The Devil's Carnival

The Laughing Angel

After the divine intervention, or so she thought, and her subsequent rescue by the angelic being Amanda had all the childhood tales her father told running through her mind. The stories of God is always watching, the warning that her fornication with Brian was sin in more ways than one and the voice of her mother saying how now matter what happened God would still forgive her. As she clung to the angel for dear life she kept her eyes on his strikingly beautiful wings. Deep inside her chest, perhaps even her very soul, were tornados of emotion. She struggled between guilt, shame, disgust with herself and above all guilt. She had been a good kid. She liked going to church, liked her father’s stories of the messiah and loved singing in the quire. Like her parents her life revolved around the church and she was happy that way, but then that basted came along and led her astray, just like all those people told her it would. The realisation now forced fresh tears into her eyes but she wasn’t crying because of Brian’s infidelity or her certainty that suicide would be her only salvation, she was crying because she felt unworthy of being rescued. Amanda coiled her arms around the angel’s neck and held on for dear life. It wasn’t fear that they were still mid air, she wasn’t sure for how long, it was just that she didn’t want him to go. She didn’t want him to leave her. “Why are you crying?” Amanda closed her eyes as he spoke but she didn’t want to answer. She didn’t want to answer any other questions she knew he would have. So all she did was shake her head. He didn’t really seem to mind. Instead he went straight up to the top of the feris wheel and waited for the chair where the blue stuffed bear still sat waiting. As he sat down he settled Amanda on his lap and folded his wings around her. To her it was the greatest of comfort from her troubled thoughts and the events of the evening. “Don’t cry.” He rested a hand on her head in an attempt to comfort her and it worked. The tears were slowly stopping and she could feel his warmth sink into her bones. “I’m sorry.” She whispered unable to speak any louder. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t know if her repentance would make any difference now but even if it didn’t, she felt compelled to say it. It wasn’t a matter of getting into heaven but rather her attempt at redemption. Her encounter with this celestial being reignited her faith and in turn instilled a kind of drive right in her soul. “Sorry for what?” Every time he spoke his voice filled Amanda with more and more warmth and put her at ease. She didn’t want to talk about all the transgressions she had managed to get on to her record but a childhood spent in the church had educated her enough to know there would be no getting around it. It was how repentance worked but still made her just a little emotional. “I turned my back on my family and my church. I ran away with a man and lived in sin. I fornicated out of wedlock. I have disobeyed the laws of the God of my ancestors.” There was still plenty to say but she was sure she would be allowed a moment to catch her breath and regain control of her emotions. She could feel her throat clench up and a fresh wave of tears threat to escape. There was a moment of silence but before Amanda could continue her confession to what she thought was a celestial being started laughing ever so softly. She was momentarily confused and stayed quiet. She couldn’t imagine why an angel would be laughing at a sinner’s confession. “I think I understand now.” He finally stopped laughing and prompted her to sit up. Something in his eyes had changed and it now made her uncomfortable. Had she been wrong to trust him? The so believed angel ran his fingers through her hair as he stared into her eyes. The whole thing made her uncomfortable but she realised that on the feris wheel she had nowhere to go. “You believe me to be the emissary of your deity.” What he said and how he said it made her blood run cold. She had made a very grave mistake but he had no intention of letting her go. “You don’t have to worry. I don’t hold any of your actions against you.” In full grip of terror Amanda tried to escape his grasp, height above ground now no longer being a commanding factor. All she wanted was to get away from this man, whatever he was. In one swift movement he took off into the sky dragging her along with him. Helpless Amanda watched the feris wheel become smaller and the stuffed bear fall to the ground. When the winged creature finally stopped he was laughing again and held Amanda up by hear throat. “Don’t feel bad. This is not the first time one of your people have mistaken me for some heaven sent saviour and it will probably happen again.” He pulled Amanda closer once again as she slowly became hysterical. “I might still be inclined to save you. A little mutual cooperation, I’m happy and you life.” Amanda shook her head not even considering any kind of plea. “You know I don’t need your permission.” He grabbed hold of her lower jaw and kissed her. As he did Amanda could feel her life being sucked right out of her. She felt her skin go dry and her breath less and less. By the time he was done with her she was nothing but skin and bone. She was completely unrecognisable. Having had his fill he let go of her and she fell straight back down to the earth. Her last thought before everything bent dark and she hit the ground was how she wanted the blue stuffed bear.