Sean's Angel
By: Hal
(Copyright 2006 - 2007, by the Author)
Editors: Radio Rancher & Str8mayb
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

 

Chapter 19

‘Sean, wake up!’ A booming voice erupted from some distant place, but the words met his ears as if yelled from inside his skull.

Sean lay balled up in a fetal position, with his arms wrapped around his legs. His eyes were clamped shut to escape the bright light while his body trembled violently.

‘Sean, look around you. You are safe here. This is the world of your own creation.’

“NO! NO! NO!” His anguished screams echoed into the distance.

A gentle breeze brushed his skin as he lay in the foot tall grass.

‘Sean, get up, NOW!’   The world became still around him.  The wind stopped, and all sounds of life ceased.

“Huh? Wha?” He opened his eyes and felt the burn of daylight.  Blinking through the pain he stretched before pushing against the cool earth and sat upright. His arms quivered as his muscles struggled to hold him upright.

The brilliant colors of life faded and took on a sickly pallor. Soon there were only the browns of death across the once vibrant plain. Sean watched in horror as the edges of his world crept closer in a smear of ruin.

‘What happened?’  The words were more a taunt than a question.

Sean watched as death ate away at the fringe of his dream world.  He longed for the one thing he knew lay beyond the approaching decay.... peace.

A fading tempest of dried earth swirled around him and gathered where he sat. Grabbing a fist full, he felt it flow through his fingers like an ancient hour glass.

“Wha? How’s this possible?” Sean raked his fingers through the once rich soil, as the smell of wet earth gave way to the stale scent of a long forgotten tomb.

‘This is of your own doing. You need to realize what effect you have on this place. Without your desire to keep this world alive, well…’ The sounds of the somber voice echoed in Sean’s brain.

“What do you mean? This place is dying because of me?” Sean pulled his knees into his chest and buried his head into the dark safety of that small place between.  His only escape was the deepest recesses of his shattered mind.

“You created this little world, in order for you to have a safe place to go. You now think that your entire world is falling apart. This is the result of that belief.’ The echoing  words penetrated to the depths of Sean's soul.

“But, my ‘world’, as you so aptly put it, really is falling apart. I didn’t ask for this life, it was thrown at me. Why is this happening to me? If you are the “All Powerful”, that I’m supposed to think you are… why is this happening?” Sean raised his hands, as if an answer would drop from the sky into them.

‘Is it now? Or is that what ‘you’ want to believe?’ A chill ran down Sean’s spine as the words sunk in.

“But why? Why was I refused? I thought he liked me…” Sean's shoulders seemed to buckle beneath the weight of despair and his head hung like that of a lifeless doll.

His spirit crushed, Sean burrowed his hands into the dirt and wished he could follow.

‘He does. Why do you think he went to you? To explain why he couldn’t do anything.’ The words bored into Sean’s heart, making his chest convulse.

“But why…why can’t he do anything?” Sean lost the emotional battle, as the river of tears ran down his face.

‘Sean, look. Things are never as easy as we would like them to be. Brett is in a relationship already. He didn’t want to lead you on.’  The voice strengthened and possessed a more human tone. A white light surrounded the figure as Sean felt the comforting weight of a hand on his shoulder.

“I thought you were supposed to be all-knowing, and all-seeing?” Sean whimpered, not looking up to see his company.

‘Sean, please. Would you look at me?’ The spirit knelt down, and guided Sean’s face upwards. The slight glow reflected in Sean’s eyes and highlighted the tears that ran down his face.

“I thought you would always be there for me, and you let me down again.” Sean tried to force his eyes shut, but was hypnotized by the soothing radiance that came from the visitor.

‘I haven’t left you, and never will. I am here now, as I have always been.’ The mortal form sat down in front of Sean and picked up his hand, caressing it.

“Yeah, you are. But you’ve let me down before. Why else would I’ve tried to kill myself? All that shit I went through, and you are supposed to be gentle and kind and loving.” Sean lacked the willpower to pull away as he tried to get his hand back.

‘I see, you have lost some faith then.’ The figure stood up, and brushed the dead flora from the robes that wrapped around him.

“See, there you go again. Just when I really need you, you’re going to leave, again.” Sean stared at the ground in front of him, as tears ran down his face and moistened the parched soil in front of him.

The glow subsided, as the spirit faced Sean. The emotional scars of millions of suffering souls were shown on his face. With caring eyes, he reached out his hand for Sean to grab.

“What? You think giving me your hand… now, will help anything?” Sean refused to budge, as he stared at the outstretched arm in front of him.

‘I am simply offering to help you stand up, tall and proud, like the man you are. Will you not accept it?’ The spirit bent at the waist and offered his hand closer.

Sean looked around. He centered his eyes on the face of the figure in front of him.

The serenity flowed from inside the white robed figure and soothed his soul. Sean finally reached out his arm and grabbed the offered hand.

