“Samantha, your hair looks so dang cute!” Anna said for like the fifth time that afternoon.
I grinned back at her. “Thanks, Anna.” Taking a swig from my water bottle, I scanned the area. We’d stopped riding for a minute, both of us sitting next to our bikes. I felt bad postponing Anna’s ride until Tuesday, but I’d decided after Blake left that I needed to fix my roots. They were quite the eyesore. My mom had been beside herself with joy, and Monday became Campbell girls’ pampering day. Even my sisters joined us. By the end of hair appointments, shopping, and pedicures, riding was out of the question. No wonder my dad hates clothes shopping—it’s exhausting! Still, I had to admit I enjoyed my hair being back to its natural sandy blonde and my clothes fitting my shape again.
“Check out that view,” I gasped, the valley below us bursting with the last of autumn’s colors. In a few more days, this would all turn a muted brown.
“Wow! That’s gorgeous,” Anna agreed. “So much better than anything we had in Anaheim.”
The mention of California got me thinking about Blake, which wasn’t too hard to do anyway. My heart squeezed painfully. I missed him more than I wanted to admit to myself. “I bet you miss the beach though, right?”
Anna nodded. “Yeah, I do. One day I’m swimming with my friends and the next, we are packing up to move here.”
“Sounds pretty sudden.”
“Yeah. My dad’s been with the same company for years and out of the blue, he gets this huge promotion. Within days, our house is up for sale and I’m telling my friends goodbye.”
“That’s got to be tough. Bet Blake didn’t want to go. Being the football player and all, he probably left a lot of girlfriends behind.” Like maybe Kate? I prayed Anna would take my bait. Anna cocked her head to the side. “Blake didn’t really have a girlfriend, actually, but there were lots of girls who kept trying to be.”
Not exactly a comforting thought. “Was Kate one of those girls? Sorry, you mentioned her before. I’m just curious.” I hated pumping information out of Blake’s little sister, but I had to know. I’m so pathetic.
“Yeah, she used to come over all the time, so we sort of became friends. Kate told me they’d kissed once, but then nothing else happened. Pretty sure she wanted to be more than friends. I just assumed Blake told her he wasn’t interested because she stopped coming around.”
Did Blake change his mind about Kate? Was that why he hurried home? I glanced over at Anna. Wonder what she thinks of Blake and me? That we’re just friends too?
“I can tell Blake likes you way better, Samantha,” Anna said, as if she’d read my mind.
I couldn’t help but grin. “Oh really? And how do you know that?”
“He talks about you.”
I was unconvinced. “So, he talks about me more than Kate?”
“No, he talks about you. He never talked about anyone to me, especially girls. I only knew about Kate because she hung out with me, but Blake told me all about you before I’d even met you.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t entirely sure what Blake had told her and decided to play it safe. “Well, that’s good.”
Anna’s eyebrows shot up and down. “Why? Do you like him like him?”
Oh boy, this is what I get for unleashing a fourteen-year-old girl’s inner gossip! I tried to backpedal quickly.
“I do like your brother. I’m not exactly sure what we are, but that’s our little secret, okay?” I didn’t really wait for her response. I could tell she wanted to know more, so I asked, “Hey Anna, you knew a lot of Blake’s friends, right? Did you ever meet Kory?”
That sidetracked her. “Huh, no, I don’t think so… but Blake did have a lot of friends. Why?”
I decided to be truthful. “No reason, really. I just knew Kory from school, and Blake said they went way back. He didn’t seem to like him much.”
Now Anna appeared puzzled. “It takes a lot for Blake not to like someone. Kory must be a weasel.”
I chuckled. “I guess. I only ever felt bad for him. He had leukemia when he was a kid, but he got better. He seemed nice enough though.”
“Oh, well, maybe that’s how Blake knows him. I bet they went to the same place.”
I stared at Anna. “What do you mean?”
Anna hesitated, clearly debating something in her mind. Then she leaned closer. “If I tell you, promise you won’t say anything to Blake, kay? For some reason, he gets all weird about it. Doesn’t want anyone to know or something, but you’d think if you were cured of cancer, you’d tell everybody, right? I mean, what’s the shame in that?”
