A few years ago, I was dead.

Or it felt that way.

No one could pull me out of this hell. Out of this complete darkness that had dug its ugly black claws into me. There were chains on my soul and demons surrounding my body. I was trapped.

And I was terrified. I screamed for help. I screamed for months, though I knew no one could hear. Eventually I fell silent; started listening to the voices in the dark. They told me so many destroying lies. And I believed them. I became afraid of flying; because as much as I hated the dark, I was afraid of the light. I hadn’t seen it in so long. It wouldn’t want me anymore. I became sure I didn’t deserve help, no one would help someone as broken as me. I came to doubt that light had ever existed at all.

And then my Angel came. Its grace pierced the darkness like a sharp and beautiful sword. Though I had been in darkness for years, its light did not hurt my eyes. But I shrank away. This was a trick. Just another cruel trick. It couldn’t be…but…it was. The demons wailed; dissolving as if they’d never been. The Angel walked to me and held out an imploring hand. I stared, unmoving.

“Please.” The Angel said in a pleading voice. “Please take it. You’ve been here long enough.”

I shook my head, gritting my teeth as tears rolled down my cheeks. “No…no. I can’t. Why me?” I sobbed.

The Angel tilted its head, impossibly blue eyes burning into my dull green ones. “You don’t believe you deserve to be saved.” It whispered in a deeply saddened voice.

“I’m afraid” I said, ashamed. I dropped my head. “I’m afraid to fly.”

The Angel looked at me tenderly. “And I’m afraid to fall” it said.

I looked up into the light, tears slowing. The Angel continued, “But I have. I’ve fallen. I fell to help you. I’ve fallen for you. And I can’t ever get back to as high as I was.”

It stretched out a perfect, glowing, hand and placed it against my shoulder. The chains around my soul, and the darkness around my body burned away. And I was as I was years ago. When I knew the light. I gasped as the Angel’s light touched my soul.

“But why? Why did you fall for me?” I gasped.

The Angel looked at me lovingly. “Because. You do deserve to be saved. And if I have to tell you that every day for you to believe me, I promise you I will”

I caught the Angel’s hand as it slid from my shoulder, intertwining our fingers.

“Maybe, we could…meet in the middle.” I swallowed, allowing myself to hope.  “I… I’ll fly. As long as it’s with you.”

My Angel smiled, its grin somehow even brighter than the glow that now surrounded me. “And I’ll fall. As long as it’s with you.” It answered.