-= The Boy and The Raven =-

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Send ripples from the past to the present

The night was over. Dawn was breaking upon the skies. Falani was disappointed. She watched as the moon's kindly gaze on her faded gently. The sun glared at her, almost mocking her. The land was awake now. Birds chirped and trees swayed. Falani sighed. It was yet another day, another part of her mundane routine. She shut her sleepy lids, heart pounding fast. She wanted some rest, some sleep but she would not be getting any.

It would happen anytime now. Falani knew it by heart. It had always been this way since she was ten, when her father had mysteriously disappeared. With her sharp hearing, she could make out footsteps coming to her door. Abila burst through the door. Falani braced herself for her mother's harsh words and death-glare.

"Really, Falani. You should have been out cooking breakfast an hour ago. Where's the water for bathing? Where's the firewood? You should be sensible enough at your age! The villagers have a bad enough impression of you! Gather yourself together for once!" Abila's sharp voice pierced through the silence of the calm morning.

"Y-yes, mother," Falani stammered, hurrying to her feet.

She always lost her concentration on reality when she moongazed. It was like a drug addiction. Once she had seen the nightsky, she never wanted to sleep at night. The night was her haven but being awake at night cost her a heavy price in the morning.

Falani stumbled across the hall, still weary from her night up. Her vision was hazy as she walked to the back of the house to gather firewood. She lifted the heavy load and scrambled to the fireplace. She relieved herself of the load, almost panting. She gathered up a few buckets and hurried to the well, it was situated near the center of the village. The entire village shared the stone well. As Falani made her way through the throngs of people, she heard the familiar hushed voices of the villagers. She bit hard on her lip. The cold stares and glares on her back were getting to her. Clutching the buckets close to her chest, Falani lengthened her strides. She never wanted to be here, somewhere within her, she knew she never belonged here.

Upon reaching the well, Falani gathered up rope that reached deep into the depths of the well. She poured the water gathered in the pail into her buckets. Falani left the buckets on the ground beside the well and sat on a sun-baked rock to rest. Beads of perspiration had already made their mark on her face. Then, Falani's heart began to pound. This meant trouble. Spinning around, Falani came face to face with the village bully, Viktor. Viktor's eyes gleamed at the sight of Falani. He had always heard of the strange girl who lived in the village but had never seen her face-to-face or rather, shoulder-to-face. Falani hated him on the spot. Her instincts were never wrong. Viktor smirked.

In one swift movement, he grabbed Falani. She gasped as he held her over the well. It was an old well, cracked at the sides at the top. It seemed endless. No one knew where the bottom was. Falani had a phobia of water. She whimpered, dazed by Viktor's sudden movement. Viktor said, "You're certainly an eyesore. There has been so much speculating about you. But I guess your pathetic mother has been protecting her precious baby from all this rough and tuff." "Protecting me?! She abuses me! What does he mean by 'protect' and what's been going on that I don't know about?" Falani thought to herself. "Well, lets see you fly out of this, bird freak!" Viktor released his grasp on Falani. She screamed, her screams echoing as she fell head first into the well. She remembered the cold glare on Viktor's muddy face. "What have I done to deserve this... I wish I could end my life right here...." Falani thought, closing her eyes at the memory, unwilling tears spilled out of them.

Falani felt a sudden rush of relief. There was a familiar warmth seeping out of her back and it filled her body with so much hope. Falani could feel them emerging out of her back. How graceful they were and at the right timing too: ebony wings, darker than the night sky, with soft and subtle feathers. Falani used a brick that was sticking out of the wall of the well as a boost for her flight. Nimbly, she stepped on it and the split second she felt it give way, Falani took off, her wings flapped, stray feathers flying and landing gentlely on the water's surface.

With all her might, she flew out of the well.

Raven and Wolf posted at 8:30 PM

and the stars flew past...
those beautiful stars...

Friday, July 2, 2010

If you want to fly, you've got to learn to fall

Falani listened hard. Slowing her breathing. Her ear was pressed against the wooden door, tears falling from her gentle eyes. Her glazed eyes atred right out of the window, taking in the view of the nightsky. The tension in the house was unbelievable. It had always been this way ever since she was born but she had never gotten used to it. The tension followed her wherever she went, like a wandering spirit, haunting her days.

Whenever she was spotted out in the village, silence would fall upon hustle and bustle of the villagers. Hushed words would fly around and Falani would be left with her awkwardness and fallen hopes. Silence and Loneliness were her constant companions, refusing to leave her side.
Like the loyal friends they were, they had followed her around for all her fourteen short years in life.

"What's wrong with me? Why am I treated so differently?" she would think to herself.

Falani would spend hours in front of the mirror when she was younger, just staring at the reflection. She had ebony black eyes that seemed to pierce into any soul she came across. her strands of charcoal-black hair curled around her perfect heart-shaped face. She looked like any other average little girl. But why, oh why was she alienated? All the other villagers and children shunned her like she was carrying an infectious disease that would knock them dead in three seconds flat.

If it was not her looks, what was it?

Falani never knew. She always wanted to know. She begged her father for answers, only person in the household who seemed to radiate with the warmness and concern no one else could give her when she called upon him.

Kearn would look into her eyes, without flinching, which was hard for anyone to accomplish.

"Falani, you're the greatest gift I've ever received."

That was all she could get out of her father. It seemed unrelated though. Like he was just trying to make her feel better. Falani would lock herself in her room every night, silently crying tears of heartache. What was wrong with her? Was it her personality? But they would not know how she was like without even giving her a chance to interact with them. Why was the world so cruel to her, putting her in such a tight position?

Falani's mother, Abila neglected her. It was as if she was a crawling bug on the window-pane. Not deserving to be taken notice of. Harmless but worthless as well. Falani only had a memory of her mother ever showing any affection to her. It was blurred and had many white spaces in between, like all of her meagre amount of good memories did.

Falani was five then. She had pricked her finger while trying to untie her kite from a rose bush. Falani fell back onto the ground, bawling out loud. Her index finger was scratched and bleeding. The fresh blood and pain had startled her. Abila came out of the kitchen. She picked Falani up.

"What's wrong, honey? Oh silly little girl, there's nothing to cry about."

Abila spoke to Falani gently, bandaging her index finger, holding her close against her body. Falani was moved. She felt warm and vulnerable both at once. She thought nothing more mattered in the world at that moment. She had her mother holding her in a loving embrace. She needed nothing more. But then, things took a spin.

They were never the same again.

Raven and Wolf posted at 6:41 AM