The Girl With Wings

One: The Girl Born With Wings

Hundreds of years ago, Faith was born at a sunset during spring. The snow had melted, and the flowers were blooming. Faith’s parents, Cree and Glimmer, never thought their newborn child would be unique. They only predicted that Faith would tend to the ill, the poor, and the orphans. Her reputation would bring the family good luck and fortune as they struggled to make ends meet in the town called Firly. Faith was birthed at home with a midwife present. She didn’t cry. She opened her eyes, looked at her parents, and gave her first smile.

The next day, her parents saw wings on her back. The wings were never there on the day of her birth. Cree was getting ready to pick up her to feed her, and he saw the white feathered wings hanging from her back. The wings didn't tear her dress, passing through the fabric as if invisible. They were not flapping, and Faith was not flying around their room. That would freak her father out even more.

“Glimmer, get in here!” Cree shouted. Glimmer was still recovering, lying on a sofa. Once she heard his shout, she rushed in.

Glimmer placed her hands against her cheeks. “What should we do?! What if people see her?!” She cried. “I’m worried she can’t hide them.”

"No one can see her. Oh, I mean no one," Her father said to the mother. "If they saw her wings, kidnappers will chase after her or worse."

They moved to the outskirts of Firly, where woods surrounded the residents. Faith’s parents might seem to be overreacting, but what would a child’s parents do if they saw their kid grow wings upon their back? How would the public react? Cree worked in the mines while Glimmer watched over Faith. She raised her own crops and made clothes to sell to customers. When asked why they moved, they just said they wanted a new scenery.

Ten years go by for Faith. She resembled her parents, having her father’s gentle face and raven-black hair. She had her mother’s gray eyes. She helped her mother clean and tend the house. She could only go to the backyard if no customers were present, and her mother told her to hide in her room until they left. If there was no time, Faith flew into the woods, sat on a branch, and watched until the customers left. As she watched, she couldn’t help but feel lonely, wanting to make friends and help others. She knew her parents prevented her from interacting with others because of her wings.

My wings make me stand out, but I am human, just like the rest of them, Faith thought as she watched her mother talk to the regulars at her house. I want to help people too.

Two: Alone

Soon, tragedy struck. Mother picked up the White Plague from staying around an infected customer. Cree placed a sign on the door about Glimmer’s current condition. He didn’t get it because he was mainly in the mines. Faith kept herself clean and covered her mouth and nose with a cloth. She kept the windows open to let the natural light and air in. Her mother was pale, sweating, coughing, and breathing heavily. She also had a fever.

“Momma, we should take you to the hospital,” the young Faith said. “You are not getting better, and I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” her mother replied weakly. “I’m more comfortable staying here. We can’t afford it.”

“B-But, Mom, you may not last another day. What if Dad doesn’t come home early enough? What if we were too late?” Faith was trying not to cry.

“I’ll be fine, Faith,” she reassured her daughter as she gently placed a hand on Faith’s face.

Faith gazed at her mother. Glimmer’s eyes were glossy, slowly blinking at her. She still feared and felt that her mother wouldn’t make it another day before Dad came home. When the sun fell, her mother told Faith, “Go to sleep, Faith. Your health is just as important. Momma loves you.” Her mother closed her eyes and went to sleep. Faith reluctantly went to bed, worried about her mother.

When dawn came, Faith awoke to her father’s cries. Her mother died as soon as she finished talking to her. No funeral was held because of the disease, but news spread about Glimmer’s death. Faith watched her father bury her mother behind the garden. Her father still worked, trying to provide income for the family. Faith kept working in the garden for food. The house felt like a hollow place after her mother’s passing. She missed the regulars coming by and talking to her mother. Everything felt different.

Her father passed away not long after her mother’s demise by heartbreak and from an infected wound caused by an accident in the mines. He covered the deep cut with a cloth. It was left untreated for days. He didn’t want to stress out his daughter over his wound, but he did when he fell ill.

Why did they both die? Was it a punishment for hiding a girl with wings? Faith listened to her father before he died on his deathbed. "Stay hidden. No one must see you," he said before he passed.

“Don’t go, papa. I need you,” Faith uttered, but he was gone. She couldn’t bring him back.

Faith wept, feeling the loneliness growing into desolation. She was on her own. The crops around her seemed to lack in harvest after his death. The house grew dusty and creeky even though she swept the floors and cleaned every day. It was not enough.