The Garden of Eden

I watched as the doctor plunged a needle into the patient's hand. The injection was slow and steady. The patient was unconscious. She was a young lady. She had cuts and bruises everywhere. I overheard the doctors saying she had been in an accident! Three doctors operated on her. I didn't understand what they were doing, but I knew; if they failed, she would die!

I watched silently through the glass of the operation theatre, as the doctors operated on her. Blood was everywhere! I did not like seeing blood. I turned around and walked towards the couch behind me and sat down. There was no one around. I rested my head on the couch and closed my eyes.

I saw myself running through a beautiful garden. All types of flowers grew around me. The sky was blue as ever and the sun shorn bright! That was when I saw him. He stood there turned away from me, looking at the clear blue sky. I walked towards my husband and held his shoulder. He turned to face me.

He looked as handsome as the first day I had met him. If I didn't know better I would have said he looked younger, but I knew that was impossible. Just yesterday we had celebrated 10 years of our life together. I stared at his handsome face remembering how much we had enjoyed. We had gone out for a movie and then had gone dancing. We were out till past midnight. I smiled.

"Rick," I whispered his name.
"What are you doing here, Jen?" He asked.
"I came looking for you," I replied.
Rick shook his head. "You shouldn't be here." He said.
I was confused. "Why?" I asked.
Rick looked into my eyes and gave me a painful smile. "You know why." He said, as he pulled me towards him and hugged me tight.

I tried to remember as I hugged him. Where was I? Was this a dream? I remembered the hospital. I was watching an operation and then I had walked towards the couch! Maybe I had fallen asleep! Yes, that must be it! I shut my eyes as I held on to Rick. He didn't move or say a word, but hugged me silently. That's when I saw it. A bright light speeding towards me!

"No!" I screamed as I opened my eyes! I looked around. Rick was gone! The garden had disappeared. I was back in the hospital, sitting on the couch. I panicked! I stood up and ran back towards the operation theatre and stood near the glass. That was when I noticed it! The patient was slightly light skinned with long black hair. Her face had blood all over it, but I knew who she was! A tear escaped my eye as I realised who I was staring at. She was me!

I remembered it all! It was our anniversary. Rick and I had gone partying. We had had a few drinks. I wanted to take a cab but Rick had insisted he was good enough to drive. We had come half the distance, and that's when a truck had come out of nowhere and hit us! Rick! Where was he?

I ran out of the operation theatre to the main hospital wards. I ran from room to room searching. Rick was nowhere to be found! Finally I had nowhere to look, except the morgue! Tears rolled down my cheeks as I feared the worst. Rick was no longer alive! I walked slowly towards the morgue. A new body had just arrived, and a few nurses were examining it. I walked closer. It was Rick.

"They were in an accident." I heard one nurse say to the other.
"They?" The other asked.
"His wife was there too. He died on the spot, but the wife is still alive. She's being operated on right now!"

Rick had died on the spot! I was devastated. I slowly made my way back towards the operation theatre. As I peered through the glass I realised that the operation was almost done. The patient was starting to breathe again on her own; I was starting to breathe. No! I said to myself. I refuse to be alive without him; without Rick! I wiped my tears and looked back at my body that lay on the operation table. I looked around. Earlier there had been three doctors working on me but now, I saw a fourth figure.

He was not a doctor. It was a dark shadow lurking around my body. The reaper? Angel of death? I blinked and looked again. He had his back turned to me. I couldn't see his face but then, he spoke.

"If I look you in the eye you will die," he said. "But right now I can cure you. You will be drawn back into your body."
"I don't want to live," I said. "If you are going to send me back, I want Rick back too!"
"That's impossible," he said. "He was too broken; even for me to fix."
"Then I've made my decision!" I said.

The dark figure turned towards me. I looked towards him, as I felt the power slowly drain out of me. Finally, I looked him in the eye. The last thought I remember was seeing his big yellow eyes; before shutting my own eyes, and starting to drift away.

I opened my eyes. I was back in the garden. Rick was still hugging me tight! I pulled back and looked into his eyes.

"I am staying!" I said.
Rick smiled at me. "You are beautiful as the first day I met you!" he said.
"And you are the most handsome man I have ever seen!" I replied, smiling.

The pain was gone, the scars had disappeared; the shadow was no longer there. The beauty had returned; the love of my life was standing next to me! I looked up at the clear blue sky.

"Thank you!" I whispered. This was much better than everything I'd ever had!

Angel without wings

Have you seen an angel? Well, I have. Angels are invisible, some of you may say, but no! Some angels live among us, hidden. It’s just a matter of being able to recognise one when you see them. I am happy to say I have met an angel, and I was able to recognise his true self. I have seen the angel covered behind the mask the world saw. I am happy to say, I have found a true guardian angel.

Even through this angel did not have wings or a halo (or maybe they were just invisible), even though this angel did not glow in the dark; he had done so many miracles in this world. This angel had saved so many lives, protected so many people, helped so many lost souls, and guided so many troubled hearts into the arms of God. He knew the Bible like the back of his own hand. This is the story of one true angel, a rare guardian angel, sent by God to protect the people he loved, and I believe I was blessed when he walked into my life. I believe I am lucky to have been one of the people he had protected and looked out for.

When I first met him I saw him as a regular guy living an ordinary life, but once I got to know him better I knew that there was no other person worth getting to know as much as him. By looks he was a regular guy, tall, muscular, and quite charming. He did everything a normal guy did, including trying to work out or go to the gym. But he was also blessed with an amazing mind and a beautiful loving and caring heart. Unfortunately, not everyone saw it.

Just like a heavenly figure lost in the midst of human beings, this angel was quite misunderstood. The more he tried to help people, the more he was judged and attacked. The more he tried to be kind and gentle, the more he was tagged as a person using people for his own benefit. To some people he was a cheat, to some people he was a flirt, to some people he was a nobody, and sometimes he was misjudged not only by the world but also by his close friends and family; but he still continued to do good to the world anyway!

Unfortunately the more good he did, the worse his reputation shattered. People around him judged him so badly and created rumours so harsh that his character was affected deeply; so deeply that his true self had to be buried in a mask in front of people. The mask covered him to the extent that his true self was not visible to the world anymore. Among people, he was just another guy.

The angel was hurt and depressed. He did not want to stay on earth anymore. He wanted to be free. He wanted to fly away so badly that he kept repeating this verse over and over in his mind.

“This world is not my home

Although it seems to be

My home is with my God

In the place he made for me

He’s coming back real soon

The signs are very clear

So when the trumpet sounds

I’ll be outta here”

I don’t’ know how people misunderstood him. If they had tried to get to know him better without just judging him, maybe they also would have seen the beautiful angel I saw. Maybe they also would have seen him for his true self, his true form. He has told me so many times how God communicates with him through music. I have seen it happen right in front of my own eyes. God DJ’d for him, and that made him happy. When I was next to him, surprisingly God Dj’d for me too.

