I woke up in a terrible mood, sweating as light blared through my eyelids to an irritating symphony of noises from the TV, birds, and yard work. And it was my first sign that something was wrong as I tried to piece together my hazy memories.

  It was in the minor details: I was on my back with a perfectly spread blanket and still in my uniform. My things were on my side table, but there was also a full cup of water and my phone, which I usually left charging at my desk but couldn’t recall placing any of it there myself.

  I checked the screen; 10:05, no messages, no calls, no notifications, and battery in the red. Well, at least that was normal.

  Once I plugged in my phone, I turned on my fan. The familiar hum whirred to life, and I was immediately relieved from the protruding noises.

  In the mirror, I studied my disheveled appearance, and confusion gripped my thoughts as I looked at my neck. My fingers traced over the pendant of the infinity necklace, and it was then that I remembered talking to that strange woman, Dana. I thought I told myself I wasn’t wearing this necklace again… But why? What exactly did she say about it?

  Still trying to piece my fragmented thoughts, I made my way down the hall and greeted mom with a strained “good morning” before heading into the kitchen.

  She got up from the couch and followed me to the coffeepot for our daily check-in. “Nice pajamas,” she teased as I was still wearing my clothes from yesterday.

  I poured my cup and as I turned back, she had her phone ready in front of her face. There was no time to react before the artificial shutter signaled from her device. “That’s the shot,” she said with a wide grin. “Must have been a busy night. You were asleep by the time I got home. I wanted to hear about your first day.”

  She attempted to fix some strands of my hair, and I pulled away, overwhelmed by a sudden surge of fear. “Stop it,” I snapped.

  Mom seemed shocked by my sudden burst. It wasn’t strange for her to play with my hair, but the sudden memory of being attacked at work seized control of me. My heart pounded, and my hands trembled.

  Her eyes locked onto mine, her face tightening with concern as she placed her hand on my arm. “You okay, pumpkin?”

  “Sorry, I’m just tired,” I muttered, hoping she wouldn’t notice the panic in my eyes.

  “You’re doing good. I’m proud of you,” she said with a warm smile. “Maybe you shouldn’t drink so much coffee while you’re at work.”

  “Thanks,” I muttered with a small smile back.

  Mom listened to the uninteresting details of my evening before she took her pills and vitamins with the rest of her beverage. She returned to her room before getting ready for her shift, and I knew when she was close to leaving when her perfume splashed out of her room.

  I didn’t want to be alone while I was trying to clean up all my memories, afraid of what other things might suddenly emerge. But I wanted to recognize the faces of strangers who allegedly saved me while trying to ignore that terror I felt almost dying.

  The wait for my shift felt long. I wished I could just stay home, but I couldn’t let my mom down and I wanted to talk to that Dana-lady. I wanted mom to see me become a responsible adult, but an overwhelming sense of danger held me back from fulfilling that duty. Even as I changed into my neutral-colored uniform the uncertainty ate at me. Would going back and facing that woman even bring the clarity I needed?

  As I scrambled to get dressed, my shoes were nowhere to be found. I frantically tore through my cluttered room and moved on to destroy the rest of the house in my fruitless search. Then, when I put on my apron, it felt like a noose around my neck, suffocating me as I struggled to put it on.

  Finally, in a fit of frustration, I tore it off, unclasping the buttons as it came down. In the heat of the moment, I ripped off my necklace along with the apron and hurled them both against the wall, feeling a burning sensation on the back of my neck where the jewelry was.

  By the time I left the house, I was already late. Still uncertain by the pressure of what to say, I paused at the bus stop, hand resting on the brim of my visor.

  Despite the hesitation by my thoughts, my body refused to listen to any suggestions my mind had as I pulled off my visor, the last piece of my uniform. The voice in my head urged me to seek the truth waiting for me, but dread overwhelmed me at the thought of confronting my fears.

  I shut off my phone and just walked around until the sun beat down on my back. I knew the walk back would be miserable if I waited to go home any longer.

  A short, loud honk pulled me from my thoughts and I watched a green rumbling car slowly roll up to the side of me. It was her; Dana, come to find me again. I didn’t feel prepared to talk to her.

