Beauty Passing by Hannah Sawyer (best ereader for pdf TXT) 📕

reaching up to the heavens. I smiled and stretched out my back and noticed my wings spread. I quickly pulled them back quickly. Amelia smiled and rested her hand on my shoulder.
“You don’t have to be afraid here.” I felt reassured. I still had a question burning in the back of my mind.
“What is a fallen?” I blurted. With shock she withdrew her hand, looking at me as if I had said something forbidden. She walked away from me towards the stained glass window. As she bowed her head she spoke.
“It is an angel who is not allowed back into heaven, because she has disobeyed the lord. They are forced to walk the earth, living immortally until they pass on their gift. But the receiver of the gift must be dying.” She turned towards me. “You obviously met a fallen.” And with that she stormed out of the room.
“I apologise for my sister’s behaviour.” I spun round to see a girl who looked about sixteen. She bowed her head to me.
“You shouldn’t have to apologise.” I muttered.
“Her mother was a fallen. She wouldn’t pass on her gift. There is only one way for a fallen to die. They must burn, Amelia’s face was burnt trying to save her mother. She tries to hide it but she feel hurt by any fallen. But it does not excuse her behaviour.” She hung her head. “I am Sister Faye.”
“Thank you Faye.”I smiled to her. “Can you help me?”
“Yes. I can.” She turned away then suddenly wings exploded from her back spreading wide. She turned back her face glowing and smiling.
“You’re a fallen?” I said with genuine surprise. She nodded.
“But I didn’t fall. My mother gave me her gift. Amelia doesn’t speak to me now because our mother gave me the gift and not her.” She hung her head with a tear streaking from her eye. I walked over and embraced her. Feeling her loneliness, I cried with her. She slowly folded away her wings, and I watched in wonder as her wings seemed to be absorbed into her back.
“How do you do that?” I gasped
“You just pull them in, imagine that you are putting on a heavy bag and brace your back and they go.” She sat with me explaining so many things whilst David sat with Amelia. I had never seen him so happy, well not for a long time.


Flying was amazing. After I leant it was easy. It was such a rush. Flying round the sisterhood’s land I felt alive and like I had a purpose like never before. Who would have thought that only after one week at the sister hood I would feel like this? I landed with grace and my wings blew away the dead leaves. I stood there in the leather bodysuit that the sisterhood gave me. The two small daggers were in their in-built sheaths on my thighs. The katana that Faye had given me rested perfectly between my now fully stretched pure white wings. After I had hidden my wings I walked into the main building, greeting several sisters on my way
I entered my room and removed my weapons and placed them in the cabinet. Walking into the bathroom I caught myself in the mirror. I looked so much better than I ever had before my black bob, now was perfectly straight, framing my pale face and my green eyes seemed to stand out like emeralds.


After my shower, I went to my home. Everything was exactly the same. I went next door to see if there was any news. Joseph answered, he looked exhausted,
“Hey Joseph am so glad you’re safe.” I hugged him warmly.
“Hey. Am not too bad. Have you heard anything about my mum?” he looked so scared.
“No I had hoped you had. Don’t worry she will be found.” He invited me in.
“Do you want a drink or anything to eat? We have lots of pot noodles.” He smiled.
“Sounds good. Thanks.” As we shared this simple moment all of our problems seemed to fade as we laughed and joked about anything. Then without thinking I said
“This one time your mum...” I froze, remembering. He walked over and sat by me putting a comforting arm around me.
“It’s ok. I know she will be fine.” He looked at her photo hanging on the wall. “She always said that she had a guardian angel watching her.” I smiled, knowing that I had to find her. We sat there deep in thought for what seemed like an eternity. The phone rang, shaking us out of our frozen state. Joseph leapt up and grabbed the phone with both hands.
“Hello. Yes she is here, two minutes.” He turned to me looking straight into my eyes. “It’s for you.” He slowly handed me the phone. Looking at him enquiringly I took it and slowly raised it to my ear.
“Hello?”
“You have to help. Come quickly. I tried to stop them.” Faye’s voice cried down the phone.
“Faye... what happened? I will be there really soon. Just breathe, are they still there?” I felt anger and fear building inside of me.
“They came for us, attacking the sisterhood. David and Amelia are missing. They are in the tower; they seem to be searching for someone or something. They cut my wings. They cut them off.” Her voice broke off into sobs.
“I will be there as soon as I can, just hide.” With that I slammed down the phone.
“Joseph I need to go. I’m sorry.” I whispered.
“Do you want me to drive you?” he embraced me. I let the tears fall for a few minutes.
“No. Just let me into your back garden and you must tell no one what you see.”I knew I shouldn’t fly in the night but I had to get there quick. Joseph looked at me puzzled but he opened the door to let me outside. I gently kissed him on the cheek and turned away.
“Thank you. I promise you I will find your mother.” With that I let my wings explode from my back and with one smooth flap I was in the air and soaring high above the houses. I was at the sisterhood in virtually no time and I plunged towards the earth flapping my humongous wings just in time to stop me crashing into the earth.