‘That’s better; stand tall and proud Sean.’ The spirit held Sean’s hand and helped him maintain his balance after he stood.

“Why are you being this way? I’m a failure. I couldn’t do ‘this’ whatever it is, and now, even here…” Sean looked away, and closed his eyes. ‘What have I done, to this beautiful place here?’ echoed through his mind, as tears trailed down his face.

‘It is not all your fault Sean. Yes, I can read your mind. You find that amusing?’ A smile broke the solemn look on the face of the spirit.

“Well, um, heh, kinda. So if you can read my mind, why don’t you answer the questions I have then?” Sean tilted his head, as he looked straight into the face of the apparition.

‘Sean, you can’t get through life, taking the easy route all the time. Sure, I can give you all the answers you want, but you wouldn’t learn from them. Look around you, this is what the easy path has in store for you. Do you like what you see?’ The white robed figure watched as Sean dug his foot into the dried up soil, barely shaking his head.

‘I didn’t think so. This world you created not so long ago, worked then. But it won’t anymore. You need to try to think things through for yourself. You are here, by your own dealings. I am here only to help guide you. I can’t do it for you, but only offer suggestions. There are many different paths you can take at this point. Do you understand?’ The Ghost held onto Sean’s hand, as he stared in the depths of Sean’s soul.

“Um, yeah. I guess so. But why the interest in me now? I feel really let down, especially before, when I wanted to end it all. Why are you doing all this now?” Sean stared back into the eyes that could captivate souls, for all eternity.

‘You raise a very good question, which there is no simple answer for. I will try to explain it as simply as I can… If you think you can handle it.’ The figure stood motionless, as he waited for an answer.

Sean blinked his eyes, and then studied the dusty ground at his feet for a moment. He looked back up, and nodded his head as he wiped the tears away.

‘I will try to keep this simple, Sean. You are special, inside. You and your boys have a special place in the Book of Eternity.  I want to make sure you make it there. I told you once already, that I’m not supposed to interfere in the mortal world. But with things the way they are, I can’t stand to lose another one. There are forces at work here that you could not even comprehend. I want you to succeed, as I know you can. This world needs all the help it can get. I have put my own faith in you, and the boys.’ The human form let go of Sean’s hand, and turned away. To hide his own tears before Sean noticed.

“Wha? What do you mean, lose another one?” Sean’s voice was full of disbelief at what he had heard. He stepped forward and touched the shoulder to get the attention of his companion.

‘Yes, why don’t you tell him?’ A second figure appeared to the side of Sean.

His tall form towered over Sean like an eclipse of doom.  His long black hair cascaded in rivulets over an even darker black robe.  Eyes as cold as death turned to greet him.

“Who the he…” Sean staggered backwards, surprised that another apparition had come into ‘his’ world.

‘Exactly.’ The sinister grin provided the answer, as the intruder circled around Sean and his companion.

‘Why are YOU here? You are not welcome in my presence.’ The white robed figure stood prepared, ready to defend himself and Sean.

‘My, my. Aren’t you just a little testy today. It has been some time, hasn’t it? No fear old man. I thought I would pop in, and see how my little handy work is doing. This place is better now, isn’t it?’ The dark figure circled around the two, not letting his vision wander away from the white spirit.

‘Be gone you foul beast. Before I…’ The spirits body started to light up, as energy began to surround him.

‘Don’t worry, I’m outa here. But let me say one more word to little Sean here. Joy isn’t the answer either. Hahahaha.’ The dark figure took his next step and disappeared in a blur of grey smoke.  The sound of his frigid laughter echoed across the barren field.

“Who was that?” Sean stared vacantly at the last footprint in the dead soil in front of him.

‘He, is what I was trying to warn you about. Pay him no attention. He gets his energy from people that don’t have faith in themselves, and want to take the easy path in life.’ The light that emanated from within the robes, subsided.

“This is serious, isn’t it?” Sean put his hands up, and covered his tear stained face.

‘More than you can ever imagine. This is no game, and it never was. You need to stop doubting yourself. You also need to have faith not only in me, but in yourself as well.’ The spirit walked closer and placed his hand on Sean’s shoulder.

“This is just… too much. It’s like a living nightmare…” Sean’s body was wracked with tremors as tried to bury his face into his hands.

‘That is what I am here for. To help you, so you have someone to lean on.’ He walked closer to Sean, and wrapped his arm around him.

Sean gave in, and slumped into the shoulder of the white robed figure. The tears flowed freely as his body shook from the release of pent up frustrations. Sean’s fragile mind was wracked with the thoughts of ‘how am I ever going to fully trust anyone now?’

‘You must find it within yourself, for those answers you seek.’ The glow from under the robes intensified again as it engulfed Sean.

