I grabbed the hundredth book I’ve picked up in this huge library behind Jake’s library and sighed. We’ve been looking through the entire library for about week and so far we’re not even halfway done yet. I cussed as the fifteenth book give  me a paper cut, I stared at my finger as it healed without dropping a single drop of blood.

“Hey, your mom wants to see you before she leaves,” Jake said coming down the secret staircase. I stood up and stretched my legs; I looked at Jake and noticed him avoid my gaze causing me to frown.

“Thanks,” I said before going up the stairs and lightly closing the book shelf behind me. I walked down the hallway and down the main staircase before seeing my mom and my brother at the bottom of the stairs. I ran down the stairs and jumped into my brother’s awaiting arms.

“Sky!” I yelled hugging my brother who I hadn’t seen in centuries.

“Lulu!” he yelled back holding me tight. I pulled away and wiped the tears starting to come out from not seeing my older brother in so long.

“Mom told me you’re coming back to heaven with her so I came to pick you guys up,” he said and I took a step back from him. I looked at mother and she refused to meet eyes, I looked back at my brother. He had grown over the centuries and looked about 6”4. His muscles were more defined and his hair was blonde with brown highlights, his was golden that most humans would kill for; overall my brother has really grown.

“Mom lied to you, I’m just seeing you guys off,” I said almost changing my mind after seeing his broken expression.

“You’re not going?” a voice behind us asked and I saw Jake walking down the steps shocked.

“No, I have things I have to get done,” I said and a warm familiar hand in mine making my heartbeat flutter. My brother stared at our hands intertwined and smiled before hugging Jake.

“I knew my sister would always get you, she’s been crushing on you since she first saw you. It was horrible always hearing her daydreams about you since she didn’t know how to shut up, always talking about how cute you were and how she wanted to rip other girl angels wings off just for playing with you. Anyway, I’m happy for you two, just be sure to visit me okay?” my brother said making my eyes go wide and my whole body tense as he kissed my cheek and walked away from mom while carrying her bag.

My mother said a small goodbye and I remained as still as a statue. Tell me my brother didn’t say that. Please! I walked up the stairs and back into the secret passage and not a word was said, somewhat convincing me that my mind was playing a sick joke on me.

“So you use daydream about me huh?” Jake said making me flush and hit him.

“Wow and you’re still violent? I’m glad I’m not those girls whose wings you wanted to rip off,” he said laughing trying to hug me as I tried pushing him off me.

“Go away,” I said childishly when suddenly I was pulled into his chest and when I looked up he kissed me with such emotion, such passion; my legs almost fell to the floor.

“No I won’t, because I love you too much to let you go,” he said kissing my forehead. He let me go and I realized we were on the floor. I was still slightly dazed from the kiss and didn’t realize I had picked up another sketch book. I flipped to the first page and raised an eyebrow as I saw a picture of me when I was small looking out the window longingly.

I turned the page and noticed another picture of me staring at the ocean of heaven. I noticed the sad look in my eyes and was shocked how real it looked. The next page was of me laughing and having a sparkle in my eyes and I gasped realizing that the sketch was of my first time playing with Jake. He drew all of these?

I looked at the back of the sketch book and noticed that it had a number on it. I looked up and saw jake looking through a row of books with his back turned towards me. I stood up quietly and looked around the book case trying to find the number to the sketch book. I kept walking until I noticed a row of many sketch books and was shocked to see there were thousands. I looked at the numbers until I found where the sketch book of me would go and took out the book that would be next to it.

I gasped as I saw a picture of me with my wings out and a tear going down my cheek. The memory of me losing my human body had caused the tear to go down my cheek that day but I had no idea he could draw that well from memory.

“Ah, you weren’t suppose to see those,” I head Jake whisper; I looked at him and smiled lightly.

“I had no idea you were so obsessed with me,” I said jokingly making him flush. I noticed a book behind him and it looked like it was glowing.

“Jake, do you see that glowing book over there?” I asked and he turned around.

“No,” he said more as a question. I walked towards the glowing book that seemed to be breathing. I walked towards it and was stopped by an arm.

“Luce, your eyes are glowing white,” Jake said with concern.

“It’s calling me Jake,” I said without thinking. I pushed his arm away and walked towards the book and picked it up. The cover was torn and slightly charred, the book felt like it went through a fire, I started to open it and screamed when I opened it dropping it to the floor.

