Angel at the door (Part 2)

I begun a post on it a few weeks ago, now to continue my short story...

The Encounter

The feeling was great. It was as if one was falling through the Nigara waterfall but at a steady pace. The feeling of being elevated despite gravity's hold. It was truly an undescrible experience. Yash relaxed. He told himself he is not going to think about anything at all. He was not going to think about Antara nor what he was going to say to her when he first meets her. He wondered if she would recognise him. He shook the thought away. At this moment he was enjoying his fall and was determined not to have anything distract him.

Yash sighed and stretched his hands out. Then suddenly he felt something pushing him downwards. He was getting breatheless. He started to gasp for air. He was literally falling and this time at a fast pace. He was getting scared. The movement was too fast and he was losing his momentum. The colour around him were changing from a bright pastal yellow to a a dark greyish colour. He could not see anything clearly. He had no idea what was happening to him.

"Thump!"

Yash fell on something soft. He slowly opened his eyes . All he could see was dust and smoke all around him. It took his eyes a while to adjust to the darkness around him. He slowly rubbed his eyes.

"Yash, are you alright?"

The voice sounded so familiar. He felt as if he knew that person all his life. Yash stopped rubbing his eyes and slowly opened them. The dust and smoke were settling around him. A face was staring back at him. Yash blinked. He opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"Yash, can you hear me? I think he is still recovering from the fall Mike." Another older face popped up and smiled at Yash.

Yash blinked again and spoke. "Antara?"

Antara smiled her ever sweet smile. She and Mike helped Yash up. Yash kept his eyes glued to Antara. This was definitely not Antara. Physically she looked like Antara. She even smiled like Antara but this was not the Antara he knew. She was cold, in every sense of the word. She was all white and her hands were cold as death. She seem distant and there was a sense of chillness that seems to penetrate from her eyes. She gave her sweet smile but it was a smile that a murderer would give before killing his victim, so heartless and encaging.

"Hey drink this", Mike handed Yash a bottle of water.

Yash took it to his lips and tilted. He felt the water running down his throat. It was good and he gulped down even more. He did not realise that he was actually very thristy. Yash could feel Antara and Mike staring at him. He wondered who Mike was. It seems he to be a few years older than Antara but not that old. Yash wondered the possiblity that Mike was Jake's brother since he looked so much like an Irish lad. He pondered if the Irish use the name Jake. After all it sounded English to him. Maybe Jake was half Irish and half American. "Dam! How come the attachement does not give the back ground information of the people he was going to help", Yash thought a loud in his mind.

Once his thrist was quenched, Yash wiped his mouth and threw the bottle aside. For once he looked around him. It was pitch dark and he could see figures floating around him. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Yes, they were floating. Some had distorted faces and some were bleeding. Some gave him a weird stare and he turned away from them .

"Where am I?" he asked. Antara laughed and sat beside him.

"Well looked to your right", she replied. Yash turned and saw a tombstone. He quickly got up. All this while he had been seating on someone's tombstone. Antara laughed and leaned against the tombstone.

"Afraid of death, aren't you Yash? " she chuckled.

"You still remember me?" asked Yash shocked. Antara got up and gave him a slight hit on his head. "Of course, silly! Unlike you Angels we still have our memories, mind you. Infact it will stay with us until we are freed"

"Freed? What do you mean by that?" Yash stopped."Please don't tell me... oh no... you are dead? How can that be? How can you die before I arrive to help you?"

Antara gave Yash a confused look. "What are you talking about Yash?"

"Antara I don't think he knows what is going on. I think you need to explain to him everything. Head to toe dear", interuppted Mike.

Antara's faced turned red. "What do you mean I have to explain to him everything?" She turned to face Yash, "That Paul did not tell you anything at all?" Yash shook his head.

"I am going to kill him when I see him again. This is the third time he is doing this. I already told him to brief them before they arrive. Why does it not get into his thick skull?" screamed Antara.

The passing spirits stop to stare at Antara's outburst and then made their way. Antara clenched her fist and yelled a few curse words at Paul looking at the night sky. Then she looked down at the ground and closed her eyes. Yash presumed that she was calming herself down. He was right. When she opened her eyes she seemed more calm and composed. She headed towards Yash and asked him to seat down once again on the tombstone. Mike was moving around making conversation with the passing spirits.

Once they were settled, Antara sighed and smiled at Yash.

"Now Yash since that stupid Paul did not tell you everything I am going to explain everything once and only once so pay attention okay?" Yash nodded his head

"Yash do you remember the accident that killed you?" Yash nodded. "Well I was also involved in that accident too. It was my car that hit yours. My cousin was driving it and he was drunk. But you see I did not die, my cousin died and my niece was only in critical condition. I saw the death angel kneeling beside her. I knew he was going to take her away. I had to stop it, so i told him to take my soul and leave hers. But he said it was impossible because it was not my time yet. I begged him and he agreed. But the price I have to pay for this was to serve the death angel."

