The Black Angel

I never knew if it was my own confidence or if there were some basis to it. I had always thought that I was protected from malevolent spirits. Having been around them all my life, I have heard and seen what they can do. But nothing has ever been done directly to me.

Perhaps this was frustrating to the Blue Man that roamed the halls of Upperman Dormitory.

I had helped my friend bless his room with Holy Water after his experience with the rogue spirit. And I guess it worked because nothing else ever happened to him. But I always felt that whatever spirit it was was angry at this.

At me, perhaps.

The night of the blessing, after having wound down to Tom Petty, I awoke to a chill in the room. I opened my eyes to see a flickering light reflect off the wall. I turned my head toward a candle that I had sitting on the wall. It's light shined onto the small crucifix I had hanging right above it, and the shadow was almost like a small angel.

Albeit a dark one.

Dancing on the wall above it.

Thinking that I simply hadn't snuffed the flame completely when I had lit it earlier, I rose and made sure the flame was gone. Then I went back to sleep.

A chill woke me again not too long after. I raised my head and turned my body over. The flame was burning again. This time, however, the flame seemed to be raging out of the small glass container. It seemed to be trying to reach me. But it couldn't.

Then I noticed the shadow.

The shadow was huge, enveloping the entire wall and part of the ceiling. And it seemed to be creeping. I saw the blackness approach my side of the room. I looked directly into the blackness, but saw nothing but nothingness.

I still don't know if it was the need for sleep or confidence, but I rose.

I walked into the shadow. There was darkness all around, even though the flame still burned ahead of me. The arms of the black angel seemed to be reaching around me. Then, to my side, I saw it. The remaining Holy Water sat in a flask on my dresser. I calmly opened it and poured it onto the candle. With a fizzle and an unearthly groan, I was surrounded in complete darkness again.

The sleep that followed was deep and restful. And I knew that I was safe.

Although I never did burn the candle again.