General POV

Theodore scrambled down off the windowsill and ran into the waiting arms of his brother and father, who were crying tears of joy for being with him again. Theodore instead was crying in relief to be safe at last. As they hugged, Theo remembered Simon. Theo thought long and hard. He'll come back. He's just stalling the man, then he will come running out the window.

But as Theo watched the window, he realized it was getting quieter and quieter and the sun was getting lower and lower. His nervousness began to bother him. Theo wanted to jump up on the sill and see what was going on, but he remembered Simon told him to not look back. Theo refrained from looking. He heard faint shouts, but they seemed far away. Theodore felt Alvin shift so he could hear better too; he heard the shouts. Dave just kept hugging them, completely oblivious to what they were hearing. Alvin and Theodore listened intently. They heard cries very similar to those they heard over the summer, through Dave's phone. Theo turned away and tried to shield his ears. it was too painful to listen to.

Alvin kept listening, and when the cries quieted down, Alvin pulled away from Dave and Theo. He jumped onto the sill and peeked. Dave and Theo watched Alvin's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates before he jumped down and stared at nothing. "What?" Theo asked hoarsely.

At first, Alvin couldn't answer. He decided right then and there his family would never see what he saw, but the image haunted him. He saw The man walking towards the stairs, dragging a bloody, limp corpse behind him. Alvin saw there was an illusion over the body which made him look like Theodore, but since Alvin was his brother, he could see right through it and saw Simon's body there. His halo was completely gone, a powdery dust lingered on his hair. His clothes didn't shine like they did when Alvin first saw him, and Simon's face wasn't pleasant and angelic; it was twisted into a hard grimace: the face he had when he died... again.

Alvin didn't even know if it was possible for Simon to die again. He was an angel, for crying out loud! But Alvin could see him, clear as day. Dead. Theodore's tugging on his sleeve snapped Alvin out of it and made Alvin look down at him. Theo gave him a questioning look.

"He's gone," Alvin whispered, closing his eyes, and they knew what he meant. Dave gave him a tight hug.

"Alvin, Theodore," he reached out to Theodore. "He's an angel; he'll be fine," Alvin's eyes became teary. He wasn't fine. "This is what he came down to do anyway, right? Now he'll go to Heaven, just like he wanted."

Alvin nodded sadly while Theo spoke. "S-Si... He wanted to make sure I-I got home safely. L-let's go so we don't g-get caught," he stuttered, not being able to say his brother's name once again.

Alvin put his arm around him and began the long walk home, Dave right behind them. "It'll be okay," he said reassuringly, though he was holding back tears as well. "Simon's where he belongs." And they walked home, ready to live their lives with new gratefulness for it.

Simon POV

It was terrible. I tried to do my best to not cry, but that's what the man wanted. So many thoughts ran through my mind, but only one was clear. Why?

I'm an angel, so shouldn't I be able to just leave? Nope: I had to endure it to save my brother. If I left now, the man would know and go after him again. I can't let that happen. But why did it have to be so painful?

My thoughts distracted me slightly from the stings and burns and scars I felt forming along my light skin. I saw him coming at me again and again, something different in his hand every time. But I was able to keep my mouth shut. For now.

When a particularly malicious hit stunned me, I cried out, and then the rest was a blur of eternal pain.

I eventually felt my body going numb. Finally, I said to myself. I'm finally done.

Within seconds, I felt myself becoming completely numb, and when I did, I found myself able to leave the clear shell of a hologram I was in. I could just go right now, and Theodore's illusion I conjured would stay behind. I separated myself from the illusion and looked around. I was behind the bed in Theodore's old room. The corpse which scared Theodore so badly earlier staring eerily at me. I climbed to my feet, a bit shaky from the whole repeat of the torture experience. I noticed I was barely visible even to myself. I was light as a feather and could fly, thanks to some large wings I found on my back. My halo was here as well. I turned slowly towards the window and saw a light shine in. It looked like a tunnel, and at the end, like last time, I saw Mom, tears of joy in her eyes, and Cookie Chomper jumping up and down happily next to her. I pushed off the ground in slow motion and floated towards them.

In heaven, I was back in the arms of my mother once again, in a tight embrace. I had a lot more scars and marks all over my body than last time I was here, a week ago, but I succeeded in my quest.

I was with my mother, and I was home.