Guardian Angel Academy (11 page)

“Okay,” I said.  “We've got to catch the ghost before he catches all of us.”

Chapter 19

We finished eating and started toward the room where the Ghost Chase game would take place.

“This day is a blast!” announced Journey.  “Do we get a day like this every Saturday that we are here at the Academy?”

“Maybe so,” said Felix, scratching his chin.  “I hope so.  It's a lot of fun.”

“I heard that Saturdays are a surprise.  They don't tell us what we are doing until the day before,” I said.

We floated into the Ghost Chase auditorium.  It, too, had dividers making it maze-like.  Professor Angel Agnes was in charge of this activity.  She seemed a little brighter and cheerier today than usual.  She explained the rules of the game to us.  Felix, Kevin, Journey and I chose to play against the ghost.  A student by the name of Paul chose to be the ghost.  There were other rooms where some students also went to play and other assistants went with them to mediate their games.  Angel Agnes stayed in our room with us. 

“If you would like to talk to your teammates for a moment, go ahead, and then when I turn out the lights play will begin.  She handed us each an official flashlight.  The flashlights activated a mechanism that brought you back to life.  When you were tagged by the ghost a mechanism went on, causing you to freeze and glow.  Then when your teammates fully energized your mechanism, the mechanism  allowed you to move.  Your glow would then go out and you were free to go.

“Do we have any strategies?” asked Kevin after we got in our huddle.

“I can't think of any,” I said.

“Why don't we just play and as we learn things, we'll strategize later,” Felix offered.

“Okay,” said Journey enthusiastically.  “Let's go!”

The room became pitch dark except for the lights that we flashed back and forth as we floated around.  We kept flashing our lights so that if the ghost snuck up on us we could hit him with our beam.  We tried to turn around in circles continually to be sure we shone our lights behind us as well as in front of us in case the ghost snuck up from behind.  Finally, someone was caught.  It was Kevin.  We could all see him.  When you were frozen, you also glowed so everyone could see you.  Quickly we headed in his direction so we could unfreeze him, but we had to be careful because the ghost could be in those whereabouts guarding him.  I came from one direction and Journey came from the other direction.  We wanted to sneak up on him, so we didn't shine our lights.  When we approached him we both shone our flashlights on him.  While we were doing so, the ghost tagged me.  But we were successful in freeing Kevin.  He and Journey were free, but now I was frozen.  It didn't seem like we accomplished anything. 

“Forget about me, just try to catch the ghost,” I said.  As I said that someone came up and shined their flashlight on me.  The ghost also caught another person a ways away, but I was now free.  We continued traveling through the mazes, trying to find the ghost.  All of a sudden I felt myself freeze and I started glowing.  The ghost had caught me, but right behind the ghost was Felix and he shined his light on the ghost, killing him instantly.  We had won!  Now it was someone else's turn to be the ghost. 

“Who would like to be the ghost for the next round?” asked Angel Agnes.

“I would like to be it,” said Felix excitedly.

Chapter Nineteen

After playing another round of Ghost Chase and Felix winning, it was 2:00 and time for the Hoverslide.  We floated outside and followed the golden trail signs which led us to a large Hoverslide park.  It looked like a great waterslide park, but there was not water.  You got to float, single file, over the stairway (which was just used for other events by freshmen who couldn't float) to the top of the slides, which sure beat walking, and then Hoverslide down.  You had to be able to basically float and all of us could do that now.  There were many slides, so you didn't have to wait long in line.  Some went fast straight down, some had twists and turns, and others had little caves in them.  At the bottom of the slides, instead of a pool of water like in a waterslide park, was a soft puffy cloud.  Anyway, it looked like a cloud and was soft, puffy and white.

