Consciousness comes to me slowly, as I realize that
I am awake and slowly open my eyes. Blinking a couple of times,
my vision clears to reveal my surroundings, a typical Somani hospital
room. I am slightly disoriented at first from my long period of
unconsciousness, but then everything suddenly clicks into place
as my memory returns to me. It is then that I excitedly crane
my neck, looking over my shoulder, trying to see as much of my
back as possible. I find that I don't have to stretch my neck
too far though, as my rather-large wings cover a substantial field
of my vision, lying there spread out behind me.
Yes, it has finally happened, after weeks of eagerly
waiting, what once seemed like a foolish daydream has become a
reality. As I lie there in bed, my mind racing wildly out of control,
I try to fully appreciate how this is going to profoundly affect
my life. Of course I had thought of this before to great lengths,
but now that it has finally happened, my thoughts from the past
months come flooding back to me.
I have been living on the Somani homeworld for just
about eight months now, as part of the newly-developed cultural
exchange program between our two worlds. Having discovered hyperdrive
a few years ago, Earth had sent several exploration missions throughout
our part of the galaxy, in the faint hope that we would discover
that we weren't alone out in the great cosmic expanse. We had
been very lucky, and by some phenomenal chance had met up with
the Somani a little over two years ago.
The discovery of the Somani was very wondrous for
us, but also a little strange at first. The Somani were basically
a race of winged felinoids, walking upright on two legs, which
was a bit of a surprise. Then again, these were aliens, and after
the initial confusion, people from both societies began to get
used to the other's form.
After the settling-in period, when both races had
gotten to know a little about the other, diplomatic relations
began. Everyone had been very optimistic, which proved to hold
true, as both our planets came together in a somewhat tight alliance.
Since both our worlds were now at peace, we had settled upon several
ways in which our two societies could help each other for mutual
benefit.
The Somani weren't as technically advanced as we
were in the areas of space travel or artificial intelligence,
but their general level of electronic and computer technology
wasn't too far behind us. They had many of the basic instruments
that we had, just not a lot of the higher-end equipment. Anyway,
to make up for some of their technical shortcomings, they had
surpassed us in a couple areas of science, especially in their
medical techniques which were leaps and bounds ahead of us. Most
of their scientific efforts had been focused on genetics, and
their technology in this field was outstanding. Already several
technological exchanges had taken place, and both worlds were
benefiting greatly from them.
Then there was also the profound social implications
of the whole situation. Soon after the initial diplomatic issues
had been resolved, sociologists from both planets had flocked
to the new world for the rich information and background they
held.
It was also soon decided that in order to tie the
two races closer together, that a cultural-exchange program should
be set up going both ways. Humans and Somani from all walks of
life were chosen to represent their people, as they were carted
light-years away toward a fantastic, exotic and somewhat strange
new world.
Upon hearing of the program, I had jumped at the
chance, and made my appointment for the screening interview as
soon as I could. I had always considered myself a little shy,
and would never have imagined that I would be going so far from
my familiar surroundings, but there was a reason that prompted
me to be so adamant about wanting to make the journey.
I had always had a secret dream of being able to
fly like the birds, and had never quite outgrown it from my childhood
fantasies. I still would sometimes lie on my back gazing into
the blue heavens and imagine myself soaring up there amongst the
ether. Knowing that the Somani were winged creatures, I held them
in very high regard and somewhat of a strange fascination. I realized
that just being amongst them would fulfill more of my fantasy
than I had ever dreamed possible. Just being able to see them
fly would at least allow me to somewhat vicariously experience
my fantasy.
During the interview I had been a little nervous
and it had showed somewhat obviously, but they were impressed
with my eagerness. Of course I hadn't told them the real reason
behind my desire to embark on the exchange. Afraid of being thought
a little foolish, I had skated around the situation by talking
about what a wonderful race the Somani seemed to be and how I
was interested in experiencing their society, which of course
was by no means a lie.
The next week I had waited in anticipation until
they had finally called me back with the wonderful news. For the
cultural exchange to be the most effective, it was necessary to
get as diverse a group as possible. Although many college students
had applied, not too many of them had been in the technical fields
like myself, so that had almost assured my position. Also, they
told me that my genuine eagerness had impressed them and had made
up for my slight awkwardness. Secondly, although extremely-outgoing
people would have an easier time adjusting to new cultural surroundings,
to recruit only those types of people would give a false picture
of our population. So a certain percentage of the selected few
were chosen to be a little more reserved, such as myself.
