The odd thing about heaven is that no matter where you stand, there will always be a gentle breeze, one that carries the tune of a harp. Bringing with it hope, and hope's daughter faith. For Angel's this very energy is what feeds them, makes them who-what they are. But for entities "stuck" in heaven, or better known as a Nephalem. This song of the wind can be a reminder that they are an outsider in their own home.

(Sam's POV)

The gust of air surrounds me, I scrunch my nose in distaste. Can't even stand in a window without having to squint the chill away from your eyes. Exhaling deeply, my neck curves harshly when I drop my head to lay against the cool porcelain handrail. The muscle of my calf tensing when the silk curtains move against me in their own little dance. I can't tell you how long I've stood here, long enough that I've greeted the clouds, only to wish them a farewell.

"I always thought when we died we'd get all the answers to the universe, isn't it discouraging to see how much unknown there still is."

I lift my head just enough to see my pale arms and the abyss below me. "Not really," I lie. For some reason I didn't want to talk to her, even though she's probably the only person who truly gets it. I take a deep breath and turn back to her. "How are you doing today, Cora?"

Her questioning eyes scan over me quickly. "Quite well, things have been calm around here, new-comers tend to cause us much trouble, not your group though," she smiles softly. I wonder how she'd feel about the night I went to hell's bars with Devyn, or about just how much time I've been spending with the Demon's. "I just wanted to ask how you're handling it though?"

"Handling what?"

"The pull, the urge you feel to be with our opposites," oh how I wish I could bring it up as if it was the simplest thing.

"Um, well it hasn't been strong, have barely noticed it," stop lying, why does this feel like something I should be ashamed of? "Why? Was it something bigger for you?" I lower my head at her hearty laugh, feeling embarrassed at the question.

"Did I? I swear it was all I could think about, could barely do my duties because I was questioning what they'd be on the other side," she sighs. I didn't know one sigh could hold so much emotion. "I'm happy you aren't feeling such a way, it can be unpleasant," she smiles again, I swallow down the knots in my throat.

"So how's Blue doing my dear?"

∞

"Where's Tara?" I ask Corey as soon as he arrives, I got here a few hours prior and she was no where to be seen. He stops in his path, body going stiff as a statue.

"She's had work to do, they knew her child had two guardians so they might keep her for extra work time to time," he says confidently, voice steady, almost like a talking toy. My gaze follows him as he weaves through the bedroom, he straightens out a few things on Violets desk, giving no more insight on the question.

"Okay... She'll be back before the end of the day?" He quickly glances at me and shrugs. "Well then, I'll be in the front yard," I nod awkwardly. Pushing off from the door-frame, my toes smush into the scratchy white carpet, I drag my fingers against the textured paint as I make my way to the entrance.

"Hello, Lovely," a grin takes over the second I spot Blue in his little toy car. He giggles and looks up to the sun. I sit on his right side where the sidewalk starts. His mother to his left, who is looking heavily focused as she perfectly places a daisy sticker on the green plastic hood.

"Doesn't that just look amazing? Now you guys match!" She smiles and pats his bucket hat, which is quite a bit too big on him, I now realize it also has a daisy patch right in the center. "I'm going to go grab some lemonade, but I will be right back," her nose scrunches as she makes a silly face before leaving. I watch her go with a concerned look, they have no gate, Blue could just walk right out of here and get hurt.

He looks content enough just spinning the wheel and trying to squeeze the little horn, so I allow myself not to worry about upcoming cars.

About three minutes later she's not back, a few people have walked passed and given the alone toddler a questioning look, but one guy in particular stopped his car to look around for a parent, I glare at him hoping he can feel someone watching and keep moving. He doesn't. He knocks on the outside of his door to gets Blue's attention, he looks up with little squinty eyes at the man.

"Where's your mom, huh?" His tone surprises me, it's the kind you speak to an annoying adult in, not a small child.