“Get you FILTHY hands off of me!” Jared screeched as his arm was bent behind his back.

The large man had Jared pinned up against the wall. He had caught Jared in mid leap as he had lunged towards Brett. Security had been called to a disturbance of a fight, in which a child was assaulting hospital personal.

“As soon as you calm down… you little shit.” The guard mumbled the last part, not wanting to be heard.

“You better let my brother go, or I’ll…” Justin’s body tensed as the adrenalin pumped through his body. The veins in his forehead stood out prominently.

The partner of the guard that held Jared, was an immense individual. He had the look of a professional sumo wrestler, and his presence alone was enough to keep Justin from doing anything.

“You had better let the boys be. YOU have no idea of who you are messing with.” Cecelia stood guard over Brandon as she watched the tragedy unfold.

“Listen lady, I don’t give a rat’s ass, about who you think they are. Our job is to keep the patients and staff safe, from each other, if need be.” The guard relaxed his grip on Jared’s arm as it was near the breaking point.

“Leave my brothers be, you big fatty!” Brandon tried hard to keep his eyes on his brothers as he tried to peer around Cecelia.

The guard watching Justin, stepped back and glared at Cecelia and Brandon. He kept a close eye on Justin, prepared for what his partner was going through. Hormone imbalanced teens can be such a handful, he knew as he had two teen boys at home.

Cecelia looked at Brandon and pursed her lips, the language he used wasn’t becoming of a young man. The words that came out of his young mouth were filled with pure hatred.

She watched as Brandon grasped the arms of his chair. His eyes glowed like embers as he lifted himself as far as his little arms would go.

Cecelia stepped back with her eyes ready to pop. She could tell the white light emanating from Brandon’s eyes was not a good sign. She had witnessed too many new and exciting things to be caught unprepared.

She snapped her head and looked at Justin. His eyes were glowing as well. ‘Oh shit’ echoed through her head as she continued to back up.

“NOOOO……………..” The sounds of pure hatred came out of Brandon’s mouth. His voice started making noise, but disappeared above the normal human range of hearing.

Cecelia covered her ears by shear instinct. There was nothing audible, about what had come out of Brandon. It was pure, focused energy.

The two security guards grasped their ears. The pain that they endured was beyond what a normal person could ever imagine. The guard that had Jared up against the wall, developed a bloody nose. His partner had already dropped to his knees as the ultrasonic screech scrambled his nervous system.

The guard looked at Jared through bloodshot eyes as the sonic waves penetrated deep into his nervous system. The blood gushed from his nose, as red tears ran down his face.

Jared relieved that his arm was no longer pinned, turned to find his assailant incapacitated. His eyes glowed as bright as his brothers, and his smile stretched from ear to ear.

“BOYS! Stop it now!” Cecelia witnessed something she couldn’t stomach. She became worried for the boys and their enjoyment of the torture on the assailants.

The twins eyes stopped glowing first. Brandon, was more stubborn. His eyes were still bright.

Jared and Justin walked over to Brandon, and placed their hands on his. Brandon finally recognized that his brothers were no longer in harms way, and settled down as the slight vibrations dissipated.

Cecelia stood paralyzed with fear. She hadn’t witnessed this much power, except in sci-fi movies. Her brain was abuzz with conflicting ideas, as she tried to fathom what had just happened.

She came to her senses and looked at the innocent faces in front of her. She mustered up enough strength to get closer to the boys that had such potent abilities.

“It’s okay Granma. They’re not hurt… much.” Brandon grinned wickedly as his brothers looked at him.

“Are you guys alright? You had me worried there.” Cecelia knelt in front of Brandon.

“Sure we are. Huh bro?” Justin was the first to look at Cecelia.

“Yeah, uh, sure. We’re fine.” Jared rubbed his sore elbow as he flexed his arm.

Gordon Whitely had been called by the ER staff. His new boss was in medical trouble, and his children were raising hell trying to find him. He had just finished his schedule for the day, and left for home when his cell phone rang. Luck was with him as he was only a couple of minutes away.

He sprinted all the way into the hospital from the parking lot. He rounded the corner, to find his two ‘best’ guards passed out on the floor. Both had blood all over their faces.

Gordon stared wide eyed at the damage his biggest team members received.

“What the hell happened here?” Gordon examined the surroundings and noticed the boys and Cecelia were the only ones present.

“I’m not really sure, what ‘exactly’ happened. But those two men were trying to assault the twins, and then um…” Cecelia’s expression froze, as the answer stopped processing in her mind.

The twins glanced over at each other, and winked. Brandon giggled as he grabbed his brothers hands.

“What happened to these guys? These two were my best guards, and now look at them.” Gordon bent down to check the pulse of the closer guard. Finding that the man was still alive, the relief flooded over his face. He looked up towards the twins, and caught the slight smirk on their faces.

