Evil Angel ~ Benjamin Burnley

~3~ mercy

(Ben's POV)

I swing my long legs as I sit perched on a branch of a dead tree, my wings neatly folded behind me.

The thought of Lynn pops into my head again and I growl in anger. I know the name of every single human on this planet, why does she stand out? She's just a young girl whose life I'm supposed to ruin.

But when I killed her dog, something inside of me felt an emotion I've never felt before–remorse. I know I can't bring the dog back to life, but I can give him a proper resting place.

I flap off the branch and rest beside the spotted dog. I pick him up in my arms and carry him to an oak tree with a hole carved into it. Gently, I place the dog inside the hole and bury him with leaves.

One of my duties as an angel of death is to bury the deceased. Usually I do it absentmindedly but this time, I took extra good care.

When I was finished, I felt a jolt of pain run through my body. I scream in agony, writhing on the ground. When the pain is over, I lay on my back, breathing heavily.

A feather from my wing falls to the ground. I pick it up and examine it, noticing its color–very dark gray, instead of jet-black.

I brush it off as the cause being my eyes playing tricks on me and I stand up.

The sound of footsteps running through the leaves catches my attention. I spread my wings and soar in the air, allowing myself to be invisible.

My eyes scan the forest floor below me. After looking for a few moments, I see someone dashing through the woods. Getting a closer look, I see that it's Lynn.

Rage boils inside me, seeing as she payed no mind to my warning yesterday. I make myself visible again and swoop down, landing right in front of her.

She runs right into me, allowing me to grab her my her shoulders. Lynn's eyes widen in panic, giving me satisfaction. I hold onto her tight and take off into the air.

I cover her mouth so she can't scream. Once I'm a few hundred feet from the ground, I uncover her mouth.

"I warned you what would happen if you came here again!" I snarl.

"I-I just came to bury Oliver," Lynn stutters, holding onto me for dear life. Her body trembles as she looks down at the ground below her.

"I know you're afraid of heights," I sneer. "Which means your death will be all the more terrifying."

"Wait! Can I please bury my dog?" Lynn begs, tears rolling down her face. Her dark brown eyes look into my own, pleading. I can tell by her eyes that she is more worried about her dead dog than her own life.

"I already took care of that," I growl. "It's my job."

"Can I see him, before I die?" She asks quietly, her voice shaking.

I let out a long sigh. "Fine!" I snap. "It is your last request, after all."

I tuck my wings and dive to the ground, spreading them out as I land. I let Lynn out of my grasp and watch as she kneels beside the oak tree where I buried her dog.

"Oliver, be patient. I'll be with you again soon," she whispers. Standing up, she turns to me again. "Thank you for letting me say my last few words to Oliver, I'm ready, do what you will." She bows her head in defeat.

Before I can open my mouth, another wave of pain courses through my body. I curl up on the ground and shudder. Suddenly, I flinch when I feel soft hands on my wings.

"Benjamin, are you okay?" Lynn asks, hugging me.

When the pain is over, I get to my feet. I stare at Lynn in complete shock. I was about to kill her, yet she feels compassion for me? What is the matter with this girl?

"I'm fine," I mutter. "I've decided it's not your time to die yet. But you're not in the clear just yet. I change my mind quickly." I can't bring myself to kill her, not after she cared for me.

With that, I take off into the sky and disappear, as to not show my emotions to her. Lynn cannot see me but I still watch her with curiosity from the treetops.