Seraphina: Initiation (6 page)

*

It seems like forever we sat up talking
about things on the couch. I practically had to pry myself away
from him to go to bed. I’m climbing the steps by the time I notice
Nate isn’t following me. Once I reach the landing I peek over the
railing of the upstairs hallway to notice the door to his “office”
is open a crack and light is peering through onto the dining room
floor. Working late,
hmm should I be worried?
Truth is
tonight, I don’t want to worry about anything. I want to focus on
the good things of the day. The fact that I learned how to defend
myself, I kind of kicked Nate’s butt, and the future promise of
seeing my family again makes me grin from ear to ear. Whatever
tomorrow may bring I’m going to appreciate the here and now.

I’m in my closet changing for bed when I
hear my phone chime. I bounce out into my room and grab the phone
off the nightstand by my bed. Laying back on my bed as I look at
Amanda’s text.

Listen whore! I don’t want to be caught in
your love triangle, I can’t even go to get coffee anymore because
Jack bombards me with questions about you. He said you haven’t been
returning his calls. Sera, man up and tell that guy the truth!

I’m in shock, I didn’t even think about it.
I’ve been so busy lately. I always meant to text Jack back, I just…
I just never had a chance. I hit delete and I see a few more texts
pop up from earlier. They are all from Jack.

Hey!

Hi…Call me.

Sera, why aren’t you returning my calls,
please tell me your okay?

I saw Amanda, she said she saw you Friday
that was days ago! Please tell me your… still you.

My eyes tear as I put my phone back on the
night table, I’ll deal with it tomorrow. Nothing is going to ruin
my perfect day.

Staring out the front window of my coffee
shop at the dark clouds rolling in across the night sky, my hands
brace themselves against the window as my mind automatically
wanders to the worst possible scenario. I shake my head vigorously
and my curls roughly brush against my face as I try to scare away
any remaining doubts.
She’s fine
. That’s what I keep telling
myself, but my anxiety climbs with each passing day. I haven’t seen
Sera since Thursday when she told me she was attacked by a Demon at
her former office. It’s been three days, she hasn’t returned a
phone call, a text, or even came in for coffee. Believe me, I
checked the tapes religiously! My head falls as my hands drop to my
sides. I eventually turn and head back around the counter I’ve got
a million things to do. Every time I hear the bell chime indicating
a new customer I hope to see her gorgeous hazel eyes or her long
scarlet hair making its way to me with that shy smile she always
seems to have. Why is it that you never know how much someone means
to you until they are gone? Is that what she is? Is she gone?

“Do you want me to get her for you?” I look
up to eye the smoky grey shadow of a woman sitting provocatively on
the edge of a table. The way she sits with her legs crossed I can’t
help but think that is what she must have done to get men to bow at
her feet when she was alive. After all these years you’d think I’d
get used to them popping up from out of nowhere, but sometimes they
still make me jump.

“No, she’ll eventually contact me,” Every
piece of me hopes that that is true. I know this was not all one
sided, I know she cares about me somewhere in that thick skull of
hers.

“Are you sure Jacky? I can find where she is
for you?” she toys with my name in her mouth as she leans across
the table onto her side looking her hollow eyes at me. I don’t know
why it aggravates me, but it does. I will never use my spirits
against Sera, I made a promise her.

“I said, NO!” I scream as the bell chimes
that someone has entered the shop. I glance up expectantly and I’m
happily surprised to see Amanda, Sera’s best friend. I watch as she
looks around to find out whom I was talking to before her forehead
wrinkles in confusion and she heads over to place an order. I can’t
help it, I keep looking behind her waiting for the flash of red
hair to come through the door and make all my worrying seem
silly.

“Helloooo Jack?” Amanda is waiving her hand
in front of my face now.

“Sorry, zoned out for a sec,” I mutter
shaking my head again.

“She’s not with me,” Amanda looks down at
her fingers tapping against my countertop.