At 3:00 it was time for our flotation ball tournament.  Flotation ball is like volleyball only you float and fly in the air.  The net is suspended in the air.  The ball is like a strong balloon that you must hit over the net to the other team.  There are six players on each side.  Me, Journey, Alex, and Kevin were on the same side along with a couple of girls who chose to join our side.  We named our team the Guardian Angels.  Not too original, I suppose.  The team we were playing named their team the Flying Aces. 

I got to serve first.  I hit the ball over the net and the Flying Aces returned it.  It came right to me and I set the ball up for Kevin.  He hit it over the net.  The ball came back and Journey set it up and Felix, in the front row, smashed it over the net, giving our team a point.  We continued playing until the game was over.  Our team had won by three points.  We went on to play the next team which was called The Angel Acrobats.  They were a team comprised of red robed angels.  As they warmed up, they lived up to their name, even doing flips in mid-air to get the ball.   

They served first after which we set up the ball and smashed it over the net.  They retrieved it and smashed it back over.  We were not particularly ready for the return and it got by us.  Next they served the ball again and we returned it.  They once again smashed it over, but we were able to retrieve it and hit it in a corner they weren't expecting.  It was now our serve.  Kevin served the ball and the Acrobats returned it after doing a few flips and stunts.  They reminded me of the Harlem Globe Trotters basketball team on earth.  We hit it, set it up and spiked it over the net.  The rally continued back and forth.  Finally we were able to get that point.  After playing for some time, it came down to the last point, which was game point.  I was surprised this team hadn't beat us long ago.  We took a time out and huddled together to try to strategize. 

“What can we do to surprise them?” I asked.

“Let's act like we are going to smash it and then just drop it over the net in the front corner,” said Journey.

“Everyone for that idea, say I,” I said.

“I,” said Kevin

“I,” said Felix.

“Okay, let's go Guardian Angels!”

We went back to our positions.  The Acrobats served the ball.  We hit it up, set it and then dropped it in the front corner, acting like we were going to smash it hard.  We caught them off-guard and won the last point.

Now it was 4:00 and time for the Saving Gallery game.  In this game you were either a shooter and tried to shoot the ducks going by or you were a saver and tried to float in front of the ducks and save them from being shot down.  I chose to be a shooter first.  Journey also chose to shoot first.  Kevin and Felix chose to be savers. 

Journey and I took our places at one of the rifles at the starting line.  When the starting shot went off, I started shooting at the ducks going by.  Angels flew in front of them and shielded the ducks.  Those bullets bounced off of them and fell to the floor.  I laughed at them because they looked so funny.  I continued shooting as quickly as I could, trying to at least hit down one of the little yellow rubber ducks.  The angels defending them were so good, I wasn't able to knock any of them down.

Then, I got to be one of the angels protecting the ducks.  Journey and I went to our starting places for the next round, this time as savers and Kevin and Felix went to their places as shooters.  After the starting shot, I flew back and forth wherever I thought the bullets would go and saved many of the little rubber duckies. 

At 5:00 we did our laundry and letter writing.  The machine for laundry here was more advanced than what they have on earth.  It was like one of those coin machines on earth where you drop the coins in and a ticket comes out.  You drop the clothes in the shoot and in seconds they come out clean and folded.  “Wow,” I said, this is the first time I can actually say I like doing laundry.” 

“Yes, same here,” Journey said.  “Now I will write a letter to my parents and my sister.  Who are you writing to?”

“I'm writing to my parents and my brothers,” I said. 

“Don't you have a brother who is a guardian angel?” asked Journey.

“Yes,” I said.  “He recently graduated from the Academy.”

“I can't wait until we are guardian angels.  I think it will be great to watch over people.”

“Yes, I think so, too,” I said.

At 6:00 we joined the boys for dinner in the cafeteria.

“On Monday morning we get to meet the new academy students and help show them around,” said Kevin.

“Does everybody get to do that?” I asked.

“Only those in the top ten percent of each our class get to,” said Felix.  “They inform you, by sending you a message in your message box.”

