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Description
Chapter five

Once again I clung to some thin branches, my body dangling high above the ground. The terror was still with me, but otherwise I knew I was dreaming.

Jess felt her knees give way and she hit the ground before Angel could catch her.
"Jess!" Angel cried out, "I – I don't know what to say to make it better. I wish…" she trailed off, her voice shook with the tears that streamed down her face.
Jess felt dampness on her shirt and arms and realized that she was crying too.
I don't believe it, she thought, it's not true…but then what am I doing on the floor?
Angel knelt next to her and hugged her tightly.

Michael frowned in confusion. He'd had that falling dream over and over for a while now, but usually the dream ended when he would have hit the ground. Now he was standing in the forest, looking up at that damned tree. He was certain that he was still dreaming however as an odd weight on his shoulder blades made him flex the large brown and white wings there. He sighed.
Walking through the trees to a sunny patch of lawn, Michael recognized the cemetery.
A group of people were gathered around a burnished coffin and someone stepped forward to say something for the deceased.
Michael looked at his feet. He didn't want to intrude, but something seemed to draw him towards the small funeral.
The voice that spoke then was bone chillingly familiar and Michael looked up with a start.
Jess had stepped up to the pulpit. Her voice shook as she spoke, "He was my best friend."
"No," Michael muttered in shock. "No – I – I'm not dead, I can't be!"
Jess wiped at her face before continuing.
This is a nightmare, a really messed up nightmare, Michael thought, I have to get out of here! Stepping back, he extended his wings and shot into the air.
"This is all a dream, a nightmare," he told himself again and again, "I'll wake up any minute."
Suddenly he found himself at Chad's place. He looked around the spare room confused again. Wasn't I just flying? How did I get in here? The stupid wings are still there…I'm still dreaming.
He heard a small noise and glanced toward the bed where Jess lay, curled up and crying quietly.
Somehow he knew that she was staying with her sister and Chad for a while. He also knew that this was some days after the funeral, but he didn't know how he knew it.
Jess's crying suddenly got louder and Michael felt a lump in his throat. He swallowed, "Jess – I'm so sorry!" he said, his voice hitching.
She couldn't hear him. Her hands were fisted in her pillow and she sobbed into it.
There was a knock on the door and without waiting to hear an answer, Angel came in. She walked over and sat down on the bed next to Jess, sniffing and wiping at her cheeks.
"I-I'm sorry Jess."
Jess sobbed loudly and flinging the pillow away, she scrambled over to her sister and clung to her instead.
"It's n-not fair!" she cried, sounding angry.
Angel just held her, "Shh, it'll be okay."
"B-but what am-m I going to do without –" Jess sobbed harder.
"Jess, don't do this please!" Michael begged, "You can handle this, you're strong! You've always been the strong one!" he could feel himself crying now too. The lump burning in his throat let his sobs passed. "J-Jess please!"
At another knock on the door, Angel looked up to see chad come in with a glass of water and a small white tablet in the palm of his hand.
