Page 27 of The Fallen

?She took off slow and gained speed from there. Her head was filled with too many things. It was hard to focus, but the thought of Brenton taunting her made her want to push. She let go of everything that was weighing on her and thought about being as fast as the wind.

?Before she knew it, she had picked up a great deal of speed. Water sprayed against her face as she ran across the Platte River. The river was wide and slow running, and wound down the valley in lazy curves. It was flanked by steep ravines that plunged down to its banks, which were sparsely vegetated with small saplings and scrub, and had cast most of the river in shadow.

?She chuckled hysterically, thinking about how cool it was to be an angel; she could actually run on water.

?She looked to her left and right, expecting everything to be blurred, but it was all so clear and vivid. She could make out every detail on every single thing she saw. She whizzed past house after house, rows of trees, fields of land and she didn't tire. It was amazing.

?She concentrated to locate Brenton. He was still ahead of her, but not by much. She dug deep and continued ahead. It was like she was infused with nitro and someone had pushed the button to make her go into hyper drive. She felt so alive.

?Twenty feet ahead she saw an endless amount of trees and mountains. They were passing through a forest, that was a deep, peaceful green, and it seemed to her as if a cool breeze wafted off it. The trees appeared to be conifers of some sort. The mountains rose in graceful folds above the level, their peaks etched clearly against the clear blue sky, where the granite beneath the surface broke through to limn the contours.

?They were in Ouachita Mountains, she thought to herself, but didn't know how she knew that name. It wasn't Brenton putting thoughts in her head; she didn't feel his aura at that moment. She didn't know how far they had run, but she did know they were in Oklahoma.

?She finally caught up with Brenton. Together they ran side by side, ducking and dodging trees. Climbing the mountain took mere seconds. She watched as Brenton ran up a tree and swung from branch to branch before gliding back down.

?She was nervous about trying it herself, but she couldn't resist. She picked up speed and leaped into the air. She looked down to see she was almost fifteen feet off the ground. She landed on a branch and balanced herself for a second before jumping off and catching up with Brenton. They were already on the way back down the mountain.

?“That was so fun. My heart is still racing. How far have we ran?” she asked.

?“Far. We're almost out of Oklahoma, about to hit Texas,” he replied.

?She knew where they were; words and locations just popped in her head. How did she know though? She would have to ask her uncle when they made it to him. She had so many questions.

?“That's crazy cool! We've only been running for like a half an hour.”

?“I told you. Best way to travel.”

?She would never drive or fly again. The air hit her face and caressed her. If she closed her eyes, she would feel like she was flying. It was refreshing to be open and free.

?They veered toward the highway and picked up speed heading across the state-line. They were almost there. She felt a familiar presence and knew it had to be her uncle.

?Once they passed the city called Texarkana, she saw a dark purple trail lingering in front of them. It reminded her of the one she had seen at Helena's.

?She pictured seeing her uncle and he appeared in her mind. “Follow the trail babygirl; it will lead you right to me. I'll be waiting.” he said, before cutting the connection.

?As they went, the aura became darker. It pulled her along with the promise of love and warmth at the end of it. She couldn't wait to see him.

?Within minutes of running on high speed, zipping through more woods, they came out on the other side into a clearing. They skidded to a stop in front of an enormous house.

Chapter Seventeen

Saying her Uncle Josh's house was huge was an understatement. They left the forest and entered a large, secluded hideaway, encased within the trees. Angels definitely loved their privacy.

?The mansion towered over her, consisting of three levels, made out of red brick, with six tall, white columns connected to the overlay of the roof. Massive windows sparkled against the sunlight and the front door made of dark, mahogany wood.

?The bricks with which it had been constructed were the calcium silicate type, common to the area, given the abundance of the natural resources necessary for their production. The windows were in a mock Gothic style, and appeared to have been inspired by the work of Pugin. The roof was in the mansard style, and made of slate tiles; it provided an elegant and understated summation to the edifice, giving an impression of class and good taste.

?The house was laced with neatly trimmed hedges and flowers, which surrounded the porch. The yard was huge; with soft willow trees swaying in the breeze close to the walkway that led in different directions. One led toward the house, another veered off to the woods, the third went around to the back of the house.

?Her uncle stood on the porch with outstretched arms. She was so happy to see him; it had been awhile. She ran into his embrace and hugged him with everything she had. She didn't realize how much she missed him until that moment.

?When she thought about it, he had been training her all her life. She learned pretty much everything she knew about defending herself from him.

?Her parents treated her like a porcelain doll, but she and her uncle had their own little secret. Whenever he visited, they would sneak away and he would teach her everything he knew.

?She always thought that was their fun time, just something to do that was out of the norm, but he knew. He had to have known all along that even though her powers were blocked, she would eventually come around.

?“Unc, I've missed you. How ya been?”

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