art by Stephen James Kiniry
Amy's First
by Henry Szabranski
The angel floated just below the rafters of Amy's bedroom. It glowed like a Christmas ornament: rainbow colours shimmering across its translucent, slow-sculling wings. Its soft radiance filled the darkened room.
Amy lay still, hardly breathing. An angel had finally appeared, just like her friend had said it would. She glanced across at the door. It was firmly shut, no telltale sliver of light beneath it; Mother and her new boyfriend had gone to bed, their rhythmic creaking stopped. Amy was pretty sure she was the only one awake in the house.
Her, and the angel.
She threw off her covers and bounced up onto the bed, her heart hammering. Soft toys and sparkle ponies scattered onto the floor, emptied chocolate boxes and candy wrappers, and discarded presents from her friend tumbled into the dip her feet created in the mattress.
The angel drifted lower. "Listen to me, Amy." Its lilting, asexual voice sounded like harp music, like a joyous choir. But quiet, very quiet: like it was sharing a special secret with her. "There is something important I need to tell you. You're an extraordinary little girl, and the fate of worlds rests in your hands."
The angel floated towards her. She had expected it to look like her Barbie doll, only with wings, and legs and arms. Instead, it appeared smeared, faded, as though put through the wash too many times. Amy could see her wallpaper right through it, clowns and teddy bears performing cartwheels across a pale yellow sky.
The angel drifted closer, glowing candyfloss mist. Amy thought it looked scared.
She remembered what her friend had told her. "You're a very special little girl," he said. "You deserve only the best." She had been surprised and a little frightened to find him nestled amongst her toys, but he had brought her gifts, and made Mother's boyfriend leave her alone, and so she had listened carefully when he told her all about the angels, and the war, and how she might be visited one night and asked to help.
She knew exactly what to do now.
