The Fourth Slide

Grandmother found an old, rusted magic lantern in the attic and gave it to me as a secret. She said the glass slides held 'Tall Angels' that could only be seen in the dark. She handed me a specific slide, the glass cold and heavy, and whispered that this one was the 'Angel of Mercy.' She told me to sneak into Mother's room and project it onto the ceiling to bless her sleep. I did exactly as she asked. The beam of light hit the plaster, stretching the image into a pale, elongated face that seemed to scream silently down at the bed. I guess the blessing worked. When I walked in this morning, Mother was finally floating like an angel too—hanging from the rafters, her neck stretched long and thin, just like the man in the glass.