Concrete Angel

January 9, 2009 – May 17, 2009

She walks to school with the lunch she packed
Nobody knows what she's holding back
Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday
She hides the bruises with the linen and lace

Nights walked onto the school grounds, a dusty wasteland with a small house for a school. Kids laughed as they watched her walk by them. "Look, Dusty!" Lucas yelled with laughter, pointing at the same purple long sleeved dress and violet cuffs she wore yesterday. "I know we're men but shouldn't she keep personal hygiene in mind? She's so disgusting and dirty!"

Dusty looked at the unfortunate girl and chuckled. "Yeah, she is!" and began to head for class.

Nights narrowed her eyes sadly, tears welling up in her true blue Safire colored eyes. Trying her best to stay strong, Nights gripped her lunch bag and entered the building. People giggled at the sight of her and then returned to their conversations, leaving her alone to sit at her seat in the back. Hopefully, nothing worse can happen.

The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask
It's hard to see the pain behind the mask

When the teacher entered the classroom, everyone quickly scrambled to their seats. On her way to the desk, she couldn't help but notice how distressed and sad Nights appeared. "It seems to be getting worse," she thought to herself as she tried to look for a light in her student's dark eyes. Just where was the student who wanted to learn? Where in those darkened eyes did she disappear to? Where was that smile that always made her glad to come? These questions all lingered in her head and they wouldn't go away. Finally, the teacher returned her attention to the black board and began to write down a haiku for everyone to interpret.

"Good humor is the health of the soul, sadness is its poison."
~Lord Chesterfield

At first the teacher was very hopeful; English was Nights' favorite subject, especially when they can express themselves individually. As one student at a time all expressed their feelings with glee, she couldn't help but laugh at Lucas' food-impression of it. Then came Nights and everyone waited for her beautifully written and positive response of the haiku.

Unfortunately, they didn't get one.

Instead of the happy and outgoing response they had expected, Nights gave a depressing response and the children in the classroom had a hard time understanding what she meant. Some of the kids even cried upon hearing it, one of them being Crusher's little sister and he accused Nights of being a bully.

Bearing the burden of a secret storm
Sometimes, she wishes she was never born

Nights merely blinked. "I am simply expressing my point of view," she answered. "There is nothing right nor wrong about that."

A fire burned in Crusher's head and it overheated him. He lunged at Nights without second thoughts, making everyone scream! He held firm at her scrawny neck. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" he shouted at Nights.

Nights shot a challenging glare at him, scaring him to let go. No one had ever looked at him in such a way before except adults! "Then do it already!" Nights yelled in frustration.

Crusher didn't move a muscle as his frightened eyes stared at the now crying twelve year old.

Through the wind and the rain,
She stands high as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings,
Where she flies to the place where she's loved

When Nights returned to her aunt's house, it was windy and rain was pouring outside. Ever since her parents had gone missing, Nights had been living with her because she was "the next best thing." The horrible truth was that Nights' aunt did not care for her at all. She was jealous of her sister and took out her rage and fury on Nights, along with her husband. Their son, Dusty (yes, the same from school), was pampered non-stop and Nights had become a servant to them. When they weren't bossing Nights around or out having a party or getting drunk themselves, they would be very brutal and abused Nights. It was a miracle she had survived this far.

As Nights walked cautiously into the room, she surveyed it as quickly as possible, making sure her aunt wasn't looking.

Somebody cries at the moon every night

"Where in this nameless town were you!?!" Nights' aunt yelled and lifted her up by the collar, choking her. "The sun has almost set!"

"Ooooo, you're in trouble!" Dusty childishly laughed as his mother began to bring her to Nights' bedroom, still holding her by the neck.

Then, with a powerful throw, Nights was thrown to the wall, where she was slammed violently and broke the window behind her. "Au-auntie, p-please! Let me explain!" Nights pleaded but got kicked in the stomach! She screamed as loud as she could in agony before she was lifted to her aunt's height by her hair.

"I don't want to hear your pitiful excuses!" her aunt just screamed at her and spat in her face to disgrace her further. "That's all your mother did before she diappeared and dumped you onto me!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Nights cried, her previous tears now cascading like a waterfall. "P-please let go!"

"Not until you've paid for your mistake!" she just got in response and grabbed one of the broken glass pieces nearby.

Nights' eyes widened with fear, now realizing that this time her aunt was truly serious. "N-n-no! Please!" Her aunt showed no such mercy.

