Some

 

people pretend to be human, but they can't be, they're too perfect to be human. So who are they? Can anyone answer? And why do we forget everything when they leave?

Everything about Nadine stood out, from her unusual name to her extraordinary beauty. She was almost 15 and went to Morphies High School on the street of the same name, where she had also lived all her life. It was 6:30, and Nadine was sitting at her dressing table, slowly and carefully combing her long, jet-black hair. She liked to be precise in everything she did. She began applying lip gloss. Her lips were naturally a deep red, so she didn't need to wear tons of lipstick like other girls. She didn't need to apply mascara either, as they were similar in color to her hair, and although they weren't as long as her hair, they were very long for eyelashes.

Suddenly, staring into the mirror... No, not suddenly. She'd seen a shape slowly beginning to form in the mirror, a shape that couldn't be reflected for several minutes. It was the outline of a human head. Not Nadine at all. At first, she didn't care, until facial features began to emerge: eyes, a gentle smile, a shapely nose. Her face initially resembled someone, but then Nadine was so terrified that she ignored it. They said this old house was inhabited by ghosts... That they only appeared in mirrors...

"Show yourself!" Nadine shouted with conviction, backing away from the mirror. She felt a slight dizziness. She staggered and fell as if something had knocked her down. The woman's gentle face in the mirror smiled.

"We don't show ourselves, Nadi," a soothing, silky voice emerged, from which part of the room it was difficult to determine. "We're here to help... To atone for sins..."

"What?" Nadine tried to piece something together. "The being in the mirror is definitely not a ghost; it says it wants to help... It can't be a ghost... Unless? It's common knowledge that ghosts are people who still have something to do on Earth... To atone for their sins..." "

I'm not a ghost, Nadine." A shiver ran through her, though it was still that warm, gentle voice. "Think about it... Haven't you ever met a being like me?"

Yes... She had. Rena called him her Guardian Angel. He wasn't an angel at all, he wasn't a ghost, he was simply some being who DID NOT SPARE HER HELP. No one but her had seen Ren. And somehow she didn't want them to. Maybe it was a selfish reflex, that he would help others, even though he was only hers. Maybe a twinge of guilt that she hadn't yet repaid him. Maybe she wanted to protect him from others. Whatever her reason, she didn't want Ren to see others. In a different light, her... Ren had been there when she stopped taking drugs; in fact, he had come to free her from it. He wasn't a ghost, nor an angel, he was a real being, but he wasn't human. Nor an animal. He was... Something Nadine couldn't name. It was Ren who helped her come to terms with her grandmother's death. Ren had been her support in difficult times, a helper who never expected anything in return. He was a confidante… Besides, until that moment, she hadn't remembered him. Until she saw the woman in the mirror, her life had gone on without a memory of HIM.

"Who are you?" she asked in her whisper, but it was so quiet that the whisper carried beautifully and loudly through the bathroom.

"Call me Patricia," the woman in the mirror declared, her white teeth moving according to the rules of language.

PART 2

Within a month, Patricia had taken Ren's place. In Nadine's heart, it didn't make much difference; with her, she even felt... more open. Patricia helped her with everything. She replaced the sister Nadine didn't have, the parents who never cared for her. She helped explain homework, explain history, exercised her memory, sowed within her the good aspects of life and optimism. Nadine, as always, was walking home from school with Karoline in tow.

"Hey, girls!" A group of older boys ran up to them. Karoline stopped dead in her tracks. No one had ever called her that.

"What do you want?" Nadine snapped, stepping on Karoline's leg to remind her of the foolishness she'd made. But Nadine understood immediately. The one who'd accosted her was the boy she'd always liked.

"What are you doing, Kara!" she whispered in horror.

"Yes, boys?" She spoke in a superior tone that made her seem older. Nadi couldn't believe it.

"Beer?" The boy in front of Kara thrust a moving bottle under her nose.

"Kari, no!" Karoline warned in a whisper. But Karoline wasn't listening. When she wanted to, she could pretend to be someone other than herself to impress. She knocked the bottle out of the boy's hands and drained its contents in record time. Nadi froze.

