Jocelyn rushed onto the narrow path behind the angel and grabbed his arm. She snapped her eyes closed and focused, sending him visions of a future where he was healthy, happy, and healed. The vision of him at the water fountain watching the children play and of him older, sitting at a kitchen table at home.

The man shook her hand off, and when she opened her eyes, she thought she saw a smile. “You are a persistent one.”

She rubbed her hand. “You saw yourself, right? Saw how happy you were? See, you have another future where you don’t die.”

He laughed and shook his head. “That’s not happiness. What I saw was loneliness. I sat on the bench at the fountain with nobody beside me. In my eyes was longing as I watched the children—wishing I was someone else. Then I sat at my kitchen table, alone again. My house hadn’t changed one bit, despite the gray hair on my temples. That’s not a life I want. Do you know what it’s like to be alone?”

Jocelyn thought about her empty apartment. She knew all too well. The photos of her family that lived so far away. Of the one she still kept of her fiancé, reminding her happiness is out there. Of her Friday night dates with her remote control.

He continued. “Well I’ve been alone for decades. That’s not the life I wish to live.”

Jocelyn’s hands closed into fists, but she forced them to relax. “Come on. You’re not even giving life a chance. If you don’t want to do this for yourself, do it for me. Can you imagine how I’ll feel if I just leave you here?”

“Fear not. I’m not worth saving.” He twisted around, giving her a good view of his back. “Do you know what I did to lose my wings?”

She hadn’t thought about it.

He turned to her, pointing at a shadow underneath his eye. “This black eye is minor. Just a little token of the fight, but do you know what happened to the other man?”

She shook her head.

“He almost died. I forgot how strong I was in comparison.” He shook his head. “But my strength is gone now, and I have nothing left to offer.”

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

She examined his eye. What would cause this gentle and somewhat timid man to beat someone almost to death?

He tilted his chin as if reading her thoughts. “It was over a woman.” He turned his back to her again and resumed his way down the narrow path, twisting his body and wiping blood from his back on the rocks. “But that’s not your problem.”

With a clenched jaw, she returned to the cavern and gathered her backpack, washcloth, and spilled water bottle before heading after him. “No, it’s not my problem, but our current situation is. I’m going to help, whether you like it or not.”

He twisted around, giving her a focused stare. “Even if I let you, you’re out of water.”

Was she getting through to him? She thought about the river she walked beside earlier and was glad she had an antiseptic soap along as well. “I’ll get more water. There’s a river down the trail. Here, follow me.” She slipped out of her backpack and walked to him, placing her hands on his waist. She guided him to a larger opening, then pushed herself around his warm body on the narrow trail. Her foot caught his, and she stumbled, but he caught her hips. Jocelyn’s hands slid to the bare skin of his waist as she regained her footing, and her heart quickened. Her cheeks heated, and she looked away, pushing ahead on the trail.

She led him the way she came, glancing back to ensure he followed.

The trail elevated alongside the river. Jocelyn hugged the stone wall until she found a few large rocks leading down to the water. She hopped from one large rock to another, finally kneeling to refill her water bottle and wash the cloth with the antiseptic soap. The whole setup wasn’t sterile, but the spring fed river, antiseptic soap, and antibiotic creams were the best she had. When she stood and turned, the angel was gone. She listened but heard only rushing water.

He had intentionally distracted her! She clenched her fist, and water dripped from the washcloth.

She took a deep breath, admitting to herself that she had done everything she could. His future was in his own hands. She had shown him what would happen if he did nothing, and what would happen if he cleaned himself up. She had been persistent—annoyingly persistent.

What else was there to do?

Those were the same thoughts she had when she tried to persuade her fiancé not to go to work that day. She had thought she’d done everything in her power, but she hadn’t. With this angel, she hadn’t either.

She could search for him. Spend all day here until she could no longer walk. Scanning the path, a moving branch caught her eye. Was he hiding?

She tightened the water bottle’s cap and took off on the trail toward the parking lot. Arriving where the branch had moved, she scanned the landscape with her flashlight, only to see a squirrel hopping in the tree.

She continued down the trail.

Ahead of her, the trail split. One path led to the parking lot, and the other was more rugged, hugging the river with stairs made of boulders. The ping of a stone tumbling against a rock, then a splash, made Jocelyn spin around and swipe her flashlight over the path.

There, on a ledge above the river, was that man…that angel.