This angel had helped me out on multiple occasions. He had not only guided me to God, and helped me to confide in Him for all my problems, but this angel had also helped me understand myself. He showed me that there is more to me than I had ever known. He showed me that I was more powerful than I had ever imagined. I know I am nothing but just a human being, but sometimes I wished from the bottom of my heart to have the ability of helping him back, returning the favour. I wished for God to show me what I could do to keep his true self alive. I wanted him to feel accepted, understood, loved and cared for, not for being the mask, but for being the true angel he was.

I know he will not be on earth forever. I know he will leave this world someday for his own good once his mission was fulfilled. It could be today, tomorrow or in 10 or 20 years, but once that day comes, when he finally decides to stretch out his hidden wings and fly, I wished to be there next to him. I wished to hold his hand for the very last time, as he took off. I would smile at him, as he would ascend into heaven. As much as it would be sad for me to watch him leave, deep down I will be happy watching his dream come true. I will be happy knowing he is finally happy, and that his mission on earth was fulfilled. He would be with God, exactly where he wanted to be, and someday at the end of days if I am bleassed enough to go to Heaven, I will see him again. I know he will welcome me with open arms and walk me to meet God. On that day I can thank God for how much he had blessed me, for giving me the best guardian angel ever!

Reflection

Darkness surrounded me, unknown voices calling out to me. I looked around but could see nobody. Suddenly, I heard a voice in my head. “What have you done?” it said. It sounded like my own voice. How was that possible? The darkness suddenly brightened. I looked around, realizing that I was in my own room standing near the bed, facing the mirror. I saw the reflection of my bed through the mirror. I did not need to turn back to realize someone was lying on my bed! Who was that? I wondered. I turned around and walked towards the bed. The sheets were covering what looked like a human figure. It was a person. I reached out for the sheets and pulled them back!

I could not believe my eyes! The person lying in my bed was…ME! How was it possible? I went back to face my mirror. What had happened? I searched my mind. Then suddenly, it all came back!

I had not been the best person I could have been. I had not been the best daughter, best sister, best friend or the best girlfriend I could have been, I realized. It was the sad truth. I was a person who was hated by the society, who was neglected by my friends, and who was not trusted by my family. If I had gone out with my friends and come home late, my parents would blame not only me, but everyone around me as well. According to them either I was a bad influence to them, or they were to me.

That’s when I had decided to end it all! I had gotten my friends to get me enough and more sleeping tablets, and the previous night I had taken them all just before getting into bed! Sudden panic struck my heart! Was my heart even beating? I wondered. No! I thought. I looked harder deep into the mirror and stared at myself more closely. That’s when I noticed the signs. My face was pale as ever, my lips redder than it was before. I had slight dark circles under my eyes, and suddenly as I watched I could see reflections of things behind me, right through me! I stretched my hand towards the mirror, and it went right through it. No! I thought. The pills had worked! I was dead!

I turned back and ran towards the bed. My body lay still as I watched. Then I heard footsteps, followed by voices. My family was back. My brother and sister walked into the room. My sister walked right though me, as I stood in front of the door. I watched as they shook my body, asking me to wake up. After few seconds they knew something was wrong. They screamed for my parents, who rushed into the room immediately. My mom sprinkled water on my face, but it had no effect. My dad was checking my pulse. After few minutes they realized I was no longer in this world. I felt the panic flood through as I watched their confused, sad expressions. I watched them as their hearts broke. I watched them panic, run around, scream, cry and make hundreds of calls. What have I done? I thought to myself. Was it really worth it? I had been a failure in life, but these people actually cared about me, and I had failed them!

Like a shadow lurking in the darkness, I had silently watched as my family and friends prepared for my funeral service. I heard people whispering about me. She committed suicide… Did not think of her parents who gave birth to her… Stupid girl! They had not known what I was going through each day, I thought. My close friends had a different reaction. They blamed everyone around me, who had caused me to make such a drastic decision. So many people judged me! I saw the faces of my parents, siblings, friends, colleagues flash in front of my eyes. I saw the reactions of each one of them! I saw the amount of tears I had caused. This was not a funeral, but literally a war! What had I done? I had created a war!

I could not go like this! I needed a second chance! I wanted to apologize to the whole world for what I had done! I knew my family would suffer for the rest of their lives! I knew I would be remembered not as the person I was, but as the girl who killed herself over something. No one actually even knew the proper reason why I had killed myself. I went back to the mirror in my room. I wanted the reflection to change! I wanted a second chance, a chance to make it work, a chance to be there for my family and friends! I stared at myself in the mirror and prayed. I prayed to have a second chance, a chance to show the world the real me! I closed my eyes, and I felt my heart burn.

I opened my eyes and looked around. I was lying on my bed. Was it a dream? I looked at my left hand. Nothing transparent! My right palm had a few pills clutched. Sleeping pills! So I hadn't taken them! I felt relieved. I was not dead! I was alive! I jumped out of my bed and ran in front of the mirror. The paleness of my skin, the redness of my lips, the dark circles under my eyes were all gone! I was me again! I felt relieved! Thank God! It was only a dream!

I heard footsteps of my brother and sister behind me. I was ready! Ready to actually live! Ready to change the way I thought, and the way I lived. I ran out of my room to greet them with a big smile on my face, and I knew that no matter how hard life got, suicide was not an option. It won’t be only yourself you will be murdering, but also the spirit of each and every one who had ever cared about you in your entire life! I decided, never to put tears into someone else’s eyes. I am not living my life for myself anymore, but simply I am living for the people around me, and based on that thought, I am ALIVE!

Through the eyes of a killer

Chrissy walked towards Jake, excited to hear about her first assignment. It was her first day working as a cop. Jake had been a cop for the past ten years. The force had assigned him to guide her simply because of his experience. Chrissy was happy she had got Jake. He was cool. He laughed and joked even while on the job unlike most cops.

"Here you go," Jake said, handing over her a file. "It's your first job."
"Thanks," Chrissy said, as she took it. She opened the file to find information on a dark haired lady in her mid thirties. She had just called 911 ten minutes ago as her burglar alarm had gone off.
"Come on," Jake said. "Let's go."

Chrissy looked out of the window as Jake parked his car in front of a large, modernised house, in the middle of a beautiful garden.
"You take the front door," Jake said. "I'll take the back." Chrissy obeyed.
As Chrissy walked towards the front door she noticed a CCTV camera watching her from the front porch. By the look of it, the house had all the security it needed.

"Mrs. Spence," she called out as she turned the door knob. The door opened. So it wasn't locked, Chrissy thought. She looked at the alarm that had gone off. It was turned off. So there was a burglar! He could still be in. Chrissy pulled out her gun, ready to attack. She silently made her way towards the living room.

"Chrissy...!" Chrissy turned around at the sound of a faint voice. It was a little girl. Chrissy lowered her gun.
"Who are you?" she asked. "You called me Chrissy! How did you know my name?"
The girl took a few steps back, as Chrissy walked towards her. She had long dark hair and wore a long white dress. Her dress had a red bow on the waist. Something in Chrissy's mind clicked. Do I know this girl? She wondered.

Chrissy blinked, and suddenly the girl was gone. Chrissy lowered her gun and ran towards the place the girl had been standing. There was not even a trace of her. Weird, Chrissy thought. She looked towards her right. A staircase! Chrissy held out her gun once again, and walked up the stairs. The staircase led to a hallway. There were a few doors on either side of the hallway, but the very last door caught Chrissy's eye. It was a drawing on the door. A drawing of a family; a man, a woman and a little girl!

