"WHAT THE HELL? GET OUT OF MY POOL!",the voice screamed.
A woman had opened the sliding glass rear door of the house and was standing there in awe.My eyes went wide as I climbed quickly over the side of the pool.
"GET OUT OF MY YARD YOU BASTARD!",she yelled after me as I dragged my waterlogged self over the nearest fence and out into the street.
I ran across the road.Dripping the whole time.I took a left down a side road and ran around one last corner before stopping for a breather.I had to keep going lest I get nabbed by the cops, should she call them.I stood there and shook a bit,like a dog would.That method is actually very,very good and drying one off.After I was fairly dry I jogged further down the street.
I took the first right I saw and continued to navigate the winding roads before eventually coming to a long tree-lined road that led off into the distance.
I thought I should put as much distance as I could between the woman and myself,at least for now. I looked once more through the treeline at the houses on the side of the road and thought,
"Oh well,might as well calm down for now".It was no use looking suspicious running down a road in my outfit,much less walking around in this outfit.Regardless,I put on my most innocent face and walked calmly,like any normal guy in a white and gold robe would do walking down a street he's never been on.Not much in the way of scenery changed for quite a few minutes
until,as I rounded a bend in the road,a more industrious section of suburbia appeared before me.Up ahead of me cars were abundant and people walked the streets.Buildings of all sizes filled the skyline.Offices,stores,restauraunts and one school that I could see. Well,this certainly seemed like an excellent place to get lost.As I walked into this hubbub I stared in awe at the bizzare symbols that I assume were this place's form of written word on signs above shops..Gods know I didn't understand what the hell they said. Confused as ever I just continued my trek down the sidewalk.No one seemed to give me the
odd looks I was expecting.Maybe people dressed like nuts always walked these streets. As I contemplated this idea my feet took me on a path in front of the school I had seen. This was about the best and worst decision my unconcious mind had ever made. As thoughts of how strange this place was crossed my mind a voice rang out from behind me.
"That's that angel ah saw last night in mah room!",came the heavily accented statement.
"Oh boy."I thought as I stopped in my tracks,"Here we go"
"Are you sure that's an angel?",came another voice from behind me.
At this point I turned,ready to face this airheaded girl once more.
There she was,looking exactly the same as the night previous except her hair wasn't all out of whack and she wore some sort of uniform with a white top and a cute green skirt. I hate to sound like a pervert,but it was cute.
Regardless,she wasn't alone.Wasn't alone by far. The girl was accompanied by quite a few of what I assumed to be her friends. They all wore the same exact uniform although they each looked decidedly different. One girl was tall and shapely with long violet hair and stood well behind the others,
almost as if she was trying to hide.Another was short with messy shoulder length black hair,large bright eyes and what seemed to be a perpetual grin splatterd on her face.Another tall girl stood beside the one that looked crazed.Her long brown hair brushing up against her back and her glasses accenting her brown eyes.A girl with short bobbed black hair stood beside the quiet,hiding girl.Almost TOO close.Evading my eyesight for a few moments was a very tiny red haired girl with pigtails.She was obviously much younger than the others and I wondered what sort of sick perversions were going on here.
Not long after that thought crossed my mind did the crazy looking girl say,
"Osaka,that is definately NOT an angel!He doesn't even have wings"
She waved her arms about wildly as if it would enhance the meaning of her words. To that statement the girl I had met the night before,who I now know to be called 'Osaka' said,
"He is an angel!I saw him glow!",Her deep brown eyes gazed at her friend than at me as if she was looking for me to do something,a trick maybe.
The girl with glasses spoke up,"Well,if he is an angel,he can prove it"
"W..wait a minute girls.",I said waving my hands in front of me in dismissal,
"My powers...of..umm..angelic grace are weak upon this planet.I cannot perform the miracles you wish to see."I think that was a pretty good answer don't ya think?
"This guy's a nut.",the girl with glasses said with her hands on her hips.
"He'za real angel guys!He gave me a important message!",Osaka spoke loudly.
"Oh,really?",the girl in glasses looked at me in derision,"What did you tell her?"
"I..uhh..told her to always use protection!",I finished this statement with a wave of my arm to make it seem more glorious.
"YEA!That is what he told me!Izzn't that filosofable or whateva'?",Osaka said in excitement.
"This guy's crazy.Let's get out of here.",the girl with glasses said and began to turn.
