Venture Out and New Family| The Girl With Wings

Three: Venture Out

Faith has never spoken to anyone for over a year while she stayed at the house, making conversations in her head, imagining new friends or a place to call family. When she was eleven, she snuck out against her father's wishes. "I can't stay cooped up forever. I must talk to someone," she whispered to herself.

She walked into Firly. It was night, and snow was on the ground. She wore a long blue robe over her light yellow dress as she explored the town. Her forever-exposed wings stood unfazed by the cold winds. She peered by the window to look inside a small, weary brick house and saw a boy who was sick with pneumonia. He was lying down on his bed with his eyes set towards the ceiling, trying to cope with being sick. A wet cloth was on his head. His cheeks were inward and red, a sign he was malnourished and unwell.

He reminds me of my mother, Faith thought. She pressed her hand against the window. Her breath fogged it. The memories of her mother came back to her. She remembered her sweet and kind nature. Faith was never sick, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t a hassle. She always tried to be good to her mom. She believed that kindness could be shared, and it could also be added to someone with patience. Faith continued to look at the boy.

I wish I could save him, her thoughts echoed inside her mind.

Her hands glowed a light gold, shocking Faith. Her hands pushed in before she stepped into the wall, into the boy’s house. Everything, even a solid surface, acted like air for her. The boy’s eyes moved towards Faith. He didn’t react. In his head, he thought Faith was an angel to bring him to the afterlife. She walked closer and placed her hand against his chest. Her hand is warm and soothing, like a gentle soul.

“Who are you?” The boy asked.

“Faith,” she replied, whispering.

“Are you here to take me to Heaven?”

Faith didn’t respond. It was too late to turn back. She wanted to meet people and help them as much as possible. The medicine and care at home didn’t stop her parents from dying. Was it Faith’s fault or fate not being forgiving? It plunged her into despair. She still had the decision to either help the boy or leave and feel the burden from the boy’s family. She never met them, yet she would feel awful for stepping away. Faith also needed to worry about the boy’s family’s response to her wings. Her choice would change her life forever. A moment of silence goes by of them gazing at each other.

It was painful to see my parents go, her thoughts trailed. I cannot stand it if a child dies. He deserves a long life.

“No,” Faith answered while shaking her head. “I want to help you.”

A warm feeling was felt on her hand as she saw the familiar glow radiating from her hand. The boy’s eyes widened, inhaling deeply. His breaths sounded clearer than before. Faith was astounded by what she could do for the first time. She believed she had no magical powers other than just flying for eleven years. When she saw the boy smile, she felt rejuvenated. The boy closed his eyes and fell asleep. Her hand stopped glowing, and she pulled away. Faith observed the boy's chest going up and down. He was still alive.

She heard footsteps heading towards the bedroom. Faith rushed to the window and put her hands against the glass, wishing to escape, but the door already opened. The boy’s mother screamed as she saw Faith. Faith spun around and pressed her back against the window. Her heart rate increased, her throat dried, and her breathing picked up. The mother appeared thirty years older than the boy, with long, dried brown hair and her cheekbones slightly exposed. Her screaming woke up the boy. She also looked familiar to Faith, but she couldn’t put a finger on it.

“Who are you,” the mother asked.

“Faith,” Faith explained, “daughter of Cree and Glimmer Eir. I-I wanted to help your son.”

The mother became more relaxed. “From the house within the borders of Firly?”

“Yeah.”

“I used to buy food from them. I've never seen you before.”

“That’s because I have wings,” Faith said before gently flapping her wings. “They hid me.”

The mother stared at Faith for a moment. “You look like your father, Faith,” she commented.

Faith’s eyes shimmered. Her father may have been busy in the mines, but he spent his off-time with Faith and his wife. He loved them. He loved her. Her heart tingled from the fond memories of him. Now, she remembered the mother’s name, Ruthe, who bought her mom’s bread, tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce. Faith heard her name while hiding in her room, yet saw her face while watching from the trees. She saw her mother giving Ruthe a brownish-white fabric bag filled with crops. She felt ashamed that she had forgotten the woman.

