Divinity: The Gathering: Book One (30 page)

“I’m done actually. Um, are you the preacher here?” I asked.

He laughed a little and shook his head no, “I’m actually just stopping in, like you.” He said.

             
He didn’t seem to notice the bruise on my face, or if he did, he was being polite in not staring at or mentioning it.

I didn’t hear the front doors open or the pe
ws creak. It was as if he just…appeared. Lately, I didn’t discount anything that didn’t seem ordinary anymore.

My face
was still tingling, and I just now realized that I was standing on my sore ankle — and there was no pain at all!

I
immediately felt compelled to sit back down, and a feeling of ease and comfort fell over me like a protective blanket the longer he looked at me. After a few more moments, it was hard for me to continue looking at him without feeling the urge to…cry.

I felt embarrassed at the wave of emotion that seemed to overwhelm me out of nowhere and I paused to briefly shut my eyes.

              When I opened them, he was still there, waiting patiently as if he understood the emotions I was feeling at this exact moment, and not being able to find the words to speak to him just yet.

“You look like you can
use an ear though if you don’t mind me saying so.” He then offered.

I would have automatically declined
, but I wanted to stay.

I was drawn to him in an unexplainably strange and
emotional way.

“I’m Drake,” He smiled.

Drake, I liked that.

I managed a smile, “Star.” I replied.

He raised a brow of recognition though very slight, but I caught it.

“Very nice to meet you Star.” He said. I liked the way he said my name and I did
indeed begin to feel comforted.

I then laughed a little. Relieved that he was the first person that didn’t ask seem taken aback or asked what happened to my face.

“What?” he smiled.

I shook my head, “It’s nothing. I feel silly I guess,” I then confessed
, looking down at my hands.

“Silly? Why?” he asked with a perplexed brow.

I sighed, wondering why it was so hard to look at him without getting teary eyed. I guess my emotions were really working overtime, but he seemed to be drawing them out of me automatically, and I was not one to pour out my emotions easily to anyone.

“I don’t even know what denomination this church is and I don’t feel as if I belong here. I mean at least that my being here should matter for me. I’m…I’m not a typical church going kind of person is w
hat I meant to say.” I said with guilt and a shrug of my shoulder.

There was a brief moment of silence.

“Why do you think going or not going to a house of worship has anything to do with your value or worth as a person?” He asked in a soft, soothing voice.

I looked up at him
, and then quickly turned away though his obvious focus remained on me.

“I guess it doesn’t
— it’s just that for me, all my life I’ve seen and experienced things that I feel like not many people would understand or believe. And lately, my dreams, and things in real life have been getting weirder and more intense. I think I know why, but I don’t understand why me or am I the only one?” I went on to say and feeling as if half of my burdens had just been instantly lifted from my shoulders. My breath hitched, and I tried hard to stave off the oncoming tears. My nose burned and I sniffed.

“Perhaps, there is a reason for it all. Sometimes
being in a place like this, no matter what religion you feel you should be; helps. The silence gives us pause so we can reflect and think more clearly. This is a place where one can lay down any and all burdens. At least it’s always been that way for me.” He smiled.

Silence. Like the silence Ms. Hawthorne said she liked.

The sound of his voice and his words was the empathy I needed for my soul, and it took away all the fears and despair that I had been feeling for so long, in the breath of an instant. Another apparent miracle. I mean, there were still a lot of good and positive people in the world and sometimes it was hard to remember that.

“You’re right. It’s like the one person that I think did know and understood me b
ecause she was almost like me, just passed away this morning.” I then said.

“I’m very sorry to hear that.” He replied.

“Like everyone else close to me has,” I sniffed and bit down on my quivering lip, as a stray tear rolled down my face. My sobbing came involuntarily, and I buried my face in my hands in embarrassment though I wasn’t sure why I felt that way. I wasn’t a typical crier, but for some reason, I couldn’t stop myself this time.

He was politely silent and patient. I hoped I didn’t run him off
. I forced myself to stop crying by sucking in a deep breath and sniffing. I wiped my wet face with my palms and the back of my hands, while looking down at my lap.

             
I saw a tissue appear in front of me just then, and when I looked up; Drake was holding it out to me. My eyes went wide, because he was now sitting — beside me. I swear that there was absolutely no way that he could have moved that fast, and sat down right next to me without my seeing, feeling or hearing him.

I’d been crying hard
, but not that hard.

I looked at him, really looked and at him
this time, but I didn’t feel fear, just puzzled confusion and awe.

“The body perishes, never the spirit,” He then said waiting for me to take the tissue.

I appreciated his words and deep down, I knew he was right.

“How did you do that?” I asked incredulously.

“Do what?” He asked.

I looked at him in shock.

“Move, without a sound. These pews creak, and I never even heard the front doors open. No one was in here when I came in,” I then said.

He smiled warmly
, “I’ve been here.” He assured me.

I couldn’t help but feel comforted by his pre
sence, though I wasn’t sure I believed him.

I took the tissue graciously
, and blew my nose.

“So you believe that we go on too? Somewhere else after death?” I then asked.

He nodded, “Yes, I do.” He smiled again.

