Morning dawned, and Monica and Dana set out for their jog. They took a
different route than the one they had taken the previous morning, but they
were a little nervous about seeing the same man again. Monica had scrapped
her other jogging outfit for shapeless sweatpants and a baggy sweatshirt,
and Dana had done pretty much the same thing. Neither woman wanted to draw
attention to themselves, especially not that kind of attention. The run
went without incident, and they arrived back at Dana's house to get cleaned
up. Neither one of them noticed the figure leaning against a light pole
across the street from Dana's house, smoking a cigarette, one of his jean-
clad legs propped up against the pole.
That night, Monica insisted on cooking dinner. As she was looking in the cookbook for a recipe for the chicken she had bought, she heard a voice behind her. "What are you doing, Miss Wings?"
Monica jumped slightly, and turned to face Tess, who was looking skeptically at the cookbook in her charge's hand. "I'm cooking dinner."
"Well, I can see that, but what I want to know is why you are cooking. I've seen you cook, and I don't think you're here to punish your assignment."
Monica rolled her eyes, "Oh c'mon Tess, I'm not that bad. Besides, I've been practicing."
"Lord, give me patience with this child," Tess said laughingly. "Well, if you insist on doing this, the least I can do is hang around here to make sure you turn out something edible." The older angel picked up an apron that had since appeared on the counter behind her and put it on, tying the strings around her waist. "Where's Dana?"
"She had a meeting with Kevin about the next concert program, and then she was going to pick up some milk for dinner. She should be back right around the time I finish this," Monica replied. She was carefully measuring out ingredients for the casserole she was trying to put together.
"How have things been going here," Tess asked. "And let me have that. The recipe calls for 2 and a quarter cups of flour, and you've got two and two third cups." "Oops," Monica said, as she handed the measuring cup to Tess. "Well, I really don't even know what I'm here for, actually. There's only been one thing out of the ordinary happen, and that was only minor. Other than that, Dana seems to be a very happy young woman."
"What thing?" Tess wanted to know, a small frown on her face. As Monica proceeded to recount the previous morning's events, Tess's frown deepened. "I don't like the sound of that."
"I don't think it's anything to worry about though, Tess," Monica told her. "That kind of thing has happened to me before when I was in human form. It's something about human males, they think women like that kind of attention."
"Usually, it is harmless, but not always. " Tess's voice trailed off, and a worried look crossed her face. "Baby, you just got your assignment," she said.
"What?" Monica caught the look in Tess's eyes, and her stomach twisted into a knot. "What's happening, Tess?"
Tess shook her head slightly. "I don't know exactly. All I know is that Dana is in trouble, and you are supposed to wait here. You'll be notified soon of where to go. But until then, you're just supposed to wait it out."
Monica paled considerably. "You can't be serious! If I'm supposed to be Dana's angel, what good am I to her if I can't help her when she needs me?" Her voice was rising by the second, and her pretty face was a mask of worry.
"I don't know why, Baby, but just trust in the Father's plan." Tess reached over and wrapped an arm around Monica's shoulders. "Remember that God's plan is perfect, and that He'll take care of Dana." She released the younger angel, and then busied herself with the finishing of the casserole. "C'mon, Angel Girl. I have a feeling that a pre-cooked dinner may come in handy in the next few days."
*****
As she drove back towards her neighborhood, Dana's thoughts were wandering. She thought that the meeting had gone well. The two of them had met at Kevin's home, where they had decided on the concert program for the rest of the season. Dana always enjoyed the meetings they had. She and Kevin had been dancing around the idea of a relationship for years. The fact was, they were made for one another, but they were afraid to admit that. Even though Kevin was eight years older than Dana, they had always been able to connect as equals both professionally and personally. What had started as a friendship grew over the years into something deeper, something that made each person grateful for the other.
