Page 341 of Under Her Skin

My eyes adjust to the darkness as a booming voice calls out, “You’ve asked forsomething.”

“Who are you?” I ask as I begin to see two large, round, yellow eyes a few feet in front ofme.

“Who,” hesays.

“Yes, who are you?” I askagain.

“I am Who.” He moves a step closer, and somehow, I can see him. It’s as if he has an inner glow and he is a six-foot-tall owl. “And you asked for something, didn’tyou?”

“I’m not sure what’s going on. Where am I?” I ask as I look behind me for any sign of light and only see large trees shrouded in darkness. “And why am I talking to a giantowl?”

“You are talking to an average-sized owl where I come from. And you are here, in the primordial forest. In this place, magic can happen. And what you have asked for requiresmagic.”

“You must be talking about what I asked Santa for when I met up with him yesterday. You have to be talking about Meagan Sanders. I asked for her to get better. Are you here to grant that wish, Who?” I ask the tall bird with fluffy, white feathers and glowing, yelloweyes.

“It is only you who has the power to grant that wish. Are you prepared to pay the price for her to get better?” He moves one wing out, showing the ultra-white underside of his easily five-foot long wing, as if he’s pointing in that direction. “If you will come with me, I can show you what it will take to make your wish come true. Then you can decide if you’re willing to pay thatprice.”

He starts hopping away and I follow him. “I thought prayers worked differently thanthis.”

His head spins around and he looks at me. “Oh, you didn’t ask for that in a prayer. You wished for it. That’s the difference. Yes, prayers require no trade. Why didn’t you think to ask for her health to be returned in that form? That would’ve been much smarter, don’t youthink?”

“I suppose it would’ve. Can’t I change that now, though? Can’t I simply say a prayer now?” I ask and find the owl stopping and turning his body aroundtoo.

The tip of his wing touches my shoulder. The soft ends of the white feathers touch my cheek, and they are the softest things I’ve ever felt. “I’m sorry. Her life is in peril right at this moment. That’s why I came to get you. You made the wish instead of a prayer. You can always say one now if you want. No one can ever stop you from doing that, ofcourse.”

I bow my head, close my eyes, and say, “Lord, I am asking for your help. Little Meagan Sanders is near death. She’s just a little girl. I’m asking for you to please let her get better. End her suffering. Please, Lord. Amen.” I open my eyes and look at the owl. “Do you think thatworked?”

“How should I know? I’m in the wish department, not on the prayer side of things.” He shrugs his feathered shoulders. “Do you want to continue on with your wish or end things here and see whathappens?”

“Will I have another chance to go through with this if the prayer doesn’t work out?” I ask as I weigh theodds.

“No, this is it.” He stares into my eyes with his yellow eyes glowing as if a fire is inside ofthem.

“I’m not sure what to do. Will I have a choice about what the payment for her lifeis?”

He shakes his head, and I find myself wondering what price I am willing to pay. “You know she is not yours to worry over. You don’t have to do a thing. You’ve made your prayer. Who would expect any more fromyou?”

“I’m just afraid of what will be asked in exchange for her life. You see, I’ve begun my life now. I have a woman I’m about to marry and we want children. We’re already working on our first. There are some things now that I will not trade. If I’m asked to trade any of their lives, I won’t doit.”

“I have no idea what you’ll be asked to trade. I do know it’s always something which is dear to you. I should let you know, most who are given this rare opportunity do not go through with it. They find the trade-off too hard tomake.”

I think about what he’s said and wonder what I would give up for little Meagan to live. Then it hits me. “She is in God’s hands, isn’tshe?”

The owl merely shrugs. “How am I to know that? I am in the wish department, remember? That God stuff is something I’m not a part of. I am the creature who hears a wish, and some I give the opportunity to see their wishes come true. Wishes come to me, while prayers go to another place. So, do you wish tocontinue?”

An odd sensation runs through me. With sudden clarity, I know what my answer has to be. “No. No, Who, I do not wish to continue. She is in the best hands she could be in. Who am I to get in the way of what God has in store for her? Who am I to judge him? Who am I to think I know better than ourcreator?”

A flash of light startles me and I fall back on the snow-covered ground. “Ouch!”

Chapter2

DELANEY

“Blaine! Wake up and look outside. It’s snowing!” I shout, then feel terrible as he falls out of the bed, landing on hisass.

“What the hell?” he says as he looks at me with a disorientedexpression.

I rush to help him up and stifle a laugh. “I’m sorry I shouted and woke you up that way. But I was so surprised when I saw the flakes of snow falling past the window. I got up and pulled the curtains back, and when I saw the ground already covered in snow and more falling, well, I got excited. Houston hardly ever getssnow.”