Maurie's anxiety had reached a fever pitch, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios as the minutes ticked by - three hours and twenty-five minutes since Emily had vanished without a trace. She had frantically called her colleagues and friends, Ellen, Lori, and Roberta, who worked with her at Marlene's laundry. Lori had brought her boyfriend, Terry, a red-haired cop, and his cousin Mark, a former army turned gym instructor, to help search for Emily. The local precinct had dismissed their concerns, saying it was too early to file a missing person's report and too late to issue an APB.
Mark and Terry scoured the alleyway, their search yielding nothing.
Maurie's desperation boiled over, her voice cracking as she cried out, "Mark, Terry, did you see her? Where's my daughter?" Terry's expression turned reassuring, his cop instincts kicking in as he sought to calm the distraught mother. "We'll find Emily, Maurie. We'll bring her back to you, alive and safe." His words were laced with a confidence he hoped would soothe her frazzled nerves.
A chilling scream pierced the air, sending a collective shiver down the spines of everyone present. The sound was sharp and brief, but its impact was profound. Mark and Terry instinctively drew their weapons, their eyes scanning the surroundings, trying to pinpoint the source of the cry. Maurie's reaction was even more intense, her body trembling with a mix of fear and desperation. She recognized the voice as Emily's and her maternal instincts took over, driving her to rush forward with reckless abandon, almost harming herself in the process. The scene was one of chaos and urgency, with everyone's focus fixed on locating the source of the scream and ensuring Emily's safety.
—_—
"What's your name? Are you really an angel? Can you really fly? And why are your wings so big?"
Castiel laughed, her eyes shining with amusement. "Wow, that's a lot of questions all at once, Emily! Let me try to answer them one by one, okay?"
She smiled, her gaze warm and gentle. "My name is Castiel, and yes, I am a real angel. I can fly, and my wings are big and strong because they need to be able to carry me and sometimes others, like you, safely through the skies."
She paused, her expression playful. "And I think my wings are quite magnificent, if I do say so myself. They're a bit like a superhero cape, but instead of being made of fabric, they're made of pure angelic energy!"
Emily's eyes widened, her face lighting up with wonder. "Wow, that's so cool!" she exclaimed.
She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "And as for how I know your name, well, like I said, I know the name of everyone on Earth. It's part of being an angel, Emily."
Emily's eyes widened further, her gaze fixed on Castiel's face. "Wow, you're really an angel!" she exclaimed, her voice full of awe. "And you brought me back to life!" She looked down at the kitten, who was struggling to free itself from her grasp. "Indi was my favorite cat, and that mean demon killed her. And he killed me too."
Castiel's expression turned solemn, her eyes filling with compassion. "I'm so sorry, Emily. But I'm glad I could bring you back to your mother. And don't worry, I'll make sure that demon doesn't bother you or your mother again." She reached out, gently stroking Emily's hair. "You're safe now, little one."
Castiel's sensitive ears picked up the distant cries and shouts calling out Emily's name, signaling that her time was up. With a swift motion, she plucked a feather from her right wing and transformed it into a golden necklace, adorned with a tiny, shimmering feather. She fastened it around Emily's neck, her eyes locking onto the child's. "Emily, honey, if anyone ever harms you, Indi, or your mom, just call my name, and I'll be there in an instant." Castiel's voice was firm and reassuring. She gently grasped Emily's face, her palm cradling the child's cheek. "I have to go now, kiddo. Your mom is searching for you. Remember, you're safe, and I'll always be watching over you. Goodbye, Emily." With a swift farewell, Castiel vanished into thin air, leaving Emily to reunite with her frantic mother.
—_—
"Mom!" a tiny voice yelled, halting the search party in their tracks. Emily's grin shone bright as she clutched the ginger kitten to her chest. Maurie's eyes widened in disbelief, her legs carrying her towards her daughter on autopilot. She swept Emily and the kitten into a tight embrace, burying her face in her daughter's hair as her body shook with sobs. "Mom, too tight, can't breathe!" Emily protested, her muffled voice prompting Maurie to loosen her grip. She frantically scanned her daughter's face and body, searching for any signs of harm.
"Emily, right?" Mark asked, his voice laced with concern. Emily nodded, her big brown eyes gazing up at him with an innocent expression, her thumb plugged into her mouth.
"Hey there, kiddo, can you tell me what happened?" Terry asked, crouching down to Emily's level.
Emily's words tumbled out in a rush. "Indi chased a rat, and I called her, but she didn't listen. Then a big, bad man grabbed her, and I was so scared! He was huge, like the giant in my Bible stories, Abuela Alberta gave me. He said his name was Ahab."
Terry's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with the details. He'd dealt with fanatics like Ahab before in Grennan City. "And what happened next, Emily?" he prompted gently.
Emily's voice quivered. "He killed Indi and me, but an angel saved me. She was so nice, and her wings were so big and shiny! She gave me this necklace," Emily fingered the golden feather pendant, "and told me to call her name if I ever needed help."
Terry's eyes locked onto the pendant, his mind whirling with the implications. An angel, saving Emily from a religious fanatic? This case just got a whole lot stranger.
—_—
Emily's face crumpled as she buried her face in her arms. "It's all your fault, Indi, bad cat! Now we can't play outside again!" She mumbled, her voice muffled by her pudgy arms.
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she remembered her mom's skepticism. "Mom didn't believe me," she whispered, her lower lip quivering. "She yelled at me and said I'm grounded until I learn my lesson."
Emily's fingers traced the contours of the golden feather pendant, her mind fixed on the angel who had saved her. "Angel Castiel," she whispered, her eyes locked on the feather. She was determined to prove her mom wrong, to show her that angels were real, and she had indeed been saved by one.
With a newfound sense of determination, Emily's face set in a resolute expression. She would find a way to convince her mom, to make her understand the truth. And until then, she had Castiel's feather, a symbol of hope and protection, to hold onto.
***