The Lost Angel

• Claire Fassoulidis, Grade 12, Jamison High School
• Short Story
• 2012

Excellence Award in the 'Legendary 2012' competition

I stood on top of Empire State Building and observed the ants below. They weaved through each other, scurrying off to their jobs. Yellow taxis formed long lines down the roads. I listened.
A young man spoke on his mobile, swearing at his attorney. An elderly woman crouched beside a dumpster and begged for money. Many paused to look at her yet did not donate a tiny fraction of what they carried. My eyebrows furrowed.
I found this behaviour difficult to understand and I sighed. The air blew against the bareness of my body and I closed my eyes. When my mind was clear, I gazed up at the heavens and opened my wings. The air pushed me higher, up from the tower. I used to enjoy the rush. Flying was something I quite liked. Now it seemed...customary.
The city became a large mass of monochrome blocks beneath a cloud of gas. That was the negative thing about heights; everything seemed uglier up here. I looked ahead as the clouds faded into a bright light and I contemplated on reaching heaven. The others would be there. Sophia, Elijah and Gabrielle. They would laugh at my...interest in the humankind.
“Observing the piggies again?” Sophia would say with that spiteful smile.
I took another direction.
I was soon surrounded by darkness, beads of light flickering around me. The humans were much more visible at this height. They gazed up occasionally. Not at me but at the tower. Sometimes they took photos of each other around the fountain. Men and women held each other, admiring the lights, the scenery and the summer air. Asian tourists discussed the architecture of the metal frames. I didn’t know what was so fascinating about the Eiffel Tower.
The human mind began to confuse me again. But it was captivating. Their conversations were simple, words spoken without any reason but to express feelings. The human feelings were not simple, however. I tried very hard to remember what it was like to be human. Had I even been human? I desired answers. I thought about praying but I was ashamed. If I told anyone...Sophia would laugh at me for observing them, trying to understand their ways.
Instead, I focused on the voices of the people below. A six-year-old girl chuckled while balancing on the edge of the fountain. She hummed a song, gazing up at the tower and I pretended she was looking at me. Was she looking at me?
She continued to hum a tune, moving forward until she slipped.
In those few seconds, I had time to think, to make my decision. What was I to do? The innocence of her precious soul was about to vanish. I reached down, amidst the humans and snatched the girl from the inevitability of her death. I set her on the ground. She gave me a smile, one which I returned. For once in my existence as an angel, I felt...happy.