~mother in half notes~
~what else is there to say~
~she closed her eyes~
~holding her hand~
~he felt her slip away~
~bent down low inside~
~sorrow on his lips~
~he kissed her face~
~ice cold~
~an angel leaving~
~no~
~a sweet angel gone~
~he felt abandoned~
~guilty for that~
~like she had left him~
~the truth after all~
~Soon Angels~a Halloween tale~{the end}
As they began to make their way through Henry’s Halloweenland, Judy realized how perfectly everything fit in its dark way. There were ten areas of activity, one befitting each child in the room. The spaces the two empty beds occupied were marked by a rickety sign above them. It read, ‘Wasteland’. A large raven perched on top of the sign. It stretched its massive wings and spoke to them as they passed, “Caw Caw.”
Judy’s fairy snuggled its face into her throat as she hurried past the threatening bird. A large furry bat flitted about as a blindfolded child tried to pin a tail to it. Youngsters yelled encouragement and direction to the child with the pin and tail. The bat paused and squeaked as the pin stuck it in the butt. The children laughed and clapped, clasped hands in a circle and danced around the winner.
Henry landed on Judy’s shoulder. “Wanna play?”
“I’m taking my Fairy Child to the costume contest,” Judy said to the bat.
“We got glizzards in a bucket,” Henry offered. “They got sharp l’il needle teeth so you gotta bite ’em ‘fore they bite you!”
“We’ll just wander around until we find the costume contest,” Judy replied. “You’ve done a wonderful job here, Henry. I’m sure this is more fun than most of these children have ever had.”
“Wait’ll next year,” Henry squeaked, “I’m gonna do a prison.”
“You’re too much,” Judy said as her Fairy squirmed. “We have to go, Henry. This little elf wants to find the costume contest.”
Henry nibbled Judy’s ear. “Do a l’il somethin’ for a guy first, wouldja? Pull that pin outa my butt.”
Judy used her free hand to do as he asked. Henry took off like he was shot from the barrel of a gun. Judy and Loreli moved through the dry crackling leaves by the light of an October Moon. There was the mean nurse cackling like a witch, orderlies dancing with skeletons. Loreli whispered the names of the children in Judy’s ear as they cavorted by. Judy was consumed with a feeling of overwhelming loss and regret as she realized she was no longer one of them. ‘That’s what Henry wants,’ she said softly to herself, ‘just to be part of the flawed and fragile stuff of humanity.’
“Huh?” Loreli asked in a voice smaller than herself.
“Nothing, Darling Child,” Judy nuzzled the top of Loreli’s head. “I was just talking to myself.”
“Can we go to my bed and lay down?” Loreli asked. “I don’t really care about that ol’ costume contest. I don’t feel very good.”
Judy crossed the room and stepped behind the curtain where Loreli’s bed should have been. There was a throne there, white on white on white. Black light made everything crystal sparkle fuzzy. Loreli giggled weakly at Judy’s blue-white teeth. Judy climbed up and sat on the huge chair, Loreli held close against her breast. “Sleep Child, if you can,” she crooned. “You’re very brave and now you must rest.”
“Surprise!” The curtain flew open and all the revelers stood ’round the throne. Henry, the bat, was now Henry, the handsome and engaging emcee, tails and all. “By unanimous vote, we find you, Tiny Fairy and you, Dark Angel, co-winners of the costume contest!”
Everyone cheered and tossed confetti but Loreli wasn’t having any of it. She kept her head buried against Judy’s breast. Henry raised an arm and up came his dark satin cape. “Off with you now,” he announced regally, “All you hobgoblins and ghosts. Read carefully those scavenger lists and hurry yourselves back! I will mark the hour!”
“Henry, come here,” Judy called in her whisper voice. He stepped up to the chair and Judy drew his head down with her hand. She kissed his forehead. “I know what’s going on now.”
“Me too,” Henry said softly.
“This is your chance,” Judy said. “My being a stubborn woman, bound and determined to sit in a chair, muffed it all up for you. I’ll bet you could take my place with Loreli.”
Loreli wrapped her tiny arms tight around Judy’s neck. Her wisps of hair fell off and her wings dissolved. Henry’s magick wasn’t powerful enough to keep her. “No!” she cried. “Judy’s my angel. I already tol’ my Daddy. You can’t leave me now!”
“She’s right,” Henry said, “‘Sides, I gotta finish this here party. I was to leave it to you, no tellin’ what’d happen. You’d jus’ mess the whole thing up.”
Judy held Loreli tightly. Something was pulling at them and it was growing stronger by the second. “Henry!” Judy cried out, “Why didn’t you tell me I was an angel?”
Henry had begun to fade from her vision. “You hadda figger that out for yer own self!”
They were in Loreli’s bed proper now. They could hear the sound of a noisy alarm and frantic human voices crying, “Loreli seven! Loreli seven!”
They drifted down the misty path, the lady and the tiny girl. Shadow shapes whose name was love gathered them up, gathered them up and away.
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© artwork & words conceived by & property of Tom (WordWulf) Sterner ©
Soon Angels was first published in “U” Magazine
The Work of Tom {WordWulf} Sterner 