Hidden Truths - Ethan

24 - About Angels and Demons

"Don't be sorry for being strong, little angel." She even reacts the same way Henry would.

"Will you tell Henry to come and visit me soon?" she all of a sudden wants to know and I don't really know what to answer. Thinking for a moment there is a chance she understands my words.

"Nora, your sister is one of the bravest angels I've ever seen. She was so brave as to show me the light in life. God had called her back to protect heaven again," I try to explain and she only nods sadly.

"That doesn't mean she isn't watching over you. She always did, didn't she?" I assume and can see her starting to shiver. I can't stand the sadness in her eyes. I killed Henry, I really shouldn't be the one to be here, but there is nobody left to take care of her.

I found the address of the orphanage on my account sheet from the Frog. I'm sure that Henriette was visiting her as often as she could but because of my first misstep I kept her captive and unknowingly also away from Nora.

Breaking into the orphanage was easy and taking a look at the books to find a McDonnelly wasn't hard either. The house is old and not very secure; the lady who runs it should take more care of the building – and the kids. I saw how much she

got from Henry, and finding Nora and the other children, under those circumstances, doesn't explain where the money goes to.

I'm not even sure that she lives here on her own or she maybe only locks the children in at night. Identifying Nora out of all those girls here wasn't easy though. I managed to get her into the hallway and out of the sleeping room with a trick. There are about twenty more girls who could have been her. It was her scent and her eyes that made me assume who she is.

"She gave me one more thing for you, little angel," I say and Nora looks hesitantly at my face as I open my arms. "She told me that, as the demon I am, I can act as a vessel and if you feel lonely and want to hug her, you are allowed to hug me and she will know."

Nora's eyes grow wide before she nearly stumbles over her own feet to get to me and squeeze my chest. I know it's a bad trick, but I remember very well that a kid needs someone to trust and it was the most honest story I could think of.

I can't deny that I enjoy it, too. It feels okay to experience the sadness inside me with her. That little girl doesn't judge me, but just shares the loss of someone important. I can't prevent the memories to come up and just hold Nora.

***

I ram my fangs into the last victim this night. I will need to find another village after this one and give them all what they earn. Death and pain. I decided a few years ago to accept my demons after nearly going crazy trying to control it.

It took me quite a while to figure out what it means to be that creature Gwendolyn created. It didn't help with the initial problem, but that doesn't matter anymore. There is nothing besides the blood that counts. Even though I would like to know what happened and why she left me, it wouldn't change a thing. I pushed myself to find my boundaries but in the end, I only found out that none of the townspeople can cope with my existence.

Letting go of the limp body in my arms I step out of the house and into the night, not even caring about my dirty clothes. The jute fabric clinches to my upper body. I take a deep breath of the clear night air as I all of a sudden see a moving shadow.

Am I hallucinating again? I saw Gwen several times in the last few years but this is somehow different. I think I can smell her. Her curves and the ginger hair emerge from the fog that has formed in front of the houses. She is not alone, I can hear someone crying.