"You mean... you are a soul collector," whispered Yash. Antara closed her eyes and sighed, "Yes Yash I am a soul collector." She opened her eyes and pointed at Mike, "And he is my friend, Mike, another soul collector too."

Yash could not believe what he had heard. She was a soul collector. In other words, his beautiful Antara was a "wandering jew" collecting souls.

"But Antara you are suppose to be marrying someone call Jake? How can you do that, when you are dead?" asked Yash very much confused.

"Well, Antara isn't literally going to get married to Jake," came a voice from behind.

Yash looked up and saw Mike standing near him. He wondered when Mike had arrived. As an Angel, Yash should be aware of the slightest movement around him but Mike seemed to have appeared out of no where.

Mike continued, "Antara has to take the place of Jake's wife on his marriage day. She needs to coax him to drink a particular wine at an exact time, which is just before he walks the red carpet. Once that is done Antara would be able to collect his soul."

"But can't Antara do it by herself? Why does she need me, an Angel to assist her?"

This time Antara answered Yash, "It's because Jake has been cheating death for a long time and this time he has charmed up a spell to prevent us, the soul collectors from getting to him. The only person who is able to break the spell is an Angel. That is why you were send for this job."

"But I don't know how to break spells. I am an Angel not some witch okay?" fumed Yash. He could feel that Antara was losing her patience again.

" Well we have no idea how you are going to do it but we were told in our job attchment that you will break the spell" answered Antara

"I suppose we can only find that out when we go there" interuppted Mike. Yash looked at Antara and Mike.

"I suppose you are right though I do not fully believe the part about breaking spells. But I will just go along with it since I am assigned to it. Don't want to screw up my first assignment after all." Yash repiled.

Antara lighted up, "That's the spirit Yash. I think we have spend far too much time discussing about this assignment, thanks to that stupid Paul." Antara growled at the mention of Paul's name. "We better get going, its almost dawn and the wedding is in two day's time. We got alot to handle"

"But you have no idea what we will be facing Antara," replied Mike. Antara got up and dust herself, "Well what more surprise can we have install so far after all we have been through?"

Yash got up and dust himself. He wondered what Antara met by that. How long has she been a soul collector? How many assignments have she done? How excatly do sould collectors carry out their jobs? After all during his training, they have only taught him the basics of being an Angel but they did not elebarate much on soul collectors. He wondered if he would also be facing demons in his assignment. Yash had so many questions running in his head. He wanted answers for everyone of them. But before he could ask them, Antara and Mike had walked away.

"I suppose these questions have to wait" he said aloud and ran to join Mike and Antara as they walked towards the front gate of the graveyard.

Arrisa

ARISA HUKASAKU
SSEAYP 2006 admin is passed away on 30 april 2007.
she is a tall girl mix with peru.
Her funeral will be on 5 May 2007

from 13:00 at Catholic Saginuma church.
(All money raised in her funeral will give to UNICEF)
Her Last Wish:"GIVE ME A FLOWER THAT YOU THINK IT'S
MATCH WITH ME,AND GIVE DONATION TO UNICEF."
please pray for her!!!

information from eri ota JPY04/OBSC 2006.
text by edy ota MAPY04

It is confirmed. My friend Arrisa has passed on.

I am not sad and I don't feel like crying.

Not that I don't love her.

My heart is heavy but I just cannot accept it.

I don't believe anyone. It is not true

Not until I see the place she is laid upon

I am wondering now, what it would mean to be dead?

She died from a heart diease.

What was her last moment like?

Does she know she was going to die?

Was she aware that slowly her body was ceasing to function?

As friends and loved ones we weep for her

But how long? The world still goes on without her

This is the faith for all of us.

Nothing will be left but just memories of us

Those will soon fade too

Now I feel sad, I feel sad that she is gone.

I miss her alot . She was young and she never showed any signs

She had a whole life ahead of her.

It is hard to lose a love one

I just pray that she went away happy

Cause that was what she taught me

To smile and the world smiles with you

I am missing you Arrisa !

A song reflecting life and death

Some people's Lives

Bette Midler

Some people's lives run down like clouds

One day they start and that's all they got

Some lives were out like old tennis shoes

No one can use, well its sad but its true

Didn't anybody tell them,

Didn't anybody see

Didn't anybody love them, like you love me

Some peopl's lives fade like their dreams

To tired to rise too tired to sleep

Some people's life when they need to cry

And they never know why

Didn't anybody tell them,

That's not how it use to be

Didn't anybody love them, like you love me

Some people ask if the tears left before

Then why take your chances why bother at all

And some people's life are as cold as they live

They just need need to begin

Doesn't anyone tell them

Doesn't anybody see

Doesn't anybody love them like you love me

Cause that's all they need.