  I stared at the freckled woman suspiciously. “Hey,” she said with a cheerful demeanor, her eyes twinkling as she adjusted the wide-brimmed hat over her curly hair. “They said you didn’t show up.” I watched as she reached into the side seat and dangled my work shoes out the window. “Guess you don’t need these, then? They were in the back seat.”

  My eyes looked at the back window, but all I saw was my reflection watching me as I recalled the fear in her back seat.

  “You okay?” she asked, pulling me back to the present.

  I looked down at my hands, confirming I wasn’t a ghost before letting my gaze drift through the neighborhood I had walked into.

  “How’d you find me?” I asked, snatching my shoes from her loose fingertips.

  “I was driving around,” Dana said.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Just driving around? Sounds like you’re stalking me.”

  “Really, are you okay?” the woman asked again as she shifted her car into the park. The warmth and insistence of her concern helped ease me, if only slightly.

  “Guess I’m just wondering what happened last night.” There. Said it.

  She bobbed her head. “Get in.”

  “I’d rather not,” I said.

  “But if you get in, we can talk about it.”

  “I…I think you should go then,” I replied, frowning.

  I wanted to know, but my curiosity battled with the knotted caution in my gut. I didn’t want to be tricked and whatever information she had; did I really want to know it? The risk and reward felt unevenly scaled.

  “I see you’re not wearing the necklace again,” she said.

  “Don’t want it,” I replied and walked away.

  “Sure you don’t have any questions?” she said after me.

  “I’m sure,” I said. She rolled along beside me and I shot a glare over my shoulder.. “See? This is creepy, and you need to leave me alone before any more weird shit follows you here.”

  Her voice was playful, but tinged with unease. “Well, sorry to tell you this, but it’s you they’re following.”

  I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to face her, my voice barely steady. “Me? Why me?”

  Her eyes turned serious. “There are people who want to get to you, but I promise we’re only keeping you safe.”

  “What’s so special about me that I need mysterious super-powered agents to keep me safe?”

  She shrugged and gestured with her hand still hanging from the window towards me. “You’re just a kid.”

  “Officially an adult now,” I corrected. “What kind of people? Because those guys last night weren’t normal. They were, like, mutants.”

  “Mutants?” she questioned with raised brows.

  “You know, like, X-Men, or something. Someone born with superpowers,” I said and cleared my throat before almost whispering, “Do I have powers?”

  The loud blare of a truck, too large to maneuver around the parked cars on the narrow street, abruptly grabbed our attention. Dana turned to me again, “Are you sure you don’t want to come for a ride?” I shook my head firmly, not wanting to take the risk. She gave me an apologetic look and said, “You’ll be fine”, before she drove off.

  As I made my way back home, my senses on high alert, I noticed a figure lingering on a light post on the other side of the road. It was my next potential stalker.

  The large crow swooped over to the closest wire, making it dip with its weight. It sat silent, only staring at me. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was spying on me for whoever was trying to get me.

  I continued on my way, warily glancing over my shoulder every so often to find the dark bird still perched on the wire and observing my every move. Paranoia clung to me, causing me to jump at every noise and movement until reaching the safety of my front door.

  Once inside, I thought I could relax away from prying eyes, but it was lonely with mom’s perfume still drifting from her room. I glanced up at the clock and counted down when mom would return.

  To keep my mind off any distress, I started cleaning the mess I made earlier trying to find my shoes. While I cleared up the clutter around the house, I tested to see if I had any super powers.

  With a broom in my hand, my focus faded to grander ideas as I swung it around, pretending to be in a battle with monsters. An impossible scenario of bravery for someone cowering in their house waiting for mommy to get home, but for a moment, I held the strength to take out twenty men. And soon the house was clean, but no abilities were acquired in the process.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  By the time mom walked through the door, she found me washing the dishes from reheating one of her prepared meals from the freezer. “How was work?” she said, leaning down to greet me with a kiss on my forehead. Her work uniform smelled like the restaurant she worked at, but her floral perfume still lingered.

  “Fine,” I said coolly.

  “Are you working tomorrow?”

