Heavenly Protector

A story from a guardian angel.

Darkness surrounded him. Fear seized him. He couldn't see past his nose. A blinding pain erupted from his chest. He couldn't feel his arms or legs, couldn’t move. All he knew was pain. Pain and darkness.

Then a pinprick of light pierced through the darkness. His terror faltered. The light grew, and the fear ebbed away. Soon he was engulfed in the radiance. A serenity he had never felt washed over him. The pain he had felt faded away. He looked down. His bullet ridden body was healed. His uniform mended itself, and the blood was gone. He could move his limbs again. He bounced on the balls of his feet. In seconds he went from paralysis to never feeling stronger.

Faces materialized from the light. His parents. Henry. Sarge. They were all here. All happy.

The light transformed around him. His childhood home appeared, the small cottage sitting atop the hill. Lush green grass led down to the farm. Horses roamed as the cows mooed into the calm afternoon air. The sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies wafted to him. His mouth watered instantly.

He laid in the soft grass, eyes closed, for what felt like hours. A shrill cry sliced through his tranquility. He opened his eyes to see the sky shift and morph. A baby formed above him. It cried out as frantic nurses wrapped it in a light blue blanket. The newborn was passed off to it’s mother, a woman with golden hair and sparkling blue eyes. She wept at the sight of her newborn son. He shed a tear of his own.

He watched over the baby. Soon he became the child’s Protector. He watched as the boy spoke his first words. A few months later he took his first steps. He grew with every day. He went to school and made friends. His mother caught every milestone on camera. But only the Protector saw her tears, shed late at night when the boy was fast asleep. And she always cried while holding the framed flag.

The boy became a teenager. The older students quickly targeted him. The Protector found the ability to reach out to his charge, giving him strength as he endured the beatings. The Protector pushed the boy into science and sent white butterflies to his mother. A weight was lifted from the both of them.

The bullies mocked the boy’s lack of a father. He went home in tears. His mother reassured her son that his father was at peace, that he wasn't in any more pain. She repeated the mantra she’d repeated throughout his childhood: all Marines went to a better place, and waited on their families. The boy gave a faint smile.

The boy turned into a man. He went to college and left with a Ph.D. in chemistry. Soon he met a girl. He landed his dream job and got married. He started a family of his own. His children were told of their heroic grandfather. He built a life.

The boy’s mother grew ill. Her mind began to dissolve as she forgot her own family. The Protector watched with a heavy heart as the boy wept over the body of his mother. A woman appeared beside the Protector. With her golden hair and blue eyes, she was as beautiful as the day they met.

The boy mourned, but continued through life. He honored his parents memory. He became successful and admired by his peers. The community respected him. His family adored him.

And when his time came, his family surrounded him. His wife held his hand as she cried. His children forced themselves to stay strong. The grandchildren were oblivious to the scene around them. The boy squeezed his wife’s hand, gave a small smile, and took his last breath. His family cried, even the grandchildren as they finally understood.

But not the boy. He materialized next to the Protector and woman. He gazed on the Protector’s face, a face he had imagined as a child. They shared the same strong features and brown eyes. A face he had never seen on Earth, but one he knew all too well.

The Protector took the boy and woman into his arms. He didn't even try to fight against the tears. He was finally with his family. Their fight was finally over.