Angel in the Shadows, Book 1 by Lisa Grace (Angel Series) (18 page)

“Okay. I still have no idea who Sam Donner is.
If you want to bring him in I’ll speak to him,” I say.

“That won’t be possible. Sam is still in the ICU
at the hospital. He woke up out of a three-day coma this morning.
He was one of three kids dropped off at the hospital unconscious
after suffering from an overdose at a party this last weekend. He
woke up asking to speak to you. Sam said it was a matter of life or
death,” Mrs. Wilcox continues, “I called your parents and spoke to
the principal. Because of the unusual circumstances of the case
they have given me permission to take you to speak to him, if it’s
okay with you. Do you have any idea what this is about?”

“I’m not sure,” I answer truthfully, “But I’m
willing to find out.”

Mrs. Wilcox and I walk out to her car. We get in
and drive most of the way in silence.

“I’ve heard of things like this happening
before, but thought they were made up or exaggerated. So you’ve
never met him before?” She asks, then adds, “He does go to school
here.”

“No. I haven’t. I have no idea why he would
dream about me or how I could possibly help him.”

Mrs. Wilcox pulls in the parking lot a few
minutes later. We walk up to the volunteer at the front desk who
directs us up to the second floor. We get off the elevator in the
ICU. Mrs. Wilcox takes a seat to wait for me while a nurse takes me
back to Sam’s room. I walk in. He appears to be sleeping. The nurse
says softly, “Sam you have a visitor.” She looks at me, “I’ll close
the door to give the two of you some privacy. Just hit the buzzer
on his bed if you need anything.”

“Thank you.”

When I look back at Sam I see he’s watching me.
He looks terrible. His lips are chapped and dried out. There’s
almost no color in his face. We got those kids out so fast that
night I had no chance to look at them. I couldn’t have picked his
face out of a line up.

“You look exactly the same as in my dream.
You’re even wearing the same clothes I described to the nurse.”
Sam’s voice is raspy, like it’s hard for him to talk.

“I don’t know you,” I say stating the
obvious.

“I know,” he tries to chuckle, “Can you hold up
the water cup so I can have a drink?”

He takes a sip and just watches me. “Are you an
angel?” Sam asks.

“No,” I pause trying to think of something to
say, “I go to your school.”

“I need to tell you what I saw in my dream. When
I got to the party with Bebe and Vaughn, I only had one Coke.
They’re telling me someone slipped me GHB in my drink. Enough to
die. It’s weird. Why would someone want me dead?” Sam pauses to
take a sip of water, “My throat is killing me,” he says.

I don’t think he caught the irony of what he
just said.

“After I came to the hospital, my heart stopped.
It wasn’t beautiful like people say. I didn’t see a white light,”
Sam shudders. “It was dark and I was lost. Someone kept whispering,
‘you’re dead, you’re mine,’ over and over. I kept walking to get
away from the voice until I fell into this dark tunnel. It led into
a ring of fire and coming up to me, I could see this lake of fire.
I held my hands out trying to push myself away and that’s when I
got this.”

He holds up his hands. They’re bandaged up. “My
palms are all blistered from a bad burn.”

He continues, “I didn’t have these burns when
they admitted me. They happened when I almost died on the table.
The doctors brought me back. It really freaked them out. They say I
had a reaction to the medication, but I know the truth. I saw
hell.” Sam pauses and shudders again. “They must have started my
heart one second before I fell into that lake of fire. One more
second and I would be going to hell,” Sam wipes a tear away with
the back of his hand. Sam is losing his voice; I give him another
sip of water.

“After they started my heart, I had a dream. I
could feel my palms burning. I know how close I came. I called out
to God to save me, please save me. That’s when I saw you. Dressed
in the same clothes you’re wearing right now. You said, ‘I know how
you can be saved.’ Please tell me how.”

I sit in shock for a minute, “Of course.” So
this is what he needs from me, “Do you know what it means to be
saved?”

“Yes. I was christened when I was a baby.
I
should
be saved. I thought I
was. My parents and my pastor always told me I was.” His voice
cracks on this last revelation, and Sam wipes at his eyes with the
back of his hand. “I go to church sometimes. I’m a
good
person. Why did this happen to
me?” Sam starts to cry.

