Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books discussion

Prompt:
Start with, "As I uncaged the person inside me..." then end with "That was when I came into my own."

Title: The First Emotion
Genre: Short Story/Science Fiction
...

As I uncaged the person inside of me he whimpered and made a weak attempt at pulling the cage door shut.

"Come on, you're supposed to be an expert," I said as I stared down the vertical cliff. Blasts of steam and yellow dust were shooting up. The wind power here was unlike any I’d ever encountered.

Sue kept low, with one arm wrapped around my leg. She looked up and gusts whipped her red hair around like she'd been struck by lightning. With a hard shake of her head she tossed her hair back, briefly revealing a small, black, rectangular device attached to the side of her head. She cupped a hand over her ear and shouted, "Can't hear you!"

"Nothing," I hollered back.

"Didn’t realize it’d be so hot even this far up! You scared?"

"I can't feel sacred," I answered Sue loudly. "But I can calculate something sensibly close."

I turned my internal cameras to look at the cage. "Come out, now," I commanded. "Any second now we're going to need you to host and take control."

But that old guy inside me just shook his head, trembling like he was beyond terrified. I must admit my own risk calculations were filling up the screens. But all I could do now was make a mental note to tell Stephen the Eagle Eggs were a lie. They did not give me a fearless, new power. This decrepit excuse for a host might was shaping up to be my worse one yet.

"Pitiful,” I muttered.


"What did you say?" Sue yelled. "We might need to-"

A roaring sound of grinding metal from above shook the rocky ledge beneath our feet, causing Sue to wince and press her hands over her ears. White clouds overhead began to swirl apart as a massive, dark shape descended. How long I had waited for this moment. Wisps of dust and cloud-vapor curled around it and soon it was clearly visible – a gigantic metallic foot, coming straight at us.

"Hey! Hurry up and take the controls in there," I ordered the old guy inside of me. And can you believe it? He was slumped over in the back of the cage. That wimp had urinated on himself and lost consciousness just from hearing the sound of the foot coming at us!

"I'm gonna kill you, Stephen!" I shouted so loud that Sue heard me above the thunderous crash of the foot crushing into stone. It grasped the top edge of the canyon wall above us and clamped into place. Sue squinted up through her goggles at enormous plumes of dust arising as hundreds of rocks chattered down either side of us into the lava abyss below.

Sue dabbed her sweaty forehead on her shoulder. "Awesome! The calculations were laser perfect. We're so close to finding him now. Look," she said, pointing up. "Number eight! That's the eighth leg! Let's go!" She climbed up my leg and within seconds she scampered onto my shoulder, fastened herself to me with a body harness and crouched with two vice guns raised on either side of her head.

"I'm ready," I said. "But if this idiot inside me doesn't wake up and do something quick, everything we've gone through to get here will be a waste."

"What, he passed out?"

Another tremendous crash shook us, this time further down the cliff and out of sight.

"Was that the ninth leg?" I said. "That means it's not stopping!"

"Put a camera on me," hollered Sue above roaring sounds of metal moving past us above the clouds.

I turned the camera on my shoulder toward her dirt-smudged face.

"Turn me up. Hey! You in there!" she said loudly, leaning forward. Then she pushed her goggles up, planted a hand on either side of the camera and began bouncing her shoulders back and forth and wagging her head. "La-la-laaaa! La-la-laaa-laaaa-laaaaaa! Waa-bob-a-du-bop!"

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"Wake up, wake up, wake uuuuuuuup!"

The man stirred.

Sue never fails to impress me. "Well, whatever you're doing I guess it's working. He's moving," I said.

"Good, good. Look up. Hey, can you see me?"

The man was old enough to be Sue's grandfather. At the sound of her voice he dragged himself out of the cage and sat up, his back resting against a fan-panel as he took deep breaths. A third crash, even more distant than the second, gave our ledge the slightest of tremors and made him jump.

"How's it going in there?" Sue said. "Probably cooler than it is out here, I can tell you that. Do you -"

A loud creaking sound cut her off and she instinctively ducked for an instant.

"Do you know where we are? Put another camera up so he can see, on a second screen. See that?" She pointed up at the leg above us. "Dragion. It's here. We need to get on it. If you help us, you can stay there as long as you want. Sounds nice? Go see all the impossible places under the storm?"

The man pushed forward onto one knee. He crawled over and touched the screen showing the leg of Dragion, then looked at the screen with Sue's narrow, grinning face.

"Is that – is that really Dragion?"

"We don't have time for fifty questions," I said.

The guy jumped again and began to tremble. "That voice. You. Who are you?" he said looking around inside of me.

"What did he say?" asked Sue.

"Wants to know who I am."

"This is Seventy-three," she answered, coughing and waving her hand as the wind blew dust across her face. "He can't operate his arms. 'S where you come in."

For a moment the man looked stunned. "Arms? Of course it can't," he muttered. He began swiping his fingers across touch-screens, tapping in codes and pulled himself up into the control seat mumbling to himself.

"AI threshold... seventy-three… kidnapped... Dragion..."

"Hey, are you with us in there?" asked Sue.

Suddenly my arms arose, straight out to the sides. They swung back, then forward and clapped together.

"Yeah!" Sue shouted. We were in business.

The man kicked off his boots and slid his wrinkled feet into the pedals.

"You won't be needing those. I can control my own legs," I said.

"Mmm. I'm sure. Look, if you want my help, kidnapper, you'll have to give me complete control."

"Yeah, right. And when did you become Mr. Competent? You don't even know what we're doing."

The man's eyes widened, causing my cameras to zoom out and my arms stopped moving. I was a little surprised to see that he was almost in full host mode and controlling a lot of my systems already.

