The Most Wonderous Sight

This is the first (and so far only) Flash Fiction I wrote. The inspiration for it was a drawing of a twig with a single leave on it blowing in the wind.

'And we went dancing amidst the colours and fragrances of the early spring flowers welcoming the light and warmth after a harsh winter's embrace. Caressed by a merry breeze we were floating in between earth and sky, carefree and unbound - or so the moment seemed to us. Soon some of our siblings forgot their graces and allowed vanity - to which our kind is sadly quite susceptible - to sprout in their chests. They aspired to claim a seat next to the mighty sun for all to bask in their radiant beauty. So those brave fools left their grassy shelter drifting ever higher to bid the clouds good day. The rest of us watched in anticipation though in our hearts we already knew their fate. Oh, so swiftly and cruelly were they plucked from their airy pedestal by the ghastly talons of a dark shadow splitting the sky in two. If they cried out in horror, the wind carried off their echoes for we hiding under petals and leaves did not hear a single sound. At times a lonely tattered wing would glide down to the ground in front of our eyes - a stern reminder of our own fragility.'

I paused. Beneath the layers of silk a voice came forth: 'But weren't you scared?' 'We all were', I replied, 'since we knew that one day the same might happen to us. Countless nights I have spent shivering and crying myself to sleep. However, once the teasing rays of the sun tickle my cheeks, I cannot keep from spreading these wings and getting swept away once more. Do you know why?' The tiny cocoon sitting next to me on the oak branch quivered slightly as the child shook its not yet fully shaped head. I could not help but smile. 'Because each new morning reveals previously unknown sights and secrets and I would like to see as much as possible before I become one with the wind.'

There was a moment of silence. Then finally a question: 'Will you stay and wait for me a little while longer even if it means missing out on new things to see?' My heart filled with joy. 'Yes, I shall. For I wish to witness the most wonderous sight of all.'