Total Denial

Just heard that my friend Arrisa passed away. She was the Japanese admin staff. I am in shock. It may be a miscommunication. I cannot believe it. I am not believing it until I see her body. But that is impossible she is in Japan and all I have of her is email add. I am praying that she is all right and this was a miscommunication. I am in denial... my heart is heavy and yet I keep my fingers cross. I don't want anything to happen to her.

If you are reading this Arrissa please reply, I Miss you!!!!

A new beginning...stroke of imagination

Well just finished my last paper for the semester! Yippy!! Feel like writing a short novel...hmmm I mean story (dun know whether I would finish it). Well here it goes...

The Angel at the Door

Yash stared at the picture in his hands. It was the only beautiful pictorial memory that he had of her. She was wearing that golden prom gown . It weaved around her body like snakes swirling around a tree. She looked amazing that night. She looked like a bride. He recalled almost creating a huge hole in the floor pacing and waiting for her arrival in the hotel their prom was held. The moment she arrived he stood rooted on the floor. She was just perfect for him. She smiled at him. That was a special night for him.
After his small band performance during prom, he made his way down stage. As he walked down people were patting on his backs and shaking his hands. He was receiving them with a warm smile until he came up to his classmate Rena who was waving frantically at him. She gave him a big hug. He hugged her back. He could feel the warmth of friendship spreading within him. As she realised her, she saw his beautiful bride standing behind her. She was blushing and he looked down.

"Antara come on", said Rena. She shuffed her towards Yash. Antara gave Yash a hug. It was a quick brief moment but Yash was ready to explode. It was as hundred butterfiles were covering his entire body. He felt light and a tingling passion feeling was running down his spine. He never wanted to let her go. He hoped the moment will remain forever. He wished at that moment they were married.

Wedding, those words pierced his wounded heart. There was going to be a wedding but not for him. She was going to get married. She was going to marry Jake.

It was all part of the plan of the Almighty. HE had planned to get Antara married to Jake. They were faithed to be together and it was now Yash's mission to ensure the marriage goes smoothly. He felt a sharp pain in his chest again. The girl he had loved was going to marry someone else and it was his job to ensure it went smoothly. This would never have happened if he was alive. But he wasn't. He is dead, well not exactly dead but not a ghost. He had become an angel.

Why he was made an angel he never understood. He was not given any explanation only a guidebook and a scroll appointment and made to go through a small training sessions with the other trainee angels. Througout the time he died he had no recollection of who he was. He did not even at the slightest idea what his personality was. Infact he turned out to be the best student in the class. Everything was heavenly until he received his first assigment, Antara.

At that instance he started to tear. He had no recollection of her at first. He felt as if he was dying again. Pain was surging from his body. It took him a while to realise that it was coming from his heart. It was something he could not undestand. Slowly Yash's head begun to swirl. Memories started flooding back to him.

He remembered the terrible car accident. He remembered the light he saw from above. It started moving and then he found himself in his school uniform and with a bunch of students he had no idea who they were. They were all laughing and playing a fool when one of the guys nudged at him and he turned to see where he was pointing at.

There she was with a bunch of girls. Her laughter was as if someone was splashing water around. There was something so beautiful about her. Then he heard someone call , "Antara" and she turned around to smile. He felt his body froze. Everthing was coming back to him. He knew who she was.

This was wrong. Angels should not have any recollection of thier past lives. Even if they did it was only for a particular assignment, like in the case of Dan who was the angel assigned to be with his sister before she died. Even in such cases Dan only knew about his past life after seeing his photos in his sister's room. But Yash had recollection even before meeting Antara. This was terrible. How was he going to carry out his duties well when he knew this was the love of his life?

"Hey Yash, you alright?" boomed a voice over him.

Yash looked up. It was his fellow angel Chris. "I am fine" he sniffed and quickly wiped away the tears forming at the corner of his eyes.

"Well good luck for your first assignment. You better get going before the gate closes"

"Yeah, good luck on yours Chris. Will catch up with you soon" replied Yash. But Chris had already made his way to the golden door. Yash sighed and closed his eyes. He held the picture up to his lips and kissed it. He opened his eyes,"Well Antara I am coming for you"

Yash quickly made his way to the golden door where Paul was sending the angels off one by one. When it was Yash's turn, PAul looked at Yash, "You ready Yash?"

Yash took a deep breath and moved one step ahead, "I am ready now". With that Paul gave Yash one good push out through the door.