《Lightworker Compromised》


 Chapter 1

    ¡°Goodnight Mum.¡± I kissed her on the cheek and closed the door to my bedroom. It was nighttime. My favourite time of the day. A time when I truly came alive. When all is quiet and the world stops moving.


    Slipping beneath the covers of my bedsheets, I feel eager to slip out of my body to the otherside. I still remember the first time I went out with my parents as a lightworker. Although my childhood was filled with dreams of playing with angels and children in heaven, nothing could prepare me for the shock of entering the astral plane consciously for the first time. I was 10 years old, young and innocent. I clung to my mother¡¯s skirts and followed her everywhere.


    And that was how I found myself gliding through the air towards the clouds that night. The higher I rose, the more I could see of the earth. I rose above the dark clouds and paused to regard the scene below me. I was greeted by the spectacular sight of the earth, a glowing ball of blue spinning in space and propelled by the invisible force of the indwelling earth spirit.


    I closed my eyes to whisper a prayer of thanks to God, the creator of our solar system and the source of our existence.


    ¡°BOO!¡± someone shouted behind me. It was James, my brother, grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°I should have known it was you.¡±


    He stuck out his tongue and blew raspberries with his mouth.


    ¡°How old are you? Grow up!¡±


    ¡°I . . . don¡¯t . . . care.¡± James blew bigger raspberries and made funny faces at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re far too serious, you need to lighten up. Tonight should be fun.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a Virgo for crying out loud. I don¡¯t know where you get this silliness from.¡±


    ¡°Stop trying to fit me into a box. The stars have very little influence on me now and you know it. I¡¯m free to be whatever and whoever I want.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re not that powerful yet.¡± I flicked my hair and turned away from him to look at the earth. ¡°If you¡¯re going to pretend that you¡¯re so clever and so far advanced to be above the influence of the stars, can you at least behave like a 20 year old.¡±


    ¡°Hey, relax. I¡¯m joking. What has gotten into you tonight?¡±


    ¡°You. I was perfectly fine until you came along.¡±


    Suddenly, the air swirled around me, causing the hairs at the back of my neck to stand up. It was our parents. Mum and Dad materialised before our eyes.


    ¡°What is going on? Are you two standing here arguing again?¡± Mum said with a serene smile although I detected a hint of impatience in her voice.


    ¡°He¡¯s annoying me on purpose,¡± I pointed to James.


    ¡°Rebecka!¡± Dad warned. Unlike Mum, he didn¡¯t mask his disappointment.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault this time, honestly. Why do I always get blamed for everything?¡±


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t know when to stay quiet,¡± said James.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve got to stand up for myself ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Rebecka! Just stop talking. We¡¯re running late now. Hurry,¡± said Dad.


    I nodded and glided beside Mum, who chuckled in response. ¡°You¡¯re so much like your grandmother. Independent and rebellious in every sense, but I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. Come on, we better hurry.¡±


    I linked arms with Mum and within the wrinkle of an eye, we were standing in front of the temple. We had circled the earth to Europe, but the journey only took a few minutes. When a person stepped out of their physical body in their soul body as a lightworker, the possibilities were endless. I could go through mountains, oceans, or fire and nothing would harm me in my soul body.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, come on,¡± said Mum. Her voice jolted me out of my thoughts. We were indeed standing in front of the grand entrance of the temple in the astral plane, home of the central council. This was where we received our assignments for the night. James and Dad worked together and I usually followed Mum wherever she¡¯s assigned. I did whatever she said, which usually involved picking up the children who¡¯ve recently passed away and taking them to heaven.


    The structure of the temple was circular and reminded me of pictures of ancient Greek architecture, with tall pillars surrounding the building like guards. Although it was made from the stuff of the astral realm and suspended in midair on a sea of clouds, it appeared as solid as any building on earth. The double oak doors opened of its own accord and we went through to a large foyer decorated with rich dark floorboards and a dazzling chandelier. In the middle of the foyer stood a glass table with flowers. There was a long flight of stairs ahead which curved around the circular structure. The effect was breathtaking and it never ceased to amaze me. The lightworkers usually mingled around here, waiting to be called for their assignment by whoever was in charge but tonight it was quiet and empty. Suddenly, I heard someone coming down the long flight of stairs.


    ¡°You¡¯re late tonight. All the others have left.¡± It was Mark, one of the regular Adepts who lived in the temple.


    ¡°Sorry Mark,¡± said Dad. ¡°The children held us up. We came as fast as we could.¡±


    ¡°I bet you did.¡± He shot a knowing glance at me and James. I looked down at my feet as a sense of shame came over me. I wanted to protest and explain what happened but I held my tongue.


    ¡°Keith, there¡¯s a new kid in Waterside Valley who is just about to fall off his motorbike around the first turn at Mountain Alley. If you hurry, you might be able to save his life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go right away,¡± said Dad.


    He was about to take James with him when I held up my hand. ¡°Can I come with you?¡±


    Dad¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise before he quickly concealed his expression.


    ¡°You know something? That¡¯s not a bad idea. I think you should go with Keith and James for a change. Hannah is experienced enough to handle the children alone and it¡¯ll be good for Rebecka to broaden her experience,¡± said Mark.


    I whispered a quick prayer of thanks. The Adepts never ceased to amaze me with their observation and perception. Mark knew that I was desperate for new experience in a way that Dad never could. Ever since I turned 18 on the 2nd June, I¡¯d hoped they¡¯d give me my own assignments. I knew Mum loved taking care of the children and I enjoyed it too but I wanted to do something different.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Dad nodded quickly before he held out his hand. ¡°Come on then.¡± Turning to Mum, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll see you back at the house.¡±


    I joined hands with him and before I knew it, the room disappeared into nothing. Within the flash of a few seconds, we stood by the side of a familiar road which twisted and curved through the natural shape of the mountain. I knew this road, it was the only route into Waterside Valley, the town of my birth and the place I called home. Boasting a population of 20,000 residents, it was one of an extensive network of small towns, known simply as the network, for mystics and spiritual wannabes. It was nested in the valley of two vast mountains in North America and surrounded by rivers and lakes. Just as Mark had predicted, a boy was lying in the middle of the road, surrounded by the scattered remains of a motorbike.


    ¡°Is he alive?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He must be, otherwise I don¡¯t think Mark would¡¯ve sent us to help him,¡± said Dad.


    ¡°Sometimes we have to help the dead cross the threshold,¡± I said.


    ¡°Not on this occasion. Let¡¯s take a closer look.¡±


    We inched nearer to the scene of the accident. Up close, I realised the boy was wearing black leather pants and a jacket. His left leg was twisted and facing an odd angle, indicating a broken bone. Dad kneeled on the hard tarmac floor beside the boy and touched his neck, checking for a pulse.


    ¡°He¡¯s alive, but cold to the touch. When you look with your inner vision, can you see the blue flame on his forehead between his eyes?¡± Dad asked, glancing at me and James.


    I focused my eyes on the spot Dad had indicated and saw a hollow darkness between his eyebrows, but surrounding that was a faint blue light that crackled like flames.


    ¡°Yes, I can see it,¡± said James.


    ¡°Me too, but it¡¯s faint.¡± I said.


    ¡°Good. That is one of the most reliable ways of proving if someone is dead or alive. His spirit¡¯s been knocked out of his body by the impact of the crash so he¡¯s merely unconscious, but his life force is draining away. James, help me lift this helmet off his face.¡±


    We were in the middle of nowhere and I wondered how we could get him to safety. My heart accelerated as I watched Dad and James try to tag the helmet from the boy¡¯s face. The buckle appeared to be stuck and it wouldn¡¯t shift.


    ¡°Rebecka, can you try and call his spirit back into his body? We need to wake him up so we can remove this helmet.¡± said Dad.


    ¡°How do I call his spirit? I don¡¯t know his name.¡±


    ¡°I doubt he¡¯s gone very far. He¡¯s probably hovering around here somewhere. Just look with your inner vision to see if you can spot him. If not, concentrate with all your thoughts on calling him back,¡± said Dad.


    I closed my eyes for a few seconds and focused on the boy, repeating in my mind that he should come back. I scanned the area with my inner sight and saw a band of angels gliding away in the clouds, their shining luminous auras obscuring the light from the moon. At the very top of the highest mountain point stood a boy in his soul body.


    ¡°I think I see him. . . up there.¡± I pointed to the mountain, drawing Dad and James¡¯s attention away from the helmet.


    ¡°Go up and talk to him. Hurry,¡± said Dad.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    I glided towards the figure as fast as I could but as I approached he backed away. I could now make out his distinct features, a straight nose, square jawline with penetrating and magnetic blue/turquoise eyes, and well-defined sensual lips. His hair was curled on his head like a bird¡¯s nest, making it appear as if he hadn¡¯t run a comb through it for days. The look suited him, adding to the handsome and mysterious image he portrayed. Unfortunately, a trickle of blood dripped down his face where he must have injured himself from the motor crash. I remembered every single moment of my life, including the moment I was born. It was impossible for me to forget a face like that, but I had to contend with the stark reality that I had zero recollection of him.


    ¡°Stop, I just want to have a word with you. I¡¯m not going to harm you.¡±


    He paused and allowed me to move close enough so that I stood face to face. He clutched his face where the blood was dripping and winced.


    ¡°Sorry about that, it looks painful.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right I have no idea. I¡¯ve never been involved in a motor crash before. You need to come back to your body so we can help you.¡±


    ¡°My body is broken. Look at it just lying there. I¡¯m not going back to that.¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re not dead and your spirit is still connected to your body, the pain will be more intense when you¡¯re outside. Your body dulls the pain to an extent so the best thing for you to do is to come back.¡±


    He stared at me in silence, clearly unsure of what to do.


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Brendan.¡±


    ¡°Come on Brendan, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to die just yet. We need to get you somewhere nice and warm.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what happens. I just want the pain to stop.¡±


    ¡°Then come with me. We¡¯re lightworkers, sent by higher powers to assist you. That¡¯s my Dad and brother over there.¡±


    Brendan looked down to where Dad was waving at us. Suddenly, he covered his mouth and looked like he was going to be sick.


    ¡°Come on, we need to hurry.¡± I stretched out my hand to him and led him down the mountain top.


    ¡°Rebecka! He¡¯s losing a lot of blood,¡± Dad shouted as we neared. He was crouched over the limp body lying on the road.


    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°Brendan,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Brendan, please step into your body. It¡¯s as easy as lying down, just walk inside through your head with your feet.¡±


    Brendan did as Dad instructed and disappeared inside his body. Shortly afterwards, he coughed and moved his legs, trying to sit up. Dad cradled Brendan¡¯s head in his lap, helping him to turn it the other way for easier access to the buckle, which James was able to unfasten with ease. Together they pulled the helmet from his face, revealing a devastatingly handsome face with bruises mainly to the left side. Underneath his eye was a deep cut where blood was dripping like a steady tap.


    ¡°Rebecka?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Come and heal him.¡±


    My eyes widened in surprise. I knew about the healing force and seen it applied on more occasions than I could think of but I had never healed anyone before. James smirked at me, grinning from ear to ear. We both knew Dad was testing me and I was determined to prove myself. Usually, a lightworker was given the chance to practise the healing art on small wounds or animal and sometimes plant injuries before doing so in an emergency situation like this.


    I knelt down and touched the blood on his face. It was warm and sticky with a strong, coppery smell. I closed my eyes and focused all my thoughts on drawing down the healing force from above, as I had been taught. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the bleeding completely. I focused with all my strength on drawing more of the healing force through my hands but it didn¡¯t make any difference.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough Rebecka,¡± said Dad.


    I looked up with disappointed eyes and saw a smile of reassurance from Dad.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ve done really well considering you haven¡¯t practised before. The key to mastery of anything is practice. You¡¯re going to be superb at this once you gain more experience.¡±


    I nodded and stepped back from Brendan¡¯s body, giving way for James to complete the healing work. He didn¡¯t even close his eyes but simply touched Brendan¡¯s face and the blood ceased immediately. James had displayed a natural bent for applying the healing force since he was little, although it¡¯s true that he also had more experience than me.


    I shuddered as James twisted the broken leg back in place. He held it together for a few minutes before running his hands up and down the entire length of the leg.


    ¡°He¡¯s as good as new. He should make a full recovery within a few days,¡± said James.


    ¡°Excellent. Let¡¯s get him to the recovery centre. I don¡¯t know what he was doing riding on this road but I¡¯ve never seen him in our town before,¡± said Dad.


    ¡°Me either,¡± I said.


    ¡°Mark said he was a new kid, so I¡¯m guessing they just moved in,¡± said James.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing,¡± I whispered. All the network towns, including Waterside Valley, were closed communities and nobody could move in unless approved by the central council. Those who lived outside the network were known as the lost ones and they inhabited what was left of the major cities in the world. Rarely did someone join or move outside the community.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose he told you where they came from when you spoke to him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. We didn¡¯t speak for long.¡±


    Dad shrugged. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s not a big deal. We can find out later. He looks about the same age as James. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he¡¯s in college.¡±


    I nodded, although it was hard to guess Brendan¡¯s age with all the blood caked on his face.


    ¡°Take the helmet and jacket. I¡¯ll carry him through the air and James can bring the motorbike,¡± said Dad.


    I took the items from the floor and followed behind Dad, who lifted Brendan as if he weighed nothing. His eyes were closed and he looked as if he was sleeping peacefully.


    We glided through the night sky faster than any bird could fly and reached the recovery centre within minutes. It was the beginning of September and the summer heat wave was cooling down, sending a crisp breeze through the air.

 Chapter 2

    The Recovery Centre, like most buildings in the town, was built into the fabric of the natural environment, sounded by trees, shrubs and greenery. It was designed like a butterfly and made from glass and concrete. We were met at the entrance by an elderly woman with kind eyes and hunched shoulders. It was my first time visiting the Recovery Centre. I had never been seriously ill enough to require the aid of a qualified healer and neither had anybody else that I knew of. I came from a family of healers and any minor injury or accidents were quickly taken care of.


    ¡°Hello Margaret, tonight seems busy here.¡±


    ¡°Hi Keith, long time,¡± Margaret hugged Dad. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on tonight but we¡¯re suddenly getting an influx of patients. Who do you have there?¡±


    ¡°Mars is strong tonight, lots of accidents. We were sent to assist this boy - Brendan, I think is his name. Apparently he just moved into the area but we don¡¯t know anything more than that. We¡¯ve fixed a broken ankle but I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s got any other injuries. His head was bleeding earlier. He¡¯s now fast asleep.¡±


    ¡°Bring him inside, we¡¯ll check him over and fix him up like new,¡± said Margaret.


    Dad carried Brendan inside and I followed behind with James who had left the motorbike under a large oak tree opposite the entrance.


    ¡°He should be able to tell us where he lives once he wakes up, otherwise we can get somebody to identify him so don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t expect he¡¯ll be here long.¡±


    Margaret led us to the end of a long corridor before ushering Brendan in a tiny side room. It was a basic room with a bed, bedside table and chair. Dad placed Brendan on the bed and covered him with the blankets. Brendan curled himself into the bedsheets and continued to sleep like a baby.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything else broken. All his bones and organs look good to me,¡± said Margaret. ¡°I think he lost a lot of blood and he''s slightly weak as a result. I¡¯ll give him some liquid iron when he wakes up,¡± Margaret announced to the room.


    ¡°Sounds good. We¡¯ll leave him in your very capable hands then,¡± said Dad.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re going back out there tonight? It¡¯s nearly dawn.¡± said Margaret.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose we are but I¡¯ll need to check with Mark first.¡±


    We waved goodbye to Margaret who stayed behind with Brendan. The corridor was very quiet. There was no other sound apart from our footsteps. I peered through the glass windows into the side rooms and saw that most of the rooms were occupied. I turned to Dad as soon as we left the building.


    ¡°I thought people in this community rarely got sick and if they did, there were enough healers scattered everywhere. This is my first time coming to the Recovery Centre.¡±


    ¡°That is a very good observation, Rebecka,¡± said Dad. He patted me on the back before taking my hand. ¡°This Recovery Centre is used to treat those with complicated long term illness such as chronic cancers. All stubborn conditions from ripe destinies that have been generated in the past life which can¡¯t be avoided. This Recovery Centre is mainly used to treat outsiders who have qualified for help. The healers here are the best healers we have. Their knowledge, combined with their experience of human anatomy is second to none. They are highly trained and Margaret is the longest serving healer I know. She worked here when I was a little boy and she¡¯s still serving.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± I dropped my jaw. ¡°That is amazing. I wouldn¡¯t mind being a healer one day. Sounds fantastic. I want to be like Margaret.¡±


    A frown replaced the smile on Dad¡¯s face, giving away his reservations. I knew what he was thinking. My horoscope doesn¡¯t predict my future as a healer, especially not as a Gemini. Although he couldn¡¯t force me into anything if I decided to choose my own path, he would caution me against it.


    ¡°How old is Margaret?¡± I tried to steer the conversation towards safer grounds.


    ¡°That is a good question. The honest answer is I don¡¯t know, although I believe she¡¯s over 100 years old.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t uncommon to find centenarians in Waterside Valley, in fact it was the norm and most people were expected to live comfortably beyond 150 years old.


    ¡°Dad, have you heard from Mark? It¡¯s 5am. Are we going home?¡± James asked. He appeared bored with the conversation and was tapping his feet impatiently.


    ¡°We¡¯re going home, Son.¡±


    It was a 20 minute walk from the Recovery Centre to our house, which was located on the outskirts of the centre of town. All the houses in Waterside were built within a circle to represent the zodiac with the front gardens meeting each other in the middle. A few personal flying jets were parked in the centre. I couldn¡¯t help the rush of affection which engulfed my heart as we approached the house. We melted through the front door without opening the lock as easily as if the door didn¡¯t exist. This house had witnessed my birth, my first birthday and every other important occasion in my life.


    ¡°Mum, are you back yet?¡± I shouted through the living area, which was a large open space, leading to the Kitchen. The windows were floor to ceiling glass windows.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Hannah is back yet. We came back slightly earlier than normal¡± said Dad.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I headed for my bedroom which was on the second floor landing.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Rebecka wait! Before you go, I want to say how proud I am of you. You¡¯ve done really well, considering today was your first time. Most people are useless the first time.¡±


    ¡°I was useless. I couldn¡¯t heal him.¡±


    Dad opened his arms and wrapped me in a warm hug. He smelled the same as he¡¯d always done, a mixture of fragrant spices and wood.


    ¡°You¡¯re not useless. You just need more practice. I love you so much,¡± he whispered in my hair.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°Come on James, group hug,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°No way,¡± James said. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed.¡± He jogged up the stairs and disappeared out of sight.


    ¡°Not fair, how does he get away without hugging you.¡±


    ¡°Boys! Nevermind him, I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± Dad released me, allowing me to escape.


    Inside my room, my body was lying on the bed, peaceful and undisturbed. I felt reluctant to re-enter it, knowing the limitation I would feel. In my soul body, I could travel at great speeds to anywhere on earth without fear of heat, cold, water or fire. I was free from pain, discomfort and every bodily affliction. I stared at my body for a while until eventually I exhaled a long breath. I was overcome by sleepiness as I entered my body much like Brendan had done, through the head.


    I dreamt of Brendan. Even with a bruised and bloodied face, he was still very handsome. I wanted to know everything about him, his age, where he lives and what school he goes to. My only regret was that I didn¡¯t ask him the right questions to find out more about him before guiding him back to his body. Waterside Valley was a small town and I could ask around for the new family who recently moved in. Surely somebody would have seen them around.


    ***


    I woke up the following morning with slight puffy eyes which I tried to conceal with makeup, although James spotted it straight away when I went downstairs for breakfast. He was helping Dad in the Kitchen but Mum was nowhere to be found. Dad was a great cook and together with James they did most of the cooking in the family.


    ¡°Morning Rebecka,¡± Dad kissed my left cheek.


    ¡°Morning. Where¡¯s Mum?¡± I grabbed a piece of buttered toast and orange juice from the kitchen island.


    ¡°She only came back a few minutes ago. She¡¯s just freshening up in her room, should be down soon,¡± said Dad.


    ¡°What took her so long? She¡¯s normally back by 6am. It¡¯s 8.30am?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t get any help,¡± James said with an accusatory tone in my direction.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°It means that she would¡¯ve been back at her usual time if you helped her.¡±


    ¡°Why does it always have to be me? You could¡¯ve helped her if you¡¯re so worried.¡±


    ¡°Because working with the children is not where my talents lie.¡±


    ¡°Me neither!¡±


    ¡°Since when? You¡¯ve always loved it.¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone, it''s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone if you tell me why you¡¯re wearing makeup.¡±


    ¡°How did you know? Are you spying on me again?¡± I turned to look at my reflection in one of the floor to ceiling windows.


    ¡°I¡¯m not spying. It¡¯s obvious when you wear makeup, it makes you look different.¡±


    ¡°Errr. . . that is the point of makeup. To make me look different.¡±


    ¡°So why are you wearing it?¡±


    ¡°Because I feel like it, it¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    James squinted and regarded me for a few moments before shaking his head. I knew that look. It meant he was going to keep a closer eye on me. That last time he did that was when I stayed out late with Pamela, one of my closest friends. In some ways he took the big brother role like a parent and watched over me like a hawk. I didn¡¯t often wear make up and when I did it was for special occasions. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that he¡¯d noticed. I shrugged, knowing it was better than the alternative, puffy eyes.


    James opened his mouth but before he could utter a word, Dad said, ¡°Stop arguing.¡± For the first time ever, Dad looked frustrated.


    ¡°It¡¯s his fault. He thinks because he¡¯s older than me that he can tell me what to do. Age is just a stupid number. I¡¯m smarter than him.¡±


    ¡°You wished you were smarter than me,¡± James smirked.


    ¡°I SAID STOP ARGUING!¡± I stared at Dad in shock before closing my mouth. I couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d raised his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re meant to mature as you get older, not the reverse. Why are you squabbling like little children? I forbid you to argue from now on.¡±


    Dad¡¯s voice echoed like steel and I knew he meant every word. He had never been a strict parent but we knew when to listen if he put his foot down. I hung my head in shame.


    ¡®Sorry, Dad,¡± I whispered the apology under my breath, knowing he could hear me loud and clear.


    ¡°The Adepts have a new batch of potential people to train as lightworkers. Hannah is being promoted to train them until they can go out on their own. James will be free to work on his own as soon as he¡¯s 21 years old in a few months and you Rebekca, you¡¯ll continue to train with me until such a time as you can go out on your own.¡±


    ¡°Can I work on my own when I¡¯m 21?¡±


    Dad shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. If you train well and prove that you¡¯re capable then of course.¡±


    I kissed Dad on the cheek as a thank you. I couldn¡¯t wait. I turned 18 two months ago on the 2nd of June and still had two more years to wait.


    As if Dad had read my thoughts, he said, ¡°Remember that popular saying, a person who is patient can have anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes Dad,¡± I mumbled. I''ve heard this saying over and over since I was little. I slammed the empty glass of orange juice on the table much harder than I intended. ¡°That was good, thanks for breakfast,¡± I smiled to cover up my mistake.


    ¡°Tomorrow is your turn to cook, you better wake up early,¡± said James.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try. I better go otherwise I¡¯ll be late.¡± I picked my bag and headed for the door.


    ¡°Bye Rebekca,¡± said Dad.


    I caught one last sight of Dad putting dirty plates in the dishwasher before I closed the front door.

 Chapter 3

    It was raining outside. Weak September rays were bursting through dark clouds, promising a gloomy day. I picked one of the flying jets in the middle of the circle, which was available for anyone to use. It was light and easy to wear and didn¡¯t need any fuel but used my body¡¯s energy to power up. It sheltered me completely from the wind and rain, encasing me in a warm cocoon. I typed the name of my school, Waterside Valley High School, which was located in the southern part of town, about 10 miles from my house but a 5 mins journey on the flying jet.


    I loved this part of my day, despite the rain which made visibility difficult. I wizzled through the air and passed familiar scenes of forests, lakes and gigantic greenhouse farms encased in glass dooms. The houses and other building structures were well concealed by trees, making them difficult to spot from any height. Pamela sometimes joined me halfway through, although her house was closer to the school, she enjoyed flying too much to walk. However, today there was no sign of her, which could only mean one thing. I was running late.


    The school was so large that it couldn¡¯t be concealed entirely by trees. Built from wood and glass, it was shaped like a round disk, with the classrooms branching off from various points of the circle. I landed in the clearing behind the school and parked the flying jet next to a tree where other machines had been abandoned. A few juniors were mingling around, seemingly in no hurry to get to their lessons. I breezed past the main entrance where a great swarm of juniors were huddled together whispering in excitement.


    In the corridor, I spotted Pamela Burns and Charlotte Hoges by the lockers and breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Morning girls,¡± I waved and entered the code to open my locker, which was right next to Pamela¡¯s.


    ¡°There you are, what took you so long?¡± Pamela hugged me from behind, resting her head against my shoulders. We had been friends ever since kindergarten and knew everything about each other. Charlotte had joined us from third grade with her twin brother, Jeremy Hoges and together we formed a tight group of friends.


    ¡°I blame it on James . You know what, I¡¯m going to get ear plugs the next time that boy speaks to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just trying to be helpful ¡ª¡± Charlotte said before I cut her off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you start. You have no idea how annoying he is.¡± I pulled my books from my locker and slammed the door. James had been a prefect as a senior at Waterside Valley High School before he left for college two years ago. All the students and teachers loved him and nobody dared to say a bad word against him. He knew how to charm everyone and say just the right thing in every situation, causing people to fall under his spell. I was convinced that half the female population at the time and Charlotte especially was in love with him, despite her frequent protests.


    I pulled out my timetable and realised we had our first lesson with Mr Gildon in Plantology for 3 hours, followed by an 1hour break for lunch then world Literature for another 3 hours.


    ¡°Nevermind. You¡¯re here now. Did anything interesting happen last night?¡± Pamela asked.


    Pamela was always eager to hear stories of my endeavours during the night. The families who served as lightworkers in the town were well known at school. It was a status that everybody craved, including Pamela, who had been applying for years to the Adepts. I was usually glad to recount my tales to her and Charlotte but for some reason I felt reluctant to tell them about my encounter with Brendan.


    ¡°You know how it goes . . . but firstly tell me what¡¯s happening here? Why are there a bunch of juniors whispering at the entrance?¡±


    ¡°Haven''t you heard? A new kid moved into town last week and he¡¯s starting today. Apparently he''s smoking hot and he¡¯s a senior. They¡¯re all hoping to catch a glimpse of him.¡±


    ¡°What? A glimpse? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± I pinched the bridge of my nose and blew out a long breath.


    From a young age, every child at Waterside Valley was matched based on their horoscope, with a child of the opposite sex. Although the children were usually unaware of the match until 18 years of age. Charlotte was devastated when she discovered James had been paired with a girl from Italy, but she still had her sights on him.


    Everyone above 18 years was due to find out their partner¡¯s identity in December, when the occasion would be celebrated with a banqueting ball. For months I¡¯d begged my parents to tell me who it was but their lips remained sealed. I often looked at my circle of friends and wondered who it could be. No obvious candidates came to mind and I didn¡¯t feel attracted to anyone.


    ¡°I know. It doesn¡¯t make any sense. I¡¯ve never seen them behave like this, not even when James was around,¡± said Pamela.


    ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s new. Whoever this guy is, I hope he lives up to the hype,¡± said Charlotte.


    ¡°He probably wouldn¡¯t, unless he¡¯s not human,¡± said Pamela.


