A Touched By an Angel Story

By: Yvette Jessen

The night had been long, much longer than any that Andrew could consciously remember. The rain had stopped falling, but the thunder overhead was loud, its rumbling completely uninviting. It was one of those moments when the young Angel of Death found himself trapped in human form and seeking some sort of shelter for the night. He could feel the droplets falling from his shoulder-length blonde hair and streaming down over his face. For some strange reason, he knew he had to keep going.

Andrew could not remember what had happened or how he had come into contact with a street gang that dealt drugs, but the memories he had about what had happened in their company remained hazy to him. For a while, he believed that as an angel that perhaps meeting up with this group was like getting a new assignment.

As an experienced Angel of Death, he often found himself in situations, which actually dealt with overdosing teenagers and prostitution, but it did not limit itself to just those two things. For so long, he had viewed them as just being ills of society, but now the angel tried to force himself to avoid passing judgment on these kids, he knew that many had gotten into these kinds of circumstances as a means to escape something much worse. He often contemplated whether or not his being trapped in human form was a means that would actually help them, and oftentimes, he had pondered whether or not he would actually be able to keep doing this kind of assignment without being encased by the hopelessness that seemed to embody these kids.

Somehow, this time, after coming in contact with this one particular gang of young people, he found himself in a situation where this group had literally forced their wares on him, and now it was obvious to anyone who were to observe the angel, they would conclude that he was just another strung out drug addict. Subconsciously, Andrew knew that he had not willingly taken these drugs, but yet, he was strung out, and whatever it was that these people had given to him, they must have known that his tolerance to drugs was very low. Two pills would have literally done the Angel of Death in.

At this moment, he was frightened and oddly enough, fear was generally not something he contemplated, his faith tended to protect him and the love of God always seemed to embrace him during those times when he needed this the most. Unfortunately, he only had vague recollections as to who he really was and this, if anything, scared him. Oddly enough, fear was an emotion that was simply like a stranger to him, something far off and distant; he simply did not experience it very often. He always told the people he helped that fear was an emotion that caused people to distance themselves from the Father and now he just wished that he could understand what purpose this frame of mind would serve him, why was he feeling so disconnected and lost?

As the afternoon faded into evening, his memories become all the more hazy. It was as though he was living in the whirlwind of a kaleidoscope of colors, none of which made any sense to him.

How could he have come to be in this state, anyway? The answer was not clear to him. The fact remained, the Father had made him human, an Angel of Death who obviously had something to learn, but how could he? Andrew did not even know that he was an angel, much less an angel who escorted the spirits home to God after they had left their earthly shells. In his current frame of mind, he could barely remember what he was; but yet his memories of the guy who called himself 'Dwarf' were as clear as crystal.

It was not easy to forget someone of the stature and assertiveness of 'Dwarf' probably because he had stood out like a sore thumb. He was short, and stocky, just under five feet tall, his long hair dyed the same outrageous color of lime sherbet and his weight topped in at nearly two hundred pounds. No, 'Dwarf' was not someone, one could easily forget.

Andrew had been standing in an alley when 'Dwarf' had found him. It had been just after the Father had made him human, his clothing a dirty white t-shirt and a pair of jeans with holes in the knees. 'Dwarf' had taken him back to his apartment, and there he had met his friends, a gang of teenagers and young adults who were about as lost as humans could be. They all were addicted to one, maybe more different kinds of drugs; most of them sniffed cocaine, some were addicted to heroin, a few of them only popping pills, and one or two who only smoked marijuana. They were a pretty lost crowd, even from the point of view of an angel who was trapped in human form. This was hardly the type of environment that Andrew could handle.

In order for him to learn about the darker side of humanity, he concluded that he had to be there, but still, this was a very strange assignment, especially if the angel assigned to the case could not consciously remember that he was an angel.

Andrew ran his hand over his face; his eyes were still burning from the smoke he had spent the last three days being exposed to. This smoke emanated from the cheap cigarettes that 'Dwarf' smoked. It was a strange feeling, one that could only be described as though he had been in a dark nightclub for an extended period of time, and then he had stepped outside into the fresh air, the wind blowing into them and causing them to tear. He rubbed his hand over his eyes again, the burning sensation not going away.

As he passed the old abandoned warehouse for about the fiftieth time since being trapped in human form, he cast a brief glimpse over in the direction of a cracked window, which extended along one side of the desolate building.

Across the street, he heard a cat or some other small animal knocking over a garbage can, the loud frightened sounds emerging soon after and the raucous of the neighborhood alley cats encompassed the stillness of the area. This, of course, resulting in the disruption of area merchants, and they as well as the residents began shouting obscenities out open windows.

Andrew continued to walk slowly their voices fading, but all the while, his head was hanging in dejection, as his hair brushed against his shoulders, the blonde clumps in need of washing. To look at him, one could clearly see that his normally bright and cheerful green eyes were now void of any emotion or expression.

The darkness had started to consume him and at this point, his only interest was getting in out of the rain that was now slowly cascading down on him. He wanted to get out of this dismal part of town, but when he tried to speak to someone in order to ask for directions, he words emerged in a mass of syllables that made little, if no, sense.

"Hey, you in the black jacket, are you mad?" A young sounding voice brought him crashing back down to earth and he groggily opened his eyes to see that he was walking right down the middle of a two-lane street, the cars coming and going sideswiping him, and he clumsily managed to get to the side of the road.

When he reached the curb, he stumbled and fell to the ground, his knees scraping against the hard concrete, as the young female, who had shouted at him, approached. She couldn't have been much older than 15, her scraggily long brown hair hanging down over her face, but her pale blue eyes regarding him with a wisdom that went way beyond her years. This girl was anything but 'wet behind the ears'.

"Huh?" Andrew moaned, his eyes barely opening and he clutched his stomach as though he was in pain.

"Yeah, I was talking to you," the girl said, the abruptness of her voice taking him aback, but he eventually looked up at her, his heavy lidded eyes meeting hers.

"Strung out, huh?" She asked softly once she had looked into his eyes. "You don't look like the type who can handle heroin or coke, but yet, you've really got it bad," she whispered more to herself than to him.

"High," Andrew moaned, his voice hoarse.

"It's OK, man, I know how it is. Come on, let me get you out of here before the cops show up and bust you," she said, her voice emerging as though she had lived on the streets for a number of years. "You're lost, dude."

"Lost," Andrew moaned, but allowed her to help him stand up. At this point, she could tell that he was more out of it than anyone she had ever seen, and she wondered internally how long it would take this handsome man to come down from whatever it was he was strung out on.

