Gabriel's Hope

A familiar warmth stirred within her, and she braced herself before opening her eyes. Witnessing the gaping hole to the shadow world form in the middle of the real world was unsettling.

It was there, and one of the doorways on the other side beckoned her. With a deep breath, she crossed through the clinging cold, at a run by the time she reached the other side out of fear the portals might all disappear before she was safe.

She paused, afraid of where this doorway led, and steadied her breathing before stepping through, at once disoriented to appear in a small kindergarten class. There were six students around five-years-old and an older boy on the verge of puberty sitting around a beautiful blond, who was reading a book out loud. The chunky blocks of the stone walls were decorated with art done by children, and colorful mats covered the floor.

Rhyn wasn't there. Did the portals send her somewhere random? Deidre turned around to find the hole between places had closed already. She faced the class. The blonde teacher was staring at her.

"Sorry, I think I'm …lost," Deidre said.

The kids all turned at her voice.

"Are you here for me?" the blonde asked guardedly.

"What? No, I um, was looking for someone else," Deidre answered.

A flush spread across the woman's face, and anger glittered in her eyes. She rose and strode to Deidre.

"You can't have the angels!" she snapped. "And this is for taking Kris from me!" A hard slap accompanied her words.

Stunned, Deidre took a step back. The sense of being in the Twilight Zone returned.

"I didn't … I don't know a Kris," she stammered.

"Who are you here for? Tell me and get it over with!"

"Rhyn."

"Ah. Him you can have," the woman said, whirling away. "About time someone took out that son of a bitch."

Deidre fought the urge to scream again. Couldn't someone tell her what the hell was going on?

"Auntie Hannah, this isn't … who you think it is," said the oldest boy in the class. His large brown eyes were studying Deidre. He appeared to be close to eleven or twelve. "She's human."

"Seriously?" Hannah faced Deidre, cool blue eyes assessing. "Are you human?"

Deidre nodded. Hannah relaxed. Deidre guessed she'd stumbled upon somewhere in the Immortal world.

"You should go get the Immortal mood beast," the boy advised Hannah.

"No, you go get her, Toby," Hannah replied.

"I just escaped!" the boy whined.

Deidre gasped. No part of her was ready to meet whatever creature they discussed. She was barely holding it together knowing about Death and the Immortals.