I couldn't believe how outstanding my luck had been.
I was walking on air for the next two weeks before I had to report
for my indoctrination into the exchange program. First there was
a rather thorough and somewhat grueling series of medical exams,
in which a small translator chip was implanted in each participant's
cranium. This wonderful device allowed us to become instantly
fluent in both written and spoken Somani, as if it was our native
tongue. These chips had been in use for close to a century, and
had been one of the driving forces behind global peace.
Once the exams were finished, and we had received
a few vaccinations against the new strains of diseases we would
encounter, we were ready to embark on our fantastic journey. The
trip took slightly less than a month at our extreme speeds. During
this interim we were thoroughly educated on what was already known
of Somani culture.
Then finally after all of the waiting, we were finally
there. It was such a wonderful, yet slightly scary experience
to step out of the ship onto such vastly foreign soil. Their world
was similar to ours in the fact of a blue sky, which was of a
little deeper hue than ours, but it was also strangely different.
The landscapes were similar to those on Earth, but a lot of the
vegetation was changed to forms we had never even dreamed of.
Their architecture was also vastly different, using
primarily curved edges in contrast to our straight lines and angles.
Their cities were not as crowded as ours either, with their population
density being a little less than half of ours. Therefore the cities
didn't seem quite as crowded as ours, being rather spacious.
Then of course there was the Somani themselves. I
had seen hundreds of images of them, but that didn't compare to
seeing them in the flesh, face to face. They were basically large
cats, who's spine had changed enough to enable them to walk upright.
Although they were bipedal, they didn't have flat feet like we
do, instead their feet and lower legs resembled that of a cat's,
but thicker to support their weight; only their toes came into
contact with the ground as the rest of the foot came up at a slight
angle.
From the knee's up, they were roughly the same as
humans, if you overlooked the thick tail extending from their
lower back, reaching down to the ground giving them the balance
they needed to offset the unsteadiness from the construction of
their feet. Their upper body, arms and hands were again much like
those of humans, although small retractable claws extended from
the four digits on each hand.
Their heads were pretty much what you'd expect to
see on a large feline, although their eyes were easily much more
expressive, reflecting their intelligence. There were two exceptions
to the design of the feline head which immediately caught the
eye. First of all, the top of their heads was covered in a mane
of hair, much like human hair, and their ears were larger than
you'd see on a cat of that size. They appeared to be a bit more
vulpine than feline, but the added effect was rather nice.
The coloring and fur patterns of the Somani was extremely
varied. Colors varied from blacks and browns, to tans, to yellows
and oranges, with many individuals having wild swirls or stripes
of various colors, or even leopard spots. Also, having dark mitts
and boots of coloring on the hands and feet was rather common.
Some Somani had coats of uniform color, while many of them had
a patch of lighter coloring along their abdomens. Just like Earth
cats, their looks were wildly varied.
Then there was the asset about the Somani, which
I found most exotic, the wings. Although they stood about equal
in height with us humans, as soon as you added the extra foot
or so from the wings, they somewhat towered over us. The wings
connected to the body just below the shoulders and ran down to
about the middle of the back. When fully extended, their wing
span was about seven or eight feet, which was extremely impressive.
The wings had several vertical ridges running through them, which
not only supported them, but allowed them to fold inward against
the body when not in use.
Their wings were covered in fur of the same color
as the body, although slightly thinner there. The tips of the
wings came to just over a foot above the head, while the lower
edges extended to just a few inches above the ground. It was obvious
that with their wings, the Somani took up much more space than
us humans, and their buildings and vehicles reflected that. Every
seat, table, doorway, couch and bed, was larger than it's Earth
counterpart to accommodate their expansive wings.
Stepping off the ship and being confronted by all
of these alien sights through me for a bit of a loop. Standing
so close to the Somani was quite an experience, but nowhere as
wonderful as seeing many of them flying gracefully through the
air above and around the city. They were so graceful and fluid,
they were pure poetry in motion.
The first few weeks on the Somani homeworld were
kind of hard for me. I was part of the first group of the cultural
exchange, consisting of only one thousand people. This had seemed
like a large group on board the ship, but once we had landed we
were quickly separated into much smaller groups. Each of these
groups were spread throughout the surrounding continent so as
to maximize the effect of the cultural exposure.