"Man what kind of stuff are you strung out on, anyway, you look like your horse just came in last?" The girl asked.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just a stupid expression," she said, but after looking at him, her voice lowered considerably and for some reason, she realized that he was truly frightened. "Listen, I know it's scary, but you can crash at my place, I mean, it's not much, but at least you can't get busted and you will be able to stay dry. Right now it doesn't look as though you could handle being alone right now. When you come down, you're gonna feel pretty bad anyway."

She offered her hand to him and when he took it, and she eventually managed to him get him back on his feet. As she maintained her hold on his hand, she somehow could feel his warm fingers encircling her own, and she discovered that she liked the feel of his touch.

Without saying a word, she led him in the direction of an old condemned hotel. As they reached the fence that extended across the front side of the building, she helped him crawl through the half broken gate. Next, she led him through a small passage until they reached a small entrance that wove into a dismal and uninviting run down dwelling.

Once they managed to get inside, she silently led him up some stairs, through a hallway until she reached a door with the numbers 378 bolted to the door, the number eight was hanging from only one of the bolts, the other was broken, and it was obvious that one slam of the door, and the number would have fallen off it. Without paying the numbers any mind, she opened a door, and she led him into a small room.

"It's not much, but I've had worse," she offered as they entered and she began to pull off her green coat. She tossed it on a mattress in the corner. "Come and sit down, you don't look so well." She reached over and grabbed a candleholder and a book of matches and lit the candle, thus giving them some light. "I don't suppose you've eaten?"

Andrew shook his head all the while wondering when his last meal had been, or what it was he had actually eaten.

"Do you understand anything I say?" She asked weakly, and when she got a slow nod, she continued to speak, her voice weak, as she began to cough. "My name is Katy."

He nodded, but she could see that he was starting to feel bad and she approached him and took his hand gently in hers. "You're coming down, it's going to be hard, but I'm here, and I'll help you if I can." She reached over and brushed a piece of his blonde hair away from his eyes. "You know, you're going to think I'm weird, but there's something very familiar about you, something almost cosmic."

Andrew looked up at her, but before he could say anything, he allowed her to help him lay down on the mattress. "So sick…" his voice trailed. "More…"

"No, there are no drugs here, sweetie," she said softly trying to console him. "I know it hurts, I know because I…" her voice trailed and she could feel the tears in her eyes. "I nearly died from a drug overdose some time ago. It was about three months ago, and I had gotten my hands on some really bad stuff. It was awful, and when I came down, I thought the world had come to an end, that I would die, and fall into an abyss." She continued to brush his hair from his eyes as he rested his head on her lap.

"You look like the angel who came to see me back then, I mean, he was so beautiful and so kind," she smiled slightly. "I know you think I'm probably crazy, but I wanted to tell him why I was here, why I lived on the streets, but I couldn't because I felt so ashamed of myself." As she spoke, she continued to stroke his hair. "I don't even know your name, but I know about 'Dwarf'. He has a bad reputation around here; he has bad ways of getting homeless people addicted to drugs. I wouldn't put it past him to try and make you become addicted so he could control you."

Andrew listened to her words, his eyes beginning to droop, but he remained on her lap until eventually, he slept.

Katy laid him gently on the mattress and reached for a blanket in order to cover him up. "Please God, take care of this man. I don't know who he is, but I feel responsible for him, and I know that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." She remained on the floor, but reached for the green coat and wrapped it around her now shivering body.

*****

As the night progressed Katy woke up off and on to comfort Andrew and help him get through the bouts of withdrawal. She noticed that he was getting somewhat better, but now she was starting to feel sicker. It was obvious that a cold had gripped her, and because she had spent so much time outside, she had been susceptible to the latest virus that seemed to be going around.

By early the second morning of looking after Andrew, Katy awoke to feel herself profusely sweating from the fever that seemed to encase her. Oddly enough, this did not seem to matter and she remained next to the ailing angel. Sometimes she would tell him stories, and other times she would speak about herself, but mostly, she would just sit in silence and do whatever she could to help him if he happened to wake up. She found an old cloth and went across the hall to the bathroom to dampen it from the barely running tap.

When the morning sunlight filtered in through the cracks from the wood covering the window, on the third morning, she could feel herself getting sicker, but she continued her silent vigil of watching over or talking to him. Even now, she was still uncertain if he had even heard her words, but the action of doing this somehow offered her, if only, a small amount of comfort, and she concluded that she did it more for herself than for him.

After the fourth night of sitting with him, she noticed that he seemed to be over his withdrawal enough that he could be left alone for a short time, she realized now that he was probably capable of taking in some food, so she crept downstairs, and collected the stale fruit from the local grocer and returned to the room some ten minutes later. As she came in, she noticed that he was still somewhat asleep on the mattress and though she could see only a little bit of light seeping in through the window, she could feel herself running low on energy and she wondered how much more she would even be capable of doing for him, before she, herself, would collapse.

He seemed to be sensing her movements around the room because he woke up at that moment and could see her leaning against the wall on the other side of the room, her hands covering her fevered forehead. "Hi."

"Hey, you're up? You still feel nauseous?"

"A little," he said honestly.

"But it is not so extreme?" She asked and when he nodded, she continued. "You probably still have a little bit of it because you haven't eaten anything for the last three or four days."

"Is that how long I've been here?" He asked rubbing his eyes slowly.

"Yes, you were pretty messed up when I found you," her response was almost automatic. Her voice sounded weaker than he remembered it to have been when she had actually found him, but any memory he may have had was rather hazy, so he dismissed it.

"Are you hungry?" She asked. "I have some old fruit from the neighborhood grocer. I figured that vitamins were probably the best thing for you."

Andrew nodded, "thank you."

She coughed, her throat raspy from the cold she had, but she tried to keep a cheerful smile on her face. "It's nothing, you got a name, or do I get the pleasure of continuing to call you 'sweetie'?"

Upon hearing her inquiry, he began to chuckle, but didn't offer her his name, or if he did, she had failed to hear it.

She smiled weakly and pretended to have heard what he said, but instead of asking him to repeat it, she offered him an orange. "I brought up some fruit."

"Thank you," Andrew said softy. "I really appreciate your help."

"No big deal," she smiled weakly. "I guess you could say that I'm just funny that way." As she spoke, she began coughing, and he looked up to see that she was shivering.

"Katy, are you OK?"

"Sure, I'm fine," she smiled weakly. "It's just gotten colder outside, I tend to cough a little during weather changes."

Andrew said nothing; he simply nodded and began to peel the orange she had given him.

*****

Early the next morning, as soon as she noticed that the light was filtering in through the cracks between the planks of wood, Katy opened her eyes and looked around the small hovel where they had slept. She felt horrible, her throat had progressively gotten worse throughout the cold autumn night and she ended up having to wrap herself in the thin green jacket. It seemed to provide very little warmth against the cold, but she did not seem to mind it all that much.

