#2 in The Fables of Angel Haven series…
THE LITTLE ANGEL
A True Story
Once upon a time there was a little Angel. And this little Angel had a secret place in a faraway land she could go to where there were many other Angels of all sorts, who were her very special friends. Whenever she would go there, they always managed to lift her spirits, whether she felt disheartened, distressed, disappointed, discontent, discouraged, disillusioned, distraught… or trod upon. Even when she was already feeling happy and content, they managed to uplift her even more. This special place offered comfort and a safe retreat for the Angels, and it came to be known as Angel Haven.
The Angels had long ago rallied together in support of a handsome gentleman by the name of Sir Michael, and the love of his life, Lady Caroline. They declared their mission in life to be one of helping this couple find their way to each other, so they might come together as one and live happily ever after - as was destined to be. They became Michael and Caroline’s Guardian Angels, and fought valiantly for the joining of their hearts and souls, knowing that together their love would be pure magic. And as the day finally approached that their beloved twosome finally declared their love for one another, the Angels exceedingly rejoiced, and Angel Haven was filled with joy and celebration.
But since that time, the Little Angel became so busy in her life outside of Angel Haven that she barely had any time to visit her friends. She had much work to do, and she had not been able to see them for a great number of days. Life became very taxing for the Little Angel, and she grew more and more weary and in need of a release from the trials and tribulations of the world around her. One day, she was bound and determined to make her way to Angel Haven, and she managed to escape her surroundings and traveled a distance until she came to the Land of Books.
The Land of Books was a great place filled with much wisdom, and the Little Angel had not been there in a very long time. But she knew within the Land of Books, there was a secret tunnel that would take her to Angel Haven. So she found her way inside, and quietly walked over to the Gatekeeper and asked permission to go through the gate to explore other worlds. The Gatekeeper did indeed open the gate, but said she had but 30 minutes in which to explore the beyond before she would have to return. The Little Angel smiled and went on her way.
The Little Angel carefully searched every nook and cranny, and before too long, she was able to find the secret tunnel. Filled with excitement, she ran through the tunnel until finally she saw a bright blue light ahead of her, and she knew she was close to Angel Haven. But as she got closer and closer, the blue light began to dim until it appeared dark and threatening, and the Little Angel became frightened. She stopped running as she got to the edge of the tunnel, and cautiously peeked out into Angel Haven. And she was stunned by what she saw.
There were Angels talking loudly everywhere, and their words were those of distress. The Little Angel cringed as she heard them wail and lament across the land, and she wondered what could have possibly happened. She decided to move closer to hear their words more clearly. As she looked around and listened to the Angels crying out, she realized they were greatly distraught - distraught over the fate of Sir Michael and his Lady Caroline. The Little Angel struggled to understand what had happened as she listened to Angel after Angel speak of their frustration, and their fears that the love between Michael and Caroline was not strong enough to survive, that the magic was fading before it even had a chance to flourish.
And the Angels had grown quite impatient with Lady Caroline and her lingering fear of letting go of her estranged husband, Lord Austin. Although he had deserted her, she had shown much weakness in releasing him from her heart, and it held her from giving herself completely to Sir Michael - heart, mind and soul. The Angels had in fact grown so discontent with Caroline, that they were ready to beat her with large pieces of wood with the hope it would knock some bit of sense into her and force her down the proper path. Some were frustrated with Sir Michael as well, due to his seemingly lack of effort to lay an outright claim to the love of his life. They were most anxious to have him sweep Caroline up into his arms and carry her off to begin their beautiful life together.
Having heard all this, the Little Angel grew quite sad. So sad, in fact, that she was unable to speak to the other Angels. A tear fell down her cheek, and she turned away from Angel Haven and found her way back through the tunnel. As she reached the gate, the Gatekeeper was surprised to see her as her time was not yet up. He saw her forlorn look and asked if something was wrong. The Little Angel just looked down and said, "My haven wasn’t there today." And with that, she left the Land of Books and journeyed to her home.
As the Little Angel thought more and more on this matter, she decided she would go back and let the other Angels know of her thoughts and feelings on the fate of Michael and Caroline. So she wrote down her words in order that she might be able to share them when she next returned to Angel Haven. And she silently stole in during the quiet of the night so as not to cause a disturbance, and hung her beliefs on a post in the middle of the land for all to see - in the hope that it might help to encourage those who had become disheartened.
These are The Five Beliefs of Magic….
THE END
April 17, 1999