Angel's Kiss

Jack was desperate. He hadn't had a decent job in months, his savings was only enough to pay his rent one last time. No money for food, he played his Saxaphone down on Main street for pocket change so he could keep himself with a 99 cent burger every couple of hours. A musician without a hope in the world. His family was gone, the only living relative was his sister who bailed on him the last time he was thrown in jail for doing dope.

He was clean now, hell even if he wanted it he couldn't afford it. Pushing thirty, there was little hope for him. He couldn't use a computer, too hopeless to even work a fast food job.

So when the offer came to him to meet with a gentleman named Alan Richards, a business, or so he introduced himself. Alan owned some kind of traveling show, he called it. He traveled around Europe so people could see his wonders. The money was marginal, but Alan's offer would feed and shelter Jack rent free and let him see Europe, a place Jack's career had never taken him. Jack's career never took him anywhere it seemed.

Alan pushed a contract toward him and Jack was only too quick to sign. Anything was better than where he was now. This could be his last chance.

So he caught a flight and Jack found himself taken into the camp. A series of trailers and tents set up in a large circle. Jack saw signs advertising the bearded woman, midgets, the worlds strongest man, the dog-faced boy and others. This was nothing more than a traveling freak show.

Jack was shown his small trailer, equiped with a small fridge and a bed and that was it. He set his sax case and keyboard down and sat on the bed with his face in his hands. A freak show, that was what his life had come too? He couldn't believe this shit. As angry as it made him, as depressed as he felt, he knew he couldn't turn this down. He was homeless if he left.

He heard a gasp of people outside and he glanced up. Through the small window in his trailer he saw people gathering on the small stage platform set up in the center of the camp. On the stage was a girl, maybe 20 years old, beautiful as anything he had ever seen. She made a gesture and wings spread from behind her. Angel's wings, pure white and prestine. They were at least five feet long each, and when she relaxed they folded against her back. He watched in awe as she made a show of flapping and showing off her splendor.

She smiled and it looked like she looked directly through the window of his trailer and it seemed suddenly like her little show was all for him.

Blushing Jack jerked his gaze from out the window and pulled out a sheet of paper. His job was to write and play music for each of the freak's shows, and he thought he finally had some inspiration.

He began to put notes on the page.

Astrid stood on the stage, surrounded, like always, by onlookers. They all gasped and pointed as she flexed her wings. She found it hard to smile when you knew that the people looking at you were secretly and sometime vocally happy they were not her. She was a freak. This was her life. Night after night she was paraded on stage and shown off for the oddity she was. Yet, she was the biggest attraction for their little traveling band. She was probably the saddest as well.

She looked over as she stood there, something caught her eye in one of the trailers. She did not know anyone was in that trailer. He seemed to be looking at her, like all the others, but there was no laughter in his eyes that she could see from here. A smile crossed her lips as she looked at him. Even if she misread the look, it made her feel normal. Her wings instinctively flapped at bit. The on-lookers clapped as they saw, thinking she was putting on a show.

Once the show was over she made her way back to her trailer. It was not safe for her to walk around until all the locals were gone. She sat there at her mirror, staring at her wings as they spread out from behind her. She had crystal blue eyes, beautiful porcelain skin and long golden locks, yet all people ever saw were her wings. She would love to be seen as something else…someone else.

Jack began working o n his music, the angel giving him inspiration. He put together a beautiful piece of music, but it didn't seem worthy of her. He pushed the papers aside and pushed a few keys together on the keyboard. It made a chordal angelic sound and he sighed. Such inspiration from just seeing such a wonderful sight.

It was almost ironic. Here he was in the shittist moments of his life and he thought that suddenly he had a reason for living. What was wrong with him?

Something moved past his window and he glanced up, catching a glimpse of a bird wing. He scrambled to his feet and threw open the door to see the angel walking through camp, her wings flowing behind her like a goddess.

"Hey!" He cried out to her, then he blushed as she turned to him. He bit his lip and coughed, "Sorry I um..im new here, I uh, I am the musician. Uh hi my name is Jack." The whole time he talked to her he made sure not to openly look at her wings, though through the corners of his eyes he took in her magnificent.

Astrid turned and looked at the man. She smiled kindly at the gentleman as he spoke. She noticed first off that he did not look at her wings. That alone made her want to talk to him. “Nice to meet you, Jack. I am Astrid.” She walked back towards his trailer. “Are you the one hired to compose songs for all of us here?” She avoided using the word “freak” around people not like them. She looked at him, his eyes were very kind. It caused her to smile more, which was very odd for her. She had always seemed so sullen. She held out her hand, “Well, let me welcome you to the group. I am known as ‘The Fallen Angel’ as well as Astrid. I hope the others are kind to you. We are not used to new people joining us. Especially normal ones like yourself. No offense meant.”

