Beloved - Emrys

“Can I fly?”

Merigold looks at me from the window sill. Her legs are crossed over the knee and she’s got a blue flower in her braid. She ponders my question.

“Fly?”

“Yes, fly. Can I fly, off the ground like the other faeries. I see some with wings and some without, but even those without seem to fly.” I explain.

I’m standing on the bed, facing the room wondering if I don’t have to touch floor when I walk.

“We don’t fly Emrys, we float.”

“What’s the difference?”

She looks at me, I can see she is thinking. She taps her fingers on the sill. “I don’t know.”

“How do YOU fly?”

Merigold has taught me so much already in nearly two weeks. I have learned that I could, with practice, cause illness like I had with the doctor, or heal. I could sense things much stronger than others, like hearing, touching or smelling. Even seeing in the dark. Apparently I could even go invisible or hide in the shadows. I hadn’t tried any of it but in theory, these were all things the other faeries could do.

My favourite was illumination. If I think of the sun I can channel the energy in the room to create a light all my own. The one that perplexed me the most however was their ability to fly. I look at the floor and, as Merigold had taught, I think about flying. I take a step forward, closing my eyes. Would I fly?

I feel a jolt as my foot plunges down toward the tiles and I fall off the bed. “Owww…” I groan.

“That’s not how we do it.” She chimes, leaping from the sill and slowly alighting on the bed, then the tiles by my face. She kneels by my nose, smiling as I sit up.

“Then how? Teach me.”

“I think of a gentle breeze lifting me up and moving me. Others think of a storm flinging them through the air. You have to think of something that makes you float.”

I look at her blankly. Why do faeries have to be so vague?

Floating, floating… floating. Like a leaf in a puddle, just fallen from a tree. I can see a leaf drifting on the water. It’s floating.

I crawl back onto the bed and stand on the edge.

“Imagine you are floating.” I hear her say, like a leaf on the puddle. Floating on the puddle. Floating.

I step out and slowly, hesitantly open one eye. Oh my gosh! I AM floating! Two feet above the ground I stand next to the bed. I take another tentative step; like a leaf on a puddle I repeat in my head.

.

“I’m… I’m floating! Goodness I’m floating!” I take more steps out, I walk in circles, I take a little jump and then I’m by the door!

I feel so light and I can’t stop smiling. I feel like a young boy again, excited and laughing! I look to the window and see a line of faeries hopping on the sill, cheering!

“I’m flying!” I shout. I see a movement by the door, breaking my concentration and suddenly drop to the ground, tripping. Susan, the nurse, is outside. It’s lunch time. I can’t relax my heart as she comes in with the tray of food.

“Hello dear. Are you feeling ok?” She asks, a furrow in her brow. Did she see me?

“I’m ok.” I say, settling onto the bed. Breath, in and out, in and out. relax!

“What’s this about flying?” She sets the tray down on a folding table and flips open her green notebook, poised for information.

“No, I was…” My mind slips. I forget something. I see her holding the pencil and suddenly it reminds me of the needle. My forehead is wet, my hands hot in the mitts, my breath is short and fast. Breath! In… in… out…

“I was,... I’m… I’m sorry.” I’m saying nonsense. I want the needle to go away. I back up on the bed, eyes locked on her hands, pressing against the window. A fear has gripped me and I can’t think of anything but the needle. I hear Merigold’s voice beside me.

“Emrys, it’s OK. Emrys! Come back, it’s only a pencil. Emrys!”

In my panic I feel a click, like suddenly I’m connected again. I see the pencil. Susan is writing in her notebook. I see the lunch tray and I know I’m in my room. Merigold is with me and I’m not with the doctors.

“What is wrong with me?” I whisper.

Susan is looking at me with concern. “Emrys, dear, has this happened before? Do you forget what is happening?” She asks politely.

I look at her from the window, waiting for my body to relax. “Sometimes… I remember the tests and it’s all I remember,” I hear myself saying the words, even though I don’t want to tell her anything. She hasn’t been at all the tests.

She nods and closes her notebook. “Well dear, let's not worry about it now. It’s time for lunch. Aren’t you hungry?”

#Fantasy #Magic