“One of two places huh? I believe there’s a yin and yang to everything. If there’s darkness, there’s light, if there’s evil there has to be good
, but I always seem to attract the darkness for some reason.” I then said, feeling more warm tears continue to roll down my face. I wiped those immediately, looking down at my hands splayed in my lap.

He paused for a moment, “Attract or notice?” He
asked me, which took me off guard.

I shrugged and thought for a moment, “Maybe both.” I replied.

“I call that a gift. Darkness is always attracted to light. It yearns for it and at the same time, light completely overpowers the dark. You have an advantage, you’re aware of its existence. Darkness comes in all forms, and if they know they can get to you they will certainly try.” Drake then said.

“Then you believe in shadows too?” I asked sof
tly looking up at him with interest now and feeling emboldened to tell him everything, as if we’d been long lost friends.

“You mean shadows as in demons?” He clarified.

I nodded and sniffed.

“Absolutely
, and like you said, there’s a yin and yang to everything.” He then said.

“I want to believe that
, but I’ve never seen an angel and I personally don’t even think they’re on my side given everything that’s happened in my life.” I then said as more tears streamed down. I wiped my face and blew my nose again.

He was silent for a moment.

“That was probably a crappy thing to say. I know they’re out there and there are people far worse off than I am, so that’s where they need to be.” I then said.

“No, it wasn’t a crappy thing to say. You’re ho
nesty and gallant understanding of others in greater need than your own, are very noble things. Sometimes, the crosses we bear can be heavy and overwhelming, but they’ll never be impossible to carry and I believe that angels are always around.” He said softly and smiled.

             
I opened my mouth for a moment, not sure how or if I wanted to say what I thought of telling this stranger next, but I felt compelled to go on talking and I couldn’t stop myself. Talking about everything made me feel sane again, and it never occurred to me that he would find me strange or crazy.

“Well, I’ve been seeing those shadows all the time and I have ever since I was little,” I then told him awaiting his expression and reaction as I watched his face.

I couldn’t read his expression at all.

“I believe you.” He replied sincerely.

My heart beat faster. I felt relief, relief to share this on more of a different level than I had with China and Joel.

“I have dreams
, or nightmares more like it. These shadow demons attacked me twice recently — physically, and that’s where I got this,” I said pointing to the bruise on my face.

I heard him inhale a slow breath
, and he didn’t even looked surprised or scrutinize me as if I were some pathetic weakling or a weirdo either.

“Perhaps you pose a threat to them in some way,” He then said seriously. I looked at him curiously
, remembering the way that dark angel in my dream suddenly looked at me with terror in its unearthly black eyes.

This was uncanny.

“You know, you’re like the second person that I really didn’t know well to tell me that.” I replied.

He smiled, “Then there must be some truth to it.” He then said.

“So, should I get baptized or something then? Would that make a difference in them leaving me alone?” I asked.

He laughed a little, “Some things are already pr
edestined regardless of what we do.” He then said.

I nodded and sniffed, “You know if I didn’t know any better I’d think you could be the preacher here.” I then said with a smile.

He laughed softly, “No, I’m just a humble servant looking for answers just like you.”

I couldn’t help but smile again.

“I guess I just needed to pause for a minute.”

“Well, I think you’re on the right track. There’s always an answer and solution no matter how big it may seem to you.” He then winked as he stood. He was tall and his build was athletic
, but svelte and he wore a white button down shirt, dark blue jeans and simple black loafers.

I nodded with pursed lips, thinking about our rescue after being stranded on our roof for several days without food or water in the afte
rmath of hurricane Katrina just then. Not only were we weak from hunger and thirst, riddled with mosquito bites at the height of the west Nile virus scare, but we still remained sane, grateful to be alive and with each other. We even managed to save several other people. Our family would have tried to save more if we could have, that is until my parents decided to swim for help and leave me and my grandmother behind — only to never return.

Funny though, because help did come in the form of a rescue helicopter just a few hours after they had left
, but no one had heard of them and they never came back.

I had never thought about that until this moment.

Had that been a miracle?

Drake was right
, and wise though he was so young looking. I guess I needed to be reminded of that. No matter what trials came my way, I had always managed to get over or through it unharmed, ever since I was little.

“Whatever it is that troubles you
, only troubles you when you either ignore or resist it.” He then said.

I peered at him closer, at his brown tousled hair, his sheen like
almost pale skin, and chocolate dark eyes, lashes and brows.

“I don’t have any control over it.” I said.

“You will.” He replied with conviction.

I was sure he was just being kind and positive
, and I wished I could agree.

             
He struck me as strange but strange in a good way. He was definitely enlightening and his company made me feel a whole lot better than when I first got here. I didn’t feel the tingling in my face anymore. In fact, I didn’t feel any of the soreness in it either as I reached up to touch my lip.

It felt…smooth again
, and then I ran my fingers over the rest of my cheek and chin where the bruises had been. Pressing gently, I realized that the tenderness was gone, and bruise no longer hurt either.

I wrinkled my brows.

“Something wrong?” he asked, watching me briefly examine my face.

“No, it’s nothing. Has anyone ever told you how much you look like Antonio Sabato Jr?” I had to ask.

He looked confused this time, “Who?” He asked.

He couldn’t be serious.