  I tensed under her questions, guilt squeezing my insides. “No. Sunday,” I lied.

  “Good, we’ll go get ice cream to celebrate your first week,” she said.

  “Sounds fun,” I sighed, smiling the best I could at mom.

  She put together a plate to heat up and went into the living room to watch TV, and I wondered what she’d say if I admitted why I was home. If I told her the truth, would she think I made it up to get out of work?

  Retiring to my room, I shuffled through several playlists to inspire a distinct image of a story that was twitching at my fingers. While I was cleaning up there was a story I couldn’t get my mind off of.

  I eagerly dug through my art supplies, until I found the familiar texture of my charcoal sticks, and slapped down my sketch pad. Each dark line and smudged shadow was a release, channeling my tangled emotions into something tangible. Charcoal danced across white paper to bring to life the dark-winged young man from my memories and the crow on his shoulder that took up the rest of the page.

  I smiled as I imagined all the adventures this strange duo would have together. Maybe mom was right, despite Crow Man still being a stupid name, there was a tale in there. A superhero. When I finished, I proudly hung it on the wall among dozens of other character designs and story snippets.

  The pressure I felt to finish the previous story washed away in the inspiration I finally felt. A romance I was cringing through just to produce a story people would read and a sunk cost to say I finished something.

  The rest of the night I spent drawing concept art and an outline for a story. Here I had momentary control detached from the insanity creeping into my reality.

  After two cups of coffee, my energy began to drop. I decided to squeeze in a power nap at my desk with the lights on to assure I’d wake back up. It was late but still close enough to ‘early’ to attempt an all-nighter.

  I drifted into a light doze when I jolted awake by a loud thud against the house. My heart raced as I tried to make sense of the sudden noise, as my eyes fixed on the open window.

  The moment I was brave enough to get up and close the window, I leapt back and perched on my desk. A dark, spider-like creature burst through the window screen, scuttling across the floor it smashed into various objects, struggling to free itself from the mesh frame.

  Black goo oozed from its melting body, and its human-like spidering arms twisted as its head bobbed in two directions, searching for an exit. It hadn’t noticed me, but I felt frozen, unable to move or make a sound. I wanted to run away screaming, but maybe if I stayed quiet, like a real spider, it would eventually leave on its own and I could close it out.

  Another dark figure barged through the frame with a familiar human face.The dark-winged hero from the other night clumsily swiped down the art on my wall as he stumbled his way down. His wings filled the room, displacing my art supplies and books, like a cascade of dominoes toppling over.

  Taking advantage of the chaos, I leapt off the desk, dashing for the hallway. But the strange sight that greeted me caught me off guard.

  “Mom!” I yelled, running to her as she stood ready with the same broom I used earlier, looking like she was wielding a weapon.

  “Run, now!” she yelled.

  Before I could open my mouth to say anything, I watched in disbelief as the creature lunged past me. It raced toward my mom, who fought it back. The monster became increasingly agitated, but its movements were restricted because of the frame it still wore.

  “Get out of here! You’re just getting in the way!” she screamed, and something inside me shifted. I’d never heard her be so angry at me before, but I did as she said.

  I sprinted in the opposite direction, bursting through the front door and into the warm, silent night. Reaching the street, I turned back to my house, holding my breath as I observed the sky.

  Large radiant orbs hung in the skyscape, glowing like falling stars against the inky darkness. I imagined all the colors needed to recreate the scene, and while lost in the marvel of the moment, something hit me hard.

  Pain shot through my body as it lifted off the ground. The force crushed down on me, muffling my growing screams. I kicked and thrashed wildly, struggling to see or even breathe.

  Everything went silent until I felt the familiar feeling of my stomach dropping. Panic jolted through my veins and as soon as the darkness unwrapped my face, screaming burst out of me.

  A foreign grip tightened around me until finally touching the ground. A smooth landing until I fell hard onto grass.

  My eyes whipped open to find the dark-winged young man standing over me shrouded in a smoke. His wing was scorching as he reached back, snarling.

  “Don’t just drop her,” an unfamiliar feminine voice said.

  “What’d you singe me for?” he growled, glaring up before returning to his back..