“Cancer?” I cut in, “Blake had cancer?”
“Yep, leukemia. They did radiation and chemo. It went into remission for a while, but it came back. I think he was six or seven. He almost died. I don’t really remember it all because I was three, but I guess during it all, Jaxon wouldn’t leave his side. The only memory I have of it all was Jaxon’s girlfriend playing with me while he tried to help Blake. I just remember thinking she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen… but Jaxon stopped dating her about the time Blake got better.”
Not interested in Jaxon’s love life, my mind mulled over what she’d told me. Blake had almost died when he was little too? “How did he get better?”
“My parents took him to this really expensive cancer clinic in Santa Barbara, a couple of hours away from our home. Jaxon drove him for all his treatments. That’s probably why Jaxon wanted to be a doctor, come to think of it. Anyway, after Blake got better, they’d take off camping a lot. So I guess,” Anna conceded, “I can understand why my parents let him do whatever he wants. He beat out death.”
We decided to head back a few minutes later, the ride back to the truck quiet. Anna concentrated hard on the downhill scaling, trying to keep up with me. I made sure I slowed frequently, calling out commands to help her. It wasn’t too steep. At least, I hoped. I couldn’t shake the image of an imaginary Kate kissing Blake. I knew Anna thought Blake liked me more, but how much did Anna really know? I could only assume Blake and Kory had met at that cancer treatment place in Santa Barbara. Why had things ended badly for them? They had both obviously been cured. What could be worse than having cancer?
Why am I so uncomfortable? I tried to turn over in my bed but something hard pushed back, coming between my mattress and me. I grunted, rubbing my eyes. Seeing my dark room, I wondered what time it was when I felt an undeniable shuddering on my back. I bolted up, gasping. No, no, no! Oh, please no!
Even in my dimly lit room, I could make out my reflection in my mirror. Long, blonde hair, a silky, blue dress, and yes, two iridescent wings. I groaned. I’d hoped beyond hope my wings would never reappear. It would make my life so simple and easy.
Okay… moment of truth; I need to show my parents.
I stood up with that objective, but wandered to my window instead. Pressing my palms against it, my breath fogged up the glass. The desire to tug it open and take flight made me lightheaded. This makes no sense. Then, like living a dream, my fingers unlatched the lock and pulled the window up. There was no screen. I’d pushed that out long ago when I was seven and determined to climb down the oak tree banging against my window. The long branches reached out to me, almost asking me to climb aboard. I stepped up onto the windowsill, my toes gripping at its narrow surface. Crouching, I peered down. I no longer needed those branches.
Somewhere in my mind, Blake’s promise tugged at me, but I’d never felt such a need in my life. Something urged me to jump off. Pinching my eyes shut, I inhaled and flexed the muscles between my shoulder blades. My wings sung back at me, a blur of motion. They were excited. I stretched my arms out. Will anyone see me? It is dark… but still?
Then I didn’t care if they did. I needed this, as bad as I needed the air in my lungs. I plunged forward, confident my wings would carry me. I allowed a free dive until I was feet from the ground, and then I doubled back, shooting straight up into the sky. My house disappeared in the dark trees surrounding i
t, as I soared higher and higher.
Something nagged at me. I focused on the sensation. It’s like a strange yearning… to what though? East, I need to go east.
The speed at which I shot across the sky made me feel giddy; all my senses in overdrive. The smells from the woods below greeted me, welcoming and familiar. The whistle of the air, as I effortlessly sliced through it, hummed in my ears. I was crossing over a small mountain range; I’d be there soon. Passing the last, green knoll, I saw it. Lemon Reservoir, the closest body of water by my house. Suddenly, I felt anxious, like I couldn’t get to the water fast enough.
The reservoir was long and skinny, perhaps four miles long and only a half a mile wide. Slowing my speed, I skimmed over the beach. The water line was lower, being late fall. Though the water was dark, almost black, with small ripples from the breeze, I found it beautiful.
