I sat staring at the starry sky. The grass was cool against my bare back. Despite the scorching hot summer day, the night was crisp. The chilled air on my uncovered abs kept my senses sharp. It kept me alert. It was hard to be alert now that my mother was gone.1

My grieving had somehow put a thick haze over everything. I wish I could see her just one last time. Hot tears ran down my face. I never got to say good bye to her. I Just sat and watched them kill her! The two dark man beating her, my girlfriend and I. I only lived because she told them to kill her and let me and Ash go. Even though Ash and I got away, she died the next morning of internal bleeding. 2

Now I was left with almost nothing. This clearing was all I had left. This is where my mom brought me every night to look at the stars. This is also where Ash and I first met 10 years ago when we were six. It's also where we had our first kiss when we were 13 and where we had spent every day together. Tears continued to flow freely. 3

"Dylan!" A deep angry voice called. 4

"Yeah, dad?" I hollered back. 5

"Get back in here! It's almost midnight!" He screeched in return. I sighed and brushed the tears from my face. I strolled back towards my farm house. 6

My dad and I hadn't hardly talked since my mother died. He never really liked me. I’m sure he wishes it was my mother who dragged her self back home and not me. He glared down at my naked chest. Anger flashed across his face, an emotion that was often displayed by him. 7

"Why the hell are you half naked Dylan?!" He growled. I looked down at my bare chest. 8

"The cool air helps me think," I muttered. 9

He continued to glare at me then grabbed my unclothed shoulder in a bone shatteringly tight grip. My shoulder burned as his fingers pressed deeper into my flesh. I let out a short moan of pain. He pulled me right up against. So close that I could feel him breathing on my face. 10

"You listen and you listen good Dylan. Now that your mother's gone I don't have to put up with your garbage! You live under my roof so you live by my rules!" He spat into my face. He threw my whole body against the rickety wooden wall. I gasp as the pain exploded in my back and shoulders. 11

"Get in the house!" He roared. "NOW!" I quickly jumped to my feet painfully. I ran into the house as fast as I could and strait down to my basement bedroom. That was the first time my father had ever hurt me. I guess he must be grieving in a more violently then I have been. I sighed and fell hard onto my bed. I drifted quickly off to sleep. 12

Sleep was something that never came easily to me anymore. I always had horrific nightmares about... Ash and my mom... I would dream of ever vivid detail and I was never really there. I was just a bystander, watching, waiting, unable to help. Just like when it really happened. Too broken and battered to do anything...13

When reality flashed back to me, my face was wet with tears. Men don't cry, I told myself, wiping the tears from my eyes. Be a man Dylan! I rolled over and looked at my small alarm clock, the only thing illumination the darkness of my cold room. 6:30am. I could get up now and go for a walk to the clearing. Maybe I could do some drawing, or write another song for A... no one. Another tear slid down my pale face. 14

I ripped myself out of bed reluctantly and hopped into the shower. The hot water running over me seemed to turn my senses down. It seems only the icy chill of cool air can keep me alert. 15

When I was finished, I put on pants and grabbed my sketch book. Dad would be at work by now, leaving me free to do what I pleased. The only place I wanted to be was my clearing. I opened the front door and felt my sense rush awake as the cool air hit my exposed abs. It seemed as if I could feel, smell, hear and see everything stretched out in front of me. 16

I could feel the warm sunrise on my skin and I could smell the forest pine, I could hear the birds chirping and see the gorgeous colours of the flowers growing in the grass. Flowers. Ash loved flowers. I felt the sudden need to run. I wanted to run and get as far away from these painful memories as I could. I threw my book onto the porch and ran. The wind rushed around me at extreme speeds, leaving me tired quickly. I veered toward my clearing. I continued to run until I reached the edge. 17

I saw her standing there. She was waiting for me, waiting for anyone to come with her. She was graceful. Tall but not taller than me, maybe about five foot eight? She had long, fiery garnet hair that reach down to her lower back. The tight curls bounced as she breathed. 18

Her deep emerald eyes were a strong contrast to her hair. They were inhumanly bright and sparkled even at a distance. She wore a long dress that was cinched just under her chest. It pulled over only one shoulder. It looked like a sunset, with the different shades of red, orange, yellow and pink. Her skin was very pale, making her look almost dead, though it was flawless. Not a single blemish or scar covered her. 19

