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The cold wind ruffled past John's short black hair. His blue eyes mirrored the beauty of the forgiving ocean focusing on the distant horizon and his black cloak offered little warmth. A vast world of slumbering people in dark houses, sunlight trees of yellow and orange, mountains blocking the falling moon, and all cast in the pale gray light of the coming sun. The dark clouds overhead gave dark omens for a dark mind.
"You miss it, don't you John? The world and its beauty under the sun, the warmth of someone next to you as you protect them in your arms from the world. What saddens you John? Is it that you're alone now in this world, or is it that you're in love with two people you feel you can never touch?" Sally walked over to where John sat on the bare dirt ground over looking the city. Things seemed lighter around Sally, as if a form of white light emanated from her pale white skin, white shirt, jeans, and shaved head. John kept looking forward afraid to meet Sally's glowing green eyes. "You wouldn't want to anyways John, that life isn't for you now." Sally crouched next to John, her white T-shirt and Jeans almost brighter than the sun itself but did not burn nor offer comfort.
"Would you suggest I hide? Stay in the shadows without facing the sun again?"
John's pale face seemed to have a darkness of it's own, no shadow could compare to the darkness found in his eyes like deep caves hiding secrets of forgotten lore.
Sally scoffed and sat next to John, her eyes bright with knowledge and an unknown light. "Keeps you alive… the sun burns you John and one of us could not live without the other." Johns eyes scanned over a house as it's lights flickered on. Shadows played across the blind of the house, a young woman woke next to her lover. John could feel her tear stained cheeks and saddened eyes. Without seeing her, he could feel her movements and thoughts crawl across the cracks of his mind. "You see that shadow there, Sally?" Sally's eyes focused on the house, a smile spread across her face when she finally found it. "Yes, the white one with the brown shutters?" John nodded slowly, his head felt heavy with pain. "Yes, a young woman of seventeen just woke up. She has pale blonde hair that shines just right while under sunset light. Her eyes are fiery red next to the pupil and then surrounded by marsh green. Her lover says it reminds him of a forest fire that he dies in every time he looks into them. Her skin is smooth like silk to the touch and as pale as the moon. He loves her greatly and would die for her if it came down to it. He snuck her away from her parents to escape the mental abuse of her parents. He's seventeen as well, blond hair like the one he fell asleep with. He's not the most beautiful boy in the world but he cares and loves her. Do you see her shadow move around Sally?"
Sally nodded quickly, "Yes, but I don't see your…" John quickly raised his finger to his lips and whispered under his breath. "Listen…" The sound of a gentle pop could be heard from down in the valley. "Did you hear it Sally? Judy, a young girl of seventeen with golden blonde hair that shined just right while under sunset light just died. Now her red blood will stain that hair from where the bullet exited her skull. Her tear-burdened eyes will never see her mother and father again and they will weep and ask themselves what they did wrong when they find out. Her lover isn't awake yet; she muffled the gun shot with a pillow so he wouldn't. He dreams of the night of love and happiness they just had, blissfully unaware that he will never hold her to his chest again and tell Judy how much he loves her. How much he would die for her and how much he loves the feel of her warm skin against his own. He didn't know that that night was the first time she had ever had sex. She was angry, upset with her parents. She wanted to feel loved and thought that making love with him would bring the warmth her parents never gave her. It didn't though, she was ashamed of what she had done and thought it would stain her soul forever."
Sally looked away from the house, darkness lay within that place that could never be removed and she could not bear to think of it. Salty tears ran over her lips as she tried to feel for the other souls in the city. "I don't want to feel their sadness any more Sally. I don't want to perform my function. I don't want to live anymore Sally." Sally sobbed into her arm trying to search for souls of happiness and joy in the valley below. John looked at her; her white shirt was two sizes to big for her and her jeans loosely held to her perfectly shaped body by a belt. "You can feel them too, the sadness, the cries, the screams for it all to be better. I don't want this anymore"
"Stop!" Sally gasped for air, her cheeks shined from the tears that covered her face. "You can feel the happiness! There is happiness down there John, you know there is. Isn't it worth feeling the happiness?" John looked out to the bleak landscape. He could barely feel it now, the happiness and joy of the mortals below for just a moment. He looked to the mountains across the valley. "I've lived for so long on this earth Sally… I'm so tired." Sally looked at the houses and buildings, desperate for proof. She could feel her white soul, purer than sunlight and just as fast, rush across the thought and dreams of the sleepers below. Sally closed her eyes and focused on a glimmer of hope. After a moment of thought and concentration she opened her eyes and placed her hand on John’s. John felt the current of energy rush from Sally’s body and into his. He felt the flood of memories and emotions enter and the warmth that came with them.