Typically, the program meetings between the two of them were only about half business. They would decide the program in short order, and then spend the rest of the time discussing other things. Dana told Kevin things that she hadn't told even her closest girlfriends, and she was sure that some of the things he had confided to her were in the same category. Dana was pretty sure that there was nothing she wouldn't trust Kevin with, and she knew he felt the same way about her. She always thought about these kinds of things on the way back from Kevin's. He just affected her that way. But for some reason, on that night Dana felt that she wanted more from her relationship with Kevin. She made a mental note to herself to get together with him soon, and see where they both stood. Quite frankly, she was sick of dancing around what was obvious to the both of them, and she knew she wasn't getting any younger. She had never been with a man - even in the loosest sense of the word - and the older she got, the more she realized how much she wanted a relationship with someone.
Dana was pulled out of her wandering thoughts as she realized that she had told Monica she was going to pick up some milk for the night's dinner, and she had nearly forgotten. She pulled into a small convenience store near her house, and went inside. She got the milk, and also picked up a bottle of wine, figuring that having a couple of glasses would put the perfect ending on her good evening. She couldn't wait to tell Monica about everything. Geez, I'm acting like a schoolgirl, she thought as she paid for her purchases and walked to her car.
As she crossed the dimly lit parking lot, she remembered why she hated coming there at night. The walk to and from her car always gave her the creeps. She didn't notice it on the way in because she was still thinking about Kevin and the hopefully soon developments in their relationship. As she walked down the length of the building towards her car, she passed by a small alleyway between the convenience store and a gift shop. All of a sudden, Dana stopped dead in her tracks, her stomach plummeting as she heard a voice that chilled her to the bone. "Hey baby, what's happening?"
Dana wheeled around and found the man who had harassed her and Monica standing between the buildings, like he had been waiting for her. "What do you want from me?" She asked coldly, trying not to let her fear show.
"What do I want?" He asked tauntingly, "I think you can figure that out."
Dana thought he aimed to mug her, so she tossed her purse in the man's direction and turned to walk away. She quickened her pace when she heard him move behind her, but she didn't get very far. He hit her from behind, knocking her to the unyielding pavement. The bag with the milk and wine went flying, both items bursting as they hit the pavement. Dana cried out as the side of her head came in hard contact with the ground, sending a blinding white wave of pain through her. Before her brain was able to comprehend what had just happened, her attacker grabbed her roughly by the arms and dragged her into the alleyway where he threw her facedown on the ground.
Trying to remain as calm as possible, Dana said, "I already gave you my purse, that's all I have." She had begun to roll over to face the man as she spoke, and was rewarded with a punch to her face. Pain exploded through her already aching head again, and her vision dimmed momentarily. As she fought for control, Dana became terrifyingly aware that this was more than a mugging.
"What do you want?" She asked again. He hit her again in response, and she bit back a cry of pain and fear. She didn't want him to know she was afraid, and lose the last semblance of control that she had. Her terror increased as he got on top of her, straddling her hips. He pulled her jacket off and pushed her T-shirt up over her head, using it to both cover her eyes and restrain her arms. Dana then realized what was coming next, and she struggled fiercely, fighting as hard as she could until the blows he rained down on her stopped her fight. As soon as she stilled, she felt the point of something sharp being pressed into her cheek through her shirt. A disembodied, whispered voice came through to her ear, "If you struggle again or cry out, I will slit your throat and leave you here to die. Behave yourself and you might live through this." As much as it terrified the young woman, she knew that she was going to have to wait out the attack if she wanted to live to tell about it.
"God, Help me please," she screamed inwardly as she felt him pull her pants down, ripping them in the process. He pulled her arms down to her sides and put his knees on her wrists, using his body weight to render her helpless. Since her shirt was pulled up, the asphalt scratched and tore at Dana's back, and she winced as small, sharp stones dug into her skin. With her sight momentarily disabled, she was acutely aware of sounds and feelings. She could hear cars on the main road, and tears streamed down her face as she realized how close she was to people, and still nobody could hear her cries. She stifled a sob as she heard the sounds of a man disrobing. Bracing herself for the inevitable, she silently screamed out to God again as she felt the pain burn through her body.