“If these two were your best, you ought a rethink your employees. They were harassing us, and even had Jared pinned to the wall.” Justin smiled like the Cheshire Cat.

“So, you’re saying that ‘you’ did this to them?” Gordon’s jaw dropped as he looked into Jared’s eyes.

“No.  At least not by myself.”  Jared grinned as he rubbed his sore elbow.

“Those guys’re bad. They were trying to hurt my brothers.” Brandon eyes traveled upwards looking into Gordon’s face. He laid his hands across his lap and waited for the obvious signs of discomfort from the adult.

“That’s right, those men were mean. And if they’re your best, I’m sure Sean would love to hear about this little incident. That big guy almost broke Jared’s arm, he bent it so much.” Cecelia walked over to comfort the boys now that things had settled down.

“Well, if that is the case then, I know what I have to do.” Gordon got on one knee and handcuffed the first guard, then repeated the procedure for the second.

“Are you gonna arrest them?” The happiness in Brandon’s voice bloomed with each word.

“Yes, if they treat children like that.  I run a respectable business, and don’t need that kind of tarnishing of my reputation.” Gordon noticed the commotion behind him. He turned to find a nurse attending to the unconscious Brett.

“I think he was the last one to see Dad. Something happened in that room, and um, he is responsible. Are you gonna arrest him too?” Jared placed his hand back on Brandon. Jared didn’t want a repeat of earlier, and being closer to his brothers should help.

“From what I understand, your Dad’s down the hall. Joy found him outside wandering somewhere. I think for now, until otherwise proven, the intern’s okay. But if I find a witness to say otherwise, things could change in a hurry.” Gordon backed up as another nurse checked the vitals on the two guards.

“Did you just say Dad was found? Where is he? We need to get to him now!” Justin stepped toward Gordon.

“Whoa. Slow down there bud. He’s down the hallway in the ER, again. But they need to figure out what’s wrong with him first. Okay? As soon as we hear something, I will take you to him. But not before then, alright?” Gordon braced himself for the worst, as he had never seen grown men in such bad physical shape from a bunch of kids.

“But we need to get to him. That’s why we started to look for him in the first place. Why can’t we go see him? We need to see him.” Justin took another step closer to Gordon.

“Easy tiger. I said as soon as we hear something, and I mean it. Why don’t we go have a soda or something, while we wait?” Gordon put his hands up in a desperate attempt to stop Justin.

“But Daddy’s in trouble. We need to…” Brandon stopped talking, as the tears began to fall. His little ruse of portraying the helpless little child, went off on queue.

“Are you sure there isn’t some way for the boys to see their Dad, um, Mr. Whitley, right?

The whole incident with those two has them more apprehensive then ever.” Cecelia pointed at the two guards as they were being loaded onto stretchers.

“Please call me Gordon, Ms. Moran. If you and the boys promise to remain calm and stay here,  I’ll go see what’s happening, okay?” Gordon put his hands down and relaxed his guard in front of Cecelia.

“Please call me Cecelia. We aren’t formal like a normal bunch. Yes, I’ll do my best to keep them rounded up and calm. Just don’t take too long. You can see for yourself, what these innocent boys are capable of.” Cecelia winked at Gordon as she watched the casualties of her boys temper tantrum get wheeled away.

“Ahem, point well taken. Please, I’ll do what I can as quickly as possible. Be patient please.” Gordon backed up, as he tried to keep the fake smile on his face.

‘What in the world did I get myself into with these guys? I knew there were rumors, but this is unbelievable. Not in a million years, would I have ever guessed that those three…’ the thoughts wracked Gordon’s mind as he rounded the corner with caution. Once he was out of direct sight from the boys, he turned and walked to the ER.

“Cecelia! Are you guys alright? What happened, and where is Sean?”  Marty raced down the hall from the opposite direction that Gordon had taken.

“Oh, Marty! What a relief to see you. This day has been a total mess.” Cecelia turned as the loud greeting made her jump.

“All I have heard was that Sean had taken, um, …” Marty stopped and looked at the boys. Their faces were full of stress, and the stress could be felt in the air, the closer he got to them.

“He’s not…” Jared knelt beside Brandon’s chair.

“Doing very well.” Justin mimicked his brother’s actions on the opposite side of Brandon.

“And he needs us too.” Brandon touched his brother’s arms and watched Marty with focused eyes.

“Um…yeah. Well, let me go find out what happened then.” Marty kept his eyes on the boys, and gave them a wide berth as he passed them in the hall.

“Granma, why is he scared of us too?” Brandon’s face flushed as he looked at Cecelia.

“Well, little one. I’m not sure really. But if I’d have to hazard a guess, I think he just knows not to upset you is all.” Cecelia grinned as she looked at Brandon. His brown eyes were so warm and gentle. It was difficult for her to imagine such a young and innocent child being a threat.

