Landed Wings - By Skylhur Tranqille Page 0,12
But it’s necessary. Ashlynn is nothing like I imagined, she’s naïve, clueless, and pampered, flying around in a world she doesn’t know anything about. I guess it doesn’t really matter what she understands, I’ve been fighting for a long time and if she can help me end this then I’m going to do what I have to. I don’t know how well she can hear me from so far, but I send her the thought anyway…with an add-on. Come back…come back…come back…love me…love me…
Chapter 7: CONSEQUENCES
ASHLYNN
“So how did it go?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Ash, did something happen down there?”
Ivory and I are sitting in the Sky Park. I’d been sitting on the bench since I’ve come back. I’ve been here so long, my wings and feet numb. I’m not ready to talk to anyone about Mocha and the people down there. Not even Ivory.
“I can’t talk about it.”
“Of course you can.”
“No, Ive, I’m serious. I’m afraid that I…that I’ve done
something, seen something I’m not supposed to.”
“What do you mean, Ash? What could you have seen that you can’t talk about?”
“Just…please Ive don’t push.”
She stays silent for only a second, obviously thinking.
“Ash…I would hope that you know me by now. I’m not like
Persimmon, who would go and tell everyone three seconds after it was out of your mouth. I’m not going to criticize you, or say anything to hurt you. I won’t say anything at all if you don’t want me to. It seems like you need to get it off your chest. I’ll listen, and if you decide you want my advice later then I’ll give it. But I recognize that this is serious to you and I’m not going demean that.”
I can’t help but sigh. She can be so persuasive sometimes.
“Well, as you know, I went down yesterday, well really today, at three. And I was careful. I folded my wings in, but I kept them out of my shirt just in case I had to make a quick getaway. I was walking along, and no one was out. The night was a wash and I decided to leave so I opened my wings slightly. Before I could get ready for takeoff, I was grabbed from behind and shoved against the wall. I started to struggle and then someone whispered in my ear that if I didn’t stop, there’d be hell to pay and…to just go with it. I knew it was that guy I had met earlier who was holding me. Before I could figure out what he meant, he kissed me.”
Ivory gasps - a sound that rarely comes out of her mouth. She says it’s too feminine. Most of the time, I agree with her. But it seems appropriate now.
“What did you do?!”
“I was shocked, I’m embarrassed to say didn’t do anything – all the training in my self defensive classes and all I could do was stand there. Then I hear this guy called Hazel saying that Mocha – that’s the guy who had me pinned - needs to get his pleasure where he can find it.”
Even now, the lewdness in the man’s voice makes me want to throw up.
“After that the man walked away and Mocha stopped kissing me. He started asking me all these questions about why was down there. I didn’t answer him because I had questions of my own.”
I hesitate, not sure if I should be telling Ivory this story after all. I remember what Mocha said but then if I can’t trust my best friend, who can I trust?
“I asked him why he had wings.”
“What?!”
“He didn’t answer me but threatened to hurt me if I told
anyone. He didn’t stop there though. He had one more
surprise for me. He told me I was wasting my time flying down for answers. He said if I wanted answers, I should ask my mother. Then he left and dropped another feather on his way.”
I open my palm and show it to her. I don’t think she
really believed me because my story sounded so wild and
crazy. But that feather hadn’t come from around here. No one around here has that particular coffee-butterscotch-peanut-butter-caramel color wings.
“How can he have wings and be LandBound? That doesn’t make any sense, Ash.”
“I know but nothing seems to make sense. I went down
looking for him. Why’s he so easy to find? I don’t get how or why he would mention my mom. If he knows my mom, then he must know who I am, so why did he pretend not