Chrissy walked towards the door and opened it. The room was empty. However, it was clear that the owner of this room was no doubt the little girl she had seen before. The room was pink. Pink walls, pink bed spread, pink cupboard, pink dresser; even the window sills were pink. A photo frame on the dresser caught Chrissy's eye. She walked towards the dresser and picked it up. It was of the same girl she had seen before.

Suddenly, there was a flash. I know this girl, Chrissy thought. But how? Nothing came to her mind. Think Chrissy, think! She forced herself. Chrissy walked towards the bed and sat down with the photo in her hand. How do I know you? She wondered, staring at the photo. Suddenly, it all came back!

Her memory flew back by five years. It was the time she was with Alexander, a thief who had offered her a job. A job to steal! Chrissy had broken into a few houses with Alex. They had always shared what they stole. After a few months Chrissy wanted to give up stealing. One day she had walked towards Alex with this question in her mind.
"Alex, let's stop this business," she had said.
"Sure," Alex had replied. "After one last job!"
One last job! That wasn't so bad, Chrissy had thought. If only she had known that that job would change her life!

Chrissy and Alex were to rob one last house. They set off in a stolen van one late night. The owner of this house was Mrs. Spence, a lady who was recently divorced. She was out of town on a business trip. The house was meant to be empty that night. As usual Chrissy had picked the lock. They had walked in and were collecting goods when suddenly they heard the sound of a phone click. Was someone there? Had someone called the police?

Chrissy and Alex had rushed to the staircase taking two-three steps at a time. As they walked through the hallway Chrissy had noticed the door. The door with the drawing! It was this very same room. As Alex kicked open the door the first thing they noticed was a little girl crying in the corner. Chrissy remembered the white dress with a red bow. The child had the phone in her hand. Alex had taken out a gun and aimed it at the little girl.

"No, don't!" Chrissy had screamed. "She's only a child!" Alex had handed over the gun to Chrissy and had walked towards the child. She had started crying even louder.

"Don't hurt me!" she had said. "My mommy will be here soon!" Chrissy had watched as Alex took out a knife, ready to stab the child.
"Alex! No!" Chrissy had screamed. She had pointed the gun towards Alex. Alex had held the little girl in front of him. Just then the police had broken in. Chrissy had panicked, and pulled the trigger!

Chrissy blinked her tears. She was still sitting on the bed in the same room. She looked towards the door and saw Jake staring at her.
"It was me!" she said. "I killed her!"
"Yes," Jake replied. "You did!"
"But it was a mistake! I wasn't going to kill her!"
"I know!" Jake said. "The police startled you." He walked towards her and pointed at the girl in the picture. "You shot her that night Chrissy."
Tears rolled down Chrissy's cheeks as she thought about it. She remembered it! She remembered the little girl, her face, her expression, her white dress covered in blood, and her lifeless body fall down! Chrissy had shot a child.
"I remember!" she told Jake.
"That's good," he replied. "It means the exercise worked!"
"Exercise?" Chrissy asked.
"I'm not a cop Chrissy," Jake said. "I'm a doctor. I have been your psychiatrist for the past five years. Pretending to be a cop was the last exercise I could do to help you remember!"

Chrissy watched as few armed cops walked into the room.
"You're under arrest Ma'am!" one of them said, as he handcuffed her.
"I have one more question," Chrissy said, as she looked at Jake. "What about Alex? Where is he? Is he in jail? Or did the cops shoot him?"
"Alex?" Jake asked. "No Chrissy, you broke into this house alone. There is no such person as Alex!"
"But I don't understand... We robbed together! All the time!"
"Alex was an imaginary figure your mind created, so that you wouldn't have to take the blame for all the robbing you did on your own! And that includes the murder of this little girl!" Jake explained. "Alex was never real!"

The Best Valentine’s Gift Ever

Rachel looked at the silver watch she wore. It had been a gift from Brian on her birthday last year. It read 7.30 pm. Brian was late. The waiter walked up to her for the fifth time.

"Miss," he said. "I'm sorry you will have to make an order if you want to stay any further."
"Could I wait just five more minutes?" Rachel pleaded. She was worried. Brian had never been this late for a date before. He was always on time! Sometimes he even came ahead of time.
"Miss I'm sorry," the waiter started again. "It's Valentine's Day and there are so many people outside waiting for a table. If you are not going to order anything I will have to ask you to leave."
It was Valentine's Day. Brian was late for their first Valentine's dinner.
"Ok," she told the waiter. "In that case, I'll have a coffee."

Once the waiter had left, Rachel buried her head in her palms. Brian, where are you? She wondered. Rachel and Brian had been dating for nine months and two weeks now. Brian was a businessman and had always been a busy guy. They had very little time to meet as Brian had his clients to take care of. However, he loved Rachel dearly and always made it on time for their dates, except for today.

Rachel smiled as she thought about Brian. Two weeks ago, Brian had asked Rachel what she wanted to do for their first Valentine's Day together.
"Cancel all your meetings and spend the whole day with me," she had answered playfully. Brian had smiled at her and put his arm around her shoulder.
"You know I can't take the whole day off sweetie," he had said.
"I know," Rachel had said smiling.
"However, I can promise to meet you for a nice romantic dinner!" he had said, giving her a slight kiss on the lips. Rachel smiled as she put her arms around him.
"Ok," she had said. "Dinner it is!"
They had agreed to meet at Hotel Shanghai at 7 pm, which was the closest to Brian's office.

The waiter had brought the coffee, and Rachel took another look at her watch as she drank it. Another 15 minutes had passed and Brian still hadn't shown up. Rachel picked up her mobile and dialed Brian's number for the third time since she had come. No answer! Rachel was now getting impatient. Brian had never stood her up before, but why today? On Valentine's Day!

Suddenly, a strong pair of hands covered Rachel's eyes.
"Brian!" Rachel's heart jumped as she held his hands. Brian smiled as he took his hands off Rachel's eyes and sat next to her. The first thing Rachel noticed was a huge bouquet of roses lying next to her on the table. Rachel smiled as she took them in her hands.
"It's beautiful!" She said. "Thank you Brian."
"I'm sorry," Brian said. "I had some important things to take care of before I made it here."
"What important things?" Rachel asked.
"Like getting something special made for the lovely lady sitting next to me," Brian answered. Rachel turned red as Brian put his hand into the pocket of his jacket. He pulled out a little black box.
"What is that?" Rachel asked.

Brian did not answer, instead he stood up. Rachel was confused. Brian took her by the hand and lead her to stand up. Rachel stood up. She could feel everyone staring at her. Brian let go of her hand and opened the little black box. Inside it was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen in her life. Brian held her hand again and got down to his knees in front of her. Tears curled up in Rachel's eyes.

"Will you marry me?" Brian asked her. Tears escaped out of Rachel's eyes as she looked at Brian. His face was full of hope. Hope for her to give a positive answer.
"Yes," Rachel replied. "Yes!" Brian stood up, and slipped the ring into Rachel's finger. The crowd applauded as Rachel hugged Brian. This was the best Valentine's Day ever! It was truly a dream come true!

