The Angel He Dreamt

• Emily Andrade, Grade 10, Toongabbie Christian School
• Short Story
• 2016

Finalist in the 'Top Secret 2016' competition

She adored the world. The essence of life, in which it brought upon many forms that wondered this earth. She would imagine herself floating high in the skies, a sea of blue surrounded her, white fluffy rocks that were easily penetrable, drifted in various places. The air danced with her, laughter would then erupt from her, echoing throughout the vast area. Her smile would grow each time the golden ball of unseeable light, grazed the edges of her finger tips.
Once it disappeared however, and the world turned into a rayless landscape, her laughter would falter, her dreams darkened. The world wasn’t a perfect place though, as at night, the hidden creatures of the underworld would begin to venture out, looking for innocent prey. She would see these things, and she would run, run far away, always trying to savour the suns radiance. People thought she was mad, some admired the uniqueness of her bravery and curiosity. Even as she would see the human eyes stare at her with rock solid gazes, she would never let this halt her fight for light. Her belief was all that mattered to her, and so she never stopped dreaming.
Yet there were times where she was afraid to dream, for that she may never wake up. It was always a risk, but a risk worth taking. She brought love and care to those who needed it, almost as if she was a guardian angel to them. Maybe she was, for there were those who whispered of such things. She was a mystery to many, and she ought to keep it that way. As much as she loved the world, she didn’t want to become too attached, for the secrets were true.
When the time came for her to sleep once again, to dream herself away, something magical happened. Only a small boy lost on a winter’s night, saw this, marvelling at the illusive light cascading the area. With great big beady eyes, eagerly watching the sparkles that pranced around her, he became entranced with the vision that shimmered before him. He smiled in happiness, thinking he could now prove to those who hadn’t believed him, hadn’t believed that he had seen an angel before, the truth of his memories. The boy called to people nearby, bodies flourished around the small freckled one. If only he hadn’t turned away, for the moment he did, she was gone. She was gone, for she had only simply been a dream.