“Uh, who do you mean?” I try and recover my
disappointment when I hear the shadow behind her fall to the floor
in hysterical laughter.

“You know exactly who I mean, Jack.” She
whispers softly still not able to make eye contact with me.

“Is she okay?” I whisper back almost afraid
of the answer. It seems like ever since Thursday the air here has
changed. It’s like thick and cold, well colder than usual for
December in New York. It’s a cold that seeps into your bones and
makes you think that you’ll never thaw out.

“She was when I saw her Friday—”

“FRIDAY?!” I scream running my fingers
through my hair, “That’s three days ago!” I try to compose myself
lowering my voice with my hands.

“Jack…” Amanda whispers not wanting to get
into details, but I think I already know the answer from her bright
brown eyes. No, it’s not possible. I can’t even think about her
with that Abercrombie and Fitch Angel wannabe.

“Anyways, what can I get for you?” I change
my tone and grab a cup off my dispenser next to the register.

“Caramel Latte,” she states glancing around
nervously.

“Coming right up,” I respond turning around
and making Sera’s favorite drink. I’m happy to keep my hands busy,
the more I’m active the less I think. The less I think the less I
worry about Sera. By the time I turn around to hand it to Amanda
she has her wallet in her hands, “Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh come on Jack…” Amanda’s slender fingers
are toying with the zipper on the top of the wallet, “Let me pay
you!”

“You can repay me by getting Sera to return
my calls.” If I know one thing, it’s that these two keep no
secrets. Amanda will most definitely find out if she’s okay.

“Fine,” she mutters not happy about it,
“Take care Jack!” she calls over her shoulder as she heads out the
door. The door chimes with her departure and my heart has fallen
back to pieces once more.

“Well, that wasn’t awkward or anything!” The
spirit woman mutters popping up on the other side before bursting
into laughter again. “Don’t worry about it Jacky Poo, lets make a
deal…” she offers slowly walking through the countertop before her
shadowy fingers graze their way across my bicep. “I’ll go find Sera
for you and all you have to do is tell the police that my boyfriend
killed me.”

“I don’t make deals with spirits!” I yell
loud enough for all the lingering shadows to hear.

“FINE!” She screeches gathering her
spiritual energy and throwing my pile of cups on the floor. “I hope
you die of worry and see what we do to you then!” She threatens
pointing her crooked shadow finger at me.

“At least I’ll have peace from all of you!”
I retort back sliding my phone out of my back pocket and shooting
Sera one last text:

I saw Amanda, she said she saw you Friday
that was days ago! Please tell me your… still you.

There, I resolve. If she doesn’t respond,
I’ll have my answer. That’s what I told myself three texts and two
calls ago. I sigh in defeat, because I know I’ll probably never
stop trying.

I
’
m walking along the long cliff in my new
backyard, enjoying the gorgeous scenery. I
’
m basking in the sun, breathing in the
fresh outdoor air, and feeling the wind whip my hair around my
face. I look back at my new home behind me and sigh as my mind
automatically thinks of Nate. I lie down in the grass, feeling the
wind whipping around my hair and the grass grazing my legs ever so
slightly. Again I let my mind wander to thoughts of wondering if I
ever would have moved out of my parent
’
s house had it not been for Nate. What would my
life have been like? Would I have stayed at the office until
retirement in quiet misery? Breaking me out of my moment I think I
hear someone shouting my name. I look around, but I
’
m alone here in my new backyard.
Where is that noise coming from? I shrug my shoulders and try to
continue my thought processes, but a part of me is still on alert.
There it is again, my name, Sera! I finally climb to my feet and
look through the glass wall of our house. Nate isn’t there. I must
be imagining things. Maybe my senses are just extra sensitive
today. I begin to walk along the cliff and I hear it a little
louder now. Sera! I glance out over the cliff and the winding river
below that continues far into the distance. SERA! Finally my eyes
lock on something in the river below, Nate.

