Noth stayed still like a statue, a trembling statue anyway, for a short handful of time before letting out a long sigh and turning onto his back. What use was it to try and defend himself against a ghost? If it was going to attack him, it would have done so already, and besides, it’s not like he could stop anything that it might have wanted to do. But you know… maybe having a roommate wouldn’t be so bad? Perhaps a new friend? Someone who could be on his side.

The newfound hopeful thoughts only reaffirmed a wish that he’d always felt but never said aloud:

He wished he wasn’t so alone.

He clutched the bracelet tight in his hand and squeezed his eyes shut. He wished with all his heart that he had someone to be with him, someone who cared, someone who would help him, someone who would always be there, someone he didn’t have to be afraid to lose. It was a desperate need, an anguished wish, a grave hope, a final plea.

A sudden bright light that shone through his eyelids made him open his eyes. At the foot of Noth’s bed was a shining ray of sunlight, somehow coming through the ceiling above. There was almost the faint sound of a choir singing, emanating from the distance when his eyes locked on to the light. As he stared at the phenomenon, a woman started to slowly drift down the shaft of sunlight, somehow floating feet first through the wood, and stopping about a foot above the floor.

She looked positively ethereal. Her skin was pale, but seemed to be lit by some inner light, almost like her bones themselves were made of light. Her eyes were white, but had a rimming of flaky looking orangey rust around the iris. Her almost shoulder length hair started out like it was the most platinum of blondes, but about halfway down was coloured as if it had been soaked in fresh blood and had subsequently become a shade of rusty red. The ends curled outwards just a tad, looking like they were trying to keep hold of everything they’d managed to soak up, but as Noth watched on, he could see that the strands would drip the heavy red liquid every so often onto the beautiful white and gold robes she wore.

A serene smile was plastered across her face, one that somehow didn’t reflect the intense look in her eyes as she gazed down upon him. When she opened her mouth to speak, Noth could make out a faint light shining inside of it with every word that trilled out from between her lips.

The mystical woman reached out one of her long and elegant arms to him and he flinched, thinking that maybe she would hurt him. This did not deter her even for a second though, and she caressed his small, slightly sunken cheek. Her touch was somehow warm, yet somehow cold, and even the words she spoke just moments ago felt like they left a small buzzing feeling against his ears. He couldn’t help but mumble out a tiny question in this confusing situation. His voice struggled for a moment to put out the words, since he hadn’t talked in so very long.

“Are-… Are you a ghost?”

Honestly, Noth couldn’t think of any other explanation for why this lady would have suddenly appeared in his secluded villa, and the way she had been floating mixed with all the other peculiarities meant she couldn’t have been human. A ghost seemed the likeliest explanation, especially when paired with his previous train of thought from before she’d arrived. A ghost. Someone who died here. Just like his mother. Maybe she’d even seen it happen, just like him. Maybe she had met his mother before, too. His curiosity was shoving away his fear, once again, and the fact that she made him think about his mother right off the bat was drawing away any apprehension he may have had just as quickly.

The beautiful vision giggled at his question, and it felt like the sound alone was ever so softly kissing Noth’s ears. He couldn’t help but blush a little bit at the sensation.

She twirled around swiftly, showing him four small gray wings, ever so slightly tipped in a rusty red, that fluttered on her back. His mouth opened wide in surprise at the sight, never having seen such a thing before. He reached out to brush against one, and a feather snapped off and fell on his lap. He quickly tried to say sorry, but before he could, the feather decayed into rust and then disappeared. The mystified look on the boy’s face made her giggle once again.

“No, I… Well they’re so pretty but… I… I’m not supposed to take things from people I don’t know.”

Noth averted his gaze as he stumbled and mumbled through his words. When he glanced back over at her he noticed that her serene smile had grown wider and more intense, and for a second he felt fear flash through him. Was she displeased with him? Maybe now she wouldn’t want to be his friend. He rushed out his next words before even thinking about it.

“But wait, um, if we got to know each other then it would be okay! Um, I’m Noth! Noth Kieran. What’s your name?”

As Noth fisted his pants in worry, the woman’s smile relaxed, although her eyes also seemed to take on a tinge of sadness.

“What?!”

The small boy couldn’t even fathom not having a name. Everyone hated him, and yet even he still had something to be called by. His mouth hung open in the cute way kids show their bewilderment, and he reached out to pat the arm of the seemingly sad creature.

“Well, ok, if you don’t have a name that’s fine. I could name you!”

She seemed to have perked up a good bit at his suggestion, which led to exciting the boy even more. He started making a serious and determined face, laced with a smile.

“Yeah! Okay, what would be a good name for you? Hmmm…”

The woman’s mouth wiggled like she was suppressing laughing. She watched the small boy muddle it over for a little while as she covered her mouth with her hand. He was just too cute. After some time of revelling in the feeling, she had decided to throw him a bone.

The boy stared at her blankly for a few seconds.

“An angel?”

She looked a little like one of the drawings he’d seen etched on the walls of the church when he’d gone there before. His words made her smile morph into more of an amused smirk, and she leaned down to pat his head.

