AZZURRA
This morning…
I woke up all sweaty and wet. I was in my cloudy bed and I was wearing a white nightdress that had become almost transparent and had stuck to my body because of the dream I had just had. I sat on the bed and I saw, on my right, leaning on the blue bedside table, the clock indicating five o'clock in the morning.
I went back to sleep under the light blanket and tried to fall asleep since, at nine o'clock, I would have to get up to go to the passage that would allow me to transport myself from the Kingdom of Heaven to the planet Earth, where I would stay for a long time to perform the tasks assigned to all the angels who were turning eighteen. As soon as I closed my eyes, I saw the images I had just dreamt of.
A boy of about my age was standing in front of me, looking at me in the eyes. He had rebellious black hair. His eyes were purple and he had a look that I couldn't decipher. That look gave me a strange sensation in my stomach that made me open my eyes, but I immediately closed them again, determined to continue the dream.
Everything around us was darkness. I saw myself talking to that boy. It was as if I was watching the scene from the outside, as if I were the spectator of a movie, only I was also the protagonist. I kept watching them and I saw the boy looking at me with such a magnetic look that I was surprised at how I was able to bear his gaze without getting distracted, as if I was ready to react at any moment.
I had been dreaming about him for about six months and every time I tried to talk to him, not a word came out of his mouth. I thought they were not just dreams but premonitions that would probably come true, and I was a little scared because in some of them I felt that I was suffering for this boy and I didn't want that to happen. I was convinced that if I ever met him, I should stay away from him as much as possible. Suddenly, the sound of the alarm clock tore me away from my thoughts and dream, or whatever it was. It was time to get up. I took a deep breath to take courage and got up from the cloudy bed, aware that I wouldn't sleep in it for a while.
I got dressed knowing that on Earth it would be hot, because it was the end of August, so I chose to wear a light, short-sleeved, light pink dress that would bring out my pale complexion. To fix my long wavy red hair I made a high ponytail. Once ready, I stepped out of my cloudy house and spread my white wings, shining like nobody had ever seen before.
I finished my flight once I arrived at the blue gate that would allow me to travel from the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth, where anything was possible, at least this was what my parents had told me.
Ever since I was a little girl I had wanted to go to Earth to see what it was like and so one day, at the age of thirteen, I sneaked through the gate. I found myself on a beach that, at first sight, seemed deserted and, taken by the euphoria of being on Earth, like a fool, I began to fly to see from above how beautiful the beach was during sunset. From the sky I noticed a little boy, looking at me in amazement. I got close enough to him to see that he was a little taller than me and had blond hair and beautiful sea blue eyes.
"Are you an... an angel?" He asked me with a voice that sounded a mix between scared and curious. I admired his face: he had very delicate but perfect features and, despite his young age, I could tell that he would become a beautiful man. I smiled at him as I landed on the beach, right in front of him.
My wings disappeared inside the skin of my back, so that no one else could figure out who I really was.
"Yes... I'm an angel...you are a human, aren't you?" I asked with a stuttering voice because this was the first time I'd ever met one.
He stood up and put his hand on my cheek, as if he wanted to know if I was real or not.
When he touched me, I felt a tremor and imagined that he felt the same sensation as his eyes lit up even more. He kept stroking my cheek and I took courage and did the same thing. I put my hand on his cheek and it immediately felt wrong and had the impulse to take it away, but when I saw him smiling at me, that smile warmed my heart so much that I got scared and took a step back so that he couldn't touch me anymore.
"Don't be afraid. My name's Christian Cooper, and you are? Wh-What's your name?" He looked at me smiling.
"My name is Azzurra Seraph... but you mustn't tell anyone we exist... or I'll get in big trouble. I don't want my parents to find out I secretly left the Kingdom of Heaven to come here." I said, hoping to convince him to keep the secret.
"Don't worry, Azzurra, I promise you. I won't tell anyone, but could you tell me why you don't have to come to Earth?" he asked quietly, as if he were afraid of making me angry.
