Angelic

Riley stood above him, lying in the invisible branches. Clad in black, she was nearly invisible herself. The boy below her wandered around her tree, sensing her presence but not seeing her physical form in the way people could when she decided to show herself. Riley couldn’t help but laugh at the cluelessness of the boy, who was a stranger to her. As Riley laughed he reacted, jumping onto the tall oak tree, making his way slowly up to her. Riley hadn’t seen the boy jump nor did she notice his dark figure no longer below. Riley had just taken him for a runaway or possibly a sneaker looking for a quick fix from one of the neighboring houses. She hadn’t taken him for a climber such as her. “Hello.” He said, appearing in front of her like a ghost. “You!” she screamed, “How did you make it up?” the boy laughed sincerely, holding his chest like it hurt. “Miss James I am nearly like you in every way. You don’t know me but I know you. You don’t know what I’m capable of but I know all your tricks.” Riley’s breath began to go ragged as she feared this boy might not be a boy at all, but a stalker or a kidnapper. He kept speaking without pause. “I know what you are, what happens to you every day. I know what you SEE.” At that last word he pointed towards a group of trees not too far away. The trees were clouded from root to top with fog. Riley could just barely make out the tiny figures that glowed through without effort. They were not unfamiliar, Riley had seen them night after night playing in this clearing. They would fly to the top then return with foreign objects in hand. Their hair would glow with a type of gold and their faces were beautiful beyond recognition. “I don’t see anything.” She lied, turning back towards him. He laughed once again. “I know you are untruthful miss. Let me tell you a secret, I see them too. I see their wings their homes their children. I see everything you do in that tree. Now do you still not see them?” Riley gave up. “I do.” A smile appeared on the boy’s face as he stood up slowly on the thick branch. “Now come dear, let us go somewhere safer. Day will come soon and we wouldn’t want any humans seeing you up here and call the fire department now would we?”