"Oh, you have any more?!" Kara shouted, arching her back awkwardly. The Kara Nadine had known for so many years. Nadi tried to take her hand and pull her away, but she slapped it away.

"Jo, look, gentlemen, he's standing up!" someone shouted from behind. "Come on, Greive, show us what these young ladies have!"

A boy from the very back of the group lunged forward, at her. He grabbed her arm. She tried to pull away, but the boy was too fast. He ripped her sweater. Nadine screamed. Suddenly, the boy hesitated. Nad seized the moment. She ran away crying.

*

"It was you, wasn't it?" she asked quietly, staring into the darkness of the bathroom with the light off. "You made him hesitate."

"I couldn't help you any other way," said the mist, reflected in the mirror despite the lack of light. "I triggered human feelings in him."

The next day, Nadine met Kara again. She thought the boys had done something to her, because she had stayed with them. She simply looked around, dissatisfied.

"Where are the boys?" she asked, her disappointment evident.

"Madwoman! You went with them!" Nadine screamed. "Harvey and Greive are expelled from school, and you...? Are you grieving for them? Traitor! Did you see what they did to me?!

"You have to admit they were... Handsome!" Kora scowled.

"What did they do to you?" Nadine whispered. "I could forgive you... But you, stupid, only see physical advantages! Before you know it, you'll be alone! Without anyone! No one will need you, because who needs a superficial person!"

PART 3

The argument with Karoline got her thinking.

"How is it possible that she's changed so much?" she asked Patricia.

"She's still the same person. Only the influence of that boy changed her," the mist stated. "She can lose herself because of bad company. A bad touch hurts for life."

"Pati... I really want what's best for Karoline..."

"So act. Standing by and shouting won't solve the problem." You need to talk to her honestly and describe it from the outside. It's awful. Nadine.

"Thanks..." Nadine stood up eagerly. "Thank you, my Guardian Angel...

"

Nadine caught Karoline the next day at school. The punishment was sad. "

The boys said I was too ugly for them," she said regretfully. "I guess you were right...

The best way to show it's a mistake is to leave it to chance. But then you can't fix it. So...

" "Go ahead, Nadine. Go fix the world. You have so much joyful, caring energy. Would you like to be a doctor? To save other people's lives..."

Mist froze, hearing what she had said.

PART 4

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Nadine screamed.

"Good then!" Karoline spun around.

After that argument, Nadine spent a long time in the bathroom. She was usually alone in the house; Her parents only came home at night, and she was an only child. Sometimes, she was plagued by loneliness, which Kara fought against. Or Parycja.

"You're turning pale, my little one," a familiar voice said.

"It's because of Kara. She's forcing me to write something for the paper. Today our class was supposed to submit entries in the paper... I just don't want to," she began to complain. "Can't she understand? As a friend, let her leave me alone!

" "Are you sure SHE's the one doing the wrong thing?" Angelica's voice asked cautiously.

Nadine caught the emphasis on the word "she."

"Sure. I'm the one doing the wrong thing because I'm not doing it." She pouted. "But she's the one forcing me to do something!"

"She's worried about you, Nadine!" Mgiełka raised her voice for the first time. "Don't you understand? She cares about you! You've changed! You always loved the annual paper entries! You've changed, and she notices! She wants you to be like you used to be!

" "And that's why she's selfish!

" "No! She knows the other you was better! She liked you less, but you were more yourself and accepted yourself more! She's giving up herself... For you!"

After that conversation, Nadine wrote this little poem. It was a rhyming apology to "the person who sort of understands how I feel..." "

Is that for me or for you?" the angel wondered, watching Karoline and Nadine shake hands.

Sometimes you have to give in. Humans are creatures who make mistakes, and often it's only through other people's opinions that we can see them. And correct them.

PART 5

"Are you going to a disco?" Karoline asked.

Nadine sighed. She'd been turned down so many times. She didn't like discos. She didn't like the noise, the excessive movement—not to mention the fact that she ran every day at 7—she didn't like crowded spaces, and she didn't like... music. This surprised most of the people around her.

"I already told you, I hate discos," she muttered.

"But you're going!" Karoline insisted.

