heart
took off to the races again. I felt his warm body against
me and the scent of his cologne filled my nose. I sighed,
leaning my head against his shoulder. His head came
down to rest on top of mine and we stood watching the
birds swoop into the pit in search of food and nesting on
the pit’s walls.
I’m not sure how long we stood there, but the sun
touched the tree tops before either of us moved. I looked
up and straightened as a thought came to me; he stepped
away and stretched.
“So you and Angelina are angels?” I tried again,
more directly.
“Not exactly.” He shook his head.
“But you brought me back. I was dead and you
brought me back. If you’re not angels, what are you?”
My answers weren’t coming as clearly as I had hoped.
“You were dead,” Allister agreed. “I touched you
and brought you back, only it was as something different
than you were before.”
“Uh, I kind of noticed,” I said, waving my hands
around my body like a model showing him the latest
fashions. “And that little thing about being able to heal
people is new. So what did you bring me back as?” The
words came out and I wanted to catch them and shove
them back into my mouth. Fear swelled within me as I
realized I wasn’t sure I wanted the truth…if it was bad.
“I want you to know it wasn’t my intention. I had
no idea this would happen if I touched you.”
“So you go around touching dead people all the
time?” I folded my arms across my chest.
“Not dead people. I’ve never touched a dead
person…until you.” He looked at me and read my
confused expression. “I’ve touched people who were
sick; healed them so they could get better. I’ve done that
hundreds of times, but never has anything like this
happened before.”
“Cut to the chase, Allister,” I said in a low, firm
voice, only hesitating for a moment when hearing he
healed people too.
“I’m an Eternal,” he said. He looked at me like I
should know what that meant.
“Okay, so you’re an Eternal. Good for you. I’m a
Scorpio. What is that supposed to mean?” My voice
cracked as my frustration rose.
“My family and I are different from other people.
There are things about us that no one else can know. It
would change the way people view the world, and the
afterlife.”
“Allister.” My tone turned hard as the need to
know overwhelmed me.
“Some people are born without guardian angels
because they are born without souls. That is what I am.
That is what my family is. We don’t have guardian angels
and are destined to live soulless lives forever with no
salvation or redemption. We are Eternals.”
Now he had my attention. We were talking about
something my Catholic educated brain could
comprehend. Every person has a soul with a guardian
angel to watch over it. Kind of like a personal bodyguard
for your eternal spirit. I stared at him, trying to wrap my
mind around what he was saying. He had no soul?
My eyes shot wide as I looked at him, the
realization of why this information was pertinent to me
becoming clear. “Allister, did you do something to my
soul?” I asked slowly, the words coming out in a whisper.
“I’m so sorry…” he started, unable to hold my
accusing gaze as his eyes looked to the floor.
“What do you mean, ‘you’re sorry?’ What did you
do to my soul? My eternal soul, the only thing that I
hoped would bring me to a better place. You brought me
back from the dead without a guardian angel, or a soul?”
My voice continued to rise in volume until I screamed the
last word.
“I didn’t intend for that to happen,” he defended.
“Then what did you intend to happen?” I flailed
wildly as I spoke.
“I really didn’t know what would happen.” He
turned from me, walking over to the railing to stare out
over the pit, gripping the railing in his hands. “I saw you
laying there, your life slipping away, and knew I couldn’t
let you go. That I had to try. I had no idea you would turn
into an
took off to the races again. I felt his warm body against
me and the scent of his cologne filled my nose. I sighed,
leaning my head against his shoulder. His head came
down to rest on top of mine and we stood watching the
birds swoop into the pit in search of food and nesting on
the pit’s walls.
I’m not sure how long we stood there, but the sun
touched the tree tops before either of us moved. I looked
up and straightened as a thought came to me; he stepped
away and stretched.
“So you and Angelina are angels?” I tried again,
more directly.
“Not exactly.” He shook his head.
“But you brought me back. I was dead and you
brought me back. If you’re not angels, what are you?”
My answers weren’t coming as clearly as I had hoped.
“You were dead,” Allister agreed. “I touched you
and brought you back, only it was as something different
than you were before.”
“Uh, I kind of noticed,” I said, waving my hands
around my body like a model showing him the latest
fashions. “And that little thing about being able to heal
people is new. So what did you bring me back as?” The
words came out and I wanted to catch them and shove
them back into my mouth. Fear swelled within me as I
realized I wasn’t sure I wanted the truth…if it was bad.
“I want you to know it wasn’t my intention. I had
no idea this would happen if I touched you.”
“So you go around touching dead people all the
time?” I folded my arms across my chest.
“Not dead people. I’ve never touched a dead
person…until you.” He looked at me and read my
confused expression. “I’ve touched people who were
sick; healed them so they could get better. I’ve done that
hundreds of times, but never has anything like this
happened before.”
“Cut to the chase, Allister,” I said in a low, firm
voice, only hesitating for a moment when hearing he
healed people too.
“I’m an Eternal,” he said. He looked at me like I
should know what that meant.
“Okay, so you’re an Eternal. Good for you. I’m a
Scorpio. What is that supposed to mean?” My voice
cracked as my frustration rose.
“My family and I are different from other people.
There are things about us that no one else can know. It
would change the way people view the world, and the
afterlife.”
“Allister.” My tone turned hard as the need to
know overwhelmed me.
“Some people are born without guardian angels
because they are born without souls. That is what I am.
That is what my family is. We don’t have guardian angels
and are destined to live soulless lives forever with no
salvation or redemption. We are Eternals.”
Now he had my attention. We were talking about
something my Catholic educated brain could
comprehend. Every person has a soul with a guardian
angel to watch over it. Kind of like a personal bodyguard
for your eternal spirit. I stared at him, trying to wrap my
mind around what he was saying. He had no soul?
My eyes shot wide as I looked at him, the
realization of why this information was pertinent to me
becoming clear. “Allister, did you do something to my
soul?” I asked slowly, the words coming out in a whisper.
“I’m so sorry…” he started, unable to hold my
accusing gaze as his eyes looked to the floor.
“What do you mean, ‘you’re sorry?’ What did you
do to my soul? My eternal soul, the only thing that I
hoped would bring me to a better place. You brought me
back from the dead without a guardian angel, or a soul?”
My voice continued to rise in volume until I screamed the
last word.
“I didn’t intend for that to happen,” he defended.
“Then what did you intend to happen?” I flailed
wildly as I spoke.
“I really didn’t know what would happen.” He
turned from me, walking over to the railing to stare out
over the pit, gripping the railing in his hands. “I saw you
laying there, your life slipping away, and knew I couldn’t
let you go. That I had to try. I had no idea you would turn
into an
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