The angel’s head pats felt nostalgic, and he felt his heart squeeze a little. Along with his heart, his hands also squeezed, and he was reminded that he still had the bracelet in his hands. He jumped a little, remembering the wishes he’d made, the way he’d held the bracelet, and he couldn’t help but think that maybe it caused all of this. Maybe this angel had been sent to grant him mercy, finally. He fidgeted under his angel’s hand, and as if she knew what he was thinking, she leaned in and whispered in his ear.

Noth was surprised that she seemed to have read his mind, and he felt a gigantic urge to hide his face in embarrassment. His shyness was making asking questions even harder. He shifted in place a little and looked at her through his eyelashes as he managed to choke out his question.

“Why…are you here?”

A very brief look of madness rippled through the angel’s face. It was so quick that Noth almost doubted that he even saw it. She quickly centered herself into the forgotten beam of sunlight and pressed her palms together, closing her eyes and looking as angelic as possible.

She spread her arms and wings and seemed to emit a blinding light from her body.

The angel kneeled down and kissed his forehead, pulling back to beam lovingly at the boy’s bemused face. She giggled at the sight and gave him a cheeky wink.

Noth didn’t believe any of it.

With a great deal of skepticism, he pulled back from her and narrowed his eyes.

“You mean the God-dess sent you to me? They were being ‘merciful’ like everyone always says they are, and sent me an angel?”

The beautiful face in front of him that had been smiling this whole time instead twisted into a very cynical visage. She leaned in closely, and Noth had a tingling feeling inside like he was watching something staring at its prey.

As the angel kept slowly advancing towards him, her face seemed to grow more and more warped. Even as he tried to scoot away from the twisted gaze, she still continued to chase after him. With each sentence her voice seemed to get more and more frantic.

Noth was terrified. No one would ever want to hear that the deity of the very world you live on couldn’t care less about you, or that they were using you for some fun. Of course, that’d be worrying news to most people. But to have this news delivered to you by a deranged angel mere inches from your face? The absolutely horrific expression plastered across her beautiful features only served to make everything even creepier. As the child stared at her in terror, he suddenly noticed that her eyes were starting to leak a weird rust-like substance, just like her fallen feather had turned into.

The tiny child couldn’t take anymore of what he was seeing, and covered his eyes and curled into a ball. He was so scared, and no amount of his curiosity could erase all the fear he was being flooded with. As he trembled, he felt two slender arms wrap around him, and hands giving him loving pats on his head and back.

As Noth sniffled and slowly started to raise his head hopefully, he heard an almost imperceptible mumble.

<...And that stupid god does so love a struggle.>

Noth’s eyes snapped up to her face in worry, but all he saw was the usual serene smile the angel’s face typically seemed to sport. She cupped his sunken cheeks gently and kissed his forehead. The place she kissed was warm, almost too warm, and the feeling lingered for a while. He could almost believe that the feeling never really left, and that he’d actually just grown used to it and forgot it was there. He picked his hand up just a bit to try and touch the spot, but had it suddenly squeezed by the woman’s slender hand instead.

The loving and pleading way she looked at him made him gulp, and after a few moments of slight apprehension, his curiosity and hope got the best of him once again.

“How exactly will you help me?”

The angel traced a finger over the sunken ridge of his cheek, then with a flick of her hand, she suddenly held a steaming dish of meat. With just a whiff of the delicious fragrance wafting off of the plate, the little boy already started drooling. She handed the food off to him, giggling and stroking his head as he scarfed it all down.

Her gaze fell on the beautiful blue bracelet that sat forgotten on Noth’s lap.

The child, who had been in the middle of his first good meal in years, slowly stopped shovelling his food into his mouth. He’d followed her gaze, and realized what she’d asked for him to sacrifice. The last good memento of his mother, something that she’d treasured dearly. Something she’d told him to protect. It was important. But she’d also told him to protect himself. Would Noth be able to survive without making this sacrifice? Was one more important than the other?

“W-what… What will you do to it? Will it be ok?”

Noth studied her angelic face, but her expression never changed the entire time. What should he do? If what she was saying was true, then his mother’s bracelet should be ok. Was it worth blindly risking the bracelet for his safety? Did he trust himself to not somehow hurt it like she’d said? He took another bite of the meat in front of him, letting the delicious flavour wash over his tongue. Would he be able to live like a person again if he agreed? With the powers she was offering, could he finally be strong from now on, and never have to be afraid all the time like he had been? Just earlier this was exactly what he’d been wishing for. He’d found someone to be on his side, and he’d even acquired a way to get out of the hell he’d been in. There was no way he could say no at this point; His hope had grown far too large for him to just go back.

“And this promise is…forever?”

The angel’s smile seemed to grow three times as big, and her gaze took on a much more fanatical intensity. She cupped his face and almost touched her nose to his, looking deeply into his eyes. Her breath was sweet as she spoke.

The boy felt a small urge to cower from the intensity of the being in front of him, but now was not the time for fear. He put down his plate and fisted his little hands in determination, staring right back into her piercing gaze. This was his only real chance, and he wasn’t going to let something so simple take it away from him.

“Alright then, Angel. Take my bracelet, do whatever it is you need to do with it, and please, help me. Grant my wishes. Stay with me. Please.”