"In Between" by Emily Faerber

            It’s not easy being an Angel and feeling disconnected from Heaven. Indeed, the realm in which I dwell is not often traveled by other Angels, and I am perhaps the only one who lives here. I feel the pain of it every day, but I cannot bring myself to move in any direction. I cannot accept Heaven again as I once did, but I will not turn against my God. So, I am here.

            They forgot about us. There was a war in Heaven, a terrible conflict that cost many lives. We were forgotten. My mentor Benjamin and I were left on Earth, cut off from any communication with Heaven or even with other Angels. We didn’t know what to make of it at first, but then after awhile we figured out what we wanted to do. We wanted to grow stronger.

            But then I lost it all.

            I feel so alone here. There’s a sense of isolation between me and others, a barrier of secrets shielding me from everyone in the world. From the way I act, no one would ever guess that I feel this way, no one would ever guess that this loneliness was what allowed me to accept and welcome my death, my escape. Dying was not something that I ever wanted to do, but my life had changed and I could no longer go on pretending.

            It was the pretending that kept me going for all of those years. I was human. I was needed and loved. There was a simplicity that can only be achieved by humans. A sense of urgency, passion, and strength brought on by the constant passing of time, bringing ever closer the end of a dream. Because of that, my beloved humans had more life than I had ever imagined. I knew that my time with them was short, and I learned to love the people I met with a great intensity.

            More than anything, I wish that I was human. I wish that I was one of God’s most beloved children. There are so many things that I wish I could change, but I am too afraid to move from this spot.