    I chuckled and shook my head. ¡°What are you on about? You¡¯ve never seen other beings before. You don¡¯t know what they look like.¡±


    Pamela shrugged and twisted the lock to seal her locker. She pressed her lips together in a firm line and I knew I¡¯d hit a nerve.The fact she hadn¡¯t yet developed the clairvoyance to see into the astral plane was a sore topic of conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a fairly good idea from your descriptions. You¡¯ve told me several times that angels look just like humans but are more beautiful with perfectly symmetrical features,¡± said Pamela.


    ¡°Eerr. . . yes I did say that and it¡¯s true. The loveliness of the angels can¡¯t be compared with anything on earth. It¡¯s beyond description.¡±


    I linked arms with Pamela and Charlotte and pulled them towards our first lesson, which was Plantology. The classroom was joined with the greenhouse at the end of the long corridor.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry so much Pamela. I know one day you¡¯ll be able to see the angels and all the other beings in the inner realms.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, when I¡¯m dead,¡± Pamela said.


    ¡°Hey don¡¯t say that. You never know, it could happen any time. Just keep practising.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not about to give up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, but it¡¯s hard to keep going when you don¡¯t see any progress.¡±


    ¡°Same. I¡¯m not giving up but I want to,¡± said Charlotte.


    ¡°Anyway we¡¯re here now. Mr Gildon¡¯s already inside,¡± I said.


    I pushed the door open to the plantology classroom and found the entire class were already seated, including Charlotte¡¯s brother, Jemery Hoges. I settled at the back with Charlotte and Pamela in our usual seats, flashing a quick apologetic smile at Mr Gildon.


    ¡°No need to be sorry yet Rebekca. We¡¯re still waiting for one last student,¡± said Mr Gildon.


    I raised an eyebrow and caught eyes with Pamela, wondering who the last student could be. A quick scan around the room confirmed that everyone was present but I noticed an extra desk and chair had been squeezed in the middle of the front row.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait long for the mysterious student because a handsome boy strolled into the classroom, swaying as if he owned the place. I recognised him straight away from the dark nest of curly hair on his head. Brendan was even more striking in the flesh than last night when blood covered half his face. He was tall and wore confidence like a second skin, with a straight nose, high cheekbones and bright piercing turquoise/bluish/greenish eyes. He had a natural tint to his skin tone which gave away his mixed raced heritage. The overall effect was mesmerising, giving him an otherworldly look almost like an angel but not quite as perfect. Of course it made sense that he was the new student, I kicked myself for not making the connection earlier. I understood why most of the juniors were excitedly whispering about him earlier. He looked like a fallen angel. I wondered if he would remember me and the accident from last night.


    I felt a kick under the table and winced in pain. It was Pamela trying to grab my attention.


    ¡°What?¡± I hissed


    ¡°It¡¯s him! He¡¯s the new kid.¡±


    ¡°I figured that out already.¡±


    ¡°Rebekca Frost and Pamela Burns, I can hear you whispering,¡± said Mr Gildon.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Sorry Sir,¡± I offered another apologetic smile and made a mental reminder to myself that Mr Gildon had clairaudience as well as being clairvoyant. He could hear the inaudible and so you had to be very careful in his lesson.


    Brendan directed his mesmerising turquoise gaze in my direction. His eyes held no trace of recognition and I knew immediately he didn¡¯t remember me from last night. His gaze sent a warm tingle down my spine and I suddenly became self conscious of my body. I had never experienced anything like this before and I couldn¡¯t stand it.


    ¡°Ah, you must be Brendan Dolton. Good to meet you. Please take a seat here.¡± Mr. Gildon pointed at the empty seat in the front row.


    Brendan took a leisurely stroll to his desk, taking time to remove his bag and settle into the chair. A quick glance around the room confirmed the entire class was enthralled by him, staring unashamedly.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late Mr. Gildon. I got lost,¡± Brendan said. His voice was deep, lazy and sexy at the same time.


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable, this is afterall your first day here. In fact your first lesson I believe. Do set out early for your lessons to give yourself plenty of time to find everything.¡±


    Mr. Gildon picked up a chalk and began to make notes on the board, including a complicated diagram of a flower and its etheric counterpart.


    ¡°Today, we¡¯ll be revising the inner structure of a plant. This is one of the topics which may come up in your exams. I¡¯m afraid you might be slightly behind Brendan. You¡¯ll need extra tutoring to prepare you for the exames.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll catch up, Sir.¡± Brendan made the statement with such easy assurance, leaving no doubt that he¡¯ll do exactly as he¡¯d said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. You¡¯ll go very far with that attitude. I¡¯m expecting everyone in this class to pass their exams, both practical and theory.¡±


    I copied Mr. Gildon¡¯s notes on my note pad whilst watching Brendan¡¯s every move from the back of the class. I simply couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him even if I wanted to and I certainly didn¡¯t want to.


    Suddenly, Pamela flicked a carefully folded note to my desk.


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome. Do you think he¡¯s real? I hope he¡¯s unmatched.¡±


    ¡°Miss Rebekca, would you care to share your note with the class? It appears you find it more interesting than my notes about plant structure.¡± Mr Gidon¡¯s bemused tone suggested he knew what the note was about.


    I shook my head and quickly rolled the note into a tiny ball.


    ¡°Err, I wouldn''t throw that paper away if I were you, Miss Rebekca. You¡¯re far too sensible and you know the consequences. Just stand on your feet and read it out loud.¡± Mr Gidon smirked and I knew he was having fun at my expense.


    My heart sank to my stomach as every eye centred on me. I would embarrass Pamela if I read the note out loud, but refusing to do so meant disobeying a teacher, the consequence of which I couldn''t even think about. I could lose my position as a lightworker if my parents were called to the school. I unfolded the note and swallowed a big lump in my throat.


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome. Do you think he¡¯s real? I hope he¡¯s unmatched.¡±


    ¡°Louder. I heard you but I doubt anyone else did,¡± said Mr Gidon.


    ¡°Ahem. . .¡± My stomach acid churned and sweat gathered under my armpits.


    ¡°Nevermind, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Mr Gildon marched to the back of the class and took the note from my hands.


    ¡°Now let''s see what this says.¡± Mr Gildon made a big show of unfolding the paper. I saw some people leaning forward in their desks, eager to listen.


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome. Do you think he¡¯s real? I hope he¡¯s unmatched,¡± Mr Gildon read.


    I felt so humiliated that I wanted the earth to open up and swallow me whole. The class were in stitches, laughing as if they''d never heard anything so funny. Miles Garraway and Robin Vasquez in particular, the two class clowns, pointed and slapped their hands on the table as they laughed. A quick glance at Pamela confirmed she was on the verge of tears. I felt like crying right along with her.


    ¡°I presume you¡¯re referring to our new student here. I wonder what both of your parents will make of this? I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be too pleased, do you?¡±


    ¡°Sir, please no. Pamela was just joking,¡± I said.


    This caused another round of laughter to begin and I wished I¡¯d kept my mouth shut. Brendan wasn¡¯t laughing. He sat at the front facing the board with a straight face, making it difficult to read him.


    Tina Reese, Rosalind Henry and Victoria Barnes, friends I¡¯d known since 1st grade, were laughing so hard I was sure they would fall off their seats.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can do that Miss Rebecka. You¡¯re asking me to lie by omission. I have to include this in the daily report which goes out to your parents.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll not be lying, Sir. Surely this isn¡¯t important enough for their attention, it¡¯s just a joke between friends,¡± I said.


    ¡°A joke you say? Well I don¡¯t see it that way. Lasciviousness is forbidden.¡±


    ¡°Wow, hold on a minute. This isn¡¯t lasciv ¡ª Ouch!¡± I felt a kick under the table.


    Pamela shot daggers with her eyes. I knew that look, it meant I should stop talking. The entire class was staring at me as if I¡¯d grown a pair of horns. I realised too late, I¡¯d spoken too much.


    Mr Gildon made a show of locking the note in the draw under his table.


    ¡°Nothing else to say then Miss Rebekca?¡±


    I shook my head and picked a spot just above his eyes to stare.


    ¡°Excellent, sit down. Class, copy the notes on the board. When you finish, pick a pair of gloves and come to the greenhouse. We¡¯re going to see how the plant takes up water and nutrients from the soil and absorbs it through its etheric counterpart. Also how the fairies, working through the light ether, are able to deposit the beautiful colours we see in the flowers. By the end of this semester, you should have a practical understanding of how the plants'' etheric and physical vehicles work together to produce a successful plant life.¡±


    An audible ¡®whee¡¯ and ¡®yes¡¯ went through the class. I would¡¯ve been excited about seeing the inner workings of a plant but I wasn¡¯t in the mood. I just wanted the lesson to end. I wanted to run, hide and lick my wounds in private.


    Pamela¡¯s nose was buried in her notepad as she copied the writings on the board. Meanwhile Charlotte shrugged and flashed an embarrassed smile at me before averting her gaze. By the time I finished writing, most of the class had followed Mr Gildon to the greenhouse which was linked to the classroom by a door behind Mr Gildon¡¯s desk. I waited for Charlotte and Pamela to finish writing before choosing a pair of gloves.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you girls back here then.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Charlotte replied. Pamela ignored me, focused on the task of wearing her gloves.


    The greenhouse was huge and you could easily get lost in there, which I¡¯d experienced on a few occasions. There were probably more species of plants in the greenhouse than the entire student population of Waterside High. It was huge. Everyone was assigned an area to work and with familiar steps, I found my allocated unit towards the back of the greenhouse. Pamela was at the front alongside Charlotte¡¯s unit. The entire class was dispersed through the room and I couldn¡¯t see Mr Gildon¡¯s head above the plants.


    Each unit had a table separated from the others by glass panels. In my unit was a collection of 11 plants that I had cultivated in previous lessons. Each was encased in a separate cabinet with its own temperature and humidity conditions. I taped the screen in the middle of the table to see the instructions for what I was supposed to do when I saw Mr. Gildon approaching with Brendan. They stopped at the table next to my unit.


    ¡°Looks like this is one of the few tables left Brendan,¡± Mr. Gildon said. ¡°Just tap that computer screen. The first time you use it, it¡¯ll ask you to set up your boimetrics. After you do that, it should show you exactly what to do. All the pots, soil and equipment are stored under the table. Press that red buzzer if you need any help. Any questions?¡±


    Brendan shook his head.


    ¡°None? Excellent. Alright have fun,¡± said Mr Gildon.


    I tried to focus on the instructions on my own screen but couldn¡¯t concentrate with Brendan standing so close. I was hyper aware of his every move and was surprised by the speed in which he worked. In no time at all, he potted a sprouting sunflower seed in fresh soil and began to carefully examine it with glasses, especially designed for those without clairvoyant sight. They were a bright violet colour, popularly known as X-glasses. Their use was severely restricted with various laws about when one could and couldn¡¯t use them.


    Suddenly, Brendan spoke without looking in my direction. ¡°Are you going to stare at me for the entire lesson?¡± He was studying the plant carefully through the X-glasses and recording his observations on the computer.


    I wondered if he¡¯d actually spoken to me but there was nobody else close by. I asked myself how he knew I was staring at him as either of us were looking in the other¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Are you talking to me because I wasn¡¯t staring at you?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. . . a light worker who is also a liar. A strange combination.¡±


    ¡°So you remember me from last night?¡±


    ¡°Err not exactly but I figured it was you. After all, it''s not like there are many lightworkers around.¡± Brendan removed the X-glasses and directed the full force of his turquoise gaze at me. I sucked in a lungful of air to catch my breath. He was even more striking up close and I felt tongue tied for the first time ever.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like what you¡¯re insinuating. I¡¯m not a liar. I wasn¡¯t staring at you. I¡¯m aware of your presence and I have a natural curiosity, just like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°In other words you¡¯re nosy!¡±


    ¡°How dare you?¡± I stared gobsmacked at his audacity.


    ¡°I could feel your eyes glued to my back in the classroom and even now you continue to stare. Didn¡¯t your parents teach you that it¡¯s rude to stare at people, no matter how beautiful you think they are?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, stop right there. I didn¡¯t say you were beautiful. You¡¯re a bit full of yourself aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m simply stating a fact. You think I¡¯m beautiful. There¡¯s a note underneath Mr. Gildon¡¯s desk to prove it. I¡¯m not the one who said ¡®He¡¯s so handsome. Do you think he¡¯s real? I hope he¡¯s unmatched?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t write it. My friend did. I was trying to protect her.¡±


    ¡°Ah I see, so you don¡¯t think I¡¯m beautiful? If you insist on denying it then you prove my point of being dishonest.¡±


    ¡°Fine. If my opinion is that important to you then sure, I think you¡¯re handsome. But inner beauty is more important than whatever you¡¯ve got going on the outside.¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever.¡± Brendan replaced the X-glasses over his eyes and turned back to the plant, effectively dismissing the conversation. However, being the chatterbox that I was, I wasn¡¯t done with the conversation.

 Chapter 4

    ¡°Do you ever smile?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°I said, do you ever smile?¡±


    ¡°You want to see me smile? I would have to charge you for that.¡± Brendan flashed a big fake smile, revealing white even teeth.


    I chuckled. ¡°That suits you much better.¡±


    ¡°Are you done tormenting me for today? Can I get on with my work now? I could report you for harassment for this,¡± he said.


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether he was joking or being serious. I was usually very good at reading people, although not as good as my Dad, but with Brendan I couldn¡¯t get anything.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got one final question. Have we met before? I mean before last night?¡±


    Brendan drew his eyebrows together in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean? Do you think we¡¯ve met before?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I don''t know. I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Well if you don¡¯t know how am I supposed to know? I can barely remember anything from last night. I thought the entire accident was a dream. I couldn¡¯t believe it when I saw the condition of the motorbike. I woke up in the Recovery Centre and Margaret explained I had been rescued by a family of lightworkers. I figured it was you because you¡¯re currently the only lightworker at this school and you confirmed it was.¡±


    ¡°Where do you live? Why did your family move here?¡±


    ¡°You said one question. That¡¯s three questions.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll leave you in peace.¡± I flicked my finger as if to brush him off.


    ¡°Actually I like talking to you.¡± Brendan showed his first genuine smile which lit up his eyes with sparkle. He turned away and covered his face with the glasses before I could savour the moment.


    With a supreme effort of will, I focused on the instructions on my screen. I had to re-pot a sunflower plant from under the table, water it and observe how the plant absorbed the water through the etheric vehicle. Since I already had clairvoyant vision, I didn¡¯t need the X-glasses. I simply willed myself to see and a new dimension was open to me. I was able to observe the plant¡¯s etheric forces working in harmony to select the water and nutrients from the soil. This work was done by the nature spirits and I saw several gomes and fairies busily working on the plant. I had observed this phenomena so many times, I was very familiar with the process.


    ¡°You have 5 minutes left.¡± Mr Gildon¡¯s voice came over the speakers.


    ¡°5 mins?¡± I took a deep breath to stop myself panicking. I hadn¡¯t done any work for this lesson and Mr Gildon was bound to notice. Nothing escaped that man.


    I went through the questions on the screen and typed up my observations from memory. I knew it wasn¡¯t good enough but it was better than nothing. I hadn¡¯t discovered anything new in the plant assimilation process which Mr Gildon expected from every student.


    ¡°Brrrrrrrrr. . .¡± The sound of the lunch bell jogged me out of my thoughts. I placed the final full stop on the screen and logged out of my computer.


    I was surprised to find Brendan was already gone. I didn¡¯t see him leave and thought he must have disappeared whilst I was answering the questions. I threw my gloves on the table and left the greenhouse in search of Pamela and Charlotte.


    ***


    The rest of the day proceeded without any incident. I sat with Charlotte and Pamela at lunch time and we were joined by Jeremy. It was hard to avoid all the chatter and whispers about Brendan Dolton in the canteen. Rosalind Henry, Tina Reeds and Victoria Barnes could barely contain their excitement. They pointed at me and Pamela and told anyone who would listen about the note Mr Gildon had forced me to read out loud. By the end of lunch, the whole school knew what had happened and we were a laughing stock. Brendan was nowhere to be found and I didn¡¯t see him again until our World Literature lesson with Mrs Sharon Hayes that afternoon.


    However, the following day, Brendan walked into the canteen to grab some food in open view of everybody. We had finished an intense morning of Maths with Mr Paul Timson and everyone was hungry.


    ¡°There he is. Look he¡¯s standing in the queue,¡± Pamela nudged me to look at Brendan who was queuing for lunch in the canteen. I tried not to roll my eyes, all the females in the canteens were doing likewise, either pointing, whispering or staring at him.


    ¡°I saw you talking to him in the greenhouse yesterday. What did he say?¡± said Charlotte. Her mouth was full of green beans and baby spinach leaves.


    I shrugged. ¡°Not much. We spoke about the note. By the way, he knew I was staring at him during the lesson even though he was sitting at the front. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he¡¯s got some kind of wired sixth sense that lets him see through the back of his head.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, nobody can see through the back of their head,¡± said Charlotte.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised Charlotte, by what people can and can¡¯t do.¡± I followed Brendan with my eyes as he got his food and chose to sit by himself near the window at the back of the canteen. Every eye was trained on him, including those of Mrs Judith Miller, the art teacher, who was on lunch time duty, supervising the students.


    ¡°Oh no . . . what did he say about the note? How motifying!¡± Pamela covered her mouth in horror.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s not upset. Rather the opposite I would say. He¡¯s a bit full of himself.¡±


    ¡°Of course he is. I would be full of myself too if I had a face like that!¡± said Charlotte.


    ¡°I hate you sometimes. You don¡¯t know how lucky you are. I would give anything to have just 5 minutes chat with him,¡± Pamela declared.


    ¡°Really? Anything?¡± I raised an eyebrow.


    Pamela screwed her face in thought, ¡°Well maybe not quite anything, but almost anything.¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°Do you hear yourself? I¡¯m not sure he¡¯s worth it.¡±


    ¡°Well you would say that wouldn¡¯t you, Miss high and mighty and righteous lightworker,¡± said Charlotte with a hint of bitterness.


    I opened my mouth and shut it again. Never in a million years did I think Charlotte would ever say something like that to me. I was shocked into silence and couldn¡¯t think of a comeback so I tucked into my salad. I sometimes thought that both Charlotte and Pamela were slightly jealous of my entire family, Charlotte in particular. She wanted to marry my brother, hoping that would guarantee her any easy path to becoming a lightworker. That fantasy was never going to become reality because being a lightworker had to be earned and couldn¡¯t be granted by family association. Her chances were definitely non-existent now that James was matched with a girl from Italy.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Just let it go, Rebekca!¡± Pamela pleaded.


    ¡°Let what go?¡± Jeremy, Charlotte¡¯s twin brother, placed a tray of hot delicious smelling food on our table, choosing the seat opposite me.


    Nobody replied, leaving an awkward silence in the air. I noticed there were more students in the canteen than normal for this time of day. Usually the students ate quickly and went outside to play ball games or explore the forests surrounding the school. However today the canteen was full, probably because of Brendan, who was still sitting by himself. I felt sorry for him, like a zoo animal at the centre of attraction. His features were veiled, but he gave off a cold vibe, warning anyone who sought to befriend him to stay away.


    ¡°Okay . . . if nobody is gonna speak I¡¯ll find a different table. I don¡¯t fancy eating in silence.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t even want to know.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, it¡¯s a boy issue. The only time you argue is when there¡¯s a boy involved. Don¡¯t let a boy ruin your friendship, but what do I know?¡±


    ¡°Jeremy is right. This is silly.¡± I offered an olive branch but the underlying tension was still there. ¡°Anyway I need your help to plan my matching party.¡± I smiled at Charlotte and Pamela, hoping to warm them up to the idea. Pamela was an excellent planner and Charlotte loved partying, too much so in my opinion.


    ¡°Great, can I join?¡± said Jemery.


    ¡°Errr I don¡¯t see why not, Jeremy.¡± Turning to the girls I asked, ¡°Can you come to my house on saturday, there¡¯s so much to sort through and I need the help.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll be there,¡± said Pamela.


    Charlotte nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll come.¡±


    ¡°Great, I need to use the bathroom before our next lesson. What do we have next?¡±


    ¡°Art,¡± Jeremy replied.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll meet you there.¡±


    I headed to the unisex bathrooms, which was at the opposite end of the circular corridors. Like the rest of the school, it was unusually empty at this time of day. I selected one of the cubicles and emptied my bladder quickly before washing my hands.


    However as soon as I opened the door, I bumped into someone and lost my footing. I would¡¯ve crashed to the floor except he held out hands to steady my shoulders. I looked up into the most vivid turquoise eyes I had ever seen. In fact the colour was a unique blend of greenish bluish shades. I could lose myself in those eyes for ages.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s you,¡± I said. ¡°Are you stalking me?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to attack me?¡± He looked amused but annoyed at the same time.


    ¡°What are you talking about, I was just coming out of the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°This is the bathroom. You swang that door so quickly I thought it was an ambush.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°An ambush? Who would want to ambush you?¡±


    ¡°Haha very funny,¡± Brendan replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.


    ¡°Anyway, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Same thing you¡¯re doing, using the bathroom?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± I felt silly, of course he was using the bathroom. He made my brain go foggy and I couldn¡¯t think straight. I was surprised he wasn¡¯t being followed by a mob of screaming girls. I walked towards the mirrors hanging opposite the cubicles and pretended to fix my hair. He walked into the same cubicle I¡¯d just used and locked the doors. A few minutes later, he flushed the toilet and stepped out.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you wash your hands?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Not that it¡¯s any of your business but I did.¡± His tone was curt, obviously annoyed at my question.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t hear the water running.¡±


    ¡°Why are you still here? I hope you¡¯re not trying to stalk me as well.¡±


    ¡°As well?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t answer my question with another question.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stalking you but if anyone is following you around, you can report them to Mrs Reeds Morgan, the headteacher. That will put a stop to it really fast.¡±


    ¡°No need. I''ll deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Of course you¡¯ll deal with it, because you like the attention. I said you¡¯re full of yourself and you are. Why else would you sit at the centre of the canteen where everyone can openly gape at you.¡±


    ¡°Why do you insist on provoking me? On judging me so unfairly?¡± Annoyance had turned into anger and his tone was sharp.


    Within the blink of an eye, Brendan moved behind me, invading my personal space. He grabbed my shoulders and squeezed gently, sending my blood soaring through my veins. My breath came out in short shallow gasps as my brain turned foggier. Passionate desire, raw and untainted flooded my senses. I was caught off guard, unprepared for the assault. I was faced with the very thing my parents had warned me against since I was in dippers. Lust.


    Brendan recognised the effect of his touch as he watched me through the mirror. My pupils were dilated and my chest was rising and falling in quick succession as if it¡¯d run a marathon. I watched my body in fascination, stunned by the loss of control. Brendan released my shoulders and took several steps back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t mean for that to happen.¡±


    Brendan ran out the bathroom as if he couldn¡¯t get away fast enough. I walked back to the cubicle and splashed water on my face to cool down but the space was filled with Brendan¡¯s fragrance, a mixture of earthy but sweet smelling spices. I couldn¡¯t stand it so I used the next cubicle instead, splashing cold water over my face until I was sufficiently calm and my breathing restored. I dried my face with some paper towels and composed myself before stepping out of the bathroom.


    The corridors were empty and the noise from the canteen had died down, which told me I was late for Art. The Art classroom was located on the east side of the school, a 10 minutes walk from the canteen toilets. I broke into a run and was panting so hard by the time I got there that I wished I hadn¡¯t wasted time composing myself in the mirror.


    ¡°Rebecka, there you are. I was beginning to wonder if you were joining us?¡± Mrs Judit Miller said in greeting.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late, it won''t happen again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t ever recall you being late to lessons before Rebecka. Care to explain yourself?¡±


    Mrs Miller was a kind, gentle and fair woman and I loved the tranquil atmosphere in her lessons. I glanced around the room and saw everyone was already seated behind a canvas, including Pamela and Charlotte. Like a needle drawn to a magnet, I spotted Brendan at the back, sandwiched between Tina Reese and Victoria Barnes. This classroom was one of the biggest in the entire school and depending on the subject in question, students could be seated on soft cushions on the floor or behind a canvas as was the case today.


    ¡°I used the bathroom and lost track of time,¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie but it wasn¡¯t the complete story. What happened when Brendan touched my shoulder was something I had never experienced before and didn¡¯t care to explain in front of the entire class. The truth would likely shock Mrs Miller and get me sent to the head teacher¡¯s office.


    ¡°Alright, but I¡¯ll have to include this in your daily report home. Hurry and take a seat.¡±


    I wanted to argue that it wasn¡¯t my fault but I thought twice. I took my usual seat between Charlotte and Pamela, in front of a blank canvas which was already set on a stand.


    ¡°Today we¡¯re exploring the art of fine painting,¡± Mrs Miller said. She had the habit of pacing across the room and waving her hands in the air as she spoke. ¡°Your task is to paint an image from memory. It could be anything, either a portrait or a landscape. Every piece of artwork you produce this year will go towards an overall assessment of your ability. I¡¯m not expecting any of you to produce a masterpiece but I¡¯m looking for an original interpretation. Something rich with depth and emotion, something which represents truth. You¡¯re free to use any medium of paint or colours as you wish. Understood?¡±


    A quick glance around the room suggested most of the students had no clue. Mrs Miller¡¯s lessons usually went along these lines. In first grade, she would give us colours to play with, leaving us to use our imagination. As we grew older, she began to demonstrate and we copied stroke by brush stroke until everyone in this class could draw, paint or sculpt anything. Mrs Miller had a colour sensitivity that was well known within the Waterside community. Although not a lightworker herself, she could read auras and perceive emotions from the colours they projected if she desired.


    Now she was pushing us further, encouraging us to use imagination to come up with our own images. Painting was one of my favourite activities, something I did regularly at home. I knew I could produce something good but what to paint was the question. I racked my brain for ideas but came up blank. I couldn¡¯t shake Brendan¡¯s face from my head. I sat staring at the blank canvas for several minutes. Charlotte and Pamela were drawing something, as were most of the students. Mrs Miller was making the rounds, going from student to student. Apart from the sound of pencil or brush strokes scratching on canvas, the room was quiet.


    I began by mixing colours on the palette provided before splashing them on the canvas. I thought of drawing the landscape scenery of the mountains that surrounded Waterside but couldn''t hold onto the image.


    ¡°Rebecka?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs Miller?¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± Mrs Miller was standing behind my chair looking at what I¡¯d produced so far with distaste on her face.


    ¡°Mountains. I¡¯m not done yet, don¡¯t worry it¡¯ll come together.¡±


    Mrs Miller didn¡¯t look convinced but she nodded and moved on. I knew she trusted me because I was one of the best students in her class and she knew what I was capable of. Her face brightened when she saw Charlotte¡¯s work. I was curious to see what the others were doing as I couldn''t focus on my own work. I wasted a lot of time and mixed more useless colours on the palette until the bell rang, signalling break time. Some students continued to work through their break and paid no attention to the bell, which is what I usually did for the 3 hour lesson.


    ¡°You have 15 mins for break time. Use the toilet, get a snack and do whatever you need to do but make sure you come back on time. I want these paintings finished today,¡± said Mrs Miller.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to grab some water, would you like anything?¡± I asked Charlotte and Pamela who were both engrossed in their work. I peaked at their canvas in turn and was astonished by how much progress they¡¯d make. Charlotte was halfway through a realistic portrayal of the school canteen at lunchtime. I spotted myself and Pamela seated next to her on our usual table in the middle. Pamela had chosen to paint a forest scene and the birds and animals were taking shape nicely. In comparison, my canvas was a random splash of colours as if a child having a tantrum.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Charlotte, rather dismissively.


