Read Online Dream Angel : Heaven Waits by Patricia Garber - Free Book Online Page A

where to go first. We were out of our league. And other than a few minor speeding tickets, neither of us had ever been in trouble with the law. The simple fact that we were standing on private property like some cat burglars should have been a sobering reality. But we were not ourselves, and both of us seemed bent on our own personal agendas. I knew what mine was, but with Heather things were a little more unclear. Granted, I had pushed her pretty hard, but she rarely did anything she didn’t want to. And, if this act of insanity was strictly for me, out of friendship, how long could I keep allowing her to put herself in harms-way? No doubt, I cared about her more than I cared about myself, I thought while glancing back to the church with my first twinge of sadness for the night.
    “If anything unfortunate should happen, promise me you’ll save yourself first.” I spoke softly. And when I looked back, Heather’s who-are-you look made me smile, if only lightly.
    “No,” she said.
    “Then how about we run like the devil is chasing us and meet at an agreed location?” I squinted through the thicket towards the boulevard. “Like the first hotel south of Graceland?”
    She grunted and then sighed. “Fine."
    It was a short walk, and except for the dull sound of our footsteps, the night was hushed. No tiny eyes glowed back to us from within the shadows that circled. Even the light breeze seemed to blow without a sound. It was as if Mother Nature held her breath.
    When we emerged from the woods, I stopped to admire the grand manor off in the distance. Every window was filled with an ominous darkness that aroused sadness within me despite its beauty. Just like the church, nobody dwelled inside Graceland’s walls. A soft glow of light beamed up on the outside of the house illuminating it like a precious piece of showcased art.
    In contrast, while the front of the manor glowed soft and peaceful the property behind the home was surprisingly bright. I wondered how I had never noticed the spotlights during past visits. They shined across the pasture, highlighting the field as intensely as the light of day. And except for the trail along the fence line, virtually no shadows existed for us to hide. I glanced over to Heather who stood expressionless, dazed by the same sight.
    He won’t let anything bad happen , I barely heard my thoughts of reassurance over the rushing of my heart, surging an echo like that of a raging sea inside my ears.
    “Let’s do this.” Heather suddenly refocused.
    Inch by inch, we shuffled along the back of the estate, and followed an aged white picketed fence. Our progress was slow, and I could hear Heather breathing close behind. I had never realized how far-flung thirteen acres could feel before that night. The plan, as I had thought out thus far, was to circle around back, behind the barn, and arrive at Meditation Gardens on the opposite side, the south side, of the property.
    This would prove to be harder than one might think as the ground was hard from the winter freeze, and rolled under my feet. In what seemed like my every step, I stumbled only to catch myself before tumbling to my knees. No wonder Elvis rode around Graceland in golf carts. The terrain was dangerous. Horses, go-carts, cars and motorbikes were all better adapt than strolling around the back forty on two feet.
    I reached the tall white barn first. A pungent smell of soiled hay drifted over me on a breeze. And though I believed my steps to be of stealth like silence, a horse nickered from inside causing me to flinch and gasp a breath of stinging cold air in to my lungs. Instantly, I began cooing in low purring sounds but it didn’t help. The animal was pounding the barn floor, expressing annoyance with every solid thud that vibrated the dirt under my feet.
    Not far behind me, I could see Heather wobbling down the path I had just traveled. The sight of her stumbling, her arms instantly out at her side for more balance, made me