When Lightning Strikes

Mollie stepped out of her apartment and into the dimly lit hallway. Lamps were bolted to the cream coloured walls every few feet, lighting the way for those heading to their own homes. The young woman was the only soul wandering the halls, everyone else was still asleep in their room, unaware of the sound she heard. Her eyebrow raised skywards, had no one else heard something crashing onto the roof? Either that or they were all deaf in their sleep.

She slowly proceeded down the hall towards the roof stop entrance. In her hand, she nervously fiddled with the rooftop keys, the sound of metal against metal slightly calming her nerves.

When Mollie first moved into her apartment, she was given the option having full access to the roof for an extra charge. She had the money, so she went for it. For weeks, she turned it into a rooftop garden, complete with a patio swing, planters and fairy lights. The young woman always wanted the chance to own a rooftop garden, so she took the opportunity within a heartbeat. When the days are nice and she had no work or school, she would sit up there, painting or drawing any ideas that sprang up into her head. It was her ideal day off.

Proceeding up the stairs, the sounds of the storms grew louder. Another clap of thunder shook the air, and Mollie swore it felt like she was in an earthquake that lasted a few seconds. She almost lost her footing if she hasn't palmed the wall for support. Her blue eyes widened as she realized how close she was to the storm; if she went outside, she would be easy pickings for a bolt of lightning.

Mollie bit her lip- "Is it really a good idea to go out there?"

Mollie mustered up her courage, her soft heart being the catalyst for such emotions. She pulled her hood over her head while taking a deep but shaky breath. Quickly unlocking the door with her keys, she struggled to push the door open. The strong winds put up a fight, resisting Mollie's feeble effort. Shoving the soles of her shoes into the floor, she heaved the door open, just enough so that she could slip through.

However as soon as she was exposed to the elements, her clothes became soaked by the heavy rain within seconds. The cold rainwater seeped into the fabric of her pyjama pants but slipped right off of her raincoat. Mollie's lips quivered and her teeth chattered as she slowly wandered along the rain blanketed rooftop. Her rain boots splashed into the accumulating water if it weren't for those her bare feet would be soaked. Mollie attempted to her herself warm, hugging her quivering body with her arms. Step after step, the young woman proceeded further across her tarmac roof, looking for any signs of something, anything.

Mollie rounded the corner of her patio swing, closing in on her garden. She was expecting to see her hand grown vegetables and lily garden, left untouched by anything but the rain. How wrong could the poor woman be? Very wrong apparently.

Her jaw dropped to the wet tarmac, her heart freezing in place. For years, she's been tending to her prized lily garden, showing it tender and loving care throughout the flower's growing stages. Every day she would visit the beautiful flowers, watering them so that they stay alive and blossom with their full potential. But now, all her hard work, all her dedication- her lily garden was ruined. The flowers were pulled from their earthy home, it was almost as if there were no flowers there, to begin with. In fact, the entire planter was thrown onto its side, the dirt- now mud- spilling onto the roof. There were fragments of petals splattered about, floating about in the blanket of water.

The woman's heartbreak and curiosity drew in her before she knew it she slowly approached the spilt dirt.

Mollie stumbled back in disbelief, almost as if a bombshell was thrown at her face, strong enough to knock her down. She landed in the huge puddle, the cold water soaking into her pyjama bottoms and underwear. A hiss passed her lips as a shock of pain shot up her spine. However, her sapphire blue eyes widened upon focusing on one thing and one thing only.

The air was sucked right out of her lungs, the confusion punching her right in the gut. No, it wasn't confusion, it was a revelation, a rude awakening. A bright flash of lightning burst through the dark clouds of the storm, lighting up the entire rooftop.
"W-What...?" she gasped, her breath coming out laboured. "No, no, no... Mollie, you're seeing things..."
Despite the word being thrown from her mouth, her body acted on its own. She slowly crawled towards the planter, and the mass lying beside it. Only a foot away, her mind was still in shambles. Another bolt of lightning cracked through the sky, forcing Mollie to read it and weep. She's couldn't deny it anymore, no matter how hard she tries.

An unconscious man laid upon her roof, his clothes becoming soaked in the rain. However, as normal as a man is, there was nothing mundane about this one. Mollie's arm reached out towards him, her hand shaking from the anticipation. Wings. A pair of HUGE wings connected to the man's back, laying limply on the tarmac. Clumps of mud-stained the white feathers, turning them to an earthy brown. This is how Mollie's lilies were ruined, this man, no- this angel crash landed on her planter, causing it to be thrown onto its side and pulling the flowers right from the soil. Not to mention the lily petals were also lodged between the man's feathers and stuck to the clumps of mud on the angel's wings and body. He was in terrible condition; not only were his wings covered in dirt and petals, one of his wings was scorched, the feathers charred and barely hanging on.

An angel, struck right out of the sky by a bolt of lightning, then landing on Mollie's roof.

Her movements were unconscious, her hand palmed his shoulder, shaking it slightly. The angel displayed no signs of consciousness, continuing to lay limp against her touch.
"What do I do...?" she whimpered, her hands wandering up to her hood to grasp it out of frustration.
Mollie knew she couldn't leave this man alone up here, he needed help. If her mother has taught her anything, she needed to help those out in need, especially if they were in such a state. Otherwise, her heart and soul wouldn't let her leave and act as nothing happened.

"Alright Mr. Angel..." she whispered in a determined voice. "You're coming with me."