Health-wise, she was more concerned with the coughing fits simply because they were now coming much more frequently. They had been going on since before she had found Andrew, but helping him seemed to be something that had distracted her from her health. Now, the coughing was getting worse, and she realized that she could not ignore it much longer. In this state, she wondered how much she was capable of doing to help the man who slept on the mattress.

After leaving him to go and get breakfast, she returned with two bags filled with stale fruit, dried bread rolls, and a package of expired orange juice that the local grocer had once again left on his doorstep for her.

As she was sitting the bags on the floor, she went over to see how Andrew was doing. He had slept through the night with out any serious withdrawals, but it had been three or so days since finding him, so she guessed that his body had grown accustomed to not having a ready access to narcotics. Maybe this, if anything, would be an indication to her that he would be OK.

She got down on her knees and brushed her hand through his now oily blonde hair. "You need a shower," she mumbled softly to herself, but when she looked down at her clothing, she could see that she was sweating profusely, and her clothing was now damp, and the grime from the street somehow had stuck to her. After a few moments, he opened his eyes slowly and looked up at her.

"Hi," he smiled weakly, his body still weakened from the events of the previous days.

"Good morning," she said softly. "I got breakfast, do you think you could keep anything down?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I still feel a little sick."

"You're experiencing withdrawal, it's a pain," she said sympathetically. "I wish I could do something to make it easier for you, but I don't know what."

"Why do you do all of this when you don't even know me?" He asked her softly, his voice no longer hoarse, but rather filled with kindness, something she was not used to hearing from other people.

"I don't know, maybe because you needed help and I was there," she shrugged her shoulders as she reached over and grabbed one of the bags and slid it over to where they were now sitting. "Now, you may get sick from eating, but it will do you more good than anything else. Will you tell me your name again, I didn't catch it last night?"

"It's Andrew," he said softly as he accepted the banana that she extended to him.

"Andrew," she smiled weakly and nodded as though she wanted to say that his name seemed the best name for such a handsome man. "You know, it's silly, but you look really familiar to me. I know it may seem crazy for me to say so, but I remember someone named Andrew who helped me when I was very, very sick. Actually, no, I wasn't really sick, I was strung out."

"Is that why you helped me?"

"Well, it was either that or watch you get splattered by a semi. You were walking in the middle of the road, and…well…I was scared for you," she shrugged her shoulders and ran her hand through her now tangled hair. "You were pretty messed up that night and you looked so lost."

"Thank you for helping me," he said gently. "I'm just curious, but how old are you?"

"15, I just had my birthday about a month ago."

"And you live here?" He asked looking around the hovel where they were sitting.

"Yes, well, I can't go home," she whispered and when he looked somewhat confused over at her, she shrugged her shoulders. "Home is not really a very nice place to be."

"You were abused?"

"I was beaten black and blue," she said softly, her voice filled with a hidden sadness, but instead of dwelling on this, she offered him another banana. This time he declined, but accepted a piece of the bread she extended to him.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"No big deal," she shrugged it off and bit into an apple. As soon as she swallowed the bite she looked back over at him.

"You don't like to talk about yourself, do you?"

"No," she shook her head. "There's too much bad stuff about me. Besides that, I'm not really used to being the center of attention."

"Pity, I think you're very nice," he offered.

"What about you?" She asked. "How did you get tangled up with 'Dwarf'?"

"It's a rather long story," Andrew hedged.

"I think I know, you got in over your head," she replied as she finished the apple and threw the core into a corner and wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"I guess that is as good of a way of putting it as any," he said.

When Katy did not respond, they sat for about ten minutes before she was able to break the silence and looked up at him. "Andrew, do you work with homeless kids?"

"Sometimes," he said honestly. "Why?"

"I don't know, you just don't look like someone who is experienced with living on the streets, there's an uncanny innocence about you," she said honestly. "I can't explain why, it's just something about you. You don't carry yourself like a person who is experienced with living on the streets is all."

"No, I suppose when you put it that way, I'm not," Andrew said softly.

"It's obvious," she replied.

"Perhaps, but what about you? How long have you been here?" He asked.

"I ran away when I was 13," she said. "I had been molested at home, I guess I figured that it would have been easier to live out here than it would be to go on living there. I started popping pills back then, I guess as a way to calm my nerves about it, because I felt alone through everything."

"Alone?"

"Yeah, a lot of kids feel that way. It's not so uncommon out here. Anyway, then one night, I guess it was about two months ago; I got a hold of some heroin and nearly overdosed on it. As I was in this sort of stupor, I passed out and had this dream, it was one of those really way out kinds of dreams, but in it someone told me that I wasn't alone." As she spoke, she shook her head as though denying the idea that something good could actually have happened to her.

"What kind of dream?"

"Oh, you know, one of those dreams that most people wouldn't even tell their best friend about because they would be shipped off to the cracker factory immediately if not sooner for admitting such nonsense." As she spoke, she tried to keep from going into too much detail, but Andrew continued to press her for details.

"Tell me about it, Katy. I mean, something tells me you would like to talk to someone about it, and you can trust me."

"How do I know that I can? You were just some drugged out schmuck I found on the streets," she said defensively.

"So were you, if I recall, but you said that someone helped you," he said. "You know, you seem to be afraid that I'm going to judge you, but now you're judging me."

Katy nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"So what happened in your dream?"

"It was about angels, light, and a bunch of really way out stuff that I never thought in a million years I'd be having a dream about. I mean; let's face it, what would an angel want with the likes of me?"

"I don't think you're all that bad, Katy, in fact, I think you're a very nice girl."

"Perhaps, but you're not an angel."

Andrew smiled somewhat ironically, but listened as she continued to speak.

"What's there to tell? I thought I was having a bad reaction to the stuff," she shrugged her shoulders. "I mean; it must have been bad because in it, I was visited by the Angel of Death, and he was very kind to me, he talked to me, and helped me get through all of this. I mean, I really truly thought that I had seen the Angel of Death standing over me. It was creepy, but surreal."

"An Angel of Death?" Andrew's memories came back as he heard her speaking. Ironically, he did know her, but instead of talking about this, he allowed her to continue speaking of her experience.

"Yeah, I don't remember very much about him, except that he was really tall. It was either that, or I just felt completely small and insignificant in his presence. Anyway, in retrospect, I must have looked really pathetic from where he was standing. I mean; he's standing there, right? I'm looking up at him, my eyes all glazed over and he began to speak to me, his words nothing more than a bunch of garbling that I cannot even understand because I'm so strung out. What I would give to hear him speak those same words when I'm not completely messed up."

