A Broken Wing

9. Ring

The small band of silver rotated, catching the light and shining like a star. Faith and hope are joined, twins that are inseparable, you could not have one without the other.

To have faith is to have wings

Honey stared at the words as she twisted the ring in her fingers. They brushed the lettering hoping that the meaning would rub off, that faith was like a disease, that you could catch it.

“Are you ready?”

She nodded silently and rose from her chair like a ghost. That was what she was becoming. The transformation from life to death, the emptiness and transparency of her life became the prison that was in between. The world was moving around her in a blur, a film that she had seen, a story she already knew the end to.

She slid the ring onto her finger and felt the pain rushing back, the proposal, her answer, his smile, the kiss, his hands around hers, the ring being placed around her finger. Religion was not important to her, James was, yet everything is cyclical, everything returns to its beginning. You are dust and to dust you shall return. He would come back to her, she knew it. In the end everyone has to die.

The ride down was silent. The harsh elevator lights above them glared like prying eyes and gravity pulled them downwards in a controlled fall. Everything trying to add order to the chaos, everything wanting to know, wanting to feed of the secrets, the broken hearts. The numbers glowed and faded in the countdown to zero. There was a soft ping and the doors slid open.

Ground floor, the bottom of the building, it was a return to the real world from the clouds above. Honey knew about tragedy, she knew of the tragic model, Aristotle’s theory and that in her life and the world that owned her everyone was a tragic figure, everyone would fall. The only thing was that there were no heroes, no one to catch the fallen.

The night was cool and fresh notes hung in the air like a sigh of relief. They walked along the street mixed emotions swirling between them like two strangers. Tension and anxiety sat on Honey’s shoulders whilst excitement and lust curled around Pandora.

“Almost there.” Pandora whispered.

They turned left down a narrow alley, buildings rising up on either side like monstrous tombstones. Caution and hesitation grabbed at Honey’s legs as she followed her friend into the unknown.

“Where are we going?”

A cat sat atop a dustbin and watched with unblinking green eyes as the two passed. Pandora gestured for Honey to hurry and then placed her hands over Honey’s eyes as she drew near.

Pandora pressed her lips to Honey’s ear, “Just around the corner now.” She paused feeling the excitement grow. “You’re going to love this.”

They tiptoed to an opening in a wall and climbed through into the street on the other side. Pandora removed her hands and smiled. Honey’s eyes opened as her breath was snatched from her lips.

Pandora laughed, “Welcome to Caelis.”

It was an avenue, a street, a stretch of paradise, it was everything. White trees lined the sides of the walkway and golden lights were woven through their paper white leaves like fireflies sewn together. The absence of vehicles and drone of traffic added to its tranquillity as the sound of laughter and chatter bubbled up into the night sky. Cafés, restaurants, bars and clubs made it the place to go for a good time. It was the only place to go.

Honey stepped into the centre of the cobbled street and looked around in amazement and awe. Slowly things were slipping away, James was fading and the anxiety blurred.

“What is this place?” she said.

“This,” Pandora started, “is that place everyone dreams of. This is where you want to wake up when you go to sleep. Honey, here you are free.”