I smiled to make him understand that he didn't have to worry about asking me that question.
"As long as it's okay for you, otherwise it doesn't matter." He said with an even bigger smile that made me blush so much that I had to look away.
"I'm still too young, but I was so curious to see the Earth that I sneaked over. That's why I can't stay too long, and I must return to the Kingdom of Heaven soon." I answered with a voice full of sadness.
"I'm sorry you have to go away, I hoped you'd stay with me more. Azzurra, will you keep a promise?" He asked as he approached me and suddenly kissed me. My first kiss! I was so excited. Meanwhile, Christian put one hand on my hair and the other on my hips and held me close to his body. When I felt, in my mind, that my mother was looking for me, I immediately pulled Christian away from me. I realized my breathing was heavy just like his, but I didn't care.
"Why did you kiss me?" I asked, feeling the redness on my face and wanting to know why he had done it.
"Well.. honestly, I... I really don't know. I hope you aren't angry or disgusted by what I did. You know, it was my first kiss and, I must say, it was really nice." He answered awkwardly, without looking at me in the eyes.
"Don't worry, I'm neither angry nor disgusted. I just didn't expect it to be like this, to kiss someone." I answered truthfully.
He didn't look at me, he was too embarrassed and didn't want me to see him turn red. I liked him and thought it was absurd, because I'd just met him. Knowing that I was the first girl he ever kissed made me happy and made me feel special. I got close enough to him to whisper in his ear. "You know angels can't lie?" I said.
"No, I didn't. So that's why I had the feeling that every word you said was true and I didn't question you, not even for a moment? " He asked surprised.
"Yes, that's right. I wanted you to know that because it was my first kiss and I loved it! I can't wait to turn 18 so I can come back to Earth and see you again." I said, a little embarrassed.
"I can't wait to see you too." He replied.
"But, Christian, how old are you?" I asked curious.
"I'm fourteen. How old are you, my little angel?"
"I'm thirteen, almost fourteen. Now must go... Don't forget me Christian, because I won't. As soon as I get a chance to reach you, I'll come and find you. That's a promise, my sweet Christian." I said it all in one breath.
"I'll never forget you, I promise. But how will you recognize me when you'll come looking for me?" He asked confused.
"Well... I don't know how to explain it... Every soul is different from the others and I can recognize every one of them. It won't be a problem for me to find you. The real trick will be for you to remember me..." I said with a half smile. Christian put his hand in his pocket and took out an object I'd never seen before.
As soon as he touched it, it lit up.
"What's in your hand?" I asked intrigued.
He looked at me in the eyes for a few seconds and smiled. "This is a cell phone. It's an electronic device that you can do a lot of things with, including taking pictures. I'd really like to take one, to remind me of this wonderful day we spent together." I was amazed to hear those words.
I didn't think a device this small could take pictures. I smiled and, right at that exact moment, he took the picture and then showed it to me. I was amazed to see my smiling face and wished I had a picture of him but I didn't have a similar device, so I thought I could take a picture with him.
"Christian...uh...if you don't mind, why don't we take a picture together?" I didn't have time to finish the sentence that he answered overjoyed. "Yes! I'd like that very much! I was going to ask that to you."
Christian and I took a lot of pictures.
In some we smiled, in others we made funny expressions and the last one captured our chaste kiss. We looked at them together and, at the thought of having to leave him broke my heart, but he gave me a beautiful smile that warmed my heart.
"See you soon Christian. Remember that I will watch over you from the Kingdom of Heaven and that I'll try to protect you. And when you're lonely, look up to the sky and think of me, I'll feel it and I'll do the same even though I can't talk to you." I said a minute before my wings spread and I took off. He watched me disappear into the sky.
"Don't worry. I promise you, if I feel lonely, I'll look up at the sky to remind myself that you're watching over me and protecting me. I can't wait for the day I'll see you again. It's not a Farewell but a goodbye, don't you think so, Azzurra?" He said in a low, sad voice.
