Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I slammed the rusty car door and an unpleasant polluted whiff travelled towards my nose. I struggled to breathe, as overfilled bins contaminated the air with a rotten stench. 
  
I heaved.

I squeezed my nostrils together with my fingers.

"M-uck!" I complained.

(Of course I meant yuck)

As I walked dirt and grime wedged into the bottom of my pink new pumps. Coffee and acid rain stained the buildings entrance doors and the window ledges were snowed under by cigarette ends. I frowned as a grumpy, over worked employee, put yet another out on the ledge and carelessly added to the pile.

As Anna reached for the silver door handle, fresh tacky chewing gum stuck to her hand. She cringed and wiped her hand over her black cardigan.

Rude busy people, bumped into her, as they crammed themselves to get inside. I carefully tread, as I desperately tried not to slip over the filthy water footprints, which had now made its own path through the shopping center.

The air-condition units must have been broke, as it was stuffier than a sauna inside. The air circulated like a thunderstorm and sweat began to build upon my face.

The over crowdedness made my soul feel claustrophobic.

My chest struggled to take in oxygen.

The people's thoughts began to rush inside my aura.

Overwhelmed I bent over, "Puff, puff, puff," went my breath as I hyperventilated.

My head began to spin and I wanted to vomit.

I heard greedy desperate voices ring in my ears.

I held my ears, "SHUT UP!" I yelled.

Everyone in my radius, turned to look at me.

"Luna, what's wrong? Are you ok?" Anna fussed, as she touched my back.

"I can-not breat-he and there's to-oo many peo-ple here," I gasped.

Anna grabbed me, and rushed me back outside.

Being the moon it meant I felt human's emotions and it was not a power I had control over, empathy was like poison to me.

I needed to learn to control my feelings and my body's reactions to my telepathic abilities.

"Come on Luna, for the title, for the Quest." I whispered.

I relaxed and breathed steady again and I stood up straight and sighed.

"I am fine now Anna, sorry just overwhelming to see so many people," I huffed.

She frowned and held my hand, "I think we should go home Luna," She fussed.

"No its fine, honestly, I think that was the worst of it," I reassured, as I took my hand back.

I touched her shoulder, then before she could say anymore, I determinedly paced back through the doors.

If I was to go to college and complete my mission I needed to control the empathy I felt towards others. I had no choice but to take it in my stride and try enjoy the challenge.

Strangely my powers were more intense than when I was an angel, as then I had, the seven chakras, to feel exactly what they felt. The only way to truly feel appreciated for the unconditional love I gave, for the wishes I had granted, was to experience being human.

For how could I possibly love any human being unconditionally, have complete compassion for them, when I had never felt like one?

Anna pointed, "Let's go into S&T," She suggested.

I avoided eye contact and tried to meditate away from the thoughts that surrounded me and with pure determination I charged into the store.

Then my determination had unexpectedly ignited something deep within my soul. As before my eyes, appeared something, I never expected to see in London.

In that very moment, I had been transported to India, caught in Holi's clouds of colourful dust. Overjoyed, I galloped around like a horse that had just escaped its barn.

Anna became the rider and she raced to lasso me.

I paused, held a bright lemon strappy top up against me, but I had no idea what was supposed to be appropriate for a teenage girl.

So I continued to gallop around, as if I was purposefully teasing Anna.

"Luna, stop!" Anna cried angrily.

I froze and everyone in the shop turned and looked at me.

I was not behaving typically human once again.

"Sorry, I became really excited," I apologised and shrugged my shoulders.

I faked a frown and glazed my eyes over with false tears.

"Luna don't get upset, just slow down, I can't keep up with those young legs of yours."

She waddled her weight over to me.

Then the other shoppers got back to their duties.

Anna traced her eyes over my figure, and tapped her chin, "Luna, be sensible please, pick size 8 and maybe have a browse through the tall section," She directed me, and behaved like my mother.

I rolled my eyes, "Yes. Mother..." I robotically replied, as I started to walk away.