A gift from Santa

Ten year old Timmy opened his eyes. It was Christmas Eve. He got out of bed and walked towards the window. It was beautiful to look outside from the large window on the second floor dormitory, of St. Clair's Orphanage. It was snowing, but he could clearly see the beauty of the street. The sidewalks were covered with snow. All the houses around were decorated with various Christmas decorations. The street was full of seasonal shops. Christmas lights blinked throughout the neighbourhood, blending in all colours. A huge Christmas tree in the middle of the block lit up the area. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall of his dormitory. It read eleven pm.

Timmy turned back away from the window towards his big wide dormitory and made his way back to bed. There were ten beds lined up in this hall. Nine other boys were fast asleep. It would be Christmas in an hour. The whole world would be celebrating. Santa Claus would visit the children around the world. Not all children, he thought to himself. Timmy had been in St. Clair's for five years now, but Santa Clause had never once visited him or anyone else at St. Clair's.

As Timmy got into bed, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine the last time he had spent Christmas with his parents. It was before the accident. The tragic car accident that had ended the lives of his parents! Fading memories came back. Timmy had been four during their last Christmas. He couldn't remember much, but he could remember his mother's smiling face, and the Christmas tree they had in the living room. His father had always worn a Santa hat on Christmas Eve, and had brought him various gifts. Santa Clause had come that night, for the last time in his life. Santa had brought Timmy a toy car. A gift that he loved! Unfortunately he had lost the car when social services had moved him to the orphanage after his parents had passed.

Timmy opened his eyes at the sound of crackers. It was midnight. Timmy jumped out of bed and ran towards the window. The others were also now awake. All the boys in St. Clair's orphanage, Dormitory Nine rushed towards the window. They smiled and chatted away as they watched the fire crackers. Timmy looked around. People were dancing on the street around the Christmas tree. Children dressed in red were singing carols happily.

"Hey, look! It's Santa!" eight year old Nick, who was standing just behind Timmy screamed. Timmy followed his friend's gaze and looked at a guy in a red Santa suite. That's not the real Santa, he thought. The guy was chubby, and had the features of the original Santa, but Timmy knew he was a fake. Timmy watched as this Santa look alike picked up candy from his sack and distributed to the people around. Timmy watched as the children who were singing carols now danced around Santa.

"Why doesn't Santa come to us?" Nick asked.
"He's not real Nick," Timmy answered. "If he was real, I guess he does not visit children living in orphanages."
"But he's supposed to visit everyone!" Nick said, disappointed.
"Then maybe we have been naughty!"

As Timmy watched Santa dance around, he hoped and prayed that they would have some happiness on Christmas. Just as his hope was fading, suddenly Santa looked up, right at their orphanage. Was he looking at us? Timmy wondered. Santa raised his hand and waived. The boys waved back. Timmy watched as Santa waved once again, gesturing them to come down.

"We should go!" Nick screamed, excited as he ran off towards the door. The other boys followed. Timmy took it slow. He walked slowly out of his dormitory and made his way towards the main entrance. All the kids in the whole orphanage were outside. He assumed everyone may have been watching the street just like himself.

As Timmy made his way towards the street, his friends had already begun dancing around Santa. Timmy silently walked towards the street and stood in the sidewalk. He did not join his friends, but watched silently, trying not to get noticed. However Santa stopped his dance and walked towards him.

"What's your name son?" he asked as he bent down near Timmy.
"Timmy," Timmy replied.
"Why are you not out there enjoying the Christmas spirit? Don't you like Santa Claus?"
"You're not Santa," Timmy replied. "Santa always ignores orphans."
"Well son, yes I'm not the real Santa Claus," Santa replied. "But every year I dress as Santa Claus and visit towns full of kids just like you, simply to put a smile on their faces."
Timmy watched as Santa opened his bag and pulled up a package. He handed it over to Timmy.
"I wanted a child worthy to receive this special gift," he said. "Go ahead, open it."

Timmy ripped off the wrapping and opened the box. As Timmy pulled out what was inside, his eyes filled with tears. He could not believe his eyes. Inside was a remote control car, very much like the car he had received years ago. It brought back memories of his parents. Timmy blinked off his tears and smiled.

"Thank you!" he said, as he hugged Santa. He had given Timmy more than just a gift. Timmy had just received something to keep reminding him of his parents. It was a gift worth a lifetime!

Ghost of Halloween

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sandy asked. Sam walked beside her and put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a slight nudge towards him.
"Don't worry!" he said. "I'm here! We all are; we are doing this together!"

Sandy and her boyfriend, Sam, together with their two best friends, Aaron and Anna had walked into what looked like a five hundred year old worn out church. It's just a church, Sandy had first thought, but now she had the creeps. Was this the best way they could think of to spend Halloween? Why couldn't they just dress up and go for a late night costume party like every other guy and girl their age? Why spend the night in an ancient church relating ghost stories?

This whole expedition had been Sam's idea. Sandy had met Sam few months back just as she joined uni. He was an explorer. He liked travelling, looking for ancient places, relics, and photographing them. Some of Sam's pictures had won awards simply because he had reached places no one else would dare to. This church was one of those places. It was rumoured to be haunted.

Aaron took the first step into the church with his flash light shinning ahead. Anna followed, aiming her cell phone light at Aaron. "Come on," Sam said as he took Sandy by the hand and led her in, his other hand tightly wrapped around his camera. Sandy let herself follow Sam.

The church was dark, a stream of moonlight shining through the large window, with Aaron's flashlight adding to it. There were huge pictures, images from the bible and a large human size cross hanging right in the middle of the church, just above the altar. Sam had now let go of Sandy's hand and was taking pictures of whatever he saw. Sandy looked down at the floor. She was walking on plain cement, but something about it felt weird.

"Guys, I found something!" Everyone rushed to the far corner of the church following Anna's voice. Anna was flashing her cell phone screen at the cement. A dark red stain was on it. Sandy took a closer look and realised that it seemed to be a hand print. Blood? She wondered.
"Is that blood?" Aaron asked, reading her mind. Sam started flashing his camera on the print. "This church was abandoned centuries ago," Aaron continued. "I'm sure there was a pretty good reason for it."

"Ghosts can't haunt churches right?" Sandy asked. "Churches are holy!"
"Oh please Sandy, grow up!" Aaron said. "Who said anything about ghosts? Ghosts aren't real. There are other things we should worry about. Like serial killers!"
"Come on guys," Sam said. "Let's find a place to sleep."

Sandy hated it. The church, the darkness, the blood! It all seemed like something out of a horror movie. She half expected a serial killer to come running towards them with a knife waving in the air. Sam would have realised that she looked miserable. He walked up to her and put his hand around her waist, and led her towards the centre of the church, right in front of the altar.

The area had enough room to spread out their sleeping bags. One by one the sleeping bags were unfolded and the four got into them. Sam was still taking pictures as Aaron and Anna were laughing and joking about ancient myths. Anna had a wild idea that this church had a hidden bell that rang every Halloween precisely at midnight. It was a sign for the murders that had happened here centuries ago.