You must return home, Faith, you must return home, she heard her father’s voice in her head.

“Thank you,” Faith replied. She pressed her back harder into the window. “I must go home. I hope your son feels better, Ruthe. I remembered your name.”

Faith heard serene music behind her as her entire body glowed. She phased through the wall and backed away into the outside world. She quickly waved before sprinting back home. “What have I done? What have I done?!” She panicked. Social interaction felt foreign to her. This was the first time she talked to someone other than her parents. It felt strange, scary, yet sweet all at the same time. She wanted to do it again in the future.

Four: New Family

The next day, Faith tended the garden per usual. The crops looked livelier than they did yesterday. She steadily watered the plants before there was a knock at the door. It was Ruthe’s husband, daughter, and son. The son looked much better and was smiling ear to ear. Faith’s eyes widened. She knew Ruthe might’ve told her family but never expected a visit.

“Hello,” Faith shyly greeted.

“Hello, I am Lennox,” Ruthe’s husband greeted. He turned sternly, “My wife told me you visited our son, Isaac.”

Faith gulped hard. “Yes...”

“He was much better after she visited him,” Ruthe implied.

“She healed me!” Isaac graciously beamed.

“Is your father home?” Lennox asked.

Faith took a deep breath. “Uhhh, no. He’s dead, just like my mother,” she replied quietly, hating to be reminded of her parents’ deaths. Her saying it made her want to cry, but she held it in. Ruthe looked at her sympathetically.

“So, you have been living in this house alone then?” Lennox continued to ask.

She nodded. “For a year or so…”

“How about we take her in, Lennox?” Ruthe suggested to her husband. “She saved our son’s life. We are in our in debt to her.”

Faith nervously backed away. “Y-You’re not in debt to me… I can’t leave this house.” Her father’s words still rang in her head as if he never left.

“Miss, how old are you?” Lennox asked.

“Eleven,” Faith replies.

“You are too young to live alone.”

“B-But I-”

“Faith, you will live with us. That’s final,” Lennox raised his voice, pointing his finger to the ground.

“I-I don’t fully know you,” Faith stammered. She fought against the urge to hide inside the house. This could be another opportunity, Faith thought. She would live in a new family in the more crowded parts of the town, which meant more people would see her wings. “My dad warned me not to r-reveal myself,” she nervously disclosed while scratching her shoulders.

“You’re a blessing, not a curse, Faith,” Ruthe reassured her.

“Just give her a few days to settle in,” Lennox told his wife. “We can’t let that girl stay home alone for the rest of her life. We have a room upstairs. She can stay there.”

“Please, Faith! Come with us!” Isaac begged.

“Come along to make my brother happy,” the daughter said dryly while her thumb was pointed at her brother.

“I understand that your parents want you to remain hidden,” Ruthe acknowledged, “but I am sure they wouldn’t like it if you lived alone for the rest of your life.”

There was no way out. Faith packed her stuff, the seeds, possessions, and remnants of her true family, either paintings or decorations. Faith’s new room was in the attic upstairs, where she had to climb an old wooden ladder. It was dusty and darker than her previous room, but there were lamps to light up the place regardless. There was a skylight, so she could watch the rain or snowfall to ease her while sleeping. She set up the possessions she took from her house and made it more homely. She would sleep on an old dark wooden bed belonging to Lennox’s grandfather before he passed. It was odd but comfortable.

With her new family, she was the oldest child. Castra, the daughter, was nine years old, while Isaac, the youngest, was only six. She was a great addition to the household, bringing smiles to Isaac and Castra as if they were her real siblings. Faith helped clean, cook, and told the kids the same bedtime stories as her mother would. It seemed this house had lit up without a light source, as if she was the light herself. Ruthe and Lennox respected Cree’s wishes and let her stay hidden while they went out, leaving Faith at home.

It is only a matter of time until you need to come out, Faith. You were never born to stay indoors, she heard a little boy’s voice. She listened to the boy’s visit in her room every night, saying the same thing. Faith would look up and search her room, but she found no one. Her family had gone to sleep, so it wasn't them. It could be a figment of Faith’s imagination or a spirit foretelling the future.