Jack listened to her welcome him. Her voice was soft and soothing, as if it alone could be a song. He didn't know how to respond to her at first. Clearly he was the outcast here, and it wasn't fair to act any different. Though if she was as pleasant as the rest of the people here then it wouldn't be so bad.

He smiled weakly and shook his head, "Fallen angel. That seems so sad, maybe enchanted is better, enchanted angel." He held out his hand and said, "Nice to meet you Astrid."

He looked around at the camp and sighed, "Im working on a song for you already. You're the first person I have seen and I can't believe something as beautiful as you could exist. Please tell me you are real, are you really and angel?"

Astrid’s blue eye sparkled as he said enchanted angel fit her better. Most thought fallen was the best. And he shook her hand without fear or a disgusted look. She was so thankful for that. She was taken aback when he stated he had said he was writing a song for her already. She had to keep from blurting out she wanted to hear it. She was not glad she did not since his next words were so kind, they caused her to blush. She looked away shyly.

After composing herself, she looked back at him and smiled politely at his question. “I am real, I assure of that, but I don’t think I am an angel. I am told I had parents, they were killed in a car accident.” She paused as she realized the way she spoke of them may seem odd. “You see, I don’t remember my childhood nor them. All I was told was they named me Astrid because they thought I must have come from the heavens.” She laughed softly, “I am sorry, I am sure you don’t want to hear my story. I don’t talk to many people and those I do talk to just want to question my whereabouts.”

She decided to change the subject, “So you play many instruments? I always wished I could, but I can only sing. Don’t have much time anyways to learn.” She smiled at him and bit her lower lip shyly, she seemed to have just opened up to a complete stranger, but his eyes and face were so inviting. She found herself staring into his eyes. She looked away at the ground.

Jack was ashamed he had actually said that to her. Of course she wasn't an angel, not a real one. It was only his shitty life that made him hope for something magical to happen to him. But instead he was in the middle of god knew where in Europe with a beautiful woman with angel wings growing from her back. Maybe there was a purpose to it all after all. Astrid seemed like a wonderful person. A wonderful woman who never got to speak to people because they'd only stare at her wings.

"For what it is worth. I think your wings are the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Except maybe not as beautiful as you." He blushed and looked down.

There was a chime as a man with a cart and a wooden pair of legs came walking up to them. "Dinner delivery," he paused and looked at Astrid. "Are you eating with the new guy Astrid?"

Jack looked at her, thinking that it would be an honor to have dinner with such a woman. It could be like a little date. He couldn't remember the last time he had the company of a woman. Not since before he started drugs at least, how long had that been, nine years now?

Astrid blushed as he spoke of thinking her wings and herself were beautiful. He was very kind. She wondered what he was doing here when he could be doing something much better. She looked over as the man approached with dinner. She looked to Jack, “Oh, I uh…” she looked to the man and then back at Jack, who did not seem to be oppose to the idea. “I suppose I could.” She thought it would be nice to have dinner with him. She usually ate alone, so this would be a nice change. She like the company anyway.

She took the food as the man handed it out. She looked to Jack, “If you don’t want my company, it is alright. I would understand. I can eat back at my trailer.” She gave him a sweet smile as she gave him an out. She did not like to impose herself and just because he was saying nice things to her, did not mean he wanted to spend time with her. And she did not want to push her luck at this point with the new person.

Jack was surprised that she seemed so unsure of herself. She was a goddess amongst men, she had no reason to be shy. Then again he supposed after a life of being stared at my gocking masses it could hurt someones self esteem. He smiled and gestured into his trailer, "I'd love for you to join me."

He slipped into the trailer and quickly tried to make room for her and her wings to sit down. He set his keyboard on the bed and pushed the saxaphone case under the bed. HE went back out and got a tray of food from the guy and welcomed Astrid into the cabin.

He sat down and watched her duck into the room. "So they just bring us food. Talk about feeling like being in a zoo. Are you not allowed to go into town and get your own food?" He asked her, wondering how it worked. Some of the people, like the bearded-woman probably didn't want to go into town for obvious reasons. Perhaps even Astrid with her wonderful wings wouldn't want to be seen. But if she just put on a coat she could cover her wings and go out like any other beautiful woman.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked looking at her, "Can you fly?"