"Murders?" Sandy asked. "Who died here?"
Anna looked at her. "Come on, sit around. I'll tell you the story!" The group sat in a circle, the flashlight standing in the centre. "Ok so this is how it happened!" she started. "Once, there was a priest, who lived here centuries ago. People loved him so much. He was good, kind, did a lot of good deed, but there was one problem." Sandy blinked and leaned close to Sam.

"This priest had a helper. He looked like a normal guy, mid twenties probably, but he was a seriously troubled guy! His parents had died in a fire when he was little. Some people said that he set that fire, but that could not be proved. This guy was different, people thought even though he worked for the church he didn't believe in God. He was more like a devil worshiper. One day on Halloween, this guy wore a demon costume and came to the priest. The priest got so angry and chased him away. The priest called him a devil worshiper and had him banished! This guy got so mad that he tied the priest's limbs, and hung him on the top of the bell! The next morning when people visited the church, they found the priest hanging on the bell."  

"But I have never seen a bell in this church! Not even in the garden!" Sandy said.

"There is one Sandy!" Anna said. "No one has seen it. They say that to honour the priest the people in the town hid the location of the bell. But every Halloween at midnight, the exact time the priest was murdered the bell rings itself!"

The group was silent for a few seconds. Everyone was stunned by Anna's story. Was it true? Sandy wondered. Was there really a hidden bell here? Did a murder really happen here? That patch on the cement, was that really centuries old blood?

"So if this is true," Sam said looking around. "Today is Halloween, and in a couple of minutes it will be midnight!" Sam looked at his watch. "Actually it will be in exactly ten seconds... five... four... three... two... one!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!
The group screamed at the sound of the bell! It was true! The story was true!

"I'm leaving!" Sandy screamed as she stood up and ran out of the church.
"Sandy, wait!" Sam said, running behind her, Aaron and Anna followed.
"Sandy, come on!" Anna screamed. "The story is not real! I made it up!"

As Aaron and Anna reached the entrance to the door they found Sam standing alone. Sandy was nowhere in sight.
"Where is she?" Anna asked Sam.
"I don't know," he replied. "I was right behind her! But as soon as she ran out of the door, she was gone!"
"Hey guys," Aaron said. "What's that?" Everyone turned to look at where Aaron was pointing his flashlight. In the far corner of the church garden, there seemed to be an old pile of hay. There was something behind it. The three of them ran closer, to see that it was none other than an old pile of rock covered by hay. On top of the rock there was the most rusted old bell they had ever seen!

"It's a bell!" Anna said. "Oh my God!"
"That story was fake right? You made it up!" Sam screamed. "Please tell me you made it up!"
"I did!" Anna screamed. "I don't understand! I was only trying to scare you guys! It was not real!"

"It is real!" The three of them spun around at the sound of Sandy's voice, to see her standing in the darkness. However, she was different. She was wearing a long black cloak; her face was covered beneath the cloak.
"Come one Sandy, cut it out!" Sam said. "The game's over! Let's go home."
"I am not Sandy!"
"Then who are you?" Aaron snapped.
"I am the one you came looking for! I am the one who killed the priest!"
Aaron tried to run, Anna tried to scream, Sam tried to hold Sandy, but none of it happened. They couldn't move!
"Sandy, please!" Sam managed to choke out. "I love you! Don't do this!"
"I'm not your girlfriend Sam," Sandy replied. "I never was! I have always been the one preparing my bait every year and killing people in this garden on Halloween, ever since the priest banished me! Yes it was me! I was the priest's helper, even though I was a girl! I have always been the ghost of Halloween! I forever will; and now, it's your turn to die!"

Be careful what you wish for

Fifteen year-old Jenna Styles walked towards the door as the door bell rang. She looked at the grandfather clock standing in the living room and frowned. It was one in the morning. Who would be visiting at this time? Jenna's parents were out of town and her ninety year-old grandmother was fast asleep in her room.

Jenna silently marched towards the door and unlocked it. She turned the door knob and slowly opened the door. Jenna looked around but she could not see anyone. Strange! She thought. She took a step outside. Her foot knocked on something hard on the ground. Jenna looked down to see a black box, lying at her feet. It had a silver ribbon running around it with a big bow right on the top. Someone had left a gift.

Jenna picked it up. It was a little heavy. She looked around one more time to see if the person who left the parcel was still around. She couldn't see anyone. Jenna walked back into the house and locked the door behind her. What could this possibly be? Who was it for? Jenna turned the box around, looking for a name. There was no name.

Jenna walked into the living room and switched on the television. She didn't want to go back to sleep. She was awake at 1 am simply because she wasn't in the mood to sleep. Just couple of days back she had found her boyfriend, Will, cheating on her. What was even worse was that he had been cheating on her with none other than her own best friend, Katie. She wasn't even that pretty but clearly, Will found her more attractive. But right now Jenna was distracted from all of that. Clearly this mystery box was far more interesting than her sloppy love life.

Jenna increased the volume of the TV and jumped onto the sofa with the mystery box on her lap. "Ok, now let's see what you are." She calmly removed the silver bow and started unpacking the box. She opened the lid of the box which revealed a glass ball. A crystal ball? She wondered. Nah! That's a myth! Jenna didn't believe in magic. However the crystal ball sure was amazing. It had a nice bronze stand and the glass was simply shinning. It was so beautiful to look at. She looked hard at the ball leaning closer towards it. Closer... closer... closer... The tip of her nose was now almost touching the surface.

'You have one wish!' Jenna jumped back as the words flashed across the crystal ball. "Wow, interesting effect!" The surface must have some kind of heat sensor inside it. That's why it flashed just as she went closer, she thought. "Ok," Jenna said, as if she was challenging the crystal ball. "Since I don't believe in magic I'll make one wish! Let's see if it works!" Jenna smiled. Only one face appeared in her mind as she thought about what she wanted. How many times had she wished for Katie to disappear? Nothing had happened before, and she was sure nothing will happen now. But she wanted to try it anyway. "I wish that Katie Simpson will disappear forever!" She looked around, half expecting something to happen. Flickering lights? Earthquake? Nothing! Oh how stupid! She thought, laughing at herself. She looked at the TV to watch the last ten minutes of Fright Night, and turned it off. Horror movies are stupid, she thought as che put the crystal ball back into the box and carried it into her bedroom. An hour had passed since she had opened the door. It was now time to sleep.

Jenna had had a peaceful morning the following day. She had forgotten all about the crystal ball, and hadn't seen Katie or Will the entire day. She followed her normal routine of classes and had a normal lunch. During the first lecture after lunch her principal, Mr Matthews had come running into the classroom and had said something to her class teacher, Mrs Smith. Mrs Smith had immediately cancelled the lecture and rushed out with Mr Matthews.

"I wonder what that was about," Jenna said to Mary, the girl who sat beside her.

"Oh dint you hear?" Mary asked.

"Hear what?"

"Katie is missing," Jenna's heart stopped as she looked at Mary.

"Missing?" Jenna muttered.