  “You’re being a baby, you’ll be fine,” her youthful voice replied from under her hood. She wore all leather with metal plates clasped to her shins and forearms and in her gloved hands, she held a bladed disk by its inner handle. “You need to follow Dana.” Her eyes were sharp as the winged hero pulled out another disk and, by the blade, smoking in his fingers, threw it in her direction. “Go on, what if something happens to Dana? This one is my job. Do yours,” she snapped.

  “Fine. I have someone I need to find, anyway. Don’t go back to the house yet, they’re coming down,” he asserted and with that, he took off into the sky.

  The metal lady huffed and walked over to her weapon while I gazed upward.

  “That guy has wings,” I said. “He flew...”

  “Alright. Let’s go,” the metal lady said as she stuffed her blades in her side bag.

  “What?” I said. “I need to go home.”

  “I need to get you somewhere safe.”

  “What are you guys?” I said. She ignored me and pulled out an outdated cell phone. “Underground superheroes? Government experiments? Come on,” I said, and slapped my hand over her phone to prevent her from dialing. “You need to tell me what’s going on.”

  “Archons,” she said and tugged her phone back. “Please, I need to get a hold of Dana.”

  “A what?”

  “Angels,” she clarified with an obvious roll of her eyes, and walked away.

  “That’s...” I breathed in every event, one breath at a time, denouncing each moment to the conclusion. “No. Nope. Really?”

  The metal lady let out an exasperated sigh as she snatched the phone away from her ear.

  “Do you have wings?” I inquired, unable to contain my curiosity.

  Her annoyance was palpable, and she responded, “Would it have been less shocking if I were what, some experiment?” She began to dial again.

  “Honestly, I thought it was more in the realm of possibility. So, like, what? You guys from Heaven?”

  “I’m from here,” she said without looking up.

  “And God?”

  She took a deep inhale and said, “Is no one I have ever met.”

  Wincing, I impaled my foot into something sharp on the sidewalk and whined, “Could I use your phone? I really need to make sure my mom’s okay. This monster thing came into my house. It was gross and had this black stuff coming off it. My mom was trying to fight it.”

  “They’re not interested in your family,” she said. “I need to make sure you are safe, and it’d be easier to do if you’d listen.”

  I nodded and complied. “So if you’re the one keeping me safe,” I began, glancing back toward the sky where the winged young man had disappeared, “who was that guy?” I gestured my thumb back over my shoulder as she arched her thick brow, her eyes narrowing in confusion. “Is he a bad guy?”

  “That’s Zeekiel,” she answered. “He shouldn’t be around here, and shouldn’t look like that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Uriel said he needed to stay as the raven.”

  “Why?” I said.

  “Uriel’s say.”

  “So you all work for this Uriel guy?” I asked.

  “Uriel is the only reason you’re alive. I’m supposed to protect you, and that’s what I’ll do.Not that bird brain who can’t listen.”

  A small stone dug into the back of my heel as we walked down an unfamiliar street. I let out a moan from the sudden pain, wishing for our walk to be over soon. “What about Dana? What’s her deal?”

  “Her job is to drive around.”

  “Yeah, she said that. Why?”

  “She’s responsible for keeping an eye out for anything unusual, while I’m supposed to protect you, they take care of any dangers,” the metal lady answered. “Zeek’s supposed to be with Dana and have her back.”

  “Where are we going?” I complained, freezing at another jab to my toe. “I want to go back to bed, where no more glass can plot their revenge on my feet.”

  “Dana’s house,” she called out without turning back or stopping for me. “I need her to keep you for now. But I’m staying with you until she answers her phone.”

  I could have turned back and returned home, but I pursued her anyway and for a few more blocks, she led me to the door of a little ranch-style house. Dana wasn’t lying when she said she lived nearby.

  The paneling was white, and there were bricks around the structure. A funny welcome mat sat crooked on the stone stoop, and while the lawn seemed well maintained, the shrubbery appeared overgrown and tangled.

  We walked into a small living room, which appeared neat with minuscule objects and furniture. The metal lady turned on the light and walked into the kitchen. “You can turn the TV on or something,” she said, taking down her hood.

