[ WP ] You 're a guardian angel created in the beginning of time to help citizens assigned to you by God . You 're the youngest person to ever become a guardian angel - at the age of 12 years old . You are assigned to children of all ages throughout all of time .


 I'm gon na go a bit different route here. 
 
 
 `` Charlie, come here for a second; I think I've found another one.'' 
 
 It was late at night back at the office, when I called Charlie over for yet another update. In front of me was a small, faded crayon drawing of what appeared to be an angel with green hair. 
 
 `` Yeah, it looks like him alright. How old is this drawing, Jacob?'' 
 
 `` It's about 50 years old, the man who drew it died a week ago, and they found this in his attic. The only reason I found it is because someone posted it on Reddit. I contacted them and paid for the drawings.'' 
 
 I got up and walked over to our scanner to digitally save the picture. As I was scanning the picture I looked around at my life's work just as I do all the time. In front of me was a wall of pictures and overflowing cabinets. There were hieroglyphics, cave paintings, famous works of art, newspaper clippings, movie reels, photographs, external hard drives, and more. They all had one common theme: an angel... An angel with green hair. It took Charlie and I about 19 years to accumulate all of these items. We had devoted our lives to figuring out how one common character can persist through all histories and cultures. 
 
 We were 29 when we noticed two pictures on Facebook that a friend had drawn years ago and the picture that their son had drawn. They both had green-haired angels in them. Oddly, the son hid the drawing until he was 21. Neither person seemed to have any idea who the angel was or why they both had drawn one. 
 
 `` I think I'll call it a night soon'', Charlie said. `` My kid's birthday is tomorrow, she's gon na be 21.'' 
 
 Charlie's daughter was a very kind girl names Melody. When Charlie's wife died, Melody was only 8. She was sad but she powered through it. They were both very strong. 
 
 `` Yeah go ahead, I'll clean up here and head home myself. I'll swing by too to wish Melody a happy birthday.'' 
 
 As Charlie walked out, I put the newest drawing in a filing cabinet. 
 
 
 I woke up the next morning and went about my day. I said goodbye to my wife and son and went to my job as a professor. I taught history at the community college. 
 
 After my shift, I swung by Charlie's house and knocked on the door. Charlie opened the door with a huge smile, but as soon as he saw it was me, he grew a serious look. 
 
 `` Jacob, follow me'', he said sternly. 
 
 As he led me through his house we went into his garage. He sat down and pulled out a dirty, tattered notebook. 
 
 `` I found this in Melody's old toy box. Turn to page 8.'' 
 
 I grabbed the notebook and flipped through the pages while counting. It seemed pretty standard for a young kid. When I got to page 8 I saw a drawing of what appeared to be a coffin and a little girl crying. 
 
 `` This must have been made around the time she died, huh?'' 
 
 `` Yeah but that's not all, flip to page 23 while looking at the pages in between.'' 
 
 Pages 9-22 were sad drawings of monsters and children crying. There were pictures of her mother and father with hearts as well. However, on page 23 there was no sadness to be found. There was a little girl playing with her friend... A green haired kid with wings. There was a text bubble above him that said `` I will protect you.'' 
 
 I closed the notebook and looked Charlie in the eyes. 
 
 `` That's not the end of it though... I asked her and she was the first person to give him a name. She called him Merlin, her imaginary guardian angel friend. She claimed he helped get her through life. She does n't remember that he's real though.'' 
 
 We were close. Closer than ever before. I stayed at the party and then went back to the office to copy the pictures. I glanced at the walls, and whispered, 
 
 `` Merlin... That's right, I remember your name now. I never got to thank you for your help all those years ago. I'll find you soon.'' 
 
 I walked out the door and flipped the lights off. For the first time in a long while, I felt like my life had meaning again.... 
 

