Gifted

Chapter 22

Rita put one foot on the windowsill, and one hand on the top of the frame. She nimbly swung out and grabbed the roof, she adjusted her feet and pulled herself up. Rita fell onto the hot surface of the roof, her cheek pressed against the shingles. There was a halfhearted jab in her side and then Sandy's voice.
"Up."

She said dully. Rita stood up, her hands held out for balance.

"How often do you come up here?" Rita asked, following Sandy up the sloped surface. Sandy looked up thoughtfully.

"Hm," She said slowly, "not counting today?"
Rita nodded.

"Never."

Rita winced, maybe this wasn't safe. Sandy had never been up here before. But Rita pushed her fears aside and followed Sandy. Soon they reached the highest point, Rita could see the horizon line on either side. One was dotted with sky scrapers, the other with trees.

"Wow." Rita breathed, a breeze ruffled her feathers. Rita itched to run and run, and to feel the wind in her hair. She wanted to start going and never stop, she never wanted to stop feeling the wind.

"Yeah," Sandy agreed with a nod, "Wow indeed. Wouldn't it be cool if you could fly?"

Rita looked at Sandy with a sidelong glance, Sandy was staring at where her wings were beneath her shirt.

"I can't."

"Sure you can!"

"No, the scientists said that it was impossible."

"They also told you that you weren't going to become mindless soldiers."

"But-"

"Rita. They. Lied."

"No they-"

Rita was cut off, Sandy had placed her hands on Rita's shoulders and pushed, hard. Rita began to stumble, down the roof, her mind began to panic.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

Rita was slipping, she saw where she was going to land, in their backyard, her head fell back as she lost her footing and fell onto her back. She could see the green treetops; they were upside down, no Rita was upside down.

Rita let out a cry for help, but no one came. Rita's hands were starting to burn from trying to stop herself, they hurt. Rita called for help again, and then she saw it.

The big branch, to her left. Rita's hand darted out and grabbed it, with reflexes she didn't even know she had she saved herself. First grabbing the branch and slowing herself down, then turning around so she was on her stomach, and then standing up, her chest heaving and adrenaline pumping through her veins.

Suddenly, Sandy was there, a vague look of disappointment on her face. Rita looked behind her, she was close to the edge of the roof, too close. She had almost died, gone splat on the tile below her. Rita turned to look at Sandy, her fury surfacing.

"What do you think you were doing?" Rita screamed, "I could've died! I almost-"

Sandy held up her hand, silencing Rita.

"I wanted to see if you could fly." She said calmly.

"Fly?!? I had already can't told you that I can't fl-"

Sandy shook her head is if Rita was a lying child that should be scolded, then she put her hands back on Rita's shoulders.

"No."

Rita warned. But it was too late, Sandy had pushed her, again. Rita's feet went to find footing, but there was only empty air beneath her. She saw everything in slow-motion, Rita could see the floor disappearing from view. The clouds moving all too quickly, the flying birds blurred. The ground and then the sky. Rita was spinning, and falling. She felt an urge, in her back.