Hank was eleven-years-old when he hit his head in a scooter mishap. It was a cool November morning. The trees rustled in the wind, the last of the dark reds and brown leaves falling to the earth with each gust. The air smelled like rain and the clouds rolled in.
“Dude, we should go home. It’s going to start to rain soon,” said Evan, Hank’s older brother.
“One more pump though the bowl,” Hank pleaded.
It was during the last round when lightening struck a nearby tree, the clap of thunder so loud it broke Hank’s concentration and he jerked his body causing himself to fall and hit his head.
Everything turned white. With his eyes open he couldn’t see. Then everything turned black and stars appeared. After some time he was seeing galaxies and planets, and he seemed to be floating through space, moving up and through more color and starlight. A winged figure floated by, then another and another, each a different color of light.
Hank began to slowly descend, floating down. He fell asleep.
When he woke up, he was in the hospital. His parents, obviously relieved he was awake, told him it was good that he wore his helmet. The doctors just wanted to run a couple tests to make sure he was okay. He had been unconscious for two hours.
“I saw angels,” said Hank.
His father left the room to get the doctor.
“Dude,” said Evan, “that tree was split in two from that lighting bolt.”
“Can’t wait to see it,” Hank replied.
“Let’s not go back to that skate park so soon, huh?” said Mom.
The doctor entered and told Hank they wanted to do one more test. They wanted to scan his brain and ask him a few questions while they did so.
Hank told her that would be fine. He wasn’t scared.
The tests showed no internal damage. Hank was free to go home. The family picked up a pizza to celebrate Hank’s good health.
That night Hank dreamed. He was in the cosmos again, and the angels of light were there.
As the days turned into weeks, Hank continued to dream about the angels. He decided to tell his brother about it.
“Sounds like a pretty cool dream to me,” said Evan. “Have you talked to them?” he asked.
“No,” replied Hank.
“Maybe they don’t want to scare you. Maybe you can’t hear them. Do they look at you or just float around?”
“Some stop and hover nearby, the yellow ones. But, they don’t get to close. I can’t make out distinct features because they glow of light. The other colors fly by or away or disappear and reappear.”
“And it’s been like that since the accident?” his brother asked.
“Yep.”
“Sounds supernatural to me,” said Evan.
“Should I tell Mom and Dad?” asked Hank.
“That’s up to you, dude. But, some people will think you’re nuts if it gets out. Just saying. I got a feeling about this. With the lightening, and having the same dream so many times, and the fact that your brain scan came back healthy. This dream is something. I’d wait and see how things go.”
“Thanks, Evan.”
“No prob, little bro.”
So, Hank waited.
It was Christmas Eve and they had just gotten home from Grandma’s. Hank had accidentally had a glass of the wrong eggnog—the adult’s eggnog! It was obvious he didn’t do it one purpose, so his parents weren’t mad. But, they could tell their son was tipsy, so they took him home and put him to bed.
“Look! It’s snowing!” said Hank. “Let’s build a snowman tomorrow!”
“Okay, honey,” said Mom. “Go to sleep now. Lay on your side. There’s water and cookies on your nightstand if you want them.”
“Those aren’t Santa’s cookies!”
“No. No. Silly one. These are for you. Now rest.”
Hank’s heavy eyelids closed and he was asleep within minutes.
“What’s going on over there?” asked Hank, pointing across the cosmos to a white area of space where people were lined up waiting for their turn. When the person at the top of the line glided down, their speed increased and they disappeared.
The angel of yellow light pointed to an angel of blue light at the top of the line.
“But they are being crushed,” said Hank. “I can feel it in my chest and in my ears.”
The figure shook her head, no.
“Can you speak?”
“Yes.” It wasn’t a sound Hank heard with his ears. The reply was a knowing.
“We are all connected,” said the angel.
“Where are those people going?” asked Hank.
“To a different dimension. They’ll be fine. It’s not our concern. I’ve been waiting for you to be able to hear me. I have a message for you,” she said.
“Okay. I am curious why I keep having this dream. Yes. I’m dreaming, aren’t I?” asked Hank.
“Yes, but it’s true,” said the angel. “I’m here with you. You’re here with me,” she said.
Hank smiled. Evan was right.
“You will receive messages while in your realm. You will know things others don’t, and you will be able to guide people. It is a good ability, but it comes with a price.”
“What’s the price?”