"No!" Nadine stopped. "Can't you understand that?! NO! I'm not like you!" I hate discos! She shouted in her face. "If you like me, then give me a choice! Don't tell me how to live!"

"Sure," Karoline pouted. "You're stupid! Discos are cool!"

"You're stupid for forcing someone to do something they don't want to do, and which isn't good at all!

" *

"And it's my fault again, isn't it?!" Nadine shouted, entering the bathroom and turning off the light.

"No, not this time," Patrycja admitted. "Yes, you're right... Yes, Karoline is exaggerating... But think about it: even though she's stubborn, maybe you could try to empathize with her? Look: you're the only person paying attention to her. And think about it again: when was the last time you went to a disco?"

"A long time ago! And good!"

"Ah, Nadine." You've changed... Since the last time you went to a disco, you might have changed your tastes and even unconsciously started liking discos. Right? At least try it... Then you'll know what you want.

You can always leave, the disco is free, you have nothing to lose!

Nadine, sighing, agreed.

"Nadine!" Karoline looked delighted. "You came after all! Wow!"

Nadine had dyed red and blue highlights that looked stunning in the streetlights. The music was mixed on-site. So it was pretty good. Nadine started swaying to the beat.

But everything had changed.

People change. What might have been disgusting before can now become beloved. That's why it's worth trying to know what you want. Sometimes friends can sense something you can't see yourself. That's why it's worth having friends. Sometimes even very stubborn ones... Because sometimes you have to give in...

PART 6

Nadine's guardian angel was always there for her. Through the bathroom mirror and the cloud, she watched her every move, at school, at home, even in her dreams and in the yard. She was very protective and dedicated to her task.

But sometimes, when Nadine was in no danger and Patrizia had nothing to do, you could feel the sadness, regret, loneliness in her voice…

"Father, I'm trying so hard…" she said with her eyes closed. "I want things to work out for Nadine so badly… But she's… She's like me…" She squeezed her eyes shut. "At least I know how to protect her…"

While Nadine was doing her homework, Patrizi noticed something.

"Are you distracted," she said slowly. "Is it about HIM?

" "Of course you know?" She didn't look at her accusingly. "He's sweet… He even talked to me today…"

Patrizia smiled. It was Nadine's first love. Pablo Pudinorro, an Italian living in their town, was a year older and considered the next Orlando Bloom. Many guys envied his figure and… his charisma with girls.

"Sometimes, Nadi," Patrycja began, "sometimes we don't notice it, but the one we choose is often the wrong one…"

"What are you getting at?" Nadine abruptly yanked her hand from hers. "Pablo is great!

" "You think so? Do you know him well enough to judge?" Patrycja raised her eyebrows.

She was right. Nadine didn't know him. But this time, it wasn't anyone who had made a mistake. Nadine had talked to many people about him. Patrycja became quieter. Now she had made a mistake.

PART 7

Nadine was walking back to school. She'd left her jacket behind. It was warm, so it wasn't surprising she'd forgotten it. Just in time for the busiest time.

It's only when we lose something that we appreciate its value. But by then,

it's often too late.

Nadine boldly ran across the street. She was going to look—she always did—but this time there was an exception. Pablo was walking towards the school too. She quickened her pace and even intended to run across the street to catch up with him.

I say "intended to" because she didn't quite make it all the way.

She should have looked back...

"Who was that?" she asked quietly. She meant his name.

"An innocent, unaware driver," Patrycja replied, unperturbed. "He knew nothing. Love is a beautiful feeling, but you have to use it wisely. Not like you." She gave her a dirty look. But she didn't need to remind her anymore. Nadine herself had already learned her lesson.

PART 8

"Coma!" Beata shouted. "Damn coma!"

She only repeated the rumors. The whole school was buzzing that one of the students had fallen into a coma. What's more interesting, no one cared. Only Beata and that Karoline, Nadine's friend. That's what other groups of girls called them at school, but Nadine and Karoline weren't exactly talking about friendship here.

Beata was sensitive. She kept watch every day, hoping Nadine would wake up. But she didn't. Nadine was a ghost far away, yet she saw Beata suffering with her.