    ¡°I might use the toilet quickly but I¡¯m fine,¡± said Pamela.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see you girls in a bit.¡±


    I noticed that Brendan¡¯s chair was empty as I walked out.


    Robin Vasquez was filling his cup outside the classroom at the water fountain, one of the few students to have left the room.


    ¡°Hi Robin,¡± I said in greeting. Robin didn¡¯t care much for Art and it showed in his work.


    He raised his eyebrows, surprised to see me outside. ¡°Hello Rebecka, I see you¡¯re taking your break today. Come to join us mortals.¡±


    ¡°I am. Even non-mortals get thirsty sometimes, you know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see your friends either, Charlotte and Pamela.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not joined at the hip.¡±


    ¡°You could have fooled me. You girls move together like a pack of wolves.¡±


    I shrugged and realised he spoke the truth. I go everywhere with Charlotte or Pamela, even after school and during the weekends.


    ¡°Ahhhh. . . here comes the newests prince charming,¡± said Robin. He nodded to someone approaching from behind me.


    It was Brendan, strolling towards us with confident strides. My heart rate picked up speed. I slowed my breathing in a deliberate effort to control my reaction.


    ¡°Prince Charming?¡± I chuckled with false glee.


    ¡°Haven''t you heard? That¡¯s what the juniors are calling him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°What''s ridiculous?¡± Brendan asked, who was now within hearing distance.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said brightly.


    ¡°I was telling Rebecka someone¡¯s new nickname and she thought it¡¯s ridiculous,¡± said Robin.


    I shot daggers with my eyes at Robin, pleading with him not to say anything further.


    ¡°What¡¯s the nickname?¡± Brendan asked. He grabbed an empty cup, filled it with water from the fountain and passed it to me before filling his own cup. I mumbled a thank you and stared at the floor, refusing to meet his eyes.


    ¡°Prince Charming!¡± Robin said with a secret smile.


    ¡°Ahem. . . Ahem, Ahem.¡± I coughed, splashing water from my mouth and wetting my top. Brendan patted me on the back, electrifying my body at the same time with his touch.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Brendan asked.


    The water had travelled down my windpipe, burning my lungs and so I was unable to speak.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine, just a little bit excited,¡± said Robin.


    I stomped on Robin¡¯s foot, causing him to grimace in pain.


    ¡°Ouch. What was that for?¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± I wheezed.


    ¡°Oh, a Gemini is telling me to shut up, how ironic.¡± Robin laughed, bending over double. I couldn¡¯t see what was so funny about the situation. I frowned in disapproval.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Miles about this.¡± Miles Garraway was Robin¡¯s partner in crime and together they sought opportunities for mischief. Robin carried on laughing as he walked away from the fountain until he disappeared around the natural curve of the corridor, leaving me alone with Brendan.


    ¡°He¡¯s nuts!¡± My voice was still wheezy but slightly clearer.


    ¡°But you have to see the funny side of it,¡± said Brendan.


    The tension between us was so thick and tangible I could grasp it in my hands. I moved a step back from him to put some distance between us but it did little good.


    ¡°Are you going to look me in the eye? I know the prince charming joke was about me.¡±


    I gasped and looked up. I felt mortified and was on the tip of my tongue to apologise when I saw amusement dancing in the turquoise eyes. For some reason his reaction made me angry. I was angry at the effect he had on me, that he could so easily arouse my body against my will.


    ¡°You think your new nickname is funny? I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. You love all this attention don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°Jealous? Me? Of what? Prince Charming?¡±


    ¡°Shhh. . . keep your voice down.¡± Brendan glanced around the corridor until he was satisfied that we¡¯re alone. He stepped towards me, invading my personal space and pressing me against the wall. The hairs at the back of my neck stood on end, sending my pulse racing. Every nerve ending was on high alert, ready to respond to the slightest touch.


    ¡°The lady does protest too much. I think you¡¯re jealous of the fact that others are showing an interest in me.¡±


    ¡°Not true. You¡¯re clearly deluded.¡±


    ¡°And you are in denial about your own feelings.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. You need to back off. Anyone could walk across this corridor at any time.¡±


    ¡°So you want us to go somewhere a bit more private.¡± Brendan arched his perfect eyebrow in question before stepping closer, pushing me further against the wall. Only a tiny gap of space separated our bodies. A part of me wanted him to grab me and kiss me, I wanted to know what he tasted like.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. We could get in a lot of trouble.¡±


    The Adepts see everything that goes on and there is no hiding from their presence. I had seen that first hand. Being tempted would not be counted against me, but giving into that temptation certainly would. I didn¡¯t want to do anything that would cost me my future as a lightworker and if my parents found out, the consequences would be much worse. Brendan didn¡¯t have those worries. For him the worst that could happen would be a telling off. With that thought in mind, I pushed against his chest, placing as much distance between us as possible.


    I walked away from him without looking back, stumbling blindly until I found the Art classroom. I must have missed the bell because I couldn¡¯t recall hearing it. Everyone was already seated and I realised I was late, yet again. Robin¡¯s grinning face told me something wasn¡¯t right. I was in trouble. Chap

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Rebecka Frost? Late again?¡± said Mrs Miller. She stood in the middle of the classroom in her long floral dress and crossed her arms. I stood frozen at the door like a rabbit caught in headlights. Brendan walked in behind me and matched to his chair. His features were veiled, cold and unapologetic.


    I felt as if Mrs Miller sensed every detail of what transpired between me and Brendan. She didn¡¯t often use her inner vision to observe her students but I knew at that moment that she was watching the colors playing in my aura. I steadied my breathing and turned my thoughts to the flowers outside my house. I tried to calm my emotions and prayed that no colors of passion would show in my aura.


    ¡°And Brendan? What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late Mrs Miller.¡± I said.


    ¡°Hurry and take your seat. You have 1 hour left to finish your painting.¡±


    ¡°Yes Mrs Miller.¡±


    I nodded and sat behind my canvas again. I could feel Charlotte and Pamela watching me closely.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Pamela whispered.


    ¡°The water fountain. I lost track of time,¡± I said.


    Pamela shrugged and turned back to her work. A quick glance told me she was nearly finished. I turned to my own canvas and decided to concentrate, blocking out everything from the room. All I could think of was Brendan, so I decided to paint an image of him lying in the middle of the road after his accident. I used as much blood as possible to cover his face, hoping that nobody would recognize him. I worked fast as I lost track of time, applying all the skills I¡¯d learnt over the years to bring the canvas to life.


    ¡°Time is up, stop painting. Bring your canvas to the front,¡± said Mrs Miller.


    I stepped back from the painting and smiled in satisfaction. It showed an injured boy lying on the road unconscious with his motorbike smashed around him.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± said Charlotte, who was peeking over my shoulder. Charlotte frowned in confusion as if solving a difficult Math equation.


    ¡°Nobody,¡± I said. I marched past her and carried my canvas to the front where Mrs Miller was lining up everyone¡¯s work.


    Most of the class had chosen to paint a landscape scene of wildlife or nature. However Brendan¡¯s painting showed a girl with no features but long dark hair streaming through a tunnel of rainbow lights. The painting was good and I was impressed by his talent. I wondered what it meant and whether the girl was me.


    ¡°Your homework is to write a short essay of no more than two pages, explaining your painting and why you choose this subject matter. You may go.¡±


    Brendan was the first student to leave without a backward glance. I couldn¡¯t understand how he moved so fast. Suddenly there was a jam at the door as students rushed to leave.


    ¡°Why does every teacher feel the need to give us homework this year? All our spare time will be spent doing homework at this rate,¡± Pamela moaned.


    ¡°What do you expect? It¡¯s our final year before college,¡± Charlotte replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s only going to get worse from now,¡± I said. I packed my bag and headed for the door but Mrs Miller called my name before I could cross the threshold.


    ¡°Rebecka, wait for a few minutes. I want to have a word with you,¡± said Mrs Miller.


    ¡°Go. We¡¯ll wait for you.¡± said Pamela. We usually flew home together in the flying jet. If I had nothing to do, I would visit Pamela or Charlotte¡¯s house but most often they came to my house.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll see you in a while.¡±


    I took hesitant steps towards Mrs Miller, who stood admiring the paintings assembled at the front. I knew whatever she was about to say wasn¡¯t good and I didn¡¯t want to hear it. She waited until everybody had left before turning to me.


    ¡°Rebecka, is there anything going on you wish to tell me?¡±


    ¡°No, Mrs Miller.¡± Although she looked me in the eye, I wasn¡¯t sure if she was watching my aura.


    ¡°You know you can trust me don¡¯t you? You¡¯ve been one of my favorite students ever since you started here as a tiny little girl. I¡¯ve never had any reason to complain about you. This is your final year and I don¡¯t want to see you lose focus at the most crucial time.¡±


    ¡°I understand Mrs Miller but I¡¯m not losing focus. Sometimes you just have a bad day and today was one of those bad days. It won''t happen again.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mrs Miller nodded in acceptance. A smile broke on her lips, brightening her face.


    ¡°You have so much talent, Rebecka. You would do quite well to pursue a career as a professional artist. Every piece you produce is spectacular, even this.¡±


    Mrs Miller had repeated this plea for me to choose an artistic career several times and each time I refused. I enjoyed art as a hobby but I wasn''t interested in taking it further and thankfully my parents agreed.


    ¡°I must say there is an air of familiarity about this boy. Who is he and why did you choose to paint this scene?¡± Mrs Miller frowned at my painting in the same way that Charlotte had done.


    ¡°I. . . errr. . I. . . well it¡¯s just . . . a scene from imagination. A dream.¡±


    ¡°A dream?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a dream I had but couldn¡¯t remember and it¡¯s now emerging from my subconscious memory.¡± I crossed my fingers behind my back at the lie. Thankfully she wasn¡¯t looking at me but at the paintings.


    ¡°That is very peculiar indeed. Those dark curls remind me of someone but I can¡¯t put my finger on it.¡±


    I nodded as if I shared her confusion. ¡°This one here looks good as well, full of depth and emotion.¡± I pointed to another painting of a corn field, signed by Rosalind Henry, to draw her attention away from my work.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s lovely,¡± said Mrs Miller.


    ¡°May I go now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯ll see you next lesson.¡±


    I walked out the classroom as quickly as my legs would go without running. Charlotte and Pamela were waiting for me outside the school entrance. Most of the students had already dispersed but a few were hanging around. I searched the sea of faces but couldn¡¯t spot Brendan¡¯s dark curly head in the crowd.


    ¡°Ready to leave?¡± Pamela asked.


    ¡°Yes. Are you coming to my house today?¡± I asked Pamela and Charlotte.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m heading home, too much homework,¡± Pamela said.


    ¡°Me too. I¡¯m tired. We¡¯re hanging out on Saturday aren¡¯t we?¡± said Charlotte.


    ¡°We are indeed,¡± I said.


    I walked with them to the clearing where our flying jets were parked, secured against the forest trees. The ground was slightly damp, perhaps it had rained earlier. The leaves on the trees would begin falling very soon and the ground would become icy and slippery. I strapped the flying jet around my body and entered my home address. Charlotte and Pamela did the same and very soon all three of us were whizzing through the air at speeds of 100 miles per hour.


    ¡°Oh look down there,¡± said Charlotte. I heard the sound through the speakers loud and clear as if she was standing next to me.


    Below us was Apioba Lake, one of the largest lakes in Waterside Valley. It was famous for breaking its banks and swelling into the nearby forest in summer when heavy rains and thunderstorms had their way. We spotted a boat race on the lake by two rival groups. They were rowing each boat by hand, cheered on by a small group of spectators on the banks.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Pamela asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious isn¡¯t it? They¡¯re having a boat race. Just a little bit of fun.¡±


    ¡°Is that allowed?¡± Pamela asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. I think we should try it at some point. Seems like a good idea,¡± I said.


    We paused to watch the race for a while before moving on. It wasn¡¯t long until we were flying past downtown, where Pamela lived.


    ¡°This is me. Bye girls,¡± said Pamela.


    ¡°Bye, I¡¯ll call you in the evening. You too Charlotte,¡± I said.


    We parted ways with Pamela heading towards her house, Charlotte going east and me heading north.


    I set the flying jet to the highest speed and flew home at breakneck speed. I parked the machine in the center of our circle and waved to Mr. Adrian Quincy, our next door neighbor. He was returning from work and looked as tired as I felt. All I wanted was to crawl into bed and sort out my jumbled emotions before Dad or Mum came home. I wanted to be armed with answers for the inevitable questions that would follow once they read my daily report.


    I opened the front door and called out, ¡°Hello, is anyone home?¡±


    My voice echoed back to me across the large open plan space. I set my bag on the kitchen island and poured a glass of water. I drank it all in one go and was shaking the glass to encourage the last drop into my mouth when James came into view, followed by William Barret.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Are you trying to eat that glass, Rebecka?¡± said James.


    ¡°Not you again.¡± James was the last person I wanted to deal with right now and I made my annoyance clear in my tone.


    ¡°You do realize you can get more water from the tap, right?¡±


    ¡°Piss off . . . will you just leave me alone!¡±


    James opened his mouth in shock. ¡°I¡¯m telling Dad. You used a bad word.¡±


    ¡°What? Saying piss off. . . I can use worse than that if you like. Give you a real reason to complain.¡± I wanted to throw the glass at him and wipe that smug look off his face but I knew that would be a step too far. Physical violence was viewed with horror in this community, a sure way to be stripped of my privilege as a lightworker.


    ¡°Rebecka? What has gotten into you?¡± James narrowed his eyes as if he was seeing me clearly for the first time.


    ¡°James, let her be,¡± said Will.


    Will and James had been friends for a long time, just like me, Pamela and Charlotte, except their bond was much closer. Will¡¯s parents, Stephaine Barrett and Russell Barrett, were Mayors of Waterside Valley, one of the most respected families of the community. It was rumored the entire family were lay brothers of the Adepts, which they never publicly denied or confirmed. However, I knew Will¡¯s family were all lightworkers, including his two older brothers who had since left the town to establish their own communities.


    Although Will himself had been home schooled, he was well known at Waterside High School, especially at the time when James attended. Although he was the youngest son, Will was tipped to take over his father¡¯s role as Mayor when he retired. I had often seen Will in the astral plane working beside his Dad.


    ¡°Who are you and what have you done with my sister?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to deal with your crap anymore. Everyone thinks you¡¯re so perfect but you won¡¯t give me a break. I¡¯m fed up with your constant nagging. You¡¯re not my Dad.¡±


    James looked perplexed, as if he didn¡¯t know what to say. He had never seen this side of me and didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡°Show some respect, Rebecka. How can you talk like this in front of Will?¡±


    ¡°What difference does it make? You tell him everything don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you can use bad language in front of him. I¡¯m definitely telling Mum and Dad.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so scared.¡± I banged by glass on the island for added effect.


    ¡°Do you want to stop being a lightworker? Because that¡¯s going to happen if you carry on like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop when you stop bullying me.¡±


    ¡°Bullying? Nonsense. It¡¯s called banter. I love you Rebecka. You¡¯re the only sister I¡¯ve got. Why would I bully you?¡± James frowned in deep thought as if the idea had only just occurred to him.


    ¡°James, let me speak to Rebekca alone,¡± said Will.


    ¡°Fine. I hope you can talk some sense into her.¡±


    James pressed his lips together and nodded, leaving me alone with Will. Will waited until James was out of sight before pointing to the sofa in the living area.


    ¡°Want to sit?¡±


    I walked away from the kitchen counter and plunged myself into the sofa. Will chose to sit across from me so that I couldn¡¯t look away from him.


    ¡°How was your day at school?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Will carried so much peace within himself, making me feel calm in his presence. He was handsome in his own way with long thick lashes that should be criminal on a boy, although nothing compared to Brendan. He had a high forehead with wide expressive eyes, portraying calmness and reliability. As different from the passionate gaze of Brendan as day is from night. Growing up, he¡¯d always been kind to me but to him I would always be James'' little sister.


    ¡°James loves you very much, I hope you know that, Rebecka?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    ¡°When he¡¯s teasing you, he¡¯s not doing it to be mean. That¡¯s just how he interacts with you.¡±


    ¡°Look, if you¡¯re here to defend him then I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to make you see things from his perspective.¡±


    ¡°Can you make him see things from my perspective?¡±


    ¡°Good point. When I talk to him, I can try. . .¡±


    He paused and stared at the door for a few moments before looking into my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in your life but whatever it is, I know it¡¯ll pass. The teenage years are certainly the most difficult. It¡¯s a period of time when your emotional nature is being born and until that matures, you have to deal with turbulent feelings.¡±


    My mind went straight to Brendan and the desires he invoked from me. Will was right, it was just the teenage years and with time and maturity, I could gain more control. ¡°Did you have a hard time controlling your emotions as a teenager?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did, we all do.¡±


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t remember you acting out. You and James have always been so perfect.¡±


    Will chuckled, ¡°Is that what you think?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s what everyone thinks.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? If only we could see ourselves as others see us!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not aware of your reputation?¡±


    ¡°I may have an inkling.¡± Will leaned forward in his chair, bringing him into my personal space. His teeth were straight, even and white.


    I leaned back and folded my legs under my thighs on the sofa. I wondered why I¡¯d never paid much attention to Will before, he was good company and handsome.


    ¡°Tell me, what is the most rebellious thing you¡¯ve ever done?¡±


    ¡°A few years ago, I didn¡¯t want to be homeschooled anymore. My parents didn¡¯t even want me to go to college, I had to fight for that.¡±


    I knew that Will had been homeschooled until the end of high school, when he eventually applied to the same college as James. I wasn¡¯t aware that he had to fight his parents for that.


    ¡°But why? Why didn¡¯t they want you to go college?¡±


    ¡°They think it¡¯s a waste of time, that they¡¯ve taught me everything I need to know for life.¡±


    ¡°Surely that can¡¯t be true.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. They taught me a lot and I know all my college subjects already, but I wanted to mingle with people of my age, especially since my brothers left.


    ¡°Ah I see. How could I forget, rumors about your powerful intellect are also rife in this community.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm . . . sounds like you¡¯ve been listening to a lot of rumors about me.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, it¡¯s common knowledge.¡±


    Will smiled displaying his dazzling teeth. ¡°Sounds like a gossipy Gemini to me.¡±


    I widened my eyes in mock horror, ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m a gossip?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sounds like you know a little bit of information about everybody.¡±


    I pinched the bridge of my nose in thought, ¡°You know what, you¡¯re right. I probably do.¡±


    We burst out laughing together, relieving most of the tension from my heart.


    ¡°Remind me of your zodiac sign.¡±


    ¡°Guess my ascendant!¡±


    I tapped my finger against my lips in thought. ¡°Maybe Sagittarius but an introverted Sagittarius.¡±


    ¡°Not quite. I have Pisces rising.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re so calm, and you''re a great healer.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that I¡¯m a great healer?¡±


    I giggled and covered my mouth as if I¡¯d revealed a secret.


    ¡°I¡¯m a gossipy Gemini, remember. I know a little about everything.¡± I winked at him and he laughed.


    ¡°Will, Rebekca?¡± Mum said from the door. Dad was standing behind her looking at me and Will with a strange expression on his face before he veiled his features. Will stood up as if he¡¯d been caught doing something naughty.


    ¡°Mum, Dad, I didn¡¯t hear you come in.¡±


    ¡°Clearly not, looks like you¡¯re having too much fun. Where is James?¡± Mum asked.


    ¡°Sulking somewhere in his room.¡±


    ¡°Mr and Mrs Frost,¡± Will said. He dropped his head in a nod ¡°I was just speaking to Rebecka.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful,¡± Mum said.


    ¡°What were you speaking about?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°Dad!¡± I cringed. My parents were the most intrusive people I¡¯ve ever known, despite making a show of respecting my privacy.


    ¡°Rebecka and James had an argument, Mr Frost,¡± Will replied.


    ¡°Oh, not again,¡± Mum groned.


    ¡°You need to stop arguing with your brother, Rebekca. I¡¯m getting sick of it,¡± Dad warned. He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of orange juice from the fridge.


    ¡°Why do I always get the blame for everything?¡±


    ¡°Oh goodness here we go again!¡± Mum threw her hands in the air as if seeking divine intervention.


    ¡°Will, we need to have a word with Rebekca alone. Why don¡¯t you head upstairs to James. I¡¯ll let you know when we finish,¡± said Dad.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Mr Frost. I was going to leave now anyway, it¡¯s getting late.¡±


    ¡°Alright, say hi to your parents for me. No doubt we¡¯ll see you tonight at the temple.¡±


    Dad patted Will on the back as he left. He draped his coat over his shoulders and waved goodbye before shutting the front door behind him.


    ¡°Mum, Dad, before you start, I want you to listen to my side of the story first. Please believe me when I say it¡¯s not my fault. James always wants to get under my skin, you should speak to him and tell him to stop.¡± My chest was heaving as I spoke, my emotions still raw and close to the surface.


    ¡°We¡¯ll speak to James alright, but we want you to take responsibility for the part you play in this. Use common sense and stop responding to every bait he sets out. He does it all the more because he knows you¡¯ll fall for it each time,¡± Dad moved from the Kitchen and sat in the living area opposite me. Mum joined next to him so that I couldn¡¯t hide from both of them. I felt as if under a microscope.


    ¡°Would you like to tell us what happened today at school?¡± Mum asked.


    I shook my head. I had never lied to my parents and didn¡¯t want to start now but at the same time I was reluctant to tell the truth. ¡°Which version do you want?¡±


    ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°Speak the truth Rebekca, you know the consequences of lying,¡± Mum added.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I shrugged and glanced at the floor, avoiding their gaze. ¡°I guess you¡¯ve seen my daily report from school?¡±


    Mum nodded, ¡°You turned up late to your lesson and yesterday you were passing notes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already apologized to Mrs Miller and Mr Gildon. I just lost track of time. I¡¯m not perfect.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not perfect but you know the standard of behavior as a lightworker?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°I do,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°And you know that nothing can be hidden from the Adepts?¡±


    ¡°Yes Dad.¡± I struggled not to roll my eyes. ¡°I also know they respect individual freedom. You need to allow me to make my own choices, otherwise how can I learn from my mistakes?¡±


    I looked up and saw a frown on Dad¡¯s face. He stood up and paced across the room, seemingly in deep thought.


    ¡°Keith, what''s the matter?¡± Mum asked.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right but I can¡¯t put my finger on it,¡± Dad said. ¡°I feel a sense of heavy foreboding, but I trust you, Rebekca. If you¡¯re saying that we need to give you space to make your own mistakes then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Keith?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s old enough to know right from wrong. We have to trust the process, that we¡¯ve taught her enough. Remember what the teenage years were like for us. She¡¯ll come out of it eventually.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, I see what you mean,¡± said Mum.


    Mum and Dad always agreed with each other and not for the first time, I marveled at their connection. Although it probably helped that they could communicate without words, through mental telepathy.


    ¡°Thank you, Dad. Can I go to my room now?¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll see you at dinner.¡± Mum gave me a smile of reassurance.


    I couldn¡¯t escape fast enough and I almost broke into a run as I took the stairs two at a time. I slammed the door to my room and locked it behind me. I released a sigh of relief and collapsed on the bed. My thoughts immediately returned to Brendan and I wondered what he was doing at this moment. I wasn¡¯t ready to admit whatever was happening between us and certainly not ready to confess them to my parents. He evoked something in me that I didn¡¯t think was possible. I would have to be very careful from now until I figured out what to do.

 Chapter 6

    That evening, dinner was a very quiet and subdued affair. James and I were absorbed in our own thoughts while Mum and Dad chatted away happily, telling stories from work. Dad worked at an indoor greenhouse center as the chief horticulturist while Mum worked as a veterinary doctor. The greenhouse centers supplied the town with most of the fresh fruits and vegetables we needed. Each household usually ordered their food by Friday evening and it was delivered on Saturday morning by the working robots free of charge.


    I chewed the asparagus and potatoes on my plate slowly as thoughts swelled around my head. I thought about Brendan and how he came to live at Waterside Valley with his family. I wondered what they did for a living before coming here. Every outsider had to prove that they could adapt to the lifestyle here, through a life of service before they could even be considered, hence the lack of many newcomers. Brendan¡¯s family must have lived a harmless life and proven themselves worthy otherwise they wouldn¡¯t be here.


    I often wondered how people functioned in big cities where everyone had to pay for everything with money. It was an inefficient system that had led people to greed, courrption, murder and even insanity for thousands of years. Yet those who lived in the big cities, outside the network of communities established by the Adepts, still held onto this form of exchange, desperate to gain influence and power over each other. Both the wealthy and poor class seemed content with the status quo and fear of the ever growing violence.


    ¡°Hurry and finish your meal. We need to head out a bit early today. Mark just told me there¡¯s lots to be done,¡± said Dad.


    ¡°Oh why? Is something happening?¡± James asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I¡¯ve not heard of any major incidents. I think there¡¯s just lots of isolated events,¡± said Dad.


    Mum gathered the plates and began loading the dishwasher. I finished the last of my vegetables and helped her to clean the table.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you on the other side, Rebecka. Don¡¯t forget to do your exercises.¡± said Mum.


    I nodded and headed straight for my room. It was 8pm and the full moon was shining brightly through my windows. Our neighbors were quiet, only the soft rustling sound of the wind moving through the trees could be heard. I closed my curtains and relaxed on top of my bedsheets. The sleeping exercises were usually very easy for me. All I had to do was relefect on the events of my day in reverse order, admonishing myself for where I¡¯d gone wrong and praising myself for good deeds. I started with the last scene from dinner and got as far as the conversation with Will in the living room. My thoughts were scattered on Brendan and I couldn¡¯t gather them sufficiently to concentrate. I tossed and turned in bed for a while until I felt a presence in my room.


    It was Ariel, my personal Angel, who had shadowed my life ever since I was born. I was usually able to speak with him fairly easily, especially when I was out of my body at night. We used to play often when I was little. Our bond was as close as one would expect between a human and an angel. He was taller than the average human with perfect symmetrical features and unblemished skin. His hair was tied at the back and he wore a long robe which covered his shoulders to his feet. He didn¡¯t have wings as was commonly portrayed in those famous paintings.


    ¡°Hello Ariel,¡± I smiled in greeting.


    ¡°Hello Rebecka, peace be on you,¡± Ariel¡¯s voice was soft and lyrical and I could listen to it all day long.


    ¡°Thank you, and you too. Are you coming with us tonight?¡± Sometimes we worked with the Angels to complete our assignments.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve come to see you. The rest of your family are waiting for you on the other side. You need to finish your exercises and hurry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m trying to sleep but I can¡¯t concentrate.¡±


    ¡°I know. Tonight you need extra help and that is why I¡¯ve come.¡± said Ariel.


    ¡°Can you tell me what is happening to me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re under trial, Rebecka. Brendan has been sent to test you. You need to stand firm and hold onto the things that are true.¡±


    My eyes widened in surprise. I¡¯ve heard of such trials before and knew they were commonly used but it never crossed my mind that I would be under trial myself.


    ¡°What I¡¯m I going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve come to help you. I¡¯ll be with you every step you take, although at times it¡¯ll not feel that way to you.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Now close your eyes and go to sleep, you¡¯re being called to work.¡±


    Ariel touched my forehead and I fell asleep immediately. I lost consciousness for a few moments and woke up in the astral world. My body was lying on the bed, limp and lifeless.


    ¡°Hurry, come with me,¡± said Ariel.