I clench my teeth when a sharp pain shoots from one side of my brain to another, a guardian warning, Tara's told me very little about them. But to sum it up, somethings very wrong; the chances of it having to do with this man are high seeing as he gave me an off feeling the second that window went down. I quickly look to Blue when he starts to open the fake car door closest to the street.

"No, please stay in there," I beg, I go to push the car door back closed but feel a burn as soon as I do. That means this is a life altering moment, I'm not allowed to physically change it, I have to somehow change his thought pattern. Which I've never done and know very little about.

"You must be so scared, who would leave you out here like this."

"Yell Blue, come on yell for your mom," I set my hand on his chubby arm hoping it'll help the connection, still nothing, he starts to crawl his way down the fake car. "No please don't go over there, you need to shout." When I see his sickening smile my stomach drops, my entire body goes ice cold. The second I hear the mans creaky old door start to open it feels like my entire soul completely abandons my body and transfers into Blue's-

BLUE SCREAM RIGHT NOW

And just like that he drops to the floor and cries louder then I've ever heard him cry. Tears immediately start rushing from my eyes, whatever just happened I can feel the exact way he does so afraid which I know I put into his head. The man startles and quickly sits back in the car, slamming the door shut before taking off. Corbyn comes basically flying out of the house, the mom hot on his trail, phone pressed to her ear. I take in what feels to be my first breath of the century and cry in relief.

The first thing Corbyn does is notice the car screeching on its turn off the street, before taking Blue into his arms.

"What the hell, Piper?!" Corbyn whips to face the mom.

"I-" she covers her mouth, "I don't know. I was away for what felt like a second, I swear- then Audrey called and I got distracted for... it couldn't have been more then a two minutes," she looks up at Corbyn with fearful eyes. It was six minutes she's been gone, six minutes leaving her (not even three years old) son in the front yard. I wipe the tears from my cheeks about to stand myself, but Corey's hand is in front of me.

"What just happened?" He looks at the street fearfully, then back to me.

"I really don't want to talk about it right this second," I choke out. He slightly nods before placing his strong hands onto my shoulders and pulling me into a hug.

"I don't know exactly what just happened, but I get a feeling it could have been real bad. Whatever you just did Sammy, this is what being a Guardian is about, we gotta protect these kids with everything we got." I nod into his shoulder and clench my irritated eyes shut, I can hear the parents screaming at each other in the living room but all I can think is- he's safe, he's safe, he's safe

∞

I wonder through the empty halls, everyone has already gone to their rooms and most chose to get some sleep tonight. I would have joined but I simply can not rest after what happened today, now I understand why most speak of guardians so highly. To protect that boy I feel as if I could channel all the power in the universe.

The sleek floors are cold as ice underneath my bare feet, I have no destination, simply keep moving and don't stop to think.

Moments later I end up in a hallway I've never seen, the walls are covered in giant oil paintings. It seems to go on forever, even my breathing echos back to me. I pause in my tracks, it's like someone behind me is whispering-

you should not be here

I shiver, shaking off the uneasy feeling and keep walking. Passing all the easily recognized art from The Creation of Adam to Sistine Chapel, only one makes me stop to admire it Satan Before the Lord. I walk right up to it, taking in all the details, I look at his small black wings and wonder if that's what the demons actually look like, most demons and angels tend to keep there wings in so I haven't seen what there's look like yet.

I reach out to touch the painting but wrench my hand back the second my finger tips touch the paint, the figures dissolve into a reflective surface. I stare into my own confused eyes, was that supposed to happen?

There's a soft click behind it and then the frame slightly shifts, before I can even think about it I reach out for the frame. The whole 'wall' moves with it when I give it a soft tug, I'm suddenly hit with sharp heat and odd tingles. I've only felt that a few times, when I walked to the gates of hell with Devyn, and when I've touched demons.

I pull the entrance open a bit more and lean to peak in. Black stone walls and a long tunnel, the sent of fire is present, I scrunch my nose trying to get used to it. I feel the rumble of the walls before a sharp shrill rings through my ears, I've heard that before, when Brennen opened the torture door. Taking a deep breath I step into the heat, I quickly pull the door behind me until there's only a small crack left. The walls are burning when I press my hand against it, I find myself not hating it and keeping my hand on the walls as I walk deeper.

