Candice lifted her bag up and over her shoulder. It was time to get moving. She could still feel the burning sensation underneath the skin of her back from the previous night’s events, but she tried her best to ignore it. Out her bedroom door and down her stairs she went. As she walked into her kitchen, her mother was there making breakfast. She said nothing to Candice, obviously still mad at her. “Morning mom…” she said quietly.
While Candice gathered her bags, her mother laid out a plate of scrambled eggs. She sighed and sat down, pushing her food away from her. “Mom, we need to talk about last night.” Her mother turned to face her, her arms crossed over her chest. “There’s nothing to talk about.” her mother hissed. “But mom there is!” Candice half yelled. “It keeps happening; you can’t honestly believe I’m normal can you? What if it happens in public?” Her mother sighed, “Candice, you’re normal, there’s nothing to it, and it WON’T happen again, I’ve made an appointment with the doctor.”
Candice glared at her mother. “What’s a doctor supposed to do? Rip them off my back?” Her mother shot a look at her before turning and gripping the edge of the stove. “Get to school.” It was an order. Candice grabbed her bag and swiftly walked out the door, never turning to look back.
Finally she walked through the front entrance of the school. The day went on as normal; 1st period, 2nd period, 3rd period, the morning dragged on slowly. Finally the day was nearing an end. It was time for gym. They were playing volleyball.
“Your serve Candice!” Sophie called from across the net. She looked up to see the ball coming her way. She dodged it, barely, and went over to pick it up. As she bent down, she felt the burning sensation in her upper back increase ever so slightly. She shot up, her eyes wide. ‘No!’ her mind began to scream, as she hurled the ball back at Sophie. Sophie caught the ball easily and stared back in confusion. “What’s the matter?”
But Candice couldn’t answer. Her mouth had gone dry, her throat closed up. The burning sensation was growing stronger against her upper back. She knew what was coming. She had to leave. She began to run for the door, clumsily tripping over her feet as she ran. “Hey!” Sophie called as the rest of the team looked at each other in confusion. Candice ran down the hallways of the school towards the front entrance. She had to get out. She bumped into people as she ran through the hallways, ignoring the insults she got in return. The pain of the burning sensation was growing to be too much, too strong.
Finally she collapsed in the hallway. Her forehead embraced the cold floor, her arms outstretched to support her body, her hands placed on the floor. She could feel the sweat dripping down her forehead, forming under her hands. She couldn’t take the pain much longer. Sophie ran up from behind her, a crowd of teenagers gathering around Candice. “Candice! What’s wrong?” Sophie asked worriedly. Candice began to breathe heavier, shrugging off Sophie’s help. “Someone, go get the nurse!” Sophie yelled at the teens surrounding her. Too late.
Candice let out a death defying scream, arching her head back. Suddenly a large mass sprang up from her upper back, growing large and larger, until finally it ripped through her shirt. Two enormous wings stretched out behind her. Each feather was a burning orange, the same color of her hair. Her shirt lay in tatters beneath her. The burning sensation was gone.
People screamed and gasped all around her, as tears streamed down Candice’s cheeks. She tried to cover herself with her arms. She stood up, her arms still covering her chest, and began to run toward the nearest window. Just before her body hit the glass, her magnificent wings surrounded her body, acting as a shield. She threw herself against the window, smashing it. She fell through and landed on the ground two feet below the window. She jumped up, her feet never to touch the ground again.
Her wings took her into the air, as she soared higher and higher, her wings beating to the rhythm of her heart. Never stopping, always moving higher, never looking back. Finally, she felt a new sensation consuming her whole body. She embraced the atmosphere with happiness, allowing the cold devour her body. She felt the ice forming on her legs and arms, her torso and her head. Finally, Candice had found her place of happiness. As ice formed on her wings, she could hear them cracking as the ice shattered. Her whole body freezing, she felt her legs go numb, then her torso and arms.
The combination of temperature and lack of oxygen was killing her, she knew that, but all the same she soared higher. Clouds raced past her, as she looked around to see the world one final time. Candice glanced back to see the world as she had once seen it; a home. Now she saw only emptiness, knowing that she could never go back. She turned her head away to embrace the heavens.
She was free.
