding, and I gasped against the pain. The police were putting a struggling man into a squad car when I pushed myself out of the shadows of the alley.

The angel's influence ceased the instant I made it out into the sunlight. I heard several screams, and looked to my left. The girls...they had just walked out the door and they could see me. The horror written over their faces confirmed what I thought: I looked as close to Death as I felt.

The darkness almost overtook me as I wobbled onto the sidewalk. I collapsed to the ground and felt many hands over me. I couldn't see. My eyes were all but glued shut with how heavy they were. All I had was sound.

The girls were crying. What they saw would probably scar them for life. A sadistic part of me whispered, "Serves 'em right for starting all of this..." Police were yelling at everyone to move out of the way, and several people were talking loudly. Many hands checked my vitals, and I tried to speak, but all that came out was a whisper.

"Help..."

I floated on the cusp of consciousness and death as hands surer than mine took me in. I felt myself pass into sleep, and forgot everything else.

Something tickled at my mind. A voice that broke through that black silence.

"You have chosen a harder path. It will be difficult, but you have made your father proud. Good luck, Traveler..."