Being a college student, I was assigned a position
at the local university, along with only fifty other humans. Since
the university had over seven thousand students enrolled in it,
we quickly became a vast minority. Then we were even further spread
out throughout the campus. The dorm that I was assigned to only
had three other humans in it, amongst the one-hundred fifty residents,
so I quickly began to feel pangs of loneliness and homesickness.
It was particularly hard on me since I was somewhat
shy. Also being a little shorter than average, around 5' 7",
the height difference between the Somani and I was even more pronounced.
This tended to make me feel even more uncomfortable, but luckily
for me my floormates made up for this. There were several rather
outgoing Somani who lived nearby, and who took it upon themselves
to make me a part of nearly all of their activities. After we
got over the awkwardness of dealing with aliens, and got to know
one another as individuals, things began to go really well. By
my first month there, I had made several close friends.
So the last several months had been extremely invigorating,
exciting and lots of fun. It hadn't been without its small upsets
though. Sometimes the differences between our two societies would
be remarkably profound, and there were a few awkward moments here
and there. The biggest one of these was the fact that the Somani
tended to be a lot more "touchy feely" than humans do.
To them hugging or lightly touching the arms, shoulders
or the legs were just simple signs of friendship, nothing more
than a handshake or a high-five was to us. This had caused a couple
of embarrassing incidents early on as I received these attentions
from both males and females. Noticing my uncomfortable reaction,
they had been confused and somewhat hurt, which had caused both
of us to become rather uncomfortable. Again I was lucky that my
new acquaintances were very understanding. We had been able to
discuss the situations and easily resolve them. I then had begun
to adjust to the laxness with which they treated personal space,
and had been able to freely give and receive their acts of friendship.
I had gotten quite close with one or two of the Somani,
and our friendships had become very deep. We would sometimes sit
up talking until late in the evening, with topics ranging from
discussions of our different cultures, to deep philosophical conversations,
to random and rather silly ramblings caused by loose associations
and our tiredness.
One of my closest friends, had asked my what had
prompted me to come on the exchange program in the first place,
noting the fact that I had been kind of shy at first. I hesitated
a moment, thinking of just what to tell her, not knowing if I
could trust her with such a personal secret, but then finally
deciding that if I wanted to strengthen our relationship, I should
be totally open with her. Taking a nervous breath, I had slowly
told her about my dreams of flight and how I admired and also
somewhat envied them for having that wonderful ability.
She didn't laugh at me like a small part of my mind
had feared, she was very understanding. Although, at first it
was a little hard for her to grasp, since she couldn't comprehend
not being able to fly since it was an innate ability of theirs.
We talked late into the night, with her trying to explain to me
just exactly what it felt like. It was obvious that I couldn't
truly comprehend what she was telling me, but she did her best
to try and convey it to me.
It was then a little less than two weeks later, when
she came running up to me in the hallway, obviously excited, and
had thrown her arms around me in a friendly hug. She then began
talking so fast and in broken sentences that I could hardly understand
her. After she had calmed down, she was able to convey to me the
wonderful news she had heard.
She was a research assistant in one of the many medical
labs on campus, and had heard of an intriguing project that was
in the works. She knew the doctor in charge of the project and
had spoken to him at length that afternoon. It turns out that
ever since our contact with the Somani, they had been vigorously
studying our anatomy and genetic structure. Using loads of medical
data as well as some cadavers transferred from Earth, they had
succeeded, in a rather short period of time, in learning just
about as much about us as they knew about themselves.
One of their big advances in medicine over us was
the ability to re-generate damaged limbs, tissue and organs, thus
restoring the body to its former state after any type accident.
They had already performed some of these small procedures on humans
hurt in accidents, such as healing broken bones or replacing cut
or smashed fingers. Since they had such a phenomenal success with
these simple operations, they were eager to try something much
more ambitious.
Seeing as how humans and Somani were relatively close
in body structure, one possible experiment that had been suggested
was trying to give humans wings like they had, reasoning that
it would be something very useful and helpful to our race. This
is where I came in, she knew of my desire to fly and had mentioned
this to the head doctor. Upon hearing this he was very interested
in seeing me.