I nod my head, “I’m sorry Sam. It’s more than
going to church and being a good person. ” I reach over to his side
table and give him a tissue. He can’t grab it. He shakes his head
no, and just uses the back of his bandaged hands to wipe at his
eyes instead.

I go on, “You have to consciously choose. Choose
to love Him and follow Him.”

I wait while he gains his composure back. “Sam,
you have a choice to make.”

He nods, “I know. I‘m making it now.” He smiles
at me.

There’s a knock followed by the door opening. A
nurse sticks her head in the door, “Your parents are back. Do you
want me to send them in?”

“Can you have them wait ten minutes?”

“Sure thing, Hon,”

I ask, “Did you tell them about me? That you saw
me in your dream, I mean.”

“No,” Sam answers sheepishly, “I didn’t want
them to think I was crazy.”

“I understand. I wouldn’t have told anyone
either.” Of course, I have a secret of my own that only Vania
knows.

Sam looks at me, his face is troubled again.
“There’s something I saw when I was falling to the lake of fire. I
don’t know if you can help or if you should know for your own
safety.”

“What is it Sam?” My stomach is suddenly tied in
knots.

“Jude was with me on the way down, smiling,
leading me toward the lake of fire, then pushing me towards it when
I said I shouldn’t be going there. But he wasn’t alone. Jude was
laughing and he had his arm around my buddy.”

“Who? Sam? Who?”

“Brody. My friend Brody, he was at the party
with me.” Sam looks like he’s going to cry.

“Hold on Sam let me check with the nurse. Maybe
he’s alive. Maybe it’s not too late.”

I walk out to the nurse’s station.

“Hi. I was just visiting with Samuel
Donner?”

“Oh yes,” the nurse says as she puts notes on a
chart.

“He’s very worried about his friend Brody. Is he
still alive?”

“You can tell him Brody is fine. He’s scheduled
to be released some time this afternoon.”

“Thank you.” I’m relieved. There still might be
a chance to save him. I walk down the hall sticking my head in the
doorways, looking for Brody. I find him three doors down. When I
stick my head in, I see a grayness hovering over Brody. A demon. I
walk in and say, “Hi Brody.”

He opens his eyes to look at me. I say, “Sam is
really worried about you.” Brody looks at me coldly.

“I think I can help you,” I say.

“Get out. You can’t help me. Get out!” He
screams. I leave just as a nurse enters to check on Brody. I go
back into Sam’s room. I sit back down.

“Brody’s still alive,” I try to look hopeful,
“There might be a chance to save him.”

Sam shakes his head sadly, “I don’t think so. I
don’t know, but I get the feeling he made a deal with the
devil.”

“Sam, Jude is bad news. Stay away from him. I’ll
try to find out more about Brody to see if it’s too late for him. I
honestly don’t know.”

I get out my cell and take a pencil and paper
off the table next to him. “Here’s my number, and Pastor Bill’s
phone number from my church. Is it okay if I have him drop in to
see you? He’d be a good one to talk to about Brody.”

Sam nods, “Sure.”

“What about your other friend who was brought
here too? The girl?”

“I don’t know her name. We’d just met her at the
club that night. My friend Bebe who we came with, was out on the
dance floor, she wasn’t slipped anything.”

“She wasn’t in your vision though?”

He shakes his head no. “Seeing
is
believing“. Sam holds up his
bandaged palms to show me again. “God gave me these burns as a
reminder that Hell is real. Just like He gave Jacob a limp after he
wrestled with the angel. Hell is a real place. And I don’t want to
go to hell, ever.” He shudders.

“You’re right, you’re saved. Now you can help
save others.”

Sam looks very tired. I decide it’s time to go.
“Sam if you need me for anything, I’m just a phone call away. You
look like you need to rest.”

Sam looks up, “Thank you. I’m not afraid to
sleep now. Maybe I’ll see you in school,” he puts his head on the
pillow and closes his eyes.

I walk back to the lobby where Mrs. Wilcox is
waiting.

“Is he okay?” She asks.

“Yes. He’s fine.” We walk in silence to the car.
I can tell Mrs. Wilcox has some questions she wants to ask.

When we get back in the car, she turns to me and
says, “You know he described what you’re wearing today. He had a
dream. You were in it.” She starts the car, and motions for me to
buckle.