The twins grinned at the comment as they stood. Glancing at each other, they high-fived. As if rehearsed many times, it was a fluid motion.  The movements of one mirrored the other in precision and timing.

“As far as you two are concerned, I think a little restraint is in order. There shall be no more of … whatever you called that.” Cecelia’s mothering side surfaced in full bloom.

“But Granma, it wasn’t us. Honest.” Justin eyes widened from the accusation.

“Yeah, I was pinned up against the wall, so how come you’re blaming me?” Jared’s face turned sour as the insult sunk in.

“You mean…” Cecelia squinted as she focused her eyes on Brandon.

“What? Who me?” Brandon shrugged his shoulders and put on his best angelic face.

Cecelia shook her head and realized that she would not get any answers. She looked at the pained expressions on the twins faces and tried to keep calm. She didn’t want the boys to become upset again… ever again.

“It’s okay Granma. I think the only person that will have the answers, is out of our reach right now. But I think what happened is because we were all threatened.” Justin tilted his head as he thought about it.

“Yeah, we love you Granma. We will protect you too if we have to. But you shouldn’t be afraid of us.” Justin’s posture reflected that of his twin.

“I know that dear, but it’s still hard to, umm, imagine all this happening….” Cecelia stood with palms up, as she looked around the now vacant hallway.

Gordon was standing at the reception desk in the ER. He was mulling over paperwork and not paying attention when Marty walked up.

“What is the prognosis so far?” Marty leaned up against the counter as he set his briefcase down on top of it.

“Oh, hi Marty. I didn’t hear you walk up. I guess my mind's a little scrambled right now.” Gordon straightened up as he realized what he admitted to.

“Relax. I saw the three boys down the hall, and to be honest, they scare me too.” Marty whispered the last few words.

“Ah, it’s all good then.” Gordon let out the nervous breath he had been holding.

“You do realize, that we need to keep this as quiet as possible, don’t you?” Marty raised his brow to emphasize the point.

“Understood. As far as I can tell, they don’t know what is wrong with him. His vitals were a little weak, but there is nothing physically wrong with him. It seems that Sean is… I don’t know.” Gordon hung his head down, as he admitted how helpless he was in this situation.

“Well, maybe the kids were right. They might be able to help him, where medical science can’t.” Marty stared down the hallway in the direction of the boys.

“What? Did you even hear what they did to two of my biggest men? They are both down the hallway, getting checked out now. It seems, those three boys, blasted them with some form of energy. It’s just weird…” Gordon’s face reddened as he finished.

“What they did, was protect themselves from two overzealous buffoons. Do I really need to remind you, of who they are?” Marty turned and glared at Gordon.

“No sir. You do not. I’m sorry. I’ve personally placed them under arrest for assault on the boys. But if you would’ve…” Gordon didn’t finish. He watched as the calm Marty changed into his business mode.

“YOU will make this go away. And if I ever see those two guards again, it will be too soon. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Whitley?” Marty slid the briefcase off the counter which caused it to bounce off his thigh with a deadening thud.

“Yes sir. Understood sir.” Gordon almost saluted Marty, but stopped just in time. ‘That guy can be a real dick sometimes. No, not a dick, but a big prick.’ ran through his mind as he stood at attention.

“Good. Then this discussion is over. Let me know immediately if something else happens will you?” Marty didn’t wait for an answer as he turned to walk down the hall.

‘Are you feeling better now, Sean?’ The spirit loosened his arms to take a look at the mortal in his arms.

“I don’t know. I feel really strange now. Like something is missing…” Sean looked up at the caring face of the figure.

‘Well, it seems to me, that there are lots of things missing right now. How do you feel about it though? Is this the reality you want for yourself?’ The spirit stepped back, and spread his arms to emphasize the surroundings.

“No, no it’s not. But what can I do about it now?” Sean’s shoulders slumped as the tears flowed.

“What do you think is wrong with Dad?” Jared paced back and forth with his arms crossed.

“I don’t know. But I hope Marty returns with good news soon.” Justin stood beside Brandon’s chair.

“The only thing we can do is wait. It must be something, if they won’t let us go see him.” Cecelia wrung her hands as she tried to find an answer. She turned away, before the moistness in her eyes ran down her cheek. ‘What have you gotten yourself into now Sean?’ echoed through her mind.

“I don’t like being here, and them not telling us anything.” Jared stopped in his tracks as his eyes focused on his brothers.

“Oh no you don’t. You can’t do that again. Just be patient.” Justin wrapped his little brother in a hug, as he looked away from Jared.

“You need to chill.” Brandon muffled out from being shielded by Justin.

“Jared, I think he’s right. Please try to be patient. None of us want to cause anymore harm to Sean.” Cecelia walked to Jared with her arms open. She didn’t want this to get out of hand again.