There's no bars, that's the first thing I notice once I can see the end, it's a open entrance to hell, that's not supposed to exist. Selene mentioned there's only one way in, and that's the gates Devyn goes to, and only the head Angels can open it.

"Sam!" Elton's muffled voice sounds so far away. I take that as my sign to turn back, I take one more look past the arch before turning. Half way back there's a strong sizzling wind, I tense up but don't look back.

"Elton?" I ask once back at the door, it's closed now.

"Sam?! How the heck did you get in there? Where are you?" He sounds panicked, and I can't blame him because I'm starting to feel it too. What if he can't get it open? What would the Angels think when they learn I'm stuck in some weird in between of heaven and hell, I mean mentally I already am. But physical? That's bad.

"Touch the painting, it should unlock!" I shout into the seem on the wall.

"It's not doing anything!" I hear him start to roughly push and pull at it. "Nothings happening!"

Clenching my eyes shut I rest my head against the wall and take a deep breath trying not to freak out. There's got to be a way to open this from inside.

I try pushing at it, kicking it, knocking, nothing happens. I flinch when another scream comes through, okay this is real bad.

"Elton?" My voice trembles so much I can barely recognize it.

"Yeah I'm still here! Look around, is there anything that looks like it could trigger it to open?" I nod in acknowledgment and start looking all around me, dragging my hands everywhere just trying to notice something different then the brick.

I pause when my hand wipes against a deep dent, quickly I lean down to see what it is. There's a red hand print.

"There's a indentation for a hand! I can't find anything else."

"Press your hand into it, that might be how it opens!"

Gulping down the oxygen in my throat I press my hand right into it, the print is huge, my hand barely takes up half of it.

Click

I gasp in happiness and quickly shove at the wall, finally it gives and I come tumbling back into the hallway.

"Holy-" I look up to see Elton staring into the tunnel, suddenly he's right walking into it.

"What?! No Elton, stop!" I grab for his shoulders but when I look into his eyes they're completely blurred, the only thing I can think to do is slam the door shut before he can get into it.

"Hey! What'd you do that for?" I cower against the wall the second I see the red line in the middle of his eyes. I've never seen anything like that, but I can't dwell on it because he's very angry and it's directed at me.

"Elton! What is going on here?" Selene's voice comes out strong and powerful where she stands at the end of the hall. It snaps Elton right back, the deep red line fading once he blinks a few times.

He looks completely confused when he looks over to her.

"I- I don't know? My head hurts," he groans in pain, hand going into his brown hair and slightly tugging.

"I think he might be getting a memory soon," I quickly make an excuse. I know this headache is from whatever just happened in that tunnel.

She nods but seems unconvinced. "Sure, take him back to the rooms now, he'll want rest." And just like that she's gone.

Looking to where Elton is in extreme pain leaned against the opposite wall. I take one last glance at the painting before taking his arm over my shoulders and going back to the main rooms.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Why you lie? You were trapped and then the door started to open, after that I can't remember anything other then this strong pull," he drops onto my bed and immediately lays back.

"...because, I don't know what happened or if we could get in trouble for it. I think it's best to pretend it didn't happen," I leave out the part where I don't want to be told not to go back. I don't think I want to go back, but there's something about it that I feel like that is now my secret, I don't want anyone else there. I can't image the other Angels know about it or it'd definitely be more guarded.

"Do you think we should tell people?"

He's already fast asleep, he might not even remember this in the morning.

I sink into the reading chair and lean against the window letting my eyes flutter shut, too much happened today. I just need peaceful silence and to forget it all.

∞

Guess who had covid?? Me 😂😭 The only good part of it was I couldn't leave the house so I had time to write lol. I don't know if anyone's still reading this but if you are hope you enjoyed the chapter, don't worry Colby will be back in the chapters soon.
Lots of Love- B🖤
(Word count: 2751)