Chapter 3: So Surreal

Ava spent most of the night thinking that the man was going break into her room and try to kill her, why was she so paranoid? She didn't know when but she finally managed to fall asleep, she woke up to the sunlight streaming through the curtains, she sat up groggily and rubbed her eyes. She was yawning when she spotted him, he was sitting perfectly still in the comfy chair in the corner, watching her. Ava jumped up off the bed, her eyes wide with shock,

' What the fuck!' she shouted at him, he stood up calmly but didn't move towards her

' Please be calm, I wish you no harm'

' Then why the fuck did you break into my room?' her voice was shaking and so was she,

' I came to warn you' his face remained still and focused,

' Warn me about what?' her voice shook a little more,

' A year from now your faith will be tested to the limits'

' Ok…I'm not sure I really understand you?' her anger was slowly turning into fear and confusion,

' You're going to that place called paradise falls aren't you?'

' I don't really know where I'm going'

' Go there'

' Ok just stop, I've had my life torn apart and now you walk in, without even telling me your name and who you are, and tell me to go to a diner and that my faith will be tested in a year, well no offence but I have no faith left'

' Yes you do, otherwise I wouldn't be here'

' Who are you?' she shouted in frustration

' My name is Raphael, I was sent to find you to deliver that message and help you'

' Sent by who?'

' Someone who has been watching you very closely for a long time'

' Well now I'm just freaked out, so are you saying someone's been stalking me?'

' No watching you'

' Ok…I erm…I'm gonna call the police now'

' Please let me tell you the whole story and all I ask is you hear me out?' she looked at him sceptically before sighing and sitting down on the bed,

' Fine go ahead'

' Promise to keep an open mind?'

' Ok I promise just tell me what's going on'

' Are you religious Ava?'

' I…how do you know my name?'

' I know a lot about you Ava' she eyed him curiously and nodded to answer his question,

' So you know the names of the archangels?'

' You mean like Michael Gabriel and…Raphael?'

' Yes, I am the Raphael you speak of and I was sent by Michael'

' Are you telling me you're an archangel?' she said almost mockingly

' I did ask you to keep an open mind'

' Fine I'm sorry you're an angel' she said sniggering as she said it

' Why do humans always require proof?' he said sighing as he stood up and pulled off his large black coat, he wore nothing beneath it but she stopped sniggering and almost stopped breathing when two large, grey-feathered wings expanded from behind his back. She gaped at him as he turned around to show they were attached to his skin,

' If you require more proof you may touch them but I assure you they are real' she nodded her mouth still gaping open as he folded his wings back up and sat down next to her again,

' Now will you hear me out without scoffing?' she nodded and closed her mouth

' We have angels that we call the gregori, they are the watchers, just before the great flood and Noah several of the gregori fell from grace, we called them the fallen gregori, they fell to earth and took human wives creating half human, half angel beings, we called them the nephilim. They were sinners and most were destroyed in the flood or by us hunting them down, some were spared, the good. You descend from one of the good, which makes you part angel, though very distantly'

' Part angel?'

' Distantly, don't worry you're not going to randomly sprout wings, the thing is you are the last of your kind, the last scion we call you'

'Scion?'

' A descendant, a member of our kin'

' Oh I see, so I'm the last one what does that mean?'

' I should explain why Michael sent me for you to understand that, god is losing his faith in mankind, he has fallen out of love with you all, Michael fears he will destroy all of you'

' Destroy all humans, but why?'

' Sin has taken over the world, no one believes anymore, Michael is trying to change his mind but so far he has been unsuccessful'

' So where do I come into this?'

' There is hope in three months a child will be conceived, this child could be the key to saving humanity, the mother will be at the diner, she works there'

' So you want me to go there and…what?'

' Do what your descendants did and watch her, every now and then stop by the diner, in three months you will know if she is pregnant or not, I will be keeping in touch with you' he said standing up

' Wait wait wait…what am I supposed to do watch her get more and more pregnant, do you realise how insensitive that is?'

' We know you've been through a lot Ava, Michael hates to have to ask you to do this but none of us can, please Ava for the sake of humanity I am begging you to do this?' she hesitated and rubbed her face,

' So I just watch?'

' Yes, we remain hopeful that Michael will change his mind, if anyone can its Michael'

' So when is this apocalypse supposed to happen?'

' It will begin in about a year, he is giving humanity a year to prove they are worthy of the life he bestowed upon them if they cant…well'

' What will he do, send a flood?'

' No Michael believes that when we were hunting the nephilim some were kept alive, god will send them down here and let them possess and infect humanity, if there is a child he will send them after it, they will kill each other'

' Oh fuck' she rubbed her face again ' I'm dreaming aren't I, this isn't real?'

' I'm sorry Ava, I know we've just put the weight of the world on your weary shoulders but who else can we turn to?'

' So I'm the new Noah, minus the ark and the animals…and the beard' she said jokingly, Raphael smiled,

' Ava I made a promise to Michael that I would keep you safe and I will, I'll stop by whenever I can' she nodded and smiled

' This is so surreal' she said pushing her hair out of her face

' That's what I said when I was made an angel' he said smiling he was pulling his coat back over his wings when she spoke:

' Raphael…what happens if he doesn't change his mind and the child is in danger?'

' Michael and I agree that you would be a perfect guardian for the child, if the worst does happen you'll know what to do, it's in your blood' he smiled comfortingly at her as he walked out of the door.

Ava showered and dressed in jeans, black tattered boots and a black vest before heading down to her car,

' Morning honey' Janet said smiling

' Hey Janet…Janet do you know where paradise falls is, it's a diner?'

' Oh yeah bit of a drive, just go that way, keep driving straight and you'll see it'

' Thanks Janet'

' What you going there for?'

' I hear they do great pancakes' she said smiling as she got in the car.