“Okay, you got me. But I’m just worried is all.” Jared stared at something on the floor in front of him.

“No worries bro. Come here.” Justin waved him over, to be closer.

“Yeah, we know what you’re feeling. But you need to have faith that he is being taken good care of.” Brandon’s innocent smile warmed the moment, and helped calm down Jared.

“What do you know Brandon?” Cecelia turned her attention to the youngest child.

“I know Dad is just confused right now, and he needs some time to think things through a little. Don’t worry, no harm will come to him.” Brandon looked up to Cecelia as she approached him.

“Now little one, how do you know all this?” Cecelia knelt in front of Brandon. With the twins now standing at his sides, her heart raced as the nervousness set in.

“I just know Granma. I can feel him. But I can’t do anything about it. Even with our combined energy, we’re all helpless. This is something he needs to do himself.” Brandon looked into the eyes of those around him.

“How is it, that you can feel him, but the twins can’t?” Cecelia placed her hands on the sides of the wheelchair. The electricity in the air made her hair bristle.

“I don’t know Granma.” The hurt look on Brandon’s face showed his confusion.

“That’s okay, little one. I’m sure things will be fine then.” Cecelia looked up to the twins for their confirmation as she stood up.

“I think he’s right Granma.” Justin winked at his brothers.

“What do I need to do?” Sean muttered out with chin downcast on his chest.

‘You need to decide, once and for all, what YOU really want.’ The white robed figure turned and gazed off into the horizon.

“I thought I knew what I wanted. But if that were the case, we wouldn’t be here right now, I guess.” Sean looked at the back of the shape in front of him.

‘True. Somehow, you lost faith. And now, is the time in your life, when faith means everything.’ The spirit stopped staring off into nothingness, and turned his attention back to Sean.

“It’s just like when… I had to accept the death… of my children, isn’t it?” Sean wrapped his arms around himself, as the memories and the pain flooded back into his mind.

Sean was working in a grocery store, as a meat cutter. He had been there a number of years, doing quite well until his marriage had gone on the rocks. No one knew more about his job, than Sean did.  

The birth of his last child had ruined the intimacy him and his wife had enjoyed. One child was a handful, but two, was overbearing on the free time they had once enjoyed.

There were a number of days, when Sean wasn’t there on time, having had domestic disagreements at home. Soon his boss was on his case. With the added stress of the job, and a miserable home life, divorce was imminent. The last straw was his wife not wearing his wedding ring any more.

During the coming months, Sean’s work ethic slipped down to almost nonexistent.  The ongoing battle with the courts and with a woman of low moral standings, the stress kept building up.

The decision to either terminate his employment, or transfer Sean to another location, was already made. Sean was forced to move, out of the town of his birth, and away from his family. Sean didn’t think too highly of this sudden uprooting, but had no recourse.

When he couldn’t afford to hire a good attorney, he wasn’t even granted visitation to his children. The courts granted his ex with sole custody. This ripped into Sean’s soul more than the divorce did.

In a new city, with a new job, a lower paying position, Sean tried to make things work out. He failed miserably and sunk further into depression.

With the death of his father, a new low in his life took over. Sean didn’t have the means, to go back, and wasn’t welcome if he did. His own family basically disowned him, after the divorce. Sean’s father meant the world to him, and the sudden loss of him, pushed him ever closer to the brink.

The worst news came one day, when the troopers visited him at work. There was no other way for them to get a hold of Sean, money was tight. He couldn’t handle all the child support payments, past due notices from the attorneys, and the normal bills and keep a phone as well. The news of the car wreck instantly destroyed Sean’s already fragile mind. His ex had survived, but his children were dead. Her drinking had ruined his family life, and now it destroyed his children as well.

That was the last straw. Sean thought life wasn’t worth living anymore.

Sean wanted all the pain to end. He was going to end his life. The pain. The suffering. The loneliness. All gone in one quick decision. The ultimate and permanent solution.

Sean felt his job was over anyway, after he walked off after hearing the news. Being on a very limited probation, his career was as good as gone. Sean felt defeated, as he left the business he had worked for almost a decade. The thoughts of suicide ran rampant through his mind. The world he had worked so hard for, no longer existed.  Sean’s children meant the world to him, and not being able to see them, or even talk to them played heavily on his mind. Their death shredded what was left of his already broken heart.

Sean slumped to his knees, as the painful memories consumed him once again. It was in a brief moment, that Sean felt himself being lifted up in the air. He opened his eyes briefly to find himself in the arms of his savior.

‘You see Sean, I have always been there, to hold you and comfort you. Even when you no longer believed, I have always been there for you.’ The glowing figure held Sean with the loving care that a new mother would hold her baby.

The tears in Sean’s eyes stopped for a moment. He focused his eyes on the gentle smile that was aimed at him. Sean wrapped his arms around the figure and nestled himself into the shoulder of his guardian.

