• "You are pretty...," He said, "...I know how to make you beautiful."

    fallingfallingfallingfallingfalling. Just like before.
    ...But this time, she was ready to break, to shatter against the cold pavement. She wouldn't scream, wouldn't cry, wouldn't plead like those silly porcelain statues. She was ready to be beautiful - she had her lover-angel by her side and his hand was in hers. With his charred, black wings, he could make her SOAR.
    flyflyfly
    die
    Without fear, she stretched out her arms as far as she could, her eyes closed. She let herself fall, pressing her face to the sidewalk, asking for a kiss. Her wish was granted in a single burst of pinkish light, the silver embrace of the January pavement, the rush of frozen wind past lifeless limbs. There was a sickeningly lovely splat! and resounding thud, like a melon dropped onto a tile floor. Everything went white, then grey, then slowly softened and returned to the dulled rainy colors of a snowy day. She wriggled nervously, awkwardly, and then, like a snake, slithered out of her skin and into the weak sunlight. He stood only a few feet away, staring silently at her. She looked around in terror, the pure emptiness of the street worrying her.
    "...Everyone's gone." He smiled.
    "No, we are." The angel pointed to the body, patient, as if speaking to a child. His eyes glittered. "Tell her you love her." She smiled breezily, bending down to kiss the colorless cheeks.
    "...I love you."
    "Good." He turned, hands in his pockets, and walked forward a few steps, then turned back. "Are you coming?" He held out his hand for hers. She laughed, tears streaming down her face as she leapt towards him.
    "Yes!" She cried, her answer soft as bird talk.

    The day dawned cold on the body of a young girl, her limbs bent in odd configurations, blood pooling like a halo around her head. The pedestrians who knelt by her side mourned her, wondered what her name was, why she would have jumped to her death, but they could see that this was no accident.
    ...after all, she was smiling.