Mairead Hickey

Written age 12
Thurso High School, Highland

THE ABANDONED ANGEL

I stood there, on the windy cliff side, staring at the deserted tower. Made of old, crumbling stone, it towered above the cliff, covered in snaking vines. Circular and tall, it stood next to a roaring river. So silent, I thought. I shivered as a gust of wind whistled through the valley, and I pulled my blue cardigan closer to my body. I shook my head. I would win the dare this time. Sighing, I crept in through the little stone doorway. Inside, it was very cold. I couldn't stop shivering. There was a flight of stone stairs that spiralled far above me. I craned my neck to see the top. I heard owls screech far above. The floor was covered in moss, and silvery feathers with small specks of gold. I bent down to pick one up, just as another gust of wind blew through the doorway. The elegant feather blew from my fingertips, and floated away into the river. I turned around and shut the small wooden door, saving a little warmth.

Still shivering, I climbed the flight of stairs, hurrying so I could leave quickly. I climbed past ten floors and at the top I spotted something strange. In the little circular room there was a small fire in the hearth. I crept in, curious, but very wary. I knelt before the fire.

"Who - who's there?" a cracked and weary voice called. My head snapped up in the direction of the voice. The other end of the room. It was covered in shadow. I wondered why. There was an arched window in every room I.d passed. I looked to my left. There was an arch all right, but it had been covered with a dirty cloth of some kind. Standing, I reached out with trembling fingers and pulled the cloth towards me. The room flooded with light, filling every corner, nook and cranny.

"Oh! T - Too much l - light! My e - eyes. They hurt." the wispy voice spoke again. I turned around, right around, and I froze. In the far corner of the room was a man, cracked with age. He was half lying, half crouching on the dusty stone floor. I quietly and hesitantly crept around him. Kneeling down, I explored his face carefully. It was crinkled and lined with age and his eyes seemed an ancient dusty green. His clothes were ragged and covered in dust. This forgotten man seemed like he had been here forever.

"Who are you?" my voice was barely a whisper.

The man shook his head slowly. "N - No one," he said sadly, a glistening tear-drop running down his pale cheek.

"Let me help you." I held out my hand warily towards him.

He looked at it and then at me, and then at my hand again. He slowly held out his hand, and compared it to mine. It was thin and pale, with thousands of lines and wrinkles. Mine was smaller, smooth and olive-toned.

"So old I am," he said. "Ancient as the Earth, lived as long as time."

I didn't say a word. I didn't know what to say. I could hear my own heart racing, my own breathing in sharp, ragged breaths. The man looked at me.

"You're scared," he said slowly, as if his own voice strained him.

"No I'm not," I said. I was really. I was completely terrified. "I'm trying to work out what you are."

He chuckled. "You're determined, you are." He sighed, his breathing all raspy. He groaned. "Fine. You want to know what I am? Take a guess."

I smiled. "Are you human?"

He rolled his eyes. "What do you think? No. I'm not human. Used to be, but that was ages, no centuries ago. Ha! Humans. Idiots who love war."

"Ok! Well, what are you?" I stepped in, a little taken aback from his snappishness.

He sighed, huskily. "You give up quick, don't you?"

I raised my eyebrows slightly. "You think I can guess your super secret identity?"

He grumbled. "Well, you did ask in the first blooming place," he pointed out.

"Sorry," I said. "Well, would you like me to help you? Bring a hot water bottle? Some food and aspirin? Yes, that would make you feel better -"

"Stop!" he moaned softly, but clear enough for me to stop. "I don't want your help, kid."

"Oh," I said quietly. I sat awkwardly opposite him, too scared to get any nearer. He sighed, and turned around. The breath caught in my throat. Sprouting out of his dirty white shirt, were two wings, but with only a few feathers left. They were silver with specks of gold, like the ones I had seen earlier. The rest lay in a pile of silvery ash on the floor. I was speechless. He turned back to face me, looking deep into my eyes.

"You... you're... an angel?" I gasped.

He whispered, "If you like. They left me, left me here to rust for eternity." He sighed again, before showing the chains that bound his legs to the wall. He leaned towards me, and I leaned away from him. He took my hand, and closed his eyes. I shivered, as his hand was cold. His eyes opened with a snap.

"You... you will become one of us... he murmured" I inhaled sharply.

"What?. I squeaked, terrified"

"When you see the moon shine high above this tower. then, then you will join me."

I jumped up, snatching my hand back. A gust blew into the room, and I looked outside. It was dark, and I turned to the man.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I mumbled. And with that, I rushed from the room. I sprinted down the stairs, and the door banged open as I raced out of the tower, back down the cliff side. I choked back tears, still shaken by what he had said. What a stupid dare.

It wasn't long before I had reached the stone bridge, and the noisy blaring traffic roared past me with their headlights glaring on my face. It was soon quiet when they had passed. I set off towards the town. I turned to look at the roaring river, and I saw the stone tower rising above the cliff. And then I gasped.

"No," I breathed; as I saw what the man had prophesied. The moon shining directly above the tower. I trembled with the deepest fear and hot tears splashed down my face. I hugged myself, before stepping off the bridge. The ground crumbled beneath my feet. I felt the rushing wind and my heart jumped a beat. I was falling towards the jagged rocks beside the river. I screamed and felt the crushing impact, then everything went numb and blackness swam up to greet me.

In the tower, the man sighed as he heard the ambulance sirens on the bridge below. He turned and saw a glittering figure appear beside him. She was ghostly white and glittered like diamonds. She opened her eyes and gasped as she saw him. He held out his hand.

"Welcome back," he whispered.