She shrugged her shoulders, but as she was speaking, she could feel the tears, which escaped, from beneath her eyes. Now, it looked as though her emotions were getting the better of her. Just from talking to him, she realized that her throat had started to hurt even more, and her voice was now emerging barely above a whisper. "Anyway, I was looking at him muttering something about rainbows and baby ostriches and today I figure that he was probably staring at me thinking 'what a pitiful excuse of a human being'."

"An angel wouldn't have judged you, Katy," Andrew interjected, but she seemed to not have heard his voice, because she continued to speak, and he had started to notice that she was really sick.

"I wanted to tell him that when someone is strung out, they tend to make very little, if no, sense. I mean; they sit around just waiting for the next hit, and not knowing or caring from where that comes. That night was the last time I ever did anything. I could only remember this beautiful angel I saw."

"He comforted you, then?" Andrew asked softly.

She nodded numbly, but looked at him. "Then a few nights ago, I saw you. I thought I was seeing a ghost," she paused before she was able to continue speaking. "Andrew, I know this is going to sound so stupid, but I can't shake the idea that I know you from somewhere."

"I've been around," he said and smiled weakly at her.

"No, it's something more, I know it sounds really weird, but there's something about you that's almost cosmic. When I found you the other night, I almost could feel it, but aside from that I knew I had to do something to help you. It made me feel better for some reason, especially because I actually got the chance to help someone else." As she stopped speaking she looked over at him as though she was suddenly distracted, and wanted to change the subject. "You are feeling better now, aren't you?"

Andrew nodded. "Yes, I really appreciate what you did for me. It was very kind of you to take care of me the way you did."

"No big deal, I hate to see someone go through something like what I went through. I don't know if I was alone that night. Part of me is convinced that I was, but a small part of me doesn't want to believe that God would have left me alone to fight this. I only know, at that time, I figured that it was all a dream and had experienced all of this alone," she shrugged her shoulders, but her dizziness was starting to get the better of her and she laid down on the other side of the mattress and closed her eyes.

At that moment as she had finished speaking, Andrew remained seated on the edge of the mattress and was now engulfed in the bright and beautiful radiance of God's love.

Without opening her eyes or turning back over, Katy covered her eyes with her forearm and began to shiver as she tried to reach for the blanket. "Please close the window, Andrew, I'm so cold, and that light, it's blinding me."

"Katy," he spoke, his voice filled with love and he reached over to where she was laying, his hands resting on her shoulders, thus causing her to roll back over and look up at him. What she saw made her gasp. Andrew was towering over her, his eyes serene, he was dressed in beige, and glowing, the light surrounding him more beautiful than anything she had ever seen in her life.

"It's y-you, b-but how?"

"God sometimes moves in mysterious ways, Katy," Andrew offered.

"Then that means I wasn't mistaken," she whispered as she covered her face with her hands. "Oh, my God, all those things I said…" her voice trailed off and she began to tremble in panic, her fever still mounting and her terror evident as she backed away from him.

"Shhh, it's OK, Katy, relax, I won't hurt you," he consoled her as he took her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. "You were not mistaken, sweetheart. You followed your heart, and for that, you must not feel any shame whatsoever."

Katy nodded numbly, but deep in the recesses of her heart, she did not want to believe his words. The humiliation she felt was just too strong. "Why were you strung out, Andrew?" She finally managed to whisper, her curiosity finally getting the better of her.

"The answer to that question is not yet clear to me. I suppose I was sent here to experience the extent of what people here call 'addiction', but what I experienced those few nights ago was not about that, it was actually the extent of that love, which dwells in the human heart. That same love resides in your heart, Katy," Andrew said softly. "You remembered something that happened, and you didn't want to see that happen to someone else. What you gave me was a precious gift. This assignment could have turned out much differently than it had, I would probably have experienced 'death' first hand, if not for you."

The young girl could feel the tears streaming from beneath her eyes, and as they streamed down over her face, Andrew reached over and wiped them away. "Y-you were with me when I wassick?"

"Yes, I was, just as you were with me these past few nights, and you helped me to overcome the drugs someone had given me without my knowledge of it. But, this happened for a reason, I think I was supposed to meet you that night, and you were able to look at me, and see beyond what had happened. You were able to look into the heart of someone without even knowing who that someone truly was."

"I couldn't leave you out there, but I don't understand, how did this happen?"

"You know the answer, it was that guy you called 'Dwarf', he had found me in an alley about a week ago. I had been sent there and discovered that I was to fulfill this assignment while being trapped in human form," Andrew said softly. "Dwarf and his friends were the ones who had given me the drugs in the beginning, and they said that if I tried to leave, then I would have been arrested. I guess what happened was after I had refused to do their bidding long enough; they got even with me, doped me up and threw me out. They wanted me to do things for them that I couldn't or wouldn't do. Even in that state, I could not completely forget who I was and what I was supposed to do."

"I'm sorry," She whispered.

"No, you have no reason to be sorry, Katy, what happened was simply an assignment that went out of control. Even for an angel, that does happen sometimes. But, that was the reason you found me strung out."

"They kicked you out in that state of mind. You could have died," As she spoke, she could feel the tears escaping from beneath her eyes and she could suddenly feel him pulling her into his arms, her body almost like a rag doll. Without him holding her, she would have flopped back against the hard mattress. "How could they do that to you?" She could feel the emotions getting the better of her.

"Shhh it's OK, Katy, the drugs don't affect me any longer, I'm over that now," he said softly as he cradled her in one arm, with the other, he brushed her hair out of her eyes. "You know, sometimes people use fear as a means of which to control another person. I probably would have been arrested had you not found me, simply because I was, as you said, 'messed up'. 'Dwarf' and his friends wanted me to do things for them that I wouldn't or couldn't do. Eventually, I guess they doped me up and kicked me out," Andrew said softly. "Soon after that, you found me, brought me here, and the rest you know."

"After I met you the first time, I stopped doing drugs," she said as she began to cough. "I tried to get my life back, but I couldn't go home. I wanted to make you proud of me."

Andrew could see the overwhelming insecurity in the eyes of the young girl, and he suddenly discovered what reason he had for being in the state he had been in and the experience of her finding him. Father, now I understand why everything happened as it did, he thought. My assignment weren't these drug-addicted kids; it's this special young girl. He reached over and touched her cheek with the side of his hand.

"Katy, I am so proud of you, but what you need to understand, sweetheart, is God is also proud of you, and He will help you through everything, just as you helped me," Andrew said softly. "I know now, why it was that I was sent here, it was to help one of God's beautiful children find her way in a world that is perceived to have abandoned her."

"You want to help me, b-but how?" She asked as she pressed her hand against her fevered head.

"First, you will let me get you out of this place," Andrew said softly as he rested a gentle hand against her forehead. "You're very sick right now."

