The Only Way to Fly
by
Kathy Easton
A brilliant blue sky, the air cool and fresh. The clouds parted revealing a truly breathtaking view of fields. As the wind rushed past her cheeks she lifted her head and, dazzled by the sun, swooped lower until she was flying just above the tree-tops. The sensation was amazing, so exhilarating.
"I thought you were putting the kettle on? That water's been running over 10 minutes! "
Pam turned the tap off, took the kettle and gave Tanith a weary look.
"This is planet Earth Tani, you ought to give it a try sometime."
"I do, constantly."
Visions of day-to-day life formed in her mind. Living with big sisters had its drawbacks. She picked up the mug and took a sip of steaming coffee. Not as many as living with her parents though. They'd never understood her fascination with flying. They found it obsessive and therefore tried to relieve her of it. After various fights, she left and ended up sharing with Pam. When it all got too mundane her mind would instantly start to drift upwards and soon her body would too. What a real kick it would be to fly...
"There's a new club opening on Baritone Street tonight. We're going to try it out, coming too?"
Tanith was suddenly back in the kitchen and realized Pam was expecting an answer....
The light was neon blue, dark and deep, not dazzling. The Midnight Club boasted little decoration outside, in fact the doorway was so small it could be missed completely if it wasn't for the small dark blue glow above the portal.
"It's only just opened and it looks like a dump already!" groaned Pam. The small group went inside with Tanith wandering in behind. The main hall was dark and smelt musty, like old books, rather than smoke-filled. Tanith viewed the tables slowly, the people were all engrossed in conversation and didn't notice the small group enter. Whatever the music was, it was only playing in the background and the dance floor was completely empty. Pam had seen enough.
"That's it. I'm out of here."
"I think I'll stay awhile". Pam stared incredulously at Tanith.
"Be serious Tani!"
"No, really. Loosen up will you? I'll see you back at the flat, OK?"
The others trailed out after Pam and Tanith wandered over to the bar. The woman serving was incredible to look at. Tanith watched her in a trance as she poured the drink; long dark straight hair, pale unblemished skin, dark pools of eyes, tall, slender, wearing a beautiful midnight-blue crushed velvet dress. She caught herself staring and looked away quickly. The woman asked what she'd like to drink and before Tanith realized what was happening, she was answering questions about herself, her family, her entire life. Before she was conscious of it, she was even confiding in this woman about her dearest love, flying. Realizing how much she'd given away about herself to a perfect stranger, she stopped mid-sentence.
"What's wrong Tanith?"
"Oh, ..nothing. I'm. just not used to people wanting to know about me, about my dreams."
"I find your dreams fascinating."
Tanith stared into those hypnotic eyes. She suddenly woke up and blushed. "Most people just find them weird, find me weird."
"Weird isn't necessarily bad. Weird is out of the ordinary. Isn't it more interesting to be extraordinary?"
"When I fly, I mean when I dream of flying, I can practically feel it. It's so powerful."
"Do you fly at night?"
Tanith considered this, "No, it always seems to be at daybreak. The world always looks so fresh and new..."
Her voice trailed off as she began to imagine the feeling of sailing above the ground.
"You should try it at night, Tanith. The world always seems fresh and new to me after sunset. I find the dark comforting, like being wrapped in velvet." She glanced at her watch.
"It's time to close now."
"What time is it?"
"We close at 2 am. If you wait a minute I'll walk back with you."
The woman emerged from behind the bar seconds later wearing a long cloak matching the fabric of her dress. As Tanith watched she seemed to glide across the floor towards her. She noticed the place was already empty...but she hadn't even seen anyone leave. Why had no-one come near the bar while she'd been there? It dawned on her that she'd had an uninterrupted conversation with this woman all night. She felt so tired and confused, and to top it all, she hadn't even asked the woman's name! This was all really weird She was lost in these thoughts when the woman stopped and pointed her long slim finger at the top of the large building they stood before.
"I live here. Why don't you come in for a coffee, there's someone I'd like you to meet."
Tanith opened her mouth to make her excuses, after all Pam would be waiting and the later it was, the worse the scene would be. Somehow that wasn't what Tanith wanted to say. She looked at the woman who was beckoning to her from the front door, and followed slowly behind the flowing cloak.
"My friend shares your passion for flying. Few people share his feelings in the same way. and I think you may be one of them."
The woman was looking intensely at Tanith, almost as if she were measuring her lip for a task. This whole evening was too strange. She knew the sensible thing would have been to go straight home, but didn't seem to have the will-power to leave this woman now. Anyway, if truth be told, she didn't want to go home at all. As they entered the high-ceilinged room the woman made no effort to put on the light. Even so, Tanith felt no fear, just curiosity. As she peered through the darkness her eyes rested upon a darker shadow moving slightly near the window.
"I've brought someone to meet you Rudi."
"To...meet?" the man questioned, almost amused by this.
"This is Tanith. She's different Rudi."
"You dream of flight"
The statement seemed to leap out at her suddenly and took her by surprise. as did the fact that the man was now standing behind her; she hadn't noticed him move. Tanith had been struggling to follow the conversation but she felt almost drugged. That last sentence seemed to ring round her head. Now the voices seemed to be in her head, especially the voice of this tall slim man she couldn't see properly. Concentration was so difficult; she struggled to keep alert.
"I dream of flight" she answered quietly.
"What would you say if I could make that dream come true, for a price."
The man no longer sounded amused. He was striking a bargain, a serious bargain. Tanith didn't even have to consider her reply. She knew she should feel in some way threatened, but she did not. In fact she felt no fear at all, which made no sense.
"I'd pay any price."
As the man approached her she felt suddenly weak and his arm steadied her. She looked up into his eyes to see the same eyes as the woman, dark and hypnotic. As she listened to his soothing words the room began to fade, the woman seated on the couch was fading too. All that existed in the room was the tall dark man before her. His lips parted in a smile. As she looked at his mouth she saw what she'd somehow half expected to see. As his small sharp fangs penetrated her skin she felt a sudden stab of pain mixed with ecstasy. As he drank her life she relaxed in his arms and smiled.
"I told you she was different Rudi."
A cloudless sky, just millions of stars above a blue-black world. She'd never noticed quite how beautiful the moon was, a creamy white glow in the distance, In fact the whole night was beautiful in a way she'd never imagined. Her world had changed way beyond expectation, as had her body for that matter. The thought amused her. Everything was just as the woman Lavinia had said it would be. The night was a whole new sensation; she alighted on a branch beside Rudi. It was certainly the only time to fly.
Back to Index