Chapter Text
"Rachel Gardner? We’re ready to see you now. Please, come in."
The young blonde opened her eyes at the sound of her name. She tilted her head and scanned her surroundings as unfamiliar panic clouded her mind. Everything appeared to be a soft, eggshell shade of white. It was an easy colour to process, opposite to the stark brightness of hospital walls. Despite her fears, the colour granted a calming effect and was enough to help ground her.
She cautiously arose from where she was seated and faced the only door in the room. It blended in perfectly with the paint ― and as she glanced behind, she noticed her chair did as well. There was an unreal texture to it, almost as if it were nebulous. Rachel reached down to inspect the chair, only for bits of cotton-like wisps to cling to her fingers. She shook them off in shock and took a step back.
Everything about this room is wrong, but not scary.
Once again, she hears her name repeated, only this time, she notices she cannot discern a source of location. Logically, it should be coming from behind the door, but the voice did not sound muffled. It sounded as crisp as mounted speakers... however, there were none in sight.
Her legs shifted uncomfortably, but ultimately, she gathered the courage to head towards the door. After weighing her options, it became apparent that the only way to go was forward. Standing around wasn’t going to accomplish anything, and there were too many questions swirling around for them to remain unanswered. Rachel reached out for the doorknob, hesitated as she stared into the silver reflection, and after a brief pause, twisted the knob open.
The office-like room that unfolded before her was more confusing than the last. A single chair, and a desk with desaturated, chestnut colours proved to be the only furniture in the room. The tone was completely different, lacking the sterile and fluffy feelings of the waiting room. There was a lone vase atop the desk, containing a bouquet of white lilies.
“Please,” the voice spoke, warmly yet stern, “take a seat, Rachel Gardner.”
Having no other options, she complied. Hoping to make a good impression, she sat perfectly upright, cuffing her hands together as they rested on her thighs.
“Um…” the girl began, with no clear idea of which question should come out of her mouth first, “I would like to know where I am, please.”
“Of course! You see, Rachel Gardner… you’re in Heaven.”
Heaven ..?
“I see,” she spoke while the information processed, “then, can I go now? My parents will be upset if I
―
”
“Oh,” the voice cut her off, “no, you see, your parents are dead too. I’m here to discuss with you your case.” There was no cruelty in their voice, but the words cut through Rachel sharper than… a knife.
“A knife… I remember something with a knife. I don’t understand. My parents, my puppy… they are all waiting for me, I would like to go home now.” Rachel responded, the gravity of the situation not quite registering in her brain. She didn’t feel dead. Her eyesight still functioned normally and all of her senses were present; there was no rational way she could justify being dead as the truth.
“I understand that this is all very tough to deal with. Would it help if I refreshed your memories from the moment you died?”
Rachel instinctively bit her lip, pondering about whether this person was telling the truth or not, and whether she should believe them. The anxiety continued to bubble until she felt feverish, although there didn’t appear to be any sweat forming. Cautiously, Rachel nodded in agreement, and braced herself to hear the voice’s response.
“Understood.” A flat reply, followed by the sound of chimes.
All at once, the room transformed into one that was all too familiar. The floorboards became stained and uneven, and the sickening smell of booze wafted through the room. In the kitchen, she could hear a distant screaming that seemed to be crying out in agony. She remembered this.
She didn’t remember what came next. The piercing sensation of steel cutting into her abdomen, her blood seeping through the floorboards… and her dad’s maniacal expression as she watched the life drain from her own face.
“To help you remain calm, we had initially stored away these memories.” The voice stated, right as she was immediately transported back to the office. “However, it’s time now for us to discuss what you will be doing from here on. Are you ready to begin?”
Not at all . All of the scenes were still flashing through her mind like an old movie, reliving each moment as if it didn’t happen to her.
“I’m… dead?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Who are you? Are you God?”
“Oh, no, I am not God,” it spoke calmly, ready to provide information, “I am an angel. My voice is projected clearly into your mind. I cannot show myself to you, because I do not exist in a form that can be comprehended. It would only give you a headache.”
“Angels do not have wings and halos?”
“They don’t, but you will. From this point on, you are going to become an angel, if you are ready to cooperate. You still bare a human soul, because you are going to be sent back to Earth.”
This instinctively made Rachel glance up. There was nothing waiting for her down on Earth - not even her own family. Despite this, she couldn’t help but carry the hope that her life wasn’t really over. She recognized this as denial, yet the feeling persisted all the same. If there was even the slightest chance that she could still do something worthwhile and give meaning to her life, it was an opportunity she couldn’t lose.
“I’m ready to cooperate.”
“Great!’ Although there was no face to bare a smile, she could feel one brimming from the angel all the same. “First things first, I do not have a name, but I have analyzed your interests, and it seems the best name suited for me will be Chime. This is something you find soothing, so if you ever need to get in touch, all you need to do is imagine the sound of a windchime.”
“Understood.” Rachel nodded in agreement, unsure if Chime could see her.