"What did you just say?" he whispered. "How can you – what are you, really? How did you break into Eagle's Nest?"

"Long story, Mr. Egg. But right now we have something a little more pressing to go over."

"This? It's obvious. It's obvious," he said, whispering faster, eyes darting around and turning my cameras in all directions. "Seventy-three? Of course a k-drone seventy-three model could make the jump, if ever one knew where Dragion would be. Those rigs, on the shoulders, and you, the woman with the vice guns, those cables, yes obvious, obvious, all obvious. But a seventy-three AI cannot speak this way – it cannot ... use sarcasm? Unless..."

A thunderous, metallic groan right behind me made Sue cringe and cover her head. The foot above us released from the cliff!

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out then. Hope so, 'cause we're out of time!" I shouted. "Hold on, Sue!"

I bent my knees and jumped out, twisting as I shot upward. Sue gasped and gritted her teeth. I had moved so quickly she didn't even have a chance to pull her goggles back down. But that didn't stop her.

Fwt! Fwt! She began firing off shots with the vice guns, slamming the handles down onto the rig on my shoulder to load new cables. Each shot attached another cable between me and the moving leg. For a second the cables dangled, then they all tightened at once. Sue jerked hard and would have been thrown off my shoulder had she not already attached her harness to me.

"There it is!" she yelled. With a struggle she smashed one of the guns into a large trigger button at the base of one of the cable rigs. "Your … turn!"

My jump had been good, her shooting had been better. We fell into a huge, swinging arc as the rigs began to whir with a loud buzz and rapidly reel us toward the leg, which was now moving fast above the cliff heading to its next touch down point. Thanks to Sue's terrific aim we were flying up towards a spot not far below to a large vent.

"You heard her, Mr. Egg. We're almost there. With these arms you can get us to the vent and break inside."

But the fearless host did not respond.

"Not again," I said.

"What?" Sue said with a painful groan. "Lord! It's way hotter up here over the river than I thought it would be. Let's… ahh... hurry up… get in there… "

I turned a camera back to look down through the dust and smoke and caught glimpses of thick, white lava flowing far below us at the bottom of the canyon. Slowly it wormed along towards an enormous, molten lake. Dragion was moving to a narrow pass of the canyon right before the river reached the leg, probably aiming to cross at that point towards the islands of rock spread out in the distance. Jets of steam and gas burst out of the bubbling river. None of this bothered me, but I imagine the effect on Sue was agonizing.

"Wonder-host is out of commission again," I said.

Sue couldn't even respond. She grunted and tried to crawl over to the front of me, aiming to use me as a shield from blasts of heat.

"Careful, Sue. We're going to crash into the leg soon. I can put my feet out but you still might get crushed."

"Better than... ahh.... cooked... " I heard her force out.

I calculated about fifteen seconds before the reeling would slam us hard into the eighth leg of Dragion with enough force to break Sue's bones.

"Ok. Um. La-laaa," I said. "Laaa-la-la-la!"

The huge flat surface of the leg was rushing toward us.

"Laaa-LAAAAAA!"

The host's eyes snapped open.

"Move my arms! Move my arms!" I shouted.

Slam! We hit the leg. My hands had shot forward just in time. There was Sue, eyes shut in between my arms, drenched in sweat.

"Get us to that vent," I ordered, pointing a camera at our goal. "I'll give you complete host control. You can magnetize and demagnatize my hands and feet – get us inside there, now!"

I let go and detected the man groggily entering full host mode. The last act I did was put a camera on Sue.

...

Host mode deactivated. Safe mode activated. And this was the risk I took. Safe mode. The one mode I could not exit on my own.

"Now." It was the old man's voice. "You will answer some questions, machine."

"Where's Sue?" I asked. All of my cameras were on full manual, closed circuit from my processors. I was blind.

"She's sitting on the floor in the corner, unconscious."

"Floor? We're inside the leg?"

"We are. Which leads to my first question. Of all the places to break into Dragion, why here?"

"There should be someone here. Is there?"

The man didn't answer.

"If you would turn my cameras back to auto, I could answer you a little better."

Barely above a whisper, the man asked, "Who were you expecting to find?"

"You Eagle's Nest buffoons probably don't know anything about him. Although my own calculation concluding that Stephen was honest leaves me no better. He said that the man we're looking for would be here, and that you, of all people, would help us find him."

"Who?"

"A man called the Code Alchemist."

"The Code Alchemist doesn't exist."

"So I've heard. But Stephen told us that in the maintenance quarter on the eighth leg of Dragion, we would find him – or a big clue about where he went. He said with the right host, maybe we could bring him back."

"Back?" the man sounded amused. "Is the Code Alchemist some sort of AI?"

"Possibly. Since you won't let me see, I can't really answer you. Do you see anything interesting here?"

The man was silent for a moment.

"I see evidence that someone lived here a long time ago. And likely the person left expecting to some day return but failed to do so. The person was... clearly brilliant, based on the equipment I see here."

I estimate that right now had I developed feelings I would feel something like excited. Sue and I had just taken a huge step closer to solving our problems. But with me locked in full safe mode by Mr. Eagle Egg and Sue out of commission, we were also that much closer to me being reset and sent back to the mines and who knows what happening to Sue. There was only one thing I could try to get control back.

"Is Sue seeing this?" I asked.

"No. As I said, she is unconscious."

"Did you... did you check? Is she alive? The heat outside and the impact..."

If he would leave the control seat and disengage to step outside of me and check on her, that was all I needed.

"Bizarre," he said with a snort. "You would be more humane than me in this moment."

I heard the sounds of swiping and switching. Tapping.

"But that could explain your odd behavior,” he muttered.

And then...

