The Guardian Angel

Narrative

    I felt like my head was about to explode as I walked out of my apartment in downtown Chicago, down to the streets to begin my commute to school.  I still hadn’t gotten used to living in a city with so many people, so many feelings.  I felt dizzy from all the clashing emotions I’m experiencing. Happiness. Sadness. Fear. Anxiety. Excitement. Anger. Joy. Weariness. Has it become worse ever since the day I almost got hit by a car? 

    C’mon, Gabriela. Take control of your own mind. Just stop feeling. The one time I actually liked my empath power was when I felt people loving me, admiring me, feeling grateful to me.  Unfortunately, this was a pretty rare occurrence.  Usually I was overlooked or the target of degrading judgment.  Not surprisingly, this made me want to be adored and famous ever since I could discern these emotions as a child.  

      I spotted today’s newspaper displayed on a magazine kiosk: “Guardian Angel Strikes Again, Will This City Be Saved By This Man Alone?” It was always a point of contempt the public would never see me or acknowledge me.  My powers are great for stealth, but not so great for publicity.  Every good deed I do is forced to be anonymous. Worse still, the public usually assumes their invisible savior is a white dude, doesn’t even consider it could be me. 

     As I was about to reach my bus stop, I felt something really dark… really evil. It felt like a new kind of feeling, more concentrated.  An all-consuming hate, sick excitement--not like anything I had felt before.  Almost...inhuman? Beneath it, someone else’s emotion was becoming potent: terror.  As I was trying to comprehend what I’m feeling, I saw someone being dragged down a dark alleyway. Without thinking, I immediately dropped my backpack and ran towards that alleyway. As I checked the alleyway, I was frozen to the spot from what I’m seeing.  A man was being threatened by… what the? Who is this guy with crooked horns and red-slitted eyes? Wait, is this even a guy at all?

      I felt adrenaline surge through me and knew I had turned invisible.

      “Where is the package I’ve ordered you to steal?  Are you trying to test me, thinking I’m not gonna kill your daughter?” 

     Wait, what!? Is that guy some sort of a mastermind villain like in the novels? Wait, am I supposed to come to save the day? Nah, I’ll just make things worse. Keep looking down, I should probably leave, people never liked me anyways... I decided to back away, but stopped still feeling the small trickles of rain turn to a heavy pour. I could sense the fear and anguish of the victim stronger now, almost overpowering. 

“NOOOOO!” I heard the victim shout.

     Unable to stand it any longer, I ran back to the alley and charged towards the demonlike villain. I had no game plan, just instinct telling me to relieve the victim’s fear.  Suddenly, a stream of warm light burst out from me, and the creature screeched, flinching away into the shadows. The creature recovered quickly.  “At last, the guardian angel has appeared. You think that killing me will end things. Never. I am just a little minion of a higher master. Beware, Asmodeus will hunt you… and he will kill you.”    The words made my blood run cold with terror and the light flared blindingly.  The creature shrieked and crumbled to ash.