A Darling on a Mission

I became a Darling after my human death. I was only thirty-three years old and in my prime human form when death came knocking for me. Nearly immediately, I became a Darling. A magical Darling. Darlings are magical beings manifested when a person dies with an unresolved enigma weighing on their spirit. I know this because when I woke from my earthly death, I was resting on a book called The Darling and Me: A Novel by Lesa King. I have read the book several times to those I love.

As legend has it, these magical beings can sense unfulfilled purpose from their human existence and will continue to put pieces together to solve a mystery in the hereafter when they become Darlings. In King’s novel, the Darling’s lifespan is up to 100 years or when they uncover the truth behind their untimely death. Once the truth is discovered, the Darlings eventually return to their hosts — the souls of the humans from which they were formed.

Darlings’ magical powers are warm, inviting and peaceful energy that resonates within the humans left behind to defend themselves from the unsolved mystery. Darlings, when positioned close enough, can soothe the living heart and restore broken souls. They have the magical power to heal, protect, and communicate with the living. They are natural truth-seekers and will not recoil from their detective duties before their quest is finished. 

My human death was abrupt and came during an ongoing investigation I initiated involving the residents of Hilltop Residential Manor, a convalescent home for seniors who need expanded care in their declining years. 

I have always loved the elderly population while living as a human, so it wasn’t odd that I, now a magical being, became attached to a home for the elderly where I’d worked as a social worker for twelve years.  

I became very fond of many of my seniors over the years, especially Mr. Phillips. He was afraid of dying and the afterlife. As a social worker, I spent a lot of time with him, easing his loneliness and fear of the unknown. He became my best friend in many ways. A state-custody orphaned child, I grew up always trying to find ‘family’— my family. Not my biological family, a chosen family to call mine. Mr. Phillips became my family. My fictive kin, as he proudly stated. 

Mr. Phillip was a widow of fifty years. He lost his wife and daughter at the same time during childbirth. He never conquered the quiet sadness that came with being family-less. He, like me, was searching for an earthly family to call his own. And we bonded, as true family does.

I’m not just a Darling; I’m a Darling on a mission to finish the investigative work I started as a social worker. I was beginning to make waves as I got closer to figuring out the source of my concern before my passing, or human death. Staff and residents alike knew I was on to something. It was apparent that I would decode the mystery in a short matter of time.

 At first, only Mr. Phillips could see me or feel my soothing and protective energy. Then, other seniors began noticing me too. Mrs. Johanson and Mrs. Philpot have both reported sightings of me, especially during mealtimes. They described me as a glowing silhouette of peaceful yet defending energy or an angel even, sent to watch over them – to protect them.

There were seniors who just knew I was still around, still investigating. I wanted to know why nearly all the seniors at Hilltop who ate in the dining room during dinner time needed to sleep shortly after dinner. Not only did many need to lie down earlier than usual as urges of drowsiness swept over them, but they were also less vocal or active in the evening, according to the second shift workers.

Though only some could see me, and only some could feel my reassuring spirit or shielding energy, they all knew I was still nearby. Still caring about them and protecting them from impending danger. When Frankton, who doesn’t like to be called “Mr.”, noted that I only come around when Mr. Phillips does, I realized I was attached to, or personally assigned to, Mr. Phillips. I — a Darling with majestic energy, or grand protection ­­— was still needed to soothe his fears of dying and the afterlife that resurged after my human passing.

Back to my investigation. My scrutiny led me to study the food, particularly the evening mealtime food. For three months before my death, many of the seniors at Hilltop were returning to their rooms after dinner, and falling asleep like clockwork. For some peculiar reason, many seniors who ate in the dining room went to bed early and slept all night, nearly every night. It was as if something was in the food.

While a human, my investigation began with scoping the dining room for any signs of sleep medicine given to the residents of Hilltop. I also investigated the possibility of new employees within the last three months but there weren’t any. The only change in staff was a kitchen employee who had started doubling as a nighttime resident assistant about six months prior.

