[ WP ] One day your guardian angel appears and tells you about all the kick-ass protection you 've been getting .

Ephraim 
 
 -- -- -- -- -- - 
 
 `` Who in the world can honestly say they've been visited by an angel? Who *would* willingly subject themselves to that kind of scrutiny and general public humiliation.'' 
 
 She stopped to think about that for a moment. After a memory about her family life back in Missouri, she shook her head with a wry expression drifting across her face. 
 
 `` *Besides* religious nuts.'' 
 
 He turned and looked at her, and she was forced to look away again because his face, his eyes especially, just *hurt* so much to look at. The figure who had decided to appear to her at six in the God Damned morning was literally painful to stare at for too long. 
 
 `` I heard that. You should n't take the Lord's name in vain.'' 
 
 Argh! His voice, even that rattled her thoughts. Of course he could hear her thoughts. He was her guardian angel. 
 
 Or so he said. 
 
 `` Mind toning down the shock n' awe routine a bit? You're only impressing yourself... and hurting my brain.'' 
 
 She kept her eyes down and shuffled around on her bed, pulling her covers up closer around her chest and wishing him away. Maybe the Bible got it wrong and they were more like genies than divine messengers. 
 
 `` Sorry, I'll uhm - yeah, there we go.'' 
 
 She looked up at him and this time it was only a minor itch in her brain that nagged her as she examined his features. He looked gender-neutral. Sort of androgynous. 
 
 `` And, well, the Bible has a lot of things wrong but that's not really my concern. You were my concern. While I ca n't grant you wishes, I can inform you that I've done a spot-on job of keeping you protected from possessions, darker temptations by demons, and I even once diverted a mugger from targeting you.'' 
 
 He did n't seem smug, but there was definitely a hint of pride in the list of recent accomplishments on her behalf. 
 
 She groaned. 
 
 `` Would you mind telling me why you're here? Why now? Why not when I wrecked my car last Fall?'' 
 
 `` My name is Ephraim. We're not supposed to tell you our names, but there it is. I wanted you to know. That mugger was possessed.'' 
 
 He just kept right on talking over her. Like she had n't even said a word. What a jerk! For a guardian angel he was n't living up to her expectations. Why could n't he just do what she said? Good grief! 
 
 She rolled her eyes and started scooting toward the edge of the bed and her nightstand. She kept a can of mace in there for protection. 
 
 `` Great, wonderful. If that's true where was *his* guardian angel?'' 
 
 Ephraim tilted his head, like he was listening to someone else. Eventually, with a deep sigh, he shrugged. 
 
 `` It's complicated. Do n't worry about it right now.'' 
 
 `` Right, guess he sucked at his job and got reassigned, right?'' 
 
 She was joking. She did that a lot when she was stressed. Finally she reached out her hand to the nightstand and was getting the can of mace out when suddenly he was right next to her, standing beside her bed. Her finger twitched over the can of mace, but she did n't dare move. 
 
 `` Do n't worry. I do n't want to hurt you. I just - y'know? I wanted you to know who I was. Before...'' 
 
 Her mind was slowly reeling in her thoughts, going over the entire, brief conversation in hurried detail. She was missing something here. 
 
 ``... I go. Sorry about this. We're short-staffed and there is n't enough of us for all of you. I wanted you to know. You got some real top-notch protection these past twenty-three years.'' 
 
 Panic mode set in, and she reached out to grab his arm. 
 
 `` Wait, wait! Do n't go!'' 
 
 But he was already gone. 
 
 Her tousled hair fell across her eyes. 
 
 Her skin began to crawl, like she was exposed and everyone could see her naked. 
 
 `` Ooooh God!'' 
 
 But no one replied. 
 