"Anna, will do just fine! Thank you Luna!" She snapped.

I silently laughed.

Anna almost acted like one of Arch Angels and it made me react very quickly. I realised I had better control my attitude. I wondered: But for how long could I keep the real Luna suppressed?

As I browsed, I rubbed a flowy t-shirt against my face, and to my disappointment I was cut by a texture as hard as cardboard. Had my eyes deceived me? Had the bright pinks and radiant blues been some sort of façade?

I put a pair of jeans up against my scrutinizing nose and thought: What is this awful harsh poisonous scent I smell?

I frowned, "Anna, there is something wrong with the clothes in this store, cotton should be soft, and smell lovely," I shared.

"Oh, not many stores sell organic clothes, it costs too much to produce," She casually explained.

"You mean- this is not real cotton?" I questioned.

"Actually I am not sure what it is made from, you would have to read the label," Anna found the tag inside the trouser of the jeans, "88% Rayon and 12% elastic," She read to me.

She frowned, "Oh that's not good that stuff is hazardous to health," She blurted and immediately hung it back up.

"Anna are workers handling and inhaling hazardous chemicals?" I questioned.

Again the shoppers turned to look at me.

I held my hand over my mouth, in shame. I was very upset, what were those retailers thinking?

Tears filled the bottom of my eyes lids.

"I am sure they wear protective clothing, don't worry dear," She tried to calm me.

"And those chemicals, when the clothes are washed, would go into the water supply!" I cried.

Anna frowned, she was speechless and embarrassed as the whole shop now stared at us.

I did not care, I wanted to expose the dirty, selfish owners and make everyone aware of the damage they were doing.

Why would they want to produce such harmful, tacky materials? Because it was cheaper and they could have higher profit margins? At the expense of human lives?

"Anna this is serious. This shop is poisoning people! How can any of the clothes here be safe to wear?"

"Let's ask if they have an organic section, its S&T I'm sure they will," She suggested.

As disappointment grew inside me like a cancer, I became more focused on my duty, for I wanted to get my Arch Angel title and make real change on Earth.

For what I had discovered was the Earth was controlled by fascists, hidden behind a sweet advertising strategy, of capitalist corporate hierarchy.

I could not help but to feel, I was to blame.

I thought: If only I could stop granting wishes.

***

I was hesitant, as we finally arrived at destination unknown, because what was I really meant to achieve becoming a student? How could I possibly blend in with teenagers, when I could not relate to them or their technology?

I thought: I guess, I need to trust the universe. I am sure I will receive a sign soon.

Suddenly out of the car window, a bright green glow penetrated my heart chakra. The glow belonged to a gardener, and I was stunned to find, as he planted fresh flowers he talked to them with nurture and care, as if they were his children.

I smiled, he relaxed and healed my anxiousness. He did not know it, but he sent them pure pink love energy through his speech, which made the flowers positively bloom wider.

It made think he would probably become an angel like Metatron, and that I should put in a good word for him. Then I thought about Metatron and I wished in my heart he was safe and would be found.

I was surprised to see, the teachers had let the students express their creative energy, freely, over the exterior walls of the building. I read, funky, bubbly, purple and yellow spray painted words, 'Welcome to Saintly College.'

As the positive energy increased, I felt for sure in that moment, that was where I was meant to be. I climbed out of the car, delighted to find the college dome building, networked out like the tentacles of an octopus.

The artistic energy just seemed to flow, and circulate through the grounds, as the sky had the opportunity to channel its vibrations down below.

I clasped my scroll in my pocket, for a sign of reassurance, as I was not sure what course I was supposed to enroll into. We walked through the main entrance doors, Anna approached a small plastic window and knocked on it. I looked above and saw a sign, made out of stain glass multi coloured mosaics, it read, "Reception."

A short, light haired woman with glasses hurried over.

She forced a smile.

Then she pleasantly faked her tone as she explained some directions, and pointed towards a narrow corridor.

