Last Flight Home

by Rob Powell
12th February 2016

‘Mary, there was something I was going to tell you, but for the life me I can’t remember what it is.’ Mary looks at John, smiles to herself thinking this was what he said last night, and the night before, and will probably repeat again tomorrow. Mary didn’t mind, in fact she likes John’s absentmindedness. From the day they met she felt it gave him an endearing quality and knew that she was just as forgetful; so it made them the perfect couple.

‘Mary, I remembered it’s something to do with the moon. Keep the moons light in your sight; it will act as our guide to navigate home.’ John pauses for one pensive moment ‘I know there is something else I wanted to tell you about the light. Oh well I’m sure I’ll remember soon’.

‘It’s ok John’, Mary responds and plants a loving kiss on John’s cheek finishing the night yawning the words ‘I’m so tired we have been travelling all day, let’s sleep now; love you much.’ John’s returning smile is filled with a heart full of so much love for Mary, and thoughts of how lucky he is to have found his lifelong companion, his true soul mate. And with that, he hovers by her side momentarily giving her a kiss and settling down for the night.

The cold air intensifies and voluminous clouds fill the night sky dulling the moons glow. There is a loud roar so close that the vibrations jolt Mary and John awake simultaneously. They look quickly at each other, disorientated but realising the impending danger both fly out of their slumber and make a quick exit. In terror and confusion John nudges Mary in front of him as he keeps an eye on the unknown predator attacking from their rear.

‘Keep heading towards the light Mary, remember it is our safest route’, John hollers at Mary who he can now hear in front of him crying with fear ‘go as fast you can go’. Mary increases her speed and is now flying through the woodland and making good ground keeping the light in her eyes focus. And then to John's horror, he witnesses Mary’s delicate wings go up in flames as she flies directly into a campfire flame. John opens his wings to break his flight. His eyes immediately fill with tears as he remembers what he had forgotten every night.

‘Mary, don’t confuse the light of the moon with the light of a naked flame of fire’.

https://robpowellwrites.wordpress.com/

Comments

I'm not really much of a romantic writer myself so cannot leave much feedback in regards to the genre as a whole, however you do skip between tenses quite frequently. In some moments you write in past tense in other you write in present. Both work well with this piece but only on their own (I hope you do not mind, I red the piece both in past and present as I was unsure and didn't want to miss out on the image you were portraying). For me personally it has more of a feel in present tense but you as the writer must decide this. Some beautiful lexis used to really put this piece together! I hope you post more work at some point as I would be very interested in reading!

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12/02/2016