Daughter of Gabriel: Demon Hunter

Chapter 6 - Time to Take a Field Trip

I'm not sure how long I stayed in the shower. I would guess an hour or so. My tears had run out and my eyes were swollen. I stood and tentatively walked from the bathroom, not risking a glance in the mirror, afraid of what I would see. Ash wasn't in the living room or the kitchen. I cautiously went through the house looking for him, unsure as to why. He wasn't inside. I released a breath that I didn't realize I was holding.

"Why do you want to find him?" The rational part of me asked. "What makes you think he's trustworthy? He tried to kill you. Get out of here."

"But if he's supposed to be protecting me, then why did he try to kill me?" I retorted out loud to my conscience.

"That doesn't matter," it replied. "Run away from here. If he comes back then he won't find you here. Get out while you can."

"I can't just leave my home like that. And what about all those things he said? I have to find out if they're true. I'm going to find him," I decided, shoving the rational thoughts away.

I went upstairs and found a T-shirt and jeans and put them on. My shoes were by the door and, thankfully, dry. Slipping on socks and shoes, I pulled open the door and inhaled deeply. The scent of fresh rain met my senses and I grinned despite the circumstances. Closing the door tightly, I started walking on the path from the door to the driveway, trying not to step in the wet grass.

Ash wasn't anywhere visible in the front yard so that meant he was either in the barn or the backyard. I decided to check out back first. Cautiously checking behind the oak trees and standing on my tiptoes to check the cornfield, there was no sign of him anywhere. If he wasn't in the barn then I was screwed, no chance of finding him then. The outside light was still on from days ago so I switched it off and pulled open one of the large, red doors. Our mower was sitting with a flat tire that I had yet to fix and the blades needed sharpening too. I put it in the back of my mind and continued through the barn. I stopped when I heard rustling in the very back of the barn.

Moving as quietly as I could, I slipped nearer to the doorframe. A soft, golden glow emitted from the room, it's origin unknown. I heard voices and I strained to hear them.

"You need to find control again. We cannot risk losing her. She is of too much value to be lost again," It was a male voice that sounded stern and kind, firm and gentle, all at the same time. The words flowed like a river, smooth and clear.

"I know and I am trying. Something about this girl has me confused, Father. She seems to trust me without knowing who I really am. Many times I have feared I lost her only to watch her forgive me, perhaps unconsciously, and trust me again. It concerns me that she gives out her loyalty too easily," That was Ash. There was a reverence in his voice that I had never heard before.

"Have you not considered that perhaps she is quickly loyal to you as you were to her?" There was a long silence between them and when Ash didn't respond something fluttered in my chest. I tried to suppress it by being rational. He is only loyal to me because he has to be. Right? My thoughts were interrupted by the gentle voice.

"You cannot allow these bursts to continue. There was no issue with them before and now you have had multiple since meeting her. Something is different this time, is it not?" The gentle voice drew me closer and I peeked past the frame of the door.

A figure of golden robes and sashes stood in the corner, Ash kneeling respectfully in front of him. A crown of thorns adorned the figure's head, small drops of blood on his brow. His eyes were indescribable. Every color known to man and then some were infused together to create an image so perfected it didn't seem possible. I knew who he was. Jesus Christ, son of Mary, was in my barn, speaking to an angel sent to protect me. It didn't get much stranger than this.