I was nine when I found out people could fly. It was simple. Just two steps to the left, then up.
A girl in my class taught me. Her name was Kelly. She had bangs.
“Just like this,” she said, before showing me. I frowned.
I followed the motions. I froze. Like a bubble in cola, I floated. I began laughing as I floated. As I rose, my stomach sank. I started to panic, flail.
“Just calm down,” Kelly said, floating up to hold my hand.
“I want to get down,” I told her.
She shrugged. She held my hand. She began to blow upwards. I followed her lead until suddenly our feet struck grass. I fell, even though it wasn’t a hard landing. I stood up, red faced. Kelly laughed.
The shock hit me all at once. “Why don’t people do this!” I asked Kelly.
“My mom says it is useless. We don’t move any faster and it’s not like cars can fly,” she made her voice more shrill, mimicking her mother. “plus, it’s dangerous. If you don’t pay attention you’ll float off to China. And, they eat dogs in China, you know?”
“They do?”
She nodded.
I thought of my dog, Squeaks. I shuddered.
“I don’t want to go to China,” I decided.
Kelly nodded, approvingly.
“Can everyone fly?” I asked Kelly.
Kelly nodded. “I think so. Mom said she can. My uncle said that people in Spain do it all the time but he said that is because they are lazy and don’t have anything better to do.”
I didn’t know anything about Spain. I suspected Kelly didn’t either. I didn’t say anything.
I really wanted her to like me.
But she didn’t and I grew up. I checked the internet for her the other day, just curious. She is living in Spain, working for Microsoft. I worked up the courage to message her, asked if people in Spain really fly all the time.
She never got back to me.
Brilliant
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Thank you! Not sure what made me think of this one. Had the first paragraph written for a long time
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When I was 4 I could levitate out of my body. Lost the knack when I got older.
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It’s funny the things we lose. No one seems to put much importance on that anymore. Everyone is too busy worrying about everything
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There have been a few girls who taught me to fly but in the end I always fell to the ground. When did you decide you would write serious stuff?
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Haha I figured it was time to grow up
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Do you meen to grow up to become an adult or just become bigger in mind? Because I do not think you should always stay a little bit a child.
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Wonderful and crazy, as I´m accustomed to Flash. It is not fascinating to experience that you can fly? Anyone can fly if he wants? She had understood the world very well as a child. Why did she no longer understand it as an adult? And how does the last sentence appear? what is not yet, can still be, no?
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The last sentence is kind of up to the reader. Either she grew up and doesn’t care. Or she is off in Spain flying around. It’s kind of up to you. To me, she forgot how to fly. But it’s meant to be up for interpretation
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both variations sound sadly!
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yeah, it isn’t a very happy ending, really. I didn’t think of any happy ending that fit
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hmmm, o.k., this will definitely be a place they will rewrite in the script. (In the case, that these stories were filmed like the Frank stories …:)
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I can only hope so
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And yes the idea is that anyone can fly
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wise thoughts, beautiful writing…we all fly but most are too shy to admit it to others…the process is different for each, don’t ask why…for you, two steps to the left, for me its run like Satan is after you…and then… up…
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I think that’s the key to it all. Figuring out what way works for you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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This is a great explanation, clinock. This is how I would like to imagine it. I am also sure that many want to fly and look too much to the right and left as the others do it and then they do not know how they get it themselves and are afraid to crash.
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I enjoyed this and its true. People hang onto too much, sometimes it is better to let go and just fly and see where you land – fun.
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Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it and I certainly agree.
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The older we get, the more we forget. Starts at around sixteen. Doesn’t return for fifty or sixty years.
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Damn. I’ve got some waiting to do.
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Hmmm, I have two “opened” questions there: First “She shrugged. She held my hand. She began to blow upwards. I followed her lead until suddenly our feet struck grass. I fell, even though it wasn’t a hard landing. I stood up, red faced. Kelly laughed.” As they blow upwards and suddenly struck grass, they landed not on the floor but somewhere else? And second: “I really wanted her to like me.
But she didn’t and I grew up.” I think she did not grew up or? ( or relating to “wanted to like me”)
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to the first one, they are blowing up, which pushes them back down to earth, to the grass. And the second, it is just a transition sentence. Just saying that the story never went further with her and time passed
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o.k., thank you!
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Awesome plot!…Still I wonder can everyone fly…high above earth and below vast blue sky like a bird !!
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haha thank you very much. that would be wonderful wouldn’t it. I keep trying to no avail
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Something more than just wonderful…!
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I absolutely loved this; the matter -of-factness combined with wistfulness, hope, and disappointment, you really packed it in. Thanks for this little gem.
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Thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed it. I was trying to do a lot with a little. Happy it hit home somewhere
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What a beautiful story! Absolutely love this one. Made me laughed out loud too.. on a dreary Monday morning. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for reading and letting me know. I’m glad you enjoyed this one. It was on my mind for a while
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