Frisson

~He watched her sit alone, the only light in a world of temporary darkness. Monsters danced on the walls, waiting for the girls light to fade so they could feast upon her ever present nightmares. The dull glow of the laptop faded, but the pulsing light of the power button persisted, if only for a moment. She blinked once, twice, then she fell into that nocturnal haven that they call sleep. The demons laughed as they seized their chance to feast upon that which dwelt inside the girls mind. He moved ahead of them, arms spread. He knew that if he gave them the chance to feed they wouldn't stop, not until all that was left of this girls sanity was theirs, and so he protected her. He held them off, throwing them as far away from her as he could, but his strength was fading. He kept going though, he had to, it was, after all, the reason he was still there. He protected her throughout the night, and when the first beams of sunlight forced themselves through the blinds, the monsters finally left them. He collapsed against the wall, exhausted. He couldn't rest now though, he had to get up, he had to say goodbye. Using the wall for support, he pushed himself up. Tears began to form as he stood over her. He bent down and whispered in her ear, "You will always be my little girl, and I never want you to give up, no matter how hard it gets. I have to go now, but I want you to always remember that I love you with all my heart and I'm so proud of you." He kissed the scars on her arm and brushed the hair out of her face before kissing her cheek. She rolled over, and as a single tear fell from his eye onto her, he was taken back to the afterlife.

~Everything stopped without warning, and as a small light appeared at the far side of the room, she heard her father's voice. "You will always be my little girl, and I never want you to give up, no matter how hard it gets. I have to go now, but I want you to always remember that I love you with all my heart and I'm so proud of you." She jumped as she felt something touch her arm. As she lifted up her long sleeve she watched her scars disappear. The hair that hid her face from the world parted to reveal the tears streaming down her beautiful face. Her father was standing in front of her now, his hand moving down from her face. He kissed her cheek, and as he did, a single tear landed on the smooth skin of her shoulder. She opened her eyes and sat up, but her bedroom was empty. She looked down at her arms, but her scars were still there. As she turned her head she saw a drop of water roll down her shoulder; the tear of her father. The tear of an angel.