When Death Brings An Angel

Chapter 3

The trip ended about a week ago and now I'm back in the hellhole I have to call my home. I haven't seen any sign of Ash and I'm starting to wonder if he will come back like he said he would. I need to talk to him. I have so many questions and no answers anywhere. I've tried to find out who he was too, but with only his first name it is near impossible. I would have definitely thought it was all a dream if i didn't stand in front of the mirror every night and watch the white, feathery wings as I gently moved them around. It was getting hard to find new excuses to explain the loud noises when I accidentally knock something to the ground with them. I also realised that if I flap them I can create quite a strong breeze. It explains the sudden wind I felt behind me up on the hotel roof and the lack of footsteps. I couldn't stop thinking about that night. It was even in my dreams, but worst of all, I couldn't stop thinking about Ash. His dark eyes and that gorgeous face. I had to let go of that, he pushed me off the hotel roof. I didn't want to like him and I'm sure he didn't like me either.

"Evelyn! Get down here right now!" I heard the booming voice of Tom, yelling from downstairs. He had dragged me out of my thoughts and I knew I was going to be in trouble, again. I got up and ran downstairs but it wasn't fast enough for him.

"You useless girl! I said get here now before I drag you down here myself!" He was serious too. I didn't want to remember being dragged down the stairs. The fact that I remember it at all was surprising. I reached the bottom of the stairs and ran into the lounge to find him sitting in front of the television, his arm possessively hanging over my mother, and they were watching the football. My mum hated football before he came a long. As per usual he had a bottle of beer in his hand and he was already drunk from the other four he had already consumed.

"Look at this place! We have been home for a week and you still haven't cleaned it! All we ask is that you do the housework and you haven't even done that! You have school tomorrow so you have a lot of work to do this afternoon otherwise you're not allowed to go back!" Tom was just about spitting in my face as he yelled at me, trying to scare me into doing what he wanted. It was his usual tactic and it worked. I looked at my mum but she was looking down, hiding her face. She ignored the way he always treated me, coward. I nodded at Tom and he went back to watching the game on tv.

I started cleaning the lounge around him. The sooner I could get away from him, the better. I counted 11 beer bottles, 3 empty bottles of whisky and an empty bottle of vodka. They had accumulated in just over a week. I didn't want to know how much of mum's money he spent on alcohol. Once all of the bottles were picked up off of the floor I got to vacuuming, much to Tom's dismay. I was making too much noise and he couldn't hear his game properly, but he also knew that he was the one who asked me to clean and so he put up with it. Every other room of the house was much the same. I vacuumed, mopped, dusted, and picked up after Tom. By the time I was finished I had missed dinner but that was okay. Mum wasn't much of a cook and it was usually me who had to make dinner for myself because Tom would demand that they eat alone. I wasn't hungry anyway and no one would notice if I lost weight. My clothes were old and baggy. I wasn't allowed to wear clothes that fitted me properly and I was definitely not allowed to have any money to buy new clothes. People couldn't even see me for who I am. Instead they see the ugly, nerdy girl who is smothered by her clothes. They probably think I am fat with the size that my clothes make me look. Little do they know I could use a couple of cheeseburgers. I know I should eat more but it's not like anybody cares. Mum used to say I was beautiful and that she would have to be fighting the boys off of me, but Tom has changed that now. He says that mum has to be the prettiest one in the house. The only reason why I own any makeup was because he made sure I covered any bruises that he gave me. I'm not even allowed to show any skin in the summer and that draws attention at school. The only girl walking around that's not in shorts and tank tops.

It was dark outside and Mum and Tom had gone to their room already. All the lights were off in the house and I decided to get ready for bed. I had no idea what the time was but I remembered to set my alarm for school in the morning. I walked into the bathroom just like usual, opening my wings and staring. That's when my curiosity finally got the better of me. I hadn't tried to fly since I was pushed off the roof but I was going back to school tomorrow and I had nothing to lose.

I crept down the stairs, well practiced at not making them creek under my feet. I unclipped the lock on the back door and made my way outside. Mum's window didn't look into the backyard so I knew I was safe. I checked the windows of the neighbours house but they were dark with blinds pulled down. I didn't bother checking the other side. The old rundown house had been empty for years, but I should have checked because if I did, I would have seen the shadow of a man, peeking through the darkness, staring at me.

With my wings out I remembered the small jump Ash had done before taking off into the sky. I bent my knees and pushed myself up, flapping my wings like I had done in the bathroom so many times. With ease I felt my body lifting off the ground and up into the sky. I didn't have to think about flapping my wings. It came as naturally as breathing. I looked down on the house that I had grown up in. It looked so different from this angle. I flew up a bit higher and then I started soaring with the clouds. I flew in circles, spinning and twisting through the sky, finding out just how easily I could maneuver myself. I flew back down, knowing that it must have been getting late and I needed to sleep before school. I lowered myself back down and landed much softer than last time. I crept back into the house, shutting the door with a soft click, and hiding my wings as I went.

I welcomed the feel of my blankets around me and I snuggled down. I went to sleep with a smile on my face. I should do that more often.