Chapter 7

Ralf:

 Driving back home with all the supplies to work on my new shed and to mend few repairs around the house, I was thinking of the past two days. This small town which was supposed to be my hideout, turns out to be hideout of others of my kind. Gretchen explained how she had come to this place to mourn her husband’s death after the attack. She had cast a strong spell so that no one saw her true form. No matter what she was, Gretchen was a wonderful person and very good cook. “Thank god! If I had to eat the food I cooked myself, I would probably be on my way back ASAP.” She had brought up Solange as her own since she was a small child and protect her from the after effects of the tragedy.

As I was turning into my drive way up to house along the cliff, I saw someone standing near the edge of the cliff. The person just turned sideways looking at the horizon. It was Angel and she looked troubled and ready to jump, which immediately put me into motion. I hit the brakes and ran towards her praying she won’t do something like this just when I found her. “What would force her to take such drastic step?”

I pulled of my shirt just a second before my wings spread to their full length and carried me to her just as she had plunged towards the rocky bottom of the ocean. I caught her and flew back to the top of the cliff far away from the fall. Her face was pale and her eyes looked drugged. She touched my wings running her fingers along the feathers. A shiver ran down my whole body at her gentle touch.

“You are my Angel, you came for me!” she said in low voice just before she passed out. I would have missed what she said if not for my ability to hear sounds of very low-frequency.

Solange:

 All I could see was his face and his beautiful wings. Pure white with hint of blue at the bottom tips. He was carrying me in his arms across the ocean and nothing else mattered but if only the headache would go. It felt as if someone was pounding my head with a hammer. The continuous ringing which felt like hammer was the phone ringing.

“Lolo get the phone please. I can’t stand it’s sound”. I shouted.

When there was no reply from Lolo, which was rare. I slowly opened my eyes to see what was happening and also decided to get Tylenol for the headache. The room I was in was unfamiliar and I came out of slumber. The room was very tastefully decorated but every aspect of it shouted it belonged to a guy. The huge bed and on its opposite wall, large 40” inch LCD TV connected to game consoles, large bean bag in a corner. The ceiling length glass door led to a large patio facing the beautiful and vast Pacific Ocean. The spiral stairs from the patio gave access to private beach. Standing on the patio I could see the sun set as a bright orange ball. As I was wondering where I was, I heard the room door open, and I peeked in from the patio to see who it was, and in walks Mr. Ralf Duncan. I lose my balance and fall down on my behind, “Jeez not again”

“Solange, are you ok? Am sorry I didn’t mean to startle you.” Ralf said looking worried and offering his hand to help me up from the floor.”

“Yes! Thank you. I just have a bad case of falling on my back all time.” I said shyly looking into his mesmerizing eyes.

“You should be in bed not wandering around. You gave us all quite scare jumping over the cliff.” Ralf said.

“What do you mean jumping over the cliff?” I asked confounded by what I was hearing.

“You just walked off the cliff today, if I was not driving by at that time from there, I am even scared to think of what might have happened.”

“But all I remember is driving back home and feeling a strong urge to go towards the cliff for the view, next I open my eyes I find myself here.” I was in shock to know I tried to kill myself and started shivering.

Ralf immediately picked me up and placed me in bed covering the blanket saying, “Do not think about it. You just need to get some sleep now. We can figure later what happened.”

“No no, I think I should go to my house. Can you please call my aunt, her name is Gretchen Wilson. Please tell her to come and get me.” I said shaking violently trying to remember what happened.

“I was coming up to tell you that your aunt just left instructing me to let you stay here for the night.”

“Let me stay here, instructing you, am sorry sometimes my aunt just bosses everyone around” I said making a note to talk to my aunt.

He started laughing and said “bossing around, well Gretchen surely does that, but I like it. She is like an aunt I never had. Don’t worry you are welcome to stay here till you feel better. I insist.”

“That’s very nice of you Mr. Duncan. Thank you very much. But I would rather stay in guest room; I mean I can’t stay in your room. It’s not fair to you.”

“Actually this is the only room which has a bed and I haven’t finished setting other rooms yet. I will crash on sofa and please call me Ralf. Mr. Duncan makes me feel old.”

“Thank you Ralf. I owe you one for all the trouble I am putting you through.”

“Don’t worry about that.” For some time we both just looked at each other, not knowing what to say I tried small talk just to hear her voice. “Can I ask you how you knew it was my room; it could very well have been a guest room.”

“Guestroom, look around it’s a man cave with all your electronic gadgets. No way would a guy have a guest room arranged in this fashion” I said teasing him.

He smiled at my teasing and said “I will bring your supper up in an hour. Get rest till then.”

Somewhere along the cliff:

“Why did it take so long for my compulsion to work? The girl has very strong will power to resist my compulsion. I still don’t understand why master is so worried about this puny little girl. How will eliminating her help in our mission?”

As he was compelling her to jump of the cliff, he saw someone stop car along the road and run towards the girl to save her. As per decree he cannot make his presence known to any human unless on a mission and so he had to leave immediately dropping the compulsion on the girl.

Ralf:

 She is so beautiful and to think I almost lost her today gave me chills. I immediately closed my eyes and opened my senses to her presence. I could feel her sleeping. Heating the chicken soup for Solange, I went up to my bedroom.

I set the soup bowl on the night stand and didn’t have the heart to wake her up. She looked so captivating. Gently shaking her shoulder I woke her up. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled up to me.

“How are you feeling now?”

“Much better, Thank you” she said shyly getting up to sit on bed.

As I handed the soup bowl to her, she asked if I had dinner. Telling her I will be eating soon I tried best not to stare at her delicate face. Once she had finished the soup I took the bowl and placing it on the tray I asked “Can I ask you a question?”

She looked very scared but replied “Ok. Sure”

“Why did you run away last time I saw you in café?”

“I didn’t run away from you. I just remembered some work so had to rush back.”

“Is it? You had urgent work in library. I didn’t see any books in your hand.” I asked.

Looking cornered she didn’t look at me and was fidgeting with the comforter. I didn’t wish to scare her so said

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you or make you feel uncomfortable.”

“Ralf, I don’t know who you are or where you came from or why you came to Cove. You are a complete stranger to me. And there things which I cannot discuss with a stranger, “you””

I didn’t know how to answer her. She thinks I am a stranger but I know we are meant for each other, and destined to be together. No knowing what to do I say the first think that came to my mind “Then, hello I am Ralf Duncan and you are?”

Smiling at nonchalant behavior, she said “Hello Mr. Duncan, I am Solange Duncan.”

“Ok, now that we have the introductions out of the way, how about a stroll along the beach to get to know each other. Are you up to it?”

“Yes, I would like the that.”

Grabbing a jacket for Solange, we climbed down the stairs to enter the beach. Walking along the beach barefoot we talked for a long time about everything from her childhood to her hobbies, her passion, which unfortunately I never had a chance to explore. I couldn’t tell her much about my life as I couldn’t tell the truth nor could I lie to her.

I see her standing looking at the ocean a shy smile playing on her face, and warmth spread across my heart for the first time in many decades.