"Storm," the professor turned for a moment to the woman with dark skin and grey hair. "Perhaps you could help Willow find a shower and some clothes that better accommodate her."
"Willow," Storm smiled softly. "You wanna come with me?" she extended her hand and placed it gently on Willow's back. Willow stood and let Storm guide her down twisting hallways. "This is my room, I'm sorry about the mess in here. But the bathroom is right there, help yourself to anything in there." Storm nodded and pointed to a door in the far right corner of the room. "I'll try to find something for you to wear."
She touched the shiny knob on the door and turned it slowly, stepping inside the clean bathroom and closing thee door behind her. She slipped her jacket off, then her grey sweater and then the black undershirt. With each layer of clothing disappearing, she felt tons of weight lifting off her soul. She'd stripped down until nothing was left but the leather harness that held her wings to her back. She'd always found the harness to be a metaphorical restraint rather than a physical one. She was never allowed to touch it, only her Master was allowed to put it on her and take if off. It symbolized their shared knowledge that he had control of her, she didn't have wings to get away unless he said so and even when she was allowed to stretch them, they both knew she wouldn't run because she knew what would be in store for her if she did. She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror, something she hadn't done since she was twelve or thirteen years old.
She touched her face, her sunken cheeks and eye sockets, bony shoulders, protruding rib cage. She traced the outline of the harness down to the buckle around her waist. Slowly, so, slowly she pulled the tail of the strap through the buckle and pulled so the small silver stick holding the leather in place was removed from its hole and it fell apart. She lifted it off her head and took a deep breath as she began to cry. Willow turned the handle on the bathtub and let the water run a moment before she stepped under the shower head. She's been taking bucket baths for as long as she could remember. She was careful to keep her wings dry as she stood under the water.
YOU ARE READING
A Heart Full of Love// Kurt Wagner
FanfictionAfter being rescued by two men from the cruel prison she's spent most of her life in, Willow has much adjusting to do and much to learn about other people and herself. Are all people bad? Can she ever have a happy ending? Will she ever get a break?