    I followed the Angel through the walls which presented no barrier. We travelled at lightning speed and soon found ourselves in the grand hallway of the temple, the home of the Adepts. The room was throbbing with lightworkers from all over the world waiting to receive their assignments. There were people from North and South America, Europe and nearly every corner of the earth. I spotted Mum, Dad and James chatting to Will¡¯s parents, Russell and Stephaine Barrett.


    ¡°There she is, nice of you to join us Rebecka,¡± said James. He whispered something to Will, who threw his head back and laughed.


    I chose to ignore him and greeted Will¡¯s parents. ¡°Mr and Mrs Barrett, it¡¯s nice to see you.¡±


    ¡°Lovely to see you too Rebecka, look how you¡¯ve grown,¡± Russell greeted me with a kiss on the cheek and Stephaine gave me a warm hug.


    ¡°Look James, Lily¡¯s over there,¡± said Will. Lilly was standing near the entrance of the temple.


    Lily was James'' fiancee. Their match was revealed two years ago, during James¡¯ final year at high school. Although she lived in Italy, they saw each other frequently on the astral plane. Last I heard was that Lily was planning to move to Waterside Valley after their wedding which would come in 3 years after they both finish college. She was a pretty girl with graceful and delicate features, wide eyes and gorgeous brown hair which glimmered in the light. James waved her over to our group and greeted her with a long hug. Their match had come as a surprise to everyone, including James, who was now smittened with her.


    ¡°Lilly, how lovely to see you again. Did you come by yourself tonight?¡± Mum asked.


    ¡°Yes, my bother is sill reco. ..overing from de flu.¡± Lilly¡¯s english accent was delightful. She spoke in a soft tone which made me want to listen to her forever. I had never seen her parents in this temple and assumed they were not lightworkers. She usually came with her brother, Roberto Romano, but tonight she cut a lonely figure without him.


    ¡°You can join me tonight if you like. Once we¡¯re married we¡¯ll go on all our assignments together,¡± said James, placing a hand on her shoulders.


    ¡°Mark is coming,¡± Dad announced, pointing towards the stairs.


    Mark, the Adept who usually gave our assignments, appeared at the top of the stairs, flanked by three more Adepts, John, Dainel, and Frank. I knew most of the Adepts in this fraternity by name, having grown up surrounded by their presence. They had the power to speak with a higher consciousness and project the images from their thoughts to their audience, leaving no room for misunderstanding.


    ¡°Evening everyone,¡± Mark said at the top of the stairs.  He walked over to our group and his mere presence had a soothing effect, causing everyone to stand on alert. John, Daniel and Frank spoke to the other groups gathered.


    ¡°Tonight we have a lot that needs to be done. You must all finish your assignments quickly, and come back here for the full moon service. Some of you may have to go back out again, it depends on how much we can get done.¡±


    ¡°Is the full moon service at midnight?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°Yes, it''s midnight. Hannah you¡¯ll have to assist the new lightworkers in training. Go to their rooms, each of them should be sleeping, and escort them here. Show them what needs to be done with the children.¡±


    ¡°Yes of course, I¡¯ll do that straight away.¡± Mum disappeared on the spot.


    ¡°Russell and Stephine, if you wouldn¡¯t mind please hurry to the lower regions. Tonight there are a number of people ready to be escorted out. There are also others who are close and need much help and encouragement.¡±


    Mr. Barrett nodded vigorously, ¡°Yes of course, we¡¯ll go now. Come on Will, say bye to your friends¡±


    ¡°No. Tonight Will, James and Lily will head out on their own. They¡¯re off age and should be fine on their own. There¡¯s a ship on the south atlantic ocean near the coast of Brazil which is about to sink. There will be shipwreck but none will be lost. Rescue them all to the nearest Recovery Centre in Brazil until they¡¯re able to return home.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Mark, it¡¯s my pleasure to serve. We¡¯ll be back before midnight,¡± said James. He held out his hands for Will and Lily and together they disappeared.


    ¡°I guess we better get going as well. Come on Steph,¡± said Mr Barrett.


    Mark turned to face me and Dad. He looked in my eyes and smiled, giving me a feeling of intense love and warmth.


    ¡°Rebecka, what a great destiny you have before you. I have full confidence that you¡¯ll not fail. We have a lot of hope for you. But it all depends on how much you¡¯re willing to sacrifice,¡± said Mark.


    I twisted my hair around my fingers, clueless as to what he was talking about. As if he read my mind, he said, ¡°Don''t worry, everything will be revealed in a good time. Tonight I want you to head to New York City. There are a few people there who¡¯ve been praying for healing. You¡¯ll find them by the light of their auras.


    ¡°Excellent, we¡¯ll get onto it straight away.¡±


    Dad took my hands and together we disappeared. We traveled through the air faster than any bird. The high winds presented no barrier to our progress. I had never been to New York before, although I¡¯d heard so much about it. It had once been one of the biggest and most famous cities in the world at its peak. Although still a formidable city, it was now mostly inhabited by the wicked, unworthy and those unready to join the network.


    We hovered around the city for a while which was almost the same size as Waterside Valley but 10 times the population. Manhattan was dark and poorly lit but there were still people mingling outside, seemingly busy and rushing to goodness knows where. The city was a shadow of its former glory, with crumbling skyscrapers everywhere. There was very little vegetation in sight, unlike Waterside Valley which was surrounded by trees and forests at every turn. The streets were filled with rubbish and a few rough sleepers. We headed from Manhattan to the eastern part of the city, towards the suburbs.


    ¡°Dad, how are we meant to find these people who need our help? Are we just wandering around aimlessly?¡±


    ¡°I believe we¡¯re not far from the first house, it should be just around this turn. Look out for a bright shining aura among the houses which would indicate the prayerful attitude¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    We were gliding around Queens alongside rows of terraced houses which had clearly seen better days. I could see the people inside each house with my inner vision which I was allowed to use when out on service missions like this.


    ¡°There, I can see something. Looks like a woman is kneeling on the bedside, praying for a child,¡± I pointed to the last house at the end of a row of terrace houses.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Let''s take a look.¡±


    We entered the house through the roof and stood next to the woman who was praying intensely for the child with tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°Can you hear what she¡¯s saying? Listen,¡± Dad asked.


    Suddenly the child tapped her mother on the shoulder, ¡°Mummy, I think there are angels in this room. I feel something as if someone is standing over there.¡±


    The woman did not possess clairvoyant vision and therefore couldn¡¯t see or hear us in the room. However the child on the bed sensed our presence, possibly made sensitive by her condition.


    ¡°Angels, did you say? Are you sure? Do you see them?¡±


    ¡°No, I just feel something, as if a presence is standing over there¡± the girl replied.


    ¡°Then we must pray harder,¡± the mother replied. She bowed her head and focused her thoughts. I could see a blue substance streaming from her head to the child on the bed.


    ¡°What is that blue thing? I''ve never seen that before,¡± I asked.


    ¡°All her prayers have formed a connection to the child, it¡¯s the bond between them.¡±


    ¡°I see, and what is the girl¡¯s condition?¡±


    ¡°Her immune system is attacking her because she hated body in her past life, an autoimmune disease. It¡¯s very important that we show gratitude for our bodies and for our lives. Thoughts of hatred are harmful to us, no matter what form they take.¡±


    I nodded in response. I had been taught that hateful thoughts are harmful but this was the first time I¡¯d seen the results of such a condition brought over from a past life.


    ¡°Should we reveal ourselves to them?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, that would simply frighten them. Let''s materialize outside and knock at the door.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I followed Dad¡¯s lead and materialized outside the front door. The nearest street light was flickering and most of the houses had dusty windows with thick black out curtains.


    Dad knocked on the door and we waited for a few minutes before the front door was wrenched open. It was the mother, wiping frantic tears from her eyes.


    ¡°Hello, we¡¯ve come to see your daughter. I understand she¡¯s unwell.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The woman narrowed her eyes in suspicion.


    ¡°We¡¯re friends. We¡¯ve come in answer to your prayers.¡±


    The woman widened her eyes as if something had suddenly clicked in place. She opened the door wider and invited us inside. There was no electricity inside the house, making it difficult to see. She led us upstairs with candle light and opened the first door where the sick girl was lying in bed, covered with loads of blankets. The room was dimly lit with yet more candles and it had a strong musty smell.


    ¡°Sorry it¡¯s a bit draughty here.Would you like anything to drink? I could make you a cup of tea or coffee?¡±


    ¡°No we¡¯re fine, thank you.¡± Dad refused politely. ¡°What is your daughter¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Her name is Grace.¡±


    ¡°What a lovely name. Grace, well the grace of God has found you today.¡±


    Dad approached the bed and kneeled in the same spot the mother had kneeled moments before. He took Grace¡¯s hands and cupped them in both of his.


    ¡°Are you an angel?¡± the girl whispered from the bed.


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m an angel.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something different about you, are you human?¡±


    ¡°Yes I¡¯m human, just like you. I¡¯m a lightworker.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the mother gasped in surprise, covering her mouth to conceal the sound.


    ¡°You know what a lightworker is?¡±


    The girl nodded, still rather weak.


    ¡°We¡¯ve heard rumors of lightworks and the network communities. Is it true it¡¯s like heaven?¡±


    ¡°I guess you could say they¡¯re sort of heaven on earth. Our towns are not exclusive to lightworkers. Anyone who is a good person and can prove through service and discipline that they can adapt to the high rate of vibration there can join us. Our doors are open to newcomers, prayerful people such as yourself are welcome to join.¡±


    ¡°Mummy, I want to go with these people,¡± said Grace.


    ¡°Please heal my daughter, then tell me how I can find such a place.¡±


    ¡°Of course, What is your name?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°Evelyn, we¡¯ll do all we can for your daughter. It¡¯s a privilege to serve.¡± Dad beckoned me closer. I knelt beside Grace on the bed and touched her hands. She was cold, despite the extra blankets.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± Dad asked me.


    ¡°She¡¯s very weak, her life force is very low. ¡± I replied.


    ¡°Good. Do you have any suggestions for how to heal this? Can you see the state of her organs? At this stage, she¡¯ll only last for a few weeks at best without our help.¡±


    ¡°Grace needs to change her attitude first. To believe that she¡¯s loved and that she¡¯s worthy of love. I can apply the healing force to increase her vitality but without that fundamental change in attitude she¡¯ll become unwell again.¡±


    ¡°I promise from now on, I¡¯ll be grateful for everything. I¡¯ll value my body and everything else in my life,¡± Grace said in a soft whispery voice.


    ¡°Very well, go ahead,¡± Dad said with a smile, showing his approval.


    I held onto Grace¡¯s hands and closed my eyes. I centered all my thoughts on drawing down the healing force from above, just as I would during meditation. A short while later, Grace sat up in bed and pushed the blankets off her legs. All the lines of pain which had pulled her face tight with a grimace had disappeared. I couldn¡¯t believe it. My first successful healing attempt. It worked. It was easier than I imagined and I couldn¡¯t understand why I¡¯d never been able to do it until now.


    ¡°I feel amazing, all the pain¡¯s disappeared.¡± Grace stretched her arms to the ceiling before throwing the blankets off completely.


    ¡°Take it easy. It¡¯ll take a while for you to regain your full strength. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say, thank you so much for what you¡¯ve done for my Grace. I¡¯ll make sure she eats healthily from now on.¡±


    ¡°Mum, look at me. I couldn''t even sit up before. Look, now I can stand.¡±  Grace stood up and twirled around the tiny room. She appeared to be around the age of 12 or 13 years old with a tall willowy frame. She turned to Dad and I caught a tear drop running down her face. She went on her knees and bowed before me and Dad. ¡°I''m so thankful, I don¡¯t know what to say. How can we repay you?¡±


    ¡°Stand up, don¡¯t bow to us, we''re merely human. The healing force comes from the Father, who gives good things to his children. You can repay him by living a good, useful life that is full of service and compassion to others.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll certainly do that.  We promise to be good,¡± said Evelyn.


    ¡°Excellent. Maybe one day we¡¯ll see each other again,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°I want to live in one of those communities you mentioned and get away from this horrid place. I¡¯m tired and fed up with these people,¡± said Evelyn.


    ¡°You can choose to apply through one of the official channels but either way it doesn¡¯t matter. If you live a good life your aura will shine and attract the attention of the Adepts. There¡¯s a long waiting list of applicants but very few are found worthy. Being a good person is the key requirement.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do both, we¡¯ll apply and also live a good life,¡± Grace declared, full of youthful confidence.


    ¡°Dad, I think we have to get going now,¡± I said. We still had a few places to visit and to get back to the Temple by midnight.


    ¡°Thank you both for all your help,¡± said Evelyn.


    We said goodbye to Grace who was still wiping tears from her eyes. Evelyn walked us to the door. She watched until we walked out of sight.


    ¡°Take my hand and let''s hurry, we need to see at least five more people,¡± said Dad.


    We stood on the junction at the end of Evelyn¡¯s street. Dad looked around to make sure nobody was watching.


    ¡°On the count of three, One, two, three . . .Now!¡±


    At the signal from Dad, I dissolved my body, scattering the elements into the ethers, rendering ourselves invisible to the ordinary eye yet again.


    We glided through the air, searching the city for our next patient until we got to Brooklyn.  Dad spotted a man sleeping in one of the apartments. We entered his room through the walls and stood beside his bed for a while, staring at his organs through the blankets. Unlike Grace, there was nobody praying by the bedside or in the apartment. This man was alone and his aura was filled with the murky colours of rage and passion, indicating that he wasn¡¯t particularly religious.


    ¡°Can you see what¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s got cancerous cells growing on all his major organs, his heart, liver, kidneys.¡±


    ¡°Well done, that¡¯s right Rebekca.¡±


    ¡°Should I wake him up?¡±


    ¡°No, no need. We¡¯re going to heal him whilst he sleeps and afterwards talk to his spirit. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s done to deserve our help but he¡¯s on our list tonight.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± I knew the Adepts had a reason behind everything they did. Beides, Dad had been doing this for a long time and must have healed loads of people this way.


    I stretched my hands towards the man on the bed and prayed that his body should be healed, just like with Grace. However, when I opened my eyes afterwards, I couldn¡¯t see any changes in his body. The cancerous cells were still visible, a black bluish purplish color which could clearly be distinguished from the healthy pink cells. My healing ability wasn¡¯t as powerful as Dads but the confidence I gained after the success of healing Grace was quickly slipping away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Rebekca, some cases are very deep rooted and do require more time. In fact we¡¯ll not be able to finish this healing today but we¡¯ll need to come back several times. This man¡¯s been sick for 20 years, bedridden with no friends or loved ones. He comes from a wealthy family who left him some money. He¡¯s been able to hire a maid who comes in once a day to cook his meals and assist him. So you see, this is going to take a while. We¡¯ll need to strip all the diseased cells from his etheric body and lend him some of our strength before he can recover.¡±


    ¡°Wow, somehow I thought all the healing work was performed instantaneously,¡± I said.


    ¡°Most of the time they are but it also depends on the case and who¡¯s doing the healing. For example, the Adepts or a powerful being like the Christ, can draw the healing force with instant results. Lightworkers like us are a long way from being able to do that. For us, persistence is the key.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Thank goodness.¡±


    Dad chuckled, ¡°You''re going to be a magnificent healer one day, Rebecka. I know it, now you need to start believing it.¡±


    I shook my head. I still wasn¡¯t sure what I wanted to do once I finished college. Being a healer sounded like a great idea but I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to do it as a full time role. I thought of Magarettt at the Recovery Center and how much she loved her work.


    ¡°What are we going to do now? Should I pray for him again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do it together,¡± Dad said.


    We linked hands and prayed in deep silence for a while. Afterwards Dad showed me how to strip the diseased cells from the man¡¯s etheric body. I saw a noticeable improvement by the time we finished.


    ¡°That¡¯s much better, it might take a few days for the changes to reflect in his physical body but he will recover.¡±


    ¡°How often do you have to do this, Dad?¡±


    ¡°More often than you would imagine. Now, wake him up and talk to his spirit. Tell him that he must cleanse his thoughts in particular from passionate and beastly desires. He needs to turn his attention to lofty and pure channels otherwise he¡¯ll humper our healing efforts and the disease will return with greater power. He¡¯ll remember it as a dream when he wakes up.¡±


    I did just as Dad suggested. The spirit of the man was hovering above his sleeping form on the bed so I woke him up and spoke to him. By the time we left the apartment it was 1hr and 30 mins left till midnight. We continued hovering around the city and found three more patients to heal. None were as severe as the man in the apartment with long term cancer. I was able to heal them all with instant success. We didn''t materialize but remained invisible in our soul bodies. Afterwards, I spoke to them in a dream form whilst they slept.


    We returned back to the temple just in time for the beginning of the full moon service with 10 mins to spare.  Mum, James, Will, Lily, and the Barretts had already returned. Once everyone arrived, the twelve Adepts stood in a circle and all the lightworkers, both neophytes and disciples alike, surrounded them. Everyone stood according to their astrological sign so that we formed a perfect zodiac.


    I had taken part in several of these services as a little girl and knew just what to expect. In some ways it resembled a religious service except there was no preaching. We sang a few hymns and recited prayers in Latin to prepare the right vibration before the appearance of the thirteenth Adept, whose identity remained a closely guarded secret by the twelve brothers. Despite the fact we stood in an etheric temple clothed in our soul bodies, his appearance was invisible to us and we only ever felt his presence by the increased rate of vibration in the room.


    I entered into a deep state of meditation, focusing all my energy on repelling the evil forces in the world just as I¡¯d been taught to do. I knew these services were vitally important for keeping the forces of evil at bay. If someone went to sleep in the evening thinking thoughts of evil, they would wake up in the morning to find they¡¯d lost the motive for the evil deed. By this method, the war between the forces of good and evil had been waging since the fall of humanity. We, the lightworkers, were on the front line of this battle. It was through our efforts that humanity was able to make any progress at all. I held onto these ideals and prayed with all my strength. Not once did I think of Brendan or anything connected to Waterside Valley.

 Chapter 7

    I woke up and laid in bed for a while, reflecting on all the strangers we visited and healed. Life outside the network seemed very hard indeed and I pitied the people. I had seen first hand the consequences of evil thought patterns as a warning to myself. The lustful desires that Brendan invoked in me were nothing more than a trial. I was determined not to allow a repeat of the events of the previous day.


    I got to school on time and was determined to ignore Brendan all day but my plans quickly crumbled. Brendan was the first person I saw. He was parking his flying jet in the clearing behind the school just as I arrived with Charlotte and Pamela. They giggled like silly little school girls when he turned and waved in our direction. I had to admit that he looked really good, better than the day before if possible.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, just look at him. He looks good enough to eat,¡± said Pamela.


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Really? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re exaggerating just a little.¡±


    ¡°Eerr. . . no I don¡¯t think so. Just look at him.¡± Pamela pointed at Brendan with her eyes, making it obvious to any observer than we were talking about him.


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s something wrong with your eyes, Rebecka,¡± Charlotte said with a smirk.


    ¡°I can see perfectly well. I just don¡¯t think we should objectify him. He¡¯s more than his body.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, I forgot you can see into his soul. Can you tell us what his aura looks like?¡± Charlotte asked.


    I widen my eyes in horror to show my revulsion to the idea. ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, we know. You¡¯re not allowed to use spiritual powers for anything other than service,¡± Charlotte and Pamela chorused together in what was supposed to be an imitation of my voice.


    ¡°I do not sound like that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do!¡± Pamela said.


    ¡°I do not! Anyway, what¡¯s wrong with you two this morning?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Brendan,¡± said Charlotte. They both cast shy glances in Brendan¡¯s direction as he walked away and giggled. They made no effort to conceal their interest and I felt like dying on the spot. I prayed for the ground to open up and swallow me.


    ¡°You¡¯re both being silly. Let¡¯s hurry, we don¡¯t want to be late do we?¡±


    They both nodded and we walked to our first lesson which was Maths with Mr Paul Timson. I usually enjoyed Maths and did my best to concentrate during the lesson. I was already familiar with everything that Mr Timson was writing on the board - a deep dive on spiritual Mathematics and the meaning behind geometrical shapes such as the triangle, square and circle. However, about 10 mins into the lesson, I found my mind drifting. Brendan was seated two desks ahead of me and I couldn¡¯t avoid seeing him without closing my eyes. I also couldn¡¯t get away from Charlotte and Pamela¡¯s whispering as they gossiped about him non-stop. Mr Timson was not the strictest teacher and he turned a blind eye to minor disruptions in his class. He was too absorbed in the subject to notice much else.


    My head was buzzing with the onset of a headache by the time the bell rang for lunch. Despite my resolve, the strength of my feelings for Brendan confused me. I excused myself from Charlotte and Pamela at the earliest opportunity, pretending that I needed to use the bathroom. I escaped into the forest  surrounding the school, grateful for the peace and quiet. Students were warned not to wander in the forests but I¡¯d done it so many times that I knew there was no real danger. Many times I¡¯d seen foxes, wolves and deer, harmless creatures who were happy to be left alone. They usually stayed clear of the school and humans in general.


    My foot traced a well worn footpath and before I knew it I was standing by the banks of Apiopa lake. I removed my shoes and dipped my toes in the water for a while, ignoring the chilly weather. I closed my eyes and tried to recall the full moon service from the previous night, hoping to replace my confused state of mind with something clear, good and pure.


    I don¡¯t know how long I sat there but after a while, I felt a presence behind me. I smelled the spicy wooden fragrance he wore before I saw his face. Brendan stood behind me, leaning against a tree as if he owned it. His features were veiled, expressionless, guarded and weary as if approaching a wild predator.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You would like that wouldn''t you? Just like all the other girls, you wished I was chasing after you.¡±


    I snorted in disbelief. He was so full of himself it was unbelievable. ¡°I was here first. What do you expect me to think?¡±


    ¡°That I was just walking through the woods and happened to stumble across you sitting here like this.¡±


    ¡°Is that the truth?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Do I look like a liar?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you¡¯re a liar! Now stop answering my questions with another question,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°You implied that I was lying, ¡®Is that the truth¡¯?.¡± Brendan released his hold on the tree and walked towards me. His turquoise gaze stood out, almost clear and shiny like orbs of light.


    ¡°Not really, I thought you might be mocking me. Why are you so defensive?¡±


    ¡°And why are you so accusatory?¡±


    ¡°This is impossible. I can''t have a meaningful conversation with you,¡± I sighed. I selected some stones and threw them into the lake. The waves rippled across the surface of the water in a way that was satisfying to watch.


    ¡°You haven''t tried to have a meaningful conversation with me.¡± Brendan stopped next to me, increasing my awareness of him.


    ¡°Okay fine, let¡¯s try that now. What school did you go to before settling in Waterside Valley?¡±


    Brendan paced back and forth around the lake, his handsome features were shaped in a deep frown.


    ¡°St Mary¡¯s High School.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a catholic school. Did you enjoy it there?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What made you want to come to Waterside Valley?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    I waited for him to say more but he didn¡¯t elaborate. He was deliberately being evasive.


    ¡°What¡¯s your favourite subject?¡±


    He shrugged before picking up stones to skittle across the lake surface. ¡°I don¡¯t have a favourite subject.¡±


    ¡°There must be subjects you enjoy more than others?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to be when you grow up?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet? Do you?¡±


    ¡°No, not really, although Dad thinks I''ll make a great healer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. For most of us, our fate has already been decided by our horoscope.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, although the horoscope was chosen by us before we¡¯re plunged into the womb. My family always taught me that I can do anything I want although I think it makes sense to follow the lines of least resistance. You must do what you¡¯re good at, unless you want to develop new talents.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Wow, we finally agreed on something.¡± I punched my fist in the air.


    Brendan chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re actually hilarious, when you¡¯re not being annoying.¡±


    The smile brightened his face, making him appear even more handsome if that was possible. I ignored the thrill of adrenaline which shot through my veins.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I lowered my head in a mock bow. ¡°We aim to please, at your service.¡±


    Brendan threw his head back and laughed, ¡°I think I¡¯ll keep you as a friend. I need someone to show me how things work around here.¡±


    ¡°It would be the highest honour to be friends with the great Brendan Dolton.¡±


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Brendan said with seriousness in his eyes but amusement painted his lips.


    Suddenly I had the impulse to kiss him. I wondered what his lips would taste like? They looked soft, full, and delicious. I saw my own wonton desire mirrored in his eyes as he caught me staring at his mouth. I turned away from him and looked towards the lake to regain control over my raging senses.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for us to be friends.¡± My voice came out huskier than I intended.


    ¡°Why? Because you can¡¯t control yourself.¡± Brendan grabbed my shoulders and turned me around to face him. His touch sent shivers through my body, causing my senses to go into a hyper awareness mood. He looked into my eyes, searching their depths for goodness knows what.


    ¡°I can control myself.¡±


    ¡°Liar. I see the desire in your eyes. You might be a lightworker, but you can¡¯t control yourself around me anymore than hundreds of silly girls in that school.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡±


    ¡°Good. You should work really hard.¡±


    ¡°Wait, who told you I¡¯m a lightworker¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me, it¡¯s pretty hard to ignore all the gossip that goes around this place. This community does gossip a lot for a town that¡¯s supposed to be for good people.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not perfect, we¡¯re still evolving.¡±


    ¡°That I can see.¡±


    ¡°Look if we¡¯re going to be friends I think there¡¯s a few things we should agree on. Rule number one is no touching. At no point should any part of your skin come into contact with mine.¡±


    Brendan opened his mouth in surprise, raising the thick eyebrows in question.


    ¡°Wiat, you¡¯re being serious. . . Okay what¡¯s rule number two?¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be alone together. Outdoors is fine but not when we¡¯re inside.¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculou.¡± Amusement danced in Brendan¡¯s eyes and I could tell he wasn¡¯t taking it seriously.


    ¡°This is for our own protection. Think of it as if you¡¯re helping me whilst I¡¯m working to control my desires. I¡¯ve already been matched to my life partner but I won''t find out who it is until December. If I¡¯m seen with you in a compromising situation, it could ruin my chances.¡±


    Brendan looked puzzled, as if I¡¯d just spoken french.


    ¡°You know about the matching scheme right? That every young person in this town is assigned a life partner who is revealed at the age of eighteen.¡±


    ¡°Yes . . . I¡¯ve heard of it. What baffles me is why that means I can¡¯t touch you. Friends hug all the time, don¡¯t they? You hug Charlotte and Pamela all the time?¡±


    ¡°Yes but that¡¯s different ¡ª¡±


    ¡°How is it different? Is it because they¡¯re female and I¡¯m male? What if they¡¯re lesbains?¡±


    My eyes widened in shock, before I covered the giggles erupting from my lips. We had our fair share of those who¡¯d chosen the celibate path. Suddenly an alarm bell sounded from my pocket. It was an old wrist watch that Mum had given me this morning to help me check the time and stop me from being late.


    ¡°Look, I think we should get back. Lunch is over in 10 mins and I still have to collect my sports kit from my locker for our next lesson.¡±


    ¡°Did you eat any lunch?¡± I sensed a hint of concern in Brendan¡¯s tone.


    I shrugged and followed the footpath back to the school grounds. Brendan fell into step beside me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some sandwiches in my pocket. If we¡¯re going to be friends then I better offer you some.¡±


    ¡°What kind of sandwiches are they?¡±


    ¡°Do you like peanut butter? Wait, are you allergic?¡±


    ¡°I''m not allergic but you¡¯ve surprised me. I didn¡¯t think of you as a peanut butter kind of guy.¡±


    Brendan chuckled, ¡°Really? And what does a peanut butter kind of guy look like?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe someone who is thin with a spotty face.¡±


    ¡°Haha, very funny.¡±


    Suddenly, Brendan touched the back of my neck, causing me to jump at the electric impulse which ripped through my skin. I slapped his hands away and placed a five step distance between us.


