The prayer

A man touched by darkness asks an angel to pray with him. It takes nerve to ask this. Desperate pain that threatens to burn him up. The angel is confused. He had just told her he was turning his back on her but now he asks to pray?

The angel quietly nods her head. That is why she was sent to him. 

They kneel on the bed with the sheets twisted under them. The room smells of sweat and tears. They hold hands and bow their heads. The dark man speaks.

As he prays she can feel her light spreading. She can feel her wings extend painfully from her shoulders and turn to wrap protectively to surround him. She can feel the darkness receding, retreating and growing thin. 

His words are begging for an answer. What to do? What to do? 

Amen

The angel said her own prayer in her mind for the dark man. And one for herself. Dear God is this why I was sent to him? How much of this pain can I take from him? The darkness is getting so hard to fight. 

She had traveled a thousand miles to a small town in the valley between the mountains to find him. It had been a journey of years but she had felt the tug and pull bringing her to him for as long as she could remember.

After the prayer, her white feathers are drained and ringed in grey. Their edges smolder from the exertion of will and light. 

The angel watches the dark man sleeping and she stands guard. This is what he needs now. Sleep and a moment of peace. She drifts off into her own dreams.

Her dreams are always in color. She remembers them too vividly. Her dreams have been so lovely for so long. She has dreamt of him forever. His smile lights up her heart and pushes the darkness that has touched him into the small corners hiding.

She wakes up and feels the light on her face. She smiles and basks in God's love, but the smile fades. The message sent was received and answered. The angels work is done. She must let him go. 

She turns confused. She watches him sleep in the morning light. When he sleeps he has the dark dreams but he looks so peaceful. It's the continuing duality of him. Let him go... How can it be? But the answer was clear. She must heal her wings and her heart. This errand to find him and return him was too hard and she got too close.

She examined her wings and sees the scars and charred edges. This damage will take a long time to heal. 

He wakes up scared and confused. He falls naked and collapses between the bed and the wall. She has work left to do before the day ends. 

The night before she had given him a secret map of how to return. It had images, landmarks and directions. He had read it back to her but she wasn't sure if he was on his own he would remember how to use the map. She prayed he would open it and follow it back some day.

She had others to tend to that were calling. The angel is torn and twisted. She was sent to him but was told to let him go. She had 2 others, small and frail that needed her light and love. She hesitated a moment then set into action. 

She made all the preparations. She helped lift the heavy traveling bags he had packed. He was supposed to have left the day before but they had one more stolen night. And now... Dawn broke into full daylight and they parted ways. It wasn't with gentle love or drawn out kisses. They were coming for him again and he wanted to draw them off away from the angel. She must not be found by them. All would be lost if she was taken.

The dark man leaves. He got the answer , the same message. A prayer answered in a way they never thought. The angel lies and tells him she felt his wings extend during the prayer. She wants to give him hers but she can't. They are broken and need to mend. 

The angel is told that others will take her post and watch over this man. He is important and needs the light to carry with him. 

The angel cries.