"Wait!",I called,"I can prove it.",these girls were fun to play with and maybe they could help me find a damn place to stay.I reached into my pocket to retrieve my warp device.
I pulled it out,"This",I said holding out the pocket watch shaped item no bigger than my palm, "is how angels come down from the heavens.This is our vehicle."
"That piece of crap?",the wide grinned girl laughed and pointed.
"Watch.",I said.You all know that when I travel my device cannot be used again for a minimum of three full days.Although,it can be activated to produce a warp,the warp cannot be entered.It's odd,I know,but it's the truth.I planned to show these girls a warp portal to prove my angelic existance.I looked upon the warp device only to almost drop it in utter shock.The normal brightly blue lit digital screen was dark.Dark as the darkest chasm of hell. Well,maybe not that dark,but it was dark!
I panicked,"Uhh...actually..girls..this angel needs your help.",I sputtered out.
How could this have happened?What if I am to be trapped here forever?
"SON OF A BITCH!",I thought to myself,mentally kicking my own ass.
"Whatcha' need Mr.Angel?",Osaka asked as she approached me.
"Osaka,for the last time,he's not an angel.",the four-eyed girl said,"Now get away from him."
"Yoommiii!",Osaka whined,"He IS an angel.Just let him prove it."
"Pfft",the girl called Yomi huffed and said,"C'mon guys,lets go.Let Osaka have fun with her 'angel'"There was only a HINT of sarcasm there.That being said with all due sarcasm of course.
Osaka looked up at me with her large brown eyes pleading,
"Please prove yer an angel,Mr.Angel"
I sighed and began to do something I hadn't done in a very long time.
I began a short chant in an archaic langage I had learned years ago.At one time I had studied magic,but never quite got the hang of it.So,here,in this place,at this time,I was about to try to make a statement,but also not blow the crap out of the place. As I chanted I concentrated my power into the palm of my right hand.Even with my eyes closed I could feel the power that was there.I moved the force from the palm of my hand down into the soles of my feet.Sweat broke out on my brow as my feet lifted a few inches above the pavement of the sidewalk.
"Lookit,guys! Lookit! He's floatin'!",I heard Osaka yell excitedly.
I opened my eyes to see Osaka gazing at me in awe,her mouth wide open.She looked like she was planning to catch insects.Her friends were no more worse for wear.Each one had their own personal expression of disbelief plastered directly and obviously on their face. Yomi's jaw looked as if it was going to fall of it was so very far open.The short haired crazy girl was smiling wildly and yelling,"That's the coolest thing ever!"
The black haired girl that seemed to be connected at the waist to the slender,violet haired girl shared an expression of surprise pasted upon both their faces.I assumed the little red haired girl had hid behind someone because she was nowhere in sight.
"I..I don't believe waht I'm seeing..",Yomi said as I softly touched my feet once more upon the ground.
"Ya' see Yomi?I was right!I knew he wuz an angel!",Osaka stated the obvious.
"For once Osaka was right about something.",the psycho looking girl said and laughed.
"I'm right about a lotta things!",Osaka insisted,"Like that one time I said I found a potato chip that looked like a hamster and you diddn't believe me."
"Quiet!",Yomi demanded,but the psycho nuts girl just wouldn't shut up about all the stuff Osaka was ever wrong about.
"Tomo!Shut the hell up!",Yomi demanded and gave the wild girl a swift crack on the back of her head with her fist.
"Now,",Yomi cleared her throat,"how the hell did you do that?",she asked me.
"Yea!I wanna learn how to do that!",Tomo yelled,but was quickly quieted when Yomi gave her a stare that could have killed puppies."You're no fun!",Tomo said and crossed her arms.
I couldn't help,but give a small chuckle at the camraderie.
"You all can call me Prior.",I said and thrust out my hand in greeting.
A small hand grasped my own.
"Pleased to meet you Mr.Prior!",a cheery little voice said from below me.I looked down to see the small red haired girl shaking my hand vigorously.
"My name is Chiyo Mihama!",the little girl said with a giggle.
She was too cute to be real.She must be a robot or something.
She finally released my hand after a few moments.
"As for Yomi's question,",I stated,looking a bit boastful,"that is just of the many feats an angel can perform!"
"So you really are an angel?",Yomi questioned.
I gave a curt,yet amazingly arrogant nod.I didn't have the heart to tell these kids I was just some normal lost traveller for two reasons.One,because they will probably cooperate with me easier this way and two,they won't think I'm a crazy nut.They might just know a few things about fixing my device and even if they didn't they might know someone who does.It's always nice to have friends while travelling,believe me.
