The white wings of the angel. Such a fragile boy. Never allowed up, doomed to go down, yet it wasn’t his time. Everyone always spoke for him as if he didn’t have a voice at all. He longed to be with others, to be understood. To actually laugh. But, no one came. The only company he had was the frail book in his hands, filled with words he could no longer read. His wounds, always open, slowly pour out his life. No matter how hard any one had tried, they would never stay closed. Demons were always attracted by the sweet scent of his blood, but they never came near the boy out of fear of his power. His kind eyes always looked up, begging for forgiveness, anything to help his soul lighten from the weight of guilt. As an obedient angel could be, he confessed, and nothing could save him. He was shunned and thrown out into the cold of the human world. Children would sometimes come play with him, but their mothers always ushered them away, as if they saw a devil in him. He tried to tell them wrong, tried to let them see the right in his soul, but they ran off. Drowning beneath the weight of the despair, he only longed to finally die, and be delivered to his punishment.

Daybreak. Such a perfect scene. Nothing ever seemed as beautiful as the dawn of a winter morning. The voices of the birds never as pure, as those heard on the mornings blessed by the sun purifying the land of the night. He stretched his wings out to warm in the morning light. The only sound that came from them, was a faint swish that was like silk in the wind. The morning light shimmered off his feathers, casting small rainbows throughout the clearing. Even though the morning light was strong, his soul was still trapped in the darkness of night. The beauty of nature around him seemed too pure to be touched by his stained hands.

A caress. He brought his wings back to his body and looked over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, is some one there?”

The quiet voice was harmonious with the morning birds.

“Please, if some one’s there, please tell me.”

He looked at her eyes. Clouded blue gazed at nothing and everything. They were of the same deep shade as the blue of a summer sky at midday.

“Just great Dakota. You go and get yourself lost towards evening and it just so happened to have to snow during the night too.” She let out a breath of warm air onto her cupped palms.

He saw her shiver. Her coat only covered her down to the middle of her thighs. He looked at his wings wrapped protectively around him, keeping him warm from the crisp air.

“I wish there was someone around to help me,” she mumbled.

He flinched. All he wanted was someone to help him as well. Someone to ease his pain. He knew very well that would never happen, but at least he could help the young woman before him.

Standing up silently, he walked behind her and wrapped his wings around her.

“Who’s there!?” She jumped out of his wings. Her head was moving every which way, trying to catch any sound.

He stepped forward and brushed her outstretched hands with his. She pulled them back.

“Who’s there? Please, tell me your name, something!”

His breath caught. Some one was telling him to speak. For once, some one would listen. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His throat was so dry from not being used in so many years.

“I know you’re there. Say something!”

He swallowed and tried again. A croak came out. Some more swallowing, “I…don’t remember my name.”

She stood still. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?! You scared me!”

“I’m…sorry. I haven’t talked…in years.”

Her face softened. “Why not?”

“No one listened to me.”

“I’m listening.”

A tear escaped down his face. He had been so alone for so long, just waiting for death to come.

“Are you still there?”

“Yes.”

She held out her hand and started to slowly walk towards him. He gently touched her outstretched fingers. She quickly clasped his hand then let go, gently followed his arm up to his shoulder and face. Her hand was freezing. He took a hold of both her hands and held them gently in between his, warming them.

“Why aren’t you wearing a coat?” she quietly asked.

He remained silent.

“Are you ok?” Fear was starting to enter her voice. It was the one emotion he was only able to recognize in others lately, other than anger.

“I’m fine now. Why are you out here alone?”

She smiled. “Don’t laugh when I tell you this, but I was so angry at my friend that I decided to take a walk here in the park so I wouldn’t yell at them.” A small chuckle slipped past her lips. “But then, I got lost. I never realized how big this place is when you’re by yourself. Can you believe that? I’ve lived around here all my life and I get lost.”

He smiled. Her light attitude was something he hadn’t seen since his banishment.

“Do you think you could help me get out of here?”

His smile fell and he let go of her hands.

“What’s wrong?”

He looked away from her, slowly backing up, berating himself for talking and even touching a pure human. “I can’t leave this place.”

Confusion crinkled her face. “What do you mean? Every one can leave when they want to.”

He shook his head, forgetting the fact she was blind. “My wounds won’t allow me. They open up more to the point I’m nearly paralyzed in pain.”

She frowned. “I’ve never heard of anything like that. I bet you’re making it all up, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Ok then, prove it.”

He stared at her. The only way he could prove anything to her was for her to feel it with her hands that acted as her eyes. He didn’t want to taint her slender fingers with his blood. The scent of angel blood stayed with someone for weeks, even when it’s been washed off.

“Well?” she asked impatiently.

“I can’t.”

“And why not?”

“I don’t want to burden you with my punishment.”

“What punishment?”

“I…I can’t tell you.”

“Then you’re bluffing. Now, are you going to help me or not?”

He drew his wings back around his body and stepped farther away from her. “I can’t. I don’t want anything to happen to any more innocents.”

Dakota froze. “What do you mean by that?” she asked.

He stepped back to where he had been sitting in the morning’s light.

“Have you killed someone?” she whispered in fear.

He didn’t answer. The weight of his soul returned, hurting his heart once more.

“What are you?” Dakota asked, stepping slowly back.

He mournfully looked back at her. “A fallen.”

She stopped. “Fallen? As in fallen angel?”

He looked away. No human had ever known of his true identity, yet he just revealed it on a whim. Maybe now he could be delivered to death and his final punishment.

“Prove it.”

He stared at her clouded eyes.

“Prove to me that you are what you say you are.”

The clearing remained silent. The songbirds had moved closer to the paths in the park, hoping for a kind soul to give feed.

“Why do you stay here in the same clearing with one such as me?” he quietly asked.

“Well, for one, I’m blind, so I’m kind of stuck wherever I go. Two, you can’t be an angel because there are no such things. If there were, then I’d be a walking beauty.”

A chuckle started. It filled the clearing as it crescendo-ed to a laugh. He realized it was coming from him.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded.

He continued laughing quietly. “I’ve never had anyone stand up to me like this. It’s only been hatred and accusations, or fear. No one’s ever been so kind to me while joking around.”

She raised an eyebrow, but her voice had softened. “Why did everyone mistreat you?”

“Because of my looks.”

“And you would look like what?”

His laughter was back under control. “Have you ever heard of a black haired angel before?”

“I’ve heard of green dogs and pink elephants, so I’m sure I’ve heard of a black haired angel somewhere. Now, I haven’t seen any, unless green dogs and pink elephants already surround me. Please tell me I’m not surrounded.”

He chuckled. “No, there’s no green dogs or pink elephants.”

“So, what’s so wrong about having black hair? My friend has told me about a lot of people with bright green, pink, bright blue, even orange hair.”

He smiled again. “No, I guess there is no problem.”

“See? No pun intended there,” she said with a chuckle. “Now, can you at least direct me to a path that leads out of here? I’m really cold and I would like to get some food in me.”

His smile fell.

“Hello?”

He looked at the book lying open in the snow.