Freedom
By namelessjoker (Xan-san)
A teen, about 5'6" in height, lay down on the smooth floor of the school's roof. The wind ruffled his messy brown hair and tugged teasingly at his white button-up shirt. His beautiful brown eyes stared lazily at the massive sky.
He, the boy, breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with fresh air. Slowly, he exhaled through his nose as he closed his eyes. A smile slid into his face, making his high cheekbones more prominent.
In the blink of an eye, he was standing upright. His broad shoulders slumped slightly as he walked closer to the metal fence. Unexpectedly, he jumped to the other side of the fence, his feet nearly touching the edge of the ledge. The teen closed his eyes once again.
A small child, about 5 years old, sat huddled in the corner of the damp and dim room. There were no windows except for the metal bars that allowed little light to filter into the room and shine dimly on the malnourished child like a spotlight.
This child saw little things because of this cell. From the crevices between the cobblestone walls, he would be able hear the gentle pitter-patter of the rain before the harsh roaring of the storm. Through the spaces between the metal bars, he would be able to see the bright flashes of lighting before it was exchanged with the muggy air of the mist. His favorite would be when the fluffy and aloof clouds cleared up to present the bright sun and blue sky to him.
The child looked up, his dull brown eyes seeking the brightness of the sun. Slowly, he brought his skinny arms toward the light in search for little warmth. Beautiful, pristine white wings enveloped the boy and in less than a second, the boy was nowhere to be seen. What was left was a black stained feather floating gently to the ground.
Brown orbs snapped open. Nothing but fierce determination and unmasked bravery shone in the adolescent's eyes. Gentle laughter escaped from his smiling lips. The teen brought up his sturdy arms, much like the thin child in the prison cell.
"The sky is unattainable and free. It is my home and haven. Nothing can hurt me again." His voice was rough and low, as if scratchy from disuse.
All of a sudden, he jumped off. Time seemed to freeze and his body was parallel to the ground and his face was to the sky while his back was to the earth. Almost ten feet to the ground, massive wings sprouted from his shoulder blades and flapped experimentally, creating a strong gust of wind. He shot up to the sky, disappearing quickly from view and leaving a trail of black feathers. This all happened in a matter of seconds.
'Do you know the story of the boy who wanted nothing but to be free? He was able to get what he wanted though, unlike Icarus. He knew that while he had wings to fly, it would slowly kill him by turning his white wings black. That didn't bother him though and in the end, he was able to reach the highest point of the sky and gain freedom.'
'That's a nice story. Is it a myth?'
'I suppose. I doubt anyone would have actual wings.'
A human outline with ivory white wings titled its head to the sky. "The sky is true freedom. No one can attain it." And it was gone.