Astrid stepped into his trailer and sat down across from Jack. She nodded, “Well, think about what you are saying. People pay to see us much like the animals at the zoo. I am sure they may even view some of us like that. But no, most of us never leave the safety of the trailers. Most locals don’t like to see us amongst them and some tend to get violent. I am sure you would be safe if you were to leave, are you not cursed.”

She was looked down at her food when he asked her a question. She looked up at him and laughed softly, “I have never given it a proper try. I am scared of heights. But I can get off the ground if I try. It used to be part of my show, just to prove they were real, but I had someone throw a rock at me once when I did it and I have never tried again.” She looked back down at her food for a moment and then back at Jack. “You don’t look at me the way they do. Even when you first saw me,” she smiled at him, “I would like to thank you for that. I have not felt normal in so long and I feel normal right now. So, what kind of song are you writing for me?”

Jack didn't think he looked at Astrid with anything special. Maybe shock when he first saw her. Though he saw a beautiful woman where other people may see a freak. How anyone could not see a beautiful thing when they looked at Astrid was beyond Jack though.

Perhaps his history allowed him to see the angel she was. His mental health needed it, his life hadn't panned out the way he wanted and he was here on a last ditch effort to live. Though with Astrid here it may not be so bad.

"It isn't done. I don't think it is beautiful enough yet, and I never let people here anything unfinished." He told her smiling.

He took a bite of the stew that was brought to him and frowned. It tasted like dog food with real veggies in it. But compared to what he was living on before it was way better. "Must be a master chef on staff too,"I he said almost jokingly.

He looked at her and smiled, "Can I tell you something? I haven't had anyone to talk to in a long time."

Astrid could not wait to hear the song, but was willing to wait till it was finished. She had never had a song written for her and she very excited that someone was. Even if he was suppose to do it as his job. She laughed at his comment and nodded. “Oh yes, he is the dog faced boy,” she commented as if she read his thoughts. She smiled at him, “The food is terrible here. It is a good thing to keep some spices in the trailer to help give it some flavor.”

She took a bit, but curled her lip slightly, it was worse tonight than it had been in a while. She looked up at Jack as he spoke. She smiled sweetly at him, “Well, whenever you need someone to talk to, you are welcome to find me. I don’t have many friends here, so it would be nice to have one that I feel comfortable around.”

Jack smiled and nodded. Then he began to tell her his story. He told her about his entire life as if she were an angel to confess too. He told had about his first limited musical success and his decent into drugs because of his minor fame. He told her about losing everything and ending up in jail. He told her of his struggle when he got out and how he finally ended up here with her.

"I thought this place was my living hell. Then I saw you and thought that this could be the first good thing to happen to me in a long time." He looked down and saw he had finished the food. "Sorry I talk too much."

Astrid ate her food as Jack told her about his life. She was a little shocked by the news, but almost happy it led him here. She felt selfish for thinking that way though. He deserved more than writing songs for a bunch of freaks. He deserved to be happy.

She shook her head, “No, you don’t. I wish I remembered my past. It would answer a lot of questions for me.” She put her empty bowl down and looked at him, “I am sorry your life did not travel down the path you intended it to. And I am sorry you ended up here. You deserve better than this no matter what your past was. Though, I cannot lie, I am happy you are here.” She smiled at him.

Jack was saddened that she didn't remember much about her past. It seemed like such a shame that an angel would only know her life as a freak. It made his past not seem so bad. Though looking back was still depressing.

It made him smile when she told him she was glad he was here. She seemed to like him and he wondered again what it would be like to be touched by her. He couldn't believe that he would have a chance with such a young and beautiful woman. Suddenly he had to urge to feel her wings, to reach out and touch her in any way possible.

He blushed and turned his head away. He tapped at the keyboard on the bed and he looked at her. "I can't play you your song, but would you like to hear me play something?" He asked turning the keyboard on and pulling it into his lap.

Astrid smiled as she looked at him. She had not spent much time with people, especially men. Her boss told her no good would come of it, but since Jack worked here, she did not see the harm in it. Something about him she was drawn to. She could not place it, but she wanted to spend time with him, get to know him.

She nodded as he asked if she wanted to hear a song. “I would love to.” She felt like she was getting her own private concert and she was thrilled. She sat back and waited for him to play.

Jack took a breath and began to play. He put together a melody of romantic sounded chords and sounds, then he played the song "Sunshine of my life" just to see if she would recognize it. He smiled at her when the song was finished and he slid the keyboard away.

HE opened his mouth to say something when suddenly the trailer door opened and Alan Richards peered in. "I hear good music coming from...." he paused and glared at Astrid when she noticed her there.

