Four Wings

Prologue

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1 year later

Dakan's POV

My mouth dropped open. "We're moving? Why??"

Mom sighed. "My job moved to Wisconsin."

I was confused. I thought my mom just stayed home all the time. Oh, well. I'm sure there's a good reason. "Will Syrena come with us?" I questioned, anxious.

"It depends if she wants to. She might want to stay here in case someone is looking for her. Why don't you find her and ask her."

I found Syrena in her room, reading.

Standing just inside the doorway of her room, I knocked lightly on her door so she knew I was there. "Hey, Sy."

She looked up from the pages of her paperback. "Hi, Kan, what's up?"

I shifted from one foot to the other, not sure how to say it. Just spit it out. "Er, my mom just told me we're moving. All the way to Wisconsin."

Her eyes widened. "All the way to Wisconsin? Do you know why?"

"Um...she says her job moved? Which is weird, because she always stays home...I don't know. She's already started getting boxes and things out to pack."

"Oh, ok. well, I can help you pack everything."

She got off the bed and followed me downstairs.

Oh, no...I forgot to ask if she actually wanted to come along.

~

One month later

I rattled down the steps, carrying the last box of clothes from my room. I set it on the stack at the foot of the stairs and yelled over to my mom where she and Syrena were packing kitchen utensils.

"Mom, I think I got the last of it. There isn't anything left upstairs."

"Thank you, dear!" She called back.

She and Sy finished putting away the last of the mixing spoons, and straightened.

"Well, I think everything's packed up. Dakan, why don't you and Syrena take a quick look around and make sure we have everything."

"Sure," I agreed. "C'mon, Sy, let's go check."

"Okay," she giggled, following me.

She looked so much better now than how she looked only a year or so ago when I found her in the woods after that weird flash. She had a graphic t-shirt of a band she liked and jeans on, her inky hair pulled back in a high ponytail, a grin on her face, and a sparkle in her blue-green eyes, instead of a glaze of fear.

We scrambled up the steps, kind of racing, and Sy trying and failing to pass me up on the narrow staircase. Reaching the door at the top, I slammed into it first, wrenching it open, and we both collapsed onto the floor together, laughing breathlessly.

"Let's look in your room first, then mine, then the storage," I suggested once we had caught our breath.

She agreed, so we combed the rooms from top to bottom, only finding a few hair ties in a corner of her room and a lot of dust bunnies in the storage room.

"Are you excited to move to Wisconsin with us?" I asked.

Her face sobered and she averted her gaze, fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt.

"Well, um, I...I'm not sure, actually. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with you and Ailani, I just feel like...like I shouldn't leave this house - the woods I appeared in."

"But, why?"

"I feel a connection to the forest, and I know my mother sent me here. What if she comes to get me, or sends someone, or something? I don't want to be gone if that happens..."

I didn't know what to make of this. If she didn't want to leave, but Mom said we needed to, how would we do this? She's way too young to live by herself, and I'd miss her.

"You should tell Mom how you feel. Maybe she can find a way for you to stay or something. I just wish you'd come with us."

"Thanks, Kan. I'll ask her." She smiled gratefully at me.

We headed back downstairs, and Sy approached Mom.

"Ailani, I need to tell you something..."

She glanced back at me, and I nodded encouragement.

She took a deep breath before plunging into her explanation. "I-I don't want to leave here. The place I appeared, I mean. I don't remember much before then, but I know my mother sent me here. What if she wants to bring me back, but I'm not here anymore?" She finished, her eyes glossy.

Mom's expression was sympathetic. "Oh, Syrena...it's okay, we can find a way for you to stay here. I'm sure my friend Miss Bynai would love to have you. She has always said you could stay with her, because she's always wanted a daughter."

Miss Bynai is really nice. She'd take good care of Sy, I know it.

Sy looked at Mom, then back at me, tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Ailani. Thank you so much for taking care of me for so long, and being my mom, and Dakan for being my friend. I'll miss you."

My heart sank.

She really was going to stay behind, then.

~

We brought all the boxes out to the trailer, then put Sy's bags, with all of her clothes, in the trunk of our car, and drove to Miss Bynai's house - just down the street.

Our friendly, blonde-haired neighbor ran out to greet us and Mom asked her if Syrena could live with her.

If it was possible, Miss Bynai looked even happier. She, of course, agreed, chattering on and on about how much Syrena would love the guest bedroom, and how excited she was, as we brought Sy's bags into the house.

I turned toward her, "Well, I guess this is goodbye, then. Who knows when we'll see each other again."

She sniffled, her eyes shiny. "I'll miss you so much, Kan."

I hugged her one last time, then walked out to the car. Mom and Sy said their goodbyes, then Mom came to start the car. I waved frantically to Sy, who was standing in the door, and she waved back, both of us crying.

As she faded from sight around a corner in the road, I sat back in my seat. Time to start a new life, in a new state. Time to keep my wings hidden, and be a normal boy.

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A/N

Hey, guys!

Thank you so much for reading the prologue to Four Wings. Any comments or votes you leave are greatly appreciated, and don't hesitate to (constructively) critique my writing. I want to make sure my work is the best it can be.

Tell me what you think so far...why did Syrena appear in the forest? What do you think will happen after they part ways? I'd love to hear your theories 😊💖 if you have questions, I'll be sure to answer them, or tell you if they will be answered in a future chapter 😜

Thanks again for reading this, it means a lot to me that you take the time to read my work.

~ Leya 💜

Pronunciations:

Syrena: Sigh-REE-na

Dakan: Dah-KAHN

Ailani: Eye-LAHN-ee

Miss Bynai: Bin-EYE