Project Wings (Completed - Editing)

Chaper 4: The Past Relived

Chapter 4: The past relived

'Crybaby!' They shouted as they formed a circle around her, taunted her as she gathered the remains of her doll. She wiped a solitary tear that made its way down her cheek. She felt warm and prickly as she struggled to keep her breathing controlled. She wished she's anywhere but here... back to where she belonged; in the arms of her loving mother and father who cared for her so much.

'Why don't you go back to the mountains, country-girl?' they laughed as one and she looked up with watery eyes. Her vision made them look all the same, all mocking laughter and vile grins and malicious eyes. 

'Oh she can't go back remember? Her mother was a whore and her father left them.'

'Such a pity. I guess he couldn't take her ugliness!' 

It's not true! Not True!

She wanted to lash out, rake those evil eyes and mocking smirks off their faces. They don't know anything, don't understand the truth about her. 

'My father loves me!' she cried as she stood up but one of them pushed her back down

'Bastarda!' 

Her vision blurred, and she found herself next straddling the one who called her a bastard. She rained her fists down on the person, not bothering where they landed. The other kids joined the fray and soon she felt herself dragged down, being beaten with fists and kicks and slaps. She flailed wildly but her hands were held down. The unforgiving faces loomed over her as darkness dragged her down to oblivion.

She woke up with a painful gasp of breath, clawed wildly at her throat as she struggled to fill her lungs with air. She felt a soft caress, warmth flutter against her cheek. 

'Turn over' said a ghostly whisper of breath on her ear. She didn't know where she got the strength to flip herself to her stomach but she was grateful, for it forced the blood out and she vomited the vile tasting fluids stuck on her throat. She lay motionless for a while, her breath labored as tears fell on the ground.

"Let... me die." She gasped out, the pain that lanced through her stomach made her head spin, her eyes blurry. She tasted blood on her mouth, knew that her left eye is swollen shut. 

'Never' the voice insisted, and she felt the ghostly caress once again on her back, made soothing patterns, moving slowly, lovingly.

"Why?" 

"Because you are my Chosen and I will never leave you" the achingly beautiful voice answered her with such sincerity that she started to cry once more.

"Then take me with you," she pleaded to the other being. The ghostly caress stilled and she felt the something soft land on her cheek. 

"That I cannot" the voice was sad, apologetic. She wanted to laugh. It was all the same. All of them.

Nobody wanted to stay with her, right? Maybe she was cursed. 

"Never ever think that." The voice chided her and she felt something warm touch her face. A hand?

"Be strong Mayumi. I will never forsake you." The other being picked her up gently, propped her into a sitting position with her back against its chest. 

"Then stay with me! Take care of me!" she cried out, winced as a fresh flow of blood gushed from her busted lip. "I don't want to be alone anymore."

"I am here. I've always been here." His voice was musical, it started to lull her in its gentle cadences. She didn't know why she thought of him as a He. Or why she trusted him to hold her against himself. His touch was soothing and soon she found herself nodding slowly from exhaustion. She leaned her head back against his chest and gazed wonderingly at the beautiful, luminous dark eyes that looked back at her lovingly. 

"Who are you?" she whispered softly before her eyes shut themselves and she went to a peaceful sleep. The creature kissed her forehead, drew its enormous white wings around the two of them like a shield.

"I am yours." 

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She woke up in degrees, felt strangely warm and comforted. She was alone in the clearing, with her back propped against a tree. She surveyed her surroundings but there was no one in sight. 

She noticed that she didn't hurt anymore. She lifted her arms and found out that there were no signs of the bruises from earlier. She lifted a hand to her mouth and felt for the cut, yet there was nothing. Like it never happened at all.

Maybe it was a dream? 

She tried to stand up, felt her sore muscles protest from being in the same position for a long time. Her fingers landed on something soft on the ground. She lifted the thing up with awe.

Four enormous feathers. They sparkled in the sun and were perhaps two feet each in length. 

What kind of creature would have such large feathers?

Her young mind couldn't quite wrap up to the idea of a great winged creature. She knew it was a man that was with her before she fell asleep. Did the feathers belong to him? 

It was years again when she finally found her answer.

Edited: 4/17/2014