The Angel

by Richard Long

There was once an angel sent down to bless the earth. He had a great joy that grew up from inside him and many talents to express this joy. He saw such beauty in the world around him and enjoyed every part of it. He would sing and dance day after day rejoicing in the splendor of the world around him. But as he sung and danced he looked around and noticed something. All the people around him looked sad. They didn't see the splendor of this great place. They were focused on the problems and the hardships of life. They had grown cynical and mean. The angel was confused. He could not see how they were not excited to live in this wonderful place. The angel sung a loud song hoping he could awaken the joyous heart in the people. No one noticed. And the ones that did grew angry. They envied his joyful voice and did not understand his loving spirit. They called him nave because he saw the good in life. They demanded silence and shouted the angel down whenever he protested. Soon the angel had resigned to only whisper for he did not wish for his joy to make others angry. He looked around and saw the sad people still. He decided to dance. He frolicked and turned and lept. He hoped that he could instill passion in the hearts of the people. No one noticed. And if someone did they grew angry. They saw his dancing as strange. They disliked his disruption and demanded him to be still. Soon enough the angel would do no more than walk slowly. He did not want his passionate dancing to make anyone angry. The angel looked around and saw the sad people. He resided he would fly. He thought that maybe if he could give the people something to look up to they would strive for more than sadness. He spread his great wings and took off into the air. He soared high above the people gliding majestically. This time everyone noticed. They saw him high in the air. But they were not happy. They had grew tired of how different this angel was from them. They despised his joy. The people were shouting and cursing the angel. They gathered nets and ropes and brought the angel back to the ground. They swarmed him. They beat him down and bruised him. They attached heavy chains and cables to his back so he could not fly. They put heavy metal braces on his legs so he could not dance. And they took his wings and covered them in hard heavy stone. And thick cold metal. His body could barely handle the weight. And then the people left him there. The angel cried for a very long time. They had broken him. Many people passing by would laugh. They would call him ugly. They called him a demon. Soon enough the angel believed them. He did not feel like and angel. He had never brought joy to anyone before. Demon. The angel retreated to a dark place within himself. He began to act as the world expected him to. He did not dance. He did not sing. And most certainly he did not fly. Years passed like this. The angel falling deeper and deeper into despair. One day a shadow fell over the Angel and he looked up. Before him stood a woman with long flowing hair and beautiful wings to match. She smiled down at him. Suddenly an intense joy filled him. A joy that he had not felt in so long. A joy so deep that he fell completely in love with the woman in front of him. But he did not smile. He looked down at the ground before him. He spoke "you do not want to be around me. A am a demon and will bring you only pain." She smiled down at him "why do you not sing" she asked."my voice makes people angry. So I must not sing" he said. "Why do you not dance?". He responded with "my dancing makes people angry. So I must not dance". Then she asked why he does not fly. He cried and said "my wings are not to heavy. I can no longer fly." She knelt down next to him and placed a hand on his chin lifting his face to look at hers. He spoke "you should not be here with me. I am a demon. I will only hurt you." She smiles and says "no. You are not. And you will not". "I can not dance or sing or fly for you. You deserve more" he told her. "I do not want more." She said still smiling. "I am broken" he sobbed. She took him in her arms. "Then let me heal your wounds" she said I up his ear. He smiled. He loved this woman. She had saved him in the depths of his despair. Once again everyone noticed. They saw this sudden happiness. And once again they decided they did not understand it. They came rushing at the two. The woman did not know what the people would do. But the angel did. He did not want them to do to her what they did to him. With a great force of will the angel stood. Scooping the woman in his arms. He spread his heavy solid wings. And he wrapped them around her. The people could not get through. His stone cover wings were to hard for them to break. His braced legs were to strong to knock overs the chains and cables kept him from being pulled away. Soon enough the people one by one gave up and left. Eventually they were alone and the angel sunk to his knees still holding the woman. She looked confused and asked "why did you not let them take me?" "Because. You are my angel" he said "and even though I am not what you deserve. I will use everything this world has done to me to protect you. Because.... I love you." The woman angel smiled and then kissed him. "I love you too." She said. And once again the angel was truly happy.

The end.


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