To Save a Life

Stars and Glass

"Once there was an angel named Shomriel who lived in the realm right below heaven with the other guardan angels. The city was made of stardust and glass, so that even inside, the angels could see the heavens around them. Now Shomriel was about to turn 700, and was finally ready for his first full, unaided mission on earth. He was to be assigned a human to one day protect and guard. His instructor, Raphael the healer had told him,
"Shomriel, you will be one of the ones given a body and living a full human life, as opposed to entering a human vessel. You will have a different name and family. You may end up just helping your assigned human, or help many, many people."

And so the day after his 700th birthday, Shomriel was reborn on earth as a human named Robert.
Robert grew up and had a good childhood. A family that loved him, a younger brother.
When he started middle school, he began helping many people, just like Raphael said. But he also started becoming very sad. The earth doctors called it depression, and gave him medicine for it, which helped but couldn't cure him.

In high school, Robert began remembering he was an angel, and realized he was depressed because he was homesick. As he studied all about angels and souls he also found the human he was assigned, the one born from the same star Shomriel came from. His name was Samuel. Samuel and Robert had known each other for many years, but had never been super close. So Robert decided to become closer to Samuel to watch over him. After they became best friends, Samuel told Robert a secret he hadnt told anyone: he felt like he was also sometimes a she, named Samantha, and asked if Robert would just call him/her Sam, as it was gender neutral. Robert agreed, and confided in Sam that Robert had been self harming himself, specifically where he felt he may have once had wings. They supported each other, and while Roberts scars began fading, and added fewer, Sam began embracing their feminine side more often, dressing girly in public and becoming more confident. And Robert, never having seen or heard of a hunan who could be two people, fell in love. And Sam loved him back. And although they got a lot of hate, Roberts depression seemed to get better.

One day though, after Robert had been feeling very depressed for the first time in a while, the two of them were walking around holding hands. As they crossed the street, a car sped out of the bar parking lot, ignored the red light, and went straight towards them. Without really thinking, Robert pusher Sam out of the say saving them, but letting himself get hit.

When Robert next opened his eyes, he was back in his city of stars and glass, looking up at Raphael.
"Am I.. I mean is Robert dead?" Asked Shomriel.
"For now." Answered Raphael.
"Does that mean I come home?" Asked the young angel. For the first time since remembering he was an angel, he didnt know if he wanted to go back home.
"That depends on you. You could stay here until you get reassigned. Or, you could go back to earth as your work is not finished."
"I.. I'd like to go back." Said Shomriel.

Robert opened his eyes and saw Sam looking at him in the hospital bed. "He's awake!" Sam cried. The doctors came rushing in to check Robert's data. He was completely healthy. All his wounds from the accident had disappeared. And the two long self injury scars on his back had shrunk and turned white, right where his wings were.

Robert and Sam grew up and got married, and eventually had a son who they named Raphael. Robert now traveled the country, and occasionally the world, as a mental health advocate. He even published a book entitled "Scars and Wings". After each speech or presentation he gave, he always thanked Raphael. And although he often missed flying, Sam was always there to kiss his wing marks.