The neighbor's hear but they turn out the light
A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate

Lucas suddenly sat up in his bed, worried. This had been the eleventh night he heard that scream of total terror, but this time it made his stomach knot itself and burn. "What's wrong with me?" he asked himself aloud before he began to climb out of bed, feeling he just had to be somewhere.

However, before he could make it to the door, Lucas was stopped by his parents. "Lucas, you should be in bed," his mother said kindly. She held her son's arm in a gentle but firm way.

Lucas looked at his mother with pleading eyes. "Mom, this is the eleventh night that I heard that cry! It can't be coincidence!" he cried, tears waiting to flow out.

"Lucas, the moon is already set high in the sky; why don't we investigate tomorrow?" his father smiled, for some reason scaring Lucas.

'Tomorrow isn't good enough!" he just yelled and broke away from his mother's grip, only to get caught by his father's.

"Lucas, I know it's frustrating but there are some things that we can't charge into," he explained, knowingly. "And besides, it was probably another false alarm."

Lucas looked down at the floor. He didn't really have a good reason to argue. Nodding to his folks, they smiled and his father released him. "Thank you, Lucas. I'm glad you turned out as the understanding son we both hoped for. Now let's go to bed."

Lucas reluctantly followed.

"When morning comes, it will be too late"

The next day, Lucas went to school with Dusty. The feeling of dread and regret flowed through out Lucas' entire body when he heard his friend gasp. "What's wrong?" Lucas half asked.

Dusty looked at him with distress. "I forgot my homework at home!" he cried.

"I'll go get it," Lucas said and ran to Dusty's house as fast as he could.

"NO! YOU'LL REGRET IT!" Dusty called after his friend but failed. Once he saw it was no use he shook his head in disappointment and glared at the ground. "You've dugg'n your own grave," he growled and continued to school.

Lucas climbed up the pole of the house. He knew Dusty's folks. They had parties, got themselves drunk a multitude of time, and constantly pampered him. Anything beyond that was a complete mystery to him, especially because he was never allowed in. "They wouldn't understand if I explained," he reasoned with himself and climbed up into a broken window. Lucas looked around. The room was a complete mess: broken glass, misplaced material, and blood stains. "BLOOD STAINS?!" Lucas thought frantically and went to look at it. "It's practically fresh!" He panicked when he heard a soft and tired moan in the closet. Wary of what was in there, Lucas grabbed a leg of the bed that had broken off. "Who's there?" he asked frightened and held up his weapon.

"Uh…" the moan continued and Lucas carefully stepped closer.

When he was finally at the door, he felt the air trapped in his chest and his heart beat faster. "Just open the door," he thought. "Nothing is gonna hurt you." And he opened it quickly.

Through the wind and the rain,
She stands high as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings,
Where she flies to the place where she's loved

"NiGHTS?!" Lucas gasped astonished, unfortunately getting unwanted attention.

"Who's up there?!" Dusty's mother yelled from downstairs. Lucas could hear her making her way up.

Scared and frantic, Lucas made his way for the window but turned back a moment to look at Nights. "I'll get help," he whispered regretfully and jumped out before he was caught.

Meanwhile, Dusty was fidgeting in his seat. "What if he finds out? We''ll be taken in if he does!" he thought with fear and raised his hand. "Teacher! I need to use the bathroom really badly!"

The teacher looked at him, seeing he was in a hurry. "Alright, you have five minutes," she replied but was stopped by Lucas.

"TEACHER!" he cried, panting heavily his hand on the doorway for support.

"Lucas, you're tardy again. I'll have to send a no-"

"Forget about that! Nights' in trouble! She's bleeding really bad and may be dying!"

"What?!" everyone in the classroom, but Dusty, exclaimed.

"Show me!" the teacher replied and everyone went out the door.

Dusty stayed behind. "Time for my getaway," he smirked and turned to leave-only to get caught be Crusher.

"Oh-no. You're coming with me," he growled angrily and carried the protesting Dusty with him to catch up with the others.

Dusty's mother and father weren't lucky either. "They've completely surrounded us!" the mother hissed as she peeked out the broken window of Nights' room. "How will we escape?"

"R-rea-la," Nights unconsciously mumbled.

"SHUT HER UP!" her angry aunt screamed and her husband slashed a mildly deep cut in her neck! The blood was flowing rapidly! "There's got to be a way to get past them! But how?" she wondered before she had an idea. She looked at the bleeding Nights with a terrible smile. "Perfect," she sneered and had her husband pick her up.

