Wings.

Rain, thunder, lighting. Curtains dance as the rushing wind pushes through. The sound of drums beating on the roof as a light flashes. The flashes of light increase in their frequency of appearance, as the bass of the sky comes after them. The water droplets play different percussion instruments as they beat against different surfaces of the earth below. Soft chimes, rhythmic hi-hat, and sharp snares play in celebration. I lie awake, eyes closed and a smile on my face, as the soothing celebration seeps into my being; I’m happy. I drift to sleep as the celebration continues just a few steps from my open window.

The wind lovingly strokes my hair and something else attached to my body... wait! What? What else could there be other than my hair and clothes on my back.

The world is now dark; excruciating pain fills me as my skin is split, peeling back. I scream in agony, sweating as I realise I am paralysed and I can’t wake up. The pain increases becoming more and more intense. My back and my shoulders are on fire as something pulverises through the slit at my shoulder blades.

A blinding bright light, golden liquid flows out. Black liquid replaces the gold as they mix, turning sliver where the two colours meet. The thick liquid has made its way to my feet, pooling as another bright light pierces through my sink and the liquid alike.

The liquid has become hard, shell-like, my body is stiff, completely paralysed. Panic and fear have found their way to my heart as my heartbeat accelerates. The light moves down the shell and travels downward to my feet. I can feel something heavy but light on my back, extending down from my shoulder blades. There is a firm frame as well as something soft and silky. The light was now at my feet; the gold and black shell fractures. The shell falls away piece by piece revealing shining white wings.

Wait! What? Wings! How is that even possible?

The wings, my wings pulse with violent energy, I feel their energy coursing through me, begging me to set them free, to fly. I give into their begging, unfurling them; half-way through I’m jolted awake. I open my eyes and I’m back on in my room with the rain and wind outside.

The rain is still pounding on my roof, even harder than when I fell asleep. I feel a familiar sensation on my back. The sensation of wings on my back. I laugh as I remember my dream, all the while thinking it couldn’t be real. But I check anyway.

I brought my hand and felt up and down my back as my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in surprise. I couldn’t tell if I was awake or still dreaming. I turned my head sideways to find shining white wings half unfurled beside me. They were glowing as if lit up from the inside. I was overcome with pulsing energy and my senses intensified as if I was high on adrenaline. I could feel the wind in the feathers, as the tips of my wings touched my bed covers then the walls. The roughness of the wall, the velvety feel of my quilt cover, I shivered with excitement. I could feel everything, each singular feather and everything that touched them as well as everything they touched. I was shaking violently now, as their energy was building up inside me.

Another rushing wind makes the curtains dance as they breeze past my wings, and back against the window and it tickles. I’m shuddering with a new found excitement as I come to terms with reality. My body is moving before my mind can catch up with its movement. I fall back hard onto my bed, loosing balance. Again, I try, standing very slowly this time. I fold my wings in, onto my back and slowly stand up, wobbly at first. I take a few careful steps toward my open window. I ascend off the edge of my bed onto the window’s ledge, I’m outside.

A few more steps and I will be catch myself in the downpour. I don’t care, I want to see what I can do, where I can go.

I take those steps, faster in pace. I’m cold and wet as the sky encloses me in its icy shower. The wind weaves it way through my feathers. My whole being tingles. I flex my back and spread open my wings; it was natural. I feel as if I’ve done the same thing a thousand times before. I squat then push my body up as my wings come down vertically and I’m shooting up through the air. I spread them out horizontally and they catch the wind as I glide. I beat my wings, taking me higher as I leave the ground behind. I let myself glide a few hundred meters in the air, while descending slowly as I circle in the air above my house. I’m careful as the lighting and thunder are no longer around, but I’m not fully sure if they left. I fly, glide and dance in the air, according to the beat of the rain, as my wings glow becoming more luminescent with each beating.