Short Stories

Myths About Flight

Many, many hundreds of years ago, when people lived on farms and in villages, and men ruled the household, there was a princess named Esmeray. Esmeray was quite unlike the other girls in the kingdom. She was bold and daring, and refused to obey any man. While the other girls grew up learning how to cook and sew, she learned how to hunt and fight. And while the other girls were obedient and rarely argued with the men, she spoke her mind and broke rules regularly.

But even though she was outspoken and headstrong, with a tongue like a whip, the thing she was most known for was her curiosity. From the day she learned to speak, she was constantly asking questions, wondering about things that no one else had ever thought of. And while she always received answers to her questions, there was one question with an answer that she was never satisfied with.

Can a person fly?

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The first time Princess Esmeray tried to fly, she was 5 years old.

One morning, before even the king and queen were awake, she went out on the lowest balcony, which was still five feet off the ground, and tied a piece of cloth on either arm.

And then she jumped.

Of course, her mother nearly had a heart attack, and refused to let Esmeray out of her sight for the next year, if not longer. She had lost track of the days after having to listen to her mother go on and on about how her safety was important, and if Esmeray ever got hurt, whatever would the kingdom do without an heir, and she would never be able to live with herself if anything happened to her precious daughter, and AAAAAARGH JUST KILL ME NOWWWWWWW.

That last part was Esmeray.

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The second time she tried, she was 11.

She had learned about the birds and how they flew, and she was ready. She snuck out in the middle of the night, and unveiled her creation: a giant paper-mache kite, big enough for a person to fly on.

She went to the same balcony that she had been on 6 years ago, stood on the railing, and climbed onto the kite, putting her hands and feet into small handholds made of strong vines from the palace garden.

The next morning, her father found her still trapped under the kite's wooden frame.

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The third time, she was 17. She had studied for years, and with the help of some of the newer palace guards (who had not yet learned of the disaster her ideas caused), she had created something incredible, something that was sure to soar through the air, and only come down on her command.

It was bigger than she had expected, with a basket that fit two people, and a metal container where she could light a fire under a large balloon.

Esmeray climbed in, followed by her best friend, the son of the captain of the guard, who instructed the poor, oblivious guards to sever the rope holding the basket to the ground.

He lit the match, and the balloon rose above the ground, pulling the basket up, up, up through the air.

And then they were flying.

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Hi!

How are you?

This was an assignment for Exploring Aerospace; we had read a few myths about flight, and the teacher had us write a myth about flight. It took a first, second, and tenth draft, plus me editing it before I put it here, but eventually I ended up with this.

What do you think?

Question of the chapter:

If you could have powers, what would they be?

Mine would be the power of illusions, but not just for sight. It would be for all five senses, so I could make people see, feel, smell, taste, and hear things that aren't real.

Bye!

~Sita