It seems that many humans were not very fond of the
idea of having new body parts grown on them, and for good reason
since it had shades of Frankenstein written all over it. I however
was somewhat intrigued by the possibility of actually being able
to fly, and that had offset some of the misgivings I had of the
whole idea. I was still worried about the idea of genetic tampering,
and had several in-depth and frank conversations with the doctors
working on the project.
They understood my concerns, but also showed me how
their genetic engineering had been used to totally remove birth
defects and many debilitating diseases. Realizing that this would
be different, by adding something totally new to my body, they
assured me that the operation could be reversible, if I decided
that the additions were something I didn't want. They also were
confident of their abilities to perform the procedure with no
major side-effects. Finally my curiosity and yearnings for flight
had won over my misgivings and I decided to give it a try.
First off, they had started me out with several simulations,
using the latest technology in virtual reality that we had given
them. In these simulations they were able to let me experience
what having wings would be like, how it would feel, and how my
body area would be expanded. I was then able to experience for
the first time what it would feel like to fly. It was a totally
incredible experience, and that convinced me that I wanted to
give this experiment a chance.
Over the next couple of months, several preparations
were undertaken. First of all, they told me that I needed to strengthen
my upper-body, especially my chest muscles, in order to be able
to support my wings. So in addition to my daily runs, I would
also spend time in the gym lifting weights. I had never liked
weight workouts, but thinking of how I would soon be able to fly
made it all worthwhile. A few of my new close friends went through
the workouts with me, to keep up my ambition. It turned out that
upon hearing of the planned experiment, they were just as excited
as I was.
In the last month of the preparations, they had laid
down a rudimentary set of artificial nerves running along my back.
The operation, although somewhat involved, had been quick by Earth
standards, only taking about four hours. Once these nerves were
in place, they had given me a small portable unit, about the size
of a deck of playing cards, which would send wireless signals
to this nerve array. This unit would detect proximity information
and relay that as tactile sensations, simulating the feel of wings.
This allowed be to get used to amount of space my wings would
take up, and learn how to avoid bumping them into objects.
At first it had been extremely difficult, but the
gain of the simulator had been turned way down, so that even when
I hit my virtual wings hard against something, or managed to shut
them in a door, the pain was very light. As I got more used to
them, the feedback amplitude of the unit was increased to more
accurately simulate how real wings would feel. I soon got quite
proficient at avoiding obstacles, and learned to sleep with my
back propped against special pillows so they wouldn't be crushed
while I slept.
I must have looked rather strange standing clear
of objects with my invisible wings, but by then a lot of people
had heard about the project. One good thing about Somani culture
is their respect of individual privacy. Even though most everyone
knew about what I would soon undertake, they were all very polite
about it, and only my closest friends would discuss it with me.
Had this been Earth, I would have been hounded by just about everyone
from curious strangers to the media. The media here was much different
than from back home. They reported only the essential news, not
getting into people's private lives, not having all the tabloids
and commercialism which still plagued us humans. After the operation,
I was told, there would be a small press conference, to be scheduled
at my convenience. Even then they would be very courteous with
me, I would know all the questions ahead of time, and they would
keep it rather short.
As the date of the operation grew nearer, I became
much more excited. I was still a little nervous, but I had complete
trust in the miraculous Somani medical science. They answered
any and all of my questions in a friendly and thorough manner.
They explained that the operation would consist of the controlled
activation of cellular growth, producing the construction of the
wing structure from my back. The artificial array of nerves they
had laid down would be replaced by real neural pathways, then
the new muscles, bones, flesh and skin of the wings would be added.
Although the wings would be of Somani design, they
would also be of human genetic structure. Fully understanding
both Somani and human DNA, they would be able to tweak my genetic
codes, adding the desired sequences which would grow the wings.
The whole process was rather involved, so it would take a little
over two days from start to completion. During this time, I would
be unconscious, suspended on life support, in a chamber of amniotic
fluid which would promote tissue growth.
As for the operation being reversible, they assured
me that this would be no more difficult than the original procedure.
Instead of simply removing the wings, which would leave me an
amputee, they would slowly reverse the process. They would remove
the wings, but would leave the nerves intact, for the moment.