The kitchen worker, who switched to resident helper after dinner, had the duty of documenting incidents and other evening activity including complaints, falls, or other happenings — if there were any. The documenter was responsible for incident reports and soothing residents into sleep mode. Documentation could be lengthy and resident-soothing could involve patience and creativeness at times.

Here’s where my magical or supernatural strength comes into play. As a Darling with clear, intentional direction, I can, not only be seen by certain human eyes, but I am also distinctively felt by the human heart, particularly the hearts who welcome me and my majestic abilities to solve the enigma of drowsiness that has overcome the seniors at Hilltop.

Mr. Phillips could not only see me, but he could also feel my directives. Mr. Phillips knew I needed to go into the kitchen to further my investigation. I needed to observe the kitchen staff during meal preparations. Since I was connected to him primarily, I typically followed him around. So, Mr. Phillips needed to enter the kitchen and stay for a little while as I, unbeknownst to staff, scouted around where the food was prepared.

For clear understanding, I positioned myself near a book we had read where a character fell short of breath and needed to be situated in place for a short while. Mr. Phillips understood the assignment quite well and swiftly. That evening, while staff were preparing the evening meals, Mr. Phillip walked into the kitchen to inquire about his upcoming dinner, and lo and behold, he had a sudden rush of breathlessness and needed to sit immediately. A nurse was called to the kitchen and the magic continued as nurse Marg, who adored the residents and had a great fondness for Mr. Phillips, came to the kitchen to monitor his vitals. Nurse Marg thought it best not to move Mr. Phillips quickly but let him sit as needed to regain his momentum.

Invisible to those in the kitchen, I seized the opportunity to scope the area for any clues leading to the spread of nighttime fatigue that was plaguing Hilltop. And there it was, on the counter, a large bottle marked “L-tryptophan Powder Supplement.” In large dosages, and over time, L-Tryptophan can cause severe drowsiness and even lethargic reactions. Mr. Phillips could see where I was hovering and became totally aware of my findings. He knew we needed to take immediate action.

After Mr. Phillips “regained” his breath and strength, he contacted the local Ombudsperson and informed them of the bottle marked “L-tryptophan” that he observed during his stint in the kitchen. He also reached out to the local coroner to inform the medical examiner of the possibility of heavy amounts of L-tryptophan in my system at the time of my death, and after many dinners with the residents. 

It wasn’t long before officials of all kinds were at Hilltop, especially in the kitchen. Resident files were pulled and questions were asked until the answer to my investigation became undoubtedly clear. The residents of Hilltop were being drugged with L-tryptophan to support timely sleep and fewer nighttime disturbances that could cause staff to apply extra patience or documentation.

The staff member who doubled as a cook and resident assistant was using the powder to make her second job easier. With residents less active or asleep during her shift as a resident assistant, she had less work to do and less documentation to provide.

L-tryptophan supplements can be used to support mood, sleep, and serotonin production, but their effectiveness is limited and they carry potential risks. L-tryptophan is a critical amino acid that the body does not construct on its own. It must be achieved by supplements or diet. It has many overall health benefits if regulated and obtained correctly. The amino acid converts in the body to serotonin, promoting better mood, and melatonin promoting controlled sleep cycles.

According to the coroner, L-tryptophan causes a huge risk when used inappropriately. Applying the supplement to foods already high in amino acids can cause serious consequences, including death. And should never be mixed with certain medications.

I died from an involuntary overdose of L-tryptophan. The supplement mixed with my prescribed antidepressant became lethal in my body by causing my heartbeat to reach a deadly speed that led to my earthly demise. As a result, I went to sleep after eating dinner with the residents on my last workday at Hilltop, and “woke” as a Darling. A magical Darling with the telepathic energy that informs and protects earthly loved ones while soothing their aching hearts.

I can feel the soul to which I belong pulling me Homeward, but my pure, majestic energy lingers at Hilltop mainly to soothe Mr. Phillips’ bouts of fear and loneliness.