HALO

I put my toes over the edge of the Volans building and looked down seventy four stories to where the crowds of angels were milling about. Most of them had halos floating above their heads that glowed to the colors of their sanctions. How I envied them.

I was fourteen and still without a halo. All my friends had gotten theirs already.

I guess it was just my bad luck. Every year when sanction evaluation day came up I'd always managed to do something completely stupid and screw it all up. My family always decided to vote against me getting my halo, and when I say my whole family I mainly mean my eldest siblings. Usually the parents of a family would have more choice as to whether their child should get their halo but since mine are gone its up to my older twelve brothers and sister to decide.

No one had their wings out, it's against the law to fly in the city. And I did not want the Orion police catching me for flying again, especially not today. Tomorrow perhaps I could get in a little secret fly time, once I had my halo.

I stepped away from the edge and sighed. I needed to stretch my wings, they'd hadn't had a good fly in ages. I moved forward to peer down the building again. Maybe I could just...No. "Not today Alyssa" I said to myself and turned.

Suddenly a huge gust of the cold winter air knocked me off my feet and I fell.

~

I shot down the side of the Volans building fast. I tumbled and tumbled through the air trying to face anything but the sky.

Finally my eyes faced the approaching ground and I spread my wings. I stretched as wide as I could disappointed that they were so small.

The white feathers shone in the afternoon sunset and the sensation of sprouting them was such a relief and I would have just enjoyed it while I could if the ground was not approaching fast. I blinked water back into my eyes which the wind had so kindly dried up and flapped hard.

I slowed then started to hover. I sighed relived that I hadn't become a pancake on the foot path.

Then I herd sirens and looked down. A few feet below heaps of angels gathered and pointed at me who had so clearly disobeyed the no flying rule.

Across the street a few Orion police started to take flight.

I should just put away my wings and give in saying it was all just an honest mistake. But then I saw the face of one of them. Oh no, he'd met me before and no way would he believe me again.

I flew for it. Flapping my wings hard and flying in the complete opposite direction.

I turned a corner around another building trying to lose them. I felt the excitement rush through my veins as I flapped harder to excel my speed. I turned my head and saw that the four police were just a few feet away and would be in snatching distance any second.

Up ahead I saw a shining gold gate that told me exactly where I was. I flew up and over the gate passing a sign that said "Halos with permission only!" I ignored it and kept going. Below I saw a giant circler pool filled with shinning sliver liquid.

I landed right next to it and gulped. Would this work? Never herd anybody do something like this before. It was something only halos were aloud to do.

"Hey missy! Don't even think about it!" Yelled one of the four police chasing me. They had all landed a few feet away and were staring me down with their cold black eyes. Black meant that they were determined. I wondered what emotion they saw in my eye color right now? Purple fear?

Above their heads floated their halos which shone with a dark forest green of their sanction Orion. One of the police quickly acted, moving her foot along the ground while drawing energy from her halo and bent the ground beneath me. I stumbled forward just as she wanted and landed on my face. Ouch!

I flapped my wings but it was too late, the ground had merged over my wrists and was holding me down, my hands kept me grounded.

"Don't try to struggle. It's useless" Said the angel who's pined me down with her earth ability.

"It wasn't my fault! I fell!" I yelped. Why if I had my halo, I'd melt the earth right off of me. Not today, any day but today!

"Hey I know you" said the police who I spotted earlier as the one who'd caught me before. "Your that Volans girl who's always flying around the city!". Yep I was right, defiantly him.

"Um well...I was-" I stuttered.

"Yeah sure you...'fell'" said another policeman.

"No please! I have to get back to the Volans tower! It's evaluation!"

The woman who'd pinned me rested a hand on my back while she slowly brought my wrists together behind me "Sorry missy, but with a stunt like that! I wouldn't expect you'd be getting a halo anytime soon"