Her lips were full and covered with a deep red coating. Her smile was perfect, strait and white. She smiled at me. Her smile was warm and welcoming. It screamed for me to come to her. 20

But despite her flawless image, that was not the first thing you noticed about this woman. The first thing any person would notice about her was her gorgeous white wings. The wings growing out from her strong shoulder blades were so white, they glowed. They were covered in soft looking feathers that made you want to reach out and touch them. 21

"Come to me," she whispered. Her voice was like a birds sweet song. He walked to her, ready to let her take me home. The woman wrapped her arms around me. 22

"My son." At that moment I realized who the angel woman was. The angel was my mother. I searched around her. There was another angel girl standing in the distance. There was no doubt in my mind who she was.23

"Ash!" I screeched as I ran to her. She quickly returned my hug. 24

"Dylan, I have missed you so deeply." Her vocabulary seemed odd. I payed no attention to the abnormality and kissed her softly. I was finally seeing the love of my life again. And my mother. My mother that I have always loved so dearly. I jumped into my mother’s loving arms again. 25

After we became re-acquainted, we sat together on the cool grass. 26

"So, what are you guys?" I asked after a seemingly endless silence. 27

"We are angels of course," Ash whispered while running her tender fingers through my shaggy black hair. 28

"Angels? Like the beautiful dead people that fly around heaven?" I was unable to hide the shock in my voice. The angel girls laughed. 29

"No. Ash and I live in Ferchestry. It is a beautiful meadow where all innocent souls are sent when they pass on. It's beautiful," my gorgeous mother responded. I stared at her in shock. 30

"But....but... if it's so beautiful, why the you come back to this hell hole?" 31

"Oh Dylan. Your still as naive as you always were," Ash giggled. "All Angels are allowed to leave Ferchestry once to see loved ones one last time. I...I needed to see you one last time." Ash stuttered her words. A saddened expression spread across her perfect face. I took her face in my hands. 32

"What's wrong love?" I whispered. 33

"I may never see you again. All angels that have been gone for more than a year move on to Gilderland where the find lovers and get married. The when the next wave of angels come then the old ones move to another permanent home and they never see the next waves," Ash spoke difficultly through tears. A single tear rolled slowly down my cheek. 34

"You mean I'm never going to see you again?" I sobbed. She shook her head and then curled up against me. 35

The three of us continued to talk until dusk. 36

"Well we must be heading off." my mother bird like voice spoke out. We all gave our saddening final goodbyes and the angel girls set off. I couldn't stay here. This forest was filled with too much pain. I ran back to the house and got my usual yelling from my father, without the shoulder pain this time. I ran down to my room and fell hard onto my bed. The air in my room was all too warm, causing my senses to fall into the blur. I was never going to see Ash or mom again. The only solution came to me easily.37

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -38

I strolled up to the door of my son's room. I knocked lightly.39

"Dylan? Can I talk to you?" No answer. "Dylan?" I slowly pushed the door open. My stomach sank and a chill washed over me as the sickly sweet smell of blood hit me like a stone. The sight was even worse. I felt a sensation as if I had been spinning for hours on end. There in front of me lay my son, a small hole in his brain, blood spilling out. Tears poured down my face. I fell down on my knees beside my handsome son. I stroked his blood stickyed hair. I saw an object in his pale hands. A paper. It was folded up. I unfolded it, trying not to cover it in tears. 40

Dear Dad, 41

As you may already know, I have killed myself. I have always loved you. Even when you didn't seem like you loved me. I want you to never forget me. And I have one last thing to ask of you. Come to my clearing. I have something to show you.42

Love Dylan 43

I refolded the note and kissed my dead son's forehead. He was cold. Very cold. Tears poured faster. I ran at top speed out to the clearing. I pushed the last layer of brush out to the side. I saw a shape at the end of the clearing. It wasn't human. The only thing I could see from here was the wings. Thick, pearly white, soft and fluffy. The figured turned to look at me. 44

"Dylan?" He did not answer. He gave me a quick wave then faded into darkness, gone forever. 45

"Goodbye."