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She walks to school with the lunch she packed
Nobody knows what she's holding' back
Wearing' the same dress she wore yesterday
She hides the bruises with linen and lace
The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask
It's hard to see the pain behind the mask
Bearing the burden of a secret storm
Sometimes she wishes she was never born.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seto’s P.O.V

I saw Tenshi, she walked down the dusty road, in silence. She clutched her lunch box, with all her might. Her chestnut hair, soaked with sweet. Usually she was energetic and skipping down the road. But today she was different, as I came up beside her. She usually gave me a bear hug, but today she didn’t do anything. The five year girl looked towards me, pain in her sapphire eyes. Something was wrong, I was only seven but I knew these things. I laid my hand on her shoulder, she winced in pain. I with drew my hand, and we didn’t talk, or look at each other the rest of the way to school.

The teacher watched me and Tenshi enter the classroom. I knew she was worried about the little girl. Tenshi sat in the back, alone. She wore the same dress as yesterday, spots of dirt covered it. I took a seat next to her, out of the corner of my eye I saw a big bruise on her shoulder.

At lunch, we eat together. I was chewing on my sandwich when she finally decided to talk.

“How was your weekend?” her voice was frail. I said it was okay, but my dad left for New York again. She nodded, and finished her lunch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place where she's loved
Concrete Angel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I watched her enter her home, before I entered mine. I sat my books on the counter, and entered the kitchen. My mom was sitting at the table, in her cop uniform. She smiled as I entered.

“How was your day?” she asked handing me a piece of fruit.

“Fine, but I’m worried about Tenshi,” I responded. She raised her eyebrow, “she was quiet today, and you know how she is Miss Talk-a-lot." My mom just chuckled.

“I’m sure she fine,” she said, rubbing my hair. I swatted her hand away, and ran up to my room. My room was blue, with white clouds painted on the ceiling. My bed was in the corner, along with my collection of Egypt books. That was my goal, to find out all I can on Ancient Egypt.

“Seto,” I heard my name being called. I opened my window, to see Tenshi’s face.

“Hi,” I piped. Luckily she was talking again. She smiled,

“Seto you know what my mom got me, a ragged Anne doll.” she held up a doll dressed in a striped dress, the doll’s hair was made out of red yarn.

“Cute,” I told her. Her bedroom door opened and her mom walked in. She looked angry as she yelled at Tenshi. She pulled down the blinds, the shadow of her hand came down. I saw the shadow of Tenshi’s head disappear. “Tenshi!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somebody cries in the middle of the night
The neighbors hear, but they turn out the lights
A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate
When morning comes it'll be too late

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I watched the police officers take away Tenshi’s mom, I worriedly searched through the crowd for Tenshi, hoping she was among the many neighbors who came out to see what was the commotion. My mom and two ambulance men pulled a stretcher from the house, a white sheet covered a body. A girl’s arm hung from the side, on her wrist was a bracelet with the words SETO&TENSHI graved on it. I had given Tenshi that bracelet a year ago. I ran towards her, tears in my eyes but my mom stopped me. I knew, that I would never see Tenshi again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place where she's loved
Concrete Angel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I watched as the coffin, bearing my only friend, lower into the ground. The wind and the rain, couldn’t stop me from coming to the funeral like it did many people. Her tombstone had a statue of a angel girl laying down. Tears streamed down my face as I read it.

In loving memory of
Tenshi Taiyou:
A angel among us.
1998-2003

I silently said a prayer to the fallen angel. I knew she was safe, from her mom, from the world. I smiled, I let one tear flow tear flow down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A statue stands in a shaded place
An angel girl with an upturned face
A name is written on a polished rock
A broken heart that the world forgot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I felt a hand on my shoulder, I turned around. Tenshi stood there transparent, on her back was a pair of silky white wings. She smiled and spread them. I waved as she lifted up towards heaven.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place where she's loved
Concrete Angel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“My Angel.”

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