I lay on my back, the soft light of the moon bathing my face and the clearing in which I lay, making pictures from the overhead stars. I smiled to myself and thought, ‘this is my paridise. I am not alone. I belong.’ The scent of the rich night earth filled my nostrils and I arched my back into the earth. The feel of it heavenly and soft against my bare flesh.
I listened intently to the Night Chorus that is everywhere in my paridise. A single long, low howl drifted on the night breeze and I closed my eyes, falling into the melodic sound as my lovers soft, careful footfalls approached our special place. The place only he and I knew. The Angel’s Wings.
The Angel’s Wings was the single most beautiful place I had ever seen. Made for me and me alone by my lover. As an Angel without proper wings he had made wings for me. The Wings were full of the most beautiful things in the world. A waterfall and dazzling creek and springs ribboned the Wings and provided fresh, clean, heavenly water. Sweet and cool.
Lilacs, roses, tigerlilies, lavender, orchids, tulips, whysteria, willows, oaks, silverbarks, moonflowers…………..All my favourite flowers and trees covered the Wings and their mingled aromas made the most lushious smell.
It had taken him years to complete but he had done it. Everything I loved could be found somewhere on the expanse of the Wings. Everything beautiful nature had to offer. And Artemis, my only love, had done it all for me. He had been one of my only friends my entire life since early childhood.
The other children from the orphanage teased and tormented me because I was a little different. They called me the demon abomonation. I think I came by this name by way of my wings. My wings were twisted, deformed, crumpled, black and leathery, with what looked like spikes at the tips and overly pronounced bones. From birth they were ripped, shredded and torn. I could barely move them and as tiny as they were, even had I been able to I would never have flown. An orphaned Angel who couldn’t fly. I didn’t blame them for calling me Demon…I looked like one.
My mother died during my birth and my father left shortly after. he was found in the river by our house, completely drained of blood.
I met Artemis at the orphanage, though he was much older then me at the time. He stood up for me when I was all alone in the world. He was one of the few who saw past the ugliness of my malformed wings. He made me feel beautiful.
The only possession I took with me to the orphanage was a small wolf teddy that I was convinced was alive. He was my only other true friend that I could tell everything to, and I never went anywhere without him.