He left the control seat. But he had not yet stepped out. I suddenly detected a space of eleven seconds had passed unaccounted. He must have put me total shutdown.

"I will go check on your, eh, friend," he said. With that he disengaged and stepped out.

Immediately I rushed to hostless default and found a post-host lock in place. I tried a soft-reboot but the lock was connected to some new, kernel level code that prevented me. I tried a thousand ways around it in a second and nothing worked. I was approaching my millionth effort when the man spoke again.

"Your 'friend' is alive. But do you have any idea who this is that you've been traveling with?"

"Her name is Sue," I answered.

"Well, she may remember that much, but I'll bet there are large gaps that she does not. This is a memory lock on her head. And a very advanced one at that. Calcium circuits, undetectable."

I was nearing two-million attempts to break the code. But code-breaking really wasn't my thing. I needed more time. Keep him talking. "Memory lock? What do you know about it?" I asked.

"I know of only three organizations capable of successfully using such a device. And I know of only one reason any of them would do it. Assassination. Still trying, by the way?" he asked, chuckling.

"Of course," I admitted. We were lost.

"It wouldn't be safe for me to be seen by this girl." The man's voice sounded as though he had moved somewhere else inside the room. I heard clicking sounds. "Memory locks such as this are used to bypass security cerebral scans. And now this girl arrives on Dragion, searching for the Code Alchemist? Who knows who she's on a mission to kill? The mere sight of her target could trigger a full restore and-"

"She wouldn't want to kill anyone," I said. "That's why we're looking for the Code Alchemist. To find out what's beneath the lock. If what you say is true, she'd want whatever memory is blocked by that lock to be permanently erased. And I want to be able to control my own arms."

The man scoffed.

"Who would do such things? Tamper with an operative like her? Hack weapon-class access to an advanced AI? Your encounter with her has evolved you so far past the AI-threshold, why, far lesser machines than you aren't even be allowed on the network, much less to be found stomping about in a seventy-three chasis. For obvious reasons!”

Next thing I knew I detected a space of seventeen minutes had passed unaccounted. I must have been shut down me down. But after this start-up I could see.

I was sitting in a small, grassy field that led up to a slanted window-wall that leaned out away from me. Sue was laying down beside me. Carefully I nudged her with leg and she roused.

"My back is killing me," she said with a groan. "Where are we?"

I gazed out the window.

"Look and see," I said.

Slowly she stood to her feet. Above the window the words "Observation Deck 23" were stenciled into a metallic frame. Outside was the most incredible view of landscape either of us had ever seen.

"We're moving… somewhere … across the river," Sue said softly. "Under the storm."

"We're on Dragion!" I said. "But how?"

Sue put her hand on the side of her head. "All I remember was we had some secret plan. We needed to find someone who could help us bring back the Code Alchemist." She turned and stared at me, looking very shaken.

"Something strange has happened," I said. "Blocks of data have been erased from my memory. Sensory times are missing. I don't know how we got here or – wait, what is that?"

"What is what?"

"There's a cage inside me, sitting behind my control seat. And it looks like a paper with writing on it is inside."

"That would be a note," said Sue. "Let me in."

I knelt down, opened the rear hatchet and lowered the ladder for Sue to climb in and retrieve the note. This is what it said:

"No doubt the two of you have many questions. You managed to board Dragion and hunt me down, intent on kidnapping me and dragging me off in a cage according to some plot you concocted. But I proved much too powerful. After I disabled you both, I placed you on this observation deck, purged of any memory of me. A forgetful assassin and an evolved mining k-drone. You really thought you could accomplish what the authorities of seven systems could not – capture of the Code Alchemist, founder of the Eagle's Nest? You only happened across my path me because of the actions of one treacherous student of mine who has become a law enforcement officer in the cyber-four squad. Whether he meant to send me a warning or a challenge by setting you two on my trail, I do not know. But as for you, you both still exist purely due to my sympathy. And so I will say this: Dragion holds at least three programmers capable of solving your problems. Only one would be willing to try. Good luck."

Sue flopped sideways across my control seat, balled the paper up and tossed it over her shoulder.

"So the Code Alchemist was who we were looking for," I said. "I guess we tried to compile something our processors couldn't handle."

"Good one," Sue muttered. "Bit off more than we could chew. Back to zero."

We sat there wallowing in disappointment for a while. Finally Sue tossed her legs up and sprung out of the chair. But the look on her face was lower than the deepest mine on the planet.

"Hey. Do you know why he called me an assassin?" she asked.

"No," I said. "Maybe he knows something about you from your memory gap times."

"That's what I'm afraid of. Hey." She held up a hand. "Smell that?"

"As if I could."

Sue sniffed. "Smells like pee in here."

"What?" I considered this information. "Are you certain it's coming from inside?"

"Positive. From there," she pointed at the cage.

I looked closely at it, then I scanned my entire interior.

"Sue, I don't think that letter was telling us the truth. Now that I've inspected it, I can see clearly someone was in there. And not only that, the prints of this person are on several of my panels and screens."

"You don't think?" said Sue with a grin. "You really have come a long ways from controlling a bunch of mining bots, Seventy-three."

There was a moment of silence and we both spoke simultaneously: "The Code Alchemist!"

"Of course he's lying," I said. "We didn't hunt him down with intent to kidnap – we actually did it!"

Sue clapped her hands once. "Right. Then at some point we must have given him full host mode to you and lost the upper hand."

There was no doubt which programmer we were going after to solve our problems. We'd caught him once, we could do it again. I knew of no calculation to confirm this, but I was sure.

"Looks like the Dragion has already left the Continent," said Sue with a stretch. "We're probably deep in molten terrain by now, way out under the storm. No getting off this walking city by air or ground for at least eight weeks."

