The man in the shadow

Part 5: The Purple Angel

Vallarie Luckner
Jul 27, 2017 · 3 min read

By: Vallarie Luckner

http://wallup.net/angel-wings-stained-glass-fantasy-art-artwork-magic-the-gathering-digital-art/

The morning sun was peeking through the living room window, I couldn’t stop staring at the purple reflection that the stain glass ornament in the window left on the floor. The funny thing is I don’t even remember it being there, where did it come from and how long was it there?

I looked up at the purple ornament which was in the shape of an angel — I suddenly remembered where it came from.

I was in third grade and it was Mother’s Day. My teacher had brought in all different designs for us to choose from, I picked that very one. I remember being ecstatic to bring it home and give it to her. When the bus stopped in front of my house I hopped down ever stair with excitement then bolted towards the front door. As I swung the door open it bounced back at me from hitting the stopper on the back wall, I screamed for my mother with even more excitement. She was standing in the kitchen doorway with a worried smile on her face, which I didn’t even realize until looking back on it now. She greeted me with a hug and swiped my hair away from my eyes. I started telling her about my day and teacher as I took my backpack off — I opened it up and reached in for the brown paper bag that I had placed her freshly painted ornament in. I pulled out the bag and placed it into my mothers hands, as she was opening the bag her phone rang. She pulled the ornament out of the brown paper bag, smiled, said thank you, swept my hair away from my face one last time and went for her phone.

I was so upset with her reaction that I never realized she stuck it on the window. After I saw it hanging there it made me smile, but the memory of it didn’t make me happy.

I don’t know how long I was looking at that purple ornament for but when I looked up the detectives were no longer sitting across from me. They must have given up asking me questions since they weren’t getting much out of me. Then at that moment my uncle came barging in through the front door — the same way I came barging in on that Mother’s day, except he was far more frantic than I was. I’ve never seen him look so afraid, not even the time he almost drown in our family pool. I heard him ask to see my mother and father but the detectives wouldn’t allow him upstairs. He understood their reasonings but still had so many questions. After all, the house that was once so full of life not even twenty-four hours ago was now a crime scene.

Vallarie Luckner

Written by

*mind under construction* Writers block is a thing. •FICTION.. Big, scary, vivid imagination. •Instagram: Vallari3

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