    ¡°I said no touching.¡±


    ¡°Yes I know, it¡¯s rule number one. Your tag was sticking out and I was just tucking it in. You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°You did that on purpose. You¡¯re a rule breaker.¡±


    ¡°I love breaking rules but I didn¡¯t do that on purpose.¡±


    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes before I carried on walking. A short while later, we emerged from the cover of the dense woods. The trees became thinner until I spotted the school building ahead. There were no students in sight which told me we¡¯d missed the lunch bell yet again.


    The sports teacher, Mr Cole Randals, was the youngest but strictest teacher in the entire school. He demanded discipline and pushed the students beyond the limits of their physical endurance, his motto being that a healthy body makes a happy life. I was on shaky grounds already with my recent lateness and the last thing I needed was to add to that record.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to be late again. Looks like we missed the bell,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Hey, chill. It¡¯s not that bad, students are late all the time.¡±


    Anger swept through my veins like a drug, a sensation I¡¯d never experienced before. I pushed Brendad but came against a solid wall of chest. I wanted to throw something at him or punch him. Anything to wipe that smirk from his face. He restrained my arms behind my back easily as if holding a doll.


    ¡°You pushed me, I thought you said no touching?¡±


    ¡°Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Not until you¡¯ve calmed down. Are lightworkers supposed to behave like this?¡±


    ¡°You think this is a joke? I¡¯ve already endured a lecture from my parents yesterday and I promised I''ll not be late again. Why do you think I¡¯ve got that alarm in my pocket? You still don¡¯t understand how things work around here do you? Everyone has to be on top of their game, honest and good, otherwise you¡¯re seen as bringing the community down. Why don¡¯t you find out what happens to those who go astray in this community?¡±


    I paused to draw a deep breath. My chest was heaving as if I¡¯ve run a mile. I didn¡¯t register what time Brendan released me but suddenly I found my hands free. He folded his arms across his chest and was staring at me as if seeing me for the first time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overreacting? We¡¯re late for a sports lesson it¡¯s not like we¡¯ve committed murder.¡±


    Exasperated, I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. ¡°You just don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to upset you. I¡¯ll not bother you again,¡± said Brendan.


    Brendan turned and walked into the main entrance. I was routed to the spot and watched him until he disappeared from view. A part of me wanted to skip the sports lesson all together, to pretend I¡¯ve got a stomach ache and felt sick or something. However I dismissed the thought before it was fully formed. Deliberately lying to cover up my lateness would only make things worse. If my parents didn¡¯t catch me then the Adepts certainly would. I resigned myself to my fate and walked inside the school to find my locker.


    ***


    The sports arena was nearest to the Art classroom, set apart from the main school building and well concealed by the trees. It was a magnificent complex with capacity for seating three times the school¡¯s population. A game of baseball was well underway so I slipped into the changing room and quickly changed into a green polo shirt and shorts, stamped with the school¡¯s crest. I tried to slip to the back of the baseball queue where students were waiting their turn to swing the ball but Mr Cole Randal had already seen me. Miles Garraway was holding a baseball bat and getting ready to swing when Mr Randal blew his whistle to pause the game.


    ¡°Well, Well, Well, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence.¡± Mr Randal gave a mock bow, causing the students to giggle. He was an athletic and handsome young man, in his second year of teaching since he finished college. He had an uncanny ability of making you feel as if he were your friend but at the same time could dictate the strictest discipline.


    ¡°Wait, let me guess. . .¡± Mr Randal paused and searched the students until his eyes stopped on Brendan. ¡°Brendan, just arrived a few moments earlier. Does your lateness have anything to do with him?¡±


    ¡°Eerrr. . . hmmmm. . .errrrr. . .¡± I stammered for the right words. My tongue felt heavy and I couldn¡¯t push the words beyond my lips.


    ¡°Think carefully before answering. Mrs Miller told the teachers yesterday that you and Brendan walked into her lesson late. I didn¡¯t believe it but now I do.¡±


    I hated the suggestion in his eyes as he glanced between me and Brendan. Whispers broke out among the students. I felt like a criminal on trial. Pamela shot me a dirty look. Charlotte refused to look me in the eye. Brendan looked as if he didn¡¯t care and found the whole thing rather boring


    ¡°What do you have to say for yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mr Randal. It wouldn¡¯ happen again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right it wouldn¡¯t. I¡¯ll be sending my recommendation for your suspension to Mrs Reeds Morgan.¡±


    My jaw dropped in shock. I covered my mouth with both hands. A quick glance around the pitch suggested the other students were equally surprised. I blinked rapidly to stop the flow of tears which threatened to overcome me. The bored and carefree demeanour was wiped from Brendan¡¯s face, a deep frown had settled in its place. Mr Randal usual punishments included asking students to jog around the field until the lesson was finished. Never in my wildest dream did I think he would suggest suspension from the school.


    ¡°Mr Randal, I¡¯m truly sorry. Please give me one last chance. I¡¯ll not be late to this or any other lesson ever again. I promise.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t control the flow of tears any longer and gave into them. Me. Rebecka Frost. Suspended from Waterside High School. The implications didn¡¯t bear thinking about.


    ¡°You thought this was a joke didn¡¯t you? You were warned yesterday and you can¡¯t even offer an adequate explanation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I went to the woods. . . meditate during lunch . . .¡± The horrified look on Mr Randal¡¯s face told me I¡¯d said the wrong thing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry . . .  I know students aren¡¯t allowed in the woods . . . Brendan found ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Save your breath. You can give your explanation to Mrs Morgan. Off you go.¡±


    I closed my eyes for a few minutes and hoped I was in a bad dream. Perhaps I was in my astral body, which is why it felt so real. I would wake up any moment and dismiss the whole experience as a bad dream. But that moment never came. I pinched myself.


    I shivered as the cold breeze cut through my skin, which I wouldn¡¯t feel if I was in my astral body. No this wasn¡¯t a dream, but the harsh reality of how my life had changed within the space of a few days with the arrival of Brendan. The words of Ariel flashed through my head. This is it. It must be the trial. I had to be strong. This too will pass.

 Chapter 8

    I walked back to the changing room without another word. I changed quickly and made my way to the head teacher¡¯s office which was near Mr Gildon¡¯s greenhouse in the main school building.


    Brendan was seated in the waiting area outside the office. I wondered how he always arrived ahead of me. Perhaps he knew of short cuts around the school which I didn¡¯t, although I knew this was unlikely as he was still new.


    ¡°Hello, Mr Kingsley,¡± I smiled at the school secretary who had worked for Mrs Morgan for as long as I could remember. He was a middle aged man with rapidly thinning hair. He had the look of someone who needed to spend more time outdoors.


    ¡°Take a seat Rebecka, Mrs Morgan will see you shortly.¡±


    I chose the furthest seat from Brendan, who didn¡¯t look up or acknowledge my presence. He appeared as equally determined to avoid me as I was to avoid him. Every minute felt like an hour. I figgerted in my seat, first crossing and uncrossing my legs. My nervousness didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Mr Kingsley who cleared his throat, looking pointedly in my direction. I tried to sit still for a few minutes but I couldn¡¯t stand the tension in the room.


    ¡°Ahem . . . errrm, can I use the bathroom please,¡± I asked Mr Kingsley.


    ¡°Hurry, Mrs Morgan will be calling you shortly.¡±


    I nodded and went in search of the nearest bathroom which was along the same corridor as the plantology classroom. The bell had rang for breaktime and students were lounging around the corridors. They stopped and stared as I passed, whispering behind their hands. I heard snippets of ¡®forest¡¯, and ¡®she¡¯s with Brendan¡¯. I couldn¡¯t believe the news had travelled that quickly. Brendan was right, the school was a hotbed for gossip. The whispers followed me all the way to the bathroom until I locked myself in a cubicle. I used the toilet quickly and washed my hands.


    By the time I made my way back to the headteacher¡¯s office, Brendan was no longer in the waiting area. He had been called inside and was no doubt telling his version of events to Mrs Morgan. I sat down and resigned myself to waiting, but in the end I didn¡¯t have to wait for long before Brendan walked out of Mrs Morgan¡¯s office. He swept past me without a single glance in my direction. Mr Kingsley gave me a sympathetic look as if he understood my inner turmoil.


    ¡°Mrs Morgan will see you now, Rebecka,¡± said Mr Kingsley.


    I walked into Mrs Morgan¡¯s office to find her sitting behind a large wooden desk. Her hands were folded on the table before her and she pointed to the chair opposite. She had mousy brown hair with thick glasses which hinted at her powerful intellect. I sat before her and bestowed a nervous smile. She had a no nonsense look on her face which told me that I had to tread carefully.


    ¡°Rebecka, I want to be straight with you. I¡¯m disappointed to see you in my office for breaking school rules in your final year at Waterside Valley. Let me give you a piece of advice, if you wish to rebell, you should¡¯ve done it years ago. This year is the most important year of your entire education. You need to focus and pass all your exams otherwise everything you¡¯ve worked so hard to achieve will come to nothing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mrs Morgan. I promise that I¡¯m not trying to be rebellious ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then tell me what on earth you¡¯re doing in my office.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m . . . Sorry. I did. . . I didn¡¯t mean. . . to be late.¡± I struggled for words, knowing the story didn¡¯t make sense in my own head. The truth is that I didn¡¯t have to speak to Brendan in the bathroom, outside the Art classroom, or in the forest, during lunchtime. In all those cases I didn¡¯t hear the school bell but I knew I was running late. The truth was that I wanted to carry on speaking to Brendan, to have his company and to satisfy my curiosity about him.


    ¡°Save your breath. Brendan¡¯s given me a thorough account of your friendship to date. Mr Randals has recommended that you should be suspended. Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t suspend you today?¡±


    ¡°All I can say is that I¡¯m sorry, it won''t happen again. Look at my past record. You know I¡¯ve been a model student from Kindergarten till now. . .¡± I shrugged, exhaling a long breath. ¡°The truth is that I¡¯m under trial, Mrs Morgan. Everyone is tested at some point in life. Please don¡¯t suspend me. I didn¡¯t try to break the school rules on purpose, I¡¯ve just made some silly mistakes.¡± I pleaded with tears in my eyes, hoping that Mrs Morgan would see my sincerity.


    ¡°You consider it a silly mistake to walk into the forest at lunch time when you know it¡¯s forbidden?¡±


    I looked down at the laminate wooden flooring, shame flooding my senses. I knew that she could smell a lie like a mouse could smell a rat, so I had to be honest. The fastest way to guarantee my suspension would be to attempt a cover up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re right I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I knew it was against the school rules and yet I went ahead. I just needed space to think. Somewhere I could be at one with nature. To meditate.¡±


    It seems I had said the right thing because Mrs Morgan nodded, understanding reflected through her eyes. She twirled her chair and stood up. She was still a tiny woman with a well rounded petite frame. One look in her eyes and you knew not to underestimate her. She ruled the school with an iron fist.


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯m going to give you another chance but I¡¯ll have to inform your parents. Focus on your studies and for goodness sake stay away from Brendan Dolton. You¡¯ve always been a model student Rebecka and a lot of students still look up to you, especially since you¡¯re a lightworker. Don¡¯t let me down.¡±


    I released the breath I was holding and dropped my shoulders in relief. ¡°Thank you, Mrs Morgan.¡±


    ¡°You may go.¡±


    I jumped from the chair and almost sprinted out of the office. According to the time in my pocket, there was 30 minutes remaining for the sports lesson. I knew by the time I walked to the sporting arena and changed into my kit, the lesson would be over so I decided to wait in the library instead. There were no other students around so I sat in the seating area next to the book shelves and absorbed myself in a historical novel about World War 2. I didn¡¯t know how much time had passed until I heard Miss Clarie Horton behind me.


    ¡°It¡¯s home time Rebecka, libary is closed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realise. Thanks, Miss Claire.¡± I replaced the book on the shelve and raced outside. Students were mounting to the skies everywhere in their flying jets. I spotted Charlotte and Pamela waiting for me.


    ¡°There you are. I knew you were still here because your flying jet is over there,¡± said Pamela.


    ¡°Hello to you too,¡± I said.


    ¡°Come on  Rebecka, just put us out of our misery and tell us what¡¯s going on?¡± said Charlotte.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it. I just want to go home.¡± I opened my flying jet and stepped inside.


    ¡°The whole school is buzzing about you and Brendan. Are you suspended?¡± Pamela pushed for answers.


    ¡°I¡¯m not suspended.¡± I mounted the flying jet in the sky and headed straight for some low hanging clouds. Pamela and Charlotte flanked me, and we flew in a V formation.


    ¡°Lucky girl, how did you get out of it?¡± Pamela asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I thought I was gone for sure.¡±


    ¡°What about Brendan? Is he suspended?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I hate it when we go through the clouds. I can¡¯t see anything.¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice came through my flying jet loud and clear as if she was standing next to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s so much fun. I love it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Tell us what¡¯s going on between you and Brendan. Miles Garraway said he saw you hugging and kissing in the corridor outside the Art classroom yesterday. Why didn¡¯t you tell us? Rumors are that?}{ you¡¯re matched. Is it true?¡± Pamela asked.


    ¡°That is not true, gossiping should be made illegal at this school.¡±


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t kiss outside the Art classroom? Why would Miles make something like that up?¡± Charlotte asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯ll have to ask him that question. He jests with everyone, I wouldn¡¯t take him seriously if I were you.¡±


    ¡°Tell us what happened in the forest then?¡± Charlotte pushed.


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± I flew out from the clouds and headed towards the middle of town.


    ¡°That¡¯s not like you to hold anything back from us,¡± Pamela said. I could hear the accusation in her tone.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I¡¯m not going to share what happened. I said I don¡¯t want to talk about it at this very moment.¡±


    We flew past the town and circled around the main administrative buildings, the giant greenhouse and public gardens. I thought about going around the whole town for a while to delay the inevitable. I didn¡¯t fancy the prospects of rushing home for another lecture from my parents, after the experience with Mrs Morgan.


    However, I suddenly felt a distinctive urge to get home as quickly as possible. I knew it was my mother¡¯s call to the microchip in my head. Her telepathic link to me wasn¡¯t as strong as what she shared with Dad but I knew immediately it was her.


    ¡°I need to go home, Mum is calling,¡± I announced to Charlotte and Pamela.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll see you tomorrow then,¡± said Pamela.


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ***


    Mum, Dad and James were seated around the living area when I got home.


    ¡°Hello darling, have a seat. Would you like anything to drink? You must be tired.¡± Mum smiled and pointed to the coffee table where a selection of freshly squeezed juice, orange, apple, pear, and grape were  on display.


    I stood in the doorway for a while, unsure of what to make of it all. Dad wore a welcoming smile on his face, like he was glad to see me. However James avoided looking at me and cast his eyes towards the window as if there was something fascinating outside. I shrugged my bag to the floor and sat at the end of the L-shaped sofa.


    ¡°You must be tired from school, Rebecka. Why don¡¯t you help yourself. Are you hungry? There¡¯s some biscuits too,¡± said Mum.


    I narrowed my eyes in confusion, baffled by her attitude. Maybe this was some kind of trap to soften me up before my punishment. They would¡¯ve received the report from School about the near miss suspension. I shrugged and poured some orange juice and biscuits. I¡¯d missed lunch and I was very hungry. They watched as I chewed slowly, just as I¡¯d been taught. I felt like a germ under a microscope being studied by three pairs of eyes. After a while I couldn¡¯t stand the tension any longer.


    ¡°Mum, Dad, what is all this about?¡±


    ¡°How was school today?¡± Dad asked. James rolled his eyes and tapped his foot, impatient to get to the bottom of this meeting.


    ¡°School was okay, not the best day I¡¯ve ever had but it could¡¯ve been worse.¡±


    ¡°Do you like your biscuits?¡±


    ¡°I love them, these are great but I can¡¯t figure out what flavour they are?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s lemon and Cinnamon with Custard,¡± Mum replied.


    ¡°Mum!¡± said James.


    ¡°Alright fine, I¡¯ll cut to the chase.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± said James.


    Mum relaxed her shoulders and took a deep breath. I knew the lecture was coming. ¡°Rebecka, we¡¯ve had the most alarming report today from your headteacher, that you were late yet again to one of your lessons. We had this conversation yesterday about lateness to lessons, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    I nodded quickly. ¡°We did, I¡¯m so sorry. I promise it won''t happen again.¡± Suddenly the food tasted like acid in my mouth.


    ¡°You said that yesterday, that it wouldn¡¯t happen again,¡± said Dad.


    Mum shot a warning glare to Dad. ¡°What your father is trying to say, Rebecka, is that we love you very much as a family. We want you to feel at home here and to open up to us. If there is anything going on just tell us. We¡¯ve all gone through the teenage years and we know what it¡¯s like. We¡¯ll not judge you, we¡¯ll support and cherish you no matter what.¡±


    I shook my head in disbelief. This wasn¡¯t the lecture I was expecting. My parents were being lenient for a change, Offering support instead of punishment. ¡°Will you support me if I get suspended?¡±


    ¡°Ahem ¡ª¡± James cleared his throat loudly and Dad looked uncomfortable for a few moments before returning back to the carefully arranged smile.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll support you. Our love for you is unconditional. There is nothing you can do to reverse that.¡±


    ¡°Even if I followed the wrong crowd, did drugs and went to jail?¡±


    Dad chuckled, ¡°The chances of that happening are so slim as to be nearly impossible.¡±


    ¡°Would you go that far, knowing you¡¯ll lose your privilege to serve as a lightworker?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Of course not! I just want to know what the answer would be?¡±


    ¡°We would still love you Rebecka, even if you chose to destroy your life. We know you wouldn¡¯t because we¡¯ve been told this is a trial you¡¯re going through,¡± said Mum.


    I stood and paced to the window and back before turning to face my family. The false smile had dropped from Mum and Dad¡¯s face, replaced with pity and compassion. However James was frowning, much like I was. Hot tears burned my eyes as I felt the truth of my mother¡¯s words. I had always known I wasn¡¯t good enough to be their daughter. I was a lightworker who could barely even heal. I didn¡¯t deserve their love.


    ¡°Oh baby, please don¡¯t cry.¡± Mum wrapped me in a warm hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mum . . .I just don¡¯t want to let you down. . .I¡¯m trying so hard.¡± I hicoped a few times and wiped the tears on my top.


    ¡°You could never let me down even if you tried. I love you Rebecka, more than you can think or imagine.¡±


    ¡°I love you too Mum. This isn¡¯t what I was expecting. I thought you would punish me.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re too old for punishments now.¡±


    I pressed my lips together and nodded, quilt and shame over my feelings for Brendan flooded my heart. In some ways it would¡¯ve been better if they punished me. This show of love and affection left me defenseless.


    ¡°Who told you that this was a trial?¡±


    ¡°Your headteacher told us. She said you mentioned something along those lines,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°Have you seen anything in my future? Have you spoken to the Adepts?¡±


    ¡°The Adepts? Of course not, why would I?¡± said Dad.


    ¡°Nevermind. I thought they may have revealed something to you about me and Brendan.¡±


    ¡°You and Brendan? Who is this kid?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the new kid. The one we picked up to the Recovery Center a few days ago, Dad,¡± said James.


    ¡°I remember, the one involved in the motor crash?¡±


    ¡°Yes, him. He¡¯s the hottest news in town apparently,¡± said James.


    ¡°How come you know so much about him, James?¡±


    ¡°Because I ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop, I don¡¯t even want to know.¡± I held up my hand and turned away from him.


    ¡°Is there something going on between you and this kid, Rebecka? Be honest with me?¡± Mum said with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°I. . . I don¡¯t. . .well actually there is something.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Mum said.


    I closed my eyes for a few minutes as I searched for the right words. I couldn''t exactly tell them that everytime I looked into his turquoise eyes I felt strange lustful thoughts, that I knew were sinful but oh so deliciously tempting.


    ¡°Well. . . you see, Brendan is my friend. I¡¯ve been late to lessons because I lost track of time after speaking to him.¡±


    ¡°How did he become your friend?¡± Dad asked. He sounded confused, as if trying to understand a complicated Math problem.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I guess we shared a connection after his motorbike accident. Although before you ask, he barely remembers me from that night.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s your friend then invite him here,¡± said James.


    My eyes widened in surprise at the suggestion before I could control my reaction. I could tell from the self satisfied look on James that he was up to something. The last thing I wanted was to have Brendan in my house.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea. After all, we¡¯ve met all your friends. Invite him for this weekend,¡± Mum said.


    ¡°Sorry I can¡¯t, I¡¯m meeting Charlotte and Pamela on Saturday.¡±


    ¡°What about Sunday?¡± Mum suggested.


    ¡°But Sunday is our family time.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. He can still join us, can¡¯t he Keith?¡± Mum flashed a smile at Dad who nodded in agreement. I guessed they must have passed a telepathic message to each other. I don¡¯t know what they hoped to achieve by meeting Brendan. I would have to wait and see.


    ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll ask him, although he might say no.¡±


    ¡°But he might say yes.¡± Mum clapped as if someone had won an award.


    ¡°Can I go to my room now?¡±


    ¡°Yes of course you can. Do your homework quickly and come for dinner. We need to go out early tonight.¡±


    I picked my bag and walked to my room as quickly as possible without running. Rather than doing my homework, I sat on my bed for the next hour, thinking over everything that happened at school, especially my conversation with Brendan in the forest. He must have followed me into the forest, that was the only explanation that made sense, which meant he sought me out on purpose.


    I couldn¡¯t believe I was nearly suspended. The best thing for me would be to never speak to him again, but now I had to invite him to my house. I had to be very careful around him from now on. I called out to Ariel, my angel and sure enough he appeared in my room within a few minutes. His aura was so bright that it filled my room with a white blinding light. I couldn¡¯t see his face so I shielded my eyes and bowed my head.


    ¡°Rebecka?¡±


    ¡°Ariel.¡± I peeped through my eye lids, his aura was drawn back in although his face was still shining. I had seen an angel¡¯s aura several times in the past, which could stretch out for a mile, but this was the first time Ariel had let out his aura in my room. He was beautiful and graceful at the same time and I felt comforted by his presence.


    ¡°You called me, Rebecka.¡± His tone was neutral and serene, not the joyful excitement I had come to expect from our encounters.


    ¡°Yes. . . I errr, I wanted to ask you a few questions. . . if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Angels are not omniscient and I certainly don¡¯t know everything, but I¡¯ll do my best to answer. What is troubling you child?¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s about Brendan. . . and me. Is he my match?¡± Angels had access to cosmic wisdom, so they certainly knew a lot more than human beings. I had learned a lot from Ariel about the Angelic way of life, the seven worlds and the beings that inhabited them. Although I had a strong intuition, I didn¡¯t have access to the fountain of cosmic wisdom in the same way as Ariel.


    ¡°Rebecka, you know you shouldn¡¯t be asking me that. You¡¯ll find out in a few months'' time, in December, during the matching ceremony.¡±


    ¡°I know . . . I know, but I want to know. Please, I just want to know whether it¡¯s Brendan.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡±


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you think I should know, before I draw close to him as a friend?¡±


    Ariel¡¯s eyes blazed with fire, something I¡¯d never seen from him before. His posture was still serene but that fire was a clear warning.


    ¡°Rebecka, I¡¯ve shadowed you over four lifetimes and within that time, I¡¯ve watched you grow into what you are today, a beautiful human being, full of compassion, love and kindness. I like to think we¡¯re friends. I¡¯ve gained tremendously from your growth and now it¡¯s almost time for me to take my rest after this life is over. Angels live for thousands of years but when we rest, we don¡¯t come back until a period of time equal in duration to the life just spent. I¡¯ll not be assigned as your Angel for your next life because it¡¯s time for me to move on.¡±


    I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to understand what it all meant. ¡°What are you saying and how does this have anything to do with me and Brendan?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that your growth affects my growth. We all have an effect on each other in this world, whether we know it or not. You¡¯re under trial and the choices you make in the next few months will determine just how matured you¡¯ve grown in spirit. You knew very well that I can¡¯t reveal the identity of your partner before the matching ceremony. Do you think you can persuade me to change my mind?¡±


    ¡°Are you being promoted? Does it depend on my actions?¡±


    ¡°Smart girl, I will be promoted after I take my rest but it¡¯s not entirely dependent on your actions although we affect each other. You must exercise your free will and do the right thing. Learning to stand on your own feet is your key lesson for this life.¡±


    I nodded and clasped my hands together in nervousness. ¡°Can you tell me at least whether I should be friends with Brendan?¡±


    ¡°Friendship is always a good idea.¡±


    Suddenly I felt the impulse to go downstairs for dinner and I knew it was my mum calling me again.


    ¡°I need to leave and your dinner is being served. Hurry, you don¡¯t want to be late at home too,¡± Ariel smiled and a familiar expression of joy crossed his features before he vanished from my room.


    I slumped on the bed and closed my eyes for a few seconds. Friendship with Brendan sounded great but I knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough. I¡¯ve known that since the first time I saw him in plantology. It would be pure torture to control my craving for him while acting like friends. The truth is that I want him to be my match, to marry him and have his children. Maybe Sunday wasn¡¯t such a bad idea. He would meet my parents, they would see the connection between us and match us straight away. I smiled and took the stairs two at a time to the dining room. The food smelled great and everything seemed brighter.

 Chapter 9

    I woke up the following day feeling tired but determined to avoid Brendan at school. It had been a busy night for the lightworkers. We worked through the night healing so many people that I lost count by morning. We visited the sick wealthy man in the New York apartment and helped him as much as we could. I could see an improvement in his condition but the total regeneration of his organs was still a long way off.


    We helped animals as well as people, including a family of wolves that were caught by a hunter¡¯s trap. As soon as the animals stepped on the trap, it pierced their leg and captured them in a net, leaving them to bleed out slowly. Dad called the spirit guide of the wolves and asked them to keep the animals calm. I cut through the net and Dad pulled them from the trap. There were six in total, a male and female adult wolf and four pups. We healed them and destroyed the trap before sending them on their way. The spirit guide appeared to me and Dad in the astral world and thanked us. It was my first time seeing a spirit guide and it fit the description I had seen in textbooks. It had a wolf head and a human body, similar to those depictions of ancient Egyptian deities.


    I made a mental note to tell Charlotte and Pamela about this experience. I had served with my mother as a lightworker for years, assisting the children who pass out at a young age. Finally I was beginning to experience new things on the astral plane, things that I¡¯d been sheltered from as a child.


    I flew to school early that morning, determined to arrive ahead of time. I had three subjects on my timetable for the day, Science, Astronomy and Music. I sat at the front of the science classroom before Miss June Atonia arrived. She was a dark woman with mixed heritage, beautiful hazel eyes and caramel complexion.


    ¡°Rebecka, how lovely. You¡¯re eager this morning.¡±


    ¡°Something like that, what are we studying today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to introduce anything new this year. We¡¯re going to revise everything I¡¯ve taught you and prepare you for the exams.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± I nodded and smiled, determined to be a model student.


    A few minutes later, other students began streaming in. My eyes were immediately drawn to Brendan at the exact moment he stepped into the classroom. He was dressed in casual jeans and a snug fitted t-shirt which showed the outline of his tall, muscular frame. He chose the desk on the left side of me which made it hard to ignore him. Charlotte and Pamela sat in our usual seat at the back and I suddenly wished I¡¯d sat with them but it was too late.