"Yeah!" Mary continued. "No one has seen her since last night. Her parents say she went to bed but in the morning when her mom went into her room she wasn't there! No one has heard from her and none of her friends know where she is!"

"Oh!" Was it her fault? Jenna wondered. She had wished for Katie to disappear! "I gotta go."

Jenna picked up her books and ran out of the classroom. She couldn't stay for another lecture. She packed her bag and ran home, straight into her room and shut the door behind her. She threw the bag onto her bed and picked up the mystery box off her dresser. If the crystal ball had really done it maybe she could reverse it back. She didn't have any intention of actually hurting Katie. Where was she? Was she ok? Could she be... dead?

Jenna opened the box to pick up the crystal ball. No! The box was empty! Where was it? Jenna looked around, trying to think if maybe she did not put the crystal ball into the box last night. As she searched the dresser she suddenly spotted something that wasn't there before. A glass doll stood on her dresser. It had long blonde hair, wore a stripped pyjama and had dark eyes. Katie! Jenna picked up the doll. She felt tears curling up in her eyes. She wanted the spell reversed! "I wish for this spell to reverse!" She screamed. She looked at the doll as she suddenly felt her hand become stiff. She dropped the doll onto the bed as she felt herself shrink. No! This wasn't happening! "Noooo!" Jenna screamed.

Katie opened her eyes and looked around. Was this Jenna's room? How did she get here? She wondered. Where was Jenna? She stood up and sported a doll lying on the ground. She picked it up. This doll looked so much like Jenna! It was even wearing a cheerleader costume! How stupid of Jenna to keep a doll of herself! Katie thought, laughing. She picked the doll up and put it into a black box she had spotted on the side of the dresser.

"Jenna!" Katie called out. "Wherever you are, I'm going home!" Katie walked out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Its all about YOU

You liked me, I smiled
You asked me out, I agreed
You kissed me, I kissed you back
You walked in front, I tagged along
You pushed me, I pulled you back
You fought with me, I hugged you
You left me, I cried
You moved on, I was depressed

And now finally,

You are moving on with someone else, and I am breathing my last breath...

"Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
maybe six feet
Ain't so far down"

- Creed -

I am not your enemy

I watched as Mr. Williams, my lawyer prepared the documents, typing and printing page by page neatly. This felt so wrong, but I had no choice. Sadness, hurt, pain, frustration was all I felt. Mr. Williams must have felt the awkward quietness. He suddenly looked up from his computer and turned towards me.

"Now now Jess," Mr. Williams said. "You know this is for your own good right?" I nodded silently. "We have to prepare a good case. When you are questioned you have to tell the judge that Mike cheated on you!"

"What?" I asked. I couldn't do that! I don't know if Mike cheated on me or not. I never saw anything! Should I just jump into conclusions? "But Mr. Williams, I didn't see him cheat on me. I don't know if he did!" That was the truth. Besides, it's Mike who filed the divorce against me. I still could not understand why. The easiest explanation was the fact that he may have cheated, but I didn't know that for sure and I just could not testify on something I have not seen.

"Jess, there is no other reason for him to file for divorce!" Mr. Williams said. "You have been a faithful wife now haven't you?"

"Yes!" I screamed. "Of course I have! I love Mike! I could never hurt him!" Tears were curling up in my eyes. "How could he do this to me? How could he just leave?"

"I understand how you feel Jess," Mr. Williams said. "Go home now. You need some rest. I will see you at the courts tomorrow."

I stood up and stormed out of Mr. Williams' office. I headed home. Home... The place once surrounded by happiness. The place I used to rush to after a hard day of work; to see my husband's face; to hold him in my arms. My house was no longer a home. Ever since Mike had suddenly moved out and filed for a divorce, my house has been surrounded by nothing but darkness and gloom.

After a rough sleepless night I woke up the next day. Today was the day. The hearing of my divorce case. After today, I would be legally divorced. Mike would no longer be my husband! Mr. Williams picked me up at 9 am and he drove towards the courts. Journalists surrounded me as I got out of the car. Mr. Williams helped me cover my face as we rushed into the court room. Judge Anderson was already there. I looked at the opposition and caught a glimpse of Mike seated next to his lawyer. Tears started curling up in my eyes, but I managed to blink them away.

"Let the case begin!" Judge Anderson said. The fight had officially begun. Mr. Williams spoke trying to prove that Mike had cheated on me. Mike's lawyer, Mr. McAdams defended Mike, trying to turn the topic into what an ungrateful wife I had been. Apparently I did not treat Mike well, I didn't love him, I didn't care for him, I neglected him! I could not stand it! I looked back at the audience we had. I noticed a lady sitting in the far corner and smiling to herself. Was it her who manipulated Mike to file divorce. I had not seen Mike cheat with my own eyes, but there was a possibility that in fact he did cheat. Could I just give him the divorce and let this woman win?

"Stop it!" I screamed as I stood up. "None of this is true!" I felt the whole jury turn to face me.

"If you have anything to say please come up," Judge Anderson said. I walked up towards the witness box. I looked around at the jury. Mr. Williams walked towards me.

"Mrs. Jones could you please tell me did your husband cheat on you?" Mr. Williams asked. I looked at his face. I knew he wanted me to say yes. I looked back towards the lady sitting behind. She was giggling wickedly now. Should I let her win?

"I don't know!" I said. I could feel the disappointment in Mr. William's face. This was not what we had discussed! I looked at Mike. He had a blank, confused, guilty expression. I turned to face Judge Anderson. "I don't know if my husband cheated on me or not. I have never seen him with another woman. But I don't care!" I turned back to face Mike. Our eyes met. "I don't care if he cheated on me or not. All I know is I love him, and I cannot live without him! If he ever did cheat on me... I... I forgive him!" I could see Mike's confused expression. It pierced my heart to know that I maybe going against his wishes, but then he lightened up. He smiled slightly. What did that mean? I wondered.

"There's a saying that, every cloud has a silver lining," I continued. "Whatever we have been though, I'm ready to fix it. If I have made any mistake I'm ready to correct it. Mike, I do not want this divorce!" I said. "I never wanted it!" I watched as Mike stood up and walked towards his lawyer.

"I want us to be together! No matter what! Mike, I want to help you build up. I cannot just give up on you! I am not the one you should beware of! I am not your enemy." I screamed.

Mike walked towards me. "I know," he said. "I am sorry!" He hugged me. I could hear the cheer of the jury. From the corner of my eye I could see darkness in the woman's face. She stood up frustrated, and stormed out of the door.

Judge Anderson stood up. "That was easy," he said. "Case dismissed!"

An idea I got by listening to the amazing song, The last fight by Bullet for my valentine

Please be kind enough to leave your comments below

Victim

I'm a porcelain doll in a glass bottle. I have always been admired by everyone. My beautiful face, my glass brown eyes, my beautiful frilled dress has always been a topic of discussion. People liked to look at me and admire my beauty. Some stare at me for hours. But no one was allowed to touch me. My master has kept me on a shelf in his room with the door always locked. No one was allowed to take me out. Not even my master took me anywhere.

