Not All Angels Have Wings
by DravenCage

The coldness of the chilly November night was self-evident, the stream of breath coming from the mouths of those we passed gave it away. The darkness didn't help things as we pulled into what must've passed for a car park at some point in the fifties. The car stopped, and we all escaped from the confines of the red 1982 Ford Capri, a car which at one time may have been cool, but now was just another hunk of metal on four wheels. The doors clunked shut and we made our way to the hotel we were due to inhabit.

I'm sorry.....I haven't introduced myself, how rude. My name is Draven Cage, but you can call me DC. Locking the car we have Rebecca Roberts, but we call her Kiwi, checking everything we have Lessy Donahoe and over there, doing not much (don't tell her I said that), we have Victoria Moonmist.........Moon for short. I haven't had the heart to tell them why they're here, or that we may never be leaving this place again. I know, that sounds harsh......but after the trauma they've had in their lives, I don't know if they're ready yet.

"OK," shouted Kiwi, "We gonna stay out here all day or are we gonna go inside and get comfortable?" She usually got what she wanted, and this time was no exception.

"It is getting late, we should get some sleep," said Lessy, who was always the more sensible one of the group, "Then we can arrange whatever tomorrow."

And with that we all went into the cabin, with me being the only one, it seems, who knows why we're here. As everyone else went in and fought, for no reason, over the rooms in the cabin, I made an excuse to go for a walk and made sure the car disappeared.......well we won't be needing it any more, will we?

Time was running out, none of them were stupid, they would figure it out eventually......I just had to be there for them when the inevitable occured. I always thought back to the wise words my mentor, he who had this job before me, "Death is inevitable, life is expendable, so it has been, so it shall remain." I'm not going to lie, it does make for depressing reading to hear that phrase, there are certain truths in this, or any life that aren't easy to understand never mind accept.

I ended up lost in thought until a wild scream from upstairs, started everything for me that night, twelve months of planning was about to come to fruition in a matter of hours. The scream came from Moon's room, so I flew up there as fast as I could to find out......when I had got there Lessy and Kiwi were already there.........both of them crying, both of them afraid. The lights in the hallway did little to brighten things up, and peering into the room, I could see what could only be described as carnage. The bed was turned over, the wardrobe was split in two and there was a horrid smell penetrating throught he darkness. Kiwi and Lessy hadn't seen it yet, but I couldn't stop them running through me. Lessy went in first, Kiwi just behind, but both stopped in their tracks when they saw the mess. "Wha.....wher.........wha.......," was all Kiwi could stammer."

I didn't have the heart to tell them the truth about Moon's disappearance, the reason why she had vanished, or the extent of my involvement. Lessy couldn't speak at all, she simply wandered around the room, picking up debris, hoping Moon would be under it, but knowing she was gone. Lessy finally spoke, "I don't understand......how can someone simply vanish like that?" A reasonable question under the circumstances.

"People don't just vanish, they leave behind a trail, we have to keep looking," added Kiwi, "we have to find her."

I played along, knowing she had gone to a better place, it was her time to leave this world and I had no choice but to make sure that happened. For the next hour all we did was tidy Moon's room, for what reason I do not know, but it helped the girls come to terms with the situation, to an extent. After tidying the room we, ok the girls, decided that we should leave this place. So we packed up our bags and went outside, to find the car had gone. I acted as shocked as Kiwi and Lessy, not wanting to tip my hand just yet. "What the hell is going on," said Kiwi, "First Moon goes missing and now the goddamn car is gone too."

Lessy simply burst into tears, unable to cope with the situation any longer. I tried to comfort her, but she had reached a point where it was futile to attempt such things. "Look, it's too dark for us to walk anywhere tonight, lets go back inside, we'll sleep in one room, wake up and walk to the village tomorrow. Nothing will happen if we stick together, promise," I said, lying again. Well what would you have me do? Tell them the truth, they're not ready for that yet, in fact I'm not sure you're ready for that either. The two girls agreed and went back inside to rest and hope for daylight. It did hurt decieving them, and knowing that this particular hope would go unfulfilled, but I had no choice in that regard.

