Landed Wings - By Skylhur Tranqille Page 0,4
There are bikes, but we hear that they don’t use them; most below are there because they weigh too much for their wings to support them or they’ve committed a crime serious enough to have their wings stripped. We often wonder at their difficult lives, but we do not understand what it means to be LandBound. None of us knows but secretly, I’ve already decided that I want to know. Are they really so limited, so sad and powerless? There is no way to know unless I find out for myself. How can a falcon know what it feels like to be a penguin?
Volar High is very strict. We all have to follow a strict schedule, down to bathroom times and wing stretches. The most used word at Volar High is "precisely". Despite my wings, and my so called freedoms, it’s hard not to feel trapped. Everything is perfectly restricted. In the bathrooms, you have to wait five minutes after the last person is finished so that the whole stall can be sanitized. When ordering food at school, you have to wait ten minutes for your order, even if it takes less time, so that everything can be orderly. When I get older, I’m going to invent fast food. No more waiting ten minutes for your meal, people will be able to get their food in ninety seconds or less, AND it will be a mess. Just the thought makes me smile. I have a restless soul, always have, always will. Sometimes, I just can’t bear this so called order. Is this what I can expect for the rest of my life? I don’t know if I can survive like this. I have to do something different. Everyday in school our teachers talk about how we should be grateful to be free. I want to know how free I really am. I’ve decided, I’m going to see the LandBound – up close and personal. I don’t know why I never thought of it before. It should be easy and if I time it right, no one will even notice I’m gone. Yes!
CHAPTER 3: BELOW
ASHLYNN
The closest I’ve ever been to the ground and the LandBound was the day I almost died. This time is different. I’ve got a purpose and I know where I’m headed. Okay, maybe I don’t know exactly where I’m going but I have a general idea. I just have to keep going down. Sky Patrol is easy, I just have to slip past them when they change shifts – that won’t be a problem. I might run into a problem when I go down there. From what I hear, (from Cyanne our resident bookworm) on the ground, SkyBound are not well thought of. We are taught that they are jealous of our freedoms and that’s why they hate us. No one ever says exactly why they hate us – don’t they have freedoms too? There’s so little I know and when I think about it, I cringe at my naiveté and lack of knowledge but I can’t worry about that now. The real issue is how I am going to hide my wings. I found an old coat hidden on the top shelf of my father’s jacket that I brought with me on this trip. I don’t know why he has this coat because he can’t use it – there are no slits to spread your wings. It doesn’t really matter now though because it’s perfect for my trip. I am going to look ridiculous with an oversized coat but I’m not going to be here long so it should be okay. My feathers ruffle against my back. They are so apart of me, who I am – I still can’t understand how anyone could be whole without them. Stripping them from people seems cruel.
Luck is on my side. No one was around to see me fly in and I was able to land, put on my father’s coat and start walking. I’m in some kind of field of corn. I’ve never seen a field of corn except in pictures from Cyanne’s books. I never expected it to smell so sweet or be so beautiful. I can’t help but laugh – I’m really free! I can’t wait to tell my flock all about the LandBound. I think I see a clearing and someone up ahead. I’ve been walking forever and I haven’t seen anyone - I’ve never had to walk so much in my life. I can