Second Chance
Prologue
The angel sighed as she looked at the boy before her. He wasn't really a boy, in fact he was physically almost thirty, but she had seen so many old men that anyone under sixty looked boyish to her. Anyway, he was very cocky; she could see it in the way he held himself and the way he sneered at the world mockingly. If she had been a fan of children's books, she would have thought of Peter Pan when she saw him, but she did not read children's books and did her best to avoid children at all cost.
She sighed as she looked at him. Unfortunately she would not be taking this one with her. Pity, he was the kind she liked most to take. For the first time in a while she made herself visible to a living soul. At first he jumped up, and then slowly recognition came into his eyes. A normal person might have pitied him, seeing his too-tight skin stretched over a skeleton figure, but the angel did not think this was unusual, all the people she met looked like this. He looked at her, determined to keep his dignity, though when staring her in the face that was very hard to do. Somehow he managed it though, and what struck her was that he did not seem afraid, or resigned, or hateful, or even happy, for the first time, someone had looked at her as a person. She almost expected him to introduce himself and offer his hand.
"So it's over then?" he asked the way some people ask about the weather.
"So-sorry, but no," did she just appologize? He should be jumping fo joy!
Confusion crossed his face, "Wait, who are you?"
"I am what you might call the angel of death." this might seem a strange thing for the boy to simply accept, but you must understand that the boy was dying, and at one point he had been highly religious, to top it all off she was not human, anyone could see that. She was far too beautiful and far too hideous to be human, she was wild and serene, cold and comforting, bitter and sweet, such contradictions are impossible in a human, and if you had seen her you would have understood that she was not a being that belonged in our world.
She remembered the last time she had taken a nation, that time he looked peaceful, and ready. The time before had been quick and violent, she'd barely gotten a glimpse of her victim. Nations always died because of extreme circumstances, but this one wasn't going to get off so easy. She looked him up and down, remembering what her instructions had been.
Watch out for him. Guide him, I know you don't want to, but you must obey me child.
"Oh..." The boy looked confused, "I thought you said I wasn't going to die."
"What I can't hop in for a visit?" she laughed at her own joke.
"Umm..."
She sighed, "Basically the man upstairs feels bad for you. See, you've got a first class ticket for damnation—don't feel bad, it's where most of you nations end up, what with your wars and your genocides, you can't help it. Anyway, since you were faithful the big guy wants to cut you some slack. You've heard of purgatory?"-the boy nodded-"Well the truth is, purgatory is earth. Humans spend their time wandering around as souls without bodies, where as you will be wandering around without your nation. It may seem weird at first but you'll get used to it kid."
Many times throughout this monologue the boy had tried to object, but she just kept talking. Now she let herself disappear and watched as her words became reality.
At first he looked very confused, then his eyes widened and he clutched his chest as a million connections were severed. Soon he cried out and a blonde teenager ran into the room, shouting in German. He simply pushed him away, gasping for breath. It was rather impressive that he didn't faint, the angel thought. Eventually the pain faded to a dull ache and over time even that would give way to simply an empty feeling, as if he lacked something. While it wasn't hell it was a torture all of its own, and wondering around this world feeling like that would be no easy task.
.