“Do you feel that John?” Sally’s voice shook with anger and grief as she spoke. “That is the young child Amy.” John saw Amy’s bright eyes. They shined like blue beacons in the night much like John’s once was. He began to see the rest of her appear in the dark nightmares that plagued him. Her small, meek, seven year old body was pale. Her dark hair was silky and sleek contrasting to the washed pink and baby blue colors of her tweedy bird pajamas. She slept comfortably with the warmth of her light brown teddy bear named Mr. Huggles. Mr. Huggles was her trusted friend and companion that protected her as she slept. A thought that only an innocent seven-year-old girl believed before the coming of puberty and life. Amy was sweet and kind, much different from her father who was always angry and punished Amy although she never knew why.
John smiled weakly knowing that the small girl didn’t know yet why her father punished her the way he did. Her father called it “Daddy’s special treatment” and that Amy was never to tell Mommy about Daddy’s punishment. “I feel her Sally.”
Sally’s eyes brightened with hope. “Then you know her innocence. You can see the good in her heart.” John grimaced and looked at sally in anger. “Did you not see what her father did to her?” Sally looked down at the house. She searched for the girl’s memories and realized her mistake. Tears began to overwhelm her as she spoke. “Her happiness is still there though! Her innocence still bright as a newborn’s! Does that count for nothing?” John face showed no anger now, only sadness.
“Does that make up for the evil deeds that will consume her life in the future?” Sally stood up violently. Her hands shook with fury. How could John think this way? Why did he give up on this world? “Well isn’t it? Why isn’t that enough for you John? There is evil in this world! We all know that and that is why we try to hold on to the scraps and pieces of good that still exist! It’s all that the world has John! Would you condemn yourself when there was still hope? When there is still a glimmer of light that can be rekindled and started anew!” John stared at the mountains again. He felt tears build up in his face but wouldn’t allow himself to cry. He couldn’t in front of his sister. She had to see why; she had to see his truth. John whispered still staring at his bleak landscape of grief. “Yes…” Sally stared at him in awe. Her brother, the one she had looked up to and respected for so long, had given up on the one hope she always held dear.
Sunlight broke across the mountains shooting over the two angels heads. Sally looked at the stream of warmth and down to John again. She knew how John couldn’t withstand father’s touch. "John, the sun is coming! You can't be out in the sun, father has forsaken your flesh!" Sally stood and pulled on the fallen angel's arm. John shrugged and looked at the light approaching over head. "No sally, I want to feel the warmth again." Sally couldn’t stop, she wouldn’t let the brother she had loved so long face the impenetrable abyss that awaited him. She pulled and tugged frantically until John shrugged her off again. Sally quickly knelt in front of John. Red tears ran down his face and past his smile. He couldn’t find the strength not to cry in front of his little sister anymore, he just waited for the sun to take him. Sally placed her white hands on his face and screamed. "John please, please we have to go! John PLEASE!" John couldn't hear her as the sunlight came across the two. "I love you sister…" "John!" Sally screamed and pulled John to her. Sparkling drops of salty water fell across her face and she held Johns head to her chest. She could feel his body turn to ash but she didn’t want to let go, she didn’t want to lose the one she loved and respected. "John please! Another century and maybe he'll let you back! John!" John's face looked up at her still smiling the same glowing smile he had greeted her with his entire life and he began to burn like fire wood in her arms. He held his hand to her face as his burned away with his smile. "Good bye…" The last of John burned to ash. Sally screamed to the heavens as the ashes fell through her arms and her hands.
John, the angel with blue eyes that mirrored the beauty of the forgiving ocean would never see his golden white sister again. His tear-burdened eyes would never see his sisters glowing eyes again and she will weep and ask herself what she did wrong.