Hayley meanwhile set to making the tea by hand. Whilst stirring the teabag up in the boiling water, she reached blindly for the milk bottle further along the counter. Little did she realise, it was just beyond her reach. As if aided by magic, the bottle slid along the side and into her hand. She obliviously continued to make the tea.
“Sugar?” said a voice, as two sachets levitated just to the right of her head.
“Thanks.” Hayley said gratefully. She froze as it suddenly dawned on her that the sachets were floating on their own accord. Panicking, Hayley glanced across the coffee shop. To her great relief, Elaine was too distracted at the counter to notice what was going on.
“Alex...”she hissed under her breath, snatching the sachets from the air.
“Sorry, I was only trying to help.” The voice whispered.
“I told you to get lost.” Hayley scorned him as she pressed on with making the drinks.
“How many times do I need to tell you the obvious? Where you go, I go. It’s impossible for me to leave.”
“Well you’ll have to find a way. I don’t want to see you ever again, not after what you did!”
“You can’t see me at the moment, does that count?” He asked.
“I really hate you...” She muttered bitterly.
“You can only blame yourself for the way you were treated at school. You were the one who couldn’t keep your mouth shut.”
“Alex...” Hayley hissed furiously.
“Hayley?” said Elaine, suddenly appearing beside her.
Hayley jumped up, startled. “Yeah?” She asked, trying to act calm and natural.
Her reaction drew an inquisitive look. “Are you ok?”
Hayley looked around nervously. “Yeah, I’m fine, why? Sorry I was away there for a second.” Grabbing the drinks as quickly as she could, she rushed away.
The end of the day could not have come soon enough and Hayley found herself hastier than usual to get away from the workplace. She had not seen or heard from Alex since the levitating sugar incident and she was cautiously optimistic that he was finally gone.
That was until she was waiting to cross the road in front of the train station. Hayley saw someone in the corner of her eye and looking round, found Alex standing alongside her.
“I told you to go.”
Alex smiled. “You don’t really mean that though. In fact, you’re over the moon to have me back.”
Hayley shook her head. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
Alex continued to beam brightly as they stood there waiting for a gap in the traffic. “You know, you should pay full price for your train ticket. Instead of reusing the return part of the one you brought three days ago.”
Hayley shot him a resentful look. “And why is that?” she demanded to know.
“Because it’s dishonest.”
Hayley tried not to laugh. “I’ll tell you what’s dishonest, the train companies constantly putting up ticket prices.”
“It might not be fair what they are doing, but how does cheating the system make you any better?” He asked.
Hayley ignored him and crossed the road. Entering the station, she headed straight for the platform. At the ticket barriers, she carefully dipped into her bag like she did everyday to retrieve her ticket. But oddly enough it was not there. She searched her bag and pockets twice for it – but to no end.
She was about to check again when she caught sight of Alex standing on the far side of the barrier, gazing at her from the distance of the platform with that familiar cheeky grin of his.
Having paid full price for her ticket, Hayley boarded the train in a furious mood. And she grew even angrier once she spotted a hand holding up a ticket above a seat down the far end of the carriage. Hayley promptly made her way down the train.
To no surprise, Alex was the one sitting there holding up her missing return ticket. He smiled warmly when he saw her. “I saved you a seat.” He said.
Hayley didn’t answer him. She just sat down, folded her arms and stared out the window.
“Are you in a bad mood with me now?” He asked, looking across to her.
Hayley still did not reply.
“Come on, I was only having a laugh.” He insisted.
Hayley looked at him in disbelief. “You just don’t get it, do you? It isn’t funny. I have to go to work, not because I want to but because I have too. You’re not twelve years old anymore Alex and neither am I. Grow up.”
“You used to love messing about with me, when did you become so serious?” He asked, severely disappointed.
“Since I grew up and since you abandoned me and ruined my life. I probably never got into uni because they saw my medical records.” Hayley scoffed angrily, looking the other way again.
Alex looked at her regretfully. “I’m sorry that you didn’t get into university, but it had nothing to do with your medical records, they’ve not seen them. The only reason why you did not get in is because of the staggering number of people who applied for the same course as you did.” He explained.
“Yeah right...”
“No it’s true. It’s got nothing to do with what happened eight years ago or that you’re not good enough. The truth is that you are really bright.”
Hayley looked at him doubtfully. “You’re just saying that.”
“Of course not, you know I would never lie to you.” He assured her.
Hayley smiled at him. “Thanks.” She said gratefully. There was a long pause as Hayley hesitated to continue. “I’m glad your back.” She finally confessed.
Alex smiled at her warmly. “I know.”
“But you have been really annoying today.” She added, laughing lightly in reflection.
Alex laughed as well. “Yeah, sorry about that but you did accuse me of not existing.”
Hayley snickered. “Yeah.”
For the remainder of the journey, Hayley and Alex reflected on old times and the mischief they used to get up to when they were younger. Even once they had returned to Hayley’s flat they continued to banter and the conversation lasted long into the night.