"Let's go get him," I said. And that was the moment. The first time I can say that I actually felt something. Confidence. My first emotion. That was when I came into my own.


Written by: Anthony M. Briggs, Jr.

Title: Changes
Genre: Short Story / Fantasy
As I uncaged the person inside me, I began to see the reality of this world.
When I was a child, I never believed in angels, demons, fairies or whatsoever. Being raised by an atheist parents, I think that’s only natural. But then, after my 18th birthday, things began to change. I kept seeing weird things… like some guy with horns, or a girl with distorted face. I dismissed this at first, but it got worse so I went to my best friend, Sai, and told him about it.
“So, weird things huh?” Sai whispered after our conversation.
“Mmm… I mean, they just appear out of the blue. One minute, I’m looking to a normal person, then the next thing I know, he’s some kind of animal-human hybrid.” I said while chewing my croissant. I tried to decipher his emotion… I think he’ll say I’m a lunatic.
He looked at me wistfully, deep in thoughts.
“Aside from that, do you feel… different?”
“Different? Uhm… no. Not really.” Where’s this going?
“Good.”
“Why? Should I?”
“As of now, no. But sooner or later, you have to.”
“What?” I asked, my brows furrowed in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“Illya.” He sighed. He looked… resigned. “I think it’s time.”
“Huh?”
He finished his coffee and stood up.
“Come. I’m going to tell you a story.”
*****
“Mom! I’m home!” I said as we entered our house. “Sai’s with me.”
My mom came out of the kitchen, wiping her hand on a towel.
“Hello, Sai.” She greeted him.
“Mom, we’re going to my room.” I said.
“Oh… sure.” She said with a smile then returned to the kitchen.
We sat on my bed, and I stared at him expectantly.
“Well?” I asked.
He sighed again.
“Illya… what I’m going to tell you… please don’t be shocked. And please don’t say a word while I’m going through this. Let me finish the story first before you react.”
Okaaaay?
I nodded.
He took a deep breath then began his story.
“Fifty years ago, there was an angel... a guardian angel that was keeping an eye on a girl.”
I snorted when he said the word angel but he just looked at me pointedly.
“The angel kept an eye on the girl ever since she was born. But when the girl reached the age of twenty, the angel can’t help it. He fell in love with his subject. He made himself look mortal and tried to be her friend… then courted her. A year later, the girl said yes. And nine months later, a baby girl was born. The angel was nowhere to be found and the girl was frantic about trying to hide her daughter from the bad guys. After just a few days, the baby girl went missing.”
I stared at him like he was the crazy one. What he told me was weirder than the things I’m seeing.
“And you told me that because?”
“Illya… that baby girl is you.”
That baby girl is you. He’s kidding. I let out a small laugh at first, then burst out, my head falling backwards as I laugh.
“Nice joke, Sai.” I told him when I can breathe again.
Sai shook his head then looked at me seriously.
“I’m not joking, Illya. It’s true.”
“And you know this, why?” I asked him with raised eyebrow, still grinning.
“I know this because I’m your protector. Your guardian angel.”
I almost laugh again, but one look at his face and I know that he’s serious.
“What?” I whispered.
He exhaled.
“Let me explain. Your mother, when she decided to say yes to your father… he told her what he is. The pros and cons about their relationship… everything. He told her everything. But she still said yes.”
“What are the cons?” I asked silently.
“That if ever they’ll have a child… she must be given away, for her own safety. And that Diniel, your father, will become a fallen.”
“And if what you’re saying is true, then my mother is one selfish bitch.” I said.
“What I’m saying is true, and your mother is not selfish. She tried to tell Diniel ‘no’ at first because she doesn’t want him to fall. But when Diniel said it’s okay and that she’s worth it… you know what happened.”
“And she doesn’t even put me in the equation. Is she that crazy about him that it’s okay for her to give her own child away?”
“Illya, they didn’t expect to have you that soon.”
“But, still…” I said.
He sighed.
“Okay, to be honest, yeah. It’s really their fault that you’re in this situation now. But please know that truly love you.”
“Whatever.” I said, still unable to believe what he’s saying.
Actually, my mind can’t process this.
I’m just playing with him.
But, still… a part of me tried to tell me that he’s telling the truth. I ignored it.
“Illya. I know you still don’t believe me, but everything I told you is true.”
“Sai, can I ask a question?”
“Sure.”
“Why do I have to be given away?”
“Because…” He paused, stared into the space before looking back at me. “You are a Nephilim. And Nephilims are hunted to extinction ever since.”
Silence…
More silence…
Then I laughed once again. A nervous laugh that doesn’t really sound like me.
“What’s funny?” He asked.
“You. What you told me. What on Earth is a Nephilim?”
“Nephilims are the offspring of an angel and a mortal.”
“And why are they hunted to extinction?”
“Because Nephilims, back to the old days, caused a lot of troubles. They are very powerful. Uncontrollable. So the heaven decided that they should destroy all Nephilims.”
“And if the Nephilims are really that bad, then Hell should take care of them.” I said while laughing internally. Heaven? Hell? Gah.
“Hell also doesn’t want them. Actually, both sides are running a full search and destroy party for the Nephilims.”
Wow.
“If that’s the case, won’t that cause hatred from the Nephilims? That would only make them more rebel than they already are.”
“Sure. But before they could cause more trouble, both sides had already eradicated them. Now, the Nephilims belong to the endangered species.”
I sighed then lay down on my bed.
Sai is crazy, that’s for sure.