Andrew stood about ten feet from the scene, watching the attack with silent tears making their way unchecked down his cheeks. God had sent him even before Dana had cried out to Him, but he had been told not to intervene in any way. Even though he had done this very same thing more times than he cared to count, the angel of death always hated times like this. These were the times when he disliked being an angel of God, when the hardest thing The Father could ask an angel to do was his assignment. These were the nights when it was so hard to follow God's command.
That night, Monica insisted on cooking dinner. As she was looking in the cookbook for a recipe for the chicken she had bought, she heard a voice behind her. "What are you doing, Miss Wings?"
Monica jumped slightly, and turned to face Tess, who was looking skeptically at the cookbook in her charge's hand. "I'm cooking dinner."
"Well, I can see that, but what I want to know is why you are cooking. I've seen you cook, and I don't think you're here to punish your assignment."
Monica rolled her eyes, "Oh c'mon Tess, I'm not that bad. Besides, I've been practicing."
"Lord, give me patience with this child," Tess said laughingly. "Well, if you insist on doing this, the least I can do is hang around here to make sure you turn out something edible." The older angel picked up an apron that had since appeared on the counter behind her and put it on, tying the strings around her waist. "Where's Dana?"
"She had a meeting with Kevin about the next concert program, and then she was going to pick up some milk for dinner. She should be back right around the time I finish this," Monica replied. She was carefully measuring out ingredients for the casserole she was trying to put together.
"How have things been going here," Tess asked. "And let me have that. The recipe calls for 2 and a quarter cups of flour, and you've got two and two third cups." "Oops," Monica said, as she handed the measuring cup to Tess. "Well, I really don't even know what I'm here for, actually. There's only been one thing out of the ordinary happen, and that was only minor. Other than that, Dana seems to be a very happy young woman."
"What thing?" Tess wanted to know, a small frown on her face. As Monica proceeded to recount the previous morning's events, Tess's frown deepened. "I don't like the sound of that."
"I don't think it's anything to worry about though, Tess," Monica told her. "That kind of thing has happened to me before when I was in human form. It's something about human males, they think women like that kind of attention."
"Usually, it is harmless, but not always. " Tess's voice trailed off, and a worried look crossed her face. "Baby, you just got your assignment," she said.
"What?" Monica caught the look in Tess's eyes, and her stomach twisted into a knot. "What's happening, Tess?"
Tess shook her head slightly. "I don't know exactly. All I know is that Dana is in trouble, and you are supposed to wait here. You'll be notified soon of where to go. But until then, you're just supposed to wait it out."
Monica paled considerably. "You can't be serious! If I'm supposed to be Dana's angel, what good am I to her if I can't help her when she needs me?" Her voice was rising by the second, and her pretty face was a mask of worry.
"I don't know why, Baby, but just trust in the Father's plan." Tess reached over and wrapped an arm around Monica's shoulders. "Remember that God's plan is perfect, and that He'll take care of Dana." She released the younger angel, and then busied herself with the finishing of the casserole. "C'mon, Angel Girl. I have a feeling that a pre-cooked dinner may come in handy in the next few days."
*****
As she drove back towards her neighborhood, Dana's thoughts were wandering. She thought that the meeting had gone well. The two of them had met at Kevin's home, where they had decided on the concert program for the rest of the season. Dana always enjoyed the meetings they had. She and Kevin had been dancing around the idea of a relationship for years. The fact was, they were made for one another, but they were afraid to admit that. Even though Kevin was eight years older than Dana, they had always been able to connect as equals both professionally and personally. What had started as a friendship grew over the years into something deeper, something that made each person grateful for the other.
Typically, the program meetings between the two of them were only about half business. They would decide the program in short order, and then spend the rest of the time discussing other things. Dana told Kevin things that she hadn't told even her closest girlfriends, and she was sure that some of the things he had confided to her were in the same category. Dana was pretty sure that there was nothing she wouldn't trust Kevin with, and she knew he felt the same way about her. She always thought about these kinds of things on the way back from Kevin's. He just affected her that way. But for some reason, on that night Dana felt that she wanted more from her relationship with Kevin. She made a mental note to herself to get together with him soon, and see where they both stood. Quite frankly, she was sick of dancing around what was obvious to the both of them, and she knew she wasn't getting any younger. She had never been with a man - even in the loosest sense of the word - and the older she got, the more she realized how much she wanted a relationship with someone.