"Here Jess," he said, his voice rough, "It's almost three in the morning and I know you can't sleep, but you need to okay?"
Jess took a shuddering breath and nodded, reaching out and taking the pill. She swallowed it and drank half the glass of water.
After about twenty minutes, Jess's eyes began to dip shut.
Angel gently laid her down and arranged the covers over her.
"Sleep now little sister. You'll see when you wake up it will be just a little bit easier." She gave Jess's hand a mall squeeze and then got up to leave.
"Be strong Jessie," Chad said, stepping up tp her bedside and giving her a kiss on the forehead, "We're always here for you if you need us."
With that both he and Angel said goodnight and left, closing the door behind them.
The whole house was still and quiet for a long while – the only sounds were of the crickets chirruping outside and the gentle rustle of the leaves on the trees above her window.
Michael watched feeling helpless as Jess glared determinedly at her bedroom ceiling. Then suddenly her steady expression crumbled and her lips quivered, "Michael!" she whimpered softly, "You can't be g-gone!"
Michael swallowed painfully as he walked over and knelt down beside her bed.
Jess's eyes shut and eventually the crying stopped shaking her body as her breathing evened out in sleep.
Gently, Michael brushed her hair out of her face, the fingers of his other hand finding her hand.
"M-m…"Jess mumbled quietly, "Mi-Michael?" she questioned frowning a little.
"I'm here Jess, "Michael responded instantly, squeezing her hand lightly.
Jess was still for a long while, just sleeping. "Stay," she murmured at last.
With a heavy sigh, Michael climbed up onto the bed with her, but as he tried to lie down at her side, his wings got in his way.
He tried to angle them so that he could lay down without painfully bending and rumpling his feathers, but he was clumsy and couldn't quite control his wings yet.
He grimaced in pain as he forced one wing to fold underneath him as he lay down. It was twisted at the wrong angle, but he didn't care as he faced her.
She turned on her side towards him, but he was sure that she was still asleep. Her breathing was deep and slow. Her hands were curled up between them.
Slowly and gently, as though she was made of glass, Michael took her hands in his, interlacing their fingers.
Jess hummed – a pleased sound and Michael sighed; he wanted to be happy with that tiny sound – happy that she'd found a small measure of peace even if it was just in her sleep, but he felt the lump building in his throat. He would never have the chance to tell her – anything. She couldn't see or hear him. They would never be the same. His chest constricted painfully and his head throbbed.
Suddenly all he wanted was to be back on Angel's couch sitting next to Jess, stealing her popcorn as they watched some random movie that didn't matter because he always ended up watching Jess instead.
His other wing unfurled over the top of them as he felt hot tears burning a trail across the bridge of his nose and out of the corner of his eye into his messy hair.
Jess moaned a little in her sleep and Michael shifted closer, resting his forehead against hers.
Their breath mingled and Jess squirmed, getting closer still and snuggling up against him the way she had once before.
Michael's wing cut out the meager moonlight and they were cocooned in a warm darkness that shut out the ugly dream outside.