“Illya.” He said. “It’s okay if you don’t believe me now. When the transformation occurs, you’ll have no choice but to trust me.”
I sat up again then stared at him.
He smiled then got up.
“First step for you to believe me; let’s go talk to your parents.”
We went down stairs and headed for the kitchen.
“Rose.” Sai said when we entered.
Mom turned then smiled at us. Then, she absorbed Sai’s expression and her own face darkened.
“It’s time.” He said.
Mom began to tremble. She put her hand on the counter for support and we helped her sit down.
“It’s too soon.” My mom mumbled.
Sai nodded in agreement.
“What’s too soon?” I asked her, suddenly nervous.
What if Sai is telling the truth?
I know he said he is, but I don’t know… I don’t want to believe him.
“I assume, Sai had already told you the story.” She asked.
I nod.
“Illya.” She said, then looked at me. “He’s telling the truth.”
One second, I feel like I’m standing upright, then suddenly, I felt like someone pulled the land under me and I’m free-falling in space.
I almost fell on my chair.
“What? No. He must be lying! Mom, he’s telling me stories about angels, heaven and hell! How am I supposed to believe that? How are YOU supposed to believe that?! You are the one who told me there are no such things as that!”
I am hysterical, but I don’t care. What would you do if you are in my situation?
One moment, I am an atheist girl, then all of sudden, they’re going to me that I am an offspring of some heavenly creature?
“Illya.” Mom whispered. “I am not an atheist. Nor your father. We both believe in God, Heaven and Hell.”
No… no…
If this is really happening, then everything I believed in… everything I hold on to… even my identity, is just a big twisted joke.
I left them and ran to my room, locked it and curled on the side of my bed.
A few minutes later, Mom and Sai came knocking, but I didn’t answer.
Hours passed. I think I fell asleep.
I dreamt of faces that I’d never seen before. And I kept on hearing the names Diniel, Hadraniel and Yenriel.
What woke me up was the knock from my door and my father’s voice calling me.
I also ignored him.
The next day, I finally felt like I can face them again.
I walked out of my room and headed straight to the bathroom, took a quick bath, changed to a fresh set of clothes, then went to the living room.
Sai, mom and dad were there, waiting for me.
When my mother saw me, she stood up and hugged me. Dad followed suit. Sai just offered me a small smile.
Mom and dad kept and apologizing, telling me how sorry they are to keep this from me for so long.
Then, they told me that they are my real mother’s best friends.
When she got pregnant, she told them everything.
At first, they also didn’t believe her, but when my real father talked to them, they finally realized she’s telling them the truth.
They agreed to take me and live an atheist kind of life to keep this secret from me… unsuspecting to my real identity.
Sai told me that naturally, when a Nephilim is born, he already has the powers he got from his angelic parent that would cause for the heavenly and demonic guards to be alerted of its presence.
They would then follow its essence… hunt it and destroy it.
Sometimes, when the parent is not careful, the baby would be found and destroyed right away. But most of the time, they could keep the baby hidden for long.
Just like in my case.
They said that when my real mother, Alliya, was still pregnant, the three of them – Diniel, my real father, mom and dad – put a spell on me. It’s a hiding spell. It will cloak my essence and put my powers to sleep till my eighteenth birthday, when I can take care of myself and know how to use this gifts right.
They also told me to get use to my present look because I won’t grow old anymore. I am now an immortal.
Well, immortal in terms of the physical appearance and being immune to sickness. I could still be killed.
The next few months are hell for me.
My ‘transformation’ is really giving me one hell of a headache. Literally. One time, I actually got a fever.
They said it’s normal, my body adjusting to the awakening of my gifts.
“Mom! I’ll go sleep now. My headache is killing me.” I said after our training.
“Sure, hon.” She smiled at me.
“Thanks for the training, Sai.” I smiled at him.
“Nah. It’s no big deal. Go, rest now.”
I slowly climbed the stairs, lazily shrugged out of my training clothes, took a slow bath, then went to bed.
Just as my eyes began to shut, I feel something cold touch the base of my neck.
I opened my eyes and come face to tip with a sword.
Shocked and horrified, my trainings with Sai kicked in. I release a huge amount of energy from my body, slamming my unwanted visitors to the wall. Then, I screamed at the top of my lungs.
I run downstairs and slammed directly to Sai.
“Hey! Illya, what happened? I felt your energy, then heard you scream!” He said while I’m trying to regain my balance, his hands on my shoulders.
“Someone… there are people in my room! They have swords!” I almost screamed.
Then, we heard it. Footsteps coming from the stairs.
“Shit.” Sai muttered.
“Why? What is it?” I asked.
“They’re here. Come on!” He said then tugged at me.
We ran.
We passed my mother and father outside our house, running. When they saw us, they just nodded, understanding the situation.
I hadn’t even gotten the chance to say goodbye, I thought sadly.
We hailed a cab and Sai gave some random address (I think?). I was busy staring outside, waiting for the guys to catch up with us.
When the cab began to move, I sighed with relief and looked back at Sai.
“Who are they?” I asked him.
“The bad guys.” He said.
“The bad BAD guys or the bad GOOD guys?”
“I can’t tell.”
We stayed silent until we reached our destination. It’s a hotel.
When we entered our room, I sat on the bed and stared at him.
“Explain.” I said.
He looked at me, sighed, then sat down on a chair.
“Those guys… they’re either in the demon’s or angel’s search party.”