"I'm OK," she whispered, but when she felt his cool hand against her forehead, she flinched.

Andrew smiled gently at her, but shook his head. "I am not so sure of that. You have a very high fever, and I want you to tell me how long you've had that cough."

"I don't know," she whispered.

"Katy," he said her name somewhat sternly and she finally conceded and offered him an honest answer.

"I guess about a week," she said softly.

"OK," nodding, he felt the pocket of his jacket and found a key inside it. Knowing it was the key to an apartment, he stood up. "Come on, we're going somewhere else. You need a warm bed, some food, and lots of fluids."

"I'm OK," she objected.

"No, you're not, you're very sick, Katy, and I won't leave you in this place to get even sicker. Now, will you trust me?" Before she could offer him an answer, he continued speaking. "Please, my friend, whatever God has in mind for you, will you at least trust Him?"

"I've never been very good about trusting others," she said honestly, but eventually managed to look at him with a cross between amazement and wonderment in her pale blue eyes. "Did you just call me your friend?"

Andrew smiled gently and nodded. "You once trusted me, and the One who sent me does love you, Katy. Those are actually the same words I said to you that day, and now you are being reminded of them again. Now I am asking you, will you?"

She eventually found the strength to offer him a feeble nod.

"Good," he said as he stopped glowing and helped her to her feet.

*****

It was about an hour later when Andrew and Katy arrived at the apartment building Andrew had been instructed to take her to. Katy was getting weaker by the minute, and as soon as they had arrived at the door, she started to sink to the ground, her head coming to rest in her hands.

For his part, Andrew managed to open the door and as soon as he had done that, he remained on the porch and crouched down so that he would be eye level with her. From there, he rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, thus causing her to look up at him, unable to conceal her illness from him. "Come on, sweetheart, let me help you get inside. There you can get a shower, maybe have something warm to eat and get some rest." When she didn't move, he reached down and picked her up in his arms and spoke gently to her as he carried her inside the cozy apartment. "It's OK, Katy, I'm not going to hurt you," he said and she was looking up at him wondering if he could, in fact, read her mind.

As soon as he brought her into the apartment, he gently kicked the door closed and approached the sofa on one side of the room.

Once he had lightly deposited her onto the sofa, he sat down next to her, his compassionate green eyes meeting her own. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah," she mumbled.

"Katy," he looked at her.

"If you know how badly I feel, why do you even bother asking me?" She asked weakly all the while wanting to lean back against the sofa's comfortable cushions but also trying not to smear them with dirt. As she looked down at her disheveled appearance, she sighed sadly, but watched as he stood up. "Y-you're not leaving me here, are you?" She asked weakly as she reached out for his hand, the fear evident in her voice.

"No, sweetheart, I won't leave you, but I wanted to ask you if you're cold, or if there was anything I could do to make you feel more comfortable here." He offered her a gentle smile as she tried to wrap the thin green jacket around her trembling shoulders. "I'll draw you a bath, and then when you are warm, then you'll be better able to get some rest."

"OK," she answered, her voice small and she released his hand and within seconds, he had disappeared down the hallway and she could hear the water running in the bathroom. Seconds later, he returned, offered her his hand, and when she accepted, he helped her to the bathroom.

*****

Ten minutes later, she emerged from the warm bath and was now clean and dressed in an oversized t-shirt and sweat pants as well as a beige colored robe. The warm bath had helped her, but though she still felt sick, she was grateful that she had finally stopped shivering.

Out in the living room, she could see that Andrew had fixed a bed for her, and she smiled weakly as he came over to her. "Do you feel any better now?"

She nodded numbly. "I always feel much better after having a bath, thank you."

"Don't give it another thought," Andrew said softly and offered her his hand. "I made a place where you could get some sleep. That's what you need the most," he smiled gently as she accepted his hand, and he led her over to the sofa.

"I also made you some bouillon," he began. "I think you should have something hot to drink, and then you can try and go to sleep. OK?"

Katy nodded and within seconds, Andrew had brought her a hot mug filled with the chicken flavored soup. He offered her the warm mug, and once she had taken it, he sat down next to her.

"T-thank you," she managed to say as she felt the warmness of the mug against her cold hands. Hesitantly, she took a sip of the warm fluid. "This is good," she whispered.

Andrew nodded and smiled gently as she finished drinking the soup. "Do you want any more or would you rather try and get some rest?"

She nodded as she handed the cup to him and he went back in the kitchen and filled it with the soup. Moments later, he returned to her side and handed her the cup. "Here you go, just what the doctor ordered."

"Or the angel?" Katy asked weakly as she accepted the cup and began to sip the hot contents.

Andrew chuckled and nodded, "yes, or the angel."

"Did you make this yourself?" She asked weakly, her voice showing the signs of latent exhaustion.

Andrew smiled and nodded. "I tend to do the cooking for my friends when we're out on assignments."

"This tastes really good," Katy said.

"Thank you," he said nodding as she finished the warm soup and handed him the cup. As soon as he had returned it to the coffee table, he continued to speak, his voice soft and filled with sincerity. "Come on, time for you to get some sleep, maybe tomorrow you'll feel a little bit better."

"Andrew, what's going to happen to me when I'm better? Are you going to toss me back out onto the streets?"

As she spoke, the angel could see that this was partially how society had failed this frightened girl. "I won't do that to you," he said. "I'm going to help you Katy, but part of the deal is you have to want to help yourself."

"I do," she said softly, "I just don't know how."

As he helped her take the robe off, and tucked her under the covers, he offered her a gentle look. "Eventually you will know how, Katy, but I'm not going to send you back to the hopelessness of that life. God sent me here to help you find your place in this world, and I have every intention of doing that. Now, are you comfortable?"

Katy nodded, but at that moment, she realized how tired she really was, and closed her eyes. As Andrew was getting ready to turn the light off, she spoke, her voice barely audible, but detectable. "Andrew?"

"I'm right here, Katy," he said gently as he took her hand and patted it gently.

"Do you remember what you told me the first time we met? It was when I was strung out. I guess deep inside my heart, I had hoped that I would see you again and then could ask you," she said softly feeling the shame flush her feverish cheeks.

"I do remember, sweetheart," he said gently. "I told you that God loves you and regardless of how you see yourself, in the eyes of the Father, you are beautiful and special."

"Me?" She asked as she shifted her weight on the sofa.

"Yes, Katy, you," he said gently. "Now, try to get some rest, OK?"

"You won't leave me, will you, Andrew?"

"No, I'm going to stay right here," he said gently. "Just like you stayed with me these past few nights."

The teenager smiled weakly and nodded as Andrew reached over to turn the light off. Once the room was dark, she spoke once again. "Andrew?"

