Earth Angels

PROLOGUE

“I’m not from here,” Layla said.

“Oh,” David said, “Where are you from?”

Layla’s eyes locked on the tiles of the restaurant floor. She wasn’t sure how to answer that. It wasn’t because she didn’t know the answer; rather, it was more a matter of if he would believe her.

“It’s really far from here. You might not know,” she said with a chuckle.

David leaned in, “Try me.”

For some reason, she felt she could trust him. She’d gone on dates before, but he was different. He was a stranger, yet familiar, like she’d known him her whole life.

“Would you consider yourself to be a spiritual person?”

David sipped his water. “Yeah, I’d say so.”

She breathed a shy of relief. “Do you believe in God, Jesus and angels?”

“I do,” he said, “Why?”

"I believe they walk amongst us all the time and that we are with them before we come here.”

“I’m not following, sorry.”

“Earth Angels. Have you heard of them?”

“If you mean the song by The Penguins then yes.”

Layla sighed. She took the last bite of her chicken taco as David wrote his signature on the check.

“All set?”

They walked together to the entrance of Melrose next to David's car.

“That was nice,” David said. "I don't want to intrude. Would it be too soon to ask you out on a second date?"

Layla smiled. "I’d like that.”

CHAPTER ONE

As you may have guessed, I'm an Earth Angel.

Before I went there, I noticed humans had no idea what was going on, and it was up to us to protect them, to guide them.

"Layla, where are you?"

Speak of the devil. My mansion was three houses down from April's around the corner. Living on my own was a bit lonely, so I spent most of my days watching TV, and spying on people.

You see, a streaming service is created for every human life; every person born has their own series. We got to choose which life we wanted to watch over and protect. That's when I came across David's life.

I watched everything about his life in great detail like how he grew up in the suburbs but would travel to the beach as a child. It was there that he first encountered God and honestly, it was there that I helped save him.

He was swimming in the ocean, when out of nowhere...

"...A rip tide came and swooped his entire body underwater," April finished my thoughts.

In heaven, there was no thought privacy. "Can I finish telling the story, pretty please?"

April smiled. "Go ahead. I was just coming here to bug you! I think I've been picking up on the bad habits of humans annoying each other."

April glided out the window of my mansion.

As I was saying, the rip tide took over, and he was panicking out of control; he was about to drown. Fast! I took a look at Jesus. He gave me the signal to save him.

So, I was in the water faster than the speed of light, leaving a visible white streak in the clear blue sky. The white streak matched the foaming ocean water as I pushed his arms through the current until he was safely back on shore, barely conscious.

Of course, no one saw me as I stood aside. After passing out several times, the lifeguard attended to him. He eventually came back to consciousness.

"Let's get him to a hospital," she said.

I watched carefully as he was put into the ambulance. I monitored him as he got better. God signaled to me that he was fine for now and that I can come back to my mansion until further notice.

But there was something I needed to tell God, something very important.

CHAPTER TWO

"There's something interesting about David," I told God, "Something different about him."

God listened to me, as He always did. Talking to Him was always so comforting since the very day He created us. Even so, I started to feel nervous, which wasn't like me. Had I been watching humans too long, specifically David too long, that I was now picking up on human emotions?

"What have you noticed?" God asked me.

"Everything," I said, looking back down to Earth.

"Does he honor me?"

I smiled. "Yes, ever since the day his life was spared, he does his best to stay close to you." I paused. "Well, as close as a human can get to not doing you wrong."

God smiled. "You're taking a big risk, Layla."

I looked down again. "I know."

God knew too. God knew by the way I worked overtime to protect David, to watch over him more than the others when he rested, to lay next to him while he was asleep and ensured he was still breathing. God knew I was doing something I shouldn't have been doing; I was falling for a human.

That's why I was so shocked by the next thing He allowed me to do.

"Spend time with him. Get to know him better," God said.

My eyes met His. "You'd really let me do that?"

"Love isn't about control. There's something to be taught in this. Trust me and go."

Well, He didn't have to tell me twice! I left his throne and headed for my mansion to prepare.

CHAPTER THREE

"You're not seriously going to go, are you?"

Of course, April eavesdropped on my conversation with God and snuck into my head about the thoughts I had regarding going to see David. This time, I would be like him. This time, I would be visible.

"Yes, April, I'm going."

"But what if he doesn't turn out to be everything you think he is? Humans are tricky, deceitful, spiteful, wicked..."

"Way to look on the bright side, sister!"

April exhaled deeply. "I'm sorry, it's just..." She glided gently onto my bed next to me, her wings rested at the sides of her arms, a gesture that she was feeling sad. "I don't want you to develop those human emotions of regret, betrayal and sadness."

My eyes brightened like God's glory as an idea came to me. "Come with me!"

"What?"

"Listen, when God created us for His glory, He knew we'd need each other, just like humans need each other too. I've never felt this way about anyone, and it would really be nice to have you there with me to help me navigate these feelings."

"I mean, I can do that from up here."

"April..."

"Okay, okay, fine. I'll go," she said, caving in. "Only two things: I'm not going to be visible to them, and they won't be able to hear me."

"Fine by me! Thank you, sister."

"Yeah, okay. So, when are we leaving?"

In an instant, we were out of heaven and in the middle of a beautiful suburb with birds chirping on a hot, humid day.

April looked at me. "You could have warned me it would be right away!"

"I didn't want you to change your mind."

"I beg your pardon?" A woman asked, pausing next to me with a baby in a stroller.

"Oh, sorry, I was talking to...myself."

She looked me up and down like I was the craziest thing that's walked this planet, then walked away. I'd forgotten already that they couldn't see or hear April.

I knew right then and there, this was going to be quite an adventure.

CHECK OUT CHAPTER FOUR IN PART TWO!