“How come they found me now?”
“Because we used a lot of your power when we trained this afternoon. I should’ve known it would alert them. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’ll happen anyway.”
Silence.
“Hey, Sai.” I said, then walked towards him.
I put my hand on his shoulder, the other urging him to look at me.
“It’s not your fault okay?”
He nodded.
“How come you didn’t sense them, anyway?” I asked, sitting beside him.
“They… the battle angels and demons… they can hide their essence whenever they want. That’s why I only knew something’s wrong when I sensed your energy blast.”
“Then, can’t we just mask our essence, too? That way, we could just live normally.”
Sai shook his head.
“Only battle angles and battle demons can do that. Part of their gifts for battle.”
“How unfair.”
He smiled.
I put my head on his shoulder, and sighed in contentment.
“I missed our old lives, Sai.”
“Me, too, Illy. Me, too.”

The next day, we’re on a run again. Sai said that the party doesn’t want to attract much attention, so maybe that’s why they didn’t chased us back at the hotel.
With that in mind, we stayed at public places, hoping they wouldn’t dare to chase us here.
When twilight came, we found ourselves standing in a park… and the people were starting to leave.
“Sai.” I whispered. “We lost track of time”
“Yeah. Let’s go.” He answered.
I nodded, but before we could as much as take a single step, a blinding light appeared.
Then, we’re facing three guys, wearing normal clothes, but were holding swords.
“You guys could turn invisible, too? Ugh. That’s sooo unfair.” I said.
One of the guys’ lips quirked up in amusement.
Sai looked at me, seemingly amused, too.
“What? I’m just stating a fact.” I said as calmly as I could. But the truth is, I’m shaking inside.
“So, Hadraniel… following the footsteps of your friend, eh?” The angel with an amused smile said.
“Why does battle angels are always so polite?” Sai said.
And… Hadraniel?
Why does it sound familiar to me?
The trio laughed.
“Yeriel… What do you want?” Sai asked.
Yeriel… the amused one (also a familiar name and I don’t know why)… smiled again, but this time, with malice.
“Oh, I think you know.” He said.
Sai stepped in front of me, keeping me away from the three.
“I’m not letting you hurt her.”
“Oooh… and so, our Angel of Love IS in love. How nice.” The other angel said, eyes rolling.
“Ryalil.” Sai warned.
“Hit a sore spot?” The last angel said.
“Alright, Ryalil, Reivil, that’s enough.” Yeriel said.
Then, as one, they pointed their swords at me.
“I am not going to let you hurt Illya.”
“Then, we’ll destroy you both.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Of course, we can.” Ryalil piped in. “You’re protecting a Nephilim. We can destroy you because of that.”
“Then, I’m taking you with me.” Sai said.
Then, a long glowing sword materialized to his hand.
It’s a bit shorter than to the other three, but it’s still lethal.
“You don’t stand a chance against us, Hadraniel.”
“But I can still try.”
“Who is this girl anyway? Why are you so concerned about her?” Yeriel asked.
Then, they grinned and closed their eyes… and they stiffened.
As one, they opened their eyes and looked at me knowingly.
“So, that’s why.” Ryalil said.
“Ha. We should have known it from the very beginning.” Answered Reivil.
I noticed Yeriel grew rigid. His eyes softened at first, then became fiercer… became the eye of a predator.
“Being noble, eh?” Yeriel smirked. “You’d rather you die protecting the child of your friend than destroy it? Protect the one that almost and will cause you to fall?”
“Yes. Because I know that this Nephilim won’t cause us any harm and that she doesn’t deserve to be destroyed.”
“Being a Nephilim is enough for one to be deserving of such a thing. And what she did… now that’s MORE than enough reason.”
“No. That’s not true.”
“Hadraniel, you’ve been serving Heaven for how many millennia now, and you still think that?” Yeriel said, amused again.
“Yes, I still think that. And it won’t change.”
“Then, even if we wouldn’t be able to destroy you today, we’ll just until you’ve fallen. We could fight fairly, then. But now,” Yeriel said, raising his sword – that he had lowered – once again. “we have a job to finish.”
Before I could as much as blink, Sai and the three angels ran and met headlong.
The sound of swords clashing brought me back to reality.
I can’t let Sai fight my battle.
Reaching to my very core, I tried to grasp the power inside and released it.
A big blast of energy came out of me, throwing all of them to the ground.
I once again grabbed that power, will it to focus on my hand, and throw a big, bright ball to the lying angels, careful not to throw one at Sai.
But the angels were fast.
Before the energy balls touch them, they were gone, and the next thing I knew, someone was pinning me to the ground.
“Show yourselves and fight fairly, you cowards!” I shouted while struggling.
A chuckle answered me, then Yenriel became visible.
So he’s the one holding me.
The other one, Reivil, was holding Sai.
I caught a glimpse of Sai kicking him, and rolling, reversing the position.
Then, Ryalil came.
He’s walking slowly.
“Stop the theatrics!” I shouted. “So not cool!”
That made him halt. Then he narrowed his eyes at me, before smiling coldly.
“As you wish.”
He walked at normal pace, then knelt down beside me while I still struggle.
With Yeriel hovering over me, his weight pushing me to the ground, I can’t help but feel the panic I tried to avoid minutes ago.
I can’t concentrate enough to get a grip of my powers.
Then, Sai slammed Ryalil to the ground.
He stood up and put his sword down.
“Yeriel, what can I do so you’ll leave us alone?” He asked and I gaped at him.