"Sure! Goodbye Christian!" I answered smiling. I flew towards the gateway that only angels could see and, in a few seconds, I was back home.
This is what happened the first time I had been on Earth and, since then, several years had passed. I hadn't forgotten Christian and I wondered if he had kept the memory of me too. I hoped so, because once I got to Earth, I was going to look for him. I took courage to begin my new adventure on Earth.
I crossed the portal and found myself in a room with a bed and furniture, but nobody seemed to be around.
A little later the door opened and an old lady came in. She had short blond hair, light brown eyes and her face, of light complexion and delicate features, was furrowed with deep wrinkles, symbol of an intense life and many battles. She was wearing a pink jacket, white trousers and pink sandals. Looking at the aura around her, I figured she was an angel. Angels, as well as demons, are able to understand the true nature of the person in front of us based on the different color that his aura takes. Sometimes, some very powerful demons or angels were able to hide it so that they would not be recognized.
"Hello, Azzurra, I'm Miss Daniela." I run this residency and I'm here to tell you the rules you need to know and respect in order to live here, is that clear?" She said in such a rude voice that made me want to reply in the same way.
I tried to keep my mouth shut, to avoid saying unkind words. After all, I was an angel, and I had to be respectful. I just nodded.
"Excellent. From now on, this will be your room. To get in, all you have to do is think about this place, and you will be immediately teleported here, no matter where you are. Instead, to get out, you simply have to tell the room where you want to go and it will teleport you to where you've asked. Don't worry, you will get used to giving mind commands. Another very important rule is that you must not tell anyone that you are an angel, otherwise it will be a problem for everyone. One last thing, and then we're done. Come closer and stay still, I need to transfer all the information you need to keep up with humans your age into your mind. This way you won't get into any trouble."
I was a little confused to hear her words so, without being disrespectful, I took courage and asked her what she wanted to hear.
Miss Daniela approached me, put both hands on my head and I immediately felt different, as if the information I had just received had always been there, inside my mind.
"There you go. Now you can go wherever you want since you know every single street in this city. Remember that when the appointed day comes, you will hear a voice in your head that will indicate the place where you must go to meet the angels who will teach you how to protect human beings. And beware of demons! Is that clear, Azzurra?" She asked.
I took a deep breath and nodded.
Miss Daniela disappeared into thin air, leaving me alone. I took a closer look at what would be my room from then on. The walls were white and there were big windows from which I could see the sky and the houses around. Next to one of them was my bed... it was a wonderful canopy bed. On my left was an empty shelf; on the right was a three-door wardrobe, of a light blue color and, on the floor, a light blue carpet. Finally I looked at the door, it was white and the number fifteen was written on it. I realized it was the number of my room.
I sat on the bed and thought about what to do. I decided to look for Christian and focused on locating him. I hoped with all my heart that I could locate his aura and once I found it, I would teleport to him to say goodbye.
It took me some time before I could locate his aura because as the years passed, it had changed a little bit. But that was okay because we met when we were still kids and his aura had to stabilize.
I asked my room to take me to him and, in a moment, I found myself in a room that I imagined was Christian's room. On the walls there were a lot of pictures of him and his friends, posters of some bands while the bed was in a corner of the room and next to it there was a wooden bedside table on which there was a white lamp, a mobile phone and a book. I approached the bedside table to see what book he was reading. I sat on the edge of the bed and took the book. I was amazed to see that it was a book about angels and, happy that he had not forgotten me, I began to leaf through it. Suddenly, I heard noises. Someone was coming up the stairs.
I panicked and looked around for a place to hide. I saw the large grey wardrobe on the opposite side of the bed, opened it and slipped in just in time not to be discovered by the person who had entered the room. Its interior was full of jeans and hanging T-shirts.
To find more space I moved some T-shirts and I saw, attached to the bottom of the closet, some photos of Christian and me as children. They were there, hidden from everyone's eyes but not his. Tears of happiness came out of my eyes.