  I peered around, gliding behind her. “I don’t want to watch anything,” I said, “I’m worried about my mom.”

  She looked at me sympathetically but said, “I’m sorry, but I’m supposed to focus on only protecting the person Zeek found.” I blinked, and she bashfully looked away from my stare. “Um, Dana’s room is down the hall. You said you wanted to lie down.”

  I looked toward the hall she was pointing at. “I really can’t go home?”

  “Not a good idea,” she said, and when she continued to say nothing, I turned around and went for the door. “Where are you going?” She called out and rushed after me.

  “I need to make sure she's okay,” I said.

  She grasped my arm as I latched onto the doorknob. She was quick and her grip was firm. I was amazed by how strong she was when in appearance she was smaller than I was. “Please don’t leave,” she begged, losing her hardened composure, and I looked into her insecure dark eyes briefly before looking down at our feet.

  I sighed and relented. In her dark eyes, the same fear and uncertainty I felt reflected back at me. I leaned back on the couch and laid my head on the cushions.

  Despite the overwhelming fatigue that kept trying to pull me into sleep, I stayed up nervously waiting to hear anything about my mom. The metal lady sat with me in silence and there were moments when she would gaze off into the distance, and I took the opportunity to study her.

  Every time our eyes accidentally met mine, she would quickly avert her gaze, but I couldn’t help but admire her stunning appearance. The way her dark brunette hair fell in a ponytail, brushing against the shoulders of her hood, and the curves of her cheeks, lips, and eyes.

  My fingers twitched at the urge to sketch her, envisioning her in action across panels with her blades and the folds of her leather jacket in motion. She seemed like a character born from the pages of a comic, and in my mind I flipped through sheets of glossy colors and inky sketches, musing over which would capture her essence best.

  My resilience to sleep was turning my mind into absentminded jelly and got caught staring at her so I finally mustered the courage to ask, “So, what’s your name, anyway?” My question was blunt and a reflection of my brain already being asleep without me.

  She hesitated for a moment before responding, “Ellie.”

  “I’m Ari,” I said.

  “I know.” Her response was curt, and I sensed her apprehension in engaging with me.

  “I mean…I figured.” I turned away, feeling a bit disappointed in how our interaction turned out. Despite her reluctance towards me, I couldn’t shake the fascination I felt for her.

  Though I thought our conversation was over, I could hear Ellie moving in her seat. I turned back to her piercing gaze, squinting at me.

  “Is that black stuff on your face?” she inquired, leaning in closer to get a better look.

  I lifted a bit to rub my cheek and shrugged, admitting that I wasn’t sure. It seemed to spark some worry from her as she asked, “Did that monster touch you?”

  She was referring to the strange, gooey creature that I mentioned entering my house. I reassured her it didn’t even acknowledge my presence.

  “It’s probably just charcoal,” I concluded.

  Our conversation lapsed into silence again until Dana arrived home. Ellie told her hi, but Dana expressed her displeasure as she looked down at me and back at Ellie.

  “You shouldn’t have brought her here,” Dana said.

  Despite the strained atmosphere, Ellie replied, “She’s safer here. And where have you been? You didn’t call me. I had to follow that idiot to figure out what was going on.”

  Dana’s lips went flat before saying, “I’m sorry.” She wrapped Ellie in her arms before sternly taking her shoulders. The room’s tension was almost the same as if I’d been invited over to a friend’s house without their mom’s permission. “But just because we need to keep her safe doesn’t mean we need a swarm of archons looking for her all over the neighborhood.”

  “Zeek’s the one who took her away,” Ellie said. “Didn’t you see him? I thought he was looking for you.” Dana shook her head quietly in response before the metal lady continued. “I should go see what’s happening. Are you okay alone?” Ellie asked.

  Dana looked from Ellie to me, and after a moment, she gently told Ellie to go. As the metal lady reluctantly bid farewell to Dana, the room seemed to grow heavier with her departure. Left alone with the older freckled woman, I couldn’t hold back my question any longer.

  “Did you see my mom?” I asked, my voice breaking the thick silence.

  Dana hesitated, glancing away before responding. “It’s late. You shouldn’t worry about it.”