ANGELIC VOICES

ANGELIC VOICES
Word Count: 936

An almost mind-numbing sleep fell over me last night as soon as my head hit the pillow. It was wonderful. I usually lie in bed for hours before my mind shuts off, no matter what I do to try to lull her into submission. Sometimes I feel as if my brain and body are two separate beings, often at odds with one another, a miserable state.

What wasn't wonderful is that my eyes popped open, all on their own, at exactly 2:22am. I know it was 2:22 because I was sleeping on my side, I usually sleep on my back, and when my eyes opened, I was facing my clock. TWO. TWENTY. TWO. In the MORNING. The ecstasy I felt as I wandered into slumber four hours and twenty-two minutes earlier had ended so abruptly that I thought I had imagined it. When I finally felt I could drift off again, the clock read 4:22am. "What's the deal with twenty-twos?" I wondered - and then rolled over, reentering Dreamland.

When I woke up it was 8:22am. "There's that twenty-two-minute thing again," I moaned. "What the heck is going on?" Before I did anything else, as I do every morning, I checked my calendar to make sure there were no appointments I had forgotten. Imagine my surprise when I saw the date: February 2, 2022. Two. Two. Twenty-Two. I'm not quick-witted in the morning, but it didn't take much to figure out I was seeing a pattern. Either that or I had finally gone crazy. I had known for a long time it was coming. "Am I imagining all this?" Without thinking, I picked up the phone and called my friend, Roxanne.

Roxy and I had been best friends since junior high, but we were nothing alike. Where I'm cautious and reserved, Roxy runs at full throttle all the time, not caring in the least what anyone thinks. I have never understood where she gets her energy. She believes it's a spiritual thing, and I don't disagree. There is definitely some kind of supernatural vibe that surrounds her. The phone rang, Roxy answered on the second ring. "Hey, girlfriend," she hollered into the phone. "What's going on? You're not cancelling our lunch date tomorrow, are you?"

"No, I'm not," I responded. "In fact, I really need to see you today. As soon as possible. There's some weird stuff going on around here and I need your help. What are you doing right now?"

"Right now?" Roxy asked. "Um, well, nothing much. This sounds pretty important."

"It's important, Roxy," I said.

"On my way. Give me a few minutes to dress and brush my teeth. I'll be there in no time."

As I hung up the phone, I couldn't help but get a lump in my throat. "Sweet, sweet Roxy," I thought. "In the twenty-two years we've been friends she has never let me down. Not once."

"Wait a minute," I wailed. 'TWENTY-TWO YEARS!" My head started spinning so I sat down. My pulse was racing, and I felt my blood pressure rise. Twenty-two minutes later, Roxy charged through my front door and ran into the kitchen, where I sat, head in hands, trying to calm myself.

"Sandra, what the hell is going on," Roxy asked, visibly concerned.

"Roxy," I started, "I think I am losing my mind."

Dropping into the chair beside me, Roxy asked, "What do you mean, you think you're losing your mind? Why?"

As I relayed all the twos and twenty-twos that had bombarded me, Roxy became more and more quiet. I realized my hands were shaking. I honestly believed I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "Okay, Sandra," Roxy said softly, covering my hands with hers. "First, you're not going crazy. What you're experiencing is something we call Angel Numbers."

"We?" I asked. "We, who? I've never heard of this!"

"We are those who are aware of the angels around us and understand the different ways they communicate." Roxy was still talking softly, treading lightly over a subject she knew I would dismiss. I just stared. Although Roxy and I didn't discuss spiritual matters because that was the only area where I thought Roxy too kooky, my heart had started to warm as she was talking, and my skin had started tingling. "Go on," I instructed.

"There are angels all around us," Roxy continued. "They operate on a higher vibrational frequency than us, and one of the ways they communicate is through numbers. Twenty-two is a strong number. It is sent to remind us that we have the ability to turn our dreams into reality, that there is a bigger plan for us than we are able to imagine.

"Today is the second day of the second month in the year 2022 - or 2-2-22. Mirrored twenty-twos are especially powerful. Your angel is reminding you to keep going, that you can succeed with something that seems too hard. What is the one thing you're struggling the most with right now?"

"Writing," I said. "I really want to start writing again, but my mind keeps telling me I'm not good enough, it won't go anywhere, I shouldn't waste my time." As I explained my feelings my heart grew warmer and warmer. I felt that if I could see it, it would be glowing.

"There it is!" Roxy exclaimed. "Your angel is telling you to go for it! It may be a struggle at first, but the effort will be rewarded. YOU will be rewarded. Today is the perfect day to begin. Go get your computer and let's get started!"

For once I believed her.