Walking along the gravel path, the rain pelted against Clara's pale skin leaving small red marks where it hit her particularly hard. She drew her brown coat closer to her and quickened her pace. Upon approaching the large green doors of the chapel, she pulled the large brass handles and found the door was locked tight.
"Denying me my sanctuary are you?" Clara demanded of the doors. The wind rattled the doors in response.
She walked around the back of the chapel and saw that the window just below the roof peak was open. After looking around for possible prying eyes she chucked off her coat to reveal a pair of glowing white wings already wet from the rain. She shook off her bright feathers and flew not so gracefully against the wind. Squeezing through the window she heard a soft prayer coming from the pews. Panicking she tried to put on her coat in rafters, and fell towards the hard wooden floor. Quick to correct herself she landed on her feet just in time to fall on her backside.
"To think this is supposed to be a house of God. You think the parishioner would pay for a softer landing." She said to one in particular. The prayer she heard earlier had stopped at the sound of her intrusion. She stumbled her way to the main prayer area and gazed around at the bright stained glass windows and dark hand carved seats looking for whoever was brave enough to enter the chapel after hours. Finding no one, Clara kneeled in one of the pews to meditate.
"God thank you for giving me strength to endure another day. I know that it is your faith that guides me and helps to survive in a world that does not accept me for who I am. May I one day be able to say prayers with the rest of your people…" A loud popping noise sounded not too far from where she was praying. She looked over and saw a hooded figure holding a white rosary trying not to be noticed. Wanting to let whoever it was to prayer she walked up to the pulpit and tried to light a candle. The flame grew too close to her finger and she dropped the candle on her worn out coat and set the loose ends on fire. In a few short motions she took off her coat and smothered the flames. Suddenly realizing her exposure she turned around and tried hide he wings but it was too late. The stranger stood, staring at the sight before him.
"Please, don't tell anyone. Let me explain, just don't say anything, I'm so tired of running."
The stranger said nothing at first but took a few steps forwards like he was walking towards the blessed virgin herself. He finally stopped and said slowly as if fearing punishment for speaking, "Are you an angel?"
Clara's look of dread quickly turned into a smile and then into laughter. "I am no angel, just an ordinary girl looking for a place to dry her wings and maybe a pray a little."
"You are far from ordinary certainly."
"On the outside maybe, but in the end I want what every 'normal' person wants or needs." Clara stated with a smile still on her face.
"Very true, but how did you come across such beautiful wings?"
"I didn't really I was born with them just like a lot of other mutants are born with gifts. They are a part of who I am not matter how many homes I get thrown out of. You are the first person who hasn't run the other direction after seeing them."
"I suppose I have a reason, since…" he stopped unsure if he should continue.
Clara walked towards him turning her head to try and get glance of the face buried under the hood. "What is your name?"
The stranger relaxed and said his name was Kurt Wagner and that he was stopping in the small town because the secluded chapel. Clara introduced herself and said it was the only keeping her there so long.
"Well Kurt, unless they've added a new door since I was here yesterday, you must have come through that window too. It's quite a climb isn't it?"
Kurt raised his head high with a high sense of knowing, "I did not climb."
Clara raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation.
In a flash of blue smoke and the same familiar popping noise she had heard earlier, Kurt was gone. Clara flew back and looked dartingly across the room. Another sound and he was now just in front of the pulpit.
"That's amazing, bit startling but still."
"I trust you'll keep my secret, as I promise to keep yours."
"No, need I have not yet seen your face, but I thank you for promising to keep mine."
"You wouldn't want to see it, you might mistake me for some sort of demon."
"Well, you mistook me for an angel and I'm certainly not one of those." Clara glided forward and stretched out her hand towards Kurt's hood.
He grabbed Clara's hand and she held his in return and squeezed gently. Kurt let go and let Clara Draw back his hood. The hood dropped back to reveal his radiant dark blue skin, elegant tattoos, bright green eyes, and shining white teeth. Clara gasped at such astounding colors. He resembled one of the elf-like princes in fairy tales she had been told as a child.
"Your beautiful, no demon could have eyes as kind as yours."
Kurt stood up and pulled his hood over his head. "You are too kind for your own good, flattery will not get you where you want. I do not need your pity." Another swirl of blue smoke and Clara was alone in the chapel once again.
"No, wait! Please?" her voice echoing of the walls was the only response she received. She looked around to see if Kurt was still there, but found only dust and candle wax. She crumpled up on the floor for several moments before gathering her strength and flying out the window. On her way home she felt hot tears streaming down her face, she wiped them away furiously in confusion and hurt. After entering her small house she collapsed on the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
The plain white ceiling was blurry through salty tears, her whole body ached like she had walked across and ocean than just back to her house. Every bone in her body felt like they had been lifted to such wonderful heights and then dropped on the rocks below. So this was rejection, just as bleak and unforgiving as the people that pretended not to notice her or whispered behind her back wherever she went.