| The building was larger than a school, or even an apartment building; it seemed as if an entire city was kept within its walls. At any rate, I lived in that huge building with many other people, and I never ventured to the world outside. It was very hot in there, and it cooled my face to lean out one of the large windows into a black night, warm, with a faint breeze. It was only as I was at that window when I noticed that someone was hanging outside the building. It was none other than Amy V, clinging to a window next to mine, letting her whole body enjoy the outside air. In an instant I was hanging out of my own window, and talking to her. She said, "You know, it's even more relaxing if you let go and sink into the sand." I didn't know what she meant by "sink into the sand" until I twisted my head and looked down- why, the world outside the indoor city was a vast desert, with masses of colored sand that I could barely see in the night darkness. "It's all right," Amy assured me, "if you hold your body very stiff, you'll sink a few inches into the sand and won't be hurt at all." Then she let go. I followed, without a single thought of how I was to get back indoors. Amy turned out to be right- not only was the sinking very relaxing, but the sand was cool, even in teh warm night air, and certainly a relief compared to the stifling building. As the sand settled around me, I fell asleep. When I awoke I was back in the building, and I thought little of my experience in the night sand, except for a vow to do it again sometime. My chance came more quickly than I expected, when I soon found myself trying to avoid Jasmine, who had been following me around. I made my way to the window, clambered out, and let go. The last thing I saw as I fell towards the sand was Jasmine, falling also. When I landed, I cursed. My back hurt. In my hurry I had not stiffened my body properly and had therefore not received the pleasant landing I had that first night. And Jasmine most certainly would not know what to do, so I could expect that she had landed in discomfort as well. I sat up in the brilliantly-colored sand- there was still light, as the sun was was setting into the dunes in the west. I gazed over at the giant orb, which was spilling red over the colored sand for miles. Jasmine sat up next to me, and I realized with panic that I did not know how to re-enter the building. Maybe you could only get back inside if you fell asleep in the sand. And that's when he appeared, in front of us. He was an odd creature, but beautiful nonetheless, and certainly the likes of him could be found nowhere else. He had the back of a horse, which he told me and Jasmine to climb onto; his wings were beautifully colored, even more beautiful than the sand, and they were like butterfly wings. His face was beautiful too, and his eyes shone with innocence, and he always smiled. When me and Jasmine were safely on his back, he took off, and we soared around the sky; finally, he dropped us off on a little balcony that I didn't know existed, too high up for us to reach without his help. Jasmine opened the door and went inside without a backwards glance, but I stayed behind with the creature. "Thank you," I said to him. He beamed at me. "No problem at all. A pleasure." Then I went inside. Several weeks later, I fell into the sand again, alone this time. I fell correctly, and my landing was comfortable, but I sat up anyway, wanting to see the creature again. Sure enough, he came, and I gleefully got onto his back. He took off, and we flew for a long time, and talked. He was the nicest "person" I'd ever met. When he finally dropped me off at the balcony, I was tired, and I wanted to go back inside. But he blocked the door with his body. "What are you doing?" I asked. He replied, "I can't let you go inside. You must stay with me. I've chosen you, and I can only let you fly with me once." "But we flew that other time, with Jasmine," I pointed out. "Yes, but Jasmine was there. We weren't alone. I am in love with you. Please, stay with me." I knew that he wasn't joking, because he was too kind to make fun of me like that, and his beautiful eyes were full of pleading. But I was tired, and I couldn't make a decision like that so quickly. "Please move over," I said, "I have to go back inside." Sadly, he did as I asked, and flew off again without another word. Several more weeks passed, and I was at a playground with all my friends. Liz, Ali, Amanda- everyone was there. I was telling them about my odd and kind friend who was in love with me. Instead of interest, my friends showed scorn, and laughed at me. "He's just a figment of your imagination," they said, "and if you see him again, you must tell him to leave you alone." I was hurt by their reaction, but they were my friends, and they surely knew what was best for me. Suddenly, I looked up, and he was there, flying overhead, calling my name. "Come with me!" he was crying. I stood up, shakily, and told him, "I can't. I won't." He flew lower as his wings drooped with sadness, and he asked, "Why?" His voice was kind but sorrowful. I turned to my friends- "I can't say it," I said, "I can't tell him." I started to cry. "You must tell him to leave you alone," they said sternly. "He has no business being in love with you, or asking you to come away with him." And they turned their backs on me. I climbed up to the top of a slide, where Cameron was sitting. "If you tell him to go away," he said, "I'll talk to you." And he slid down. I looked up, to where my winged friend was fluttering, looking down at me. "I can't come with you," I said to him, "and you must leave me alone." "Why?" he asked again, tears pouring down his face. "Because-" I swallowed, and cried out, "because you're a figment of my imagination!" My friends howled with cruel laughter. My heart bled as the creature flew away, humiliated, rejected. I began to cry again, and couldn't stop. It hurt me that I had hurt a creature so kind and and pure, who loved me and never hurt me at all. I slid down the slide, still crying, sliding, sliding, waiting to reach the end where Cameron and my friends were waiting, but I just kept sliding, forever... |
| Creature of Beauty |