"You can call me Fiora. Welcome to the plains. This is neither heaven nor hell, it’s something in between.” She drew out the words with a slow feline purr. Her tongue resting and curling to pause and draw out every other syllable as she stood with one hand resting on the rise of her hip. Her breath, a sickly-sweet aroma like aged wine and mature ripened fruit, intruded my senses and invaded the space between us. She leaned in closer to me. Her breath tickling the tip of my nose and upper lip, and said, “I know who you are and your purpose here, but I have a proposition for you.” “What is it?” I asked. Confused and scared, I thought to myself, what does she want from me?I have no idea what my purpose is here so how can she? Gripping my arm with one hand, she swung me around to face the enormous rock structure that held the disorienting white light. But the energy was no longer present. In its place were the charred remnants of rocks that was fixed in its path.

“I want you to become something liiike…an apprentice. You will work for me and allow me to teach you our ways. Just like me, you will have your own army of devoted servants willing to satisfy your every need” Turning on one heel, she extended an arm with her palm facing up to showcase the league of decrepit soldiers behind us. At the mere acknowledgment of their presence the sea of skeletal bodies and disfigured entities lowered and contorted their figures to resemble something like a bow.

“Why would I want to work for you?” I quickly snapped back at the dark entity. Throwing her head back she gave a deep throaty laugh and turned back towards me. She tightly cupped my chin with one talon filled hand, and glared at me with her almond shaped glowing amber colored eyes, seething from anger she barked out “YOU DON’T HAVE A CHOICE. YOU ARE MINE NOW GIRL!”

Tiny rocks on the surface of the ground tumbled away as a harrowing gust of wind circled around us followed by the dull sound of flapping wings. “Remove yourself from my presence. You are not welcome here” said the disembodied voice. He materialized into the figure of a man. His lean muscular frame towering over high above our heads. He was clothed in a pure white sheath that flowed down to his ankles. His skin, the deepest shade of brown and his long black locs of hair radiated with a hot bluish-white energy. “Noreem” She shrieked in excitement as she quickly circled around the enormous masculine figure. “How haaave you been? Miss meee” Fiora cooed softly as she threw herself against his hard body. Disgusted by her advances he quickly pushed her away and drew back his sword in defense “I am not one of your footmen to be used however you see fit. I am a messenger for the most-high. Not one of my fallen brethren and you have no claim on this one”. He pointed towards me before pulling me in and surrounding me in the safety cocoon of his enormous onyx wings.

I…I didn’t mean anything by it Noreem. I thought she was another drop-off. I didn’t know that she was with you.” She said while carefully keeping her eyes fixated on the ground. She slowly inched her head up to shoot me a sharp glare before turning to walk back to her league of iron clad demonic warriors.

“Noreem. So, you do have a name.” I said with a grin on my face. ‘Glad to see you aren’t just a figment of my imagination. I was really starting to think that I might need to be checked into a nutty farm.” I said.

“The what? Never mind that. You have work to do and too much time has been wasted; we need to get you back home we will continue another day. It’s getting late and the veil will soon be lifting between your world and mines. It will be much more difficult for me to protect you” Noreen hastily replied.

“Are we going back to Walmart to pick up Gabby?” I sheepishly replied. I was a little embarrassed that I allowed myself to get distracted. If I would’ve had more faith and listened to Noreem then I would have been able to complete the journey. Now I’m left with unanswered questions as to where I’m supposed to go and what I’m supposed to do.

“No. She’s been taken cared of. I am sending you home.” Bright light instantly surrounded us. My body felt weightless as my feet lifted from the ground. “Close your eyes and relax” He said sharply. Those were the last words I remember from the first journey with my angelic protector. When I finally came to my senses I found myself in the middle of my bed surrounded by everything I left from the night before. On the foot of my bed, was my purse and cell phone neatly sitting on top of my closed laptop. I reached over to grab my phone to check and see if I had any missed calls and saw the time. “It’s only 7:15!” I yelled aloud. It felt like I’ve been gone for at least half a day. But it’s only been about thirty minutes since me and Gabby left to go to the store. “Get some rest and please put away your phone until tomorrow. You need all the rest you can get.” Said Noreem. His voice softly echoing around me in a warm reassuring grace.

The bedroom light turned off and I was left lying there to dream about decaying flesh, huge penetrating almond shaped eyes and magnificent dark wings.