A N G E L I C

The rain thundered down, glancing off the buildings and soaking pedestrians to the bone. Across the road there was an old fashioned apartment block, bearing a slight resemblance to 221B Bakers Street, one might say. The gate was patterned with rust

and ice, the stairs were chipped and eroded, as if the people that resided there had been absent for years. The building itself looked downtrodden and forgotten, with an element of mystery that no one had bothered to investigate.

Despite the weather the door was pulled open and the gate was unlocked. A young boy was shoved onto the eroding steps and was immediately drenched from the waterfalls coming from the broken gutters. Now and then a car would pass, sending shards of light into the road, giving the impression of a parallel dimension. Whenever a car passed the boy was hidden from view before the road was emptied once again. The door was slammed in the boys face and a drunken male voice sounded across the street, loud but inaudible. The boy bowed his head and almost knocked one the door before putting his earphones in and pulling his hood up. Presumably listening to the likes of LINKIN PARK, or Dio. Perhaps Pink Floyd. We digress.

He made his way down the cracked sidewalk, no longer seeming bothered by the rain or wind. His shoulders were hunched, and his head down, making him appear sadder than the building he was shut out of. He proceeded to walk down the road, to a nearby coffee shop.

If he had been crying, he wiped his tears away along with the rainwater and stepped inside of the coffee shop, closing the door behind him. It seemed that his appearance attracted looks from the locals, however he didn't seem phased. He ordered his drink and stepped outside again once he had received it. He sat on the edge of the pavement, dangerously near the passing cars but he didn't flinch as the gusts of wind from the cars disturbed the steam coming off his coffee and snaking into the air. He stared into the distance, his features dangerously calm although his eyes betrayed that the storm in his mind was far worse than the one taking place around him. Upon closer inspection, one could notice a slit on his cheekbone, just below his eye, the rain had washed the blood away, making is almost indistinguishable to the fleeting gaze of others.

He finished his drink and stood up, this time walking with a slight limp. He appeared to have no destination and seemed perfectly okay with that. Or perhaps he didn't notice where his feet were taking him.

The further he walked, the more agitated he appeared, and sped up, glancing over his shoulder.

He took a left turn into an alleyway and the rain chased him. The alley was a dead end but he seemed unfazed.

He took his hoodie off, flinching as he did so, and his beautiful but disheveled wings revealed themselves. One was bloodied and a few feathers were missing but he didn't seem to notice. Looking closely at his back, cuts appeared, jagged and uncleaned. The storm in his mind had left it's trace. He jumped but his feet never touched the ground again and he spiraled up towards the clouds. He flew through the grey cloud above him, and lightning struck in his wake. He was never

seen again, but as he left the storm worsened and thunder rumbled overhead.

Maybe his actions had angered God.