Guardian Angels

Guardian Angels

“Jackson Malone,” Claudia reads from the tired old scroll, “he’s the one.”

“Malone? You sure about that, C?”

“Yes, Kelly. I’m sure. Come on, we’ve got a long journey ahead.”

“Alright, alright. But he’s one strange choice,” says Kelly, elongating the word strange for emphasis. “That man don’t respect one single person. What’s he gonna say to us?”

“He won’t have a choice,” Claudia says with a sigh. “He needs our help.”

The two angels dress in their brilliant white gowns, straighten their wings and prepare for flight. “Claudia, when am I gonna get some purple wings, like yours? They’re so pretty. I hate my green feathers.”

Every time they flew together, Kelly complained about her wings. She didn’t understand that maybe her grumbling was the reason she couldn’t move up a colour.

Claudia steps to the edge of their cloud, ignoring Kelly’s questions. She counts them into lift off. Even though she has been working here for over one hundred years, the initial rush of being carried by the breeze always takes her breath away.

Claudia glances at the directions and makes sure Kelly is still with her. Flying is Claudia’s favourite thing to do. The serenity of her wings steadies her nerves.

As they approach the earth’s atmosphere, they are met with a thick, sticky wall of fog. The moisture binds their feathers and they lose track of where they are. “Keep your head down and fly,” instructs Claudia.

It isn’t long before they are aware of a much warmer climate. Their environment is arid, their wings lighter. “This is better, C,” says Kelly. “Where are we?”

Claudia glances around, noticing the amber fires littering the ground. She sees people heaving metal chains, groaning in pain under the weight. “Oh, Kelly,” she says, “I think we’re lost.”

299 words