| Time went by. Brandon had left for college, and Lynn sat at home, still brooding over the loss of him. She took regular walks to calm herself down. It was on one of these walks when the sky lit up like a great golden globe. A bright white light shone from the center. It loomed ever closer, and at first Lynn had to close her eyes to keep from being blinded. A deep voice issued from somewhere near. She turned her head, but couldn't tell where it was coming from. It said, "By the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, may the Lord God Almighty be forever with you in peace, my child." Lynn shook her head, and the sky was blue once more. She went home, and that night, she dreamt of the strange thing she had seen that day. It happened the same way. First the sky turned gold, and then came the strange white light. This time, there was beautiful music in the background, like she was entering some shrine. She noticed the light had a distinct shape hidden in its depths. She heard the same, strange, deep voice, saying the same puzzling thing, "By the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, may the Father of All be with you in peace, my child." This time, she found her voice. Shakily, she asked, "What do you want with me?" "Only for you to listen to what I say. I am an archangel, sent by the King of Kings to fetch you." "Do you have a name?" "We have no need of names in the Kingdom of Heaven. We are all sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters to each other." "Then you shall be named Dimitri for my purpose. I wouldn't want to go about not being able to address one of the heavenly host properly." "So be it," Dimitri said, bowing his head. He seemed to Lynn to be fumbling with some kind of lock. "What's wrong? Can you get it open alright?" "Open what?" he asked. He held out both hands. They were empty. Lynn drew back. "Oh, it's quite alright. I was removing some sticky substance from my tunic." She came back toward him. "You never answered my question. What do you want with me?" Dimitri took a deep breath and blew it back out slowly. He ruffled his wings. "My child, the Father sent me for you. I know not why; He would not tell me. I can only gather that He wants you to eventually reach heaven in your current form, though I know not why." Lynn stared at the ground that seemed so real in this dream world. "Why me?" "I know not his reasons. Just that the Holy of Holies has sent me for you." Lynn put her hand out for Dimitri's, and even though she knew it was only a dream, her hands became chilled under her blankets at his touch. "I will go with you, yet I wish I knew to where, and why, I am going." The archangel's face was soft and warm looking. He brought his hand up to her cheek, which did not feel the cold as much as her hands had. "Very well, my child. I can see you can think like He can when you need to." Lynn was startled. "Me? Think like God? I seriously doubt that, though if you say it is so, then it must be true." Dimitri nodded slowly and appreciatively, a smile playing across his pale and heavenly features. That was the last thing Lynn saw in her dream world, beacause she woke up just then. She looked out the window, and saw that the sun was just beginning to peep out from under its blanket of night. She slipped silently from bed, dressed in a similar fashion to how she had been dressed the day before, in a white t-shirt and blue jeans with the same shoes. She grabbed a large backpack, and began to fill it with various things she thought would be useful, and then filling it the rest of the way with food. Lynn set off with Sera padding at her heels. When the sun was giving sufficient light, they sat at the bottom of a tree on the fringe of woodland and rested. Dimitri joined them in his usual fashion and sat down on the ground. He smiled at Lynn, and smoothed out his stark white tunic. then he began to chant. "Oh God the Father, Hear your servant's prayer. The one you sent for is with me, Yet neither she nor I know the reason for it. Oh, God of Gods, King of Kings, Reveal to us our journey." Then he looked up as if nothing had happened. "Come now, my child. We journey to heaven, and the stairway is only where He fancies it to be. Our path is long and treacherous, yet He will guide us to the arches. If I know the Lord of Lords well enough, which I do, he will not rest until we both stand beside him in His Royal Court." So Sera, Lynn, and Dimitri set off on their journey, not stopping until dusk was upon them, and Dimitri folded his pure white wings and landed next to them, indicating to make camp. Lynn started a fire efforetlessly, and began to sort through her provisions, not being able to decide what she would sup on. Finally, she chose some small apples, which she roasted, and next to them she toasted a few pices of bread. The day's trek had left her very hungry, and she ate like she had been fasting for weeks. She fed Sera as well, and still chewing on some roasted apple, asked Dimitri if he would like some. He indicated another of the small roasted apples. "May I?" Lynn swallowed. "Of course you may." He picked it up gingerly, sniffed at it, and gave it to Lynn, who was absolutely puzzled. "Those of the heavenly host do not need food or drink. The smell of food gives us strength, however, and so it is good every now and again to replenish this strength. Consuption is unnecessary. He made us that way." Lynn took the apple and looked very relieved. She ate it and packed whatever else still remained away. The next morning she woke as the sun was beginning to rise. She ate a little, and roused the others. They set off again. Dimitri kept on saying that he didn't know where the stairway was, only that it lay somewhere in the west. Lynn dug out a compass she had taken from home and led the way, checking every so often that they were on course. Lynn began to have doubts that the archangel knew where they were going as the sun began to turn the clouds in the sky tints and shades of pink, purple and orange. They found themselves in the fringes of a forest. They set up camp and kindled a fire, and Lynn took first night watch. In the middle of the night, they changed guard, and not long after Lynn had lay down, she was fast asleep, but still alert as a cat taking a nap. Dimitri took a glance at her, then over at Sera, who slept close by Lynn. He knew it was time to give Lynn a good traveling partner. |