"Let's go Iqra!"
Taylor grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the door. I wasn't going to be dragged anywhere. I tightened my fingers around her hand and started running, dragging her behind me.
"Ack! Slow down!"
I stopped, planting both feet into the ground. She bumped into my back. I turned to look at her.
"Where did you want us to go?"
She frowned. "I was going to take you to the swings, but then you started running in the opposite direction."
"Oh." I shrugged and grabbed her hand again. "Then let's go!"
"Iqra!"
I jumped onto the swing and waited for her to join me on the other one. We sat in silence. I focused on swinging my legs back and forth, taking myself higher and higher into the air until the chains loosened and slammed back straight, bringing me back the other way into the air.
The chains jingled as I flew higher before gravity brought me down, fast and hard.
CLANG.
Up.
Loosen.
Flying.
CLANG.
I closed my eyes and tightened my fingers around the cool metal, feeling the air whoosh over my face, tugging at my hair.
I want to fly.
"Let's make a story. One person starts it and we keep adding on to each other's parts."
I opened my eyes and looked at her. "Okay. Who'll start?"
She thought for a moment. "You go."
"Okay." I thought about it. "Once there was a girl." I studied the clouds, watching them come closer and move away as I swung forward and backwards. "She wanted to fly. But people told her she couldn't."
Taylor swung her feet, kicking up some sand beneath us.
"Hmm...so she found a friend and they planned to try and fly together." She looked at me and grinned.
I smiled. "So they decided to create a machine to help them fly."
I curled up against the door, keeping it shut with my back. I was supposed to be changing clothes to go shopping with mom. I studied my hands.
All those years ago, we'd started a game. I don't even remember the ending. I curled my fingers into a fist and dropped it onto the carpet.
"Once there was a girl who wanted to fly. But people kept bringing her down." I took a deep breath and kept going. "So she found a friend and they planned to fly together by inventing a machine that would help them."
I rested my forehead against my knees, closing my eyes. Deep breaths. Deep breaths, Iqra.
"But machines only work if there's someone to use them. Machine's don't operate alone. The two little girls created wings. When they finally decided to go up to a mountain and use them, they both jumped. One girl flew. Up, up, and away she flew. So far away, the other one couldn't see her. So the other little girl tried to follow her friend."
The tears were dripping freely now, my voice trembling.
"But she flew too close to the sun and her wings fell off, and she plunged into the sea."
*********************************
Short chapter, I know. >.< Forgive me. Happy Tuesday!
I'll see you Friday!
Cheers!
~October