Dark Wings by River Song (books to read to be successful txt) 📕

Jay stood silently as Gabriel, the leader of the angels of Light, walked over to him. His hair was glowing, and his wings were outstretched, a magnificent vision not unlike that of a rainbow. Jay was jealous of Gabriel and all the other Light angels. He was one of the Fallen angels, with wings like midnight and hair to match. He couldn't change his appearance and who he was, no matter how much he might want to. For Jay's loyalties had changed.

Gabriel reached him, putting a soft but firm hand on Jay's shoulder. "I have a task to entrust to you. I am going to give you a human to watch over and protect."

"But sir, I thought only angels of Light were ever Guardians." Jay said, in a deep, masculine voice.

"That is true in most cases," slowly answered Gabriel,"...but you are not most cases, are you? The Fallen, they are looking for you. They are searching. By sending you on this task, it can be assured that they will not find you, or at least the will be delayed in doing so. Besides, this girl needs you." There was a definite emphasis on that last word. 

Jay knew that if he was sent to Earth as a Guardian angel, then his trail would be hidden from the rest of the Fallen. He had betrayed them, and that deserved the penalty of Death. "No one on that earth needs me inparticular." 

"This girl does." Gabriel answered tenderly, "I cannot think of anyone else more suited to being her Guardian." 

"But..."

"Enough arguing Jay!" harshly answered Gabriel. "You depart tonight. Not another word on the matter."

"But how will I..."

And as if Gabriel knew what Jay was going to ask, he answered, "Your wings will guide you."

Gabriel left Jay to depart and begin his journey to Earth, to find the human girl he was to protect...

Raina.

~Jay~

My wings brought me to Montana, USA. The sight below me was so breathtaking, I almost flew into a flock of birds. They cawed back at me as if to ask why a seemingly human was flying. If birds' thoughts actually consisted of more than eating, pooping, sleeping, mating, and then back to eating again, I would have said they were confused. 

Just as Gabriel had said, my wings guided me to where the girl lived. Her name was Raina. An unusual name, I thought. Not very common, though it was very beautiful. My heart thumped with the anticpiation of meeting her. Let me take that back. I wasn't going to meet her. I was going to see her, and remain invisible to her, only intervening in her life when she was in danger and in need of protection. Those were the rules of being a Guardian, though they were sometimes broken with dire consequences if found out.

I made myself invisible to the human eye so I could land. I had reached my destination, which was the small town of Azure. It must have been named for the color of the stunning lake that lay just outside the small town. I landed by its sparkling waters, getting the urge to swim in its depths. There were no such pleasures in Midway, where I had come from, but I had been to Earth before. It seemed like an age since I had been swimming...

I fought my desire to just jump in then and there, and walked past it into the town. I didn't really feel like having a conversation with anybody, so I kept myself invisible. Knowing how small towns are when a stranger arrives, I wanted to avoid any interrogations. When I felt like showing myself, I could just hide my wings and blend in with the humans. 

I somehow knew where Raina lived, even though I was never told to my face. It was like the knowledge was mysteriously already inside my head. I walked on, passing a few people here there, some old, some young, but none of them the girl I was looking for. I finally reached a shaby, two-story house on the very edge of the town, near the forest. It was painted yellow, but that paint was faded and peeling like the hosue hadn't been painted in many years. The gutter was hanging down having to be walked around if someone wished to reach the doorstep. I didn't need to avoid it, however, as I wouldn't need the front door.

I didn't want to cause anyone who might be inside the house to stir because of the wishing of my wings, so I decided to climb the tree that was on the left side of the house to get onto the roof and to Raina's window. Yes, instinct told me it belonged to Raina and led to her bedroom. I climbed the tree, feeling like a monkey as I did so, and finally reached Raina's window after cautiously walking on the roof. I peered in, to see if I could spot her. Don't worry, I was still invisible. And that was when I saw her. 

When I had first looked in I hadn't seen her because I was looking too far into the room. As my eyes came closer to where I was standing, I noticed that she was just on the other side of the window, sitting at a desk that faced me. The first thing I noticed was her eyes, which were a bright, yet fantasticly deep, blue. I started to rethink my theory about the naming of the town, for it surely must have been named for the color of her eyes. Her lips were soft and pink, and her hair was a beautiful, natural red. Her skin was lightly tanned, and she was wearing a short sleeved, forest green summer dress. To sum it all up, she was Beautiful (with a purposeful capital "B"). 

After I was finished admiring her, yet not quite so, I noticed that she had a very thoughtful look on her face. She was staring into the distance, even though I like to think she was staring at my invisible self. I so wished I could talk to her a take away that sad look in her eye, though I knew it was forbidden. Even if it wasn't, what was I supposed to do? Suddenly turn visible, and have her see me peering in at her through her bedroom window, which was one story up? She would most likely run out of her room screaming and going to call the police (if there were even police in this small town). Instead, I contented myself by studying her features, trying to imagine what she was so thoughtful about. That is, until she got up and left her bedroom, leaving me alone at the window, the vision of her beauty still in my mind, like a wonderful dream you just wake up from. 

~Raina~

I love the view from my window. I can see the lake, and the forest beyond it. I often sit here, at the desk by my window, and think; or not. Sometimes I just sit here and don’t think at all.

I had just finished my household chores and wanted to go outside, but my father was coming home soon from work. He always wanted me to be home when he got here. I remember one time I had gone swimming in the lake before he came home. I had lost track of time, and when I got home he was very angry. I still have a scar somewhere on my back from that night.

My father was different ever since my mother died in a car crash a few years ago. I know he missed her and blamed himself for her untimely death, but I didn’t understand why he had to take it out on me. He hid it from the neighbors (even though we didn’t have any close by), and forbade me to speak of it to anyone. So, I obeyed him. He had never seriously hurt me before. It always just cuts and bruises, but they still hurt.

I was graduating school next week, and was turning 18 in a couple of days. I knew it wouldn’t be anything special, for my birthdays never were. I didn’t have any friends, really. Just acquaintances and I kept mostly to myself. I had no one to even care about my birthday.

I wanted to leave my father so bad, but I knew I couldn’t. I didn’t have a penny to my name, and he surely wouldn’t lend me any. Besides, I didn’t have anywhere to go. I loved the little town of Azure, I just hated living with my father. But, I kept thinking that he needed me. I was his daughter, after all, no matter how much I might have wanted to change that.

As I was sitting, thinking about the drama of my life, I suddenly got the uncomfortable sensation that someone was staring at me. Strange, I thought to myself, for there was no one that I could see outside. The thought strayed from my mind as I heard the front door downstairs slam. He’s home.

“Where’s dinner?” my father harshly commanded.

I ran downstairs, saying, “I just have to heat it up.”

“Not ready yet? Well don’t take too long. I’m starving.” My father, irritated, said to me.

I began to quickly set the table and heat up the leftover chicken casserole I had made yesterday. I would have had it ready before he got home, but I hadn’t realized what time it was while I was day-dreaming up in my room.

As we ate, my father seemed more irritated than usual. He didn’t say a word to me, and told me to keep my mouth shut at the dinner table when I asked him how his day was. A few minutes after that, he threw his plate of chicken casserole across the room, having it crash and splatter against the wall.

“This is disgusting crap! What kind of woman can’t even cook decent food?” my father screamed at me.

“I’m sorry, but you seemed perfectly happy with it yesterday.” I timidly said to him.

“Don’t talk back to me girl! You treat me with respect! I work hard all day, and I have to come home to disrespectful cow for a daughter. Not only that, but a cow that makes food that tastes like crap! I’ve had enough of it!”