NEPHILIM

Matthew 7:13-14

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14

          Sundays were the only days Kachina could relax and she planned to take full advantage of it. Humming to the music blaring from her iHome, she sat cross-legged on the rug in her private dorm room, tinkering with a new prototype weapon she hoped to eventually use on missions. After some time, she let out a deep sigh. She missed her workshop with all of its fancy tools and equipment. Guess I'll have to make do with what I've got here. She'd always had a passion for fixing things, from old bikes to guitars, and she was even considered the handyman in her household. She wasn't sure what she liked more: the tediousness of the challenge, the sense of accomplishment when she found the problem, or the absolute giddiness of having the solution.
          Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
          "Takame-san!" The dorm manager called. "There's a package for you!" Kachina jumped up and hurried to the door.
          "Thank you!" She bowed to the older woman and brought the box inside, placing it on her desk. Who sent it? The writing on the return label was smudged during transport. With a shrug, she pulled out her knife and opened it, releasing a waft of overlapping earthy scents. Inside were carefully wrapped vials of medicinal herbs, some foreign snacks, and a letter with familiar barely legible chicken scratch. It read:
          'Hola, chica! Congrats on becoming an exwire! Things might seem a little boring at first but trust me, it gets better. Before you know it, we could be going on missions together! Anyway, I sent some Italian treats I think you'll like.'
          She opened a bag of lemon-flavored Fizzy Cola and popped a gummy in her mouth, savoring the sourness. The letter continued with an explanation of the contents of each vial and how they were used.
          'I'll be a bit busy for the next week or two but the next chance I get, why don't I pop in and we can hang out. You can show me what life in Japan's like. Can't wait to hear back from you. Sending love from the Vatican, Hania'
          She let out a chuckle and suddenly felt a pang of sadness. She hadn't seen her brother in almost a year and missed him dearly. Tears filled her eyes and she quickly wiped them away to avoid ruining the paper. 

          The glass French doors leading to her balcony slammed opened, startling her from her sorrow, and a rush of hot summer air brushed her face. That didn't bother her.
          Sitting on the balcony, one leg crossed over the other, was a masked woman with long black hair, braided and shaved on one side like a Viking. She stripped out of her tan trenchcoat that revealed a sleeveless white shirt with a swooping neckline, tight black shorts and tall black leather boots. Kachina glanced back up at her bright eyes that seemed to flicker like glowing embers. Where … where did she come from? This is the third floor …
          Then the stranger … 'spoke'. 'Do you know who we are?' Her raspy voice had a subtle yet commanding tone. Kachina flinched and nearly bolted out of the room but eventually, she settled down. 'Good choice. You wouldn't get very far anyway. Now,' She paused briefly, glancing from the threshold to Kachina. 'Are you going to invite us in?'
          "No." Not that she can't get in if she tried.
          The woman chuckled like a crackling fire. 'We could but we have class … and we don't want to put in the effort.' 
          At least you're honest.
          She sighed. 'We can continue our conversation like this, we suppose.' There was a moment of silence. 'Surely you've noticed our presence for a while now …'
          "Since the first day of school." You little stalker.
          'We'll pretend we didn't hear that,' she 'grumbled', 'Your innate abilities intrigue us. We haven't seen one of your kind in ages, let alone one of your … lineage. We believe we have much wisdom to offer if you choose to follow the path of the spirits.' Before Kachina could speak up, the woman continued. 'Don't decide right now. Think carefully. Once you begin the journey, turning back can have dire consequences.' She stood up on the balcony ledge and turned away from Kachina, revealing an intricate tattoo of angel wings on her back and another tattoo coiling around her left leg. 
          Nice ink. The woman donned her coat, preparing to leave … somehow.
          "Wait!" She glanced back at Kachina. "Who are you?"
          The woman smirked. 'Consider that your first assignment.' Then she jumped. Kachina rushed to the balcony and peered below, sighing with relief that she didn't see a woman's broken body on the cement.