Any Wings I Can Get

a short story of random compulsion.

 

Any Wings I Can Get

Letters blurred across the computer screen as I keyed information onto various documents and spread sheets.  Long hours had gone into the planning of the sky-falcon project and although everyone was excited for the project to get off the ground, they were also reluctant to see their dream transferred to another’s hands.  The simple truth was the higher-ups simply don’t want any one group to know too much about the project, and now that our part is almost finished we should be seeing the door fairly soon. 

Finishing a line of commands, I hit enter.  A light through the window quickly caught my attention as I leaned back in my chair to stretch.  The light was still in the distance, though, making it appear puny yet clearly visible.  An airplane’s signal light I thought.  Normal.  Planes fly over the house constantly, their roaring engines are a constant annoyance to my work here at home, but something about it held my attention.  It was as if I were paralyzed.  My eyes were transfixed upon it, and I couldn’t understand why. 

I watched as it flew closer, but did nothing.  I was afraid.  Afraid the plane would pass by and the only part I would have seen was the tail lights.  It was stupid, but I was compelled to climb out the window.  Now, climbing out the window in the middle of March doesn’t come off as the smartest idea, especially since I couldn’t remember for the life of me whether it had rained, snowed, or precipitated at all that day.  But I couldn’t help myself.  I climbed out the screen-less window and stood in the cool night’s air.  It wasn’t freezing, but it wasn’t a bright summer’s day either.  As I stood there I was struck by a miraculous thought.  A memory, really, of a teenage friend who wanted to be a pilot.  I had once asked him, “What type of pilot do you want to be anyway?  Do you want to be a fighter pilot?  I can’t see you killing people Chris.”  He looked up from tying his running shoes and smiled, saying, “I’ll take any pair of wings I can get.” 

A slight breeze brought me back to the present, the smell of sweat and teenage boys, so sharp seconds ago, was now fading from memory and all I could do was look up into the night and follow the plane’s movement.  As the signal lights flashed in time to the engine’s roar I murmured, “I’m sorry Chris,”

Turning from the plane that was now passing overhead, I stepped back through the window and finished my statement, “but I will fulfill my dreams.  Nothing will stop me.”

 

Words: 448

Author's Note

There are some quick skips... kinda like a new driver testing the breaks. If I could get some comments on how to smooth that out it would be awesome... I ask this because I am lazy.