‘Sean, you see?  I have never left you. Not once have I ever abandoned you.’ The form whispered into the limp body that he held.

“But then why did all those things happen? And why did my children have to die too?” Sean managed to get out between the fits of crying.

‘I have been only able to watch and not interfere. But the time has come, for me to take a more active role, in the lives of humans.’ The angel set Sean back on the ground. He stood with his arms bracing Sean.

“Why now, and why me?” Sean tried to control his snuffle as he looked in the face of his companion.

‘Because, I think you are deserving of such honor. Your spirit is one of purity, and you have a heart big enough for the challenge.’ The white robed arms brought Sean into a loving embrace.

“Thank you, I guess.” Sean straightened up and looked into the eyes of the one holding him.

With a simple nod of his head, the figure let Sean out of his arms.

Sean stepped back and looked around. The surroundings that he was so familiar with, had taken on a grossly mutated look. The green grass, the flowers, and even the trees had taken on the hues of death. The life in the field was gone. The sky looked as if a thunder storm was building on the horizon.

“What about this?” Sean put his arms out, as he turned around.

‘The field of your dreams?’ The gentle eyes of the angel followed Sean’s arms.

“Can I rebuild it, or is this um, his work?” Sean’s face contorted as the visage of the black robed figure rushed into his mind.

‘Do you want to keep this world here, or are you finally done with it?’ The spirit turned his attention back to Sean.

“I was thinking, that it was nice, to have someplace to come and relax. Not to mention the time we get to spend together.” Sean’s voice sounded positive for the first time since being brought here.

"Then again... maybe you've wasted too much time and energy on this world instead of facing your own.  Choose." The voice of the figure in white was stern.

“But, but…” Sean choked on his words. This dream world had helped save his sanity, more times than he could count. As the feeling of dread set in, his shoulders sunk.

Grinning, the ghostly apparition waved a hand, and the field started to come back to life. The dirty soil disappeared as the grass began to grow. The trees brightened with color, and the sky turned back to its natural beautiful blue.

“Thank you.” Sean had a single tear running down his face, as he gazed around at the beautiful field once again.

‘This place is now protected, and it is to be used as a last resort now. Go with peace and enjoy life.’ The figure faded from view as his words echoed back from the hills in the distance.

Sean stood in the field alone. He looked around, to find the surroundings had changed a little. This time there were hills in the distance, and there were more trees than before.

‘Hmm, why the difference?’ Ran through his thoughts as he walked around to investigate.

He noticed the gentle breeze, and walked into the direction it came from. The ground was simple to maneuver, with no major obstacles such as rocks to trip over. Sean walked with his eyes almost closed as he grew accustomed to the new field. He imagined his feet being bare, so he could feel the grass run through his toes. His control over this new place was the same, as his feet were now exposed.

The sounds of the numerous birds filled the air. Sean enjoyed the cacophony of chirps and tweets from the numerous flying fauna of this new field. The gurgling of running water in the distance caught his attention, and he turned to walk towards it.

This new field, had a stream running through it, and the sounds of a moving brook added to the beauty of the entire scene. Sean looked upstream and down. He noticed the water smoothing out a little further upstream, so that is the direction he went.

The small pool that he found looked tempting. It was about 20 feet across, by 30 feet long. It didn’t look too deep, but Sean didn’t feel like swimming. Sean walked around the edge and found a nice spot to sit, as he slipped his feet into the cool water. He imagined being able to sit there all day with his feet in the water, when his jeans got wet. Sean lifted his feet out of the water, and rolled his pant legs up, and then put them back into the cold water.

He rested back on his elbows, with his feet dangling in the water, when something tickled his feet. Sean bolted upright, to see what touched him, and laughed. This new marvelous place had more animals than he could name. The small fishes were swarming around where his feet were as if they were waiting for more.  Sean slowly slipped his feet back into the water, and noticed how the little critters swam between his toes, and brushed up against the bottoms of his feet.

‘Wow, this is almost like a foot massage.’ The thought wandered through his mind, as he began to relax. He lay back, and closed his eyes and rested his head on the soft grass.

‘This place is only missing one thing, someone to share it with.’ Sean thought to himself.

Drs. Meyers and Gifford were standing out in the hall, having a conference. The doctors were baffled. The tests they had run didn’t detect anything medically wrong with Sean. 

“I don’t know what to make of this, Reid. All the tests show normal results, but he is unresponsive to normal stimuli.” The look on Reggie’s face showed that he was concerned.

“I know what you mean. But we have tried everything. I can’t think of anything else to try. It’s like he just…gave up.” Reid leaned against the wall, as his stared at some spot on the floor.

Both men, were lost in their own thoughts, as Nurse Joy walked up to them.

“Doctor’s, is there any news? The boys are getting anxious, and I think they need to hear something soon, and hopefully its good news.” Joy watched as the doctor’s paid no attention to her.