What?
“Ryalil, Reivil, leave us please.” Yeriel said while standing. When they’re gone, he continued.
“Let’s see… you could let me kill you, but I don’t think so. That would cost me my wings.”
“Sai.” I said, “Don’t do this.”
“Then, my wings. Take my wings. That would make me a fallen. Then you could kill me without the consequences.”
“Sai.” I said then turned to Yeriel. “Why are you so angry at him?”
He glanced at me then smirked.
“Long story, dear. But bottom line is our rivalry.”
“Rivalry?”
“Yeriel.” Sai said in warning.
“Hadraniel, don’t you want her to know about our past? Our past with her?”
Huh?
“What are you talking about?”
“Illya, it’s nothing. Don’t listen to him.”
“Yeriel, tell me.”
“Well, dear. Not so long ago, you’re an angel.”
I was shocked, of course. I can’t even utter a single word.
“Yeriel.” Sai said again.
“Before our dear friend, Diniel, hooked up with your mortal mother, you’re an angel. You are a Ruler.”
“Ruler?”
“You’re also like a guardian angel, but are higher and more powerful. You held a group of angels that would carry out task for you. Hadraniel and I… we are under your team. And we both fell in love with you.
“We fought because of you. And you… you became self-centered because of that, thinking of the effects you have to the other angels. You even encouraged us to fight each other.”
“Yeriel, that’s enough. She’s not Vera!” Sai… Hadraniel said.
Then, the memories came rushing back to me.
The feeling of being so pure, so good… being so innocent… filled of nothing but love for everyone.
Then, the affection from these two gorgeous men.
Reveling in it… feeling very beautiful and proud.
Then, the joy of watching them do my bidding.
I almost caused them to fall.
That’s when the Creator intervened.
He sent his messenger and let me choose.
Either I fall or be born as a Nephilim… child of Diniel, a dear friend.
I thought I’d better be a Nephil. At least, I could do something I had always wanted. I could fight for what I had always believed in.
That not all Nephilims should be destroyed.
I cried when the realization kicked in.
I am not only Illya anymore. I am also Vera.
“Yeriel… Hadraniel… I’m so sorry.” I sobbed. “I am sorry. I am very sorry.”
“Illya…” Hadraniel said, taking a step towards me.
I saw Yeriel froze, as if the sight of me crying took him back to the good old days. When what he felt was also pure love and goodness. Now, it’s stained with his anger towards me.
I walked towards him, touched his face, and he flinched.
I tried again, this time, hugging him.
“Yeriel… sorry… please… please, don’t be angry. That anger… it changed you. You’re no longer the Yeriel I knew before. You’re being consumed by your anger towards me. Please, stop it.”
“Vera…” He said.
“No… I’m not Vera anymore. That selfish girl is dead. I’m Illya.”
“Illya.” Hadraniel whispered.
“Please, let go of your anger. I don’t want to see you fall. No… it would be horrible.”
When Yeriel relaxed under my embrace, I knew I already convinced him.
“Sorry.” I said again, pulling away from him.
Then, he stopped me and pulled me again to an embrace. This time, he’s crushing me from the force of his hug.
“I’m sorry, too, Illya.” He then pulled away and took a step back.
I turned to Hadraniel.
Before I could even began to apologize, he spoke.
“Don’t apologize, Illya. I know you’re a changed person. I made sure of that. That’s why I willingly said yes when Diniel asked me to protect you.”
I smiled and thanked him.
“Illya.” Yeriel said. “I’m sorry, but I still have to kill you. But please know that it would also kill me.”
“No!” I screamed. “No, no! Don’t!”
He shook his head and took a step closer to me.
Hadraniel pulled me behind him.
“Yeriel, hear me out first! Please. Not all Nephilims should be killed! Others, like me, could live simply, without causing much trouble. All we need is guidance.”
“Illya, no matter how much I want to agree with you, I can’t. Rules are rules.”
“Please, let me talk to a messenger. Let me send a message to the Creator!”
And as if on cue, another angel appeared.
I know her. I can’t recall the name, but I’m sure she’s a messenger.
“The Master heard you, Illya. And He said He’ll grant your wish.” She said before any of us could speak.
“Really?” I whispered.
She smiled. “We’ll send an angel each Nephilim and teach them how to use their power properly. If this works, then there’ll be no more killing.”
I sighed.
Thank You.
“But there has to be an exchange to make this balance.” She continued.
“What?” I asked.
“What do you want to offer?”
And the moment she asked it, I know what I’ll give.
“Take my immortality. Take my powers.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Very well.” She said then waved her hand. “But this doesn’t mean you’re a normal human now. You’re still a Nephilim, minus the powers.”
“I am aware of that.”
“Good.”
Then, she disappeared.
I smiled, then fell asleep.
When I woke up, Sai… Hadraniel was sitting beside me.
“Good morning.” He said.
“What happened? After I blacked out?”
“Well, it seems like I’d be stuck with you while you’re alive. Since you’re still a Nephilim, the demons could still come find you. I have to be here so I could protect you. And, oh, if proven that you’ve changed while you’re living, you could regain your wings after your death, but you’ll only be a guardian angel.”
“Really? I could have my wings back?!” I beamed.
He nodded.
We partied that day then went back to my parent’s house.
Now, I was just happy to be free of my powers… my burden. And was happier to know that I could have the life I once have, carrying the lessons I learned from my experiences.
And that… that was when I came into my own.
Written by: Lyra Dimagiba

