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Description
It’s amazing how an ordinary day can quickly morph into the most important day of your life. The only thing that made this day even slightly less mundane then every other day of my life was the fact that I had managed to snag a day off from work, and a trip to the mall with my best friend Savannah. We were about to leave for lunch when a tall man in a red coat caught my attention. I stopped to watch him, curious as to what he was planning.

“What’s the matter?” Savannah asked, looking in the same direction I was.

“That guy…there’s something not right about him…”

“What guy?”

“The one there, in the red coat.” I pointed to him.

“I don’t see anyone.” She replied,, grabbing my arm. “Come on, let’s go…you’re probably just delusional from hunger.”

I shook my head and turned to follow her. I stopped as the man pulled something from his coat, I didn’t realize what until the light hit it.

“Savannah…that man has a gun…” My voice came out in a whisper. I was too scared to move, or say anything else.

In a split second, the man took aim and fired, hitting an old man square in the heart. The old man clutched his chest and fell to his knees.

“Dear, are you ok?” The old woman with him asked, before calling out. “Someone call 9-1-1!”

“He shot that old man…” I gasped. “And they’re letting him get away?”

“No one got shot.” Savannah replied. “There’s no man in a red coat with a gun. The old man’s probably just having a heart attack. Come on, let’s go, it’s none of our business.”

I looked back to where the man in the coat had been, but he was gone.

“You’re right…I’m probably just tired and hungry…” I replied, following her out to the car.

‘God…she thinks I’m insane.’ I thought. ‘But I did see that man…didn’t I?’

After the incident at the mall, I opted to go on home instead of going out with Savannah to eat. After a quick shower, I felt calmer. I had even almost convinced myself I hadn’t seen the man in the red coat. Almost, but not quite. I decided to walk to The Mill, a small diner on the end of my street. I had just ordered my usual, a burger with fries and a strawberry milkshake, when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I turned and gasped when I saw the man in the red coat. He took a seat in a booth across from a woman in her mid forties. She continued eating, not noticing the man across from her. He smiled at her before reaching across the table and clutching her throat in a tight grasp.

“He’s choking her…” I spun around to the waitress. “Do something!”

The man removed his hands, but the woman continued to choke and gasp for air. People crowded around her, letting the man slip right out the door. I stood and followed him.

“Hey, what about your food?” a waitress called.

“I’ll be back.” I relied, the bell on the door jangling behind me.

I saw the man turn a corner and I followed.

“Wait right there! I called, jogging to catch up.

To my surprise, he actually did stop and wait. I cam up behind him and stopped. Only then did I realize just how stupid I was. I’d seen this man shoot one person and strangle another, and here I was, following him like the Pied Piper. He turned to face me, and in the light of a nearby streetlamp, I saw his face clearly for the first time. He had strong features, tussled black hair and fiery blue eyes.

“Can I help you with something?” He asked. His voice was deep and demanding, but there was also a calm quality to it.

“Look…I don’t know how you’ve managed it, but I’ve seen you hurt two people and get away with it.” I began. Now it hit me that I hadn’t actually thought out what I was going to say to him.

“Oh, and I suppose you think this is wrong?”

“Of course I do!”

“You’d rather I not do my job then?”

“What are you, an assassin…or do you work for the mob?”

“Not quite…I’m an angel.”

“More like a monster.”

He laughed.

“I may not have the wings, but I assure you, I’m an angel.”

“Oh, I suppose you’re going to tell me you’re the Angel of Death…”

“You catch on quickly.”

I was about to snap back when I realized he was being honest. Something about him told me, as much as I didn’t like it, he could be trusted and was, in fact, telling the truth.

“But how can an angel…take lives…?” I asked after a pause, my voice soft with confusion.

“If I didn’t, who would?” He asked. “We can’t have the world filling up with people who are past their usefulness.”

“That’s terrible…” I said, looking from him to the ground, as if that would make it all go away.

