Bella at 14
"Stop, that tickles." Bella shooed away the Creature as he gently brushed a light object along her nose. Bella could not fathom why the Creature was more playful with her than his usual uptight and distraught self.
"It's a feather, Isabella." He retracted his hand, his pearly whites peeking out from behind his lips. "I happened upon this bird, but could not identify the correct species. Then, I thought of you and your infinite wisdom on the subject. Would you care to help me finally put a name to it?"
The Creature knelt in front of her, tracing the feather along her sensitive cheek. She had begun to notice that he was appealing to her good side more than usual. As if it became his life mission silently apologizing to her for an inexplicable reason.
She was not unaware that since the night in Port Angeles where Annabelle had frightened her that their relationship was wrought with tension. Bella had inherited a nervous energy upon seeing him the next day. The note he had left for her attributed to her newly developed apprehension.
Bella had always been curious where the Creature ventures when they depart. He had mentioned not being alone, but that was not sufficient evidence to theorize or conclude what he does when not around her. She loved to think that he spent his days waiting for those few hours they would be together. The only clue of his outside time with her was the night he found her in that alley. There was no true way of knowing it was him, but his written words confirmed her suspicions.
In the forthcoming months since that incident, Bella had not heard a word from Annabelle. Her eyes lay upon her appearance, but Annabelle would not utter any grievances or misgivings. It was apparent that Annabelle had clued in just how maddening she was to Bella. They shared the same head space; it was about time they came to an amicable understanding.
Annabelle stood by idly as Bella remained unmoved by any of the Creatures kind gestures. He would extend his hand in an impromptu dance amongst their meeting area, but denied him on account of having two left feet. He would grace her with a muffin on the Saturday mornings they would meet, but declared that she was allergic to gluten. He would shower her with tokens of gratitude and love, but would brush them off in that instant.
Bella could not mistake his frustration and learned that ignoring him would not get her anywhere. So, on her fourteenth year on Earth, Bella wished herself one thing when she whistled out air to extinguish her candle-lit cake.
This would be the year of answers.
"Yes, dear Creature, I will offer you my assistance." Bella gently picked up the feather, twirling it between her fingers.
She would help him, bringing her steps closer to solutions.
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Bella skirted her fingers along the bindings of her bird book collection. The bookcase that occupied one corner of the room housed almost every kind of literature on the subject Bella could get her hands on. Anthologies, children picture books, coffee table books; all on the written word of ornithology.
Over the course of four hours, Bella firmly put her nose in pages upon pages on the magical flying animal she loved so dear. She studied the texture, color and size of the mysterious bird feather handed to her. She searched through every single bird residing within the Olympic Peninsula, but naught were a match.
Was it possible that the Creature collected the singular feather from a different location? Bella expanded her initial search criteria and included more areas and regions. More species than she could ever imagine beyond her home state.
Two paper cuts and a stubbed toe later, Bella finally had her answer. But it did nothing to rid Bella's curiosity.
The following day, Bella brought the information to bring to the attention of the Creature.
"Creature, I have your answer." Bella found the transition from sight to none at all was less jarring if she closed her eyes beforehand. Once she found her seat on their rock, she did as such.
The Creature silently approached her. "You have injured yourself."
"It is merely a cut."
"Two cuts." The Creature, from the sound of it, seemed to struggle with this concept. "Your right index and left middle, the latter much more extreme in harm." Like handling the feather, The Creature lifted her hand gently toward his face.
His frigid hand matched the temperature of his breath. The brisk air sailed from his mouth, hitting her palm. The Creature skirted his fingers along her bandaged middle digit, the darkened blood peeking through the nude colored dressing. He brought the tip to his nose, inhaling an invisible scent.
Bella did not know what to think of the Creature's actions. Did he have a sixth sense that could detect things that normally have no odor? He was very bizarre, but she could not hurt his feelings; leaving him would most certainly force him further into a black hole of loneliness. Who's to say what is normal anyway? She sympathized with the Creature; there were people who judged her livelihood every ticking second of the days of her life. This action of his quite possibly may have been the one thing that brought him great joy.
The Creature slid her hand from his nose to his chest. Bella heard a muffled cry from a deep part within him, a strangled suffering of a whimper. As Bella listened to the Creature, she could not spot a heart beat that would keep a human such as herself alive.