Lessy crashed onto the bed, and asked for Kiwi and I to join her, so we could all be together, feel safe and get out of here in one piece. We relented and lay on the bed, with me in the middle, Kiwi on the right and Lessy on the left. At least it was a king-size so we had no problems fitting on it. As I lay on the bed waiting for the girls to fall asleep, I thought back to the others I had brought here for their last night on Earth, and how they also had trouble with the situation. I suppose having trouble with it is understandable, I mean it's not everyday you're told that you're leaving this world. Finally the girls went to sleep, and I could continue with the plan. Two hours later Kiwi awoke, and looked over to me and smiled, it was the most beautiful smile, feeling safe. The feeling didn't last however, as she looked over my shoulder, ready to give Lessy one of her trademark grins when she let out an almight sob. Pretending not to know what had happened I asked her what was wrong. "Lessy is.....Lessy is gone," she said through the tears, "She's gone too." I looked around to see what Kiwi saw and sure enough, to no surprise to me of course, Lessy had indeed vanished, all except her locket that her mother gave to her the day she died. A gold locket witha picture of her parents inside, and engraved on the back 'To our darling daughter, We'll always be watching over you'. "Lessy would never take this off, OH GOD!"

Kiwi was getting hysterical, fearful of being next, fearful of not being next. If she wasn't next then she would be alone, her biggest fear. I knew her time was near, and the truth would eventually be revealed.

She picked up the locket and made her way downstairs, with me following close behind. "I gotta get out of here, I can't stay any longer," she said through a haze of sorrow. She can't leave, so I guess it is time.

"You can't leave Sweets, I have something to tell you....please sit," I said, ready to reveal all to this vision of beauty. It seemed a waste to remove her from this world, but what could I do? "I have something to tell you, and it isn't going to be easy to listen to." She sat down, puzzled.

How to put this across had always presented challenges, everyone takes the news differently. Some are brave and face it head on, others curl up and cower from the inevitable.......but all succumb to what must be.

"I'm listening," she said, ready to take on boardwhat I was about to say. "Ok.......first I know where Moon and Lessy are," I said, which seemed a good a place as any to start.

"WHAT!"

Kiwi was a little upset by this, "You know where they are, how do you know where they are?"

"I know because I took them from this world, both of them are dead Kiwi," I said, knowing this was not going to sit well. Kiwi looked at me, stunned and filled with a mixture of shock, fear and terror. "And I'm sorry to tell you, but it is now your time."

"I don't wanna die," she sobbed. "Don't worry, it is time to explain what has been happening," I replied. "You see my name is Draven Cage, but I'm not what you think I am." Kiwi listened, calmer than I expected, "you see I am The White Angel of Death, sent by God to bring in souls that He believes deserve to become Angels," I added. Kiwi looked on in disbelief. "It's true Sweets, you see there is both a light and a darkness. The image you have of Death, the Grim Reaper is true, he is the Black Angel of Death and he harvests those souls which are lost to us above. I bring those souls we haven't lost to Heaven, and make those special souls into Angels."

The mood was changing as the story unfolded. Kiwi asked, "You mean that Moon and Lessy are now angels?" The simple answer was yes, "Let me explain everything. Every year three souls are chosen, by God, to become angels......I befriend the chosen over the course of the year, bring them to this cabin, and then transport them to their rightful place. Lessy died seventeen months ago in a car crash, Moon died two years ago in an unfortunate accident. And you, my dear Kiwi, died thirteen months ago due to complications in a routine operation. Now it is my job to transport you to your calling."

Kiwi looked at me with a sense of confusion, wondering if what she had been told was true. "It is time," I said, channeling all the power bestowed upon me by God. The room filled with a wonderous light, the most peaceful and serene feeling you could have on this world. "Go now Sweets, you have loved ones waiting for you, including baby Jac, he has missed you, but he has watched over you and your family since his arrival here." The tears flowed from Kiwi as I showed her the way, she tried to speak, but couldn't. "You have no need for words, go and rejoice in this gift. I always had you pegged for an angel, from the first day I saw you, and I'm so glad I was right," I said, bringing a smile to her face.

"I would never have guessed you were an angel DC," she finally managed to muster. And like that she was gone, and I was left alone to start proceedings for next year. Kiwi had found out, like so many before her. Always watch those around you, because not all angels have wings.

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