“Look, kiddo…I’ve been doing this for Millennia, and no one’s ever complained before. Just accept it: I decide who lives and who dies, they die, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” He gave a small smirk. “I mean, I’ve killed people you knew before, I will kill people you’ve yet to meet…and one of these days, I’ll kill you. I’ll admit, I’m not sure how you can see me…you the first mortal to in…about 6,000 years…” He paused, looking thoughtful. “Oh well, no matter…it doesn’t change a thing.”

I looked up at him as a memory flashed through my head.

“When I was little…and my dad was going on a business trip...there was a man in a red coat that boarded after he did…” I said slowly, trying to remember. “Then the plane went down…that was—”

“Yours Truly.” He replied. “That was one of the few times I was forced to take a few innocents along with a long list of people that were way overdue.”

My eyes filled up with tears as I spoke. “How..?”

Although I couldn’t get my question out, he knew what I meant.

“Any physical interaction with mortals can kill them.” He replied. “Even so much as a tap on the forehead. I just tend to try and get more creative. After doing this job for so long, tapping people gets dull.”

He reached up and whipped away my tears, and I flinched, wandering if my death would come quickly or if he’d make me suffer.

He laughed. “I didn’t mean to mislead you.” He said as he turned from me. “You’re not on my list today. Someday, but not today.”

He started to walk off, but I called after him.

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked.

“The only thing you can do.” He replied, not turning around. “Go inside, eat your dinner, and go on home like a good little girl. I’m going to keep doing my job, and there’s nothing you can do about it, so don’t let it worry you.”

I watched him go, unsure of anything to say or do. After he was out of sight, I headed back around the corner to find an ambulance departing with the woman who had been choking. I didn’t head back into the diner, but instead walked the short distance to my apartment. As I got ready for bed, the conversation I’d had replayed in my mind. Despite how scary everything had seemed when it was happening, I felt a clam peace settle over me now. I now understood that despite how wrong this all seemed, it was his job, and it was necessary. And although I would be seeing him again, something told me I had a while to wait…and live.

Description
It’s amazing how an ordinary day can quickly morph into the most important day of your life. The only thing that made this day even slightly less mundane then every other day of my life was the fact that I had managed to snag a day off from work, and a trip to the mall with my best friend Savannah. We were about to leave for lunch when a tall man in a red coat caught my attention. I stopped to watch him, curious as to what he was planning.

“What’s the matter?” Savannah asked, looking in the same direction I was.

“That guy…there’s something not right about him…”

“What guy?”

“The one there, in the red coat.” I pointed to him.

“I don’t see anyone.” She replied,, grabbing my arm. “Come on, let’s go…you’re probably just delusional from hunger.”

I shook my head and turned to follow her. I stopped as the man pulled something from his coat, I didn’t realize what until the light hit it.

“Savannah…that man has a gun…” My voice came out in a whisper. I was too scared to move, or say anything else.

In a split second, the man took aim and fired, hitting an old man square in the heart. The old man clutched his chest and fell to his knees.

“Dear, are you ok?” The old woman with him asked, before calling out. “Someone call 9-1-1!”

“He shot that old man…” I gasped. “And they’re letting him get away?”

“No one got shot.” Savannah replied. “There’s no man in a red coat with a gun. The old man’s probably just having a heart attack. Come on, let’s go, it’s none of our business.”

I looked back to where the man in the coat had been, but he was gone.

“You’re right…I’m probably just tired and hungry…” I replied, following her out to the car.

‘God…she thinks I’m insane.’ I thought. ‘But I did see that man…didn’t I?’

After the incident at the mall, I opted to go on home instead of going out with Savannah to eat. After a quick shower, I felt calmer. I had even almost convinced myself I hadn’t seen the man in the red coat. Almost, but not quite. I decided to walk to The Mill, a small diner on the end of my street. I had just ordered my usual, a burger with fries and a strawberry milkshake, when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I turned and gasped when I saw the man in the red coat. He took a seat in a booth across from a woman in her mid forties. She continued eating, not noticing the man across from her. He smiled at her before reaching across the table and clutching her throat in a tight grasp.

