A/N: Mercy explains the rules to Alejandro.
I Could Say It But You Won't Believe Me
Encantober Prompt Day 12: Pressure
Mercy explained the rules to Alejandro.
They were very simple, really.
(No pressure at all.)
He could not affect the physical reality of the world around him. He could not interact with others, living or dead. Souls of the departed did not communicate with each other or with the living.
Except three times.
He had three chances to intervene in the world he left behind.
To do so, he had to call forth from the core of his being what Mercy called the 'gift of Divine Influence', until he saw his hand glow with the gift of power Mercy bestowed on him. Then he had to touch the person in question and he had to concentrate.
He had to speak aloud and will with all of his soul what he wanted to communicate, and that one chosen person would be able to understand him.
They would not see Alejandro, they would not hear his voice, they would not be aware of him at all. But their thoughts would be flooded with his, and they would know what he wanted them to know; they would see possibilities that they had previously been blind to, they would be aware of a path that had previously been hidden from them.
He could not control their actions afterward, but – Mercy explained – as is the case with most strong thoughts, if his thoughts were firm enough, if they were steady, he could possibly influence their actions. The choice to act on their thoughts would be theirs, but he could offer comfort, guidance, encouragement, and warning. Mercy warned him that he could never Divinely Influence someone to do something against the laws of God or in direct conflict with the person's desires or personality. For example, he could never Influence someone to commit murder (not that that was something he was ever planning on doing). Neither could he Influence Lucia to suddenly become a circus performer or Bruno Madrigal to leave the walls. Mercy also warned him that to Influence a sleeping person would be a waste. They would wake and even if they remembered what he told them, it would be remembered only as a vague dream.
"But – only three times?" Alejandro asked desperately. "I can't fix la familia Madrigal and say good-bye to my family in only three tries."
"Perhaps there is a way you could do both," Mercy said vaguely, but with great purpose.
"But…how?"
"That is dependent on the choices of a great many people. The path to healing has not yet been set in stone. It may yet be that the healing of your family and the healing of La Familia Madrigal will be intertwined. But it is not for us to know all the paths that could be, only what is now , in this moment."
Alejandro whirled about, still on the roof of Casita, frustrated.
"But only three chances?"
"Yes," Mercy said, flitting around in butterfly form. "Three chances. You may Influence the same person three times or three different people once. I wouldn't be in a hurry to use them. Patience is your friend, Alejandro Moreno."
"But how will I know - ?"
"Watch and learn, dear one. Watch and learn, and you will know. I will say this: You should not use your Influences until after Casita falls or after Casita is healed."
Casita trembled.
Alejandro tensed. "Casita – will fall? "
"Or heal," Mercy said patiently. "Which will happen is yet to be seen and relies on many choices that have not yet been made."
Alejandro sighed, though he didn't need to. Sighing felt familiar. It was reassuring. If he had to wait until a magical house connected to heaven fell, he could be here for hundreds of years.
That was terrifying.
"How – how long -"
"This generation will not pass away before it is done."
"So…three chances to make things right. Three chances to help fix it all, to help mend what's broken. After Casita possibly falls. Which is – a whole lot of broken. And until then I just – watch? Wait?"
"Three chances," Mercy agreed. "Watch and wait, so you know when to use your Influence. This gift is not to be taken lightly, dear one. Do not rush in to Influence someone. Wait and see what they will do. They may surprise you. You may call on me at any time, and I will be here to guide you. The choice to use your Influence, however, is yours alone."
Alejandro made a noise halfway between a snort and a laugh.
He felt like his eternity was riding on getting this one last thing exactly right.
He already knew what he would save his last Influence for.
He would wait until Lucia grew old (and she would grow old. He would make sure of it.) He would wait until she took her last labored breaths, surrounded by her loved ones, and he would encourage her to let go. To reassure her he was waiting for her. And then, together, they would move on to what awaited them.
He felt a bit guilty…perhaps it was a bit selfish, to already decide to save one Influence. To hoard a gift of mercy meant to help others. But he felt he owed it to Lucia, to wait for her. To see her through the life he'd left her to navigate on her own. He would watch over her in life, and welcome her into the afterlife, and he would use his other two Influences to somehow help heal her and Josefina and the Madrigals.
How he would manage that, he had no idea.
No pressure.
A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm excited for the next few chapters. :) Up next in this story is Day 14: Love.