Fallen Angel

Rachel Reinhart

 Picture of Rachel on the right side~

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CHAPTER 8

“RACHEL REINHART”

            “Excuse me?”

            That smile and the way her eyes squinted almost too much when she laughs—it has to be her.

            It has to be…

            But by the way her face fell into this confused state, I can’t be so sure anymore. I fell silent and awkward, just contemplating about the situation as much as she was. Doesn’t she remember me?

            Poppy… Poppy would always get all excited just seeing me arrive after losing sight of me by just an inch of a second. She would come running towards me to give me the tightest embraces she could do despite her small stature. And then she would yell my name.

            Excuse me?

            No, that wasn’t my name at all… and my arms yearned for warmth but there was this cold, vacant feeling that surrounded me; that surrounded us.

            “I’m sorry. I must have confused you for someone else.” I said.

            Before she could stutter a single word, I dashed into the kitchen and handed over the order to Heather. I’ve decided it was a good idea to leave the restaurant early, so I slipped out of the kitchen through the back door, telling everyone I had family over for dinner in spite of how late it was and how my alibi didn’t buy me out. I could care less about everything.

            I just… Shit! Why doesn’t she remember me?!

            I’ve spent all my eternity down here trying to recall all the memories I had with my fellow angels up above. Every night, I would daydream myself to sleep, trying to visualize what it would be like if I were still up there, and all I could come up with is one little scene that keeps playing in my head each night I try to sleep.

            And it would be me waking up in our manor, that large majestic emerald masterpiece, receiving a hug from Poppy’s delicate white arms, tight on my hip as her cheeks would dig into my chest, yelling my name and crying, “Gabriel, I’m so glad you’re still here. Please do not ever again plan to leave me here. Let us wait until we are full-pledged angels before you decide to, so I could come with you!”

            It hurts every night, that I have to think of that, but at the same time, I’m glad that I could so vividly see my little Poppy even as a figment of my imagination. I would trade everything just to see her, even once.

            Then this happens…

            The irony of fate is just unnerving! For all the times I’ve been visualizing the same scene every night, I would never ever come to think that I would see her this way. I would never ever expect her to forget me. I just can’t, even now that I’ve actually seen her in front of me.