Then, just as I had been trained to learn how my wings felt, I
would slowly be weaned from their sensory input, until my body
no longer expected it. The extra nerves would then be removed,
and I would be just as I had been before. There would be some
residual mental effects from this though, since I would then know
what it felt like to have wings, and would somewhat emotionally
and intellectually miss their presence. They reminded me though,
that if I liked the wings that much, than there was no need to
have them removed, and if I absolutely hated them, then getting
rid of them would make me feel better.
With this knowledge, I had decided to go with my
dreams and undergo the procedure. I was still a little nervous,
but I knew that if I never took advantage of this opportunity,
I would always regret it and wonder what it would have been like.
Now lying in bed like this, with my real wings finally spread
out beneath me, I am confident that I made the correct decision.
As my mind is still racing somewhat wildly with all
my of excited thoughts, I am interrupted as the head doctor from
the project enters my room. "Hello Will, how are you feeling
today?" he asks in a very cheery, yet professional tone.
"Great!" I reply enthusiastically. "I
can't wait to get out and stretch my wings and see how well they
work."
Noting my enthusiasm, he smiles warmly at me. He
was impressed with how strong my desire to fly had been, and has
been very supportive throughout the whole experience. "I'm
glad you're so happy with the results so far, how would you like
to take a better look at yourself?"
Seeing my second enthusiastic reply, he helps me
out of bed and to a standing position. I am a little unsteady
at first, since the simulations hadn't been able to thoroughly
show me what the weight of the wings would feel like. After a
few moments of slightly adjusting my posture I am able to become
comfortable to their small, yet noticeable added weight.
He then leads me to a full-length mirror on the opposite
side of the room so I can admire my reflection. I stand there
clad only in somewhat loose-fitting hospital pants, with my upper
body exposed. Spreading out my wings I am impressed with their
full span of about seven feet, scaled perfectly to my size. As
with the Somani, their tips come to just under a foot above my
head, and down to about two-thirds of the way down my calves.
However, unlike the Somani, my wings are made of human flesh,
with the skin color being the same as the rest of my body. They
look weird since they are just naked flesh, not covered by fur
like the wings I'm used to looking at, but I had seen projections
of what I'd look like, so I'm prepared for the view.
Standing there, I admire my new attributes as I somewhat
vainly flex them for my own viewing pleasure. I get somewhat lost
in the reflection and am brought back to reality by the doctor's
gentle touch on my shoulder. Turning to him, his smile reflects
that of my own. "So I trust everything turned out to your
satisfaction Will, you seemed to enjoy the view."
"Yes" I agree, feeling completely at ease
with him, enjoying his warmth and personableness which has been
with me since the beginning of the project. "I look a little
strange for the moment, but it is something I'll get used to.
Already I can appreciate how good they look on me..."
"That's good, now how would you like to try
them out instead of just admiring them?"
Again I am very quick to agree to his suggestion
and he leads me out of the room, and down the hall to a very large
and expansive room. I am a little sheepish about walking around
in just a pair of hospital pants, but luckily they are full pants,
unlike the ones commonly seen in hospitals with the backs open,
and at least in this part of the hospital, nobody else seems to
be around. Entering the room, which is the size of about two and
a half gymnasiums, he explains, "this is our flying room.
Sometimes we'll have a patient whose wings are badly damaged and
they will need to go through an operation much like the one you
went through. Afterwards we need to make sure that everything
came out okay, so we need to have a place where they can take
a quick test flight. We've already done a complete physical scan
on you, and things seem to be all in order, but we can't be sure
until you show us how they actually work."
I practically jump at the chance to finally test
out my wings. Crouching down slightly, I spread my wings out and
jump up lightly in the air, flapping my wings the way I had learned
from the simulations. Again the simulations weren't totally accurate,
and I am a little unsteady at first, but soon fully get the feel
for it. Before long I am swooping throughout the room, enjoying
the ability to do graceful glides and quick turns and spins. I
fly excitedly around the room for what must have been half an
hour before remembering about the doctor waiting below, and somewhat
grudgingly coming down to a skillful landing. I had enjoyed the
times I had spent on the simulator learning how to fly, but there
was always a slight bit of unreality about it. Now after really
flying for the first time, I could see how pale the simulation
had been to the actual experience.
When I finally do land, I greet the doctor with an
outburst of excitement as I try to describe to him just how wonderful
the experience had been. He stands there patiently listening to
my wild ramblings with an amused smile on his face. It is also
obvious from his expression that he is very impressed with the
amount of skill my first flight involved.
