Before the Angels Fall

Chapter 3~ Escape

Stephanie stared outside, completely bored out of her mind. The parents in the room beside her screamed and shrieked, pounding on the table with excited fists. Voices were raised and more wine was passed around. So, for now, she was trapped here with drunk parents and noise. A LOT of noise. And she abhorred it. She despised it all.

Unfortunately, she couldn't even remember why she was here. Feeling the need to take her blouse off, Stephanie repelled the feeling and continued to keep her blouse on, even with her sweaty back pressed against the couch.

The parent's volume only increased as she waited in vain for the air conditioning to work. Of course, it was futile, and there was absolutely NOTHING she could do to cease the noise and hot temperature.

As everything was quickly becoming unbearable, she screamed, "Mom! I'M GOING OUTSIDE!"

There was no response. Obviously not. The parents were too focused on their game, presumably. Stephanie snorted, slipping on her ratty old sneakers and opening the squeaky door forcefully.

Outside was literally heaven. The birds were singing, the air was cool, there was minimal noise...she sighed contentedly.

But after a while, the air became more and more stifling, as though the heat was pressing on either side of her. Stephanie started to sprint as far away as she could from the house, not knowing exactly where she wanted to go yet she knew that she just wanted to go, away. Anywhere seemed fine as long as she wasn't back at that house. The wind whipped around her, throwing her slightly off balance, yet cooling her as she ran. 

Woods appeared before her eyes. Leafy branches seemed to stretch out, as though welcoming her. Where am I? she wondered, shading her eyes from the piercing sunlight. 

Stephanie quickly glanced at her watch. It was 1:00. She always wore that watch from the moment she first received it as a birthday present. The watch reminded her of the consistency of time, how it never stops and it always continues moving, like a relentless river of rushing water. Time was essential, she recalled, from when her father always told her that she wasted too much time playing with her dolls. Now, she realized how much time she wasted when she was little. Her father was right, time was important. 

The ticking of the second hand moving on the watch was breaking the silence, the tranquil peace over the vast lands covered in proud trees. The girl continued walking, gazing in awe at the sunlight filtering through the leaves, the chirping of the birds, the sights, the wonders of this forest. A simple yet complex web of systems intertwining each other. 

Peering through the thick cluster of tree trunks and branches, Stephanie thought she saw a flash of white. A rabbit?

The clock continued ticking as she stared into the face of a pale boy with white and black wings. He was a pale, almost ghost-like and gave off an aura of vulnerability and weakness. 

What are you?