“Next, you are here today to be incarnated as a Guardian Angel. This position is typically given out to people who have died before they could realize their purpose on Earth. Anyone younger than 13 years old is simply sent back to try again. We do not usually get victims as young as you, where you are just teetering on the edge.”
Rachel wasn’t sure whether this was good news or bad, so she simply nodded again in place of a response.
“Now… here comes the unfortunate news. The system has matched you up with someone who has a complicated soul. Normally, this doesn’t happen, but you are both very compatible ― almost as if he were your brother.” Hearing this made the ends of her hair stick up. She fixated on that word while Chime continued to talk.
A brother… what could he be like? Are there activities we have in common? What does he like to do for fun? Are we the same age? What is his na ―
“He is known as Isaac Foster, the boy committing those murders you may have heard on the news while you were alive.”
Ah .
“... What is he like?” She rubbed her hands nervously together as she asked this. What followed next was something akin to a soft chuckle.
“I see why you two were matched together now.” There was something humble in their voice while Chime spoke. “He is 20 years old, born on July 24th. His diet consists mostly of whatever he can find. He does not have a home, but seems to be close to a Priest, despite not having a belief in God himself. He is childish and riddled with bandages. However… with your guidance, he may be able to redeem himself.”
“I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do.”
“Be yourself. You will both naturally form a connection, and from there on, you may be able to protect him. We will provide you with a location suitable to watch over him. You may switch at will between watching him as a human and guiding him as an angel. Both methods are imperative. Also, no one who may have known you in your past life will be able to recognize you despite your appearance remaining the same. Do you have any more questions? ”
Everything was going by so fast, there were still a lot of things burdening her mind. Trying to concentrate on just one subject was head-spinning. The phantom pains from her death still felt heavy on her chest. Yet, despite all this…
“No, I think I’m ready now.”
“Then, I wish you good luck! May you both find what you are looking for.”
―
The young girl’s eyes fluttered open in an instant as she struggled to catch her breath. Oxygen abruptly rushed inside her lungs once more and the impact started off a long chain of coughing. Gravel crunched beneath her body, city lights flickered above her head, and the air smelled heavy with condensation. It had just finished raining.
There was a soft jingling inside her bag, and she opened it to find a set of keys complete with a room number. Behind her was a battered motel, very quaint and not too inhibited. She decided to pick herself up and head towards the location to investigate, assuming this would be her new home.
Room 106. It was easy enough to find, since all she had to do was follow the stream of room plaques until she came across her number. The door gave difficulty with being opened, but after pushing forward as she turned the key, her new home was revealed.
Dim lights flickered and sounded a soft hum while they were on. Inside was one bed, a desk with a lamp, a TV, an air conditioner, a fridge, a bathroom, and a chair. Brown, earthy tones seemed to cover the entire room. There wasn’t much to complain about, aside from the dizzying pattern on the rug. The TV seemed to function just fine, but Rachel figured she wouldn’t be using it much either way.
Fatigued from arriving to Earth once more, she plopped down on the perfectly tucked in bed, causing little wrinkles to form in the sheets. Thoughts were racing through her mind as she replayed her conversation with Chime.
That was when a piece of paper fell directly on her face. Blankly, she blew air at it and watched it float up, grabbing it midair.
“ Dear Rachel,
Attached to this letter is a photograph of the man you are looking for. Along with this, I will provide you with daily instructions on how to meet him. Whenever you feel lost, simply look at this paper and I will provide you with new tasks. Be careful as not to die, since it is impossible for you to do so.
Currently, you will find him scavenging around near the back alleys a few blocks away from the church. If you wish to meet him right now, proceed there ― but take caution. He is in a frenzied state and may not respond well to being seen by outsiders. He is also hurt, so keeping this in mind, I will transport fresh bandages to you in an instant.
Love, Chime ”
Once she finished scanning the letter, the directions immediately registered in her mind, as well as the newly received bandages held in her hands. However, this didn’t matter to her. What she was really excited about was seeing what her new friend looked like.
New friend… I’m going to be making a new friend . Her heart filled with warmth the more she thought of it as she turned over the note with utmost eagerness.
There, attached to the back of the letter with a paperclip, was the man she was going to protect with her life. His hair was dark, greasy, and matted, as if it hadn’t seen proper care in years. Unfortunately, his clothes weren’t much better, as they were covered in miscellaneous stains from top to bottom. Rachel instinctively touched the photograph as she examined his face, interested in the excessive amount of bandages. For a moment, she wondered why Chime would send her some if he already had so many, but upon inspecting it closer, she noticed all of the bandages were well-worn and filthy. He was sure to get an infection if he didn’t take care in replacing them properly.
Conditioner, shampoo, new clothes, maybe even food and water… these were the necessities he must barely be scraping by on, if using at all. Without knowing completely why, she was very determined to make things better for him if she could. More than guiding him to stop killing, she wanted first to be useful to him.
She could even start right now if she wanted to. Rachel looked down at the bandages still in her hand and gave them a tight squeeze. She could go to him and help him right now. He might be hurt. He might need someone, anyone. Her.