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Guardians

Writer's picture: EsterEster

When I first chose this name for my next story, I didn't realize that Space Force also uses the term Guardians. I chose mine beause some of my characters were Guardian Angels at one time and because one of my readers helped me come up with the title: "Guardian Investigations." I ran a contest to help me with the title, so my reader, Crystal Stewart, who won, is now a character in the book! I'm posting chapter one of the story, as it is now. I hope you enjoy it.

   

Chapter One

Two young women sat in an empty room at an anime convention in downtown Miami, Florida.

Crystal Stewart thumbed through the program, looking over the panels being offered. Her friend, Eva Rawlins, poked Crystal in the shoulder.

“Look!” Eva whispered.

Crystal glanced up and saw two greenish-blue, bird-like creatures walk past them. “Nice costumes,” she whispered.

Eva stood up and walked toward the stage where a red door stood next to it, on the floor. Eva grabbed the knob and opened the door, walking through the entrance. Just as she walked through, the door and Eva disappeared.

Crystal jumped up. “Eva!” She ran toward the stage, walking completely around it, searching for the door. “Eva!” she called out. Eva and the red door were gone.

*** 

Alona and Luke held hands while walking behind Teresa and her fiancé, Renaldo. Alona watched them holding hands as well and whispering to each other. She thought about how young love was cute to watch from a distance. Even though Alona had centuries of love experiences, with Luke, everything was new and different. She smiled at the thought of being alone with him later tonight.

Once the four of them bought their tickets, the group studied the program and map.

“Since this is day two of this convention, why don’t we do this panel,” Alona suggested. She pointed at Anime Con 101.

“Yes,” Teresa said. “Afterward, we can figure out what to do and where to go.”

The four of them headed down the hall, searching for the room. Alona did a double take when costumed people passed by. The costumes were elaborate, but she didn’t recognize any of the characters.

Luke elbowed her and pointed at someone coming toward them. The person looked like a Jedi knight, walking with Yoda. She nodded and smiled, remembering how Luke had imitated Yoda when they first met.

“You never told me what other voices you do,” she said to Luke.

“Which voice do you want to hear?” Luke asked.

“Han Solo,” she said.

He pulled her tight. “Maybe you need a few scoundrels in your life,” Luke said, imitating the character.

“Ooooh, that sounds good.” Their faces were close. “I think I just need one scoundrel right now.” She caressed his face. Before she could kiss him, she heard Teresa call out.

“Come on! We’re going to be late!”

Luke took Alona’s hand and they raced to the room. The four of them sat together in the back and listened to the speaker go over the things they could expect at the con. He went on for thirty minutes.

Afterward, Alona and Luke decided to go to a different panel than the one Teresa and Renaldo wanted to attend.

“Let’s meet near the entrance when you’re finished,” Alona said.

“Great idea!” Teresa said. She and Renaldo headed toward their panel.

*** 

Teresa and Renaldo sat together during their panel. Renaldo held her hand in his lap. She half listened to the speaker and half planned what she wanted to do with Renaldo after the con was over. When the speaker finished, she leaned toward Renaldo and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for doing this with me,” she said.

“I’m enjoying this so far,” he said. “I think it would be fun to dress up in a character costume, don’t you?”

Amazed at his response, she smiled. The two of them walked out into the hall. Crowded with costumed people, Renaldo grabbed her hand.

“What character would you dress up as?” she asked. She glanced up at Renaldo when someone bumped into her hard, breaking her connection with Renaldo. Just a glimpse, the character-clad person resembled someone from Star Wars.

“Teresa!” Alona’s voice sounded.

Teresa spun around. She didn’t see Renaldo, but instead saw Luke and Alona. “There you are!” Teresa said.

“Where’s Renaldo?” Luke asked.

Teresa spun around again and still didn’t see Renaldo. “He was with me a moment ago,” she said. She glanced around again, with no luck.

“Why don’t you call him?” Alona said.

She made the call and counted the rings. It went to voicemail. “He’s not answering,” her heart fell. It wasn’t like him to ignore her calls.

“Try texting him,” Luke suggested. “Do you see him?” Luke asked Alona.

Teresa watched Alona and Luke glance around while she texted Renaldo.

“No. How about you?” she asked.

Teresa paced while she waited for Renaldo’s response. “This is not like Renaldo to not respond,” she said.

“Did he say anything to you?” Alona asked.

“No. We were holding hands until someone bumped into us. That’s when I lost contact with him and I saw you at the same time. I didn’t realize he was gone until I turned around.”

Luke reached out and touched her shoulder. “I want you to picture the image of the person bumping into you, the way it happened, when you lost contact with Renaldo.”