Intrigued, I plummeted closer to the reservoir’s surface. Then realizing what I’d been craving, I dropped both arms down, letting them cut through the water as I flew across. An assault of cold droplets splashed my face and chest, but it only made me want more. Reaching the beach on the other side, I doubled back. This time, I didn’t stop with my arms. I plunged my entire body into the water. Submerged, I opened my eyes. Where was the paralyzing terror? I felt only exhilaration. Somehow, I was still moving, gliding under the water. My lungs didn’t burn as I held my breath. Nothing made sense. None of this should be possible! I burst through the surface and shot back into the air, gulping in oxygen.
I glanced over, worried my wings might be damaged now that they were drenched. Didn’t butterflies die when theirs got wet? All four iridescent wings buzzed back at me, their movement fluid. I hovered a moment, staring at them in wonder, and then I shot up, twirling in tight circles. I’m so in trouble. The adrenaline, the rush, coursed through my veins like a wicked drug, and I knew I was addicted.
I stopped and glanced down at the reservoir. Again!
I nosedived, my childhood nightmare forgotten. I didn’t fear the water—I needed it. My face hit first, the shock of icy water on my skin thrilling. I dipped in and out of the water, soaring like a bug skimming the top to drink. My long, wet hair clung to my naked skin and drenched dress. Logically, I knew I should be shaking with chill. It was autumn and in the middle of the night. The forest surrounding the water’s edge was on its last weeks of life, leaves fluttering to the ground in lifeless clumps.
I should be freezing, but I’m not. And I’ve never felt happier.
I zigzagged across the water’s surface and each time I reached the shore, I’d double back to be near the dark water. I wished I could do this all night, but I knew at some point I needed to fly home. Who knows how long my wings will last? I skidded to halt, hovering, and stared at the blackened shoreline. The trees cast deep shadows from the half of a moon in the sky.
That was when I felt it—an overwhelming sensation that I wasn’t alone. I heard an inhale at the same time I caught a new scent in the air. With all my reckless diving, I’d overlooked it. It assaulted me now, demanding my attention. Musky with a mix of something… mint?
I strained my ears, trying to pick out the new sounds I was noticing. Insects, lots of them, in a chorus of thrumming night sounds, and then an exhale, like someone had been holding their breath. I cocked my head to the side; there it was again. Someone was breathing, slowly, deliberately. I scanned the trees. Somewhere in its vastness, someone or something was hiding. I squinted, willing my superhuman vision to return, but it seemed my hearing and sense of smell were the only things going crazy now. I sniffed at the cold air, reminding myself of Blake’s dog. What did it mean? Do I smell someone’s scent?
As my skin crawled with goose bumps, I remained frozen, the water inches below my toes. I should fly, get out of here… what was I waiting for?
When a branch bounced and the leaves shuddered, something took over me. Instead of fleeing, I shot straight forward, determined to know who or what was out there. At first, I saw nothing and then for one split second, a silhouette formed before me. I was right! Someone is there!
The figure shot up the side of a tree, snapping the branches as it went. As soon as the person cleared the top of the foliage, I saw wings. Someone like me! There was no time to second-guess myself. I pushed hard after the shadowed person, too dark to tell if it was male or female. The speed he or she flew at made it obvious they didn’t want to be caught.
“Wait! Please!” I screamed, but they only flew faster.
I dug deep, giving my wings everything I had. The gap began to close between us. I plodded on, finally making out details. Jeans, T-shirt, broad shoulders, and short, dark hair. It’s a guy.
Then he shot forward with a sudden burst that left me painfully behind. I struggled for a few more seconds, gulping at the air like a fish out of water, but his figure rapidly shrunk away. Suddenly, he was completely gone. I stared at the space where he had been.
Crap! He got away.
I sucked in air and redirected myself to head home.
Who was he? What was he? One thing I know for sure now, I’m not alone. There are others like me. Plagued with questions, I tried to ignore the exhaustion settling into my bones, managing to get myself back in through my bedroom window. I practically crawled across my floor. Still sopping wet, I tugged my blankets down off my bed and rolled up into them.
Okay. If the wings are here when I wake up, I’ll have to tell my family. But if they aren’t… well… I’m finding out what the heck I am first.
There was no reason for me to hit national news if there were other winged people out there, right? Besides, part of me wondered if the shots in the cabin had more to do with this than I’d thought before. There had to be a reasonable explanation for all of this, and I was going to find it.