Does Your Soul Remember Mine

Chapter 2: Start of a New Life

The sun was warm. She could feel the energy radiating from it, she could drink it like a tree flexing its leaves to absorb its rays. There was grass, each blade a living thing and a blue sky. Elyse laughed, she had forgotten the sky was blue; she had forgotten what blue was. But something was different, she couldn't feel her arms or legs, she felt more like she was one with the air…not that she was complaining.

Come here.” Said her angel.

Willing herself to float closer, a brushed bronze hand reached out, bringing with it a new sensation. Her legs appeared, her arms solidified, her face became a face again and for the first time in who-knows-how-long Elyse could make expressions. It was fleeting. She could already feel herself dissipating once again.

“Hold still.” His kind voice urged as he stepped close to her. Wings and arms wrapped around her translucent body, gentle hands cupped her face, and the softest lips she had ever tasted brushed hers.

A kiss….

Breathing in with surprise, her lungs filled with warm summer air….She had lungs! Sniffles of happiness brought another pleasant surprise, the smell of flowers. She had a nose!

Her angel laughed. “You are still a ghost, but I have received permission to embody you.” He stood back to look her up and down, admiring his work. “You can eat, drink, sleep, and alas, be injured just as humans are, but you will never grow old; no injury, no matter how serious, will end your life or permanently maim you.”

Elyse practiced opening and closing her eyes. “So…if my arm gets cut off?”

“It will grow back.” He said.

She walked, skipped, then trotted back to where she had been standing. Her legs felt wondrous. “Would that give me a scar at the very least?”

His eyes darkened. “No, only scars you had before now will stay. Nothing you sustain from this day on will leave a physical mark.”

A thought occurred to her. Looking down, she brought her hands up to her face. Beneath her palms were ugly red scars, raised and angry looking. “From this day on…” She echoed.

“But not before.” He finished.

Her smile returned. “It's no trouble. I am ever grateful.” And she meant it. He could have covered her with scars and made her lame if he chose. She would have still sang praises to God's mercy. Anything…anything was better than Hell. “You never told me your name.”

“Constantine.” He moved away to show the grave he was standing in front of.

Elyse's brown eyes fell onto the gravestone. It only just occurred to her that they were standing in a graveyard. Not just that, they were standing in the graveyard; the one that Anthony was buried in. She gulped. There were words added to the tombstone, etched in with jagged knife marks like it came from a pocket knife.

Elyse Cabrera 1802-1825

“They spread your ashes here, just as you asked.” Said Constantine, keeping his eyes on her, studying her as she studied the stone.

“The grass has grown over.” She looked up to meet his eyes. “How long has it been?”

“For you? An eternity. But I brought you back to 3 months after your death.”

Elyse nodded. “Can I go see my old home?”

There was a twinkle in Constantine's eye. “It's not your home anymore.”

Elyse shrugged. “I know. And I suppose it really makes no difference. It's just that I don't want to forget it.”

“Very well.”

It was just as she had left it…almost. The salty sea breeze had continued to fade the paint on the side of the building that faced it, the fishing boat Anthony had built still lay by the barn, weathered and discolored from numerous fishing trips to the cove; but now there was a garden being tended to by a bright-eyed girl with plump arms and a pretty face. Elyse recognized her instantly.

“Keep your face veiled.” Constantine adjusted the black mourning veil that fell down over her hat and face. There were many around them also in mourning clothes; especially here. “It would not be a good thing for people to recognize you.”

Inside there was music filling the room. The Sanchez boy was playing her old piano. “He's been practicing.” She whispered, a swell of pride puffing out her chest.

Constantine had pulled his wings in close to his body and concealed them beneath a large, heavy cloak. At the moment, the two simply looked like a couple of visitors in town for a funeral, despite Constantine's freakishly tall height. His aura was gone, he no longer shone with light. “It's what I do when I allow myself to be seen but don't want to be identified.” He had told her on their stroll to the inn from the graveyard.

“Hmmm…” Constantine nodded towards the bar. “Look who's tending to the customers.”

Elyse tore her eyes away from her former student with great difficulty. “Oh! He's hired his sister.”

The Sanchez family had one daughter left unwed; a large girl with frizzy hair but nice enough at heart. The men flirted enough to make her blush but that didn't distract her from serving food and pouring drinks. She was a hard worker.

“Can I get you anything?” The bright-eyed girl had come in from the garden, wiping her hands on the sides of her skirt.

Elyse lowered her head, allowing Constantine to answer for her. “We'll take two waters and two slices of pork with sides of potatoes please.”

The girl smiled sweetly and fetched the order. Elyse had never tasted pork so juicy and mashed potatoes so savory. She devoured her meal as if she hadn't eaten in…well…3 months. Everything melted in her mouth filling her with warm fuzzy feelings. Even the water tasted sweet on her tongue. But water wasn't supposed to be sweet, was it.

As if he knew what she was thinking, Constantine said. “Everything must seem so splendid to you after being without even the simplest pleasures for an eternity.”

Elyse became sorrowful at the thought of where she had been. “Yes, I had forgot these things existed.” She shook her head in bewilderment. “And to think I had taken it all for granted for so long.” Taking one last look at her former student, all smiles with his new bride, his sister, his new home, and his business, she rose to leave; a sense of peace in her heart.

Horses trotted down the road but none paid them any mind. Nevertheless, Elyse kept her black veil lowered. By the time nightfall came, they had travelled far beyond the town borders; practically alone save for the songs of crickets and birds. “So what now?” She asked. “When do I get to go to heaven?”

His eyes grew dark. His stoic expression making Elyse worry. “You can't.”

“But….” Elyse stammered. “What's to become of me?”

He turned to her with a sigh. “Whatever you want.” He tilted his head, studying her. “You'll never age. But you'll have to live in the shadows, move around a lot, learn how to create false identification for yourself. You'll be hunted by the demons you spited until the apocalypse comes to pass.”

“The apocalypse?...And why would the demons want me back? I thought I was unwelcome.” Her voice was quiet with a mild hint of fear.

And then his clever smile returned. “When heaven returns to claim Earth, that's the apocalypse. You were damned so you can never step foot in Heaven above but you will always be welcome to wander Earth, even when those who are long gone have come home to wander it by your side.” His face became serious for a moment. "Spite and vengeance are born in Hell. Not to mention, souls are valuable. So by escaping, you have angered them beyond human understanding and they will stop at nothing, spare no irrational cost, to ruin you enough to get you back...to get their revenge."

Despite the warning, she smiled with hope. “I will! I will make it that far!” She threw off her veil, her hat; she spun in the twilight with its stars looking down from above. “And I'll do more than that!” Her chin was raised and so was her voice. “I won't waste a moment! I will spend every day here trying to make this world a better place! I will spread Gods love and help others come to be saved as I was saved!”

Constantine was laughing, sharing in her joy. His voice bellowed with a smooth tone that made the animals quiet to listen. She could listen to that laugh all day every day…which gave her a thought. “Will you stay with me?” She asked, inching closer. “Like you did when I was truly alive? Will you help me fend off the demons and aid me in my mission?”

His smile touched his eyes and his wings quivered behind him. Elyse hadn't even noticed that his cloak had disappeared. His muscled arms spread wide as if to say “but of course” yet the words uttered from his mouth were, “it would be my pleasure.”