Feathers and Flight

Chapter 11

                                                              Accept. Or Act.

6 days later on a cool, early September morning, I opened my eyes to a very clear mind and a much lighter heart. There was so much freshness to my thoughts that I was surprised that I didn't burst with all of the ideas that whizzed through my brain. Springing out of bed and looking around told me that, somehow, I was the first one awake. Deciding to make the most of it, I grabbed an arm-full of dirty clothes and headed toward the springs.

I emerged from the tunnel and headed to the pool that was up against the wall to my left. We had discovered that this particular pool was constantly cycling out its water when we had first tried using it for washing clothes. I quickly and efficiently slid into the familiar rhythms of scrubbing soapy jeans on rocks and let my mind wander lazily wherever it would like.

My first, quickly discarded, thought was of Jared but I banished it to the deep, dark depths of the back of my mind and moved on to something more foreword oriented. We were currently living in relative comfort and recently affirmed safety so getting the ball of life rolling wasn't exactly my highest priority. It was, however, the only thought that seemed to stick in my mind as I scrubbed smelly shirts on autopilot so I decided to give in to it's persistence.

The first order of business was to go visit that contact of Samuel's and see what she knew about the Black Glade. Then maybe we could plan from there and figure out a better way to defend ourselves.

I heard movement behind me and craning around, I could see Jamie's vibrant wing out of the corner of my eye. I rinsed my soapy hands and stood up to go give her a hug. The three of us had become closer since Jared's death. Mostly resulting from our need for comfort and stability but we could also be more open about girlie things without a boy around and it helped us form a tighter bond.

"How are you this morning, my dear?" I asked cheerfully and she grinned in response to my light hearted tone.

"I am just swell, my sweet friend!" We both giggled and headed toward the soapy clothes I had been washing. Jamie helped me finish the laundry and we laid the clothes out in the sun on the many rocks strewn about the cave. Kallie emerged at some point and, still bleary eyed from sleep, nearly fell into one of the pools by the back tunnel. Her arms flailed in a pinwheel motion and she let out a surprised squeel.

Jamie and I laughed until our lungs were about to burst but our grins quickly faded when we realized that Kallie was stalking towards us with a mischievous look in her eye. We realized too late what she intended and before we had a chance to run, she shoved us both into the nearest pool. As I fell, I gave my right wing a good flap that sent a huge wave of water at Kallie and made made her throw her hands up to cover her face. The water never reached her.

***

I squeezed my eyes shut and waited to get soaked but suddenly everything went silent. After waiting a few seconds too long for the water to hit me, I opened my eyes. I flinched back from the wave that was coming my way but my eyes stayed open that time because my brain had finally started to process what was in front of it. The water was frozen in mid air. Not frozen like it had been turned to ice but frozen as if time itself had stopped dead in its tracks.

Peering around it, I could see Selene and Jamie with their eyes closed tight, wrapped in a cocoon of unmoving water. They weren't moving and as I continued to look around, I noticed the steam coming out of the pools had stopped drifting towards the sky and the little blue flowers blowing in the wind were held suspended at an angle, the wind no longer controlling their movements.

Yet, I could move! The only logical conclusion I could come to was that I had, somehow, stopped time. I knelt down and tried to pluck one of the flowers, it came free from the moss but stayed in its bent position as I tried to manipulate it into being straight. Giving up on unbendng the flower, I let go of it, half expecting it to drop to the mossy floor but to my surprise, it stayed suspended in mid air.