    Miss Atonia took us through the structure of an atom and why it was reflective of the structure of the universe. I nodded and made lots of notes but I couldn¡¯t focus on everything she was saying. Brendan¡¯s scent was particularly potent, invading my nostrils against my wishes. My pen dropped on the floor around halfway through the lesson. Brendan lowered his head to pick it up, brushing his fingers against mine at the same time. A small tingle went through my fingers where our skin touched.


    ¡°Oh sorry,¡± Brendan whispered. He sat back quickly and looked straight ahead, as if the moment didn¡¯t occur.


    The rest of the lesson proceeded in tense silence between me and Brendan. I was hyper aware of his every move and even found myself counting the rhythm of his breathing at one point. I couldn¡¯t wait for the lesson to end as every minute dragged on. I nodded to everything Miss Atonia was saying but without a clue. The bell finally rang after what felt like a lifetime of torture. Brendan was the first person to leave and yet again I was surprised by how quickly he moved.


    I sat with Charlotte and Pamela at lunchtime, and we were joined by Charlotte¡¯s twin brother, Jeremy, just like old times. Perhaps sensing my mood, I was relieved when nobody asked me anything about being sent to Mrs Morgan¡¯s office. Jeremy did most of the talking, apparently there was a party on Saturday. Rosalind Henry was celebrating her 18th birthday and had nearly invited half the school.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even talk to her. How did you get an invite?¡± Charlotte slapped Jeremy on the back playfully.


    ¡°I know the right people.¡± Jeremy stuck out his tongue.


    ¡°Let me guess, Victoria Barnes?¡±


    I half listened as I scoped a spoonful of seasoned roasted vegetables in my mouth. Charlotte was asking Jeremy to get party invites for all three of us when I spotted Brendan by the food stall. I wasn¡¯t the only eye drawn to him, most of the girls had already seen him and were whispering. Brendan ordered his food and walked to our table, causing my heart rate to increase.


    ¡°Hi Rebecka, can I sit with you today?¡±


    Brendan flashed a devastating smile, leaving me speechless. I couldn¡¯t believe it. He ignored me since the headteacher¡¯s office yesterday and now he wanted to sit with me.


    ¡°Hello Brendan, of course you can sit with us,¡± Pamela replied before I could gather my thoughts.


    Brendan set his tray on the table and sat next to me. ¡°I would like to say Rebeka¡¯s told me lots about you but I¡¯m afraid she hasn¡¯t.¡±


    I looked at Brendan in disbelief and saw amusement dancing in his eyes. He was messing with me.


    ¡°Are you going to introduce me to your friends?¡±


    ¡°This is Pamela, Charlotte and Jeremy.¡± My voice came out squeaker than I intended. The fact Brendan was sitting with our table wasn¡¯t lost on the canteen. Every eye was trained on us.


    ¡°Are you twins, at least you must be related.¡± Brendan pointed at Charlotte and Jeremy.


    ¡°We¡¯re twins,¡± said Jeremy.


    ¡°Nice to meet you all,¡± said Brendan. ¡°Any friend of Rebecka is also my friend.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Since when?¡± I asked through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Since yesterday, when we decided to be friends.¡± I locked eyes with Brendan in a silent battle of wills and quickly lost myself in his eyes. My stomach clenched as I saw my own desire reflected in his gaze. I forgot that I was sitting in the middle of the school canteen under the watchful eye of the entire student population.


    ¡°Ahem . . .¡± Jeremy cleared his throat, bringing me back to the present.


    I looked down at the vegetables on my plate and lost my appetite.


    ¡°I was saying to Charlotte and Rebecka before you joined us that Rosalind Henry is throwing a party on Saturday evening at her house. Are you planning to go?¡± Jeremy asked Brendan.


    ¡°Jeremy, it¡¯s not your party. You can¡¯t invite people on Rosalind¡¯s behalf,¡± I said.


    ¡°You sound like you don¡¯t want me to be there,¡± Brendan said with raised eyebrows, challenging me to deny it.


    ¡°No, Rebecka is right,¡± said Jeremy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already got an invite, but I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m going yet,¡± said Brendan.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fun, you should definitely come along,¡± said Jeremy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. It depends on whether Rebecka here is also going,¡± said Brendan.


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous, I don¡¯t even have an invite.¡±


    ¡°I told you I can get you an invite quite easily,¡± said Jeremy.


    ¡°See, problem solved. We¡¯ll go together.¡± Brendan declared.


    ¡°Are you asking me out as your date to this party?¡±


    Pamela leaned forward in her chair, eager to hear Brendan¡¯s response.


    ¡°Do you want to be my date? You can if you want.¡±


    The arrogant smirk on his face irritated me but I couldn¡¯t think of a smart comeback without seeming rude before our audience.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m going yet,¡± I said.


    ¡°You know people are saying that you two are matched, is it true?¡± Pamela asked. I noted a hint of regret in her tone. I suspected she liked Brendan and wanted him to show an interest in her.


    ¡°We¡¯re just friends,¡± I said.


    ¡°For now!¡± said Brendan.


    ¡°Can we come to your house on Saturday morning? We can all leave for the party afterwards?¡± Charlotte asked, who seemed to have found her voice again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m going yet. I¡¯ll let you know by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°We can always go to my house instead,¡± Pamela offered.


    ¡°I know.¡± Charlotte sighed and cast her eyes down in disappointment. She loved visiting my house because of James, who barely took any notice of her. Charlotte wasn¡¯t ready to accept the reality of James¡¯ match to Lily.


    ¡°Is anyone excited for the sports championship this year? Jeremy asked. ¡°Who do you think is going to win?¡±


    ¡°Earth. We¡¯re simply the best,¡± said Pamela.


    ¡°No way, Earth scored near the bottom of the league table last year. The trophy is going to be lifted by Fire again.¡±


    ¡°Do you know which team you¡¯re in, Brendan?¡± Jeremy asked.


    ¡°Water.¡± A brief spell of silence followed this declaration before Jeremy and Charlotte burst out laughing.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny about that?¡± Brendan asked.


    ¡°Water hasn¡¯t won the sports championships for years. They usually come last or somewhere near the bottom,¡± Jeremy explained.


    I couldn¡¯t believe Jeremy was so excited about the annual sports championships already. Although I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, knowing how much he loved playing sports. Every student was assigned a team based on their zodiac element; Fire, Earth, Air and Water. It seemed to me that each year the competition between the teams became more fierce. It was a magnificent occasion where parents, students and teachers came together.


    ¡°Water signs do not have the strongest track record for sports but they do earn points for good behavior,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t know why I felt the need to defend Water, but I did. Teachers assigned points or deducted points from each student based on their conduct for each day, including quality of homework. All the points were added together at the end of the school year, including points from the sports championships. The overall winner was crowned with the school trophy at the end of year feast.


    ¡°Yes, but nobody cares about the school trophy. It¡¯s all about the sports championships,¡± said Jeremy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, speak for yourself. Just because you care about the sports championships doesn¡¯t mean everyone else does.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, Rebecka!¡± said Jeremy. Turning to Brendan he said, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, everyone cares about the sports championship, even the teachers want their own signs to win.¡±


    ¡°Whatever!¡± I pushed my plate away and grabbed my bag. ¡°I¡¯m going to use the bathroom really quickly. I¡¯ll meet you guys in music.¡±


    ¡°Me too, I need the bathroom,¡± said Brendan.


    ¡°No you don¡¯t. Stay right here.¡± I shot a warning glare to Brendan who winked at me in return.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop me from going to the bathroom,¡± he chuckled as if he found the idea hilarious.


    ¡°Fine, then you need to use a different bathroom. I¡¯m not going to be late today because of you.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Brendan held up both hands in surrender.


    Charlotte and Pamela both witnessed our exchange with surprise. I still hadn¡¯t told them everything that happened between me and Brendan in the bathroom and the forest.


    ***


    The rest of the day passed without any disastrous incidents although I was pleased to arrive at my lessons on time. Music was a fun, chaotic experience with Mr Philp Sackson, a middle aged music teacher who liked to walk around barefooted. He didn¡¯t breath down our shoulders like some of the other teachers. His style of teaching was similar to Mrs Miller although less formal and structured. He expected us to compose a masterpiece of original music for our final exams and asked us to start working on it from now. Several instruments were scattered through the room, each one connected to headphones. Students were free to practice on the instruments or write music on the computer. Mr Sackson had a highly developed gift of claudience with very sensitive hearing. I heard him say to my parents once, when we ran into him on a weekend, that he was able to control his gift and tune out of anything he didn¡¯t want to hear.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Most students whispered among themselves under the guise of working together. I suspected that Mr Sackson knew those who were truly working and those who weren''t but he turned a blind eye. I sat with Charlotte and Pamela on the computer, trying to write some musical notes but they chatted excitedly about Rosalind¡¯s party, making it hard to concentrate. I managed to avoid Brendan for most of the lesson, although he didn¡¯t seem keen to speak to me either. I knew that I would have to invite him to my house at some point to satisfy my parents'' curiosity but couldn¡¯t figure out how to do it under the watchful gaze of Charlotte and Pamela.


    Astronomy, our final lesson for the day, gave very few opportunities to speak. Mr Richard Allen, one of the oldest teachers in the school, demanded absolute silence at all times. He had thin graying hair and was inclined to meditation at all times, which meant he abhorred all noise. Each student was given a telescope and asked to watch the heavens and note down our observations. The classroom was dark with an open ceiling, allowing each student to point their telescope to the sky, although it was difficult to see during daytime. Mr Allen taught both Astrology and Astronomy, maintaining that the two fields of study could not be separated without causing harm to the other.


    ¡°Last year I taught each of you how to cast a horoscope without the aid of computers. This year, every student must be able to interpret their own horoscope and predict one major life event in the future. Your exams will test your ability to do this and the accuracy of your observations in the heavens.¡± Mr Allen paused for breath and surveyed the students for a while.


    A blank look covered his face and I couldn¡¯t tell whether he was lost in rapturous mediation or looking through our auras. Nobody said a word, the entire class appeared frozen and I heard the blood pumping through my veins like a drum beat. He sat on the teacher¡¯s desk, his movements slowed by age. Light from the sun shone on his profile for a brief moment, revealing all the lines of wrinkles on his face. Suddenly he looked much older, like somebody in their 80s, much too old to be teaching. Many people at Waterside Valley lived in good health beyond 100 years, so it was hard to tell somebody¡¯s age from their appearance.


    ¡°You may begin,¡± said Mr Allen.


    I picked my telescope and focused it on Venus, the planet of love, beauty and harmony. It was approaching a close conjunction with Jupiter, so I noted that in my journal. Pluto was also leaving the constellation of Capricorn to Aquarius but knowing Pluto¡¯s strange orbit, the process would probably take years. I was about to note this in my journal when I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Brendan, waving his telescope at me like a weapon. He was the only student not focusing on the heavens.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I formed the shape of the words with my mouth without speaking out loud.


    ¡°How do you work this thing?¡± Brendan shook the telescope.


    Everybody was preoccupied with the view through their telescope and oblivious to me and Brendan. Mr Allen was sitting straight behind his desk with his eyes shut and arms carefully folded on his lap. He appeared as if in deep meditation and was certainly not paying attention to the class.


    I took the device from Brendan and showed him how to use it. ¡°You pull it this way and adjust the lense to bring the image close.¡±


    ¡°But what I¡¯m I supposed to look for? It¡¯s hard to see anything beyond sunlight,¡± Brendan whispered.


    ¡°This telescope is similar to the X-glasses. Once tuned correctly, it can reveal a whole new world that you¡¯ve never imagined before.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Brendan sat on his cushion and pointed his telescope to the sky once more.


    It was only after the lesson was over that it dawned on me that Brendan was still very new to the school and probably had a lot of catching up to do. He was probably unfamiliar with the constellations, the zodiac and the subject of Astrology in particular. I made a mental note to ask him about it but he left as soon as the bell rang.


    ***


    I was quiet on the way home, flanked by Pamela and Charlotte who were both making jokes about Mr Allen. I was lost in my thoughts, thinking of what to do about Brendan when Charlotte¡¯s voice came through my flying jet.


    ¡°Can we chill at your house today?¡± Charlotte asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve got a lot of homework to do. You can come on Saturday if you like. You were right, it¡¯ll be easier to head to the party together.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then.¡± I waved goodbye to Charlotte and Pamela.


    James and Will were listening to music in the living area when I got home. I said a quick hello and went to my room. I took out my homework from Plantology which was to describe the qualities of fast growing plants compared to slower growing plants. I jotted down some notes from memory. Plants that grow too quickly also die relatively quickly compared to slower growing plants, like an oak tree, which could live for thousands of years. It all depends on the tree¡¯s archetype in the region of ideas which is sometimes called the second heaven.


    Suddenly a knock sounded at my door. I set my pen down and pulled the door open. Will was standing there with a big grin on his face and a plate of fruits in one hand.


    ¡°Is that for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I thought you might be hungry.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    I took the plate and set it on my desk. Will was hovering outside my door, clasping his hands nervously. I¡¯d never seen him like this before.


    ¡°You alright, Will?¡±


    ¡°I was about to ask if you were alright.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just finishing my homework.¡±


    ¡°Ah I see, do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s quite easy.¡±


    ¡°I heard what happened. . . your suspension . . . nearly got suspended. I wanted to see if you¡¯re alright?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it, but I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well I¡¯m here if you need me.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, ¡°Did James set you up to this?¡±


    Will shook his head. A tiny smile settled on his lips, lifting his face. ¡°No. Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°Where is James?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, probably somewhere in his room.¡±


    ¡°I thought he¡¯s with you downstairs, listening to music.¡±


    ¡°He was, but now I don¡¯t know where he is.¡±


    Will widened his smile, deepening the dimples on his cheek. Unlike Brendan¡¯s thick curly waves, Will¡¯s hair was long and fell into his eyes, hiding a large forehead. He was growing a beard on his chin but the overall effect suited him. I got the sense he wanted me to invite him inside my room although I wasn¡¯t sure why.


    ¡°Thanks for the fruits Will, they look delicious.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need any help with your homework?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s actually not too difficult. I¡¯ll call you if I need some help.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    I waited for him to walk down the stairs before I closed my bedroom door.


    ¡°Well that was weird,¡± I whispered to myself. Will had never cared about my homework or whether I was hungry after school. Perhaps he was bored and needed something to do with his time, which wasn¡¯t like him. In fact he was normally really busy. I barely got to see him around the house.


    I pushed the incident to the back of my head and focused on Plantology. The weekend was looking busy with Rosalind¡¯s birthday party on Saturday and the family dinner on Sunday. I knew that I  probably won''t be able to do any work during the weekend.


    I was pleased with the progress I¡¯d made by the time Mum called me down for dinner. Will was seated at the dining table and it turned out he was having a sleepover. I blinked in surprise that he was sleeping over in the middle of the week, rather than during the weekend. I saw him staring at me a few times during the meal, although he didn¡¯t look away when caught, but responded with another bright smile. Mum, Dad and James were having a heated debate about the people living outside the network.


    Apparently word about our community had spread and people everywhere were trying to find where our towns were located. Waterside Valley wasn¡¯t located on any map. Although hidden in the Rocky Mountains, it also couldn¡¯t be found by accident. There were nature spirits charged to protect the community by leading anyone astray who wandered within the territory. James and Mum were pleading for a more open community where we allowed outsiders to come and go, so they could benefit from the higher vibrations which permeated our atmosphere. Dad was opposed to the idea, saying that would be the end of our way of life. Everyone around the table was oblivious to Will¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±


    ¡°No, you look fine. Beautiful in fact.¡±


    Blood rushed to my face, warming my cheeks with pleasure at the compliment. Nobody had ever called me beautiful before, although I knew he was exaggerating. I could accept that I was attractive with the right level of make up, but calling me beautiful was a stretch. My skin and hair were both dark with light freckles across my nose which I thought was too long. I was lost for words and didn¡¯t know what to say. Will had never paid this much attention to me before, he preferred to banter with James. I dived into my plate of tomato pasta and decided to ignore him.


    ¡°What do you think, Will? As the future mayor of this town the decision will probably fall on your shoulders at some point in the future,¡± said Dad.


    ¡°Ahem. . . my parents still have a lot of years in them. I don¡¯t think I''ll be taking the reins anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I agree with all your view points to an extent. I think we need to do more to encourage outsiders to see the beauty in our way of life, but I¡¯m not sure that opening our community is the right way. Bad company does corrupt good character, we¡¯ve seen that over and over again throughout history. In fact it¡¯s the very reason why we had to set up these communities in the first place. To give us a place to thrive away from all the wickedness and perversity on earth.¡±  Will paused for a sip of water, his eyebrows pinched together in thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking something along the lines of sending. . . what should we call them . . . ambassadors. Yes, I like that word, ambassadors to the countries and cities that are still struggling, in addition to the work we already do as lightworkers. That will be a good place to start. We can have a more direct influence and encourage those who are nearly ready to join us. I would like to see the size of our communities double and many new towns set up within my lifetime. The Dolton¡¯s family moving in has been a great success and is a great example of how we can welcome new members.¡±


    My jaws became slack with surprise at the depth of Will¡¯s response. I thought he was staring at me the whole time and didn¡¯t realize he was paying attention to the debate.


    ¡°Very well said, Will. You¡¯re filled with wisdom and this town will be in good hands under your leadership,¡± said Dad.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure the Dolton¡¯s move has been a success. Only time will tell but I heard their son, Brendan Dolton, has had quite the effect on Rebecka,¡± said James.


    I shook my head in disbelief, ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± I narrowed my eyes in warning at James.


    ¡°Nothing, whoa calm down. I didn¡¯t mean anything by it. It was you who told us yesterday that he¡¯s the reason for your recent lateness which nearly got you suspended in school.


    I couldn¡¯t help but to roll my eyes at James. He was up to his old tricks, trying to lure me into an argument and I fell for it each time. ¡°Yes, but I wouldn¡¯t say he¡¯s had quite the effect on me.¡±


    ¡°How else am I supposed to put it, when he¡¯s made you late a few times and nearly got you suspended within less than a week. Anyway I¡¯m looking forward to meeting him, is he coming over on Sunday?¡±


    Will suddenly looked ill, as if someone had poisoned him. Mum cast a sharp look at James, forcing him to close his mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, James. I¡¯m sure it was all one big misunderstanding. I doubt Brendan would make Rebecka late on purpose. We don¡¯t achieve anything by pointing blame to others,¡± Mum said.


    ¡°He does it all the time Mum. See I told you he starts all our arguments, he¡¯s just trying to get under my skin.¡±


    ¡°Oh darling, James doesn¡¯t want to hurt you. Say sorry to your sister, James.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rebecka.¡±


    I wished Will hadn¡¯t witnessed that because he was upset, although he arranged his face into a neutral expression after that and focused on his plate. I noticed that he ate very little food. If there was one thing I disliked about our community, it was the lack of clear boundaries. Everyone knew everything about each other, there was nowhere to hide. For example, anything I do within my bedroom could be seen by anyone with clairvoyant vision, although the practice was frowned upon unless done for a specific purpose.


    ¡°I¡¯m full. I can¡¯t eat anymore. I¡¯m going to bed,¡± I said.


    ¡°Okay Rebecka, don¡¯t forget to do your exercises before you sleep so your body can heal. We¡¯ll meet on the other side. . . let¡¯s say within the next hour?¡± said Dad.


    I nodded and pushed my chair back.


    ¡°I¡¯m also full. Thank you so much for the lovely food Mr and Mrs Frost.¡±


    Will stood up and followed after me. I was halfway up the stairs when he caught up with me.


    ¡°Rebecka wait!¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± My tone came out harsher than I intended and I softened it with a smile.


    ¡°Nothing, I just wanted to ask you about this Brendan guy. Is he troubling you at school?¡±


    ¡°No, why does everyone keep asking me about Brendan. We¡¯re just friends.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but I want you to tell me if he troubles you at all.¡±


    I stopped outside the door to my room and placed a hand on my hip. ¡°Why would I do that? Firstly, I¡¯m perfectly capable of standing up for myself. Secondly Brendan is not troubling me, nor will he trouble me in future. He¡¯s new to the area and needs friends not enemies.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to cause any upset. It¡¯s just that James said ¡ª¡±


    ¡°You need to stop believing everything James tells you about me. By the way, don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice you staring at me during dinner. What was all that about?¡±


    James looked at the floor as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. ¡°I think you¡¯re beautiful Rebecka and when I¡¯m around you, I just can¡¯t help myself.¡±


    He looked into my eyes and I felt a warm sensation through my body, but not quite the blazing heat I¡¯d come to expect from Brendan. The affection in his eyes was unmistakable.


    ¡°Really, since when?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always held a special place in my heart. I shouldn¡¯t say this but you and me . . . we¡¯re ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Will?¡± James called from the bottom of the stairs.


    I never heard what Will was about to say. I nursed the feeling of disappointment because I knew whatever he was going to say was important. All these years, I¡¯d thought of him as my brother¡¯s best friend. Never once did I think he felt any affection for me. Whatever he thought was between us, might be too late. Brendan had captured my interests and he was the one consuming my thoughts day and night.


    Under normal circumstances, every care was taken to ensure that children who were matched according to their birth horoscope grew together as friends for love and affection to develop naturally. I hadn¡¯t felt anything for anyone until Brendan arrived. At this stage, I was hoping for Brendan to be my match and the last thing I needed was for Will to complicate matters. Also James would probably be against it and make my life more difficult if I was matched with his best friend.


    Suddenly James appeared on top of the stairs, panting as if he¡¯d run a mile. The smile on his face faded as he sensed the mood between me and Will.


    ¡°There you are. Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°I was just saying goodnight to Rebekca.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± James grinned as if he found something highly amusing about the situation.


    ¡°Well I was going to tell you, according to Mum, the guest bedroom needs new bedsheets and pillows. We can share my room if you don¡¯t mind? The bunk bed is still there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I don''t mind James. Good night Rebecka.¡±


    Will followed James up the second flight of stairs which led to the master bedroom and James'' bedroom, both of which were bigger than mine.

 Chatper 10

    The next day I decided to avoid Will, but he was cooking porridge with James and Dad on the Kitchen island when I walked in. I sat down and waited for breakfast to be served, avoiding his eyes. Will watched my every move, making me feel self-conscious. There was tension between us, creating an awkward silence which hadn¡¯t been there before.


    I felt tired and restless, mostly because I couldn¡¯t concentrate on cleansing my body before sleep. I knew it was dangerous for lightworkers to ignore the cleansing exercise before going out to serve, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t gather my thoughts. The previous night was incredibly busy. My Dad and I visited a lot of sick animals in the Amazon forest. They were either hunted or poisoned by the humans in the area. Most of the species were critically endangered and without the help of lightworkers, they would¡¯ve become extinct ages ago.


    I fought the need for sleep by blinking several times before pouring a glass of orange juice. Will set a plate of omelets and toast on my table a bit too hard, causing some of the omelet to topple off the side. He covered his mouth and popped his eyes open, clearly embarrassed.


    ¡°Oops sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Thank you,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°Anyway, how was the Amazon forest yesterday?¡± Will asked.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Did you get to see any interesting animals?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I stuffed the omelet in my mouth like a starved dog, desperate to end the conversation and leave.


    ¡°Rebekca is being modest, she was very brave against a giant Anaconda. The snake¡¯s spirit guide was nearly as fearsome as its charge but she was able to persuade him that we¡¯re friends, come to heal the snake,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°That sounds incredible,¡± said Will. His voice was so excited that it gravited on my nerves.


    ¡°It was incredible. Her healing ability is coming along really fast.¡±


    ¡°Hello, do you realize I¡¯m right here? You¡¯re speaking about me as if I¡¯m not in the room.¡±


    Suddenly, Dad threw his head back and laughed, followed by James and Will. I couldn¡¯t see what was so funny.


    ¡°You¡¯ve all gone mad, what¡¯s so funny.?¡±


    ¡°Sorry Rebecka, It¡¯s just the way you said that with such a serious face. It¡¯s quite funny,¡± Will said.


    ¡°Great! I¡¯m glad you can all have fun at my expense.¡±


    I pushed my plate away, picked my bag and walked out the house without a backwards glance. The look on Will¡¯s face was priceless and I felt a perverse sense of satisfaction.


    I met Charlotte and Pamela on the way to school and we flew in together. Our first lesson of the day was World Literature and it went like most of the lessons we had so far this week. Mrs Sharon Hayes began with a lecture on our final exams and the fact we had to take it seriously. My head felt like splitting in two by the time she finished revising Hamlet by Shakespear. Our homework was to meditate on the play and write a short piece on its esoteric meaning before next week. I knew the play very well, having read it last year, but to understand the esoteric meaning was something else.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I imagined it but I could¡¯ve sworn that most of the students groaned inwardly after the homework was announced. I wondered how Brendan would cope and I watched him carefully for his reaction. He had only joined us recently and had probably never read the play. He sat a few desks from me with a brooding expression which made him appear more handsome and mysterious if that were possible. When the bell rang for lunch, Brendan was about to race out the classroom when I caught him at the door. I placed a hand on his shoulder and he turned sharply as if he¡¯d received an electric shock.


    ¡°Sorry. . .Wait. What are you doing for lunch? Why don¡¯t you eat with us?¡±


    ¡°Eat with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Me, Charlotte and Pamela, and maybe Jeremy. Do you have other plans?¡±


    He ignored my question and said, ¡°You¡¯re holding the door. Maybe I¡¯ll join you in the canteen shortly.¡±


    He was right, there was a build up of curious faces behind us, waiting to get out. I wondered how many of them had overheard us. I shrugged and went back to my desk to pack my bag.


    ¡°What was that about,¡± Pamela asked from the next desk.


    ¡°Nothing, I was just asking Brendan to join us for lunch.¡±


    Pamela¡¯s eyes widened like saucers.


    ¡°What? We¡¯re friends and it¡¯s not a crime. He¡¯s probably lonely and needs company.¡±


    ¡°Lonely? Hello, this is Bredan we¡¯re talking about.¡± Pamela shared a look with Charlotte which I decided to ignore.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget he¡¯s still new. I¡¯ve not seen him hanging out with anyone else. Have you?¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, not really,¡± said Charlotte.


    I followed them to the canteen where we ordered our food. Afterwards, we decided to eat outside. We found a spot on the school grounds and settled on the grass. Although the sun was out and it was less windy, it was still chilly for September.


    I was tucking into a bowl of sweetcorn when Jeremy sat next to me. My heart fluttered in disappointment that it wasn¡¯t Brendan. I watched the entrance like a hawk, hoping to see Brendan emerging from the canteen but there was no sign of him. I chewed the inside of my cheek alongside my food. Eventually I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore so I decided to look for him.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Charlotte asked.


    ¡°Brendan might be looking for us in the canteen, I¡¯m going to find him.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Charlotte said as if it was the most ridiculous idea she¡¯s ever heard.


    I looked Charlotte in the eye, ¡°I told you he doesn¡¯t have any friends yet. Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not one of your victims that you have to save Rebecka. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s capable of making his own friends if he wanted to,¡± Charlotte replied.


    ¡°Charlotte is right, Rebecka. You¡¯re becoming obsessed with him,¡± said Pamela.


    I frowned at Pamela and Charlotte and shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Obsessed? Me? . . .  I¡¯m still going to find him.¡±


    ¡°Clam down, there¡¯s no need. He¡¯s right there,¡± said Jeremy.


    Indeed Brendan was strolling towards us from the school¡¯s main entrance as if he owned the place. He had long strides and oozed confidence like he didn¡¯t have a care in the world.


