“No time like the present,” she said. She and Ted managed to get the wheelbarrow through the weeds and onto the track before nature started its assault. Mia raised the shield over Ted and the contents of the barrow from the heavy hail. They heard the ominous sound of the wind changing. They needed to find cover right away. Ted ran the barrow across the road and into the deep drainage ditch. He and Mia pulled Mike into the large culvert and hung on for dear life.
“As long as the rain holds off, we should be okay!” Ted shouted above the sound of the wind.
“I love you!” Mia shouted back.
“I know!” Ted said and drew the four of them together with his long arms.
Mia extended her wings and wrapped them around Ted, Mike, Murphy and herself. The archangel wings would act as a shield, hopefully protecting the humans from the flying debris, and keep depleted Murphy from being taken away in the storm.
~
Orion, Burt, Sam and Cid searched frantically amongst the ruins of the old house.
“They’re not here,” Orion said.
Cid stopped. He put his finger to his lips. He angled his head to the ground and thought he heard a very off-key voice singing tango music. “Mia, that’s Mia,” he said, running away from the house. The others followed and watched as he started to pull out debris from the deep culvert on the east side of the road.
Cid pulled out piece after piece of wood and tin that had been sheared off the old house. One piece refused to give.
“Um, that’s attached to me,” Mia said weakly. She backed out of the culvert, one wing folded back awkwardly.
“Careful,” Orion coaxed.
Sam stood there open-mouthed.
Burt picked up Mia and carried her, wings and all, up the embankment. Behind her, they found Ted and Mike. Ted groaned. He unfolded his tall frame as he backed out of the culvert. “Mike’s been out since Mia found him. He’s breathing, but he’s still unconscious.”
Burt climbed back down and examined his friend.
Orion gently eased Mia’s wing outwards. “Come on, I know it hurts, extend, more,” he demanded.
Mia did as she was told.
“Shake them.”
When she did, nails, glass and wood slivers fell out.
“Good lord,” Orion said, impressed. “They say that an angel’s wing is as strong as iron, but this is unbelievable.”
“It hurts.”
“Well, this one you dislocated, I assume, when the twister came over. Probably tried to suck you folks out of there.”
“It tried, but between Ted and me, we hung on. Murphy, shit, where’s Murph?”
Murphy moved out of the debris.
“Cid, he was locked in an iron-capped well. He’s going to need some juice.”
“She’s got wings,” Sam said, stunned.
“I could wipe his mind,” Orion offered.
“Mia, I’ve called an ambulance,” Burt said. “You may want to, you know.” He made a flying motion with his hands.
Mia looked at Orion. “You can contain them, but it’s going to hurt,” Orion warned her.
Mia did so, furthering the living nightmare that Sam was experiencing.
“Ouch ow ouch, damn, shit, ouch,” Mia said but managed to bring the wings back inside her.
The siren sounds pierced the air. Mia walked over to Sam. “Are you alright?”
“Damn, I’ve never seen anything like you before.”
“If this is too much, I can help you to forget,” Mia offered.
“No. I’ll be alright. What are you exactly?”
“Mrs. Theodore Martin.”
Ted looked over and smiled. He looked past her and shook his head. Mia turned around for the first time. The house was gone. “Oh my god, Mark’s house is gone,” she said, walking across the street with her hands over her mouth.
“It’s for the best,” Sam said. “I never got a good feeling from that place. Now he can concentrate on other things a twelve-year-old should be doing.”
“I hope you’re right,” Mia said, fearing the loss of the old house would negate all the good they had accomplished so far.
The EMTs pulled up, and Ted guided them down to Mike. They wanted to take him in too, but he refused. Burt got in the back with Mike. When they pulled away, Mia and Ted started back to the cottage. The sun came out, and something bright flashed from the ditch. Ted climbed back down and came up with a large, heavy tin. He handed it to Mia, and she opened it. Inside was a handwritten copy of Strawberry Wine.
Mike woke up as they wheeled him into the hospital. While they were giving him a full examination, Burt sat down and tried to figure out what happened. He remembered filming the Waynes in the kitchen, and then nothing. Wait. He remembered being with Mia. No, that had to be a past memory. He had her pinned to the wall and… He shook his head. He walked over and accepted a cup of coffee from the nurse. He drank it and closed his eyes. There he was lying in bed. Mia was enticing him to come to her. He followed her and picked her up and was… No. She hit him with both hands. He dropped her. She ran down the steps and flashed him? This had to be a dream. He moved down the steps and took her beautiful breasts in his hands, touching them tenderly like he remembered she liked and… There were tears. And then Cid was there taking him away. What a crazy dream.
Mia and Ted showed up at the hospital with Glenda. Glenda walked into the cubicle with Mike. Burt walked out and looked over at Mia. She sensed his eyes upon her, and she looked his way. She handed Brian to Ted and walked over to him. She drew him into the small chapel and locked the door behind them.
“It was real,” he realized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know where or