The sound of footsteps became louder and closer. Someone was approaching the closet.
I panicked again and thought that I was trapped. When I saw the closet door open, I instinctively closed my eyes and hoped it was Christian. By now I had been discovered, so I opened my eyes again. In front of me were two electric blue eyes wide open for the surprise. I took a closer look and began to distinguish her tanned skin, not too fleshy lips and her blond hair.
It was Christian!
He took a step back and I saw that he had become very tall and muscular. He kept looking at me, his face was sweet and manly at the same time. He recognised me and smiled. I jumped out of the closet.
"Hey, Christian... As I promised you many years ago, here I am again." I said excited.
I approached him slowly. I could smell his scent, it was really good. When I got close enough, I hugged him.
"Are you happy to see me?" I whispered in his ear, a little scared for the reaction he might have to me. Christian hugged me and held me so tightly that every worry went away.
"Azzurra! You haven't forgotten me!" He replied in a low, persuasive voice that made my whole body shiver. I pulled away from him a little so that I could see his face, but not enough to free myself from his arms.
"But how did you find me?" he asked, smiling.
"Easy! Thanks to your aura." The moment I finished talking, his smile grew even bigger, and I smiled too.
"But what were you doing in my closet?" He asked intrigued.
"Well... when I teleported here, I heard noises and hid." I answered blushing.
"That's a good idea! And why did you come down to Earth?"
"I came here because, at the age of eighteen, all angels are sent to Earth to become real angels."
"Aren't you already an angel?"
"Yes, I am. But there are different kinds of them, like guardian angels and warriors." Christian looked at me worried.
"What do you mean, warrior angels?" He asked puzzled.
"Warrior angels are tasked with finding and eliminating all demons that try to kill humans." I answered naturally, as if what I said was obvious...
"Demons? So demons really exist?" He asked shocked. His hands began to shake so, to calm him down, I took them between mine and held them.
"Yes, demons do exist. But you don't have to worry because if you're in danger, warrior angels will come to protect you." I said to reassure him.
"You know, Christian, when I came here, I was afraid you wouldn't remember me, and yet, despite all these years, you still haven't forgotten. I'm so happy!" I said, trying to change the subject. Christian walked to the closet and picked up a box. Then he sat by my side and put it on my legs. I looked at it, curious to see what was in it.
"Go on, open it." He whispered in my ear.
I took the lid off the box, and I saw that there were pictures in it. I took a few to look at them. They were the ones Christian and I had taken when we were kids, the day we met on the beach. There was the one where we made funny faces, the one of the moment when we kissed and also the one where we hugged. Looking at them like that, we looked like a couple. At that thought, I realized I'd blushed.
"You looked so pretty in that picture." Christian whispered.
I turned around and looked at him. "I was? Does that mean I'm not anymore?" I asked hesitantly.
"No. You're a beautiful girl now." He answered with a trembling voice and his face flushed with embarrassment.
"Thank you." I answered with a smile.
"I haven't scared you with that demon stuff, have I?"
"No, it's okay. It's a little tricky to understand for us humans, but I think I know what you meant. What do you say we go out now and take a walk around town?" He proposed while jumping out of bed and giving me a hand to help me up.
I nodded as I grabbed his hand and together we walked out of his room and then we got out of his house.
We had a wonderful day. We visited the city and talked about many things, especially about the place where I had grown up and lived until recently. It was time to say goodbye. But before we did, Christian gave me a cell phone so that I could call him whenever I felt like it. I really appreciated his gesture and I thought that, despite all the years that had passed since I had met him, his soul had remained pure and kind. I also thought that I could fall in love with someone like him.
"Thank you for the beautiful day we spent together. I'll never, ever forget it. I have to go now, it's getting dark. Good night, Christian." I smiled at him with a kiss on the cheek.
"It has been a wonderful day for me too. I'm glad we met again. Good night, Azzurra." I didn't say anything while teleporting to my new room.