worse.

Seph: The list of friends I had was very thin… After my mother had died, and even before, I was the one to be picked on. When my mother would take me to see all the other youths in the pack, they acted like they were nice until my mother left.

            Aleu grew very sorry to hear this. Although she wasn’t one of the youths, she felt bad. 

Seph: They picked on me; made fun of me, called me names, and some times they would even tell me they would hurt me if I didn’t stay away from them. 

            Seph walked over to the wall and sat down in front of a small window, staring out through it.

Seph: When my mother was finally gone…

            Seph grew silent. Aleu walked a little close to him to see what he was doing. She could barely see his face. At the angle that she saw him, he looked sad. He was sniffing and taking deep breaths. She then saw a tear.  

            Seph, still sitting where he was, turned his head towards Aleu, with tears the tear shining in his eye.

Seph: I was the perfect target… From there on… they didn’t stop.   

            Aleu’s heart dropped. She had never heard such a sad story. Aleu walked up to him and sat at his side. She looked up at him while he was turning away. 

Aleu: Seph, I am so sorry.

            Aleu then rubbed her head against his shoulder to try and comfort him. Seph was touched by her sorrow. He looked down at Aleu and smiled.

Seph: There is nothing to be sorry for. As I said, you’re not the only friend I have.  In fact, you can say that the friends I have are more like brothers and sisters than friends.

            Seph then looked into Aleu’s eyes in such a way that Aleu can almost feel a special presence in him; a presence that she had never felt before, but yet she found quite peaceful.

Seph: When I discovered how much someone can be there for you, I forgot my bad memories, and started to forgive.

            Then Aleu started to get an idea about what he was talking about, but wasn’t quite sure of it. Was he trying to extend a message to her?

Seph: It’s not always a bad thing, being weak. Actually, if you really think about it, it just may be an advantage. 

            Seph then started to look out the window again. 

Seph: If you are the last to be chosen in their eyes, then you are the strongest in His.

            Aleu looked at him in both confusion and curiosity. All of a sudden, he was talking about another person. Who could it have been?

Aleu: Who? 

            Seph then stood up and walked toward her, facing her and staring at her with a smile. All of a sudden, Aleu started to feel a light brush of wind through her fur, and it was coming from Seph’s direction. But when she looked up, her eyes widened when she saw what she did. A small beam of light was growing behind Seph, and as it got bigger a brighter, Seph answered her question.

Seph: (Smoothly) God.  

            Then right after he said his name, the light lit the whole room. Aleu looked at it in astonishment. And when she looked at Seph, she saw wings, beautiful wings. And when she saw that the belonged to Seph; she then realized that Seph was an angel. 

            The light then slowly began to go fade away, along with Seph’s wings. She couldn’t believe it. He was an angel. Aleu was breathless.

Aleu: Seph.

            Aleu had trouble putting words out. She had never experienced such a wonderful thing like this.

Aleu: Y- you’re an angel? ... I can’t believe this.

            Seph walked up to her slowly.  

Seph: (Softly) Aleu… you have been troubled.

            Aleu took silence for a while so she could get herself together.

Aleu: I have.  

Seph: Something has brought you to remember your past. 

            Aleu closed her eyes and put her head down as she thought about it. 

Seph: It has discomforted you?

Aleu: It has… and I tried to forget. 

Seph: I know.

            Seph walked closer to her and stopped when he was close enough. He was slightly taller than Aleu. 

Seph: Someone you met earlier today, Niju is his name.  

Aleu: You know about him?

            Seph shook his head in agreement. Aleu began to remember what she said to him. She felt ashamed a little bit at the thought of it, knowing how she greeted him.

Aleu: He came this morning, unexpectedly. I didn’t greet him fairly. He wanted to apologize.

Seph: And?

            Then Aleu’s face all of a sudden turned from sad to angry once she remembered what Niju did. She didn’t care if he was apologizing. What he did was beyond wrong. She thought.

Aleu: I didn’t believe him. And even if he was telling the truth, I didn’t accept his apology.

Seph: I see… and why not.

Aleu: Because what he did was unacceptable.

            Aleu’s voice got louder in anger as she spoke. 

Aleu: He threatened to kill Nava, using his old age as an advantage, and he almost killed me. Plus he was unconfident; he didn’t believe that anyone could achieve anything besides himself.

Seph: Aleu, listen to me.

            Aleu’s temper went back the way it was as he talked to her softly. She got a little carried away.

Seph: I know how you feel about this. And I understand you completely… but, he did apologize, right?  

Aleu: Yes, he did. 

Seph: Did he at least sound like he meant it.

Aleu: Well… yes. He said he knew that he was acting the way he was, and that he was afraid… of change. At least that’s what Nava told me.

Seph: So he did admit that he was afraid.  

Aleu: Yes.  

            Seph put took his paw and lifted up Aleu’s face and looked strait into her eyes.

Seph: Aleu, I know after what he did, it is hard to accept his apology. But, if this someone who has been unconfident and heartless in your eyes is saying sorry from the bottom of his heart, I don’t see how it would hurt to at least give it a shot. 

Aleu: At what?

Seph: Forgiving him.

            Aleu turned her head and thought about it. She though about what she said to him when he tried to say sorry.  

Aleu: Well, I don’t know. See, when he tried to apologize to me, I was very hard on him. I told him that what he did was unforgivable, and that I didn’t want him in my sight again. After that, I don’t think he’ll even let me talk to him.

Seph: You never know. Maybe he just might forgive you, if he really wanted you to forgive him.

            Aleu turned her head away. She didn’t want to think about it. She thought that it was impossible because of the way she treated him.

            She was very upset about what Niju did before, but somewhere in her heart she realized that everyone can make mistakes, and realize their fears. Niju did say sorry from the very bottom of his heart, and he really meant it, and Aleu knew it. She just let her anger overcome her. She really did owe him an apology, and her forgiveness.

Seph: Remember what I told you Aleu. Think about it.

            Aleu then stepped quickly up to him.

Aleu: Hey, wait a minute. You’re not leaving me are you?

Seph: Not exactly. I’ll be there when you need help. 

            The light in the room started to appear again, right behind Seph as he started to walk towards it. 

Aleu: (Running up to him) But I do need your help.

Seph: Aleu, I’ve already helped you… for now. Trust me, you’ll be fine. We’ll see each other again, when the time is right. Now go.

            Aleu started to slowly walk out of the room,