“You will hear a lot of what others cannot hear. This may be overwhelming at times, but with time you will master this. Some will consider you crazy. Others will call you a fraud. So do not tell others of your abilities until the time is right.”
“When will the time be right?” asked Hank.
“When you are much older. Some will know. Some will figure it out. But, the unbelievers need not know until you are older.”
“Okay.” Hank felt like he was in a trance, floating in the cosmos, talking to a being of light. “Are you an angel?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied.
“I thought so.”
“You knew so,” said the angel.
“What is your name?”
“I go by Trea.”
“So, will I hear you, Trea?” asked Hank.
“You will. Sometimes. You might start to hear thoughts of others in your world.”
“I will hear other people’s thought!”
“Sometimes, yes. Not like you hear with your ears. It’s a bit different. You will know. You will also be guided by your higher self, like how you knew I was an angel,” said Trea.
“Will I hear other angels or the Holy Spirit?”
“You have always been guided by the Holy Spirit. You might hear other angels, if you meet them here and they’re meant to guide you. You might also hear one of your ancestors.”
“Really? Who?”
“You’ll find out. Time to wake up.”
Immediately, Hank was in his bed. It was Christmas morning.
He jumped out of bed and went straight to his brother’s room.
“Evan! Evan! Wake up! Jesus sent me an angel. Her name is Trea. You were right, Evan. My dreams are supernatural.”
“Dude! Watch where you’re jumping.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“Okay, I’m up. I’m up. Hey, Merry Christmas, little bro.”
“Merry Christmas!”
Hank told Evan all about his dream. They decided to keep it just between them for now and see how things progressed.
“Sounds like you’re going to be some sort of psychic or prophet or something.”
“I don’t know. We’ll see. Let’s go open presents!”
“Sounds good,” Evan replied.
Their private Christmas morning went wonderfully. They both got BMX bikes which they absolutely loved. They got a ton of protective gear, too. Dad got a puppy! Best gift ever! They named him Bear. Mom got a gigantic jewelry box. She was very happy.
They entertained relatives that night. Hank received his first message.
Uncle Eddie was sitting at the counter nibbling at the food on his plate. Hank walked over to the counter to grab a cookie. When he looked into his uncle’s eyes he knew.
“You should go to the eye doctor Uncle Eddie,” said Hank.
“What?” asked his uncle.
“Your eyes. You should have a doctor look at them,” said Hank.
“Oh, kay,” replied his uncle, a little confused.
“Cookie?” offered Hank.
Uncle Eddie smiled and took the cookie.
It turned out, Uncle Eddie had cataracts.
As the days went by it seemed to Hank that the inner knowing was his main ability, and he handled it beautifully. Then one day at school he heard a girl, Daisy, say “I’m gonna steal your bracelet during gym class you snob.”
Hank could barely believe his “ears”. But the other girl, Nina, didn’t react. Because—she didn’t hear it. Because the words were not spoken out loud.
After gym class Nina came back to class complaining that she lost her bracelet.
When it was time for recess Hank stayed in the classroom. He peaked into Daisy’s desk and saw the bracelet. He took it and put it into Nina’s desk.
When the class got back from recess Nina opened her desk for a pencil and found her bracelet.
“My bracelet!” she exclaimed. “How weird. I don’t remember putting it in here.”
Hank watched Daisy open her own desk to find out her stolen treasure had been returned.
It was situations like these in which Hank helped others. And, the following summer Hank heard Trea. She guided him a few times, but he didn’t dream of the Cosmos again.
One time Trea told him to bring flowers to his mom. She must have really needed a smile that particular day. Another time, while Hank was having a conversation with the bagger at the grocery store, Trea told him to tell the boy to apply at the tech school. Turns out the boy had been considering it for some time.
Hank listened and followed his intuition. He helped many people through the years. As time moved on he had spirit guides come and go. He spoke to some ancestors, but no ghosts. The ancestors seemed to be like the angels.
Hank came out and told people about his abilities while he was in college. He was confident but not arrogant and was able to handle the non-believers easily. He seemed to be blessed with the art of conversation and ended up majoring in communications. Later in life he wrote books and had seminars where he helped others.
Hank prayed to God not to make him famous. However, God’s will for Hank was fame. Hank accepted his calling and with God’s guidance he stayed humble.
—Celia Blake
Hank, a short story
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