“Doctor Meyers? Doctor Gifford?” Joy stepped closer to the men standing there lost in their own worlds.

“Ahem, excuse us Nurse. We were considering our options here, and got a little carried away, I guess.” Reid shook the cobwebs out of his head, and straightened up.

“So I take it then, that there is no news as yet?” Joy looked at the faces of the two doctors.

“No, not yet. We are a little concerned about it, but don’t let them know, okay? As soon as there are any changes, we’ll let them know.” Reggie regained his posture as he let the clipboard fall to his side.

“Okay, I will let them know that it might be awhile yet then.” Joy tried to smile, as she turned to walk away.

Reid and Reggie were stumped. But the small conversation helped them break out of the fog they had been in. They watched Joy walk away, and how great she looked today in her new dress uniform.  The fabric accented her curves, as her butt jiggled in the dress.

Reid looked at Reggie with a big smile, and nodded his head.

“Why not at least try?” Reid nudged Reggie’s shoulder with his hand.

“Oh Nurse. Can you help us with something?” Reggie walked forward to get closer so he didn’t have to speak louder than necessary.

“Yes, Doctor?” Joy stopped walking, and turned to face Reggie, he was the younger of the two doctors and quite handsome.

“Yes, ahem. We’re in need of your umm, connection to Sean. We’ve tried everything medically possible to help him. Maybe, if you were err, umm, willing, he could use some spiritual help as well. We all know what effect you had on him before, so we were just wondering?” Reggie whispered as he looked down to his feet. The admission of failure bore into his ego as he stood there and asked for this sort of help.

“Umm. I guess I could try to be a friend for him…” Joy turned a deep crimson, for her crush on Sean had worked its way around the gossip channels in the hospital.

“Well then, we will wait to see if there are any results then. Tell Reid I said it was okay for you to be in there.” Reggie winked at Joy, then turned and walked to the admissions desk.

Joy walked back the room and Dr. Meyers. He blushed as he smiled at her and stood aside to let her into the room. There was no explanation needed.

Joy walked into the room and closed the door behind her. She turned and looked at Sean. He was wired up, and had the normal IV’s and fluid lines jutting out of his arms. His color wasn’t normal, it had a pale grey tinge to it. The heart monitor sounded of to the rhythm of his heart.

BEEEP….BEEEP….BEEEP….BEEEP.

Joy strode over to the bed. She looked down at the gentle man she had only briefly got to know. He hadn’t called. She now wished he had. Now he had three kids, and that weighed heavily on her choice.

She picked up his hand and held it. It was cold and clammy. Sean’s body temperature seemed abnormally low, but he was sweating. A tear escaped from her eye.

“Sean, what has happened to you? Why can’t the doctors find anything? I know you can’t say anything, but I know you can hear me.” Joy sat down on the bed and clutched his hand to her chest. Her eyes continued to water, at a faster rate than before.

“Sean, your kids are worried for you, and I am too. Why did this happen to you? Are you going to be alright? You are worrying everyone here. Please Sean, come back.” Joy lost all control of her emotions as she cried. She kissed the hand she held.

Joy looked at the monitors. The readings were very low. Pulse, heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure were not in the healthy zone. The only normal things being monitored were his brain waves. Some of the lines went almost off the graph.

She leaned forward and touched her lips to his. The static shock she felt when they touched made her sit upright.

The color in Sean’s face started to reappear and his body temperature started to warm up.

Joy brushed Sean’s cheek with her hand.  'Why do bad things happen to such good people?' ran through her mind, as she watched him exhale. The rise and fall of his chest seemed labored as the cardio monitor kept audible record of his heartbeat.

BEEEP….BEEEP…...BEEEP…….BEEEP……….BEEEEEEP………….BEEEEEEEEP

To be continued.

Feedback always welcome:     

Authors Note:

Well, here it is, FINALLY. I had lots of fun writing this, as I hope you do, when you read it. I am going to start on the next chapter, so with any luck, it won’t be too far off.

Take care, and thanks for reading. HUGZ

Editor's Notes:

I am so happy to have another chapter here to edit and of course enjoy. I love this story. I wish it could have come closer to bringing Sean back to us. I guess we will just have to wait for the next one to find out just what Joy was able to do to help Sean. Hey, the boys won't take any shit from anybody, will they?  

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Another Editor's Notes:

Very nice chapter.  Poor Sean caught in the middle, Good vs Evil, Gay vs Straight, life vs Death, Jeez.  Hopefully Joy can get him to return to reality.  The boys are really worried and Sean has to come back for them if nothing else.  It would be nice for Sean to find peace and be able to enjoy some happiness.

Now I was nice and didn't really take two months to edit this, so let's not wait those two months for the next chapter.

Str8mayb

Posted: 06/15/07