Caged Body, Free Mind

A New World with its Own Problems

Ester's eyes jolted open, their pupils expanding and adjusting to the bright sunlight. She scanned her surroundings. Ester was lying down in the soft, moist moss on the forest floor. She was in a small clearing where the light had penetrated its dense canopy. Judging by the position of the sun, it was about mid-day.

Ester did not know exactly how she ended up down there, but considering her long journey away from the tree to ensure she was far away from her traitor, Ester may have been struck with fatigue. She had most likely blacked out without even knowing it. Thankfully, there was a swift breeze the night before, which would've allowed her to glide down with ease. Ester's luck was even better as there was a clearing right there.

Ester took in her new environment. The leaves of the trees sparkled like many different shades of emeralds when touched by the sunlight.The sound of birds chirping a cheerful tune from the treetops could be heard loud and clear. The moss that Ester laid on seemed to welcome her in its embrace. She felt welcome here. Ester took note of all the green enveloping the peaceful forest. Everything was alive. All of the living things appeared to be connected in some way, like the roots of a tree. For once, Ester felt apart of something much greater than herself. This feeling of being accepted is truly spectacular.

Before today Ester did not think that places like this were real. That they were some kind of fantasy setting. Will had told her that no such oasis's could even exist. By the hour, Ester was putting less and less trust in him.

This is it. Her freedom has at last been granted. From here on, Ester thought that everything would fit into place, that everything would go well. She'd get to meet the other winged people, fly as much as she wanted to, learn even more about the world than ever before, and live in harmony with nature for the rest of her days. 

She never could have been so wrong.

Her glorious daydream was soon disrupted when Ester heard the ground crackling behind her. She put herself on high alert, for this could be a predator, one of Will's men sent to retrieve her, or worst; Will himself. Ester's eyes moved like lightning to locate a sharp piece of wood that she could use to defend herself. Ester was not familiar with how to fight, but if she had to, she wouldn't cower. She established a sort of dominance over her mound of moss with a confidence that anyone who saw this display wound at least think twice before challenging her. The sharp wood in her hand made her fingers bleed when she gripped it too hard. This was the first and only weapon she has come across so far; she would have to preserve it.

The footsteps drew closer, and Ester was trembling. She had to stop herself before her enemy could see and figure out she was at a disadvantage. However, since she couldn't stop it, Ester decided that maybe it would do good to lower their expectations. The enemy could possibly not use as much strength on her as they would with an individual who knew how to fight.

Out of the dense bushes, a head peaked out, followed by a body, along with big, strong wings. They were wings that had a unique color to them. Not once had Ester spotted an angel with black wings. Could it be they had sadly given in to disease? In which case Ester would've felt a great deal of sorrow for them. However, they looked perfectly fine besides their coloring. The young man who owned them looked no less striking. He was in his late teens, looking a few years older than Ester. He had tan-white skin, as well as a strong build. The strength he was capable of probably tripled Ester's many times over. He had tousled jet black hair as dark as his wings that grew past his ears, under which a dark shade of green peeked out. When he looked at Ester with a scowling expression, she could see that his eyes were a beautiful deep shade of green; just like the dark emeralds of the trees. Something in her wanted to bolt to him and never let him go. He had full lips as well, which Ester had to strain her eyes to not stare at them, otherwise her cheeks would flush. He had the features of a handsome man, however, not without a few flaws. His eyes looked like they'd seen hell; a light seemed to be missing from them. His cheeks were slightly blackened from an unknown substance. He also had a fresh cut an inch or so under his eye. This mysterious guy seemed to be carrying a burden heavier than Ester could ever imagine.