Maybe Bella had it all wrong. The Creature was no more satisfied than he was before. Unless he had a twisted fascination for being happy while sad. A morbid fascination.
After a few more moments, the Creature returned her hand to her. He glanced down at her Mary Janes, descending in front of them. Bella nursed the thought of the possibility that he could detect her stubbed toe. She briefly wondered if he would remove her shoes to examine that part of her anatomy as well.
"You identified the bird?" He slowly lifted his head to meet her glazed over eyes.
"Yes, I have. It is the feather of a male Least Bittern, Ixobrychus exilis. It was a mission that was far more tasking than I thought it would be to place a name on this bird."
"I imagined it would."
"Oh you knew so?" How incredulous of him, Bella thought.
"Yes, but do go on."
"They are carnivorous, a wading bird, who nest in dense vegetation. In fact, they nest in marshes." Bella soaked in a deep breath, praying the courage to fill her inquisitiveness was with her. "But, there is scant a marsh in the Northwest region of North America. They also take to traveling at night. They are fairly common, but often heard and rarely seen. One would have to be in the right place, right time to catch a glimpse of a Least Bittern. And they do not take residence in the state of Washington."
Bella dared not be subtle with her words; she was aware that the Creature was capable of accomplishing the most impossible of feats. She was not surprised that he came across a rare species of bird in the vast state she lived in.
The Creature stood tall, stretching up to his full gait. "Take my hand."
Bella, bewildered by this turn of events, placed her palm into his, using his strength to hoist her from her sitting position. The Creature walked her a few paces toward the perimeter of their area.
"Isabella, I recognize how much you wish to ascend from the ground and take to the sky. Your eyes light up at the thought of possessing that ability."
Bella knew this an all but impossible power. "But humans are not gifted with such a great ability. I can only but wish for it, unless I become acquainted with an animal who could bear my weight to carry me high enough. Alas, I can not talk to animals."
The Creature softly chuckled. "But you are speaking to one at the moment."
"Of course, humans are animals. Let me clarify: an animal which has the ability to fly."
"As I said before, you are in the presence of one."
Bella lowered her eyebrows in confusion, realization refusing to hit her earlier. "You can fly, Creature?"
"Not the same as your winged subjects, but I can jump and take flight among the trees in a graceful manner."
Bella would grovel at his feet for a chance to soar that high. There would be no greater or more sacred memory than the one where she was suspended in air for a few seconds. To have the feeling that she could truthfully touch the sky.
"Would it be out of line if I asked for you to let me ascend a tree and fly?"
"I had hoped you would ask. Nothing would please me more." The Creature turned, his back displaying for her. "Hop on."
Bella did as she was told. The Creature did not flinch an inch when Bella leapt on, hooking her legs in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, delighting in the rare chance of touching him. There was no discernible body heat from where she pressed against his back.
"Ready?"
Bella nodded against the back of his head, her cheek becoming friendly with his hair. She was too frightened to let her eyes absorb the likely blurry visual of earthy tones that would pass her by. So, she closed them and breathed in deeply before her flight.
In a flash, the Creature climbed the decades old tree. Bella anticipated the jerking motion of ones body or head bobbing one would feel when taking off like the Creature had, but none of those came to be. The only noticeable action Bella distinguished was the scraping of fingers and shoes against the tree's bark. Not a bit of air escaped the Creatures mouth or nose.
Within seconds, the Creature reached one of the steadier top branches. He made no move to let her go or to allow her to stand on one. "Isabella, you may open your eyes."
"But, how could I enjoy without my sight?" Bella ducked her head, her nose rubbing the nape of his neck.
"I will grant you permission to view this." The Creature was genuine with his answers; never would he lie to his Isabella. He was here only to protect. "Keep your eyes closed and I will voice to you when you may open them."
Bella waited; would he let her see him as well? She knew that this was only but a wish, an impossibility. It was the one feat the Creature was incapable of. Yet her wish to fly came true, even through all of the odds from before.
"Open them."
Trepidation marring her lids, Bella slowly opened them. She was not sure why she was shocked by her vision being clear, her eyes able to focus properly. It was an adjustment to behold.