Lucas, the teacher, and the rest of the town's people surrounded the building. "They should be coming out now," he murmured and his prediction was right! Exiting the building were Dusty's mother and father, roughly holding Nights! "Nights!" Lucas called but was stopped by the wise yet old and short mayor, Devin.

"We have the building surrounded!" the sheriff of the town warned them. "Surrender now!"

"Us? Surrender?" Nights' aunt hissed mockingly. "The word is not in my vocabulary."

"If you don't want the wretch to suffer further, you will release our son and stand aside," her uncle announced, holding up Nights like she was an offering to the heavens above.

Lucas growled. They had the upper hand. "We'll have to do as he says," Lucas grumbled regretfully and turned to Crusher. "Release him."

Crusher, understandingly, let his hostage go and the others cleared a path for the refugees. "Now isn't this nice?" the horrible aunt sneered. "I'm so glad we get along."

Lucas let out another grumble as his former friend and his parents passed. He looked at nights sadly and helplessly when he realized something was wrong! "She's not breathing!" he yelled, and the father instantly dropped her so they could dash away.

Almost as soon as that happened, Dusty fell to the ground and pleadingly looked at his folks as they ran further. "Mom, dad, help me!" he called but they never turned back and he was horrified that he was left alone.

"Oh-no!" the teacher said as she lifted up Nights' head. "I'm afraid you're right."

"The poor girl," Devin said sympathetically. "She never really had a chance."

"You don't mean she-" Lucas stammered.

"I'm afraid it's true," was the teacher's response and all the girls began to cry. "She's dead."

A statue stands in a shaded place

An angel girl with an upturned face

During Nights funeral, everyone was in tears. Whether people tried to be strong or brawled loudly no one could hide their sadness for the diseased soul. "I'll haunt you with nightmares!" Dusty had yelled earlier but was taken away.

Lucas, who was among the saddest, stared at the girl's coffin. "I never got to tell her," he mumbled, "that I loved her."

"We never really find out what's important to us until we lost it," a girl about his age spoke. Lucas turned to her. "I never really knew nights but her flute playing was the best. I would have all the females of my bloodline commit themselves to music so I can somehow hear her song again."

"I wish I could see her play one last game again," Lucas replied, never turning away from the coffin. "She always looked as if she were flying when she did."

"So long as you hold those memories inside she's never truly dead," their teacher said wisely next to Lucas as the coffin was buried. "All you have to do is keep her close in your dreams."

"I wish I wasn't so hard on her!" Lucas cried, tearfully turning away. "I was terrible to her and treated her like garbage."

"You weren't the only one," Crusher admitted. "I was the one who nearly choked her to unconsciousness. I don't deserve to have sweet dreams."

"Don' say that, children!" the teacher panicked. "It's like telling yourself to forget she ever existed."

"Did she die hating me?" a student asked himself, head to the ground.

"I don't deserve her kindness," another said remorsely.

"If only I had some purity," one said aloud. "I would've been able to make my own decisions."

"If only I were more knowledgeable," another sighed. "I would have made the right decision.

"If only I were more mature," Crusher scolded himself. "I wouldn't have caused her more suffering."

"If only I had hope," the girl next to Lucas sniffled. "Just thinking might've saved her."

"If only-" Lucas sobbed and his knees fell to the ground as the statue of Nights was placed over her grave. "If only I had courage! I shouldn't have been afraid to help her! To tell her!"

All the children began to sob at these confessions. "IT'S NOT FAIR!" Lucas cried angrily above they're's. "SHE DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE!"

A name is written on a polished rock

A broken heart the world forgot

The priest of the funeral placed a lavender flower with a rock at the feet of the statue. "Rest in dreams," he prayed before everone returned home to leave the lost soul alone.

Through the wind and the rain,
She stands high as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings,
Where she flies to the place where she's loved

That night, no one could sleep many people, like Lucas and those who confessed, were restless and often tossed in their beds. Others, like the sheriff and other townspeople, all had terrible nightmares that Dusty promised would come.

Then, once the crescent moon was in the middle of the sky, a mirage-like tower appear and a jester figure on top, dust falling from the palms. Then a miracle occurred-the music of a beautiful flute sounded through the air as the strange creature floated off the tip of the tower' top. Everyone wanted to look out and watch the performer play but sleep began to overcome them.

Many say that they were all just having a coincidental dream and that it never really happened. However, the five confessors knew better. They knew that Nights had come to wish them goodnight.