Dana was pulled out of her wandering thoughts as she realized that she had told Monica she was going to pick up some milk for the night's dinner, and she had nearly forgotten. She pulled into a small convenience store near her house, and went inside. She got the milk, and also picked up a bottle of wine, figuring that having a couple of glasses would put the perfect ending on her good evening. She couldn't wait to tell Monica about everything. Geez, I'm acting like a schoolgirl, she thought as she paid for her purchases and walked to her car.
As she crossed the dimly lit parking lot, she remembered why she hated coming there at night. The walk to and from her car always gave her the creeps. She didn't notice it on the way in because she was still thinking about Kevin and the hopefully soon developments in their relationship. As she walked down the length of the building towards her car, she passed by a small alleyway between the convenience store and a gift shop. All of a sudden, Dana stopped dead in her tracks, her stomach plummeting as she heard a voice that chilled her to the bone. "Hey baby, what's happening?"
Dana wheeled around and found the man who had harassed her and Monica standing between the buildings, like he had been waiting for her. "What do you want from me?" She asked coldly, trying not to let her fear show.
"What do I want?" He asked tauntingly, "I think you can figure that out."
Dana thought he aimed to mug her, so she tossed her purse in the man's direction and turned to walk away. She quickened her pace when she heard him move behind her, but she didn't get very far. He hit her from behind, knocking her to the unyielding pavement. The bag with the milk and wine went flying, both items bursting as they hit the pavement. Dana cried out as the side of her head came in hard contact with the ground, sending a blinding white wave of pain through her. Before her brain was able to comprehend what had just happened, her attacker grabbed her roughly by the arms and dragged her into the alleyway where he threw her facedown on the ground.
Trying to remain as calm as possible, Dana said, "I already gave you my purse, that's all I have." She had begun to roll over to face the man as she spoke, and was rewarded with a punch to her face. Pain exploded through her already aching head again, and her vision dimmed momentarily. As she fought for control, Dana became terrifyingly aware that this was more than a mugging.
"What do you want?" She asked again. He hit her again in response, and she bit back a cry of pain and fear. She didn't want him to know she was afraid, and lose the last semblance of control that she had. Her terror increased as he got on top of her, straddling her hips. He pulled her jacket off and pushed her T-shirt up over her head, using it to both cover her eyes and restrain her arms. Dana then realized what was coming next, and she struggled fiercely, fighting as hard as she could until the blows he rained down on her stopped her fight. As soon as she stilled, she felt the point of something sharp being pressed into her cheek through her shirt. A disembodied, whispered voice came through to her ear, "If you struggle again or cry out, I will slit your throat and leave you here to die. Behave yourself and you might live through this." As much as it terrified the young woman, she knew that she was going to have to wait out the attack if she wanted to live to tell about it.
"God, Help me please," she screamed inwardly as she felt him pull her pants down, ripping them in the process. He pulled her arms down to her sides and put his knees on her wrists, using his body weight to render her helpless. Since her shirt was pulled up, the asphalt scratched and tore at Dana's back, and she winced as small, sharp stones dug into her skin. With her sight momentarily disabled, she was acutely aware of sounds and feelings. She could hear cars on the main road, and tears streamed down her face as she realized how close she was to people, and still nobody could hear her cries. She stifled a sob as she heard the sounds of a man disrobing. Bracing herself for the inevitable, she silently screamed out to God again as she felt the pain burn through her body.
Andrew stood about ten feet from the scene, watching the attack with silent tears making their way unchecked down his cheeks. God had sent him even before Dana had cried out to Him, but he had been told not to intervene in any way. Even though he had done this very same thing more times than he cared to count, the angel of death always hated times like this. These were the times when he disliked being an angel of God, when the hardest thing The Father could ask an angel to do was his assignment. These were the nights when it was so hard to follow God's command.