Anna and I walked down the long narrow corridor and it connected onto a huge assembly hall, where we waited in a short queue to enter. I glanced over the heads in the queue, and witnessed girls and boys around my human age in conversation with some of the current saintly students.

The queue shortened and we approached a petite brown haired girl who was tapping her mobile phone.

She sighed out of boredom.

Then she handed me a glossy leaflet.

She pointed to the other side of the room, "Welcome, refreshments are in the left hand corner of the hall," She monotonously explained.

"Thank you," I said, as I read her mind.

She was envious of the physical body I was in, "Wow, she is so pretty and tall, she looks much older than most of the girls here," She thought.

I wanted her to feel confident about herself, "You have lovely hair," I complimented her.

I sent her some energetic love vibrations and she smiled at me, eventually. I wished for one day she would realize, how beautiful she was, and that there was no need for her to be insecure. For each human was uniquely attractive, each one of them as precious as the next.

Those cosmetic, and clothing companies left humans insecure and wanting more. But I loved them unconditionally, I wanted them to be true to themselves.

Suddenly I heard a jingle and felt movement in my pocket.

"Tring, tring, tring."

I felt the inside of my pocket.

I peeked inside, it was my scroll and it was shaking and glowing an illuminous yellow.

I peered over to Anna, "Anna, I am just going to look around that stall over there," I said cunningly.

"Ok Luna, I need to find the principal to talk to him about your condition, and the paperwork, please don't leave the room," She gestured to me as she walked away.

I walked towards a wall and turned my back to the room.

I unraveled the scroll and it lit up my face.

The rays that escaped abruptly stopped.

Was my scroll broken?

No! Magically gold writing appeared upon it and I read,

'For you I have a riddle,

The root of your enrolment,

One stems the subject of fumes,

You are here to teleport,

And with Professor Starling talk,

Physically you have been learning,

The other your stomach was churning,

You must follow your chest,

He must learn from the best,

To complete your quest.'

I rolled the scroll tightly, and I put it back into my pocket.

I began to decipher the riddle, I scanned around the room and tried to pick apart the riddle and match it to a subject.

First signage read, 'Art' I could not fit the words there.

'Sports' I could not fit it there either.

I mixed the words up and jumbled the sentences.

Still nothing.

Did I over complicate it for myself? Was it that obvious? Fumes, Stem, Root. I saw the signage for 'environmental studies'.

Yes!

But one more subject remained I scanned again, as I thought:

Chest...stomach...physical. And I saw the last sign in the middle, Biology, yes Biology. But now I know my subjects, what is the purpose to them?

"Luna, are you alright?" Anna startled me, "You're staring into space dear."

"Anna," I held my chest, "Oh! Yes I am fine," I sounded distracted.

"Have you had a good look around?" She gestured around the room, "Made any choices?" She intrigued.

It was now or never. Move forward with my quest, I could not wait until next September.

"Yes, yes! I know what I am supposed-," I shook my head, "I mean, what I want to take," I revealed.

"Supposed to take?" Her eyebrows rose, "How that quickly? Luna I'm all for you being decisive, but don't you think you've rushed this?" Anna fussed.

"I just want to have a normal life. This accident has made me realize I cannot waste time waiting for answers, to come to me about my past, I need to make the most of what I have. I have that intuition, inside me, that whatever is meant to be will be," I expressed.

Then I smiled and showed my teeth.

Anna looked into my bright blue eager eyes, "If you are sure, then I am happy to support you. But if anything ever gets too much, do you promise to tell me?" She sounded so lovely.

"Yes. I will. Thank you. And thank you for being so understanding, I know I am somewhat difficult to manage."

She smiled softly, "Ok, so I spoke to the principal, and he told me you can take any subjects you wish but you need to take GCSES English and Maths, because we have no record of your last schooling and they need to check your English and Math skills." Anna explained.

"I am willing of course, I will do anything to enroll here," I sounded desperate.

"Ok, calm yourself," She grabbed my arm, "Which subjects did you choose?"

"Environmental Sssstudies and Biologggy." I stuttered.

