Angels in the Basement

Demonstrating how just a few lines can really change a mood.

 TAKE 1 -------------------------------- He clambered up onto one of the boxes, looking into the fire. He pulled his knees in close to his body and hugged them. "Why do you stay down here in this place?" He looked around the small cave. "Papa says you can't come up. But I think you just won't." The child sneezed. "You could sleep in my room, I wouldn't mind." He scratched, "but papa doesn't let me have company, so I'd have to sneak you in real quiet." The boys eyes grew wild and wide. "Your wings are really pretty." He couldn't take his eyes off of her. "Mama said you were an angel, put here long ago to stay, but papa says there ain't no thing as angels, no how." He timidly held forth one of his biscuits. "I don't know what you are," After she took it from him, he bit down on his own. "but you sing real nice." He smiled. "I like when you sing. It's like when mama was still alive, she would sing me to sleep. I sort of like how you sing to me now." He laughed, "but ain't heard no one sing as high and pretty as you." He stepped off the box and went to walk up the path back to the mouth of the cave. He turned back and peeked at her through his tangles. "Maybe mama was right. Maybe you are an angel." He smiled, "But no matter, you can still stay in my room. We can share biscuits." 

TAKE 2 -------------------------------- He clambered up onto one of the boxes, looking into the fire. He pulled his knees in close to his body and hugged them. "Why do you stay down here in this place anyway?" He looked around the small cave. "Papa says you can't come up. But I think you just won't." The child sneezed. "You could sleep in my room, I wouldn't mind." He scratched at his hip, "but papa don't let me have company, so I'd have to sneak you in real quiet." A slender hand reached up through the dim light, and opened slightly, letting a little bell fall from a bracelet loosely fastened around its owner's wrist. Her nails were long, each coming to a point, perfectly formed like creamy scalpels. She twisted her wrist back and forth repeatedly, letting the small charm ring. The boys eyes grew wild and wide. "Your wings are really pretty." He couldn't take his eyes off of her. "Mama said you were an angel, put here to protect us, but papa says there ain't no thing as angels, no how." He timidly held forth one of his biscuits. "I don't know what you are," After she took it from him, he bit down on his own. "but you sing real nice." He smiled. "I like when you sing. It's like when mama--" He brushed his hand across his eyes.  "when she was still alive, she would sing me to sleep. I sort of like how you sing to me now." He smacked his hands against his pant legs, "but ain't heard no one sing as high and pretty as you." The creature pulled her hand back into the darkness and waited. He stepped off the box and went to walk up the path back to the mouth of the cave. He turned back and peeked at her through his tangles. "Maybe mama was right. Maybe you are an angel." He smiled, "But it don't matter, you can still stay in my room. We can share biscuits." No. Not an angel. She closed her hand around the trinket, feeling it bite into her. Not an angel at all.