I have always wondered why... Why does my master have me secured? Am I really something worth keeping? All other dolls get their chance to go out, travel, see the world, be on display, and play with children. But not me. I had all the beauty in the world, all the comfort in the world. My master dusted my bottle daily to keep me shining. But I was nothing more than a prisoner in my own house. I didn't want to be.

I wanted to go out, to see the world. I wanted to travel. I wanted to play with children just like every other doll. But I couldn't do any of that. Was this life worth living? Was there any point being so pretty, rich and protected if I wasn't happy? I didn't want this. I wanted to end it all. I wanted to be free.

I waited for a windy day. My master always left one window in the room open just enough for a small ray of sunlight to come in. A gust of wind flew in that day; The day I decided to end it all. I called out to the wind. It heard me. The wind flew towards me. I pushed my bottle towards the wind. The wind knocked it off the shelf and it rolled. I could see the floor coming closer and closer. In a few seconds my bottle hit the floor. I felt my face knocking the ground hard. The bottle shattered, and so did I.

I was no longer beautiful. I was no longer wanted. I was no longer the centre of attention. I was broken, shattered, torn and ugly. My master had nothing to do but throw me away.

I was once a porcelain doll in a glass bottle. A prisoner in my own house! A victim! And now I am no more. But I was happy! Because now... I was finally free!

Wishes from Heaven

Life can take us through different paths from time to time. Today we could be happy, but one second could change our entire life. We could go from a great life to no life. That is exactly what happened to me. One year ago, on my wedding day I was so sure I would spend all eternity with my beloved husband, Ben. I embraced his love as I took my oath at the altar, as I said "I do." At that time I didn't know what God had planned for us that it would be so different from what we had planned for ourselves. But life had changed in a way that I had never imagined. Life had separated us in a way I had never thought.

We were happy for three months after marriage. I woke up every morning, prepared a nice cup of tea for Ben, and we got ready to go to work. Ben drove me to work, and once he dropped me off he would drive himself to work. Our way back home was the same. He picked me up from office on his way home. I loved Ben more than ever. He was the best husband anyone could ever ask for, and he loved me dearly. But unfortunately fate had come in between us.

It was a nice sunny Saturday. We were tired of a week of hard work. Ben and I had decided to take a trip to the south. I didn't know my life would end that day when Ben pulled the car out of the garage. He drove, with me seated on his left, chatting and laughing as we always do. I was so happy I had found him. He made my life complete. Suddenly out of the blue I felt something wrong was going to happen. Ben took a turn and suddenly I looked out of the window. A bus was speeding towards us. I screamed. Ben lost control of the car as the bus crashed at me. The car was pushed out of the way, spinning.

"Ben," I whispered. I felt my heart beat rising and my breath tightening. Blood was dripping down my forehead.

"Rachel, I'm here honey," Ben held my hand tightly. I knew he was stuck in his seat and he could not move towards me. Then, everything went black.

I watched Ben open his eyes. The doctor was right beside him. Thank God! Ben had severe injuries but he had survived the accident. He would get better. I sat beside him on his bed and tried to hold his hand, but I couldn't. My hand passed right through his hand. I understood everything at once and a tear escaped my eye. God had called me. From the corner of my eye I saw a black figure standing behind me. I turned to look at him. He was dressed in full black but he was glowing. An angel, I understood. He was the angel of death, and he had come for me. My beloved husband survived the crash, but I had to go. I had not survived. I had died.

Ever since I had left him that day I had constantly watched over him. I had turned into his guardian angel. I had invisibly followed him everywhere he went. I had looked after him. It had crushed me to watch him cry sometimes in the middle of the night screaming out my name. "Rachel!" he screamed one night as he dreamt our accident. I could see his dream and feel his pain. It hurt me too. I didn't like to watch him suffer.

Today it was our first wedding anniversary, and I was not with Ben. Tragically I had to leave him alone in this world. I watched Ben get out of bed early morning and go to church. He prayed for me. It made me feel good. He had lighted few candles in my name. He had asked God to look after me wherever I was. He had told God that he still loves me and forever will. It was our anniversary; I wanted to give him something. I wanted to give him a big hug. I wanted to give him a kiss and say I love you, and for that I needed permission. I needed God's permission to make myself visible to Ben just one time.

I watched Ben get home. He took a wash and came to our bedroom. I was sitting on the bed. Ben looked at me and his eyes went wide.

"Rachel," he said. I smiled. He could see me. Thank you God for giving me this chance. I prayed silently.

"Ben," I said, as I ran towards him and hugged him. "Happy anniversary darling!"

I watched as a tear curled up in Ben's eyes. He blinked it away and forced a smile. He needed me, I knew. But God had only given me five minutes.

"Ben, I know I'm not around anymore. But I want you to be happy. I want you to enjoy your life." I said.

"I need you Rachel," He said.

"I know," I said. "But I will always be with you. I have always been with you. Ever since the day of the accident I have followed you everywhere." I said. "It's just that you could never see me."

"I can see you now," he said. "Stay with me Rachel."

"I can’t Ben," I said. "I only have five minutes to be visible. Then I have to go back."

"I love you Rachel," Ben said. We hugged.

"I know," I said. "I love you too."

I moved away. Ben stared at me as I faded away into the thin air. I watched him cry silently. I was invisible again. But I felt good. I know Ben was feeling better too. It was our anniversary and God had let us meet one last time.

"Happy anniversary darling!" I whispered again as I disappeared back into heaven.

Fire Angel

Fire! It was all I could see. In front of me, behind me and all around me. It felt so warm surrounding me. I was standing in the middle of my room in a circle of fire. But I was not afraid. I was happy. I had inner peace. It will all be over soon, my mind said. The fire, though surrounded me, had not reached me yet. But it would reach me soon. I would soon turn into ash. I closed my eyes and let my mind wander towards the place I loved the most.

I was in the beach running away from the rough waves. You ran towards me and held me from waist. We laughed, screamed and played with the water. You carried me with your strong and steady arms. You walked closer to the water and dropped me in. I swam away shouting at you, annoyed. You laughed. Your laughter was like music to my ears. It made me laugh back. I swam back towards you. You carried me out of the water, smiling. I put my hands around your neck, holding you tight in case you were to drop me again. It had been such a beautiful day. The sun was setting behind us, waving goodbye. I missed you!

My eyes opened for the sudden burn in my arm. The fire had finally reached me. The fire had touched my sleeve and my arm. The pain on my skin reminded me of the day my heart caught on fire.

"I can’t be with you anymore!" You had said.

"But why?" I had asked. "Do you not love me anymore?"

"I do! But try to understand me! You have to leave me!" You had said. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. A silent tear escaped your eye. This had made me cry even harder. I hugged you tightly, never wanting to let go.

You had wrapped your arms around me and said "I'm sorry".

"Don’t apologize," I had said. "It is not your fault!"

We had hugged and cried for hours, just like the fire was hugging me now. My heart had burnt, just like my flesh was burning now.

Smoke surrounded me and I started coughing. A gust of smoke went through my nose and into my lungs. I looked around. All I could see was fire and smoke. "Goodbye cruel world!" I said as I felt my body falling onto the ground. Then everything went black.

