Fall Away

He’d been watching the boy struggle for weeks, unable to do anything to help. Watching the dark-haired boy pace back and forth across the building’s roof. Watching the boy shake his head as he muttered angrily to himself, occasionally tugging at his short locks

Watching…

Watching…

Watching… and… waiting, a million questions perched on the tip of his tongue like the pigeons that perched beside him, their watchful gazes on the pacing boy. Unfortunately, by the time he could ask, the boy was always gone, flitting away down the stairs that led into the apartment building below.

Waiting…

Day after endless day.

Waiting…

Until it was almost too late.

He watched helplessly as the boy’s frustrated footsteps took him back and forth… back and forth… back and…

Right up to the roof’s edge. The boy jumped up onto the ledge, long legs wobbling slightly at the sudden change in altitude.

No!

He wanted to scream at the boy. Beg him to step away from the edge, to return to safety – but he couldn’t. Like every other day, he was trapped. Frozen. Useless.

His gaze darted to the horizon, his mind frantically trying to determine how long until the blasted sun would finally set. His groan was a howl of wind through bared teeth.

Too long.

Mere seconds, maybe, but it would take the sun too long to set to save the boy from himself.

Too late.

It was already too late. The boy stared down at the busy street below. His legs didn’t shake anymore.

Gone was whatever struggle that had brought the boy to the roof each day. Gone was whatever inner battle that had driven his restless pacing. He’d obviously made his mind up.

No, no, no…

The sun dipped lower, its cursed rays dipping behind the towering skyscrapers. He tested his muscles, felt some of the stiffness in them start to ease. Felt the hard surface of his skin start to crack.

The boy lifted one sneakered foot…

…as the last rays finally gave way to darkness.

“No!”

He roared the word as he flexed, the stone holding him captive by day shattering, raining down on the concrete below.

The boy gasped loudly, surprise making him spin around to gape at the gargoyle loping toward him.

But there wasn’t enough space for that much movement on the ledge. The boy’s foot slipped, and he tumbled off the roof with a startled cry.

The gargoyle didn’t hesitate, even though it was a risk, especially in the age of smartphones. Even though it meant he’d never be able to return to that particular perch again. At that moment, nothing mattered but saving the boy with the sad eyes.

Shaking out his great wings, the gargoyle dove.

The boy gasped and went rigid as the gargoyle’s hard arms wrapped around him mid-air, then clung desperately to his wide chest as the gargoyle twisted and flew high into the air. It was over in the blink of an eye, the single honk of a car horn, but the rescue was the most harrowing few seconds of his very long life.

But also… the most… exciting?

He almost didn’t want to let go when they landed on a cliff many miles away. Didn’t want to see the look of horror that would undoubtedly be on the boy’s face. Feeling stiff as noon, the gargoyle slowly, reluctantly forced his arms to unwind. To free the boy from his desperate embrace. Made his heavy legs take a step back. Took a deep breath and lowered his quicksilver eyes to the boy’s face.

And was surprised to see a look of wonder etched there.

His heart thudded.

The boy raised a hand but stopped just short of touching a thick, bat-like wing. His long fingers trembled, whether from the flight or the sight of his unearthly savior, the gargoyle couldn’t say.

“You’re… you’re…” The boy’s voice trailed off.

The gargoyle tensed, waiting for the inevitable. He was glad his stomach was empty when it churned violently.

A freak.

A monster.

A demon.

He’d heard them all before, hundreds of times.

Dropping his eyes, shame warmed his cheeks – until the boy laid a hand tentatively on the tough, leathery skin of one wing. A shiver ran through the gargoyle at the touch. His gaze darted back up, jaw dropping in shock.

No one had ever… touched him before. Not in kindness, in reverence, as the boy had. It shocked him to his core.

What the boy did next, though, stunned the gargoyle even more.

The boy offered him a dazed smile. A dazzling smile.

With a smile that radiant living in his memory, the gargoyle was amazed he didn’t turn to stone immediately – but not as amazed as he was by the boy’s next words.

“You’re… an angel.”