Color of Angels' Souls by Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian

procession, cloaked in black and vapors of sadness.
    Jeremy had already picked up a few new tricks since his awakening in the afterlife. If he concentrated hard enough, he could pass through any object or material. But they could also put up a great deal of resistance. If he managed to get into a car, it could carry him along just like any passenger—like when he had been on the bus. But why? Why was he still subject to the laws of gravity? Wasn’t he just a pure spirit now? And another thing: Why did some of the Angels—both Blues and Reds—have magnificent wings, while others didn’t but could still fly anyway? Why could he eat the Mist, and how had he managed to make objects out of it (not for very long though—his loincloth kept disappearing and it was driving him nuts)? He was determined to quickly find the answers to all these questions.
    And even more importantly: to find some allies.
    His experience in the financial world had taught him that you couldn’t get much done on your own. Teamwork was the way to go. But over the past few days, he had gotten the impression that all the Angels did was fly around and stuff their faces. The only exception had been Flint, who had mentioned a poker party he was having with some friends. Even the Angels who followed around living people and talked in their ears spent most of their time hovering over the heads of their “suppliers.” Not many seemed to be very “grounded,” which made it difficult to strike up a conversation. On the other hand, Jeremy could understand their behavior. He could imagine how exhilarating it must be to fly.
    To Jeremy’s surprise, the horrible red Angel hadn’t followed them to the cemetery. He would have thought the Red would be eager to gobble up all the family’s sadness, as he had done at the church. But when he saw the hills of Greenwood cemetery, dotted with tombstones, he understood why.
    The sky above the famous cemetery was literally swarming with Reds. Just the sight of them made Jeremy nauseous. Luckily, he didn’t feel as sick as with the hideous red Angel back at the mansion. Instead of seeking vengeance, the Angels above the cemetery were only seeking food. He also saw some Blues who were accompanying living friends and family members. But most of the Angels were of mixed colors, somewhere between blue and red. For a moment, Jeremy thought he caught a glimpse of a familiar, chubby face. It was that woman … Teti something or other, but he couldn’t be sure as he quickly lost sight of her when the massive wave of Angels suddenly began whirling about in a frenzy.
    They hovered over the head of the priest like a pack of vultures, and then flew off toward Claire and Angela to suck up the most intense feelings of grief. Jeremy was surprised by the amount of people who had come to his funeral. Ah, he saw that all his business associates had made it. Judging from the color of their emotions, they were more furious than sad. “Sorry I had to die and screw up the business, fellas!” Jeremy sighed. What could he expect? But some of the employees did actually look upset. His secretary was sobbing into her handkerchief—much more than Claire, who looked as cold and imposing as marble.
    But the Mist that rose from his mother betrayed her true emotions, and the red Angels were hungrily eating up her intense pain. Jeremy clenched his teeth angrily, doing his best to stifle a growing urge to start taking a few swings at the hordes of Angels crowded around the living.
    Suddenly, a blue-red Angel came plummeting down from the sky like a missile and barreled straight into the Angels, scattering them with incredible violence. Those who bore the brunt of the attack howled with rage, but the new Angel was completely out of control, attacking everyone within his reach. The others eventually kept their distance. Jeremy nearly swooned with surprise when he got a closer look at the