The Fifth Archangel

27: The Heavenly Ghost

Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.

That was not how it was supposed to go down. Rebecca wasn't supposed to die; she was supposed to live.

Nevertheless, my Grace floated skyward. It shot into the atmosphere, then zoomed around the world, towards the sandbox that was the gateway to Heaven. It shone as my Grace neared it, and opened in a shining mist of whitish, bluish light. My Grace flew in.

My Grace took the form of Rebecca when I finally arrived in Heaven. It was different than when I last saw it, more organized and sophisticated. Archangels, and probably angels too, didn't get the kind of pleasure humans did. Angels got Heaven's endlessly boring marble hallways, as opposed to human's Heavens reliving their happiest memories.

Upon my arrival, two angels appeared in front of me. I didn't recognize either of them. One was a girl with curly brown hair and a impeccable suit; the other was standing behind her, with longish white-blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

The girl looked me up and down, then reached her hand out. "Hannah."

I grabbed her hand. "Keistelle."

The man also reached out his hand. I took it. "Samuel." He greeted me, "we've met."

I shook Samuel's hand. He looked different--older--than when I had last saw him, and his hair was longer. He had the same brilliant blue eyes, but they were clouded now. I couldn't believe I hadn't recognized him before.

Hannah gave him a look, then returned to me. "Keistelle, you came back here to..."

I looked at the ground. "I, um, sort of died."

"'Sort of'?"

So I told her my story. From revealing myself as the Anti-Christ to Sam and Dean, to meeting Gail, to finding Samuel, to being captured by Crowley, to losing my Grace, to working with Crowley, to dying and being brought back, to being captured by Lois and Manda, I told her everything, all the way up to the point of imploding.

When I finished, Hannah stared at me, silent. Behind her, Samuel had his mouth hanging open in silent awe.

After an awkward minute, Hannah finally spoke. "You worked with the king of Hell?"

I nodded. "It was kind of a forced relationship--demon deal, and all that."

She nodded. "I see." Hannah paused, thinking. "So what are you going to do now? Are you going to find a new vessel?"

I had considered that. Finding a new vessel would take a while, but I would be able to live on Earth again. But I had already ruined two vessels, a third one would probably have the same fate.

No, I would return to Earth as Rebecca's ghost. I explained this to Hannah, but she didn't have the same outlook as I did.

"If you go back as a ghost, you'll be mortal. You'll be subject to all the things that can kill ghosts."

"I know." Since the boys were probably giving Rebecca's body a hunter's funeral, burning the body, my spirit would be tied to an object that was mine. I was probably going to be tethered to my wings.

Hannah put her hand on my shoulder. "Good luck and farewell."

"Actually," I shook her hand off. "I need to do something first."