Beside Me

I slowly parted the leaves with a wave of my arm…my face cringed tightly, prepared for the worst.  I FROZE!  MY EYES JUMPED!  I blinked to recheck my reality as my brain confirmed the scene.  I frantically scrambled backward before tripping into a fall - disappearing beneath the wet leaves and glistening blossoms.

Several minutes passed…frightened I still hadn’t returned to the surface.

“Anne Elizabeth you didn’t see him!” I mumbled staring at nothing but green.  I whipped out my screw driver, returning it to the “threatening position”.  Then very slowly, I broke my head through the leafy surface.  The rain had slowed to a misty drizzle. 

When my eyes cleared the leaves, a boy’s face was staring back at me.  His bright blue eyes were dazzling.  He had the most beautifully handsome face I’d ever beheld on a teenager.  For a few moments it mesmerized me knocking all of the fear and panic out of my brain.

“Don’t be afraid - I’m just like you.”  His voice was strong and velvety and entered my ears like an ethereal melody.  Then the feathery tops of his right and left wings popped through the leaves.

My eyes inflated wide and I took a large gulp.

“YOU…HAVE WINGS!”  My voice surged to falsetto.

“That’s true…but otherwise I’m the same as any other almost seventeen year old boy.” His voice was calm and reassuring.

“Something tells me there are probably a few more differences,” I said my voice trembling.

He began to move toward me…saying gently “Let me help you up.”

I raised my screw driver threateningly.  “Stay Back!”  My voice was empty of any believable threat.

He stepped with his right leg and winced painfully.  “Okay I’m staying back,” he replied gesturing with his hands held up like I was pointing a gun instead of just a screw driver.

Concerned and feeling guilty I asked, “Did I hit you up there on the road?”

“It wasn’t your fault I didn’t fly fast enough when I pushed that big tree out of your path.”

I lowered my screw driver as my brain understood his heroism.

Suddenly, bright headlights flashed the scene from the road above as a car cleared the bend.  My face snapped toward the lights.  I heard leaves rustling from behind in the boy’s direction.

I turned back…he vanished.

“Hello…Hello…Are you under there?”  I called while pushing away the leaves with my screw driver.  I couldn’t find him.  So I waded over to where he was standing.  I searched through the thicket of antheria plants but didn’t see him. 

I paused for a few moments thinking…then I looked up and searched the surrounding sky with my fla