All stories are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist, except in the mind of the author. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
ANGELS OF DEATH
BY RAVI CHEN
“I am the angel of death I have come for your soul.” The old lady stirred, startled by the stranger who suddenly appeared in her darkened prison cell.
“Who’s…who’s there?” her feeble voice barely escaped her throat. Delirious from high fever she had a poor sense of her surroundings.
The stranger pronounced again “I am the angel of death I was created for the express purpose of taking your soul.”
Through eyes heavy with fatigue she asked “Nunoo…is that you?”
“I am unaware of any entity known as Nunoo.” He declared “I am the angel of death I was created for the express purpose of taking your soul. After which I will cease to exist.”
“ho ho ho.” She softly chuckled “oh Nunoo you always did know how to make me laugh.” She smiled while beads of fever induced sweat trickled down her wrinkled face. Feeling week she slumped back into her bunk.
If the stranger had been endowed with emotions he would have became impatient. But he only knew one thing, obey his instructions. Presently his form was that of a man. It had to be that way his actual appearance would have raised alarm. However he was being most ineffective; he had to achieve his objective. Luckily an answer to his telepathic query had been received; he was made aware of Nunoo.
“Ammi?” the little one wobbled over to his supposed mother. “didoo” it cooed. A smile of sheer joy leapt across the weary woman’s face.
“Nunoo, where have you been?” she stroked the disguised being’s head as it stood by the side of her bed. Her eyes looked on in utter bewilderment “One moment you were in my lap the next you were gone. I thought I would never see you again.”
Again it repeated its plea “didoo”
She became heartbroken “My child I am too weak to feed you.” Her voice raspy as it shuttered “All these years I wondered where you were, what became of you, if you were alive…” A tear rolled down her cheek as she reminisced “I dreamt you calling for me just like now I reached for you but could grasp you. I tried and tried but you always seemed to grow more and more distant. I could still here your cries of hunger but I couldn’t nurse you.” She softly sobbed as she let out another labored breath she turned towards the being with a soft smile on her lips “I knew you liked picture books, your little eyes would stare in amazement. Butterflies, flowers, streams, trees you never got bored of those books.” She dabbed her eyes with the corner of her prison garb “I asked them to send me some but they never did.” She laid her head of silver hair on the unyielding mattress “God forgive them all.” And with that she closed her eyes.
The instructions were clear she was to know no more sorrow. It placed its hand on her forehead, images of beautiful forest and gardens under which rivers flow flooded her consciousness. It plunged itself deeper pulling back. Her soul separated like dew gliding down a delicate rose petal.