Ch. 1: Part 3

He took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Was he really doing this? He balanced on the branch of the tall pine trying to recover his nerve. He stood from his crouch and quickly grasped the branch above him for support. He took another breath. He shut his eyes. This had seemed like a good idea. When he’d been safe. On the ground. He locked his jaw and opened his eyes again, they narrowed with determination. He needed to do this. He was going to do this.
He let go of his safety branch and leapt off the tree. Wind rushed passed him as he fell through the air. His eyes were as wide as golf balls. What had he been thinking? He started to panic and shut his eyes in an attempt to get a hold of himself. Then, in a rush, he quickly unfurled his wings just in time for the air to catch them before he hit the ground. He began flapping instinctively and rose above the green growth into the blue sky. He was in shock. His mouth hung open and his eyes were wide with the enormity of what he’d just done. “Wow” he gasped.
He tried going in a circle. He tilted and the air caught his wings .He spiraled downwards. He straightened back out and couldn’t help but smile in accomplishment. This was so cool! He dove down toward the earth and rose back up again. He could stay up here forever. He soared straight ahead, slicing through the sky as fast as he could go. He slowed and turned around, flying slowly back to the clearing. He dipped under and came up only to dip low again. It was so freeing. Everyone imagines how it might be to take flight. He never could have imagined this.
He floated back to the clearing, riding the wind, when a problem arose in his mind. How to land? His brow furrowed and he bit his lip as he landed, not so gracefully, on a pine branch. He folded his wings and climbed down to flat ground, covered in needles. Somehow it was so dissatisfying now, to be stuck on two legs, a slave to gravity.
He left his shirt off as he planned for the night. It wouldn’t do to sleep on the pine needles of the forest floor. He’d learned that from the previous night. He checked his bag to survey his remaining funds. He still had about 130 dollars. His main expense had been food. Though he had tried to conserve his resources, he’d been eating like a hog.
It’d be nice if he could stay out here in the woods. Leo pulled on his shirt and coat and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He trekked back through the woods and stepped out onto the road. It was a cold cloudy day and it started to sprinkle on his way to town. Maybe there was an outdoors store where he could pick up a tent or something.
The town commerce consisted of a local convenience store, a barber shop, a gas station, a tavern and a pawn shop. He’d try the pawn shop. A little bell greeted him as he stepped through the door. The air was thick with tobacco smoke and incense. Pine wood paneled the walls and a doorway off to the side was hung with beads.
“Hey there, stranger.” said a girl who came out of the back behind the counter. She looked to be about nineteen and had long blonde hair and a cigarette in her hand. She gave him a smile that didn’t comfort him. He shoved his hands into his pockets and licked his lips.
“Um,” he cleared his throat, “you guys have any camping gear?”
“Hey, Dick, we got any camping stuff?” she shouted over her shoulder into the back room. A man of about fifty, who Leo guessed to be Dick, stepped out of the back.
“Yeah I got some gear. You goin’ campin’, son?” He addressed Leo.
“Maybe.” Leo said guardedly. Dick eyed him for a moment.
“Mikey, where we got the campin’ gear?” he yelled toward the beaded doorway. Then he turned back to Leo. “What sort of campin’ gear are ya lookin’ for?”
“A tent, a sleeping bag maybe.”
Dick nodded. He stepped out from behind the counter.
“Mikey! Are you deaf?” He said as he parted the beads and went through. Leo kept his eyes on the floor.
“He’s getting’ it.” The blonde informed him. She leaned forward with her elbows on the counter. The girl shifted her weight to the other hip and put out her cigarette. “So, where you from?” she said as her eyes followed his tall lean figure up to his angular face. He swallowed.
“Midwest.”
“You stayin’ here for long?” She tilted her head to the side and her long hair spilled onto the counter.
“I don’t know.”
“You know, I work nights over at Larry’s. If you wanna stop by, maybe I could get you a couple a drinks.” She said with a grin. He was trying to think of someway to respond to this when Dick came back through the doorway.
“I got a one man tent and a sleepin’ bag I can give you for 80.” When he saw Leo’s hesitation he added, “That’s cheap, son.”
“Yeah, I’ll take it. Thanks.” He just wanted to be out of there.
Leo walked out with the tent over his shoulder and the sleeping bag under his arm. He looked across the street at the bar and read “Larry’s” above the door. He would not be accepting her offer. That was for sure. But at least, she was trying to be friendly.