Dual Wings

Chapter 10

Even though you always came across as cheery and gleeful
I knew that you were trying to escape a world of pain
And from behind your every line of encouraging words
There's a wave of fright and unheard moonbeams that radiate in the corner of light.

Petra's POV:

      "Dad, what would you do if I joined the scouts?"
      "I'd drag you out and back into safety."

      One day of late summer I had taken a vacation to the plains of Wall Maria. My grandparents lived in a small lodge up on a hill, green with forest. I had left the cabin with only a murmur of explanation to my crocheting grandmother. I stood in miles upon miles of fields and chin-length grass blades. But as far as where the sun laid to sleep, the fields were lined with stone walls. In our history books hideous titans illustrated the pages, but I had never even seen one in my peripheral vision. Maybe some could swim or fly or dig or climb! If I just peeked over the walls, I might discover a new species. Perhaps even an aberrant one!
      That one inch of my heart was so compelling, so dangerous that I could not help sprinting a whole mile to the wall, sweat dripping down onto my dimples. The negatives of having a titan that smelled fresh prey within arm's length didn't seem to occur to me. I hadn't told anyone, but even if I did, their words wouldn't unmotivate my 15-year-old soul. Nothing would.
      I had jogged another half a mile and walked the rest, relieving my legs of soreness. I would need them to fulfill my plan of getting out alive yet still being able to witness the monstrosities.
After over and hour, I had reached the looming onyx walls. The barrier between this and that world.                       There was a rickety wooden ramp that the scouts had neglected to remove on a previous expedition. I carefully stepped up the ramp, occasionally crawling like a quadruped when it became too steep. Before I helped myself up to the wall, I gleamed into the reddened horizon and the centered sunny pearl. I know all I would ever need would be in the walls. But that's not all I want. Not at this point, at least. I pushed my body upwards with my hands and the outer world spiraled beneath me. It would be impossible to climb down, and jumping would be suicide. In the right corner of my eye a titan was jogging right towards me while waving it arms maniacally. That was when I looked down and saw gaping jaws and grasping hands reaching for me. A mixture of fear and relief stirred in me. I knew I could die any second, but not now. The aberrant titan had a protruding stomach and crossed icy eyes. Its short thighs swished together, producing a slight whistle in the air. It held its lopsided stare on me and a sword of fright slashed through my heart.
      It was within one mile of me.
      My neck hurted even when thinking about turning it back and my feet were as heavy as 5 mountains. My body was glued onto the particular coordinate at the most inopportune time.
      I'm so stupid.
      "I'm sorry, dad." Those were the only words I could breath out from my quivering lips. My fingers went completely numb when the titan's horrid smile twisted even more grotesquely.
      Suddenly, pressure seized every curve of my body. I could feel its grimy paws digging into my skin. I shut my eyes so that my body could appear peaceful to Dad.      Maybe he'd never know what an idiot I was.
      The gooey saliva draped my still body and the damp darkness began to envelope me.
This was the end.

SLASH!

      All in a split second the sun had pierced the shadow open and the murderer fell to the Earth, its true mother, with that same disgusting smile. For a few moments I was blindly flying through the air, leaping like a squirrel from perch to perch. When I escaped from the sunny shadows, I was in the arms of my savior. Rather than his face or hands or hair, the first thing I noticed was his flowing cape.
      The Wings of Freedom.
      Then he gently placed me on the floor and checked his hip.
"My tank still has enough gas. Good," the mysterious man murmured. Then he looked back at me and grimaced.
      "What are you, 13? You got a death wish?" I bit my lip and began stuttering.
He saved me from the brink of death.
Should I repay him? Do I answer? Do I ask his name?
      "I'm uhm... I'm 15 and, uh..." What was I saying? He seemed to be satisfied with my answer and turned away quickly. I need to know his name. I must repay him someday.
      "Erm, wh-what's your name?" He turned his head back to me quickly, irritated. He knitted his brows.
      "Levi. Goodbye now." He sprung into the sunset sky, quickly becoming silhouetted.
      "And don't play with titans!" He hollered back while fading into the background. I smiled and whispered his name fondly.
      "Levi."
      I must join the scouts.

*Blushes cutely* Trying to work in more backstory. I love when the boy has been saving the girl her whole life but they don't remember! <3 This idea is partly attributed to Aurora. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!