The Angel Chronicles: A New Horizon

Introduction

Do you ever get that wave of dread when something bad happens in your life? Does said wave seem to follow you around all day and doesn't go away no matter how hard you try to ignore it? Well, that's how I was feeling as I lay awake in bed, staring at the dirty ceiling above me. Normally, my older brother Kenny would read me a bedtime story to help me sleep, but not tonight.

Kenny and I are angels (not Biblical angels). Angels are avian-human hybrids whose original mutation was a result from a meteor shower that destroyed much of the Southwestern United States 26 years ago. Around 45% of the humans exposed to the radiation lived to tell the tale, while the other humans either died from the exposure or stayed in a bunker and weren't exposed at all. The radiation rearranged the surviving human's DNA, giving them several new genes. The result gave those humans wings and an ability of some sort (hence, the nickname "angel"). The angel genes then act as a recessive gene for every future offspring. F.E.A.R. and the other humans hate us, calling us freaks of nature that were never destined to fit in. I don't understand why, weren't the first angels humans before the Armageddon?

Gram told me that when an angel is old enough, their wings would sprout from their backs, taking place of the scars that appear on an angel's back since birth. She admitted that it's a painful process and often takes a couple of days for the wings to break out completely. That's what Kenny was going through right now tonight. I was very worried for Kenny, worried that he'll wake Mother up and she'll kick him in the ribs to quiet him, or he'll pass out from the pain, or even worse, the neighbors will notify F.E.A.R. and have him taken away. Squeezing my teddy bear, Eugene, I decided to sneak into his room and visit him.

I got up from my bed, taking Eugene with me for extra comfort. Now I was really petrified. What if Mother catches me? She never knew that I was an angel, but she discourages me from being with my brother because she "can't have her precious little baby playing with that winged freak". So I had to think of some kind of excuse just in case she does catch me. Moving Eugene to my other arm, I grabbed the water cup from my nightstand, to make it look like I was thirsty and got up to get a drink of water.

You can do this Leeann. You're quieter than a mouse, there's no way that she'll catch you.

Taking a deep breath, I carefully opened the door, making sure not to make any sound, and stepped out into the hallway.

My heart pounded like a tiny bird living in my ribcage. Of all the things I've done for Kenny, this was the craziest. Normally, he would sneak into my bedroom every night to read me a bedtime story, sing me a lullaby, or talk to me, not the other way around. It was absolutely scary and I didn't like it. I felt ready to turn back.

No Leeann, don't turn back, you're doing fine. Kenny and Gram would be so proud of you.

I hesitated, looked behind me, and took some more steps forward. This was for Kenny, Kenny and no one else. I approached Kenny's room and peered through the doorway. There, crumpled on the bed, was my brother. He was lying on his stomach with his back exposed and very red. It looked like tomatoes were thrown at his back and left to dry. The blankets were rumpled and he was clutching his pillow like a lifeline. Peering closer, I saw something that nearly made my heart stop. He wasn't the only one in the room. Right by his side were a man in a black cloak and a boy that was around my age. Both of them huddled around Kenny doing something that I couldn't make out. I was scared, I had to save my brother! I dropped the water cup and picked up a shard of glass that was by my feet. Summoning all of my courage, I dashed into the room.

"Don't move!" I said as bravely as I could, attempting to mask my fear. The cloaked man whispered something to the boy before turning to me.

"Step away from my brother. I'm not afraid of you."

My voice wavered this time, exposing my cowardice. I backed up, getting ready to bolt out the door. I've done it, the jig was up, I was going to get killed. The cloaked man got down to my level and spoke.

"Don't be afraid, my child."

The man pulled back his hood with a small, warm smile. He had pale skin, sky blue eyes outlined in eyeliner, and shoulder length black hair that stuck in different places. A black diamond was painted over his left eye. I also noticed that he wore a rosary around his neck with an odd looking star hanging from the black beads. Despite his strange appearance, he had this friendly and fatherly complex that made me less afraid of him.

"Who are you, and what are you doing to my brother?" I asked, more calmly than I did before.

The man looked around swiftly before he got up to close the door. He knelt down to my level and spoke, "For my safety I can't tell you my name young one, but I can assure you that I'm not hurting your brother."

"But you're wearing a black cloak, like the Shadowmen." The Shadowmen are the soldiers, police, and executioners of F.E.A.R. They patrolled every community, making everyone more fearful to stand up to F.E.A.R.'s strict and cruel ways.

The man gave a small chuckle. "Well, F.E.A.R. wouldn't expect a member of The Legion of the Black nor an angel in general to dress like their very own soldiers." He removed his rosary beads from around his neck and handed them to me. "But would any Shadowman be caught wearing this around their neck?"

I studied the rosary in my hands with care. The unusual star hanging from the beads wasn't anything like the stake seen in F.E.A.R.'s symbol, but what exactly was The Legion of the Black? Handing the beads back to the mysterious man and pushing the question aside, I asked, "So if you're not hurting my brother, what are you doing to him?"

The man, putting the rosary beads back around his neck, said "I'm a healer and my job is to make sure that an angel's sprouting is as quick and painless as possible. My apprentice is easing the pain from your brother's back, while I guide the wings out of his body."

I stood for a moment. "But anyone could wear a rosary with a symbol other than F.E.A.R.'s and claim to be a healer for the angels. How am I sure that I could trust you?"

I was still suspicious of the mysterious man despite his friendly exterior. The man seemed to understand that as well and the twinge of hesitation on his face showed that I thwarted his secret.

"Because I'm one of them, my child."

He tugged on the back of his cloak and with a mighty FWOOP, a single jet black wing unfurled from his back. So he was telling the truth after all! He quickly tucked his wing back underneath his cloak before anyone else could see.

"Sir," a voice said. I turned around and saw the young boy who I assumed was his apprentice. "His feathers are starting to show."

The man began to stride over to Kenny. "I have to go back to my work young one, but you can take a peak if you want."

He knelt down and placed his hands on Kenny's bare and bloody back, gently guiding one of his wings out. Part of me wanted to run out of Kenny's bedroom and vomit from the disgusting sight, but the other part of me wanted to see what was going on. The curious side won out and before I knew it, I was making my way towards Kenny's bed and was peaking over the mysterious man's shoulder. At first, the wings that had been lodged inside my brother's back were unrecognizable from being covered in blood, but as the boy was cleaning off Kenny's wing, I noticed soft, light grey feathers luminating in the moonlight.