    ¡°Hey Brendan,¡± I waved him over. ¡°I was just about to come looking for you.¡±


    Brendan sat next to me and waved hello to everyone in our circle. I noticed Pamela fluttering her lashes before turning away shyly. He unwrapped some sandwiches from his backpack. ¡°Why?  Did you think I wasn¡¯t going to come?¡±


    ¡°No, I thought you couldn¡¯t find us. Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re rather nosy aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to have a conversation, I get to know you a little better. You don¡¯t have many friends in this school yet. Do you?¡±


    ¡°Good observation. And so you think I¡¯m a charity case?¡±


    He was doing it again, answering every question with another question.


    ¡°Not really, I just haven''t seen you speaking to anyone else yet.¡±


    ¡°You must be watching me more closely than I thought if you know that.¡±


    ¡°And you must be watching me to know that I¡¯m watching you.¡±


    I released a long breath and pinched the bridge of my nose for a brief moment. Brendan was in a strange mood and I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. A ray of sunlight beamed through the clouds and hit Brendan¡¯s dark curly waves, making it glitter with a rainbow of colors.


    ¡°Ahem. . . ¡° Pamela interrupted my thoughts with a loud cough. ¡°I was thinking, I¡¯m going to need your help, Rebecka,¡± said Pamela.


    ¡°My help? With what?¡±


    ¡°The homework. How on earth I¡¯m I supposed to write about the esoteric meaning of Hamlet? I could barely understand the play as it stands.¡±


    ¡°Have you read the play?¡±


    ¡°Of course I have but it¡¯s difficult. It was written nearly 2000 years ago for goodness sake!¡±


    ¡°Fair point. To be honest I¡¯ll probably have to ask James for help with this one.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re a lightworker.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m a lightworker, not an omniscient literature scholar.¡±


    ¡°But I thought lightworkers are supposed to understand the esoteric meaning of things.¡±


    ¡°That would be the neophytes, but even among them not all would understand the full meaning of Hamlet. I think this homework is hard.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re meant to meditate on them, Pamela. That¡¯s what Mrs Hayes said. If you mediate the answers will come to you.¡± said Jeremy.


    ¡°Oh stop it. Don¡¯t act like you know any better. When was the last time you meditated?¡± Charlotte said.


    ¡°Excuse me, I do meditate and I do gain insights from it. Just because you don¡¯t do it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°If Rebecka thinks it¡¯s hard then I don¡¯t know why you think you stand a chance, Jeremy?¡± said Charlotte.


    Charlotte and Jeremy sometimes got into these petty arguments which I thought were silly but everyone else found it amusing.


    ¡°Are you saying the rest of us are stupid? If Rebecka can¡¯t do it then nobody else can?¡± said Brendan. He was chewing the last of his sandwich and rolled the wrapper into his bag.


    Charlotte opened her mouth then closed it again. She looked to me for help, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying that, but Rebekca is one of the top students in our class. She always nails the homework.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s not as clever as you think. What if she gets help, probably from James,¡± said Brendan.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you just said that.¡± I covered my mouth with both hands. ¡°I was actually going to ask if you need help. You¡¯re new and a lot of things must be different here compared to what you¡¯re used to, but if you don¡¯t think I¡¯m clever enough then fine!¡±


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t act all hurt. I didn¡¯t say you¡¯re not clever enough. You¡¯re the one who said you get help from James and there¡¯s no shame in that. We all need help at some point. I¡¯ll not be ashamed to ask for your help when I need it.¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°In other words, you don¡¯t need my help. Message received loud and clear.¡± Perhaps he knew more than I was giving him credit for. Afterall, they wouldn¡¯t allow someone who knew absolutely nothing to join in their final year.


    ¡°Have you read Hamlet, Brendan?¡± Pamela asked.


    ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise.


    ¡°The lady doth protest too much!¡± Brendan said.


    Pamela laughed, followed by Charlotte and Jeremy. I couldn¡¯t hold back my own smile as I recognised the famous quote.


    ¡°I was home schooled by my parents until my father passed away, last year. My mother couldn¡¯t cope anymore without him, that¡¯s why we moved here. She¡¯s taught me everything that I know,¡± said Brendan.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear of your father¡¯s death, I didn¡¯t know,¡± said Pamela.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry to hear that Brendan, that sucks,¡± said Jeremy.


    I sat motionless. Speechless. I didn¡¯t know what to say. I knew there was no such thing as death, that the people we called dead still lived on in the inner worlds. However, it¡¯s difficult for the living to adjust when a loved one is taken away, especially when it occurs so suddenly in the prime of life.


    Eventually I was able to untie my tongue. ¡°Your mother sounds like a hero. How did your father pass away?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He died in a car crash.¡±


    I wanted to hug Brendan but thought twice about it. I saw tears lurking in his eyes but later on I wasn¡¯t so sure and thought it was a trick of the sunlight.


    ¡°Have you seen your father in your dreams or spoken to him at all since he passed away? I spoke to my grandmother every night after she passed away, which helped to lessen the pain,¡± I said.


    ¡°I imagine that being a lightworker probably makes it easier to communicate with the dead,¡± said Brendan.


    ¡°It certainly does, but anyone can do it.¡±


    ¡°I thought the dead were meant to be left alone,¡±  said Charlotte.


    ¡°Generally speaking they are, but there¡¯s no reason why you can¡¯t speak to them. Just because someone¡¯s dead, it doesn¡¯t stop you from becoming a friend.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have to take your word for it,¡± said Charlotte.


    Thankfully, the bell chose to ring at that moment, saving me from having to say more.


    Our last lesson of the day was Theology. Mrs Rosey Clearenden, a soft-spoken woman with white dyed hair knew everything about all the religious systems in the world, both ancient and modern. She explained we would be learning about two ancient religions by the end of this semester, Zoroastrianism and Egyptian Mythology. We covered Egyptian Mythology two years ago but apparently, it was likely to feature in the exams so we had to cover it again. I knew from Dad that Egyptian Mythology was best understood by the Neophytes. The inner meaning of the religion was poorly understood even in the days of ancient Egypt by the people. Only the priests understood the inner meaning of the myths and symbols.


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to learn anything hard or new but Mrs Clearenden took us through the life of the prophet Zoroaster for 3 hours. I tried to stay focused but found myself drifting off after the 15 minutes break. The effects of the lack of sleep were beginning to catch up with me. I felt really tired and sighed with relief as soon as the bell rang. I waved goodbye to Charlotte and Pamela and headed for my flying jet.


    When I got home, I found the house empty apart from Will, who had a lot of papers spread on the coffee table in the living area. I said a quick hello and walked past him, not wanting to be drawn into another lengthy conversation. As soon as I got to my room, I shut the door and collapsed on the bed. I knew that I couldn¡¯t function like this for long if I wanted to continue serving as a lightworker. I had to do the cleansing exercises to rid my body of all toxins and poisonous thoughts before going to sleep each night, just as I¡¯d been taught from a young age.


    With that thought in mind, I focused hard on gathering my thoughts and began to review the events of the past 24 hours in reverse order. I thought about each word I¡¯d spoken and whether I portrayed the principles of truth, fairness and honesty in every action throughout the day. I praised myself where I¡¯d done or said the right thing but equally felt the deepest contrition where I misrepresented the truth. The hardest part of the cleansing process was knowing the things I¡¯d left undone that should¡¯ve been done during the day.


    I turned over to sleep after I finished and felt as rested as a new born baby. However, by the time I woke up, I realized I¡¯d missed dinner and the house was quiet. The clock on my bedside table read 12.35am. Dad would know that something wasn¡¯t right and I didn¡¯t want to explain the reason why I needed that much sleep in the first place.


    I collapsed back on my pillows, determined to sleep and slip into the astral plane, but no matter how hard I tried, sleep eluded me. I laid on the bed for a long time, thinking about how to explain to Mum and Dad without lying or getting myself into trouble. At 2am, I felt my stomach rumbling so I went downstairs to the kitchen to hunt for food. I made a bowl of cereal and ate quickly. Afterwards, I decided to set up my easel and canvas to finish my art homework rather than going back to sleep. I tried to paint the scene of the etheric temple during the night of the full moon service as I remembered it.


    I was so focused on my work that I didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary. As soon as I finished the initial sketch for the temple, I heard a sound behind me like someone knocking over a glass. It was a tiny family of fairies, about four of them, looking very nervous at the damage they¡¯d caused. They flew in the air like big insects, releasing glittery perfumed dust from their backs which made them appear like wings. I didn¡¯t recognise them and wondered what they were doing in my house. I knew the environment was theming with nature spirits at all times but they didn¡¯t usually reveal themselves unless for a purpose.


    ¡°Hello, to what do I owe this pleasure?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Miss, we''re ever so sorry. Little Johnny here didn¡¯t mean to break your glass. He gets ever so excited Miss.¡± The oldest looking fairy spoke in a tiny voice.


    ¡°Nevermind the glass. It should¡¯ve been in the cupboard in the first place and not left on the island.¡±


    ¡°Oh Miss, you''re ever so kind, thank you so much. We¡¯ll be on our way now and we shall not trouble you any further.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re heading to the tropics now, it¡¯s much too cold for us to do any work here now. We¡¯ll come back in spring.¡± The family flew closer and hovered above my canvas.


    ¡°I see, and you do that every year?¡±


    The mother fairy nodded. ¡°Yes Miss, every year we head to the topics, sometimes to Asia or Africa or even South America.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do, and that¡¯s why the leaves fall and plants cease to grow. Why didn¡¯t I think of that before?¡±


    ¡°Very few humans think of anything beyond what they can see, Miss.¡±


    ¡°Rightly said, it seems I still have much to learn. But how are you going to get there?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll fly Miss, but it¡¯s a very long journey to get to where we¡¯re going. We travel in small groups until there¡¯s none left by December when it gets much too cold to grow anything.¡±


    ¡°Are these two your children?¡± I pointed to the two tiny fairies behind her and she nodded.


    ¡°They are my children Miss, Johnny and Isabella and this over here is my sister, Alvina.¡±


    ¡°Hi¡±,  said Alvina.


    ¡°Hello Alvina, Johnny and Isabella. What if I can help? You said your journey is far, maybe I can take you there. Where exactly are you going?¡±


    ¡°Oh Miss, thank you ever so much. There¡¯s a large island on the pacific ocean called the Phoenix Islands. That is where we gather every year. It¡¯s remote and far from humans, which is best for us.¡±


    ¡°A time is coming when the earth will be much improved and humans will be kind to all living things, maybe then you¡¯ll not need to retreat on a remote island every year.¡±


    ¡°Oh that sounds wonderful, Miss. I hope that day will come soon.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Just wait for me to fall asleep then I can slip out of my body and take you anywhere you want to go.¡±


    The fairies nodded in excitement. Although this wasn¡¯t an official assignment, there was nothing to prevent a lightworker from using their powers for good whenever they found the opportunity. Now armed with a purpose, I was more determined than ever to sleep. I settled myself in bed and luckily found myself on the other side in no time. I gilded to the kitchen in my astral body and asked the family of fairies to sit on my shoulders.


    They settled on my shoulder and directed me to Phoenix Island. We got there in less than 5 minutes. The first thing I saw was a huge gathering of fairies on a large field, under the guidance of a Deva who was emitting some kind of light, streaming from her body to the fairies below in all directions. She was beautiful and beyond description. She swayed gently back and forth with the wind and the fairies swayed along with her like a slow moving dance. The whole atmosphere was permeated with a sweat smelling floral perfume that was spellbinding.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Miss, for being kind enough to bring us here. We appreciate your kindness.¡±


    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t catch your name.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Faye, Miss,¡±


    ¡°Well Faye, the pleasure is all mine. You¡¯ve shown me things I never knew existed.¡±


    I smiled at the Deva who was watching me closely. She waved for me to come closer and when I was within hearing distance she held up a hand for me to stop.


    ¡°Rebecka Frost, thank you for your service to my charges. I¡¯ll remember your kindness,¡± said the Deva.


    ¡°Oh no, it was no trouble at all. Can I come back and visit sometime? I would like to learn more about the fairies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be lovely. You¡¯re welcome here anytime.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I decided to stay for a while, inhaling the sweet smelling atmosphere until I knew it was time to go home. It was my first soul flight on my own without a parent. I stretched out my arms like a bird and screamed above the pacific ocean. Suddenly, two giant blue whales came up for air, spraying the sea water everywhere. I dipped my head under the sea and moved alongside them for a while. They were going quite fast for such huge animals. A family of tiny sea creatures were glowing on the dark ocean floor that I¡¯d never seen before. I was so focused on studying them that I nearly missed the mermaids swimming beside me. I counted about five of them, beautiful females with human heads and fish tales. They were wonderfully adapted to the water, swimming so effortless.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I waved in the water and they waved back. They didn¡¯t say anything, nor did they come too close or try to stop me. All the legends about mermaids hunting fishermen were probably nonsense. These beautiful sea creatures seemed so harmless and friendly that I couldn¡¯t imagine them hurting a fly. I swam beside them and the whales for a while until I got bored.


    The sun was beginning to rise by the time I got home. Dad, Mum, James and Will were sitting in the living room, holding mugs of herbal tea. They were laughing about something that James was saying. I couldn¡¯t believe Will was still here. Why wasn¡¯t he with his own family? I felt as if I¡¯d missed something, maybe he¡¯d moved in unofficially?


    ¡°Rebecka, there you are. Where have you been?¡± said Dad.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it if I told you.¡±


    ¡°Come and sit with us, or maybe you would prefer to enter your body first. I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t eat or drink in your soul body.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± I pointed to the mugs.


    ¡°Apple and cinnamon tea.¡±


    ¡°Sounds lovely, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    I cut through the walls to my bedroom rather than taking the stairs. I sighed with relief when I spotted my body lying on the bed and slipped inside. I skipped down the stairs two at a time, eager to tell everyone about my adventures with the fairies and mermaids.


    ¡°Ah Rebecka, there¡¯s your tea,¡± Mum pointed to a steaming mug on the coffee table.  ¡°Your Dad was just saying that he could¡¯ve used your help tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes I know. I¡¯m so sorry, I overslept,¡± I covered my face with the mug and sipped slowly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it happens to the best of us at times. I used to sleep through all the time. Being a lightworker takes some time to get used to,¡±  said Dad.


    My jaw nearly hit the ground in shock. I couldn¡¯t believe Dad wasn''t quizzing me or telling me off.


    ¡°I find that hard to believe, Dad.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s telling the truth. In fact Keith used to be quite lazy,¡± said Mum.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you loved me,¡± Dad laughed.


    ¡°I did not. Your parents convinced me to marry you because no one else would have you,¡± said Mum.


    ¡°And it¡¯s the best decision you''ve ever made,¡± said Dad.


    ¡°Indeed it is. And seeing as this is not our first time being married, I figured I might as well get on with it.¡± Mum set her mug down and kissed Dad on the cheek. He hugged her and pulled her to sit next to him on the sofa. I tried not to roll my eyes at the display of affection between them. They behaved like children sometimes. It was beautiful to watch and cringe at the same time.


    ¡°Where have you been Rebekca?¡± Will asked in a low tone that carried through the room.


    ¡°I went with some fairies to the Phoenix Islands. Did you know they migrate to the tropics during winter?¡±


    ¡°Of course they do. That sounds wonderful, Rebecka. I¡¯ve been there myself, several times in fact. Did you see the Deva?¡± Mum asked.


    ¡°I did, she was beautiful.¡± I told them everything that happened from the moment the fairies knocked over the glass to my experience with the mermaids and whales.


    ¡°I was wondering who left the broken glass on the floor when I came in,¡± said Mum.


    ¡°It would¡¯ve been very hard for that baby fairy to knock the glass by accident. Sounds to me like something a gnome would do, or maybe they did it together to grab your attention,¡± said Will.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I thought at the time,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hmmm, you might be onto something there Will,¡± Mum said. ¡°Rebecka, you¡¯re going to come across more of these nature spirits the longer you serve as a lightworker. Mermaids, salamanders, sylphs and gnomes, spirits of the air, fire, earth and water. They¡¯re mostly friendly and harmless like you experienced today with the mermaids if a person has no evil intention towards them.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like a lot of fun. I wished I¡¯d been there with you,¡± said Will. He looked at me with the same longing in his eyes as the previous day.


    ¡°It was fun and now I¡¯m going to get ready for school.¡±

 Chapter update

    Hi,


    Thanks for coming back to check out my story. Unfortunately I¡¯ve been very busy this week preparing for a test so I can¡¯t uplaod a new chapter until Tuesday 23rd AUGUST. That means you¡¯ll get two chapters next week (on Tuesday and Friday). Thanks for your patience. L. A.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

 Chapter 11a

    As the weeks went on, I felt more comfortable with Brendan the more time we spent together at school. He was funny when he wanted to be and knew how to charm the teachers. I gained more looks and whispers in the corridors which were easy to ignore. Nobody dared to say anything to my face, but one Friday afternoon, I overheard Tina Reese, Rosalind Henry and another girl I didn¡¯t recognise gossiping about me and Brendan in the bathroom. They didn¡¯t know I was using one of the cubicles when they came in. When they started chatting, I debated with myself whether to walk out or to wait until they left.


    ¡°Apparently they¡¯re matched, but I don¡¯t believe it. I refuse to believe it,¡± said Rosalind¡¯s voice.


    ¡°But the matching ceremony is not till December. How can they be matched when it¡¯s not been announced yet?¡± said Tina.


    ¡°That is exactly my point,¡± said Rosalind.


    ¡°Her parents could have told her. You know they¡¯re lightworkers.¡± This came from the other girl whose voice I didn¡¯t recognize. She was probably from the other class.


    I chuckled to myself in the cubicle at the thought of my parents revealing my match before the matching ceremony. The chances of that happening were so slim as to be laughable.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair. I¡¯ll ask Mummy to find out and if it¡¯s true, I¡¯ll make a complaint. The rest of us have to wait and we can¡¯t even have our own parties this year,¡± said Tina.


    ¡°We can¡¯t have our own parties? What on earth are you talking about?¡± Rosalind asked.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the announcement? Private parties are banned this year. The school is hosting a big end of year party to celebrate all the matches in summer, before we leave for college,¡± said Tina.


    ¡°Really? Since when? I totally missed that,¡± Rosalind sounded on the verge of hysterics.


    ¡°The announcement came out this morning, I thought you knew,¡± said Tina.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s not an outright ban on parties is it? It''s just for private parties to celebrate the matching ceremony. All other parties like birthdays etc can still go ahead,¡± said the unknown girl.


    ¡°It¡¯s still not fair. Why shouldn¡¯t we be allowed to host private parties if we choose? Every other year group was allowed. Even my sister . . .'''' Rosalind''s voice trailed off, choked with tears.


    I felt sorry for her for a few moments before I thought she was overreacting. She was about to have a birthday party on saturday so just how many parties did she want in a year? I remembered that her sister, a pretty girl with a love of bright jewelry, had married one of Will¡¯s brothers a few years ago.


    ¡°Is he coming on saturday?¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°You mean Brendan? Yes, I think so but who knows,¡± said Rosalind.


    ¡°I hope he doesn¡¯t turn up with her. I¡¯ll die on the inside if I see them together one more time,¡± said Tina.


    ¡°I doubt he would, I¡¯ve not invited her.¡± This was followed by gasps of surprise from the others. ¡°What? Don¡¯t look at me like that. Jeremy asked but I said no. It¡¯s bad enough seeing them at school, the last thing I want is for them to turn up together in my house.¡±


    I closed my eyes in the cubicle and dragged deep breaths into my lungs. I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. I knew the whispers were bad but I didn¡¯t realize people were openly discussing me and Brendan in this way.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s so into her, she¡¯s not even that pretty. I brushed against his shoulder the other day and he didn¡¯t even look at me,¡± said Rosalind.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she charmed him, poor guy. She¡¯s probably done something to him, you know, with those mystical powers of hers,¡± said Tina.


    I¡¯d heard enough. I felt so angry I didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. In the end, I decided to walk out and reveal my presence. The look on Rosalind¡¯s face in particular was priceless. I doubt whether she would talk about anyone in the bathroom ever again. I recognized the face of the third girl, she was one of the few students in the other senior class that I¡¯d never really spoken to before but had always thought was friendly.


    ¡°Excuse me ladies.¡± I walked between them and stood before the mirror to check my hair. I caught Rosalind¡¯s eye in the mirror and she looked down in shame. I held my head high and dried my hands with a paper towel.


    ¡°Brendan is so hot isn¡¯t he? Guess what ladies, pretty or not, if I can¡¯t have him then I¡¯ll make sure none of you can have him.¡±


    Tina narrowed her eyes. She opened and closed her mouth several times as if she wanted to say something but thought better of it.


    I walked out the bathroom with a smirk. I couldn¡¯t help giggling all the way to my next lesson which was Math with Mr Timson. I decided if people wanted to gossip about me and Brendan then it¡¯s time to truly give them something to talk about. Students were lining up outside Mr Timson¡¯s classroom by the time I got there.


    ¡°Rebecka, over here,¡± Charlotte and Pamela waved from the front of the queue. ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both not going to believe what just happened. Has either of you seen Brendan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here Rebecka.¡± Brendan stood behind Charlotte as if he appeared by magic. I sucked in a deep breath as I locked eyes with him. Looking into his eyes always gave me the feeling of being sucked into a whirlpool.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t see you there. I wanted to speak to you about something.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to make it quick, I wouldn''t want to be accused of making you late.¡±


    I pulled him a few steps away from the queue and lowered my voice so that on one else could hear. ¡°Can you sit with me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He pulled his eyebrows together in a deeper frown, creasing the lines on his forehead.


    ¡°Can you sit next to me from now on, in every lesson?¡±


    He searched my face, trying to see whether I was being serious.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Why? And what about your friends, Charlotte and Pamela?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll understand. You must¡¯ve heard the rumors going around the school saying we¡¯re matched. If people want to gossip about us then I want to give them something to talk about.¡±


    Brendan ran his fingers through his hair before stroking his chin. ¡°Let me get this straight, you want to give people a reason to gossip about us? Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain. Just say yes.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Yes.¡± Brendan ran his fingers through the curly mess on his head one more time before stuffing them in his pocket.


    Suddenly, I noticed Tina and Rosalind walking to the back of the queue from the end of the corridor. Rosaline spotted us first and paused. She whispered something to Tina who nodded in our direction. I linked my arm with Brendan¡¯s hand, ignoring the tiny shot of awareness through my skin, and pulled him gently back into the queue with Charlotte and Pamela.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Charlotte asked.


    Luckily, I didn¡¯t have to respond as Mr Timson chose that moment to open the door.


    I followed Brendan to the front of the class to his favorite seat and took the seat next to him. I looked back at Charlotte and Pamela with an apologetic look. The empty gap between them was the seat where I usually sat. It felt strange to sit so close to the board where I couldn''t see what was happening behind me.


    Mr Timson continued with the topic of geometry, speaking about shapes and their higher meaning, the pentagon, hexagon, octagon, square and triangle . Unlike me, Brendan had no problem concentrating. He made lots of notes, scribbling in neat but tiny handwriting that was difficult to read across the desk. We didn¡¯t speak, although it was a comfortable silence. I missed the little gossip notes which I knew Charlotte and Pamela were passing between them. It wasn¡¯t until during the 15 minutes break that I got the chance to talk to Brendan


    ¡°It¡¯s rather stuffy in here, don¡¯t you think?¡± I asked Brendan who looked up from his notes as if noticing me for the first time.


    ¡°Err. . . no not really.¡±


    ¡°Should we go out for a walk?¡±


    Brendan tapped his pen on his chin and frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a quick one, I promise. Just say yes.¡±


    Brendan chuckled, ¡°If you¡¯re going to demand that I say yes to everything then I will say yes.¡±


    I got the impression he found the situation highly amusing and was laughing at my expense but I didn¡¯t care. I shrugged and followed him out to curious looks from the whole class. We walked down the corridors with no specific destination and spotted a few students hanging out or queueing by the water fountains.


    ¡°Look, I know all this might seem strange but I was wondering whether you¡¯ve got any plans for Sunday?¡±


    ¡°Err. . . are you asking me out now?¡± Brendan grabbed my shoulders and turned me around to face him. His touch sent delicious tingles through my body and his eyes sucked me into their depths so that everything around me became a blur. I couldn¡¯t think and it took me a while to remember his question.


    ¡°Oh, no it¡¯s just that. . . It¡¯s just . . . my family wants to meet you.¡± I covered my mouth in mortification and wanted to suck the words back in but it was too late. The frown on his face confirmed that I¡¯d said too much.


    ¡°That¡¯s bizarre, why would they want to do that? You¡¯re not even my girlfriend. Yet.¡±


    I giggled to hide my nervousness. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, just come and hang out with us if you¡¯re free.¡±


    ¡°What have you told them about me?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Which was technically true because I hadn¡¯t said anything of importance to them about Brendan.


    ¡°Do they make a habit of meeting all your friends?¡±


    ¡°Actually they¡¯ve met all my friends. Everyone loves to hang out at my house. It¡¯ll be fun. Just say yes?¡±


    This time he didn¡¯t seem amused and certainly wasn¡¯t going to say yes. ¡°I can¡¯t, I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Maybe next week?¡±


    Brendan shook his head and released my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m mostly busy on Sundays. Perhaps I could do it next Saturday?¡±


    I beamed a big smile at Brendan, ¡°Yes! Thank you¡­Thank you, I promise you¡¯ll have a great time.¡±


    ¡°I hope so, after you dragged me around the school, just to ask me that. Something¡¯s going on with you and I can¡¯t put my finger on it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    We circled back to the corridor leading to Mr. Timson¡¯s classroom and spotted Rosalind, filling her bottle at the water fountain. I moved closer to Brendan and linked our arms together. Rosalind saw us but she looked down and pretended as if she hadn¡¯t seen us coming.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Brendan whispered.


    ¡°Nothing, just go with the flow.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve hijacked my arm.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lovely arm.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a funny girl, Rebecka Frost.¡±


    I laughed and brushed my free hand on his shoulder just as Rosalind looked up. This time, she didn¡¯t look away but stared with an open mouth. It was the exact effect I was looking for and I danced inside with glee. I wanted to stroke the flames of jealousy within her to teach her just how pointless it was.


    ¡°Ask Rosalind if we¡¯re invited to her party.¡± I nudged Brendan.


    ¡°We? She already invited me but I don¡¯t know about you.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, you wouldn¡¯t want to attend without me, would you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what mischief you¡¯re up to but I¡¯m enjoying this version of you, clingy Rebecka.¡±


    ¡°Come on, just play along. Do it now before she leaves.¡±


    Rosalind had finished filling up her bottle and was retreating her steps as we walked over to the fountain.


    ¡°Rosalind.¡± Brendan called out, bringing her to a stop.


    ¡°Hi Brendan. . . and Rebecka.¡± Rosalind said in a high pitched girly tone that betrayed her nervousness.


    ¡°Hey, just wanted to say thanks for inviting me to your party. Hope you don¡¯t mind if I bring Rebecka along.¡±


    Rosalind blinked rapidly. ¡°I. . . I think that. . . that would . . . that would be . . . Ahem¡± Rosalind cleared her throat and took a sip of her water. Her face was burning and she looked as though she was fighting back tears. ¡°That would be fine.¡± She plastered a bright smile on her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, we¡¯re looking forward to it.¡±


    Rosalind nodded and disappeared around the corridor if she was being chased by demons.


    ¡°That was perfect.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean I have to take you?¡±


    ¡°Why do you make that sound so bad?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding, it¡¯s not enough that I can¡¯t get away from you at school, now I have to hang out with you at a party?¡±


    ¡°Hey. . . watch it otherwise ¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ª otherwise you¡¯ll kiss me?¡±


    Like a switch the mood between us sizzled with electricity. He turned and looked into my eyes, making my knees go weak. He grabbed my shoulders to support my weight and leaned down, his nose almost touching my face. I lost all awareness of my surroundings and I thought for a second that he would kiss me for real. I wanted him to do it with every fiber of my being but suddenly he released me and stepped back. I sucked deep breaths into my lungs and prayed no one had seen us.


