The Angel Of John

Finalist in the '2001/2002 Schools Short Story Competition - Magic and Mystery Theme' competition

As the lonely, widowed woman lay in her bed, she heard that horrid sound, clink, clank, crash, coming from the room above her. She remained still. She had gotten used to the sound. She had looked for the source of the noise so many times before, but finally decided it was not worth it anymore.
Down in the kitchen spiders and innumerable ants crawled across the tabletop. It was Saturday and dishes from Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday’s dinners sat rotting in the rustic old sink.
The woman sat up in her bed. She was only in her mid to late forties, but she looked as though she could have been in her eighties. Her skin was pale; her lips were dry and chapped. Her hair was almost white, and she wore a long, brown ripped skirt and an old blouse. She looked at herself in the old mirror. A tear ran down her cheek as she remembered her late husband, John. She prayed every day and night that he would come back to her.
Her husband had died in a horrific car accident about seven months before. He had been driving late one night down a dark road. All of a sudden another car came racing up behind him, the car tried to veer to the side and sideswiped John’s car. The man in the other car never even stopped. John was found the next morning dead in his car.
The woman sat there in bed, crying. All of a sudden, she heard a noise. It was not the crashing sound. It was more like footsteps. The woman walked out of her bedroom and through the halls. Nothing was to be seen. The house was deserted. All of a sudden she turned around to see a tall man standing behind her. She screamed.
“Honey, don’t you remember me?”
She looked up at him, “John?” she said quietly.
“Yes, my darling,” the man said, “it’s me.” She kissed him. Just then he pulled out a rope.
As he slipped it over he head, she spoke, “John, what are you doing? Are you crazy?”
The man’s voice changed. “I took one down, you’re the only one to go. You thought it was just an accident, think again. This house, this land, it will all be mine. Do you have anything to say?” He pulled the rope tighter.
“John, Help me!” she shrieked.
Just then her husband appeared in front of her. It was a miracle. Her prayers had been answered. He was an angel. The man in complete fear of what had just happened ran. He was caught by the police and later sentenced to life in prison.
As for the woman, she lived happily now in her house. Dishes were cleaned, her clothes were changed, and the house was swept and dusted. She knew that her husband was there with her. He had always been there with her. She never again felt so lonely and the crashing sound had gone away. She never was able to distinguish what it was. She didn’t care though. She was happy, she would always be happy forever and ever.

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