A Year of Jubilee [The Death Note Fanfic]

Chapter 10

Three years earlier

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Pastor Andrews and his wife Susan became like family to Jubilee in the months during her recovery. They drove her back and forth from her apartment to her rehab program at the hospital. Susan would often drop by Jubilee's apartment with a pot of soup or a lasagna. Jubilee was constantly invited over to their house for dinner.

Her injuries were healing at a remarkable speed. At first, Jubilee could barely use the bathroom without a nurse assisting her, but within a week she was walking on her own again, albeit slowly, and so she was released from hospital stay. In another two weeks her back brace was no longer necessary, and the scars on her forehead had faded. Within a month she no longer even had a limp. The doctors were all perplexed by her record time recovery. William and Susan simply smiled and said that the hand of God must be upon her. She said nothing, only looked at the angel who stood by her side day in and day out.

William soon invited her to his church. To appease him and Susan she attended occasionally, but the experience always made her feel uneasy. At nearly every service her senses were battered with an onslaught of different sights and sensations. The other members of the congregation, sitting amongst the pews around her, emanated lights and colors of varying intensity. Some glowed like William and his wife, but many were shrouded in something dark and unpleasant that trailed after them like a cloud. The overall experience made her feel lightheaded and sick all at once.

One time, sitting in the pews during one of William's sermons, she mentally asked the angel how it was that he was the only angelic being there with her.

The only one? he had asked, seeming amused. Heavens no. But you can hardly handle what you are seeing as it is. Imagine if you saw every single angel, archangel, demon, principality, or fallen angel that was following every single human...not to mention the many others that are just drifting about. It could make you pass out again, at best...or drive you mad, at worst. At this, his tone became more somber. And we can't have that.

Jubilee gulped. Demons? The thought struck fear into her heart. She hadn't seen one since the car wreck, and it hadn't occurred to her that she might ever see one again. To be honest, she had sort of repressed the incident. Surely she wouldn't have to see one again, would she?

Goosebumps formed on her arms at the thought, and a sudden chill washed over her. She shivered and hugged her arms to her chest, drawing concerned gazes from the people sitting beside her. One man offered her his sweater but she shook her head, feeling slightly nauseous.

Have courage, said the angel in a steely tone, touching her elbow lightly and giving a hard and steady gaze at something beside her that she couldn't see. She didn't want to think about what it might be. Don't be afraid.

The angel's words and supernatural touch soothed her somewhat, but didn't keep her from thinking that perhaps, for now, repressing such thoughts wouldn't be such a bad thing. She spent the rest of that service staring ahead at William's form at the pulpit, and trying to think of nothing.

Eventually the angel did explain to her what he meant when he had talked to her about fear, back at the hospital. But, interestingly, it was William who brought it up first.

"Don't be afraid of making new friends," he said one night when she was over for dinner. Susan had served meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

"Hmm?" Jubilee managed around a mouthful of meatloaf. "What do you mean?"

"I noticed that you don't talk a whole lot with the others after service," said William. "It's okay if you're shy, but it's okay to make new friends too."