Angel of the lake

Chapter Two

You've sinned.

Lord, Meg was sick of not knowing what that meant. How did they define sin? What was she doing wrong?

Why can't I sin right?

It wasn't like Meg wanted to be chucked out of the heavens or anything. On the contrary. The land beneath them was the subject of her nightmares. She'd listened to what she'd been told, taking heed. She knew there were monsters down there. Brutes and terrors of the night. By no means was she eager to meet them. But damn it, she wanted to know what her friends were being thrown out for. What were they doing wrong? What was the sin?

Meg had tried them all. The traditional sins, that is. And thus far, nothing had come of it.

So what was this big sin?

Why were her friends being punished?

What am I doing wrong? Or not doing wrong?

Meg shivered at the thought of Nadine catching her. She'd been able to play it off just there, but she knew Nadine would be keeping an eye on her now. That woman reeked of suspicion. And Meg had put herself on the radar.

With limited time left until breakfast, Meg slipped into her room, holding her breath.

"Lord almighty Megan!"

Of course.

Her heart nearly stopped.

"Hey Beth—"

Her fellow angel darted up from her twin bed, crossing the room in a frenzied hurry. Flinging herself at the brunette, she held onto Meg tightly.

"Don't worry me like that again! Gosh, where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? Your bed was empty, and I thought something happened. Oh lord, I thought they'd finally kicked you out. I thought you'd crossed the line and they'd taken you."

Beth pulled back, holding a wide-eyed Meg at arm's length.

"I'm fine," Meg assured, dazed.

"How was I supposed to know that? I was so sure something had happened. I just had this feeling. I couldn't shake it. Gosh, don't do that again. Please, don't worry me like that."

"I'm fine, see? Nothing's wrong with me. I'm right here."

"Where were you?"

"I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk."

"After curfew?" Beth was a younger angel. She hadn't been up here long enough to see the things Meg had seen. She hadn't seen the enigma. The things that didn't make sense.

Meg tried to open her eyes to it, but the attempts never took. She'd point out a mistress' scowl in the face of incompetence, but Beth pinned it down to a trip of the light, or even physical pain the mistresses might have been in.

Meg tried to point out the secrecy, but that had never taken much either.

"You know better than that," Beth reprimanded. "What if one of the fates had caught you? Was that the point? I thought we spoke about this."

"I don't care about that anymore," Meg lied. "I'm over it."

More sin, and yet no one came to banish her.

You've sinned.

Gosh! What were these stupid sins?

"Promise?" Beth asked.

"I promise."

"Thank the lord," Beth wrung her hands together, her nerves yet to dissipate. "I was so sure they'd have pushed you over the edge. I don't want you to go to that place. Just don't do that again, okay?"