“I know.” I buckle my seatbelt not sure how much
I should tell her.

She puts the car in gear and starts to drive
slowly. “When he woke out of the coma, he insisted on speaking to
you. The nurses said he was too upset to sleep. That’s why I
brought you to speak to him. Are you okay? Is there anything you
want to tell me?” Turning onto the main street, she doesn’t bother
to pick up any speed. I have the feeling she’s distracted, waiting
for my answer.

I decide to tell her the truth, “I don’t know if
you’re saved or not, but Sam had a vision of hell. That’s why his
hands are burned. Hell is a real place. Sam wanted be saved. That’s
why he wanted to speak to me.”

I look at Mrs. Wilcox. She looks uncomfortable.
I told her the truth. That’s all I can do. The rest is between her
and God. We finish the rest of the ride back to school in
silence.

***

The rest of the week flies by quickly. Brody and
Sam aren’t back in school yet; so there is not much I can do to
save Brody. I keep my distance from Jude the best I can.

I can tell Jude is up to something. In math
class he still pretends we’re a couple. I ignore him as much as
possible. In English class the teacher pulls me aside after I turn
in my paper about gossip. She tells me they’ll have a counselor
speak to Jude about what he did. She does not let me read my paper
out loud to the class, because it’s “he said/she said” and she
doesn’t want to get involved. I’ve done all the damage control I
can.

Friday morning in microbiology class, Jude seems
giddy with happiness. He has to be planning something for this
weekend. I meet Johnny, Vania, and Carrie in the lunchroom.

I ask, “Jude is planning something for this
weekend. What should we do?”

Vania snaps at me, “Is that all you care about?
Does every discussion have to be about him? What about us? We have
lives too.”

Carrie just looks down at her lunch and Johnny
just shrugs. They keep eating.

“I’m sorry, Vania.”

She looks at me, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to
snap. I’m under a lot of stress right now.”

I look at Vania and notice she is thinner and
paler than usual. I shove my sandwich and chips at her,
“Here—please eat this. I lost my appetite and I hate to throw it
away.”

Vania looks at me, “Are you sure?” She starts to
dig in.

“Yes. If you had classes with Jude, you’d lose
your appetite too.”

I’m wondering, Vania’s phone is disconnected,
her clothes are old, maybe she and her mom are having money
problems. Vania doesn’t look like she’s getting enough to eat. I
decide I’m going to start packing my lunches and make sure I have
enough for Vania too.

***

That day after school, I wait for Vania and
Johnny at the auditorium bench where my parents pick me up.

Johnny arrives first, “You’re right. Jude is
planning something. I’m going to work hard at preventing it. I
don’t think you can help on this one, just pray. Take care of Vania
this weekend if you can, I won’t be available.”

With that, he takes off. Vania shows up a minute
later, “you just missed Johnny,” I say. “Would you come to my house
for dinner tonight, it would be nice to have someone to talk
to.”

“Don’t you have to ask your parents first?”

“Nah. They love you. You add some excitement to
our lives.”

“Okay. Thanks. I get a little lonely at home. We
had to cancel our cable TV. And we’re behind on the phone. Money’s
tight right now. My mom’s working all she can, but her car broke
down and she had to pay to get it fixed. Then her tooth got a
cavity which became infected so she had to take care of that.
Things will get better. They always do.”

The way Vania says it, makes me think she
doesn’t believe things are going to get better anytime soon. “Well
then, let’s call your mom at work and see if you can spend the
night.”

She smiles at me, “That would be great.”

***

We stay up that night and watch three movies in
a row. Well, they’re on, but we’re not doing much watching. Instead
we’re researching what I know about angels. We talk about the
things we think angels can do and look up all the Biblical
references to them on my laptop. We talk about Johnny and I wonder
if his ears are burning. Vania has lots of questions. “There’s one
thing that’s really bothering me about God. Maybe you can answer
it.”

“I’ll try.”

“The unsaved that go to hell—How can God, who is
love, let them go there? I mean look at my friend Jordan. He was
good. He wasn’t perfect, but he was a loyal friend. I can’t believe
he’s going to suffer forever.” Vania starts to cry. “It’s not fair.
I mean–lots of people try to live a good life and not sin yet still
refuse to believe they need a Savior.”