Guardian Angel

It’s funny, but I can’t remember her name. If I could draw I could show you exactly what she looked like but I don’t remember her name. She had an uncommon beauty to her. Not beautiful in the classical sense, but the freckles in her irises made her eyes dance with vitality. The first time she looked at me she smiled with her entire face, her eyes dancing as if to let me in on her private joke.

I fell in love. It was that simple. I had never believed in love at first sight, but here I was. Fast forward several days and I knew I had to spend my life with her. Shortly after that realization the trouble began.

We were being followed, chased, hunted. She asked me several times if I had done something to piss these people off, but my answer was always the same. I had never met these people, I didn’t know who they were or what they wanted, I only wanted to get away. It was the truth, you know. Those piercing eyes read my honesty for what it was but showed no fear. Instead, there was peace in them. This time those freckles imbued me with a sense of calm. Her private laughter was subdued but those eyes still shone bright.

I mistakenly thought the police could help. I learned quickly how wrong I was when she and I had to flee them. Below the fear I was impressed at how quickly she could run. It was almost as if her feet didn’t touch the ground. Not that I had a chance to look…I was too busy diving into the driver’s seat and getting us out of harm’s way. And yet, she was still calm. I wanted nothing more than for this all to be over so I could hold her and be held by her, to feel her against me. Though I could see our future in her eyes I couldn’t imagine how it would become a reality with this symphony of turmoil surrounding us.

We caught our breath behind a building, sitting for 10 or 15 minutes. My fear was taking control; I was drowning in it. She got out of the car and peeked around the corner of the building, returning with the news that they were advancing on us. For the first time, I saw sorrow in those eyes. Not fear, not panic, just the tiniest bit of sorrow.

“Get out of the car” she told me. “Everything is going to be fine. Trust your gut and make your feet move when you know you should run.” The sadness betrayed her, but I had to trust her. I had ceased being in control of the situation ages ago (Hours? Days? How long had we been running?), and I had no other option but to trust her.

I was standing by the back wall of the building, my back pressed against the bricks, when the engine screamed to life and I heard the tires squeal. I saw her rapidly accelerating towards our enemies, hitting several as she sped forward. Her impact into their vehicles sent our car flying into the air. It corkscrewed upside down, landed on the roof, and disappeared in flames.

I ran, but not far.

The firemen arrived shortly, and doused the charred wreck that held her. The police had scattered, as had our pursuers. The tall fireman in the bright yellow slicker approached the driver’s side door as I came out of hiding and approached the scene. He pulled her limp and damaged body from the wreckage. I cried until my world was obscured by the salt-water lens. It was raining and dark, outside and inside.

He stepped forward towards me with her draped over her arms, a grim look on his face. He held her as we stood looking at each other. His eyes pierced me and I couldn’t look away. I tried, believe me. I wanted to climb inside myself and hide from this horrid scene but his eyes held me firmly in place. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the skin on her burnt face repair itself as if it was melting back in place. Finally he let go of me and our eyes looked down on her.

She opened her eyes and smiled at me again with her entire face. She was beaming, the light she radiated hurting my eyes. I closed them for a brief moment, and when I opened them again I was bathed in the sunlight shining through the bedroom window.

(Disclaimer: I have no idea who the subject of this photograph is but found her while doing an image search on the web. She closely represents the woman in my dream.)