“He’s choking her…” I spun around to the waitress. “Do something!”

The man removed his hands, but the woman continued to choke and gasp for air. People crowded around her, letting the man slip right out the door. I stood and followed him.

“Hey, what about your food?” a waitress called.

“I’ll be back.” I relied, the bell on the door jangling behind me.

I saw the man turn a corner and I followed.

“Wait right there! I called, jogging to catch up.

To my surprise, he actually did stop and wait. I cam up behind him and stopped. Only then did I realize just how stupid I was. I’d seen this man shoot one person and strangle another, and here I was, following him like the Pied Piper. He turned to face me, and in the light of a nearby streetlamp, I saw his face clearly for the first time. He had strong features, tussled black hair and fiery blue eyes.

“Can I help you with something?” He asked. His voice was deep and demanding, but there was also a calm quality to it.

“Look…I don’t know how you’ve managed it, but I’ve seen you hurt two people and get away with it.” I began. Now it hit me that I hadn’t actually thought out what I was going to say to him.

“Oh, and I suppose you think this is wrong?”

“Of course I do!”

“You’d rather I not do my job then?”

“What are you, an assassin…or do you work for the mob?”

“Not quite…I’m an angel.”

“More like a monster.”

He laughed.

“I may not have the wings, but I assure you, I’m an angel.”

“Oh, I suppose you’re going to tell me you’re the Angel of Death…”

“You catch on quickly.”

I was about to snap back when I realized he was being honest. Something about him told me, as much as I didn’t like it, he could be trusted and was, in fact, telling the truth.

“But how can an angel…take lives…?” I asked after a pause, my voice soft with confusion.

“If I didn’t, who would?” He asked. “We can’t have the world filling up with people who are past their usefulness.”

“That’s terrible…” I said, looking from him to the ground, as if that would make it all go away.

“Look, kiddo…I’ve been doing this for Millennia, and no one’s ever complained before. Just accept it: I decide who lives and who dies, they die, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” He gave a small smirk. “I mean, I’ve killed people you knew before, I will kill people you’ve yet to meet…and one of these days, I’ll kill you. I’ll admit, I’m not sure how you can see me…you the first mortal to in…about 6,000 years…” He paused, looking thoughtful. “Oh well, no matter…it doesn’t change a thing.”

I looked up at him as a memory flashed through my head.

“When I was little…and my dad was going on a business trip...there was a man in a red coat that boarded after he did…” I said slowly, trying to remember. “Then the plane went down…that was—”

“Yours Truly.” He replied. “That was one of the few times I was forced to take a few innocents along with a long list of people that were way overdue.”

My eyes filled up with tears as I spoke. “How..?”

Although I couldn’t get my question out, he knew what I meant.

“Any physical interaction with mortals can kill them.” He replied. “Even so much as a tap on the forehead. I just tend to try and get more creative. After doing this job for so long, tapping people gets dull.”

He reached up and whipped away my tears, and I flinched, wandering if my death would come quickly or if he’d make me suffer.

He laughed. “I didn’t mean to mislead you.” He said as he turned from me. “You’re not on my list today. Someday, but not today.”

He started to walk off, but I called after him.

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked.

“The only thing you can do.” He replied, not turning around. “Go inside, eat your dinner, and go on home like a good little girl. I’m going to keep doing my job, and there’s nothing you can do about it, so don’t let it worry you.”

I watched him go, unsure of anything to say or do. After he was out of sight, I headed back around the corner to find an ambulance departing with the woman who had been choking. I didn’t head back into the diner, but instead walked the short distance to my apartment. As I got ready for bed, the conversation I’d had replayed in my mind. Despite how scary everything had seemed when it was happening, I felt a clam peace settle over me now. I now understood that despite how wrong this all seemed, it was his job, and it was necessary. And although I would be seeing him again, something told me I had a while to wait…and live.