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny. Don¡¯t do that again.¡±


    ¡°Do what? I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Brendan clasped his arms behind his back and arched an eyebrow.


    We were the last to return from the 15 mins break to Mr Timson¡¯s classroom. The rest of the lesson proceeded smoothly but my concentration was shot and I struggled to focus on what Mr Timson was saying. Following Brendan¡¯s example, I decided to make notes of everything even if it didn¡¯t fully sink in.

 Chapter 11b

    I went home swiftly after school and decided to tidy up my room and catch up with my homework. I began with Starology and pulled out an old copy of my horoscope. I studied it for a while and wrote a two page essay of my basic personality, just as Mr Allen had instructed. I was careful to note down both the positives and negatives in my chart. My rising sign was Gemini with a well aspected Venus in my first house so I knew that meant I could easily attract almost anything that I wanted in life. My challenge was to guard against becoming superficial and to not abuse my talents by using people.


    I had just finished writing when a knock sounded at my door. It was Will with another plate of fruits and a glass of milk. I wanted to roll my eyes but I widened the door instead and accepted the food with a polite smile.


    ¡°Rebecka, I thought you might be hungry. I heard you come in but didn¡¯t see you.¡± His smile was genuine as if he truly was happy to see me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of homework to get through Will. I¡¯ll come downstairs if I can finish.¡±


    ¡°Oh. . . I see. Maybe I can help?¡±


    I robbed my temples in tiny circles to relieve some of the tension in my head. I ¡°No it¡¯s fine, in fact I was going to ask James for help with World Literature. I think that¡¯s the hardest one so far.¡±


    ¡°James has gone to see Lily in Italy. He¡¯ll be back on Monday.¡±


    I slapped myself on the forehead as I remembered James had mentioned the trip a few weeks ago.


    ¡°Of course, how could I forget? But. . . wait, if James is not here what are you still doing here? When was the last time you went home? Have you moved in now?¡±


    ¡°Me and James are brothers, our bond extends far beyond this life. Your parents know this.¡±


    ¡°And so that gives you the right to stay here for as long as you want? Don¡¯t you miss your own parents?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to miss them when I see them everyday. Our house isn¡¯t the same since all my brothers moved out. Why? Don¡¯t you want me here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that, it¡¯s just a bit weird, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Will rubbed his eyes in small circles as if the conversation was giving him a headache. ¡°Can I come in?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of a reason to say no without sounding rude so I opened the door wider. ¡°There isn¡¯t a lot of space I¡¯m afraid.¡± My homework was scattered on my desk and there was only one armchair by the window.


    ¡°Wow, you really are doing your homework.¡±


    ¡°Did you think I was lying?¡±


    ¡°No, this just seems like a lot. I can help you with world literature, you know. I¡¯m the one who taught James half of what he knows.¡±


    I snorted in disbelief. ¡°I know you¡¯re clever but there¡¯s no need to boast.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha very funny Rebecka. You¡¯ve always underestimated me.¡±


    ¡°Have I?¡± I gathered the sheet with my World Literature homework and slapped it on his chest. But he trapped my hand against his chest before I could pull away, staring deep into my eyes. His heartbeat accelerated under my palms until it matched the rhythm of my own heart. I shivered at the intensity of his gaze until I couldn''t stand it any more.


    ¡°What are you doing? Let me go.¡±


    Suddenly he released my hand so fast as if burnt by fire. Deep down, I whimpered at the loss and wanted to touch him again. I concealed my expression carefully to hide my thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± Will said.


    ¡°What is going on with you?¡±


    Will looked at the floor, avoiding my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He took a few steps back and clasped his hands behind his back as if physically restraining himself. I felt so confused I didn¡¯t know where to start. I wanted to ask him a thousand questions but I knew I wouldn¡¯t get any answers from him. He wasn¡¯t as handsome as Brendan yet he stirred something in me that was new, different and certainly unwanted. I wasn¡¯t interested in whatever was happening between us and I didn¡¯t want to encourage it.


    He picked the sheet from the floor and read the assignment. ¡°This homework is quite interesting although it might be slightly beyond your age group. I think your teacher ¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªMrs Sharon Hayes.¡±


    ¡°Mrs Hayes is trying to stretch you. I think you should meditate on it first and see what you can come up with.¡±


    ¡°I knew it! In other words you don¡¯t have the answer.¡±


    ¡°I do, but it¡¯s my interpretation of the play. There isn¡¯t necessarily a right or wrong answer. Everyone¡¯s experiences are different and we can all relate to Hamlet in different ways,¡± he stated confidently.


    ¡°No, you just don¡¯t have a clue. If you knew the inner meaning of Hamlet, you¡¯ll not be telling me to meditate on it.¡±


    ¡°How is that going to help you if I simply give you the answer?¡±


    ¡°Err. . . it¡¯ll help me to pass the homework.¡±


    ¡°Intellectual superficiality?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. You don¡¯t want to take the trouble of thinking deeply about anything, do you? You find it easier to believe I don¡¯t know anything rather than doing the work yourself.¡±


    ¡°Will? If you¡¯re not going to help then what are you doing in my room?¡± I felt so annoyed by his comment I was tempted to throw something at him. Deep down I knew he was right but I just didn¡¯t want to hear it.


    Will raised an eyebrow in question. The moon was high in the sky, its light reflecting through my open window.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll help you, but promise me you¡¯ll still meditate on it,¡± he said.


    I shrugged indifferently, ¡°I''ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°Sit down!¡± Will moved closer and pulled the armchair next to my desk. He smelled good, like fresh water flowers, light and airy compared to Brendan¡¯s earthy fragrance. For some reason I¡¯d never noticed his smell before and I wondered why I did so now. I made notes for the next two hours as he explained the mystical interpretation of Hamlet, asking questions where I wasn¡¯t sure. He wasn¡¯t joking when he said that he knew the play. He knew everything, each character, scene and line. I was very impressed by the depth of his observations and the connections he made between the characters. The earlier tension slowly dissolved as we discussed the play.


    Later that evening we ate dinner with my parents. Will fitted in as if he was family and my parents loved him, treating him like a son. He was gracious, honest and bright, and he never said the wrong thing. After dinner we met in the temple on the astral plane for our assignments where I saw Will¡¯s parents, Russell and Stephaine Barrett. James and Lily were also in attendance but Roberto, Lily¡¯s brother, was apparently unwell and couldn¡¯t serve that evening.


    Mark, the Adept who normally issued our assignments, asked to speak to me privately before I set off with Dad. The kindness and compassion in his eyes immediately put me at ease, even if I sensed whatever he was about to say wasn''t good.


    ¡°Rebecka, I don''t have much time so I¡¯ll go straight to the point. I know that Ariel has already told you you¡¯re under trial, but I feel it necessary to issue a further warning tonight. The effects of your recent actions is making a stamp on your soul body. I would urge you to take the cleansing exercises particularly seriously and to adopt a daily habit of meditation at this period in your life. You have great potential and your healing ability is improving so marvelously well, but I feel compelled to warn you that you can not participate as a lightworker if you can¡¯t bring your emotions under control.¡±


    His words left no room for ambiguity as his meaning became clear to me. It also became clear the Adepts were watching me closely and knew everything about my life. There was nowhere to hide, no corner of the earth or heaven was bared to their gaze. I was giving room to anger and passion more frequently than was healthy.  I had to be careful around Brendan, Will and even James, to some extent. Those three pushed my buttons and triggered me in ways that nobody else could.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean for any of it to happen. I¡¯ll try and be good.¡± I felt ashamed and wished I could bury my face somewhere.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing well, keep cheerful. I¡¯m expecting great things from you Rebecka.¡± He smiled into my eyes, instilling confidence and hope that I didn¡¯t realize I so desperately needed. I knew he was being sincere and I believed his every word.


    ¡°Thank you so much, I¡¯ll not disappoint you. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Promise yourself Rebecka, not me. I¡¯ll let you rejoin the others.¡±


    I joined with Dad and together we set off to heal the people who¡¯d prayed for help. We went back to the wealthy man in the New York apartment. His healing was almost complete. He was able to sit up during the day and walk around the flat. I spoke to his spirit while he slept, urging him to believe in himself, that he is worthy of love and affection. He agreed that he would live a good life and show kindness to everyone from now on.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Our next visit was to a small, remote village in Kenya. A young lady, in her mid twenties was in labor and about to give birth to twins. The family were poor and couldn¡¯t afford to pay the fee demanded by the local doctor.


    ¡°Let us pay a visit to the local doctor first,¡± said Dad.


    We materialized outside the doctor¡¯s house and knocked at the door. It was a large house, decorated with all modern conveniences and about a 15 minutes walk from the village. I looked through the walls of the house using clairvoyant vision and I saw the doctor sitting at his desk in his office. He heard the bell and paused his writing but didn¡¯t get up to open for us. Dad knocked several times but he refused to come to the door.


    ¡°Rebecka,  looks like we¡¯ve got a stubborn one here.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he come to the door?¡±


    ¡°Because he knows it¡¯s us.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°News of our activities have spread like wildfire in recent weeks. This doctor is particularly well informed. I want you to concentrate hard on calling him to come to the door. Focus all your thoughts on that one thing and I¡¯ll do the same.¡±


    I did as Dad suggested and a few moments later, the doctor walked from his desk to open the front door.


    ¡°What do you want? It''s a bit late at night for a social call.¡± He was a tall man in his mid forties with balding hair line and a rather large nose.


    ¡°It¡¯s just past 8pm, surely that¡¯s not too late for a doctor who is supposed to be on call for this village.¡±


    ¡°Sure, what do you want?¡± The doctor wrinkled his large nose as if a bad smell assaulted his nose.


    ¡°My name is Keith and this is my daughter, Rebecka. There¡¯s a girl in the village who is in labor. Will you help her?¡±


    ¡°Not without paying me first. I''ve explained everything to her mother already.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve come to ask you to reconsider. You know the family are poor and they can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my problem. Should have thought about that before she got herself pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Final chance - will you not leave the path of greediness for money and help a person in need out of the goodness of your heart?¡±


    ¡°No, people always expect something for nothing. I¡¯ll not to it.¡±


    ¡°Very well, doctor. We shall bid you goodnight.¡±


    We left the doctor''s  house and glided the short distance to the village. I heard the sound of someone screaming in pain coming from one of the huts before we even got there. We knocked at the door and were greeted by an elderly woman with extremely white teeth and permanent worry lines across her forehead.


    ¡°Hi, my name is Keith and this is my daughter, Rebecka. We¡¯ve come to help the lady having the baby.¡±


    The woman didn¡¯t ask any further questions but opened the door wider. Inside was a busy room with closed curtains, large windows and a bright single bulb hanging from the ceiling. Two women sat on either side of the bed, which took center stage in the room. A pretty young lady was spread out on the bed, panting with sweat and covered in lots of blankets. The two women were clearly twin sisters and it was hard to tell which one was the lady¡¯s mother as they both looked so alike.


    ¡°How far along is she?¡±


    ¡°Sir, you de doctor?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Call me Keith. I¡¯m afraid the doctor isn¡¯t coming unless you pay him but don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re in good hands.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. . .¡± The woman on the bed screamed in pain, squeezing her eyes shut.


    ¡°Oh, de baybay is cumming, Oh. . . lord,¡± The sister on the left looked as panicked as the mother to be. ¡°Her wata broke tree days ago.¡±


    Dad lowered himself next to the bed and smoothed his hands over the patient¡¯s sweaty forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, I¡¯m going to deliver your baby today. You¡¯re going to live.¡±


    The woman nodded through short breaths. She was sweating so heavily that the blankets covering her were nearly soaked through. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Al. .  . Alma. . .  Almasi.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.¡± Dad kissed her cheek.


    ¡°Dad? Can we open the windows, it¡¯s a little hot in here? Look, she¡¯s sweating.¡¯


    ¡°Well she¡¯s in labor, she¡¯ll be sweating whether the windows are open or not but I guess opening the windows doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    I threw the windows open but left the curtains closed. ¡°Fetch me some water. We¡¯re going to need lots of water. . . and towels.¡±


    The two women left the bed to get the water and the older one who greeted us at the door busied herself with setting up an incense burner in the corner of the room.


    ¡°Almasi is very strong but she¡¯s carrying twins. I want you to hold her hands, pray over her and keep her calm, that should help with the pain,¡± Dad said to me.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy, I can do that.¡±


    Dad never ceased to amaze me with the fact he knew exactly what to do in every situation. I wondered how many babies he¡¯d delivered in his lifetime and I made a mental note to ask him later.


    ¡°What is she doing?¡± I pointed to the rising incense in the corner of the room.


    Dad shrugged, apparently as clueless as me. ¡°Ask her, she understands English.¡±


    I tapped the older woman on the shoulder and said, ¡°Excuse me, Mama, can I ask what incense you¡¯re bruning? It smells lovely.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s lavender und frankincense, it¡¯z calming.¡±


    The two women returned with two buckets of water each. They took a cloth with a bowl of water and began to wipe Almasi¡¯s forehead. Dad washed his hands and removed all the blankets, leaving one to cover her chest and upper body. I took my place next to the bed and began to pray as Dad instructed.


    ¡°I can feel the head of the first baby,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s twins?¡±


    ¡°I can see it¡¯s twins. Look for yourself.¡±


    I gazed at Almasi with clairvoyant vision and saw Dad was right. There were two babies, one was still in the womb and the other was nearly out.


    ¡°Almasi, I¡¯m going to tell you when it¡¯s time to push, just take deep breaths,¡± Dad said.


    I closed my eyes and concentrated on praying over her. I asked that no harm will come to the babies and that she¡¯ll be safe.


    ¡°IT¡¯S CUMMING. . .  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.¡± Almasi screamed so loud the windows would have shattered if made from glass.


    ¡°OKAY PUSH!¡± said Dad.


    Suddenly, I began to feel pain in my womb and the lower part of my body. I released Almasi and sat on the floor. The pain was so intense that I couldn¡¯t move and became short of breath.


    ¡°Dad. . .  Dad. . . Something odd is happening to me. I can¡¯t breathe.¡±


    ¡°Rebecka? What is wrong with you?¡±


    One of the women, I couldn¡¯t tell which one, held me by the hand and tried to pull me to stand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. My womb feels like it¡¯s on fire.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken on Almasi¡¯s feelings Rebecka¡¯s. You need to shake it off.¡±


    Understanding dawned. Being so close to Almasi, whose feelings were intense at this time meant I¡¯d broken into her psychic barrier and taken on her feelings. I imagined a white light surrounding my aura, which I knew was effective protection against all psychic attacks and the pain immediately disappeared. However in doing so, I released my aura and filled the room with a source of light brighter than the bulb hanging from the ceiling. All the women in the room, including Almasi, stopped to stare at me with shock written on their faces.


    Suddenly a soft cry pierced the air. The baby had taken its first breath and it had very strong lungs.


    ¡°It¡¯s a boy,¡± Dad wrapped the baby in one of the towels and passed him to one of the sisters.


    ¡°Err. . . Dad, how do I make this go away?¡± I pointed to my head. Dad was so focused on delivering the babies that he didn¡¯t notice what was happening in the room.


    ¡°What? Oh . . . use your willpower. Just will it to go away.¡±


    I did as Dad suggested and just like using any other part of my body, I willed my aura to disappear, dimming the light in the room.


    ¡°Oh. . . Why yu no dey tell me say eow¡¯re und uhengel?¡± said Almasi. Her voice was muffled but pain was no longer etched on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an angel. I¡¯m a human being just like you.¡±


    ¡°No. Yow¡¯re not. A humun can¡¯t do dat.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ve seen an angel and I know what they look like. If I was an angel I wouldn¡¯t deny it.¡±


    ¡°Right, the second baby is coming. Push when you feel the urge to push,¡± said Dad.


    Almasi nodded at Dad and pushed straight away. The second baby was delivered which turned out to be another boy. Dad wrapped him up in another towel and passed him to his mother.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got two beautiful babies. Another set of twins in this family after your mother. What are you going to name them?¡±


    ¡°Opiyo and Odongo,¡± Almasi said.


    ¡°Where is the father?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hei¡¯s travelled. Hei¡¯l be appy dee¡¯re twinz.¡±


    The women began to sing and clap around in their native language. I couldn¡¯t understand what they were singing but it sounded like they were singing praises to God. I helped them to tidy up the room and remove all the bloody towels. Together with the sisters, we changed Alamsi, washed the bed and cleaned the twins. The incense had burned out, leaving faint traces of lavender in the air.


    Suddenly a knock sounded at the door. Dad answered and it turned out to be the greedy doctor who wanted money for his services. Lightworkers were never allowed to take money or any material compensation for their work. It was the first rule we were taught to observe.


    ¡°It¡¯s you? What do you want?¡± Dad''s tone was neutral but it left no doubt in the doctor¡¯s mind that he was unwelcomed.


    ¡°Well. . . I just thought. You see, I came by because . . . because I thought. IsthereanythingIcando?¡± The doctor spoke so fast that nobody caught what he said


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said I came by to see if there is anything I can do?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any money here for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about what you said. . .and . . . I don¡¯t need the money.¡± The doctor looked embarrassed but determined to see it through.


    ¡°We don''t need your help here. Everything is done. Almasi has delivered two beautiful baby boys.¡±


    ¡°Oh. . . I see.¡± The doctor chewed his lip and looked away. ¡°Okay then, I guess I better get going.¡±


    ¡°I guess you better get going. Goodbye.¡± Dad moved to block the doctor¡¯s view of the room as he was trying to peer inside. He turned away and did the walk of shame back to his house.


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t you think that was a bit harsh. He obviously regrets his error and wants to help. Perhaps we could have allowed him to check over the babies,¡± I said.


    ¡°If he wanted to help he would¡¯ve arrived 1 hr ago, plus I¡¯ve checked the babies. They¡¯re both healthy and sleeping. No need to wake them up for a doctor¡¯s examination,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°Maybe you''re right.¡± I said.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m right.¡± Dad chuckled and tapped my head. ¡°You did brilliantly today.¡±


    ¡°Me? You¡¯re the star of the show. Oh before I forget, just how many babies have you delivered in your lifetime?¡±


    ¡°Including this one, you and James.¡±


    I tilted my head in surprise.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better I would have thought you were a midwife.¡±


    ¡°I have many talents, Rebecka.¡±


    ¡°Can yu cum vizit us again?¡± Almasi interrupted.


    I looked to Dad for confirmation before nodding. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not, we¡¯ll come back to see you often. Take care for now.¡±


    Dad and I said our goodbyes. We walked 5 minutes out of the village boundary until we knew that we were completely out of sight before we disappeared.

 Chapter 12a

    My Dad and I continued to visit Almasi and her twins frequently as lightworkers after that fateful evening. The babies were cooing, smiling and growing bigger by the end of the first week. However Almasi¡¯s husband had still not returned so myself and Dad went in search of him after the second week. It turned out he¡¯d gone to sell bags of corn from the harvest in the capital city, Nairobi, but his money was stolen on the way home, leaving him stranded. We found him living with a friend in a crowded shanty house, with barely any food to get by and told him the good news about his twin boys. He was so overjoyed that he cried uncontrollably for hours.


    After listening to the story of what had happened to him, we decided to pay the thieves a visit the following day and ask them to return the money. We found them living in a massive mansion, surrounded by security cameras and pitbull dogs who were trained to attack anyone on sight. The grounds were so vast that half the people living in the shanty town could fit inside comfortably. Dad spoke to the spirit guide of the dogs and asked them to keep the animals quiet. We slipped inside the house without any trouble until we reached the living room.


    It was very spacious and sparsely decorated with a few items of furniture such as sofas and rugs. The walls were bare with no artwork or photographs. The gang was spread out on the sofas, either smoking or sniffing drugs. I counted five of them in total. They looked wild and rough, as if they hadn¡¯t showered for several days. The smell from the drugs, mixed with their unwashed bodies, hit my nostrils hard, causing me to gag. I buried my nose inside my elbow.


    ¡°Hello gentlemen,¡± said Dad.


    They froze on the spot, as if trying to decide whether we were real or a hallucination. The leader of the gang, a middle aged man with several scars on his face, jumped up and shook himself like a bear.


    ¡°Who the hell are you? How the hell did you get in here?¡± He pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed firstly at me, then Dad.


    ¡°Gentlemen, we mean no trouble at all. We¡¯ve come to collect the cash you stole a few days ago from the young farmer?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the Vultures gang. We¡¯ve stolen lots of cash. Which farmer would that be?¡± He threw his head back and laughed, joined by the other gang members.


    ¡°That is very bad, You shouldn''t be doing that,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°YOU SHOULDN¡¯T HAVE COME HERE! YOU MADE A BIG MISTAKE AND NOW YOU¡¯RE GOING TO DIE!¡±


    The gang members laughed and the sound cut through my head, leaving my skin cold. I couldn¡¯t help but agree that we shouldn¡¯t have come, at least not without a proper plan of defense. My hands trembled slightly as I realized that I wasn¡¯t ready to die. Nobody had threatened to take my life before in all my visits as a lightworker. I felt the cold hand of fear rising through my spin for the first time in my life. However Dad stood calm, almost bored, but I saw the muscles in his jaw ticking.


    Eventually when they finished laughing, the gang leader clicked the gun but the bullets didn¡¯t fire. He clicked and shook the gun in the air before firing again but nothing happened.


    ¡°The gun is not working?¡± He asked no one in particular, pulling his eyebrows in confusion.


    Dad grabbed the gun from him and smashed it on the floor. He stamped his foot on it several times and broke it into pieces. The man raised his arm to strike Dad but suddenly he dropped it and screamed in agony as if struck by an invisible force. He clutched his arm and cried out.


    ¡°MY ARM. . . MY ARM. . .¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got one last chance to tell me where the cash is,¡± said Dad.


    ¡°VULTURES, GET HIM! KILL HIM, NOW!¡±


    Two gang members sprang from the chair and tried to attack Dad but they never got close enough. They both stopped in mid step and screamed in agony, holding their arms in pain.


    ¡°MY HAND, IT¡¯S ON FIRE. PLEASE. . . HELP.¡± They rolled on the floor until they collapsed. The pain must have been unbearable to force them to pass out.


    The last two remaining gang members looked from Dad to their leader, who was now kneeling on the floor, and held up their hands in surrender.


    ¡°Are you ready to tell me where the cash is stored?¡±


    They both shook their heads and pointed to the gang leader who had now recovered somewhat.


    ¡°Alright, for some reason I believe you. Looks like the main man over here is the only one who knows where the cash is kept. Are you going to tell me or you¡¯re ready to suffer some more?¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Okay fine, I¡¯ll show you. Just don¡¯t hurt me anymore, please. It¡¯s this way.¡± He pointed to a door at the back of the living room.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Castro.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Castro, lead the way.¡±


    We followed Castro to the back of the house, passing several rooms along the way. The house was huge and I struggled to keep track of every door and turn. He led us into one of the rooms towards the back of the house. It was empty with no furniture or windows in sight. The light switch turned out to be a lever which opened the floor as soon as he pressed it.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!.¡± I screamed in shock as we fell through the ground for several minutes until we hit the floor. We landed deep underground in some kind of basement with no door or windows for escape. The only entrance or exit was the floor we fell through and there was no way to climb up. I heard Castro laughing, his voice echoing through the walls. The tunnel appeared to have claimed several victims. I saw the remains of human bones, all in various stages of decomposition on the floor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he just did that. Now I¡¯m annoyed!¡± Dad said.


    ¡°Annoyed? Dad? How about being scared or afraid? This is way more than annoying. We¡¯re trapped in some dark underground basement. How are we going to get out of here?¡±


    ¡°Relax and don''t panic. Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re a lightworker and your body is asleep hundreds of miles away in Waterside Valley. No harm will ever come to you when you¡¯re serving. By the way it looks like he¡¯s left a few people here to starve to death.¡±


    ¡°Just how many people do you think he¡¯s killed?¡±


    ¡°I would say hundreds by the look of these bones.¡± Dad grasped my hands in the dark. ¡°Let''s go through the walls, we¡¯re going to materialize in the living room.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re right. Sorry I forgot.¡±


    ¡°On the count of three. One, two, three. . .¡±


    We dissolved our bodies, scattering all the forces back to the elements and went through the walls to the living room before rematerializing again.


    ¡°OH MY GOD¡­¡­¡± the gang leader, Castro, screamed when he saw us standing in the living room. Fear was written so clearly on his face that it would¡¯ve been funny if the situation wasn¡¯t so serious. The other members of his gang went down on their knees and lifted their arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you one last time, where is the cash?¡± Dad said.


    Castro was shaking so badly that he couldn¡¯t get words past his lips. He pointed up the ceiling.


    ¡°Bed. . . Bedroom.¡±


    ¡°In your bedroom? Lead the way and this time don¡¯t even think about pulling any funny tricks. Rebecka, stay here and watch them.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I nodded.


    The other gang members fixed their eyes on me after Dad left with their leader. I wondered what they were thinking, although I could feel fear radiating off them in waves. One was visibly sweating, soaking his shirt.


    ¡°Why do you live this kind of life? Don¡¯t you know by hurting others that you¡¯re hurting yourself?¡±


    They stared at me with blank, confused expressions and I wondered whether they understood English. I dismissed the thought immediately, of course they did.


    ¡°If you continue down this path, you can not live for much longer and you¡¯ll stunt your spiritual development. The wages of sin is death.¡±


    None of them replied but Dad chose that moment to return with Castro. He was carrying a massive bag full of cash.


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t remember our farmer and how much money you took, I¡¯m going to give him this bag. I want you to return the rest of the money upstairs to all the people you¡¯ve stolen from.¡±


    But. . .¡± Castro was about to protest but one look from Dad silenced him.


    ¡°Yes I know you¡¯ll not remember the people you¡¯ve stolen from because you¡¯ve been high on drugs most of the time but I want you to make an effort to trace each of them. If you really can¡¯t find them, then you have to give the money to charity.¡±


    Castro¡¯s eyes bulged wide and I thought for a moment he was going to be sick. He looked like he wanted to argue but thought better of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep an eye on you from now on. Don¡¯t even think of trying to escape, there is no place on earth that you could go where I wouldn¡¯t see or find you. Goodbye. ¡±


    Dad grabbed my hand and we disappeared before their eyes and entered the astral plane, making ourselves invisible to them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a while and see what they¡¯ll do,¡± I suggested to Dad who gave a nod.


    ¡°Were they ghosts or angels?¡± One of the gang members asked Castro.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, they¡¯re angels,¡± Castro replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, I can¡¯t stay in this house.¡±


    ¡°No, please wait. . .¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t ¡ª¡± He picked himself from the floor and ran out the room.


    ¡°Me too. . . this house is cursed.¡± The others followed swiftly one at a time, eventually leaving Castro by himself. He glanced around the room as if surprised to find himself alone. He bowed to the floor and wept, great fat tears rolling down his scared face. I nearly felt sorry for him until I remembered the bones in the basement.


    ¡°Mark has just told me that Castro¡¯s going to change his life and the gang members you spoke to as well. Apparently we¡¯ve made a great impact on them and they¡¯ll not return to a life of crime.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s excellent.¡± I beamed in delight, happy to have made a difference.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    We went back to find Almasi¡¯s husband and gave him the bag of cash. He thanked us repeatedly until we left.