Full of anger now I hit the old wooden doors hard causing them to fly wide open. Some of the sisters inside covered their eyes. With incredible speed I ran up to my room and retrieved my weapons from the cabinet. I found Faye in my bathroom. She was crying and screaming out in pain as her wings started to grow back. Hushing her I help her close, I noticed her wings were forcing their way through her skin the same way they had the first time mine had come through. She dug her nails deep into my arms as I tried to hold her. Blood slowly trickled from my arms but I felt no pain just silently praying this pain would stop for her soon. With a final deafening scream that caused the whole room to shake she went limp in my arms. I gently kissed the top of her head and noticed she was still breathing with her wings now fully spread, it was over for her. I picked her up and laid her on her side in my bed.
I placed my katana on my back and left my room and went to the tower. I heard screaming and immediately drew one of the daggers from my thigh, a masked man came running down the stairs wielding a small pistol. With incredible accuracy I flung the blade which hit him in the centre of his chest. I hurried up the stairs and into the tower. I knew I had to find Amelia and David quickly. Grabbing the blade from his chest, I flew up the stairs. I stopped just before a door, peering round the edge I saw Amelia and David tied up at the far end of the room. There were roughly twenty men all with guns between me and them. I slid my dagger silently back into its sheath and slowly drew my katana, breathing deeply. I pulled away my winds hiding them from view and stepped into the room. The men turned to face me and one of them started laughing.
“Don’t laugh at me.”I growled, anger building.
“And why wouldn’t I laugh at a silly little girl with a sword against twenty big men with guns?” he said in a mocking and patronizing tone. I smiled and looked at him directly,
“I’m no ordinary person and I’m most certainly not a silly little girl.” With that I spread my wings and launched myself towards him wielding my weapon with grace and elegance. I stopped with my blade pointing to the floor blood trickling from it. I closed my eyes tears running from them. I let the sword fall to the floor and fell to my knees. Around me the men who had been pointing their guns at me lay motionless. I knelt there, wings spread and with tears running down my face. I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“You did what you had to do.” Amelia’s comforting voice whispered to me. “Is my sister alive?”
“She’s sleeping on my bed. She had to re-grow her wings. She lost a lot of blood.” I turned to face her; I was furious and knew I had to say what I was thinking. ”now that you have almost lost her once, are you going to start treating her like your sister? Are you going to hold her when she’s screaming?” She looked hurt.
“I know I haven’t done right by her. I have to fix things. Thanks.” With that she turned and left with Daniel following.
I looked out of the window at the torrential rain and flew out into the dark sky. I did not know where I was going, I didn’t even care. The rain continued to hammer down hard as I sped through the rain and clouds. I ignored the burning pain in my chest and kept going as fast as I could. I decided to see where I was as I plummeted to the ground I realised I was in the middle of a forest. I lay there under the looming pine and cried.


I woke with the sounds of the birds and the gentle breeze. As I stood I could see the sun streaming through the trees. I slowly walked through the woods studying my surroundings when I noticed mother watching me. She looked perfect.
“Esther not too far please. David what are you doing?” her gentle voice called.
“Look what I found mama.” David announced proudly as he held up the dead bird.
“Put it down let it rest in peace.” She commanded.

I woke from this sudden memory as I slipped down the embankment. I knew what I had to do.
I had no words of respect for the men I had killed only I had to say sorry and may they rest in peace. I wasn’t alone for the burial, David, Amelia and a few other sisters wanted to make sure they were buried respectfully. Faye came forward after they were buried and placed a single lily on the grave and got a small boulder to mark the grave.
“I believe just because they attacked us doesn’t mean they deserve to lay unmarked and we must respect them for they were once human to.” She spoke in a calm voice as she wiped a tear