Falling

"I'm falling!" she screamed as her world fell apart, the air pushing against her chest so hard she swore her lungs would collapse. "we're not falling you silly girl!" the man shouted, his arms outstretched, a big grin lighting his face. she swore he was insane. "what the hell are you talking about?!" she screamed, the wind whipping away her words and bullying her closer to the mad-man. He looked at her then and there was something wonderful in his eyes, something hopeful and marvelous and it scared her. "Were flying!" he said. Oh yes she thought "you are mad! absolutely insane!" he just smiled then "stretch out your arms!" he shouted, his voice singing out over the wind. she did and took his hand in hers, cursing her own stupid complacency. The ground spiraled closer until she could see trees in the forest and animals in the fields. "The sunrise is beautiful up here." she said her voice wavering with sobs she wouldn't let turn to tears and he looked at her with eyes slightly sadder and a dampened smile. they turned their eyes up to look at the pure, lucid stars as they faded into the flames of the rising sun and for once she felt at peace. "what happens when we hit the ground?" she asked pulling him closer. "We wont, I told you, we're flying." His voice was sad and she studied the side of his face. "Right." she said. Watching the ground come ever closer, wondering with morbid fascination what it would feel like. They didn't talk then, they couldn't, the situation was so final and ominous that it quieted them down to their souls. The trees grew closer, it seemed they were going to fall into the forest, she had always liked the forest, the huge trees and the sprouts, the adventures her and her sister would take off the normal hiking trails, the thrill of finding the tallest tree and climbing it as far as you could go. She had always been afraid of heights but her sister had always made her feel brave, like she could conquer the world if she only stayed close. "you're crying." he said "of course I am!" she shouted. There was a pause that spanned the centuries, then he asked "why are you crying silly girl?" the trees spiraled closer and closer until she could see birds and fallen leaves and the memory of footsteps in the dirt "Because" she shouted "I've always wanted to fly!" and they smiled at each other as the pine trees, who stood tall to the sky like spikes on an enemy wall, greeted them kindly and heralded them to a place beyond the pines.