"Did you know that stars are the souls of Shining Beings?" I asked. "When they die, their souls float right up there."

"Who are the Shining Beings?" Noel inquired.

"They are the people that watch over us, even when they are living."

"I thought angels did that."

"Well, they are angels, in a way. Except every one of them has a special power."

"Like what?"

"I know one that can shape-shift into a rabbit."

"Really?"

"Yep. A jackrabbit."

"What else can they do?"

"When the Shining Beings are babies, their powers are small. Their powers grow as they do. So a baby who can shape-shift into a rabbit may not be able to every single time that want to. As they grow older, they might learn how to change every single time. I have heard from my friend that she has seen people who can shoot knives out of their mouth, and another person who could take out their eyes without getting hurt."

"Those are weird powers."

"Joel, I would not call them weird. You only think that because you do not have them. To the Shining Beings, well, they are used to it. And can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Why do you believe me?"

"Because you are my best friend and would never lie to me.... Are you?"

"No. But most fourteen-year-olds would say something along the lines of, 'You're crazy,' and run away."

"Huh. Why would they do that?"

"People are not willing to believe in things that other people cannot see or have not heard of."

"So... Why can't they believe in the Shining Beings when they believe in God and Jesus? Isn't Jesus basically magical? I mean, he came back from the dead..."

"Noel, don't question religion. It is just people's beliefs. And besides, you aren't Christian, so you would know little about it."

"And you are?"

"Nope. But some of my friends are."

"Back to the Shining Beings: Why isn't everybody one? And how do people not know about them?"

"For your first question: People just blocked all of that 'nonsense' out of their minds of the years. That also answers your second question, because in order to be a Shining Being you have to know that exist. As I said before, people just don't listen to that kind of stuff anymore."

"Hey, Caila?"

"Yes?"

"How do you know about Shining Beings?"

I then focused on a jackrabbit. I thought it's thoughts, felt it's fur in my mind, and tasted it's food. After a few minutes, a was a small furry creature who liked to jump.

"Caila!" Joel exclaimed.

I nodded, and changed back into human form.

"Wow," Joel said.

I smiled. "Yes, the Shining Beings are strange and wonderful creatures."

(What should my title be?)

Sunday morning mood wore on me like a life time of rights made wrong, and done recently. I cruised through a local burger joint and grabbed a greasy egg sandwich and sat in front of the 7/11 waiting for 11 am. I needed a beer, cigarettes and salvation. How could everything have gone bad so quick?

Two blonds walked past my car and into the store (sounds like the beginning of a bad joke now that I try to tell you about it). Their swimsuits left very little to the imagination, but my mind worked overtime yearning to fill the gaps. The small hungover beach town forced the blonds to don their dark sunglasses in an attempt to cover the mistakes of last night. They didn't know, but I could tell my head matched their rhythm.

Shoving the last bit of biscuit in my mouth, I leaned over and dug through the trash on the floor of the car. I was pretty sure a bottle of aspirin or a loose capsule would be down there. I gave up quickly and laid my head on the steering wheel.

Her face flashed in my head and I cringed. By the time I left her, she was no longer the girl I had picked up in a bar 8 months ago. A carcass of herself laid on the hotel room floor. She rolled away from the light that glared accusingly through the open door. I looked at her one last time before I left, then I was gone.

She had become a skeleton in an Ella costume. Her rich dark skin had faded and lost its luster. She was rotting away as we'd walk down the street. Decaying slowly over breakfast.

The smell of death stuck on my teeth when we'd kiss. And I couldn't hold her hand anymore, for I feared a brittle finger would break and be left behind when she pulled away.

My thoughts faded as I watched the clock turn 11. I glanced at myself in the rearview mirror. Worn. 3 day stubble and I hadn't showered in days. Blessed by genetics, I looked more like Brad than a bum. And giving myself the nod, I climbed out of the car.

The cheap bell jingled as I walked through the glass door. Heh... Blondes were mulling over trashy magazines and I felt their shaded eyes follow me. The guy behind the counter had glassy eyes that had seen too much booze and too little sleep. I mentally tipped my hat at him.

"I got 'cha"

I grabbed a six pack of cheap beer and headed back to the counter. The girls watched me pay with a crumpled $20. Eyes still on me, I paused with my hand on the exit.

"Shouldn't you be in church?" I asked the blondes. They looked at each other and then back at me. Busted and broken at 11 am with a hangover on a Sunday in a shitty little beach town, I was about the best they were gonna do and they knew it. I looked down at the beer in my hand.

"Join me, if you like." I left the store with two blondes following close behind.

Bitter as I was about Ella, I was still a man and I still had needs. Salvation wasn't going to find me this Sunday.