I opened my eyes. White! Everything was white! where was I? Heaven? No! Can't be! Would I go to heaven? I tried to stand but I couldn't move my body. Where was I? My vision started becoming clearer. I was on a bed! There was someone standing and looking at me. I blinked. I could see wires and bandages on my limbs. A saline tube was hanging just above my bed. I finally understood where I was. I was in a hospital! I had survived the fire! Unbelievable!

I looked around! A man in white was standing next to me. I guessed he was my doctor. But I didn't want a doctor right now. I needed you! Where were you?

"Miss, how do you feel?" The doctor asked. I nodded my head to let him know I was ok.

"You have a visitor. He was here all week." The doctor said. All week? I had been unconscious for a week? "I will let him in miss, but please don't try to talk." The doctor said. I nodded again in agreement. The doctor disappeared out of the room. For a moment I was alone.

I looked at the door. My visitor was walking towards me. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was you! You had come back! Joy overwhelmed my heart. The pain I had turned into joy.

You came and touched my bandaged arm. "You burnt yourself!" you said to me. "You tried to kill yourself!" I was sad again. I looked away. I didn't want to look at your eyes. I had promised you I would be ok, but I had betrayed you. You came towards me and turned my face towards you.

"Listen to me." You said. "I will never leave you ever again!" I could not believe what I was hearing. You had just told me that you wouldn't leave. Tears of joy curled up in my eyes!

"I can't let you suffer!" You said. "I will stay with you forever" I was confused. What about the problem? I wanted to ask. I opened my mouth but no words came out.

"Don’t talk!" you advised. "Our problems are over! I can be with you!" You said. " I forced a smile out of my cheeks. "I will never let you go through any pain again!"

You had come back to me. Just like my dream. My prayers had been answered. I may have been burnt and I may have to suffer till recovery. But you were back! It made me the happiest girl ever! The fire had brought me good luck! The fire had brought me my angel back!

Based on:

My Easter Wish

I close my eyes and made a wish

A wish for my heart, a wish for my soul

I close my eyes and feel you near

My wish for you to be right here

I looked at Jesus up in Heaven

And told him I need you more than ever

He looked down at me and nodded his head

I know he will keep you with me forever

Though you are far away and though we do not meet

I pray for you every day for as long as I would breathe

Forever and for always you will be in my heart

I treasure you with love and pray we'll never depart

I know my Easter wish is all I'll ever need

I pray with all my heart to make this dream come true

Jesus please help, Jesus please grant

This dream I dream today, the dream of me and you...

You are all I need, you are all i see

Every day, every hour, every minute and every second

No matter how far you are you know I will be here

For ever and ever and ever and ever...

The beginning of a beautiful friendship

“You know I would never betray you!” His words echoed in my mind. Jake... How could he do this to me? He had promised he’d be there for me. He had promised to spend the rest of his life with me. But no! He had betrayed me. He had broken all his promises.

I stared at the mirror examining myself. I didn’t recognise the girl who looked back at me. She was thinner than ever, as if she hadn’t eaten for months! She had sad tearing eyes reflecting her broken heart. My broken heart! I didn’t recognise my own self!

“Come on Andy!” I spoke to the girl in the mirror. “How could you have changed so much?”

My life had changed rapidly over the past few weeks. I closed my eyes and imagined the first day I got her message... Sarah... That was her name. She had told me that Jake was her boyfriend and that they were having an affair. I didn’t believe it at first. But then, Jake’s behaviour explained a lot. He was seeing another girl behind my back. He wasn’t just betraying me, he was betraying Sarah too...

I had spent endless nights crying over Jake, but I had also continued to do one thing. I had kept in touch with Sarah; the girl who saved my life... from Jake. The girl, whose life was also at a risk. Jake could destroy her life too, in the same way he had destroyed mine. Jake was a player. He had betrayed me, and he could do the same thing to Sarah. I couldn’t let that happen now, could I?

All my happy memories with Jake came back to me when I knelt in front of Jesus in church on Sunday morning. I had prayed and prayed for salvation, for forgiveness, and for me to have the strength to face anything that came my way. My love for Jake would always remain the same, no matter how badly he had hurt me. And if he really did love Sarah, all I could do was to sacrifice my happiness for his, and for hers.

“I’m glad I have you to talk to,” I told Sarah one day. It was the first time we had met. “If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know where I would’ve been by now.”

“Yeah, me too,” she replied back. I stared at her eyes. I knew exactly what she was thinking. How many more girls had Jake deserted? How many girls will he desert in the future? What kind of a future would Sarah have if she really lasts with him? Would Jake always be faithful to Sarah? Did he really love her? These were questions that only God could answer. I closed my eyes and made a silent wish, for the answers to be positive for Sarah.

“Sarah, let’s be friends,” I said. “If anything goes wrong between you two, you can always count on me. I will definitely help you!”

“I don’t understand,” Sarah said, as she looked right at my eyes. “You lost Jake because of me! I took him away from you, and you still want to help me?”

I smiled. This was one thing people would never understand about me. My loyalty and protection towards the people I love. I nodded. “Yes,” I said. “I can help you.” I stared at Sarah as she gazed into my eyes, confusion written all over her face.

“Plus... It will be Christmas in a few days,” I said. “I can manage doing a few good things!”

“But...” Sarah started, but I shook my head and held her hand.

“I’m not angry with you Sarah, nothing is your fault. Jake played around with both of us, and we can’t help it. If there was one person to blame, it’s Jake. Not you, not me, not anyone else!” I smiled at her, as I watched tears curl up in her eyes.

“I can’t do this!” she said. “You love Jake!”

“So do you!” I said. “Sarah, if Jake is happy with you, then I don’t want him back. He can stay with you. You are not a bad person I know that. He’s lucky to have a girl like you.”

“But he hurt you!” she said. She was silent for a while. “You really love him a lot don’t you?”

I nodded. “Yes!” I said. “And, that’s why, I decided to leave him.” I smiled, forcing my tears to go away. Wow! I’m stronger than I thought! However Sarah had tears rolling down her cheeks. “Don’t!” I said, wiping them away. “Don’t cry for me!”

“I don’t know what to say Andy!” Sarah said, as she hugged me. A slight tear escaped the corner of my eye. I wiped it away before pulling back.

“Be happy Sarah!” I said. “And keep Jake happy.” I smiled. “Also remember, if you ever need anything, any help, any advice, simply anything in life, I’m just a phone call away!” Sarah nodded. “So what do you say? Friends?” I asked, stretching my hand towards her.

She smiled as she took my hand. “More like sisters!” she said.

I smiled to myself. This was not the end, I realised. This was just the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Jake may have destroyed my life, but thanks to him, I had found a great true friend.

One simple hug...

All I need is one simple hug...

To tell me that you Love me

To tell me that you care

All I need is one simple hug...

To make me feel wanted

To tell me that you'll be there

All I need is one simple hug...

A hug that can make my sorrow disappear

A hug that can make my day

All I need is one simple hug...

To know that you'll never leave me

To know that you'll forever Love me

And all I can do is give you one simple hug...

To tell you I will be there

To tell you I will never leave you

Today, I will give you one simple hug...

To tell you I will always Love you...

Forever and ever and ever...