No, not the act of seeing, but of what our fair Bella saw before her eyes.
Jewel greens that she never thought the likes of knowing in her life. Ones so brilliant, she winced at the Technicolor brightness. The breeze swayed along them to and fro, the forest scent attracted to the sensitive hairs in her nose. She looked beyond and above at the borderless sky. Far away in the distance, mountains provided the perfect backdrop, completing this immaculate vision she long dreamed of.
She felt it silly to think but she expressed it to the Creature all the same. "I feel like a giant."
The Creature, amused by the charming naivety of the girl said, "Yes, that is one way of stating it."
Bella chanced a glance at the distance below them, essentially staring down the barrel of a gun. She gasped, unable to comprehend just how far they were from solid ground.
"I scarcely see a ground existing for us to fall onto." Bella nervously laughed, but her enthusiasm for experiencing such an opportunity overshadowed it all.
"We will never fall." The Creature absorbed the crisp, untainted atmosphere. His hair, no match for the gusts that played with it. "To answer your question, we are over three hundred feet from solid Earth."
Bella involuntarily gulped; being over thirty stories high would frighten anyone. Bella couldn't fathom any building beyond two. She buried her face into the Creatures back, imagining the fear of heights she never knew she possessed.
"Oh dear Isabella, you are safe in my hands. Letting you leave my arms is one of my worst fears. My life would crumble to bits, tinier than grains of sand." The Creature choked on the pain of his own words.
Bella had not sought to cause the Creature any pain. "Creature, you can rest assure my presence in your life will not be receding in any way, shape or form."
There existed nothing but wind and a light drizzle as they enjoyed the natural quiet.
Bella could not help but wonder how the Creature would keep them so high. The Creature owned arms and legs, but scarce a device that would propel their vertical climb.
Had he learned to soar all his own? Did he learn to adapt without a possibly lost piece of equipment? "Have your wings fallen off?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your wings, are they broken? Is that why you can only soar softly through the trees and not above?"
"If you liken me to an angel, I am not one. I am not an animal with God given wings. Tenure of good nature is required to even become one. My very being is far from any chance of higher calling."
"Why must you think so ill of yourself? Does it not matter that others think so fondly of you?" Bella squeezed her arms tighter around his neck, comforting him with genuine innocence that he knew he could not house within himself.
"There are times when thinking fondly of oneself is not plausible."
"Negative thoughts only condone that more. I beseech you from applying negative thoughts to yourself in my presence." Bella straightened her body, hoping to portray a sense of authority.
He nodded. "I will do my best to honor your request for the meantime." He paused a few moments, enchanted by the soft lullaby of Bella's breathing. The rising and falling of her chest, her beating heart the closest he felt to any sector of religion. "You would without a doubt be betrothed to angelhood. I am much too much a philosopher to be an angel."
Bella sighed. Instilling confidence in an old creature such as hers would take time and patience.
"Would you like to take flight, Isabella?" The Creature never pivoted his head, still preventing a clear view of his face for her to have.
"Yes." There had never been a truer statement uttered.
The Creature needed no running start as he leapt from the twig thin branch. Bella's heart skipped a beat, waiting for the inevitable freefall. Her voice remained lodged in her throat, her eyes widening on the rare sight in front of her.
Bella could not deny his grace. He landed safely without a rustle upon the new branch, a few feet lower than the last. The scratchy extensions from the trunk never graced her skin as the Creature kept them to a wide berth.
"That was…surreal." Bella exhaled, her mind composing that exact moment for future recollection. For future dreams and times to come, when she yearned for a vision that would grant her happiness.
"Would you like another, Isabella?" The Creature knew the answer to be affirmative, but delighted in hearing how much this one ability made her beam with unbridled joy.
"Oh yes! Please, do go on!" She hugged him tighter, giving him a blessed thank you.
For two hours, the Creature and Bella hopped, jumped and defied gravity. Bella loved the brief interval of time where she felt supernatural, she felt extraordinary. Oh to feel like she could do anything her heart desired! The Creature never let up with her, never ceasing to halt to catch his breath. Her energy fueled his own. He absorbed it, letting it infiltrate his hard, cold skin.
