And the wings unfurl...

The child stares out of the window, at the leaves and farther away at the hills. He can hear sounds from the highway. They’re comforting, soothing even though they’re far away. The teacher’s voice cuts through.  Staring out the window is not going to fetch you marks, she reprimands, snottily.  Tyrant, he silently curses her, wistfully lowering his head and staring at his book.

The letters soon start playing Tag. The PD chases the I trying to find the W. The numbers start doing the foxtrot. The child smiles happily as they jump out of the book and use his desk as a dance floor. The teacher interrupts again.

The child has wings but he does not know. Each day they get clipped just as Flavius wished Caesar’s would. With every sharp word, with every angry red cross, the wings lose a feather.

The child is crippled. Wounded. He starts taking his anger out by going home and playing the violin till his finger tips are raw.

One morning, she hears him. There is music coming out of an empty classroom. She peeks in to see the child playing at a furious  pace. Gradually, he slows down and a peaceful smile lights up his  face.
She takes him as her student. Slowly, steadily, the feathers grow back. The wings grow, fuller and lighter, than before.

The PD still chases the I, but the child knows that anytime he wishes, he can unfurl his wings, and fly to the distant hill, once just a dream.

The X-Files (1)

Jasper woke up groggily. He slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the dimness of the room. Soon he could make out shapes. To his horror he saw a man crouching next to him. He had an injection in one hand and a bottle in the other. “No, no” gasped Jasper but the needle had already pierced him. As he drifted back to unconsiousness  Jasper saw two more men appear. He wondered what kind of trouble he’d gotten himself into…

                                                                 Chapter 1

Jasper opened his eyes once again and tried to make out where he was. A sickly smell reached him and as he looked down he could see a dark red colour, very prominent against the light blue of his shirt. Not that it looked light blue anymore. It was dirty all over. He was near the sea, he could see the sun setting in the waves. If he hadn’t been in pain and danger he’d have stopped and admired the view for a very long time. His hands were tied very tightly as were his legs. He desperately looked around for anything with which he could cut himself free. He started wiggling around and accidently knocked over a jug. He heard sucffling of shoes outside the door, and stilled instantly, not daring to breathe. He knew if they found out that he was consious, they’d drug him again. But the door didn’t open, and the footsteps went away. Just then a glint caught his eye. There was a sharp jagged piece of glass which had been under the jug. Jasper thanked  his lucky stars and started moving towards the piece of glass. The minutes passed like years. Fortunately for him, his hands were tied in front of him, not behind. His fingers were numb, and dropped the glass atleast thrice befor getting a firm grip on it. He started methodically sawing through the ropes. It took ages, and Jasper cut himself many times. At last the ropes frayed and he used the last of his strength  to free his hands. He scowled as he  started rubbing his hands.Soon he could feel blood circulating. He then started working on his legs. Soon he was able to stand up, not steadily but he was still thought but he still thought that as an achievement. He looked down to his chest, and the amount of blood made him sick. He unbuttoned his shirt to find an ugly gash running down, narrowly missing his heart. He cursed as he buttoned up his shirt again. He limped to the window, finding out that the goons had done something to his right knee too.  He  tried the windows but they wouldn’t budge. Frustated he hit the frame and the window shuddred! He took a closed look at the screws that held the frame. They were weak, and with a little strength, could be pulled apart. As Jasper had no energy left in him at the moment, he decided to get some rest and later escape, before the sun rose.

Chris (1)

I've been doing this online course, and this was a homework assignment I got and particularly liked, as it was about fiction, and wanted to share it :)

Chris began to question the wisdom of this trip. Sweat dripped down her back, making her t-shirt stick to her. But it did not bother her. After all she loved hiking, and anything that had to do with the outdoors and didn’t mind a bit of sweat, or looking like a mess. No, it was the company that did. She chided herself for thinking that her two best friends, who also were a couple, had actually asked her to accompany them on the hike because they knew that she liked it. Had she been in her senses she would have realized then and there that they wanted her to come along because otherwise there was no way their parents were going to let them stay together for the whole day. A chaperone that is what she was.

She tried it too treat it like any other hike, but it was a bit difficult to as she would go on forward and then have to wait for the two love birds to catch up, as they would be busy kissing each other to notice that the so called ‘companion’ had gone on.

 
She had not really had a problem with couples before. But then her friends started becoming a little too self absorbed. If one had a fight with her, the other wouldn't talk with her either. With a sigh she continued walking, eyes downcast. An avid nature lover, she looked up above at the branches when she heard an unfamiliar call of a bird. She kept walking trying to locate the bird. Big mistake. A branch tripped her, and she fell, all her weight on her right ankle. 
Groaning, she tried to keep a cool head, knowing that soon her friends would find her, but not knowing when. A twig snapped, her head jerked up, alert. A man stood next to her. He knelt and asked ‘Are you ok? That was quite a nasty tumble you took.’ Assessing him, Chris took her time to answer. Dark hair was pulled back at the nape. Warm brown eyes looked at her with concern. He was a mess, but yet breathtakingly handsome. She nodded and said ‘Just a sprained ankle.’ and gave him a small smile.
The man smiled back, a dimple appearing. ‘Are you alone?’ he questioned. ‘No, my friends should be catching up with me soon’ Chris replied with a grimace. ‘Let keep you company till they come then.’ he replied, settling himself down next to Chris. ‘And let’s take a look at that ankle, while I’m at it.’ It was starting to swell. With expert fingers, he gently touched it. ‘Not broken.’ he declared. Chris smiled. ‘I figured as much myself.’ He grinned back. ‘Bulls fan, huh?’ he asked noticing her wristband. ‘All the way!’ she exclaimed. ‘Chris???!’ she heard her name being called. Her friends appeared, gasping as they saw her swollen ankle. She got up with their, thanking the kind man. ‘I’ll see you soon.’ he promised, smiling.