I hoped she would approve, I did not know what I was getting myself into, I did not know much about the human body.

"Luna, before we take forms," She held my hand, softened her look, "And fill them out. Are, you sure, about this? Your social skills, dear, are not the, best," She asked slowly, one final time.

Social skills?

I was not here to socialise.

I was here to teach teleportation and get off this land of confusion.

I steadied my tongue and I looked determined, "Yes Anna, I am certain. I will learn in time. You have helped me so much."

"Oh and Luna, you can only come here if Dr Knight approves you're fit mentally," She added.

***

Later that afternoon, the selfless sun, twinkled down upon Tear Mont and navigated us towards the park. The entrance way's shrubs and trees, bent to form an archway you could walk through. The trees fluffy shades of mixed green leaves, hung like a perfectly dotted oil painting.

Anna undid Louis's red lead, from his collar and he darted towards the vast freshly cut grass. As we walked along a light dirt path, we entered a jungle of orange.

I hallucinated tiger faces in the orange and yellow begonia flowers and circled around them was a river of blue pansies.

"See Luna. Not so bad is it? Lovely park right by the house," She expressed.

"Yes, it is quite picturesque," I replied.

I was genuinely happy to be near nature.

Crunch.

I trod on shattered glass.

I immediately picked it up.

"Luna! What have I told you about picking up rubbish? Now look at your finger it's bleeding," She scolded me.

She snatched the glass out of my hands and went towards a bin.

I looked down at my finger, and it trickled blood.

I thought: But how? I did not feel a thing.

Anna handed me a tissue from her pocket, "Use this and I will you get a plaster when we get home, god, you worry me Luna."

"Sorry, you know I care so much about the harm litter can do to nature."

I frowned.

Like a vacuum cleaner, Louis turned carefully in perfect straight symmetry, whilst he kept his short tail very firm and his ears pointed towards the air.

He was clearly a very clever and obedient dog, as he came back every time Anna called him.

(But of course he was, he was an Arch Angel's friend)

"Luna shall I show you how Louis catches his tennis ball?" She asked.

I smiled with enthusiasm, "Yes please, then I would like a try please," I asked politely.

(Finally catching that made sense)

"Louis, come here boy," She shouted, Louis ran towards her and then obediently sat down, "Give me your paw," she asked.

Louis lifted his leg and placed his reddish fury paw into her hand. Then Anna threw the ball over the grass.

Louis zipped after it faster than a race car.

"Ok, bring it back good boy," He did and Anna passed the ball to me.

"Louis, ready, get it," I ordered.

Then I threw the ball onto the grass.

But Louis just sat unresponsive.

"Ring, bbbring, ring," I looked at Anna, as a strange noise came from her pocket.

"Hello, yes Anna speaking, oh hello Dr Knight."

I looked back at Louis he stared intensely at me.

"That's great news! I will let Luna know," Anna continued.

She put her mobile back into her pocket, "Great news Luna, you can start college this term."

"Yes!" I yelled.

Then I watched Anna's aura, turn from its usual yellow, to an excited purple. It was odd, I have never really seen colour in her aura, she was always a steady yellow, a consistent, controlled bore.

Unless she was eating of course.

But quickly I forgot about the good news as I heard something.

"Grrrrr," Louis growled.

"What is it Louis?" I said telepathically to him, he responded, "Evil, spirit, be warned Luna."

I followed his eyes, to what he was looking at.

"Woof, Woof," He barked at Anna.

"What is the matter with you Louis," She kneeled down to him, and babbled cutely, "Do you want me to throw your ball again? Go get your ball."

"Grrrrr," He growled again and the heckles on his fur coat stood up tall.

Then as if he just forgot about the whole incident, he ran towards the ball. He grabbed it with his mouth and played with it like a careless puppy.

"Strange dog. He has been acting odd lately. Maybe the new colour in my hair made him think I was someone else. Dogs get confused over little things sometimes. Yes probably that," She baffled nervously and paced ahead of me, "Not to worry I'm sure he will get over it, ha-ha."