"Who was that?" Nadine repeated quietly, watching Beata speak to her unconscious body. She saw it in the cloud-screen that, like a television, showed a hospital bed. "

She's suffering greatly..." Patrycja unconsciously changed the subject, watching the girl share Nadine's sadness and suffering.

"Patry...

" "My name isn't Patricie..." Patrycja looked away. "Bambina, Italian for 'Little Girl.' Are you learning Italian?"

"Niet," Nadi replied. "Why?

" "Bambina is a term... It describes a being who wasn't worthy of entering the Kingdom of God." She shuddered. "Bambina or Bambino, a boy. The Lord God is merciful and merciful, but for me he couldn't find forgiveness...

" "What? It all has to do with..."

"God is everything. He knows everything and sees everything. An immortal soul. A merciful and wise soul." Understand… Not everything is as

it seems…

PART 9

“These creatures you see… Which people often call Guardian Angels… They are called Unkars,” Patrycja Bambina declared coldly. “Unkars are stray human souls in whom Angels sow good.

Souls that didn’t make it into the Kingdom of Heaven because they had a bad conscience. After sowing good, they must lead another, human life as their own, so that it at least makes it into the Kingdom.

Then they will be cleansed,” she concluded theatrically.

“But Ren left,” Nadine observed stiffly.

“Yes. Ren…” Bambina lowered her head. “He was a murderer in life. He murdered my mother… He almost murdered me… I hated him. Until one day, after medical school, the doctors told me…

“You hate your father,” the older doctor said with a smile.

“What?!”

"You hate your father," the doctor repeated gently.

…My world collapsed around me. I tried everything: letters, anonymous letters. My father never wanted to talk to me. Not even to learn my name. I begged him to stop. After unsuccessful attempts, I lost myself in monotony. Not monotony. In melancholy. I missed my mother so much, and my father's decision weighed so heavily on me. So much so that I could no longer control my nerves. I came to him. He told me… "

I don't want to know you," he said when he noticed who had entered the office. "Get lost!"

"No, Dad… I'm not leaving." She closed the door carefully. She took out a knife. And

with it, she lunged at my father. "

I killed him," she declared regretfully. "I was terrified, wondering how I could have done it, but in the end, I stopped thinking of myself as a human being. I lost all human feelings. I had already destroyed myself so much… I had ruined myself." I started swallowing some pills, taking some kind of drug... Until one day...

"She's unstable!" the patient she was trying to administer a syringe to screeched. "Medicine, doctors! She's trying to drug me!"

The woman turned around screaming. She wanted to run, but the doctors caught her. She couldn't hurt anyone anymore. She had no choice—they'd send her to treatment. She'd lose her job. She took a whole box of the drug from the cabinet and injected it into the syringe. She pierced her arm. It was too much for her to

survive. "

I'm not surprised the Lord didn't want me in his kingdom. I was a monster, even bigger than my father," she sniffed. "My father didn't want me because I killed my father. I lost my mind completely because of that stupid filth. It ruined my life... A drug, the one I clung to, ruined my life!" She exploded. "Now I can't fix anything... I can only wander, hoping someone will help me... I killed myself and my father..." She buried her face in her hands. She was ashamed of her behavior, and it was clear that if it weren't for Nadine's inquisitiveness, she would never have confessed. Now it was too late for her. Sorrow and remorse could no longer help.

A white light, shaped like a halo, shone above her.

"It's never too late for God," a clear, reassuring, and hope-giving voice rang out. "Come in wherever you want, you have the right, and may your ward come back to life...

" Something tugged at Nadine, as if pulled backward by a doll. She felt pain, a terrible pain in her lower back. She sat up. She opened her stinging eyes. She saw her mother before her. And her father. "It's so good that I don't have a father like Patrycja..." SShe hugged him tightly. Immediately after, her mother, Karoline, Beata. She rejoiced in all of them. After hearing Patricia's biography, her life seemed like paradise.

Pulling away from Beata, she said,

"It's so good to have friends!

"

She hadn't forgotten everything now. All the teachings, the advice, Patricia's personality, appearance, speech, and reasoning—all of it still lingered within her. She knew Ren had abandoned her because he sensed Patricia approaching. She knew no one was evil. There was at least a little good in everyone.

Even if you only saw it when more was sown.