Inklings 2023

her. The man praised her, which seemed to relax her posture. I could not make out his words, but I could see him begin to reach out his hand. Instead of touching her gently, he snatched a bundle of her glowing hair. The townspeople marveled at the sight of the light he held in his hand, but the angel let out her loudest and most true cry yet. The man’s wonder became indignation; how could she be so rude? She displayed herself every day for the town, yet he could not wish to take just a tiny piece for himself? She jumped back with a frantic movement of her wings, causing a force so strong that the man was pushed off the cliff, followed by a loud thud. Gasps filled the air, and clamor grew among the townspeople. In the second that all the townspeople turned to look at the doomed man, no one caught a glimpse of where she went. She was never seen again. Some believe she disappeared into thin air, others that she retreated into her castle or ran away in fear, and others have their own theories. No one truly knows what happened that day. What is known is that, after that moment, the town went dark. Light no longer came from the top of the castle, the melody came to a halt, and the town’s soul vanished with her. The school- children no longer danced or rejoiced. The townspeople no longer hummed cheerfully as they worked. Silence eternally pervaded the town, and her spirit was no longer felt. Decades later, a group of townspeople, the newly named Angelocks, still remain in desperate search for the last possible remaining piece of the angel: that bundle of hair. ARCHES Lily Namias ’25 25