Description
Chapter five

Once again I clung to some thin branches, my body dangling high above the ground. The terror was still with me, but otherwise I knew I was dreaming.

Jess felt her knees give way and she hit the ground before Angel could catch her.
"Jess!" Angel cried out, "I – I don't know what to say to make it better. I wish…" she trailed off, her voice shook with the tears that streamed down her face.
Jess felt dampness on her shirt and arms and realized that she was crying too.
I don't believe it, she thought, it's not true…but then what am I doing on the floor?
Angel knelt next to her and hugged her tightly.

Michael frowned in confusion. He'd had that falling dream over and over for a while now, but usually the dream ended when he would have hit the ground. Now he was standing in the forest, looking up at that damned tree. He was certain that he was still dreaming however as an odd weight on his shoulder blades made him flex the large brown and white wings there. He sighed.
Walking through the trees to a sunny patch of lawn, Michael recognized the cemetery.
A group of people were gathered around a burnished coffin and someone stepped forward to say something for the deceased.
Michael looked at his feet. He didn't want to intrude, but something seemed to draw him towards the small funeral.
The voice that spoke then was bone chillingly familiar and Michael looked up with a start.
Jess had stepped up to the pulpit. Her voice shook as she spoke, "He was my best friend."
"No," Michael muttered in shock. "No – I – I'm not dead, I can't be!"
Jess wiped at her face before continuing.
This is a nightmare, a really messed up nightmare, Michael thought, I have to get out of here! Stepping back, he extended his wings and shot into the air.
"This is all a dream, a nightmare," he told himself again and again, "I'll wake up any minute."
Suddenly he found himself at Chad's place. He looked around the spare room confused again. Wasn't I just flying? How did I get in here? The stupid wings are still there…I'm still dreaming.
He heard a small noise and glanced toward the bed where Jess lay, curled up and crying quietly.
Somehow he knew that she was staying with her sister and Chad for a while. He also knew that this was some days after the funeral, but he didn't know how he knew it.
Jess's crying suddenly got louder and Michael felt a lump in his throat. He swallowed, "Jess – I'm so sorry!" he said, his voice hitching.
She couldn't hear him. Her hands were fisted in her pillow and she sobbed into it.
There was a knock on the door and without waiting to hear an answer, Angel came in. She walked over and sat down on the bed next to Jess, sniffing and wiping at her cheeks.
"I-I'm sorry Jess."
Jess sobbed loudly and flinging the pillow away, she scrambled over to her sister and clung to her instead.
"It's n-not fair!" she cried, sounding angry.
Angel just held her, "Shh, it'll be okay."
"B-but what am-m I going to do without –" Jess sobbed harder.
"Jess, don't do this please!" Michael begged, "You can handle this, you're strong! You've always been the strong one!" he could feel himself crying now too. The lump burning in his throat let his sobs passed. "J-Jess please!"
At another knock on the door, Angel looked up to see chad come in with a glass of water and a small white tablet in the palm of his hand.
"Here Jess," he said, his voice rough, "It's almost three in the morning and I know you can't sleep, but you need to okay?"
Jess took a shuddering breath and nodded, reaching out and taking the pill. She swallowed it and drank half the glass of water.
After about twenty minutes, Jess's eyes began to dip shut.
Angel gently laid her down and arranged the covers over her.
"Sleep now little sister. You'll see when you wake up it will be just a little bit easier." She gave Jess's hand a mall squeeze and then got up to leave.
"Be strong Jessie," Chad said, stepping up tp her bedside and giving her a kiss on the forehead, "We're always here for you if you need us."
With that both he and Angel said goodnight and left, closing the door behind them.
The whole house was still and quiet for a long while – the only sounds were of the crickets chirruping outside and the gentle rustle of the leaves on the trees above her window.
Michael watched feeling helpless as Jess glared determinedly at her bedroom ceiling. Then suddenly her steady expression crumbled and her lips quivered, "Michael!" she whimpered softly, "You can't be g-gone!"
Michael swallowed painfully as he walked over and knelt down beside her bed.
Jess's eyes shut and eventually the crying stopped shaking her body as her breathing evened out in sleep.
Gently, Michael brushed her hair out of her face, the fingers of his other hand finding her hand.
"M-m…"Jess mumbled quietly, "Mi-Michael?" she questioned frowning a little.
"I'm here Jess, "Michael responded instantly, squeezing her hand lightly.
Jess was still for a long while, just sleeping. "Stay," she murmured at last.
With a heavy sigh, Michael climbed up onto the bed with her, but as he tried to lie down at her side, his wings got in his way.
He tried to angle them so that he could lay down without painfully bending and rumpling his feathers, but he was clumsy and couldn't quite control his wings yet.
He grimaced in pain as he forced one wing to fold underneath him as he lay down. It was twisted at the wrong angle, but he didn't care as he faced her.
She turned on her side towards him, but he was sure that she was still asleep. Her breathing was deep and slow. Her hands were curled up between them.
Slowly and gently, as though she was made of glass, Michael took her hands in his, interlacing their fingers.
Jess hummed – a pleased sound and Michael sighed; he wanted to be happy with that tiny sound – happy that she'd found a small measure of peace even if it was just in her sleep, but he felt the lump building in his throat. He would never have the chance to tell her – anything. She couldn't see or hear him. They would never be the same. His chest constricted painfully and his head throbbed.
Suddenly all he wanted was to be back on Angel's couch sitting next to Jess, stealing her popcorn as they watched some random movie that didn't matter because he always ended up watching Jess instead.
His other wing unfurled over the top of them as he felt hot tears burning a trail across the bridge of his nose and out of the corner of his eye into his messy hair.
Jess moaned a little in her sleep and Michael shifted closer, resting his forehead against hers.
Their breath mingled and Jess squirmed, getting closer still and snuggling up against him the way she had once before.
Michael's wing cut out the meager moonlight and they were cocooned in a warm darkness that shut out the ugly dream outside.