I've been watching them for a while somewhat amused at their desperate cries that just seem to echo in the surrounding darkness. The line of men and women with small beams of light won't give up will they? To call to a hiker that's already long gone…well he will be when I find him.

My hunger says he's out there alone in the night and all I have to do is find him before the beams of light, and I love a challenge. I turn towards the sweet smell of fear, letting my hunger lead the way… some challenge. He's making this too easy for me but then do I really care?

I stop in the darkness and listen to the now distant yelling but really that's not what gets my attention but the soft cries under a nearby tree. I turn ready to strike at this poor pitiful man only to find a small boy of five or six. While my hunger's ready I find myself rather confused, what is he doing out here alone?

But more why do I care, he's like all the rest over the centuries isn't he? Yet something in his soft cries calls to me, it drives my hunger away for a moment and I slowly walk to the tree. I expect him to scream out in pure fear as I ready my long tentacles but he neither screams nor tries to run.

We stare at each other for what seems like hours, why can't I move? Why can't I attack? Damn it what is this I feel for him…I can't care, I've never cared. It's not my purpose, not my nature to care for the humans, only to take their souls as mine.

Yet here I am, face to face with this tiny child with innocent round blue eyes filled with shinning tears. He sniffles before softly speaking to me, "Are you my Angel?" He points towards my slithering tentacles, and I find myself taken a back, not sure what to do.

I've taken for centuries, since the beginning of man it is my life. Yet never had any called me by…my forsaken life, my forsaken name. I try to force the thought from my mind yet it lingers as he smiles, "You must be my Angel cause Mama says we all gots one."

How I wish I could laugh, I fell with the rest and I never looked back… so why now does my hunger leave me? I find that I can't take his soul, not tonight.

But I can't leave him here alone in the cold darkness so I pick him up in my arms surprised by the warm flow of life within him, his sweet soul radiating off him like a small star. And still my hunger is still, so I walk with him towards the cries and flickering beams of light. I sit him down a few yards away from the group and slide away into the darkness as the fearful calls turns to cries of joy.

I turn to leave when I hear him once more, "My Angel helped me Mama! He's got pretty black wings!" I disappear into the darkness finding only now my hunger comes back to me. I don't know why but something deep within me is…happy that it left me for a while.

But my job is far from done. I can smell the familiar scent of fear off in the distance and the night is still young. In the morning sun I might be angry at myself for not taking him but for now…his sweet little soul can wait for another night.

Maybe it's time I take charge of my punishment…I don't deserve another chance not that I'd take it anyway but who said a fallen angel can't grant an ounce of mercy every once and awhile.