Chapter 2
Hayley had overslept once again, but this time she did not rush off to work in such a flurry. Instead she went through to the kitchen and put the kettle on to make a cup of tea.
“Alex?” Hayley called.
“I’m here.” He cheerfully replied as he walked into the kitchen.
“Do you want some toast?” Alex offered as he sat his empty plate down by the toaster and reached for the loaf of bread.
“How many pieces of toast have you had this morning?” she asked.
“Six.” He said as he reloaded the toaster with four more slices.
“Six? You’ll make yourself sick.”
“From toast?” Alex threw her sceptically look.
“How can you eat so much?”
“I haven’t eaten in nearly eight years. I’ve missed food, it’s delicious. You humans take so many things for granted and eating is one of them.”
Hayley laughed. “Like you and flying.”
“I can’t complain.” Alex replied, shrugging indifferently.
Hayley continued to make the cups of tea. It was a couple of moments before she realised that Alex was staring at her with a smile on his face. “What?”
“I noticed that you haven’t exactly rushed off to work this morning...”
It was her turn to shrug and smile. “You were right, I hate that place.” She poured hot water into the cups. “I’m thinking of leaving.”
Alex could not help but let the smile on his face broaden. “Good for you.” He said proudly. “So what do you want to do today then?” He asked.
Hayley handed him a cup of tea. “I don’t know. What do guardian angels do on their day off?”
“I don’t know because I never get a day off.” He replied before taking a sip of his tea.
“That’s a bit rubbish isn’t it?”
“Not really, I enjoy what I do.”
“Yeah, it’s not exactly work is it?”
“Huh, you’re far clumsier than you think you are. I can’t take my eyes off you for five minutes.” He added smugly.
“That’s rich coming from someone who’s been away for so long.”
Alex smiled at her cheekily. “Why do you think I came back?” He laughed, handing her a plate of toast. The two of them headed to the living room to watch TV and eat their breakfast.
******
“Jake!” shrilled a voice from downstairs.
An eight year old boy ran across the landing to the top of the stairs.
“I’m up here Mum!” He called, leaning over the railings.
His mother appeared at the foot of the stairs. “Are you ready for bed?” she asked.
“Yes...” Jake replied with a long drawn out sigh, about as happy to go to bed as any other kid his age.
“I’ll be up in a minute to say goodnight, ok?” she said.
“Ok.” Jake replied, hurrying off to his bedroom.
She returned to the kitchen and tidied up the dinner table. Once she had cleared the plates and glasses away into the sink, she took the rubbish out to the wheelie bin at the end of the garden. Having disposed of the rubbish bag she headed back up the garden path. There was a sudden chill which made her skin swell with goose bumps. She stopped and looked up and down the street but it was deserted in all directions. With her mind at ease, she headed back to the house.
As she walked, a black mist swelled up silently from behind. It bubbled and twisted through the air behind her, no more than a few feet away at but completely unrealised. Then twisting upwards into the air above the back of her head – it plunged, engulfing her whole. There was no scream, there were no shouts, there was only death.
At that moment both Alex and Hayley simultaneously jerked with a cold shudder as they sat watching the TV. They both looked at each other nervously.
“What the hell just happened?” Hayley asked, her voice trembling.
Alex was shocked by her reaction. “How is that possible?” He asked, gazing at her wide eyed.
“What? What is it? What just happened?”
He shook his head. “Something bad.”
Hayley grew even more uncomfortable by the way Alex was staring at her.
“How could you have felt that? You’re only human...” Alex muttered as he thought out loud.
“Alex will you please tell me why I just shuddered like someone walked over my grave right now?” Hayley asked, growing increasingly worried.
His expression did nothing to reassure her. “I don’t know but something has come through from another place.”
“Alex...”
“Hayley, you have to try and understand me when I say this. Some kind of spirit has entered this world and it is not supposed to be here. That’s why you shivered a moment ago. You felt the imbalance it made, that’s what happens when something that does not belong enters forbidden territory.”
Hayley squinted at him, doubtful of his explanation. “Have you been smoking something?”
Alex’s expression said it all. He stood up and made his way over to the window. He gazed through the frosty glass down onto the dark deserted street, troubled by what had just happened.
Feeling guilty about the inappropriate comment she had made, Hayley forced an apology out of herself. “Alright I shouldn’t of said that but I really am scared Alex.”
“It isn’t you.” Alex assured her as he continued to gaze out into the night. “You cannot help the fact that you will never truly understand things like what just happened.”
Hayley walked over to his side and they exchanged glances. She shrugged and said: “I work in a coffee shop, what do I know?”
Alex smiled in amusement.
“So what do you want to do?” she asked curiously.
Alex shot her a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
Hayley was baffled by his blank expression. “Erm...there’s something bad on the loose or something...anyway I got the impression that you wanted to go do something about it?”