“What happened?” Jake asked right by my side. It was only second but the book had showed me so much. Jake picked up the book and gasped when it turned to ash, I was breathing heavily and Jake grabbed my hand and began leading me up the stairs and into his room. He led me to his bed and I sat down.

“Lie down; I don’t want you going down there for a bit okay? I’ll come to bed in a bit so just stay here,” he said kissing my forehead but I barely felt it. I nodded and felt his soft pillow under my head, and he covered me with the blankets before going back into the book case. It took a few minutes before I could fall asleep but as I was falling asleep something called to me.

“Lucillia,” a voice whispered making me sit up straight. No one knew that name besides my parents and brother, Jake didn’t even know that name nor did Leah’s parents. I got out of the bed and walked towards the soft whispers. Leading me out of Jakes room, into the hallway and down the corridor, there was a door that I had never noticed at the end of the hallway.

It was an old wooden door and carved into an angel and demon holding a book. I reached for the door but was pulled into Jakes room with me gasping for air. Jake looked scared and was holding me tight, I realized I was sweating and shaking and pushed him away, he gave me a hurt expression and I apologized.

“I’m sweaty and gross,” I complained and he laughed lightly. That’s when I noticed he was shirtless; I felt my face grow hot as I began to get up. I walked to one of his drawers and grabbed one of his old shirts and boxers.

“What are you doing?” he asked raising an eyebrow.

“Taking a quick shower, go back to bed,” I said kissing his cheek. I walked into his bathroom which was more like a spa. I walked towards the showers in the back and closed the curtain before taking a cold shower. I changed and walked into the room shocked to see him still awake and drawing.

“I thought you went to sleep,” I said sitting on his bed rubbing the towel through my hair to dry it. He sat up and had me sit on the floor made me give me his towel.

“You had me really scared Luce,” he said with a shaky voice. He dried my hair with the towel as I tried to remember what had caused me to wake up so shaken.

“You weren’t breathing and you were lifeless.” He continued.

“I don’t know what I would do if you were gone Luce, your all I have left.” He said whispering at the last part. I turned around and his expression broke my heart. His father was banished from heaven for reasons unknown and his mother was human and had died hundreds of years ago yet it still hurt him. It wasn’t uncommon for angels to mate with humans but it was still frowned upon.

“I’m not going to leave you,” I said turning around and hugging him. He held me tight before pulling me into the bed.

“Goodnight,” he said as I lied on his chest, and he pulled the blanket over us.

“Goodnight,” I said although I couldn’t help but feel something was watching us. Call it paranoia but I have a bad feeling, I thought to myself before falling asleep.

Meanwhile on Earth

“Late last night six people were attacked by the forest by a popular campsite in North Carolina. The claw marks are not sure to be related by any known species but it was reported that a light had been shot down from the sky even though there were no recorded lightning strikes in the area.” Reporter Matilda announced to the public early in the morning in front of the campsite. The red light went off signaling she was off the air and she turned towards the campsite. A flash of movement caught her eye.

“Hey Paul, I’ll be back in a second, I want to check something out real quick.” She said to her partner who was packing up his camera equipment.

“Yeah whatever, just hurry up, this place is giving me the creeps,” Paul said shivering. She rolled her eyes and headed towards the woods quick to avoid any policemen and the police tape along the way. She saw the movement again and saw a girl with long black hair shaking and wearing tattered clothing.

“Hey are you okay?” she asked the girl and began reaching towards her. The girl grabbed Matilda’s arm making her flinch as she felt blood trickle down her arm. She looked at the girl again and noticed the girl’s eyes begin to glow red.

“Help-” before she could cry out for help she was silenced and pulled into the woods faster than anyone could notice the reporter.

Paul looked towards the woods feeling scared and quickly packed up the rest of the equipment. He waited for his partner to let him know that she would be leaving but after an hour of waiting he assumed that she went home without telling him.

He pulled out of the parking lot and glad to leave this place. He began driving and the fog had begun rolling in when suddenly a girl appeared right before the vehicle causing him to swerve towards the forest and crash into the trees.

He groaned and looked next his window and noticed the girl that was in front of his car a few seconds ago. Her eyes were glowing red and she was smeared by what seemed to be red paint. She grabbed the door and ripped the door open from the hinges. He gasped and tried to unbuckle his seatbelt but it was too late.

His scream echoed through the forest causing a flock of crows to fly out of trees and into the night.