Even If Saving You Sends Me to Heaven

When Zane got home, he was unbelievably tired. Since he still had hours until he had to pick up Mara, he decided to sit in bed and watch TV. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep.

While I waited for him to wake up, I stretched my wings and examined them in the mirror. I had had to make sure there was room for them to fit out of a new hole in the back of my shirt. They were finally big enough to look angel-like instead of bird-like. For something fun and different, I changed my clothes into a fun skirt and blouse. I smiled at my reflection with pleasure.

My smile faded. Zane was waking up, but something was very wrong.

I turned around uneasily to watch him. He opened his eyes and searched around him in confusion. His heart rate increased, and he froze in fear. I tried to make sense of his muddled thoughts, but the only thing I got from them was turmoil and panic.

Something was very wrong. He didn’t know where he was. I felt myself panicking when he called out weakly, “Mom?”

He should’ve known his mom was dead. Something had happened to him. Maybe he’d lost his memory somehow. I was scared, but it didn’t take me long to decide that I needed to step in if I was going to get him to a hospital.

I took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth. I got up and leaned against the door frame before I willed him to see me.

His eyes moved to me immediately, and for a second he forgot his fear. It was a strange experience for me; it was as if he saw me in a different light than I’d ever seen myself.

Through Zane’s eyes, I was unknown and beautiful. He stopped breathing when he saw me and examined me with awe and respect. Even when he saw my wings, they comforted him more than they scared him. Although I was sure he’d never really seen me, I was familiar to him.

His reaction was pleasant and exhilarating. “Zane,” I breathed cautiously. My voice echoed in his thoughts, and he considered my voice musical.

He took in a deep breath. “How do you know my name?” he asked. “Have I met you before?”

“Zane,” I repeated. “You haven’t met me before, but don’t be afraid of me. My name is Arianna. I’m here to help you. I’m your guardian angel.”

“Where am I?” he asked worriedly. “Where’s my mom?”

I avoided his last question. Telling the truth about his mother wouldn’t help. “You’re in your room, at home,” I told him. It pained me to see him so vulnerable; so like a little kid. “I know you don’t remember. Something happened, and I think you lost your memory. That’s why you’re so confused.”

He looked at me pitifully. “What’s wrong with me? What do I do?”

“Do you trust me?” I asked him.

My question caught him off guard. He thought he should be asking all the questions. He also thought he was stupid to trust a mysterious girl with wings, but he admitted, “I trust you.” He added to himself, I don’t know why, but I do.

“Good,” I said. “I’m going to take you to a hospital. First we need to go downstairs to your car. All you have to do is follow me. You might see your sister Samantha. Don’t be afraid if she looks different than you remember. If she asks where you’re going, tell her to a movie.”

He nodded, but he looked anxious.

“Don’t worry,” I encouraged him. “Everything will be alright.” As I led him through the gigantic house, I wished Danny was there to help me. I put off an aura of serenity for Zane’s benefit, but inside I was even more terrified then he was.

Samantha didn’t even look up at Zane when we walked past her and into the garage. “Do you remember where the hospital is?” I asked Zane doubtfully.

He shook his head.

“That’s okay,” I told him. “If you hand me the phone that’s in your pocket, I’ll be able to figure it out.”

Znae silently did as he was told. He had to try three pockets before he found the phone. I sighed inwardly and took it from him. I used the internet on his phone to find that the hospital was only ten minutes away and not difficult to get to.

I got in his car’s driver’s seat and motioned for him to sit next to me. As he cautiously got in the car, I hoped no one would look too closely and see his car being driven by no one.

Zane sat uneasily. His headache was back, and his hands were trembling uncontrollably. “My head hurts,” he complained.

“I know.” It killed me that I couldn’t help him.

He wondered how I knew, but he didn’t ask me. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he looked out the window to hide them from me.

Even though I was driving, I reached out and put my hand on his arm. “You can’t hide anything from me,” I told him gently.

He turned to me with a shocked expression. He was crying, and suddenly I knew he wasn’t as tough and unruly as he pretended to be to the world. He was really the boy he’d been when I’d watched him lay sickly in bed and wonder if anyone loved him.

“Listen to me,” I demanded. We were getting close to the hospital. “You’re sick, and I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but I promise I will stay with you until they fix you. No one else will be able to see me, so don’t talk to me, but I will talk to you, okay?”

“Thank you, Arianna,” he whispered, and we got out of the car.