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"Will I ever amount to anything?"

"Of course you will, but you must never forget that you already do, Katy," he said gently.

"I always wanted to believe that people saw me as being special," she whispered.

"You are special, not only to God, but also to one of His angels as well, now sleep, Katy," he admonished gently as he stood up. "When you wake up later, I'll make you some tea."

Katy nodded numbly, and once she closed her eyes; Andrew watched over her as she drifted off to sleep.

*****

As promised, Andrew remained next to the sick teenager, his thoughts centered on prayer for the young friend he had found. He could see that she had woken up off and on throughout the night, her delirium worsening and her voice emerging as nightmares consumed her thoughts.

He left her side only once, and as he came down the hall, he could see Tess standing in the hallway looking at him with a trace of impatience in her eyes.

"Tess, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"The Father sent me to help you," she replied.

"Where were you a few days ago when those kids forced their drugs on me?" Andrew asked.

"Angel Boy, you were never alone," Tess said. "You should know better than to ask me such a question anyway."

"Oh, I know, Tess, but drugs, I mean, I didn't want to do them."

"Well, neither did she, baby," Tess said gently. "Andrew, did you know what happened to that little girl in there? You were sent to her after a nearly fatal drug overdose, but do you know how this happened to her?"

"No, I don't," Andrew said softly.

"You never asked her?"

"I figured she'd tell me," he said.

"Baby, there's so much shame in that little girl's spirit, and now after meeting you, you will help her find out that she's still a fragile little girl inside, and that she needs so much help and love," Tess said softly. "She needs to know that someone loves her, and cares for her. Lord knows she's been through so much in her life that this is not going to be easy at all."

"Why was I sent, Tess, an Angel of Death?" Andrew asked, as the emotions started to get the better of him.

"Baby, you were sent, because to that little girl, the only escape from the past is death, but your presence is going to help her see differently." As Tess spoke, Andrew could hear that Katy had started to scream, her voice erupting the stillness. "Go to her, Andrew, now, I'll be by tomorrow to see how you're doing."

Andrew nodded and ran into the living room, her screams growing more frightened by the second. "No…Daddy, please no…" her voice trailed off and she immediately sat up in bed, her face covered with tears and she was crying hysterically, her wide eyes looking around the room as though searching for someone to take her pain away.

In two quick strides, he was next to her and was sitting on the side of the sofa, and she collapsed helplessly in his arms weeping.

"Shhh, it's OK, Katy, everything is going to be OK," he consoled her as he brushed his hand gently through her hair as he held her tightly in his arms.

"I'm S-s-so s-scared," she wept as she meshed her face against his shoulder and could feel his arms holding her gently in a comforting embrace. "Please don't hurt me, Daddy."

"No, no, no, he's not here, sweetheart, its Andrew," he said softly. "I'm not going to hurt you. It's OK."

As she continued to cry, he could feel that her fever was still high and he reached over and took the still damp washcloth off the coffee table and began to wipe it over her face. As he wiped some of the perspiration away, her body stiffened. "It's cold."

"I know, but it's because your skin is so hot," Andrew said gently as he tried to brush the small square piece of cloth against her fevered head.

"W-where am I?"

"You're in a safe place, where no one will hurt you. Do you remember what happened a few days ago?" She shook her head weakly and he continued speaking. "You brought me to your room and as I got better, you became sicker. The weather outside was worsening, and you were in need of a friend, just as much as I was."

"A-Andrew?"

"Yes, Katy," he smiled gently at her.

"A-an angel?" She whispered softly.

"Yes."

"I had…a nightmare," she whispered.

"I know, sweetheart, I know," he said gently as he continued to wipe the cloth over her forehead. "But, that's all over now, and you see, it's just a dream." As he finished speaking, he helped her to lie back down amongst the pillows. Seconds later, he started to stand up and stretch out.

"Don't leave me, please, it wasn't just a dream, it was…" she whispered as she could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Andrew, I'm so scared."

"I know, and I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here with you," he smiled gently, and brushed her hair out from in front of her eyes.

Seconds later, Katy drifted off to sleep and Andrew stood up but as soon as he did, Tess was once again standing in the room.

"And where do you think you're going?" She demanded.

"I thought I'd go and get a blanket out of the other room," he said as he sat back down on the chair near the sofa.

"Leave that to me, Angel Boy, you've made her a promise," Tess said. "Now then, I'll get you what you need, and you fulfill that promises you made."

Andrew nodded as she handed him a blanket and he wrapped up in it.

*****

As the morning sunlight drifted into apartment, Andrew opened his eyes and could hear that Tess was in the kitchen and was cooking breakfast. He smiled weakly as he looked down and could see that Katy was still sleeping, her face still red from the fever and he reached over and touched her forehead.

She moaned slightly, and slowly opened her eyes. "Andrew?"

"Good morning, Katy, how did you sleep?"

"OK, but I feel so terrible, my head is spinning, and I guess I have to go home soon," she whispered.

"You just concentrate on getting better, we'll work out the rest when you're healthy," he said gently. "You're not alone anymore, and if you don't want to go back to the way things were before, then we're going to help you make sure you don't."

"We?" She asked weakly.

"Breakfast is ready," Tess' voice emerged and Katy looked up to see her standing in the room with a plate of eggs in one hand, and a cold glass of milk in the other.

"W-who?" The teenager looked at Andrew.

"Katy, this is Tess, she's a friend of mine and it looks as though she's made you something substantial to eat for breakfast," Andrew said smiling.

"That's right, baby," Tess said smiling warmly at her. "I got eggs, some pieces of sausage, a couple of slices of oranges, and of course, a cold milk to wash it all down."

"Thank you," the weak answer emerged as the teenager tried to sit up in bed. As she snuck a peek outside the window, she could see that it had started to snow, and she self-consciously pulled the blankets tighter against herself. "It's snowing?"

"Yes, it started last night," Andrew said.

"I guess, winter is going to be cold this year," Katy said after she had started to eat and managed to swallow the first bites of food.

"I imagine so," Tess said softly, but glanced towards the door after a few moments had passed. "Andrew are you two going to be OK today? I have to get to work."

"I think we'll be fine, you did put some cold remedies inside the medicine cabinet, didn't you?" He asked.

Tess looked at him and after offering a slight nod; she stood up and left.

"Where is she going?" Katy asked once Tess was gone.

"She works part time at the 'Community Relief Center'," Andrew said.

"What's that?"

"It's a place for abused and battered women and children," Andrew said softly. "It's sort of like…"

"…A halfway house?" She interrupted.

"It's similar but not the same thing," he said as she finished eating. "There are a lot of people who live there who are merely trying to get back on their feet after having had difficult and life changing experiences."