"Where are you staying Mr.Prior?",little Chiyo said with a gaze of wonder in her eyes.
"Well,currently I'm homeless.Even angels need sleep and I can't leave this place without fulfilling my mission.",I said hoping that one of them would show me a place I could conck out.Preferably a place that doesn't require you to sleep in bushes.Oh,and that part about a mission.I had no idea how quickly that lie would become reality.
"How 'bout we each let 'em sleep at our house for a night?We can rotate and stuff",Osaka suggested.
"I dunno.",Yomi said,"I'm not too keen on an angel staying in my house."
"Awww,c'mon Yomi!He's an angel! What harm could he do?",Tomo practically yelled. Gods,she was a loud one."What about you guys?Sakaki?Kaorin?",she said loudly turning to the two girls who had no spoken this whole time.
"Ohh,I don't think my parents would like that.",the violet haired girl called Sakaki said quietly.
"Ohh!Mine either!",the short haired Kaorin said quickly as if following Sakaki's lead.
"Oh well then!",Said Tomo,"My parents are out of town so I could take 'em in!"
"As are mine.",said Yomi smiling,"I guess an angel can't do much harm."
"Mah parents dunt care who I bring home so they'll be okay wit it.",said Osaka cheerfully.
"What about me?",asked little Chiyo.
"I think you're a little too young to take care of an angel Chiyo-chan.",said Yomi gently.
"Yea,you're probably right.",Chiyo said thoughtfully.Something told me this little girl was smarter than she looked.
"How about we play 'Rock,Paper,Scissors' to see who gets to take him home tonight?",Tomo interjected.
I had no idea what the hell a game like that would involve.My imagination conjured up images of hurling boulders,flinging scissors,and only the most violent paper cuts.
The three girls Tomo,Yomi,and Osaka stood in a circle.Each shouted
"ROCK,PAPER,SCISSORS,SHOOT!",snd thrust their hands foward in various contortions of the fingers.
Tomo's hand shot out with her middle and index fingers spread,her other figners curled against her palm.
Osaka's hand shot out in the same manner.Yomi's on the other hand was formed into a fist.
"I win.",Yomi announced.
"Ah,shoot",Osaka said.
"Dammit!",Tomo stomped her foot.
The game didn't look TOO difficult.Although,at the time it was confusing as all hell.
"Well,I guess you're coming home with me.",Yomi smiled,"C'mon then we better
get a move on"
Everyone muttered in agreement and started to move away from me.All except Osaka.
"C'mon Mr.Prior.We gotta take youz to Yomi's house.",she said and grabbed me by the arm to lead.
I took up a place on the outside of the group of girls.I teetered on the edge of the road.One foot on solid asphalt the other on the grass that lined the side of the road.
"So,what's it like to be an angel?",Tomo asked me.
"It's not much different from being mortals like yourself.",I answered.Man,this ruse was easy to keep up.
"Why don't you have wings like the angels on T.V. or in movies?",Tomo questioned.
Before I could tell my humourous little lie Osaka beat me to it.
"Ah,he lost his wings in a horrible accident he had while gettin' dressed."
Everyone let out an awed gasp.Even the usually silent Sakaki and Kaorin let out small gasps of surprise.Everyone except Yomi that is.
"What's your mission here?",Tomo asked,hopping up beside me.
This one I had to think about.I just sputtered out the first thing that came into my mind.I think I speak prophecy sometimes.I really do.
"I'm looking for a man.",I said concisely.
"What sorta' man?",Osaka asked,head tilted to the left.
"A dangerous man.Out to harm people.",I said.Man,I was good at making stuff up.
"Wooooww!Sounds exciting!",Tomo said and grinned like a mental house patient.
I nodded."It's very dangerous work,being an angel and all."
"Sounds like it would be.",Osaka said from behind me.
After a few moments of tense silence I began to actually take notice of my surroundings. We had walked into the suburban neighborhood I had been in earlier that day.
"Hey,Yomi,isn't that yer house?",Osaka said and pointed to the cookie cutter house ahead of us.
"Yep,so I guess this is where we say goodbye for now.",Yomi told the girls.
Cries of "Goodbye,Mr. Prior!" and "Have fun!"were heard as the other girls walked off leaving me and Yomi standing in front of her house.
When the girls had turned a corner at the end of the street Yomi turned to me and said, "Come inside."