As I'm babbling wildly to him, overwhelmed by my
excitement, I hear a familiar feminine voice behind me calling
my name. Turning around I see it is one of my close Somani friends
come to see me. In fact she is the one that first introduced me
to the idea of the whole project. "Hello Will," she
greets me with a warm smile, "you look wonderful. Did I miss
your first flight?"
"Yes you did" I say running madly at her,
pumped up from the exhilaration, and extremely happy. I embrace
her in a rather strong friendly hug as I start to talk wildly
at her. "Mazzi, it was wonderful, I never knew it could be
like this, now I know what you were trying to tell me when you
were trying to explain it to me, it's just so wonderful, I felt
so free..."
Seeing me all hyper like this, she giggles with her
usual bubbly personality. Finally she puts one of her hands gently
over my mount and hugs me a little tighter with the other one,
slowly calming me down. Smiling at me she replies, "it's
good to see you lose control like that, I don't think I've ever
seen you so taken by anything quite this way before, it's really
amusing and cute." Then turning to the doctor who is watching
the whole spectacle with obvious amusement, she asks "so
did everything come out okay, is he ready for his first outdoor
flight?"
"Yes, he's in wonderful shape. A moderate flight
would be very good for him." Then addressing me before he
leaves the arena, "everything should be just fine Will, but
I'd like you to come in for a quick checkup in a week just to
make sure."
I respond with a quick affirmative as he leaves and
then turn back to look at Mazzi. Over the past few months, she
and I have gotten very close. I'd easily say that she is my best
friend here. I had occasionally wondered if things between us
would develop into something romantic, but I didn't want to push
the issue. I was extremely happy having her as such a close friend,
and I was somewhat reluctant to chance that and try and pursue
her as a possible lover. For the moment I am content with the
way our relationship is. "Thanks for coming Mazzi, this really
means a lot to me."
"Well you know I wouldn't have missed this,
being such an important day for you and all. Besides, I wasn't
going to let anyone else take you out on your first real flight.
I wanted the pleasure of that experience for myself. Oh and I
brought you a present." With that she picks up a small bag
she had been holding, but then dropped when I practically jumped
into her arms. Reaching into it she brings out a Somani shirt,
with a slit running down the back to accommodate for the wings.
In keeping with the Somani's love of bright colors, the shirt
is a nice radiant hue of red.
"Thanks Maz, that's really thoughtful of you,
it will go great with the blue shorts I'll be wearing."
"You're welcome, I had the feeling that you
might have been so excited about everything that you may have
forgotten about needing a whole new set of shirts, so I went ahead
and got you this. We can go shopping later if you want, but first
I'd like to take you to a peak near here which has a really nice
view this time of year."
"That sounds great, how far away is it?"
"About twenty-five kilometers." At first
this seems like a huge distance to me, since I'm used to running
for my exercise, then I realize that by flying it will be much
easier to cover the same distance in a much shorter time. Therefore,
this flight won't actually be too long.
"Okay, let's go. Just let me get changed first."
We walk out of the large flight room, and back up the hallway
to my room. Then after opening the door, I turn to her, and in
keeping with our playful friendship, I jokingly flirt "so
you can either stay out here, or if you want you can watch me
change." I finish this up by winking at her a couple of times
and flashing a wide grin.
Returning my grin she playfully replies "oh
I'd better stay out here. I don't know if I could stand seeing
your wonderful body naked. I might get all excited and pass out
or something."
Laughing briefly at our silly joke, I close the door
and quickly change, returning out into the hall to model my new
shirt with my shorts. Standing there I pose playfully for her,
keeping my posture as straight as I can and flexing my wings slightly.
"Will, you look great" she compliments
with genuine affection making me beam with pride. "Let's
get going, I'm anxious to see you fly."
Walking to the top of the building and then out onto
the roof, we emerge into the sunlight of an absolutely gorgeous
day. Following her lead, we run to the edge of the roof, jumping
out into the air spreading our wings and taking flight.
Again the feelings are so new and wonderful that
they almost overwhelm me. My mind and heart almost explode from
the joy I'm feeling from the realization of one of my innermost
dreams. The trip to the peak lasts about twenty minutes and we
enjoy every moment of it. Mazzi is somewhat surprised at the skill
of my flight as we do a series of complicated swoops and swirls
around one another.