"The bird I asked you to seek out was one residing in southern Canada. I journeyed there mere moments after our meeting yesterday. I knew that its kind was rare and wanted to gift you with its uniqueness." The Creature iterated to her as they continued their flights.
"Southern Canada? Your legs can carry you that far in a matter of hours?"
"This is true."
Bella layed her cheek upon the back of his head, choice strands of the Creature's penny colored hair gracing her vision.
Would she ever be blessed with the chance to fully see the Creature? She had not taken for granted the rare occasion before her. She could not fathom how a being's back and hair could encapsulate loveliness. They were simple structures that composed the whole of the Creature.
Bella felt downright silly as she entertained the idea of lying in a field of the Creature's hair. They were silky smooth upon her cheek. She could only imagine what it would feel like to rest among them. As long as his scent is there too, she rationalized.
The soft footfalls of the Creature's shoes bounced off the bark of trees. Bella noticed small animals fleeing once he arrived. Their tails between their legs, they scurried hurriedly into their little holes or leapt to nearby trees.
She could not deny how impenetrable the Creatures skin was. Her eyes focused on the back of his neck and the place his shoulder blades connected. The muscles flexed in sinewy movements, never permeating secretions humans normally would with a task as taxing as the Creature was performing.
She found only one material with which she could align his exterior with. Marble as white and hard as any of Michelangelo's sculptures. She knew him to be beautifully crafted, she foresaw it. Akin to the structure of the masterpieces, the Creature was not hollow. Man can not survive on emptiness; they must have love, philosophy and be able to spread their wings. No matter if they think nothing of themselves, everyone is capable of grandeur wishes granted.
"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." She whispered the quote from said artist, seeing it fit for this occasion.
The Creature contemplated her offering. He responded, caressing the knuckles of her hand. He catered the thought of his heart beating once again.
The steady rhythm of the swinging and soaring placed Bella in a lull. She closed her eyes, letting the swaying soothe her like a rocking crib.
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All too soon, Bella's time in the air had come to an end. The Creature forewarned her when her vision would turn blurry again.
Once she straightened out her lightly wrinkled clothing, she faced the Creature. He was tidying up his own appearance as well.
"Creature, I thank you for making my dream come true."
"You're welcome, Isabella. I but only wish you could fully experience it all on your own. It is quite marveling to have the feeling of being airborne."
Bella had a peculiar sense that if she asked the question on the tip of her tongue, the Creature might side step it. "May I ask how you came about being the animal you are?"
The Creature did not answer at first. Bella, all eager ears, waited patiently. It was a constant waiting game with her time with him, which inevitably would have to end with a winner. For the ultimate reply, she did not know what it would be.
"I'm not asking for secrets, only answers." He had always done almost anything she asked, Bella could only hope he would care to do so on behalf of himself.
"Isabella, my likeness is nothing to handle lightly. I am not looking to scare but every time you are around me, you are tempting fate. I can tell---"
Bella stubbornly stiffened her shoulders, cutting him off in mid sentence. "I will not stoop to your level of bringing unhealthy hate upon yourself. I am to decide how I spend my time."
"While that is all well and good, would you rather know what you are getting yourself into?"
"I desire my days to be spent with you for as long as they let me. Being up in those trees made me feel…alive for once. And dare I say you were alive." How could she not know what would put him at ease? She may not have a visual to go on, but she knew his internal spirit and the way he spoke were that of a being embracing joy for once.
"Oh how untrue your words ring!" The Creature boomed. Bella cautiously stepped back, his voice straying away from its usual calm. "There will be nothing alive about me. I died a long time ago. Now, I am a feral source of animalistic ways. You're not in my presence at all hours, but if you were…you'd be sorry to ever associate with me."
The Creature collapsed on their rock, his head hung low. His arms lay defeated on his knees. "And what is worse? You can't see it."
Bella had naught witnessed the Creature in this state before. She hastened forth to perch at his side. "Does no way exist for me to see you all the time?"
"It's not that, Isabella. None of this is up to me. There is another entity at play, for both you and myself. And you know it all too well, but sadly you are unaware all the same."
The way the Creature spoke to her was much the same as spinning around endlessly. She had the urge to retreat, much like the animals in the trees, with her tail between her legs.
He was a cause that needed saving.
He was a cause that needed to be free.