Alex shook his head. “I can’t do anything. We should just forget about it.” Alex muttered. He lowered his head and slinked back to the sofa. Making himself comfortable, he returned to watch TV like nothing had happened.
“Wait a minute, why not?”
Alex shook his head. “It’s complicated.”
Hayley’s response was an even more puzzled look. “Look, I might not be onboard with all the wings appearing out of nowhere and trans-dimensional angel thingy stuff you do and I most certainly have not read the bible but I thought you were an angel? I mean, you know? Fighting off ghosts and evil and things you see in the movies?”
“It isn’t anything like the movies.” Alex sighed, looking at her miserably.
“That’s not the point! You are suppose to stop evil things, isn’t that what angels do?” she argued, beginning to break into a rant.
“I can’t...” he insisted, giving her a long look.
She peered at him oddly for a second, unsure what he was getting at.
Her face lit up as something finally clicked into place. “Then what if I went?” she now enquired with a speculative edge to her.
The corner of his mouth curled up into a devious grin. “Then I’d have to go with you.”
“Let’s go then.”
“Finally, you get it!” Alex shouted jubilantly, leaping to his feet. He was so hyper he threw his arms around Hayley, lifted her up into the air and spun her around quickly before dropping her back onto her feet.
“Lead the way.” He encouraged her, gesturing towards the door.
“But I don’t know the way...”
“Leading isn’t the same as giving directions.” Alex was quick to add.
His comment was met with Hayley’s typical puzzled look. “What?” she said blankly.
“You’ll see...” he said, pushing her out the door.
Hayley and Alex arrived at a quiet picturesque little street on the west side of Glasgow. The night was drawing late and the street was eerily silent under the shadows cast by the darkness.
The two of them stood across the street from one of the houses. From the outside it appeared to be like any other home sitting on the street. If angels only relied on their eyes like humans then they would be so easily fooled into believing that nothing was amiss. But thankfully Alex, like his brethren, had been blessed with a far greater understanding and connection to the world and all worlds. He had known even from as far away as where Hayley lived where the darkness was surfacing.
The two of them stood across the road gazing at the house for a long time.
“You’re sure this is the right place?” Hayley suddenly asked.
“You’ve already asked me that twice.”
“Only making sure...” Hayley insisted, still staring at the house. But he knew it was because she was nervous. She always repeated herself when she was, without realising.
“You know you don’t have to go in if you don’t want too.”
Hayley trembled nervously. She swallowed hard and bravely replied, “As opposed to going home?”
Alex continued to gaze at her but did not me say a word.
She looked away, having second thoughts. “I don’t know...” she muttered as the hollowing sensation of fear became ever more consuming within her.
“I will take care of this.” Alex decided.
Hayley was terrified by the prospect. “What? I’m not going in there!”
Alex rolled his eyes. “You don’t have too. I can be in more than one place at a time.” He explained.
Hayley blinked at him, completely lost at what he meant. Someone suddenly tapped her on the shoulder from behind. Naturally looking round to see who it was she got a fright to discover that it was Alex. She turned back to the original Alex who still stood to her right, half-expecting him to be gone. Then she looked round once more between them both, as if to confirm to herself without question that their r
eally was two of them.
“Please don’t do that.” She asked, suddenly very uneasy about the prospect of their being two of him.
“It takes some getting used too I know.” commented the original Alex.
“I couldn’t agree more.” agreed the second one, “you look terrified.”
Hayley stared at the second one warily. “Is he really you?” she asked, looking back to the original one.
“Of course he is.” Alex replied, smiling at his clone. “You don’t have to be scared of him, we’re the same person.” He reassured her.
“I’ll be back shortly.” said the second Alex as he crossed the street.
Hayley watched in bemusement as he walked away, yet remained standing by her side at the same time. She turned to the other Alex and poked him in the side of the shoulder with a finger, just to make sure he was real.
“What was that for?” He wanted to know, finding the prod a little irritating.
“Just checking.”
Alex rolled his eyes again and shook his head. “Don’t start all this again...”
The other Alex had no difficulty getting inside the house. To his surprise the door was not locked, which was unusual for the time of night...
The house was unnaturally colder than he would have expected it to be for a family home and he found with his first breath of the air that it was stale – very stale. The air was thick with dust as if it the building had not been occupied for many months, if not years. Alex was not at all bothered by the heavy atmosphere which gripped the house. He had been to far darker and far more frightening places during his long lifetime and to him this place was one of the nicer ones.
He stepped out of the kitchen and into the hallway. The first thing he checked when he entered was the light switch – it was on, but the lights themselves were not. Alex flicked the switch off and then on again but the light still refused to work. He glanced up at it and it suddenly came on. Satisfied, he began his way down the hall.
As he reached the foot of the stairs the light went off again. Alex immediately turned to face the boy standing at the top of the staircase. He was still and gravely silent. Draped in shadows, Alex could only make out his silhouette.