These huge grey clouds have turned the world dreary today. Dreary weather is good for two things: naps and books. So, I thought I would take this opportunity to tinker with a scene that’s been flitting around my mind. I hope it will give some clarity on my 2020 NaNoWriMo project! Here’s a little writing exercise I’m calling “Angel Work.”
Writing Exercise
Adrien reached his hand out to drag me along. “Come on! We’re heading right down there.” He pointed his robed arm towards a swirling grey funnel cloud tilting across the Missouri ground.
“Into the tornado?” I asked with an unfortunate squeak.
“Not quite. We’re headed to that house off to the side. Just follow me.”
I swerved through the air and swooped towards the ground. I tried to keep Adrien’s huge, feathery wings in my sight through the veil of ripping leaves and tree limbs.
Adrien finally glided to a stop on the front stoop of a low brick house. The wind tugged at the dull blue shutters tacked beside the windows. Even the storm door tried to pull away from the house like it hated the hinges tethering it to one spot.
“Inside. Hurry,” Adrien instructed.
I ran to keep up as he made a beeline through the walls. Even if Adrien hadn’t taken the direct route, I could easily have navigated the simple hallways. Gold-framed pictures of two boys in little league football jerseys rattled on the walls. A wedding photo clattered between them.
Angel Work
“In here,” Adrien said. I followed him into a back bedroom covered in disheveled clothes and textbooks. I knew it was the boys’ room; the tornado hadn’t hit close enough yet to make that sort of mess.
I leaned forward as Adrien’s dark hand pulled the closet door open. Clothes and duffel bags filled the closet floor, as well. I glanced at Adrien and raised my eyebrow.
Adrien pushed up the sleeves of his robe. “We’re doing preventative maintenance.” He gripped the door frame and pulled down until a crack appeared in the drywall. “Knock the shelf out of the wall.”
I gripped the white wire shelf and yanked with all my might. The nails pulled chunks out of the wall. The board games and sweatshirts scattered into the floor.
Adrien pounded the ceiling with his fist, then dusted off his hands. “Looks good. Let’s go.”
“That’s it?” I asked. I looked around the room. “Are we not saving the kids?”
Adrien’s eyes focused far in the distance. “We are, just not yet. You’ll see.” He crouched and sprang in flight through the ceiling.
I looked around the messy room one last time. “I’ll be back,” I said quietly. As I jumped to follow Adrien, I ignored the niggling logic that my assignments might never bring me back here. I just knew it had to be true.
Three Years Later…
I fussed with my robes while Adrien paced around the low brick house and glanced at his watch. “Any minute now…” Adrien mumbled. “Come on, come on, come on…”
We both turned at the sound of a car sputtering to a stop in the driveway. A teenage boy stumbled out of the car and slung his backpack over his shoulder. His hair dripped sweat on his high school football shirt. His lanky runner’s legs propelled him thoughtlessly into the house.
Adrien grabbed my arm and dragged me silently forward.We bustled through the halls behind the boy. My heart pounded, and I silently begged the boy to turn to the right.
“John!”
The boy’s backpack crashed to the ground as he ran to the closet. His brother’s body lay crumpled on the ground. A rope curled on the ground under a broken wire shelf.
“John, wake up!” the boy pleaded. Adrien and I helped him tumble the boxes off John’s chest. “Why would you play that stupid game?” the boy cried again as he shook his brother’s body.
Adrien leaned over to the boy’s ear. “Call 911,” he whispered. He wiped the boy’s tears and dropped them into the jar hidden in the folds of his robes.
“911… 911…” the boy repeated. He jumped up and ran for the hall phone. Adrien flew behind him.
I tilted John’s head so his airway was free. His chest shook with tiny, trembling breaths. “I told you I would be back,” I said. I covered his clammy hand with my own until the sound of sirens blared through the street.
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