• The angel sat on the windowsill looking into the tower room, her makeshift dress hanging loosely on her frame. She twisted the shackle on one of her wrists. Skin tore away as she pulled her hand free of its binds. Her small wings fluttered behind her.



    Little more than bone, the angel stretched her new wings in the moonlight. She placed a brittle foot on the windowsill. She placed the other beside it as she stood up on the cold stone under a full moon. A cool breeze blew through her tangled hair.
    Airy hands grabbed at her arms, cool breath chilled the nape of her neck.
    “Go my angel your freedom lies beneath you all you have to do is jump.”
    The hands faded away, the figure melted back under the stones of the tower.
    The angel took a deep breath before she plunged into the world outside of her prison.
    Her wings caught the breeze around her. She glided toward the ground beneath. Once it would have looked like a graceful creature descending from heaven now, it looked like a creature falling back into hell. She landed softly in the grass of the courtyard.
    She smiled up at the moon, her chest heaving.
    A figure of shimmering light stood a few feet away, a smile on its silver lips.
    “I told you did I not? The grass is soft isn’t it?”
    A single tear ran down the angels face. A smile spread across her face as a small laugh escaped her broken lips. She took a step closer to the figure. Her knees buckled. She fell into the grass, her eyes never leaving the figure. She crawled through the grass until her strength left drained away. Her breathing came out in ragged pants but the smile never left her face. She twisted onto her back her eyes on the moon overhead. The figure sat beside her in the grass, its cool hand passing over her forehead.
    “I kept my promise my dear but you will not live past this moment. What makes you think you’re any better than us? We never left this place so neither will you. You will forever be loved by us and you will no longer be lonely. Say goodbye to this world while you can.”
    The figure smiled as if faded away.
    The angel reached a frail hand to the moon, its glow warmed her soul, the smile faded from her lips.
    --You don’t love me. Do you? You were just lonely yourself.
    The smile returned to her lips
    --But I’ve found something better. I’ve found someone who loves me.
    She looked up at the tower, her window hidden by the moons shadow.
    She let out a long shuddering breath.
    The figure appeared above her, a smile on his silver lips. With tender hands he lifted the angel from the ground. He clasped her gentle hand within his own. The moons glow touched her soft white skin and raven hair he ran a cool hand against her beautiful face.
    “This world is growing old, not fit for an angel.”
    He led her under the stones, to something better.

    The moon danced across the remains of a once graceful creature taken through greed, tortured by loneliness, and destroyed by the will to find a better means of existence.