Teresa closed her eyes. She pictured the Jedi-clad person with black eyes that walked through her as if she wasn’t there. His face was covered by the dark, brown hood but she couldn’t forget the soulless eyes. He had no beard or mustache, but his brows were dark and menacing.

“I saw him,” Luke said.

“You saw Renaldo?” Teresa asked.

“No, I saw the entity who bumped into you, and I’m getting a bad feeling about him.”

“What do you mean?” Teresa asked.

“Let’s see if we can find Renaldo. We’ll check every room on this side,” Luke said.

Luke checked every men’s room they passed with no luck. The panels had already begun, so they took turns checking each room and calling out Renaldo Perez’ name with no luck.

“Check your phone again, Teresa,” Alona said.

She glanced at the phone, but there were no calls or messages and no responses to her calls or texts. Then she tried calling and texting once more. “It’s going straight to voicemail now,” she said.

“Let’s report this to the authorities,” Luke said. The three of them headed to the registration desk and asked to speak to security. They explained the situation while Teresa pulled up a picture of Renaldo on her phone.

“Maybe his phone died and he had no way to charge it,” the security officer said.

“Can I send you his photo so you’ll know him when you see him?” Teresa asked.

The security officer was reluctant, but finally acquiesced.

“Should we also report this to the police?” Teresa asked.

“I think it has to be twenty-four hours before they will start an investigation, unless he’s on medication or has a disability,” the security officer said.

Teresa glanced at Alona, then Luke. “I just can’t leave here without him. What should I do?” she asked.

Luke put his arm around Alona and Teresa. “Hang on.”

*** 

In the next instant, the three of them transported into the office of Guardian Investigations. There were three others in the office as well. A blue-eyed red head sat on a comfortable looking chair and she was speaking with Pete and Elena Cummings, the owners of Guardian Investigations.

Luke stepped away from the two women. “We need your help.”

*** 

“Hello Luke, this is Crystal Stewart. She just lost her friend at the Anime Convention down the street,” Elena said.

“You, too?” Luke responded.

“What do you mean, you, too?” Pete asked.

Pete Cummings stood up at the sudden entrance of three people into his new office in downtown Miami. “This is Luke—”

“Matthias,” Luke responded.

“And this is Alona Gabriel and Teresa—”

“Martinez,” Teresa said.

“And this is Crystal Stewart, our first client,” Elena Cummings said.

“Yes, who’s missing?” Elena added.

“Renaldo Perez, my fiancée,” Teresa said.

“Have a seat, Teresa,” Elena said. She pointed to another comfortable chair beside Crystal.

“We’re going to need more chairs,” Pete said. He glanced at Elena.

Luke manifested two more comfortable chairs and offered one to Alona. Then he took the last chair.

Pete and Elena moved their desk chairs closer to the group. Elena pulled out her notebook and began writing.

“Tell us what happened, Teresa,” Pete said.

“We were down the street at the Anime Con as well,” Teresa began. When she finished her story, Pete walked toward her.

“Can you picture the person who bumped into you?”

“Sure,” she said.

Pete touched Teresa’s shoulder. “I see him,” Pete said. “You haven’t seen this man since then, have you?” Pete asked her.

“No, and I haven’t seen Renaldo, either.”

“Did you happen to see the bird people?” Crystal asked.

“Yes, we did,” Alona responded. She glanced at Luke.

“What bird people?” Elena asked.

“They came through the red door just before Eva went through the door and the door and Eva disappeared,” Crystal said.

Luke stood and touched Crystal’s shoulder. “Can you picture the bird people for me, Crystal?” Luke asked.

“Sure.” Crystal closed her eyes.

“Yes, those are the same people we saw,” Luke said, “but I don’t think they were human.”

“No? What were they?” Elena asked.

“They were either from a different density or planet,” Luke said.

“That’s interesting,” Elena said.

“We’re going to have to use some unconventional methods to solve this,” Pete said.

“Like what?” Elena asked.

“I have an idea,” Luke said. He touched Elena’s shoulder and Pete’s shoulder.

“Wow, that’s what they looked like?” Elena asked.

“I see what you mean, Luke,” Pete said.

“Come here, Alona,” Luke said.

Alona joined the three of them. Luke put his arm around Alona and Elena. Pete also wrapped his arms around Alona and Elena. They moved closer together and within seconds were gone.

*** 

“What just happened?” Crystal said. She stood up and glanced around the office.

“Luke is an angel,” Teresa said.

“For real?”

“Yes. I just hope they can find our people,” Teresa said.

“Well, if an angel can’t find them, then no one can,” Crystal said.

The phone rang. Crystal ran to the desk and answered it.

“Guardian Investigations, this is Crystal, how may I help you?”

 

 

 

 

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