Erik Reyes was drunk. He knew he had to work four hours from now, but he was still drunk – and quite frankly, he didn’t care. He was living a miserable life before Myla – a life of drugs, sex, and alcoholism, but that was before Myla. His sweet angel Myla.

He laughed bitterly. Angel. She was his angel now. Do angels even exist, he pondered, before passing by the familiar street.

He dreaded going back. He knew that when he opens the door, the familiar mess of dark hair and mismatched clothes won’t be welcoming him home anymore. Is this his punishment? For all his sins? He scoffed. Erik Reyes doesn’t believe in a god, he believed in science and the Big Bang. He trudged on, thinking about Myla and how she deserved a better life – how he tried to provide that for her, to give her everything she needs and she could ever want. But Myla was not with him, not anymore, not since the accident two weeks ago.

A tragic happenstance, the EMT had told him. Who even uses the word happenstance in this day and age? A freak accident, no one was to be blamed, said the others. But maybe if he had left work earlier, then maybe Myla would not have been waiting under that tree for him. No one knows where lightning would strike, freak accident, freak weather. Who cares? His Myla was dead.

He trudged on, the cold biting his skin. He didn’t care anymore. He didn’t want go back to an empty house. That was when he sensed it. Somebody was following him.

“Logan, if that’s you, I would very much like to be alone right now.” He sighed. But when he didn’t hear a reply, he turned back and saw an empty street. It was a small town and people had been offering him well wishes and looks of pity, and he was sick of it – especially Logan’s. Logan was the buff owner and baker of the only town’s bakery, and was Erik’s nemesis as long as he can remember. But when Erik moved out of the town, Logan was the one to help, and when Erik returned, this time with Myla, Logan had welcomed him back with open arms, he even looked after Myla when Erik had to go to the city for work. It was only a matter of time and some chocolate -chip bribes that Myla and Logan became close – the only other person that had shared Erik’s pain and tears was Logan. But he had also pushed Logan away in the two weeks since Myla’s death.

Erik was still lost in his thoughts when a gloved hand reached out to him, he jumped and turned around. Surprised to see a tall, brooding figure clad in a three-piece suit and tie, the figure looked regal but weak.

“You,” a whisper like the wind, it was difficult to identify if it was male or a female’s voice. “You keep her safe.”

Erik stood there, shocked and confused.

“We don’t have time,” the figure said.

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Erik didn’t understand and that was when he heard it. A small quiet coo. That was when Erik had realized that the figure was carrying a small bundle.

A baby?!

“Take her please.” Erik knew the strange person was begging. “It’s the only way. They’re coming.”

“Who’s coming?” Erik squeaked out.

“The – “

BANG!

Gunshots?

“No time,” the figure quickly handed the small bundle to Erik. “Go quickly. Keep her safe.”

BANG! BANG!

Erik didn’t need to know who’s coming, but he knew whoever they were. They were dangerous. He looked down on the bundle in his arms and found a baby – not more than six months, dark hair like his Myla’s.

BANG! BANG!

The gunshots were coming closer. He looked up to the figure before him – and he swore

that the figure had grown half a foot taller, but Erik still couldn’t see the figure’s face.

“Go.” The figure ordered. “I will hold them back.”

“But –“

“GO!”

And it was as if Erik was pushed back by a sudden gust of wind. Erik began to ran, but when he turned back, he didn’t see the figure, and he didn’t hear the gunshots.

Am I losing my mind? Grief and alcohol must have gotten to me. But no, because Erik heard a cry coming from his arms, Erik didn’t understand what had happened, or who or what was that figure. But for the first time in two weeks, Erik had felt a sense of calm he had not felt before.

“It’s okay now, you’re safe.” Erik cooed and began to walk back home – he hadn’t realized that in his drunken state he had walked into the forest.

“ERIK!” A voice boomed.

Erik looked up. “Logan?”

“Where were you? I stopped by your place this morning, but you were not home, you didn’t even go to work.” Pale grey eyes looked back at Erik. “You worry me, I know it’s only been two weeks, and -”

“This morning?” Erik interjected. “What do you mean this morning?”

“As I said, this morning,” Logan sighed. “It’s three in the afternoon, Erik. Three more hours and I would have reported you as missing. Where have you been?”

“I was – Erik paused. He didn’t know what to answer. “Going for a walk.”

“Since yesterday?”

Erik was pondering on how to answer, the silence overcoming the two men, only to be broken by the baby’s coos.

“What’s that?” Logan asked. “Where did you find that?”

“A baby, I found her when I was walking,” Erik wasn’t lying, he just didn’t know how to explain what had happened – he was after all, drunk last night, maybe the figure had been a product of his alcohol-induced hallucination.

“In the forest?” Logan exclaimed. “You saw that in the forest? Was she abandoned?”

“Yes, I can’t just leave it behind.” Erik whispered, but his voice broke. He still remembers Myla. Erik began to walk again.

“What are you going to do?” Logan asked, his long legs keeping up with Erik.

“Raise her,” Erik replied nonchalantly. “Myla always wanted a younger sibling.” Erik smiled at that. The baby could have also pass as Myla’s sister, Erik realized. They had the same shade of dark hair and dark eyes.

“It can pass on as Myla’s sibling,” Logan voiced out.

Erik looked up with annoyance at the man beside him. “She, not it, Logan,” Erik said dryly. “She’s a living being.”

Logan smiled widely at Erik’s annoyed look. It’s been a while since he had seen a different Erik – the Erik he had seen for the past two weeks was an empty shell of the Erik he had know since they were children.

“Can you let me carry her?” Logan asked innocently. “You must be tired from your walk.”

Erik sighed and knew that Logan won’t give him a rest until he does what Logan wants. He handed the baby to Logan and they heard a giggle.

“See?” Logan proudly said. “She likes me already.”

Erik smiled. It was like how Logan had enthralled Myla.

“What should we name her?” Logan asked.

“Selene. My baby Selene,” Erik cooed. The baby dark haired baby giggled at that and reached out her hand to Erik, showing off a silver bracelet wrapped loosely around her wrist.

“Was that there when you found her?” Logan suddenly asked.

“I guess so,” Erik replied. “I haven’t had the chance to check up on her yet.”

There walk back to Erik’s home was quiet, except for the occasional coos and giggles of the child – Erik had found it strange but beside him, Logan was lost in thought, and when they had finally arrived at Erik’s home, and before Erik could ask what’s wrong. Logan looked up at Erik and with a grim expression said:

“We need to get out of here.”

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