The Suited Angel

Why so sad?

I’ve tried to forget how it was before my Angel came and saved me.

He’d visit me a lot. He’d sneak into my room and we’d sit and, just sit for hours.

The night he saved me, he came into my room in his tailored black suit and opened his arms – all of them.

It was like he was singing, but in my heart. No words were exchanged between us. I smiled at his blank face and rushed into his thin chest. He held me tightly, and for a second it was like I was in my own perfect world. No pain, no tears, no drunk Mommy or Daddy coming home late and mad.

There was a sort of… whooshing, and he opened his long arms. I turned and looked around, and I was in a forest filled with houses and happy laughter of kids. Some of them were older than me, some younger. All happy, smiles filled their bright faces.

I turned back to see my Angel, and he was staring down at me with that blank face. He never spoke, he couldn’t speak. But he did. In people’s hearts. In their minds. He never speaks… clearly. He never says distinct words. You feel the words, like emotions. Translate however you like, but you know what he’s saying.

''I must go get more of the Hurt. I’ll be back later.''

I smiled and nodded, throwing my tiny arms around his thin legs, which seemed to be growing taller. Stretching. The hands from his back threw out in different directions haphazardly.

I stepped back and his body faded away in a large gust of wind.

As I was sitting alone, a girl maybe two years older than me came up to me and took my hand.

“What’s your name?” she asked, smiling widely. Her long blonde hair was held up in a tight crown of flowers.

“Annabeth May,” I replied, smiling back and wondering if I could do the same with my fiery red hair.

“Welcome to your new home!” her face brightened completely, her blue eyes sparkling. “The Suited Angel brought all of us here. He’s always bringing new kids here. He takes away all our scars and bruises and gives us a place to live happily for forever. No mad parents, no more pain, no bullies, nothing. Just… happy. I hope you like it!”

She finished her gushing remarks as hundreds of kids circled around us. Maybe thousands. It was an ocean of kids. The happy was almost overwhelming. They were all saying different welcomes and hellos in different languages I couldn’t speak. I got many hugs before I started wondering when my Angel was coming back. I missed him.

Just that second, the same gust of wind and he was there, a new child in his arms. This one was a little boy. I watched intently as long scars and bruises stretching across his bare back seemed to fade and then disappear. I smiled and the group rushed to crowd around the boy, hugging and welcoming him too.

My Angel came up to me and reached out one of his elongated hands, touching my forehead lightly and it was like I was seeing something happen, but it was unfocused.

You have to want to let me in before your vision clears.

I tried to tell my mind to want this. I was so curious, I wanted to know what he was showing me.

And in that moment, I could see clearly. I saw my parents in the kitchen, screaming at each other, only taking breaks to drink from their bottles of vodka.

I cringed at the memories of what would happen normally to me after that, but I tried to stay focused on this.

Suddenly I saw my dad look straight at me, or whatever I was looking through. His skin went completely white, and the bottle slipped from his hands. My mother spun around too, and she went pale too. They seemed terrified of me. They pointed and shrieked, but black tendrils that came from what would be my back lashed out and grabbed them, picking them up in the air. They must’ve been held tightly, because they seemed to not be able to breathe. No breathing, no screaming.

Their bodies seemed to crunch and collapse, lifeless in the tendrils. They were lean and slender, just like the rest of my Angel. My slender man.

You are free now

He moved his hand from my face, and I was back in the happy forest.

I smiled up at him.

“Thank you,”

More children to save, Annabeth, but we can spend time together sometime later.

It wasn’t half bad here. You know, maybe I could be happy here, too.

Consulting Slenderman