Katy smiled weakly, but nodded. "Is this where you're going to dump me when I'm no longer sick?"

"Let's get one thing out before we continue talking, Katy," Andrew said looking somewhat sternly at her. "I have no intention of dumping you anywhere, I want to help you, and when you get the help you need, then Tess and I will be moving on, but this won't happen until you are safe."

The teenager nodded and looked down at the empty plate before her. "Are you mad at me now?"

"No, I'm not mad at you, I never was, but you will have to learn to trust someone other than Tess or me before you will be able to move on," Andrew said softly.

"That's kind of hard to do," she whispered.

"I know, but you will, I have all the confidence in the world that you will," he said and smiled at her, but after some moments had passed, he opted to change the subject. "You feeling any better?"

"Not really," she said softly.

"Then maybe you should get some more rest, you are still sick, so it might help a bit," he suggested and after a few moments, she laid back down and closed her eyes. He pulled the blanket up and over her.

"Andrew?" She spoke after a few moments had passed.

"Yes," he smiled gently.

"I don't really think I could sleep," she said as she shifted her weight and sat up in bed. "Would you stay and talk to me?"

"Sure, what would you like to talk about?"

"I don't know, you said that I have to trust other people, but how do I do that?" She asked weakly. "See, where I grew up, it was not really the kind of place where I could trust people."

"Tell me about it?"

"My dad abused me," she said softly. "When I was 13, I ran away. I told you at the hotel about it, but it wasn't just that he hit me, but he would say things to me, things that really hurt me."

"Sometimes the words people say to us can hurt much more than a fist," Andrew said gently.

"When I left I didn't think there was anything special about me at all. I thought I was just a kid who was a poor excuse of a human being. I had nothing, Andrew, no friends, no family, I felt so completely forgotten. I mean, how can I trust anyone when I can't even believe and trust in myself?" Katy could feel the tears in her eyes.

"These things have only been reemphasized to you, haven't they?" Andrew asked gently.

Katy nodded as she felt the tears beginning to make their trek down her cheeks. "I was told that if I did drugs that I would be accepted and seen as beautiful and special. This was what they said at school, that it would help me to hide the pain. I started sneaking into the bathroom and stealing anything out of the medicine cabinet that I could find, mostly my mother's anti-depressants. I was taking stuff like Prozac everyday, even though I wasn't supposed to. Then I found out that it made me feel better, but a few days later, my father caught me and he nearly killed me."

"I know, I was there, remember?" Andrew said softly, but after she shook her head he continued. "You know, I've been with you many times during your life, but you just didn't know it. I have seen you go through so much, and I can understand why you felt weak at times."

"You know that's why I started taking even more extreme drugs?"

"Yes, and I know that you wanted to be accepted by your peers, but you weren't aware that your addictive tendencies were much stronger than theirs," Andrew said gently.

"I never could smoke anything, but…" her voice trailed.

"Katy, you need to forgive yourself for this," Andrew said softly. "You only tried to hide the pain your father's rejection and abuse left you with. You wanted to believe that you were special in the eyes of others, and I know that it was hard for you, and I also know that deep inside you didn't want to live in a drugged out world, but sweetheart, you are a special girl, you will always be a child of the Father."

"I don't want another father," she whispered as she began to tremble.

"No, you do, you just tend to view anything resembling a father figure as being like your earthly father. You grew up believing that any father is like the one you knew, but let me tell you something," Andrew began. "God, the Father, would never ever raise a fist to you, He would never tell you that you're less than beautiful, He would just love you as you deserve to be loved."

"I'm not, I don't…" Katy said her voice trailing off, but before she could continue Andrew had interrupted her flow of words not only with his, but also with a gentle finger pressed against her lips.

"…Yes, you are, Katy, you have a gentle heart, and a kind spirit. These are some of the wonderful things that God sees in you. When you helped me that night, when I was lost and wandering, you called out to me and brought me back to where I was supposed to be," Andrew smiled. "Do you not think that maybe that's where you can make a difference? Through your experiences, you found a new belief in God, and a discovery of a love you hold for God, because God is love, and you have a great deal of love in you. This is your gift, Katy, it is God's way of telling you that you must never do anything to earn His love, it is there, it is unconditional, and through it, there is a choice presented to you as to how you cope with your past."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you quit doing drugs not just because you nearly died from a drug overdose or met me, but because deep down inside, you knew that this was like walking down a dead-end street. Katy, whether you realize it or not, through this experience, you have found your path; and now the choice of whether to follow it, lies completely with you."

"What path are you talking about?"

"Think about these last few days, and think about how you were there with me and helped me come down from this state of drugged out consciousness. You know, deep inside, I didn't want to do those drugs, in fact, I hated how it felt; how lost and out of control I was," Andrew reached over and took her hand in his and squeezed it gently.

"Then why did God allow this to happen to you?"

"He didn't, it was just something that happened, Katy, for a reason, and that is because of you and that path I spoke of earlier."

"I-I'm at fault?"

"No, no, no, no…" Andrew said smiling gently. "You are not at fault, there's really no one at fault, it just happened. I don't blame anyone for what happened, I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. But, you see, you were supposed to have found me that night, and you helped me come down from that state and you protected me just as an angel sometimes is sent to protect and watch over a human being," he said and smiled gently.

"M-me?"

"Yes, you. Don't you see, you have the gift of helping people who have been through this? You understand them far better than anyone else ever could, simply because you lived with it. Sure, there are trained professionals who can help people get over drug dependency through psychology and medicine, but you understand it first hand, and you have a better sense of awareness, empathy, and compassion for those individuals simply because of what you experienced. Do you understand what I am saying?"

After a few moments of contemplating what he had said, she found the ability to speak. "Y-you mean, God wants me to help other people overcome drug addiction and physical abuse?"

Andrew nodded. "You can take your past and allow it to swallow you alive, and take away the beauty and wonder that God created when He made you, or you can use this knowledge and help people overcome what you, yourself, experienced. No matter what you choose, Katy, God is always going to love you, and He is always going to be there for you, without condition."

"You don't think I'm totally pathetic?" She asked weakly.

"No, and you know what? I never ever did," Andrew said and nodded, his gentle green eyes sparkling. "You judge yourself much more harshly than I ever could, and I never would judge you, I couldn't," he paused as he allowed his words to sink in. "Katy, you are my friend, you helped me because you remembered when I was with you that night three months ago, it was during a time when you felt lost. I know you didn't want that to happen, you didn't want to reach a near overdose on heroin, and I realize now how easy it can be to become lost, or to believe in the negative words and actions of others over the positive."

Katy looked at him as he finished speaking. "You were always there."

"Yes, I was, and I know that it was hard for you, but I also know that through everything, you're a survivor."