What I’m not expecting is the hand that’s
holding his head under water is big, clawed, and belongs to none
other than Gabe. Gabe, the hunk from the office that tried to kill
me only a few short days ago. His eyes are no longer green, they
are all black and staring straight up at me like he’s tempting me
to do something about it. He lifts Nate’s head back up as he tries
to catch his breath while gulping down chunks of water. Nate’s arms
are flailing around trying to grab onto something to defend
himself, no to avail. “Sera!” he sputters out before Gabe shoves
his head back down into the water. This time I know he’s not going
to let him back up for air. He will kill him. There is no time, no
thinking, Nate needs me. I extend my arms out like a bird’s wings,
somewhere inside me I feel like I can fly. I dive off the cliff to
help Nate. I open my eyes to see, it’s working! I have wings, big
white glorious wings and… I’m flying! I think excitedly as my eyes
lock on Gabe’s dark ones only instead of the fear I expect to see,
he laughs at me. A strange, haunting laugh like he wanted this to
happen.

I land on the ground hard before my eyes fly
open. Nate is on top of me screaming words my mind can
’
t quite make out yet. I glance around in shock,
I
’
m outside in the grass by the cliff.
Stars are sparkling above me and in a stupor of confusion my mind
is trying to make out what Nate is yelling.

“Sera! What were you doing? Tell me what was
that?” his hands are shaking in anger.

“What?”
I don’
t
seem to understand, “What happened?” I ask shaking my head as I
begin to sit up.

“What do you mean? You were about to jump
off the cliff!” he yells putting his hands on his head and paces
back and forth in front of me.

“But, I was dreaming…” I try putting my
thoughts together.

“Sera, I heard you walking past my office so
I followed you out here and you were about to
jump
! I dived
at you at the last minute and caught you just in time!” He states
angrily waiting for an explanation.

I
’
m so confused.
“I was dreaming you were in the river and I needed to save you, I
was flying down to save you…it was a
dream
, at least I
thought it was…” I rub my forehead.

Processing what I had just said with his
silent angry face he finally softens and states, “Let’s get you
back to bed,” before picking me up and carrying me back inside the
house. By the time he
’
s climbing the
stairs, I find myself nodding back off to sleep in his arms. I can
feel him tucking me in and his footsteps trace back to the door.
Suddenly I
’
m wide-awake, frightened that
I could sleep walk again.

“
Wait, Nate!
” I
softly yell.

“Yes?” he responds over his shoulder pausing
in the doorway.

“Please don
’t
leave
. I
’
m scared to go to sleep.”
I admit quietly. He doesn’t have to respond I know he
will
stay. He probably wanted to anyway knowing his
overprotective self. He walks back to the other side of the room,
grabs the green chair from the corner, and pulls it up beside my
bed. Leaning back he puts his feet up on the edge of the bed, I
can
’
t tell if he
’
s sleeping or not but I feel better knowing that
he
’
s there.

I roll over facing away from him as I try to
close my eyes. Instead of drifting to sleep again, I find my mind
wandering to how I could have walked all that way unconscious, what
would have happened if I had jumped? How could this happen? Is this
another gift? Or is it a curse? Unable to sleep, I roll back to
face Nate. The moon is shining in through my window falling on
Nate’s face. His eyes are closed and he looks so peaceful, but I
know he’s not going to get any sleep tonight. I find myself
wondering what I would do without him. Finally, unconsciousness
finds me as I’m falling asleep wondering how I won the Angel
lottery.

“Sera!” I hear vaguely whispered against my
lips as I continue to kiss Nate. “SERA!”

I blink, the urgency in his voice woke me
out of my trance. My eyes widen and I gasp when I see what I’ve
woken up to. I’m straddling Nate on the green chair beside my bed,
my clothes are covered in soot, and in my hand is the poker from
the fireplace ready to strike Nate in the neck. I jump off him and
stare at the metal poker in my hand before I drop it like it was
scalding me. I stare over at Nate with my dirty hand prints all
over him returning my glare of complete and utter shock, what had I
done? What would have happened if he didn’t wake me up?