"Making Wings Come True" by Emily Grist

Looking up to the cloudless blue sky made a little spot between her shoulder blades ache with the want of release.

She gazed dreamily out the library window; the perfect spot to see over the school grounds. She breathed in sharply while she felt her skin begin to open.

I have to stop doing that, she thought to herself as she looked nervously over at the other students, making sure they hadn't heard her groan in protest. But their minds were occupied with their books, thankfully.

She sighed, licking her dry lips. She had to get out, the ache in her back was beginning to get unbearable.

I can't... they have to be asleep... they can't know... can't find out...

Again she glanced onto the ground. No one was there; no one around. They were all studying.

It wouldn't hurt, said a small voice in the back of her head.

No! Said another in protest. What if someone decides to take a break? Go outside for a stroll around the grounds? She knew that was the voice of her good conscience.

What does it matter? You'll be gone by then! Lost in the wind; the sky; all the gorgeous blue you've been dreaming about for weeks now... She licked her lips again, thinking about that freedom she so yearns for.

But what about getting down without anyone noticing? What about your classes? You know how important they are!
Her stomach churned uncomfortably.

You won't come back till night, plus it's the weekend, you don't have any classes to begin with!

She knew that was true. What could go wrong? She stood abruptly, her heart beating wildly. She left her books behind her as she walked right out of the library to the main doors leading to the grounds.

The hallway to the large doors was covered in paintings of previous Headmasters. She'd been sent to the boarding school disgracefully when her parents discovered her awful secret. They were too proud, rich, and powerful to show off their daughter, who they took for a beast; a monster; a figment of imagination. She'd felt immense hatred towards them ever since they secluded her from their perfect lives.

She opened the heavy doors, rushing out, the wind catching her hair and holding her face softly. She glanced around for human flesh, but found none.

She gazed back up to the sky, breathing heavily. She felt the urge grow stronger, her tongue dry, her throat burning in anticipation.

Suddenly a wave of heat washed over her, then she became cool again, finding herself staggering forward onto the green, lush grass.

She was tugging at her shirt, the silky material burning her skin.

Her back felt on fire, just enough to almost blind her. The two scars between her shoulder blades opened and closed, her skin bubbling as if something was growing beneath her muscle. Her face was twisted in pain, her teeth grinding, and her back arched.

Her knees buckled as a bone pushed its way out of her flesh, through the opened scar on her back.

She kneeled on the grass, breathing in the scent of the earth, closing her eyes tightly as the bone structure to her wings finally burst from her back, making her scream and cry in painful agony.

Her breathing steadied as slowly, silently, and gently her muscle and skin crawled from her scars and covered the bones, attaching it all together in a soothing, motherly way. After, her wings looked like massive, lightly colored, leather bindings. Then a feather sprouted at the very tip of her wing, followed by many others until both were completely covered.

She got up and sat on her knees gasping and sweating from losing so much energy. She brought her wings around her, as if embracing herself, gently stroking the silky white feathers.

She took a deep breath and looked at the sky, still blue and crystal clear. On shaky legs she stood, balancing herself with the new weight added onto her backside.

She felt as though she'd forgotten how to fly, flapping her arms and trying to push from the ground with little work from her wings.

She closed her eyes and imagined flying again, she concentrated on flapping her wings, spreading her legs shoulder length apart and extending her arms out before her. She started breathing deep breaths, feeling her lungs and heart grow to help oxygen flow better, her bones become hollow for better flight, which made her entire body feel like a fluffy cloud.

Then, slowly, her wings gentle, not making a sound, she felt her feet lift from the ground. First her heels, then her toes. She opened her eyes and rose higher and higher, keeping her legs and arms as far away from her body as possible.

She felt drowsy and happy, drunk on it almost. She flew high above, making sure not to be seen. She flew faster and flapped her wings harder, her arms coming to her side so that she could dive down and pop back up when she felt.

She tasted that sweet taste of freedom on her tongue, the scent of choice sitting on her shoulders. She felt invincible, like she could do anything.

Her wings started beating and her breathing was deep and hollow, she smiled as she soared through the air, touching clouds as she came by them. Her cheeks were touched with a splash of pink and her nose was turning red from the cold, thrilling air.

She flew above buildings until the sun began to sink; she saw people turning the lights in their homes on and off, the T.V.'s glaring their cerulean glow; kids roaming the streets, looking for trouble.

By the time she began to feel her wings slow down and her body fall, she was almost back onto the grounds. Lights were on in some student's rooms, probably the ones staying up to party, or the ones staying up to bury their noses into their books.

Carefully she lowered herself to the ground, gasping out and falling to her knees again. She was exhausted, yet exceptionally happy. No one had seen her, no one knew her secret.

She sighed heavily as her bones thickened and filled with marrow, her lungs shrunk along with her heart.

She looked behind her at her wings and stroked them lovingly, letting them embrace her once more, before the feathers began to fall off one by one. Her eyes swelled with tears as she looked at the ground, feeling her body quiver as her skin began to unfold itself from the bone, and the bone flapping one more time as if protesting before being sucked back quickly into the scars on her back, which closed with a burning sensation.

She collapsed on the ground in a pile of feathers in which she hugged.

A smile was printed on her lips as she felt herself drift off into a deep sleep, the dreams of flying coming to her once more.

Sweet release, sweeter every time.