She looked down at her lap and then back up at him. "You know you're the best friend I ever had."

"Let God be your best friend, Katy. Let Him be the father and friend you always wished for." As he spoke, he wrapped her securely in his arms and she began to weep softly in the comfort of his embrace. This time her sobs were an indication that she will heal from the pain her past had caused. As she rested her fevered head against his shoulder, she could feel herself starting to drift off to sleep in his arms.

"I'll do it," she smiled weakly from the sanctuary of his arms. "When I get better, I want you to take me to that place where Tess works, and I'll try to help those people like you helped me." As she spoke, she could feel the tears still spilling down over her cheeks, but within seconds Andrew pulled back from the embrace, and he began to wipe the tears from beneath her eyes. As he did, he smiled gently at her and nodded.

"I always knew that you were very brave."

Katy smiled weakly. "I'll try not to forget that."

*****

Three days later, Katy was once again healthy, her fever had broken, and she crawled out of bed. It had been over a week since she had found Andrew, and now she sat in the living room of the apartment where she had been staying. She looked around this small room and smiled weakly. "Thank you God, for everything." She whispered as she pulled her hair back in a rubber band and could see that Tess had come out into the living room.

"Well, baby, this is the day," the wise angel said.

"I guess so," Katy said softly.

"Are you nervous?" Tess asked.

"A little bit, I don't know how much I will be able to do there," Katy said.

"Just keep the faith, honey, everything has a wonderful way of working out," Tess said. "I got you a room arranged there, and you'll get to go back to school."

"I never thought that would happen, I guess I'll be held back a couple of grades," Katy said softly.

"Yes, but you can take a placement test and that should put you where you belong, but you don't forget who got you there, OK?" Tess said and smiled at the teenager.

"I know, I don't always need the friendly reminders," Katy said smiling weakly, but coughed.

"You still sick?" Andrew came out, and as he did he was running his hand through his shoulder length blonde hair.

"No, just had a frog in my throat," she said, but when she saw the look of concern in his eyes, she found herself smiling. "OK, Andrew, I still have a little scratch in my throat, but I want to get out, I've been here for nearly a week, and I need some sunshine."

"OK," he smiled and looked at Tess. "Then let's get going, and see what the future brings for you."

Epilogue

Five years later, Katy graduated from high school, her eyes were bright as she walked across the stage and accepted her diploma. As she did, she stopped as the principal not only shook her hand but also handed her a microphone.

She approached the podium and placed her diploma on top of it and addressed the small assembly of people.

"When Mister Jacobs asked me to speak to you today, I was deeply honored by this. I am proud to be standing here before you today because I know how hard it can be to reach this point in my life. I had a hard life, OK, I'm 20-years-old and I've graduated two years later than most, but I don't look upon this as something I didn't do, I look upon this as something that I did. Five years ago, I met someone who taught me how to believe not just in God or this higher power, but also in myself. It was a beautiful and profound moment. It changed me from a hopeless child stuck solely on the past to someone who can look ahead to tomorrow in anticipation."

As she paused, she glanced over and could see a white dove standing in the nearby windowsill. As she felt the tears in her eyes, she looked out at the people assembled.

"After meeting Andrew, I was given a new opportunity to help other people," as she spoke, she could see various young people jumping to their feet and cheering. "I promised them I'd say hi to them when I talked to you today. Hi guys, how much do I owe you for the support?"

The crowd laughed and she continued. "I'm just kidding. Anyway, after I got over the drugs, I was helped back to where I belong, and today, I'm drug free, and I volunteer at the Community Relief Center as a counselor for children and teens who have been addicted to drugs or physically and emotionally abused. When people ask me what I tell those who feel as though they have been lost, I tell them about a Father who loves them and who will never forsake them. I tell them about God, but I also tell them that I understand that feeling of being lost and wandering. Today, what was once lost can be found, I was, and they can be too. Through the hard work and dedication, the Community Relief Center has shared monumental success, and I'm proud to be speaking on their behalf today. Without them, I wouldn't be here. Without God, I would still be living in a broken down world of my own choosing."

The people applauded and as she looked out at the crowd, she could see that Andrew and Tess were seated in the audience and she smiled at them as she continued. "Graduating is supposed to be a milestone, but many kids today don't believe that, they believe that if they can make it through to another day, then they have accomplished something. This isn't about making a family proud; it's about reaching out and becoming what you are created to be, a success. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk to you today."

As she stepped down from the stage the audience began applauding and she returned to her seat. Once she sat down, she could feel that someone had reached out and touched her shoulder, thus causing her to turn around. "Andrew!"

"We just wanted to come by and check in on you," he whispered as she reached up and rested her hand on her shoulder and on top of his.

"I'm glad you did. Will you stay until the end? It's almost over," she smiled weakly.

The two angels nodded and she removed her hand from on top of his and turned back around.

*****

As soon as it was over, Katy turned around again and could see that they were both still seated in the auditorium as the attendees filtered out of the room, and soon they were alone.

"Katy, don't forget, you were going to help with the new boy today at the center after the reception," a man said and waved as he walked out into the lobby.

"That's Mister Jacobs, he runs the center now," Katy explained. "There's been a lot of new kids coming in," she shook her head sadly but after a few moments had passed, she looked up at them.

"How are you doing?" Andrew asked.

"I'm OK," she said and smiled. "You don't have to always ask, can't you tell by looking at me, Andrew?"

The angel nodded and laughed. "You have not changed."

"Yes, I have, just not in the ways that you expected," she smiled. "You know, you saved my life and maybe indirectly, you saved many of theirs as well?"

Tess nodded and looked at her 'Angel Boy'. "You see now why that night happened the way it did, Andrew?"

Before Andrew could answer, Katy looked at Tess. "I know what you're saying," she began and she looked at Andrew. "You were encased in the shadows of a darkened night, and you walked alone believing that you were lost. It was similar to the experiences of those who would later see the light. It was not until after you came down, that you were able to understand the secrets that emerged when that night ended and the sun shone down upon us." She paused. "I speak in symbols, but yet they are more poignant than anything else, and I began to see that without your wisdom, I'd still be there, in the dark and watching and waiting for the end, not the light, just the end. But, you gave me hope, when I needed it the most, and then you comforted me as I cried for that which I had lost. You offered me security in the wake of chaos, and you tried to simply understand what had happened to me. I could not have reached this point without you, and I love you for helping me to find where God really intended for me to go."

As she finished speaking she began to cry and she threw herself into his arms. As the Angel of Death held the young woman in his arms, he finally understood the reasons why he had to have this experience and for the first time in five years, he could completely and fully thank the Father for having had it.

As this realization hit him, the two angels and human woman watched as the dove flew away.

The End

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