Angel Lighoon

Bonds grow stronger in time

Sitting in the cave, completely calm. Feeling nothing but peace, Angel leaned back against the smooth rock wall. At the back of the cave a big round circle of sunlight lit up the whole room. It shined against the little stream big enough to sit in. The temperature was cool. It was very welcoming. Somehow little buds of spring flowers grew beside the water. Butterflies flew around darting in and out of the circle of light. For 20 minutes Angel and Gracie sat and talked. Angel told her about the town. Told her about her friends. Assured her she would fit right in. Angel was very easy to talk too but Gracie trusted some before and it ended badly. At almost 9 years old, she should not know what she knows. Angel has a mature innocence. Gracie almost felt protective over her. She could see she didn't need her protection. She would only get hurt anyways.

"How close are you and your grandma?"

"I don't know her. I only have known about her for maybe 3 months. So I only know what I have seen. How well do you know her?" Gracie tried to sound like she really didn't care. But there was something in her voice.

"I know her very well. She always gets the best presents at holidays. She loves to play pranks. She is funny." Angel shrugged her shoulder, "She is family."

"Have you ever seen her acting in way that is not like her?" Gracie stared at the ground, push her finger through the water. "Like mean?."

"I remember this one time she took me and a friend to Showbiz pizza. She asked us to wait in the restroom for her. It was really busy. We got tired of waiting and went to look at games. We ran all over the place. That place was huge! She found out and grabbed both our arms and yelled at us. She said 'You scared the life out of me! Do not ever go anywhere with telling me.' She shook us once and hugged us crying. I felt really bad."

"Well if that is how she acted, she probably forgives you." Gracie stood up and went to the front of the cave. Angel watched her walk rigidly away.

"My friend Jesus, Help me love her the way you love her." Angel grabbed her heart and began to sign praise.

Gracie jumped a little when Angel began to sing. She was surprised at how beautiful her voice was. She got to the front of the cave and watched Jacob and Rebekah. The were picking different berries and herbs. Smiling and laughing. He would say something and she would slap at him. He would jump back and laugh. They seemed to be a very happy family. Something she didn't have any experience in.

"Alright God. If you are real. If everything everyone has said about you is true. Show me. Yes I am just a kid. But show me." She whispered as she closed her eyes tightly. Something caused her heart to beat faster. She felt another new emotion..

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By the time the first year came up, they knew everything about each other. All of the secrets they each kept. Angel was very open about her love for Our Creator. She talked about how close her parents and her are. She really showed she cared. She was open about everything from the very beginning. She asked if Gracie knew the Lord.

"Depends on what you mean. I have heard some talk about him. But I'm not sure I can believe what they said." Gracie looked down. "Honestly if there was someone bigger out there, why allow bad things to happen?"

At that moment, Angel had the worst heart pain ever. She wanted to grab her heart and cry out. She wanted to scream as loud as she could. She said a quick prayer and looked at Gracie.

"Gracie listen. I need to be completely honest. You have to wonder about what happened that first day we met. When I got.... Sick." Gracie looked down. "Since I was born, I have had certain gifts. I feel pain. Physical and emotional. I don't know what causes that pain. I just feel it. From other people. I seen you running the day through the forest. You were crying. I fell off my swing. I slipped right off it. I didn't hit anything and I got this..." Angel lifted her shirt and showed Gracie the scar of the hole on her side. Gracie gasped and backed up.

"How did you get that?"

"I don't know. I seen you running and crying, I felt your pain and slipped to the ground. My momma seen I was bleeding."

Gracie stood staring at Angel for a few minutes. She turned round and lifted the side of her blue shirt. In the exact place as Angels, Gracie had a scar. It looked like it had healed but was ripped open recently. Angel bowed her head and put her small hand on her heart.

"Father you have made this moment happen. What comes will come in your plans. Thank you for this friendship You have planned. In Jesus Name Amen" Angel looked at Gracie with tears in her eyes. "I believe Yahweh placed us together. I believe our friendship with be greater than anything that has ever formed and I do believe we will reach many for Heaven. I promise you I will never lie to you. I will never hurt you. But I need you to know, I can tell when your hurting. Because I feel your pain."

Gracie looked at Angel. She thought this has to be real. There was no way possible they would have a wound the same spot and size.

"Ok this is weird. But I have to believe something. I will be honest with you, I don't know what I believe. I can't trust you right off the bat. I will tell you how I got the cut." Gracie took a deep breath and looked away. "My mother's latest friend decided her wanted to see me take my clothes off. When I told him no he got angry. He hit me a couple of times, then went to the kitchen and got a metal circle. He pressed it into my skin. He pushed and pushed. He took it out a couple times and stabbed at the same place. When my mom came in, she believed him when he said I asked him to help take my clothes off. She didn't believe me." Gracie turned to look at Angel. "Trust for me is hard. But I will try to trust you not to tell anyone." She started to walk to her house down the street. She turned and smiled "I like you Angel." After that moment, Gracie wanted to always be around Angel. There was something about the way she felt with her. Surprisingly she started growing to trust her Grandmother. She no longer called her Grandmother but now, G-Fey. Something that seems to give a lot of humor to Fey. She became really close to Joseph. At first she seemed to like Asenath more. She quickly changed her mind. Out of no where she would look at Nath waiting for something to happen. At times, when Nath would walk by Gracie, Gracie would flinch or pull back some. After a short time, her trust for Jac was solid. But as usually Nath wore her down and little by little, gained her trust. A lot can happen in a year. Gracie began to work on her thoughts and questions about Creator. She asked all kinds of questions to whoever would answer. Almost 2 years into her new life, Gracie had her first encounter. It was during praise and worship. She was standing by the stage with Angel and their friends. They started singing a song that she liked a whole lot. While singing this song, something always soothed her.

When I fall down you pick me up When I am dry You fill my cup You are my all in all....

Her singing got louder and louder until she was scream singing. For the first time Gracie had the urge to raise her hands, stretching her hand to the sky like she was reaching for Heaven. Tears where pouring out of her eyes but she was also smiling so big and wide. She got the feeling she was feeling the love Yahweh has for her. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was important. Like someone really cared for her.