PROLOGUE

1997

The pain was excruciating.

The delivery room was cold and sterile. A strong stench of
cleaning chemicals hung in the room like an invisible cloud. The
stirrups hurt her bared ankles, and tears ran down her cheeks.
She was uncomfortable, weak, all alone and shivering.
Nobody ever told her that having a baby would hurt this
much. She was stunned that any woman would willingly put herself
through this absolute torture, some more than once. For the
first time since she'd runaway six months ago, Donatella Bright
wished her mother were here. She would certainly be disgusted
with her, getting knocked-up at fifteen definitely was not in
momma's carefully constructed plans for her, but at least she
could've warned her about the damn pain. She knew that the
delivery would hurt, of course, but she'd been in pain during her
whole pregnancy and she was worn down by it. Overhead, a huge
circular light blazed like a fluorescent sun. Donna focused her
attention on that light and tried to wish the pain away.
All around her, nurses in surgical garb and masks busied
themselves. One of the older nurses constantly dabbed a cold
washcloth against her forehead and whispered "Don't be scared,"
and "Everything's all right, child," into her ear. Donna liked
her. The others however, they could go to the devil for all she
cared. She could tell they were judging her; it was in their
eyes. She may be young, but she had a decade and a half of
seeing disapproval in her momma's eyes. She knew perfectly well
what it looked like.
Doctor Joseph W. Eddington, the ancient white-haired man,
poked his head over the sheet strung between her legs and looked
at her with a very serious expression. "Okay, Donna," he said in
a gravelly voice, "I want you to push again. Just a small one
this time, okay?" He then barked at one of the judging nurses
for a set of fresh towels.
 Donna didn't want to push ever again, even just a little.
It hurt beyond comprehension for her to push. The kind nurse
with the washcloth took Donna's hand and encouraged her with soft
words.
Donna summoned up the courage to face the pain one more
time, gritted her teeth, squeezed the nurse's hand as hard as she
could and pushed.
She felt something inside of her tear and immediately
everything around her started to fade. One of the nurses gasped
and Dr. Eddington muttered a curse, and she knew that something
was seriously wrong.

*****

Isabella, the guardian angel, was a vision of pure beauty

with her long flowing golden hair and inquisitive brown eyes. She
tucked her purplish-blue wings tightly against her back as she
landed in the delivery room. As per her instructions from her
Father, she had come to witness the birth of the new seer. Her
fingers fluttered with excitement as she laid her hands upon the
stomach of the seer's doomed mother. The child would arrive
within a matter of moments, though she would be born blind, as
all seers were. It was understood that one could not see the
Truth if they were blinded the by illusion of humankind's harsh
reality.
Isabella stole a quick glance to Ezekiel, the Archangel of
Death, and offered him a knowing smile. He had arrived with her
to escort the mother's soul to her reward. He looked so elegant
with his mighty black wings spread out to their full width, and
his arms open wide in a welcoming embrace. The human world would
cry and morn for the passing of the seer's mother, for they
didn't understand the true ways of Father, and therefore didn't
understand that Donatella Bright's death wasn't a tragedy, but
rather the ultimate blessing.
Ezekiel winked at her and flapped his wings sending an
unexplainable breeze across the windowless room. Isabella saw
that the humans were too enraptured in their tasks to take notice
of Ezekiel's actions. This caused him to wink again. He had
always been the mischievous one, thought Isabella behind an
amused smile. He loved to bend Father's sacred rules without
actually breaking them.
 Isabella heard the doctor instruct the mother to push again,
and she knew the seeker would now be born. The mother cried out
in anguish until Ezekiel rested his palms along her sweat-covered
cheeks. The mother calmed instantly with a contented sigh, and a
moment later, the seer was among the living. The human doctor
quickly snipped the Umbilical Cord, wrapped the seer in a clean
white towel and handed her off to a nurse wearing a mask.
Isabella wrapped her large wings protectively around the
human female and the seer, and greeted the new arrival by placing
her finger across the seer's lips. "Shhh," Isabella whispered in
a voice only the seer could hear. Even though the child had been
on this plane for only a few moments, Isabella knew the seer
would understand her words. "Don't tell what you know, for our
secret is not yet ready to be revealed. Welcome to this plane of
existence, my beautiful girl. As you know, I must take away your
humanly sight, so that you will not be blind to Father's Truth.
You will need this gift of "True Sight" later in your life. Be
at peace, for I shall always be with you. I am yours, precious
one. Now through all eternity."
Isabella looked to Ezekiel. He held the mother safely
within his arms as a sheet was placed over her empty human
shell's face. Humans, Isabella had learned long ago, were oddly
afraid to look upon death, instead they chose to cover it up with
cloth, hide it in long wooden boxes and bury it in the same
ground they grew their food. Gone was Donatella Bright's pain
and misery caused by this plane's existence. Instead, the mother
was smiling at her newborn babe with eyes full of love and total
understanding of Father's ways. Since she was the vessel that
carried the seer to her earthly destination, she would become a
saint. That was the blessed reward for all such vessels.
Isabella greeted Father's newest saint with the customary
touching of the right cheek. The mother returned the greeting
along with a smile.
"Your new daughter, our precious seer, needs a human name,"
Ezekiel whispered into her ear. "It wouldn't be fitting for the
world to call Father's Chosen One 'Hey You,' now would it?"
Saint Donatella laughed and kissed Ezekiel on the cheek. "I
choose the name Megan for the new seer. Let the world know her
as Megan Bright."
"Then so shall she be known. Now come, Father will be very
pleased to meet you again." Ezekiel looked upward, and with the
grace bestowed only to angels, flapped his mighty wings and
escorted Saint Donatella back to paradise.
 Isabella once again wrapped her wings protectively around
the human female who was still cradling the seer in her arms.
She placed her lips against the human's ear and whispered, "She
shall be called Megan."
The human cooed at the seer, "You're such a pretty girl,
Megan. Yes you are, such a pretty, pretty girl."
The doctor raised his eyebrow at the nurse. "So you feel
comfortable enough giving the child a name?"
The nurse held the seer out to the elderly man so he could
see her clearly and smiled. "Have you ever seen anybody else who
looked as much like a Megan as this little girl does? And since
her mother can't name her, and she has to be called something --"
Isabella whispered into the human male's ear, "She shall be
called Megan."
The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "Megan is a fine name.
You picked well."
Isabella beamed with pleasure and extended her wings. The
seer had arrived. Now the battle would begin.