*The First Flight* She watched as the wind rustled the leaves in the tree. That one dry leaf shook with the impact, wanting to go where the wind went. The stem of the dry leaf broke with a silent snap and it flew, flew with the wind, as if it had wings. She watched, fascinated, as the leaf twirled and twisted gracefully in the air until the wind took it out of her sight. She wanted to follow it, weave through the air just as gracefully. She sighed, wishing she could fly. Not yet, her mother told her. Your body is not ready for the strain of flying. So, she waited, watching every morning as her family took off in a flurry of chirps, painting the sky with their colorful feathers. She waited for the day when she would fly along with them, fly, as she was truly born to do. It was a crisp autumn morning, a slightly chilly breeze in the air that sharpened her senses. It was her day to fly. She spread out her wings and nervously let go of the branch, for all her anticipation, she was still afraid. But soon she learned that was nothing to be afraid of, she was born to do this. She rode the air like the magnificent bird that she was. The wind ruffled her feathers, it caressed her face, it stung her eyes as she felt amazingly alive for the first time in the entirety of her life. It was surreal, a dream come true, it was magic if she had known what it was. Higher and higher she climbed, as if she would conquer the heavens this very day. They had been waiting for hours, lying still on the forest floor, hidden in the tall grass. The unsatisfied pangs of hunger kept them tethered to the spot. They could not return empty handed to the cottage today. They needed the game, for food was scarce when living in the middle of the forest. Mother would be disappointed if they returned without anything today too, she had a hard time feeding a family of four with the little subsistence that the forest offered. She inhaled the air as if it was an elixir, breathing in as her wings flapped in a melodious rhythm. She looked at the world from above, looking at the treetops, the gnarled branches, the green leaves and she felt invincible. A sudden sharp pain in her breast knocked the wind out of her. Before she even knew what was happening, she was hurtling through the treetops, the gnarled branches and the green leaves. She plummeted to the forest floor before she could even flap her wings once. She lay on the sodden earth, panting for breath, with not a clue of what was happening. The sharp pain was making her senses dim, her white feathers were colored red with death. It was the first time Junior had shot a game. He was very proud of himself. They would have a feast today, for apart from the big, fat hare that father had shot, he had shot the bird that was passing right above their heads. For a few days they wouldn’t know excruciating hunger. Father was patting him on the back with the largest of smiles. The beautiful bird was strung over his shoulder, and he ran with the exhilaration of his first success, his first hunt. And she had conquered the heavens that day, but by being defeated by life. ~ Afreen
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 16:45:00 +0000
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