"Astrid why are you in here? You know that you are supposed to be in bed by nine o'clock." HE jerked a thumb out of the trailer. "Get to bed."

JAck opened his mouth, but he caught a look from Astrid and shut it.

Astrid smiled as she listened to Jack play. It was beautiful. She laughed softly as he played a song she knew. She shook her head and giggled, “You are very good.”

She jumped as the door opened. She froze as she saw her boss standing
there. She looked at Jack and slightly shook her head, hoping he would not say anything. She stood up, “I am sorry, sir. I was telling him about the group. I will go.” She hung her head and left the trailer, she did not dare look back in fear Alan would notice. She should not press her luck.

She made her way to her trailer wishing she could have spent some more time with Jack. She paused as she noticed she missed him. It was odd, she thought. She entered her trailer and closed the door. She sat on her small couch and thought about her short time with Jack.

After Astrid left Alan turned to Jack and smiled, "Making friend already I see. Well we like to keep certain rules around here, keeps everybody on the same schedule and healthy. You are new so you couldn't know that, but now you do." Alan clapped his hands and said, "Now big day tomorrow, it's the big show with all members of our cast each doing a show, I want you up and watching them so at our next stop you can have music prepared. We go to Spain on Friday."

Then he turned and vanished out of the trailer.

Jack couldn't believe it, the guy was like a psycho Walt Disney. He felt bad for Astrid and the others, they were adults and should be allowed to stay up as late as they wanted and do what they wanted.

He looked out his window to see if he could see Astrid still, but she was long gone. With a sigh Jack flopped onto his bed and closed his eyes.

Astrid sat there rather mad that they were interrupted, but those were the rules and she needed to abide by them. She decided she should sleep. She would get in trouble if she did not look her best for the show tomorrow night. She changed into a nightgown and crawled into bed. She laid on her side and thought about Jack. She smiled as she fell asleep.

The next day Jack was up early and sitting next to the stage as the performers, or freaks did their thing. He made notes, and wrote down ideas of music to put to the shows that they did. He also kept an eye out for Astrid, wanting to see her again when she came out to do her thing. The picture of her wings fully extended made him smile and he wondered if she would let him touch those soft feathers.

Alan came by to check up on him and asked him about the music. "Have you had any problems?"

Jack shrugged, "No not really. Listen I wanted to ask you why you kept such a tight lid on things here. Meals are at very certain times, bedtimes must be strictly followed, I don't get it. We're all adults, why treat people like this is a zoo?"

Alan glanced at him and shook his head, "You don't understand. These people are not welcome in the world. They cannot leave this place, because in the real world they would be mocked, locked away. Can you imagine a dog-man walking the street like it's an everyday thing? I keep these people safe and happy, they want for nothing."

He stood, "Do not judge what you cannot understand. You are normal, they are not, do not try to feel what they feel."

Then he walked away.

It was time for Astrid's show. She came out on stage with her wings behind her, like always. Once she was introduced properly, she extended her wings to a gasping crowd. She then spotted Jack in the crowd. She smiled at him, happy to see her new friend again. For the first time in a while she ignored the looks from the other people.

Once her show was over, she stayed backstage for a little, waiting for the crowd to die out. She then came out, hoping that just maybe Jack would be there. She wanted to talk to him again.

Jack marveled when Astrid took the stage. He watched her wings unleash themselves in glory and he delighted in watching her. The wind fluttered through her feathers as well as her golden hair truly making her seem like an angel.

He didn't make any notes for her. He already had a great start to her piece and it would come together easily enough. After she stepped backstage the crowd was told the show was over, as the sun set in the west people began to file out of the camp and back to their cars.

Jack waited for people to leave before he stood. As he got to his feet he saw Astrid come out from around the stage and look up at him. He smiled at her and waved, wondering if she would come talk to him.

Astrid smiled as she Jack there waving at her. She waved back and made her way to him. “Hi Jack,” she said gleefully, “Did you enjoy seeing everyone tonight?” She looked around to make sure her boss was not watching them. After all his warnings, she was scared to be seen with Jack.

She looked back at Jack, “What are your plans for the rest of the night?” She wondered if he would be busy writing music or if he may want to hang out with her. She really hoped it was the latter.

Jack smiled and ruffled through his papers. "The shows were...interesting I suppose." He smirked and looked around. "I don't know what there is to do around here. I mean what do you guys do for fun? You can't possibly just work and sleep right?" He asked raising an eyebrow at her.

His eyes fell to her wings casually, then jerked back to her face. He blushed, "Sorry I keep looking, I can't help but admire you." He wished he had the courage to ask her to spread her wings for him, up close and just for him.