Finally we reach our destination where the view is
extremely rewarding. We stand on the top of a small mountain,
which is flattened out on top giving a small plateau of about
an acre or so. In all my time on the planet, I had never been
up this high, in fact I had never really been outside of the city.
Now looking out across the wonderful landscape I see the city
in the distance, surrounded by roaming countryside. The sun is
bright and the sky is its beautiful shade of blue as small puffy
clouds drift lazily overhead. The whole picture is just so perfect,
and accompanies my exhilaration quite nicely.
Turning to Mazzi, I look at her and once again notice
just how beautiful she is. She stands pretty much at my height,
with her wings being roughly the same size as mine. Her coat is
a lovely golden color, dotted with leopard spots which are very
cute. Her hair is a light brown with light waves through it, coming
down in the back to just above her shoulders. Her muzzle is covered
in white fur, which runs down her neck, trailing down into her
shirt. She is wearing red shorts with a rather bright green shirt,
both of which nicely compliment her fur coloring. The whole effect
is really quite adorable, and in the back of my mind I briefly
ponder the remote possibility of us falling in love.
Then once again we embrace in a comfortable and friendly
hug. I lean my head against her shoulder enjoying the feel of
her warmth, still teeming with excitement from the flight. "Thanks
for taking me here Mazzi, it's just so beautiful. I can't possible
tell you how wonderful this has been and what this means to me."
She reaches up to softly stroke the back of my head
and run her hand through my hair. Then with a gentle nudge, she
guides my head up and back so we're looking face to face. She
is smiling at me with incredible warmth, and gazing into her beautiful
blue eyes, I almost get lost in their depths.
In the back of my mind I realize that something is
different here. There is something subtle in the way she is looking
at me with a mix of emotions registering on her face. Then looking
up at me with those beautiful wide eyes, she brings her mouth
to mine and gives me a soft, yet deliberate kiss.
As our lips make contact I'm startled by the whole
turn of events, yet pleasantly surprised. I reflexively kiss her
back softly but also give her a quick squeeze of surprise with
my arms. The kiss only lasts a few moments, she then pulls away
slightly and asks me "was that okay Will?"
"Yes," I stammer slightly in my amazement,
"it was wonderful, it's something I have been sort of thinking
about for some time now, but I didn't know that you felt that
way about me."
Again smiling warmly at me she replies, "I have
been becoming more interested in you over the past month, but
I sensed some hesitation or uncertainty in you, so I thought it
would be best if we played it slow. Then lately I've decided that
I should give it a chance and see how you responded. I figured
today would be a good day to do it, with all the other wonderful
experiences you were having. I also wanted to make the moment
perfect, so I waited until I could take you out here where we
could be alone in this beautiful setting."
"Thanks Mazzi. I'm glad you made the first move,
otherwise who knows how long we would have waited. I still want
to take it slow though. We've come this far, and I don't want
to mess things up by moving too quickly."
She answers me with a quiet nod. Then squeezing her
a little closer, I move my lips toward hers and we once again
kiss, just as softly as before, but this time stretching out the
moment, savoring it. The feel of her fuzzy lips against mine feels
so nice, and our embrace feels so warm and natural. I enjoy holding
her there, as we relish in the feelings of this close friendship,
which has just grown even closer.
We hold each other for what seems to last for ever,
nothing could happen to make this a better day. Right now it has
obtained perfection and will be forever etched in my memory. I
finally end the moment by softly thanking her again for all that
she has done for me. We then decide that since it is starting
to get late we should be leaving.
"Why don't we fly into town quickly and do a
little shopping, since you need some more shirts? Then my parents
would like to have us visit them for dinner, they are really excited
for you. Then I thought we could spend the evening at the theater
since there are several new movies we haven't seen."
I agree with her on all counts. Her parents are extremely
nice, and have become somewhat of a second family to me. Spending
the rest of the day with her sounds wonderful, and the thought
of cuddling against her while watching a movie is just so inviting.
So having decided how to spend the rest of our waking
hours today, we again take a running leap off of the plateau and
glide gracefully into the wide blue sky. I let her get slightly
in front of me for a moment so I can admire her beautiful form
flying ahead of me. Then with my spirits soaring high, I rush
to catch up to her, and fly swooping by, as we continue the game
of aerial tag we had been playing earlier.
Copyright 1994, Will A. Sanborn - was1@shore.net