The Angel With a Starry Face (Lams)

Chapter One

Hey guys! Just to let y'all know, this book will be in third and first person. The narrator (3rd) will be in italics and the characters (1st) will be normal text. Enjoy!
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As many would say in this part of town "Be weary, for the night is dark and full of terrors." which unfortunately, is very true. On this particular early morning, one man sat in a dark, unoccupied shack. Outside it was beaten and torn down due the the ravenous storm eating away at the rotten wood. The inside was just the same, falling apart at the corners where the walls met the ceiling, which was only six and a half feet, or two meters, high. It was also about five feet wide, so it was very crammed and having arm room was next to nearly impossible. The man spoken about was around six feet tall, so his head almost rang from the intense pressure put on by hitting the ceiling all too often. On the walls, or what was left of them, there were shelves holding cans and tools, copper in color from rust. There was one small window on the back wall of the small shack, cracks branching out all around, allowing water to drip through and form a small puddle on the ground. Ah, about the ground, that's exactly what it was. Ground. Soil, muddy from the constant showers in the area. The man laid curled in a tight ball, covered only by a very dirty towel, no longer than his legs. He wore a grey hoodie, ratted and torn down due to the amount of time it had stayed on this man's back, without being washed. Covering his legs was a worn pair of black jeans, multiple tears going throughout the material. His feet were bare, not even socks covered the rough skin on his heels. The man's hair was another story. The dark brown locks grew long, about to his shoulders. It was tangled and knotted, no brushes have been through this nest in a while. The man's light skinned face was covered with dirt along with a short beard that rode up his chin. His eyes were glued shut because of - well, I'll let him tell you.

I tried to tell myself it was alright. I tried so hard, you don't understand. No matter how hard I focused on staying calm or how hard I prayed, the storm didn't pass. The puddle by my feet grew larger by the minute, and I had nothing to patch the cracks forming on the window. The wind was so loud I thought it might break the shack down. Luckily, I had locked the door so it wouldn't blow open. I slowly opened my eyes and removed my arms from around my head. I was terrified. Most people aren't this afraid of storms. Hell, most dogs aren't as afraid as I am. I'm so glad that no one here knows me. The kids from my old school would be laughing so hard if they knew I was afraid of storms. I slowly stood up and glances out the window. Rain was pouring and the trees looked as though they were waving to me. The shack I stayed in was in a secluded area not far from the town. Not many people came by this far so I thought it would be best for staying away from people. I stepped over to one of the shelves with all of my cans on it. I picked up one and started to count the change I had collected yesterday. Forty two cents. Not bad, but not enough. I had about five dollars saved up so I could buy a small breakfast this morning, but there was no way I was going out in this weather. I was very hungry and thirsty. I hadn't had anything for two days except for a small cup of water that a kind woman had handed to me. I stared in silence at the change and sighed. Suddenly there was nothing. No rain, no wind, no noise. I unlocked the door and peeked outside to see a slight sprinkling of rain. I decided it was about time to eat so I grabbed my five dollars and one of the empty cans along with a cardboard sign that said, "Anything would help. God bless." It wasn't the best, but I tried. It worked sometimes. I started walking to my usual corner, right outside of a small vintage bakery. I sat down my cardboard sign and my can and opened the door to the shop hearing a slight ding. "Hello, Alexander!" The woman at the counter said. Her name was Eliza. She was always so kind to me and I'm glad I could have one friend in this world. "Hey, Eliza." I said, pulling out my five dollars. "Can I have a blueberry muffin, please?" I asked. "Of course, Alex. Here you go." She said, reaching into the glass compartments below the counter and grabbing a muffin. I handed her my five dollars and she gave me thirty eight cents back. "Have a nice day, Alexander." She said. "Thanks, you too!" I said, smiling and grabbing the door to go and sit on the hard concrete. It was about twelve in the afternoon, perfect time to get spare change from the kind hearts in this small town.

Hours passed as Alexander gained very little in his small, rusted can. He sat and sat, smiling at the passerby and getting some smiles back, but mostly dirty looks. He didn't think too much of it though, some people just don't understand how difficult it is to be without a family or a home. Or anyone. As I said before, "the night is dark and full of terrors." Yeah, well the person who started that didn't really think about how cruel and dark the day can be as well. Just because the sky isn't dark doesn't mean that dark people or things exist, lurking in shadows or standing in plain sight. But, along with those terrors come great things. Angels, people with the warmest hearts and kindest smiles. Holding out their hands to pick you up and guide you away from the terrors. Alexander was in the darkness filled with terrors. He just needed an angel to lift him out and away.

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Woah maaannnn :0
I'm so proud of this story so far! Honestly, it's probably one of the greatest things I've written in a very long time. Over one thousand words! That's insane! I hope y'all are enjoying this! Have a wonderful day filled with angels, not terrors ;)