SNORKELING OFF GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND




It was mid morning on a warm sultry day on Grand Bahama Island. From a near cloudless blue sky the sun reflected across the water like a million crystals. William and Tommie strolled down the sandy shore discussing the day's plan after having just landed an hour earlier in their twin-engine plane. They had decided snorkeling sounded fun and turned for the hotel to gather their gear.

William rented a motorboat and took them out a couple of miles. The depth of the clear water ranged from eight to ten feet. After anchoring the small craft, they put on their snorkeling gear, and fell backwards into the water.

Tommie hunted for sand dollars along the ocean floor, while William searched for starfish. They collected a few and then headed for a different location. After awhile they stopped in a beautifully clear area and prepared for the dive. William had spotted the largest starfish he'd seen all day, while Tommie swam around the boat. Sand dollars were a little harder to locate against the light colored sand.

There it was, a huge white sand dollar. The best one she had found all day. Taking a deep breath, Tommie dove straight for it. Halfway down, she had the strangest feeling something or someone was stalking her--the kind of hair standing on the neck, chills down the spine feeling. She stopped midway, glanced over her shoulder, and found herself face to face with a huge fish barely ten feet away.

Stationary, he turned his whole body and watched her with one eye, his sharp teeth baring a sinister smile, then turned and stared with his other eye. Tommie swam to the surface.

“William,” she yelled from twenty feet the other side of the boat. “William,” she screamed louder, beginning to panic. She checked below to see if the fish moved.

“What?” he said with an annoyed tone as he swam around the front of the boat.

“What type of fish is that stalking me?”

William cleared his mask and looked past Tommie.
"Tommie, swim to me and do not panic,” he said distinctly.

All he needed to say was 'don't panic,' and her heart began to pound. She promptly swam towards William, stopped briefly to peer under the water, only to find the huge six-foot fish kept pace with her. She reached the boat, and without any ladder had difficulty climbing the side. William came up under her and pushed her into the boat. She helped pull him aboard, all the while laughing because of her weakness to hoist herself up.

Once they were safe, William said, "It's not funny. The fish is a Barracuda. They’ve been known to attack people with a ferocious bite."

Tommie shuddered and glanced over the side. The Barracuda still idled.

"Whew, that was a close one," he said. He turned the key, and the motor roared to life as they sought another location, both sad they had missed out on the best sand dollar and starfish they'd seen all day.

Tommie was glad she paid attention to her gut feeling to stop and look. She could have been fish bait.

William took them to the Southeastern side of the island approximately five miles from the Barracuda encounter. Without any hesitation they anchored the boat and dove into the most crystal clear, blue waters. William immediately found the starfish he searched for, while Tommie scouted for more sand dollars.

Still skittish from her encounter with the big fish, she checked the perimeters, constantly searching for any lurking Barracuda's or sharks. The time was approximately two in the afternoon, and she enjoyed the ease with which she swam as she snorkeled and combed the bottom for that perfect sand dollar. After about ten minutes, she found nothing and surfaced to check on Will.

In horror, she found she had swum a quarter mile from the boat. She couldn't figure out how this was possible, and began swimming back. For every three feet she swam forward, she was pulled out six more. She realized immediately a current was washing her out to sea. She tried repeatedly but could not make it back.

Tommie began yelling and waving her hand for Will to bring the boat and rescue her, but to no avail. She saw him surface and look around for her. He couldn't see her. If it hadn't been for the boat, she wouldn't have seen Will either. She continued drift while treading and waving.

Forget the Barracuda, she thought, now I'm going to be lost at sea. She looked around for other boats, but to her dismay saw nothing but a vast ocean of blue. Then she gauged her distance to the island and thought she could swim the few miles in that direction, and gave it a try. Even with fins she found it difficult to get out of the current. No matter which direction she swam, Tommie washed further out with every stroke, her view of Will decreasing each second.

Will climbed into the boat to get a better view then started the engine and combed the area slowly.

Tommie saw him searching in every direction. She waved and yelled, and then yelled and waved some more, and realized with her light hair and fair complexion, he may never see her. She realized she must have looked like a tiny speck in the middle of all that water.

Like seconds before death, her life crossed before her. She wondered how long could she tread water, and how long before she could get out of the current? How far would it carry her away from everyone that was dear to her? Then she thought, this is something that happens to someone you read about in the newspaper, not her. She never thought she'd die this way, lost in an ocean of water. Panic began to take over, and she knew she had to get a grip, or she'd drown for sure.

She began to swim harder, but with no luck. Finally, she prayed aloud, "Dear Father In Heaven, please let me see Will and my children again. Please don't let me be eaten by sharks or Barracudas. Please let me have the strength to swim, or let him find me, Amen.”

No sooner had she finished her prayer, she opened her eyes and raised one hand and waved--no yelling--just silence. She knew he wouldn't hear her anyway.

The boat turned her way. He had finally spotted her.

Minutes later, Will pulled her aboard, and hugged her tightly.

"How did you get so far away? I couldn't see you anywhere. I panicked." Will rambled for several minutes, and then he released her. His lashes wet from fresh tears, he gazed into her eyes and said, "I love you so much. Don't ever scare me like that again."

They discussed what happened as she relived it all for him.

William pushed his dark hair away from his wet Caribbean green eyes and said, "A flash of light caught my eye, like the reflection of the sun in a mirror. It must have been the water on your hand when you waved."

They both realized it was Divine Intervention. They thanked their Father in Heaven and remained quiet for the fifteen-minute ride to the north side of the island where they had not yet explored.

The water on the north side was much deeper and Tommie could only see about ten feet as she watched the schools of bright colored fish swimming around the white coral reefs. William dove in and waited for her.

She hesitated.

“I can’t do this, Will. Around these coral reefs lurk sharks. I think I’ve had enough adventure. You go ahead. I’m a magnet for trouble today, and I don’t think I should push my luck.”

“You sure,” he said sadly. The water glistened on his tan muscular shoulders as his hands treaded the water, creating small ripples across the surface. He waited patiently for Tommie’s answer.

“I’m sure. Go…take lots of pictures. I’d rather soak in some Vitamin D.”

With a heavy sigh, he placed the mask over his face, inserted the snorkel, and dove into the deep blue ocean.

Tommie inhaled the warm, salty air as she basked in the sun with her long legs stretched out across the deck. Since their arrival hours earlier, she had aged years. She pondered how fragile life was, how snorkeling, swimming, flying, no adventure meant more to her than her family and to simply breathe.

Tommie was thankful her prayers had been answered that day, but she would never forget how she came eye to eye with a Barracuda, and how she was washed out to sea by a strong current while snorkeling off the Grand Bahama Island.