Broken Angel

Chapter 14: What’s your name?

PENELOPE

I didn’t intend on taking the girl. I wanted nothing to do with any of them. Now I had this little girl with me and I had no clue what to do with her. I could take her back, but they wouldn’t let me leave so easily.

This was so f*****g messy. I just wanted to be alone. I didn’t want to feel anything anymore. It was all so overwhelming. Everywhere I went I felt like I was suffocating. People felt so much, all the time. It felt like I would blow up at any moment.

I was determined not to give in to my explosive urges. I was stronger than that damn it. So I numbed the humans I came across, and in turn felt less myself. I helped them, I did. That’s what I told myself, I wasn’t supposed to act selfish, but I could see where my actions could be mistaken as such.

And now, now this little girl who barely passed the three foot mark was breaking down all my barriers. I felt something along the lines of guilt, or was it resentment? I couldn’t tell if I was being honest. But wasn’t that what I was supposed to do, empathize with others emotions, understand them?

It was beginning to feel like too much. I flew to the only place I knew would be safe. We landed at the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan. It was already night here, but I knew that the monks would keep her safe. I would come here when I needed inner peace, and they helped me. Their practice wouldn’t allow harm to come to the girl.

I let the girl stand on her own two feet and began walking towards the temple. A few feet in, I realized that the girl wasn’t following me. When I turned around, I saw her tugging on the skirt of her dress, the toe of her little shoes scuffing the floor nervously.

Patience, I tried to remind myself. I took her and now I was responsible for her well-being.

“What’s your name kid?”

“Aurora,” she answered back in a barely there whisper. Her voice was—lovely. It made me scowl how much I appreciated the soft intonations of her name.

“And who are your parents?”

“My daddy is Azrael.” Yes, remind me of who your father is. How you were a miscreation.“People call him the Reaper. He loves me and my brother.”

So this Aurora was an over-sharer, much like the humans. Then again, she was half human. And not only did the reaper defile a human, but they bred not one, but two children. Maybe it was best that I took her away. Who knew what Death would have done with her. Ruined her beyond repair no doubt.

“They will care for you here,” I told her pointing at the temple. There was already a monk standing at the door waiting for me.

“Don’t leave me, please,” she squeaked.

I found my brows furrowing. That couldn’t have been what I thought it was. Smoothing my finger over the wrinkle on my brow, while my other hand pressed against my chest I knew I needed to leave.

Before I could process my emotions, or hers for that matter, she had already rushed towards me and was tugging on my blouse. Was I actually contemplating staying with her? No. “I must. Now let go.”

Must get away from Aurora.

I walked up to the steps of the temple with Aurora following me. “She is not to be touched,” I said to the monk, then turned to face Aurora. “I will come back for you.”

Her little face scrunched up, but finally acquiesced and nodded.

******

I hadn’t lied.

I kept coming back. More often than needed. There was just something about Aurora that drew me to her. I liked to believe it was all the emotions stored within her. She felt everything. Guilt was at the top of the list. What could a small child have done that had that much of a grip on her mind?

That was the reason I kept coming back. Curiosity. Nothing else.

It wasn’t the way her eyes brightened when I showed up. It wasn’t the melodious sound of her laugh. And it sure as Hell wasn’t the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled up at me.

Her heart seemed a little lighter, but I could tell that she was still missing her brother. And by extension the Reaper. I begrudgingly wanted to keep her. I hated how I could feel her every emotion. I had to give her back.