I checked my message box from a small tablet I pulled out of my pocket.  It was kind of like email for people on earth.  “Yes, I got one,” I said.

“Me, too,” said Journey.

“We all scored pretty high on our tests, then,” I said.

After dinner we went to the movie theater.  The movie theater had comfortable reclining seats.  But those who were comfortable float-reclining did so.  Angel Crystal floated up to announce the movie. 

“This movie will be a history of the world since the inhabitants of humans,” she announced.

Oh... and boo...sounds erupted from the audience.  

“I think you will enjoy it, because it is different from anything you have seen before.  The major historical events shown in this movie include the behind the scenes guardian angels involved.”

Now sounds of clapping and cheering erupted from the audience.

“So, without further adieu, we will show the movie.”

The movie began.  Angel assistants passed out soda, popcorn and candy.  It was interesting to watch the history of the world taking place and see it with the involvement of guardian angels.  I knew that there was heavenly help at times, but it was amazing to see it.  So many times the world could have been in turmoil by the evil spirits and evil people trying to take it over and guardian angels were there to help thwart the evil ones.  We may think that the earth is filled with evil and indeed there is much opposing forces, but the good wins out many times and helps to keep the earth from being totally destroyed.  Only in the time of Noah, was the evil so prevalent that it took a flood to clean the earth. 

After the movie, Journey and I headed back to our room.  It had been a great day.

In the morning, we woke up to the sound of a beautiful choir of angels.  Every Sunday at the Academy, the white-robed angels arose early and sang hymns for the entire Academy to hear and listen to as they started their day.  We could hear the music as we got dressed and ate breakfast.  Finally, we entered the great auditorium where the angels were singing and sat down for church.  We sang many songs with the choir.  We read from scriptures and worshiped and rested.  We were able to wear whatever dresses and suits that pleased us for our Sunday attire.  We didn't have to wear our robes.  Visitors from the Spirit World came to teach us as well.  And finally, at the end of the day we were allowed to go to visit our families in the Spirit World.

When Journey and I got back and lay in bed, we talked about our families.  Journey looked a bit sad.  Her sister, Melissa, was ill.  “I think she may be joining us soon,” she said.

“Well, that's good news now, isn't it?” I tried to cheer her up.

“Yes, I suppose it is,” Journey smiled.

My first week of guardian angel school went well as did the next three weeks.  Finally, I graduated.  My grandparents and other relatives attended my graduation.  I was given my assignments to watch over.  Included in them were my own children.

I received a desk in the guardian angel Earth-watching building looking out a large glass window.  I sat by my grandparents.  I watched to see what my son Budd and Louise and my husband's lives were like.  I saw what happened the day that I died.  And here is what I saw.

After I went to heaven, Budd and Louise sat in silence listening for any sound of me.  When they heard a thud, they scooted out of their chairs and ran to the bathroom.  Budd's eyes widened and his mouth dropped when he saw me lying upon the cold surface. He fell to the floor and patted my pale face. “Wake up, Mommy. Wake up!”

“Oh, no,” Louise cried, staring at me.  “We’ve got to run and find Daddy, quick!”

The kids dashed outside hoping to find their father.  To their relief, he was riding in on his horse.

“Daddy, daddy!” Budd ran so fast, he tripped over his feet and started crying.  Louise pulled him up and nestled him near her while she screamed to her father, “Something’s happened to Mama.”

Father tied his horse up and ran toward them.  He lifted his crying son in his arms and took Louise's hand and together they raced inside to find me on the floor of the bathroom, lifeless. Grandma Patty had awakened from her nap and greeted them with a worried look.  Father's hands trembled as he lifted my wrist and checked my pulse.  He placed his hand above my mouth to check for breathing.  Feeling nothing, tears began to well up in his eyes.  He buried his head in my chest and said an earnest prayer, then ran to the telephone on the wall and dialed the operator.  “Get me the emergency personnel quick.  I think my wife is dead…”