False Promises

You said you’ll be here

Before the month ended

Very close to me, near 

And my broken heart mended

But you broke it again

With all your lies

Tell me, what did you gain

As all my hope dies

You smile even as I weep

For your love is all I asked

The wound, it goes deep

I should have kept my feelings masked

Washington Worries

13 year old Opal Gomez woke up with a start. She just had to go out, out of the house, she didn’t know why. She stepped out of her uncle’s house and started towards the beach. It was a full moon night, the waters were gleaming. It was ghostly.

As she started walking through the soft sand she stubbed her toe against something. Stopping, she bent down and began to dig.  Out came a small box. She opened it. It was full of rings. A sixth sense told her to keep it. She started back.

                                                                                    ***

      2 weeks later Opal was sitting on her bed going through one of her many history books, when a clap of thunder sent her cat Goldy, running under the bed. Opal came to a page titled ‘Abraham Lincoln’. She stared at the photo; the ring on his hand looked similar to one she had found in the box. The caption under the photo read ‘Abraham Lincoln died on 14 April 1865 in a theatre called Ford Theatre in Box 7. He was killed by a man named John Wilkes Booth.’ She took out the ring and wore it. On the inside of the cover she saw these words-

‘Far and forth in time you travel,

The things you see, you will marvel,

And many truths will unravel.’

She murmured these words. Things started whizzing around her and she suddenly found herself in a very crowded inn. She saw a man in a black suit and asked him, “Excuse me please, but where is this?” He replied, “This is the Merry Day’s Inn.”She looked out of   the window and saw a sign that said ‘Ford Theatre’. Her heart racing, she saw the calendar on the wall opposite – it read ‘14^th April 1865’ she gulped. President Lincoln was going to be assassinated. She ran out of the inn and into Ford Theatre. Up she went to Box 7. She saw the President sitting there and ran next to him,” Sir, your life is in terrible danger!”He just stared at her.” Hurry up, please…”In a daze he got up. She quickly propped his top hat on a stick and pulled him behind a curtain. “Who are you?” he finally said. “My name is Opal. I come from the future. It’s a bit complicated” she replied. “Well, why are we hiding behind a curtain?”He asked. “A man called John Wilkes Booth is going to come here and shoot you. Hopefully he’ll think that the top hat is still on your head…”Opal said. “And then?” “We wait till we see Booth and then we go to Victoria Street.” “Why?” he asked. “Because there was one more person involved…nobody knows who but there somebody was.” Opal let out a frustrated sigh. “Victoria Street was the only which was not guarded…I have a hunch the person will go there.” she finished. A moment later she tensed. “He’s here” she whispered. A man of medium height with a moustache wearing a black coat and hat crept into the box. “Go, go, go” Opal said urgently. The president crept under the curtain and paused at the stairs for Opal. “Don’t wait, he’s going to run down the steps as soon as he shoots you or rather at your hat” gasped Opal. They hurried down the steps. “Try to keep your face covered at all times.” said Opal.

They ran out of the theatre, onto the street. Opal stopped a horse buggy. “Take us to Victoria Street as fast as possible.” said Opal. They got down at the end of Victoria Street. It led into the woods. “Alright Mr. President, you’ve got to help Me.” said Opal. “What do I do?”He asked. “We have to gather a few of those thorny brambles and lay them across the the street.” she replied. “That’ll puncture the tyres of a bicycle and stop a horse.” They worked swiftly and silently. After it was all done they had to do the most difficult bit.

Wait.

They chose a nice tree and sat underneath it. Opal pulled a bar of chocolate out from her pocket and broke it in half. She gave Lincoln one half and ate the other. “What happens to Booth?”Lincoln asked, breaking the silence. “They’ll catch him in a warehouse and now they’ll arrest him with a murder attempt.” said Opal. All of a sudden the sound of a bicycle bell reached them. They hid behind a broad oak tree. The sound came closer and then suddenly there was a hiss of tires. “Wait here.”Lincoln told Opal. He charged at the silhouette leaning down next to the bike and pushed it down. “Come out, its safe now.” he called out. Opal came and saw a man that the President was holding tightly. He was wearing a mask. Lincoln took it off. “Ward Lamon!”He exclaimed. “It’s your bodyguard!” gasped Opal. “Well, well, we finally found out” mused the President.

Suddenly another buggy drew up. “Mr.President. are you alright, sir?” asked the man inside. “I’m fine Jenkins; this man is a part of the plan to kill me. Put him at the back and give me a few minutes with my friend here.” he said. “Well, my young friend, do you want to go back to the White House with me?”He asked. “Thank you sir, but no. I have to get back home.” said Opal. “Goodbye then, I’ll forever be in your debt. Thank you.” he said and climbed into the buggy.

Words started glowing on the ring and Opal read them out loud.

“My job here now complete,

I must return and my house meet.”

Things whirred around her and then she was back in her bedroom. No time seemed to have passed since then. “Opal, come down for dinner…”called her mum. “Just a minute, Mom. I’ll be right down.” She opened her book and took the page again. Nothing had changed except the last line which had changed from ‘Lincoln died…’ to ‘a mystery girl saved the President’s life’.

Opal sat back and gave a satisfied smile. She slipped off her bed and bounded downstairs thinking ‘A nice adventure. I hope I have another one.’ “So what did you do for so long?”Asked her mum. “If you only knew Mom…”whispered Opal smiling secretly.