‘What are you doing?’

‘What do you think I am doing?’

‘Wasting your time building a plane, thats never going to fly?’

‘Tch. Tch. Wrong answer. You should give up any dreams you might have of going to Who wants to be a millionare? You’ll just embarass yourself.’

‘Very funny. Shouldn’t you be doing your homework?’

‘Shoulda… woulda… coulda. Its a tricky road to travel. Oh and it goes both ways. You see, you shouldn’t be talking to your boyfriend past 9 either. Think of that, before you run to mom.’

‘I was not going to run to mom. I’m not a tattletale.’

‘Yeah, right. And I’m not human.’

‘Have it your way. Besides, even if I told mom, she’d be happy that you are creating something rather than breaking it.’

‘Interesting. I can see how that beats your purpose.’

‘So why are you making this anyway?’

‘Because I’m a guy.’

‘And?’

‘And guys love fast things. Bikes, cars, air-planes…you name it.’

‘This is not going to be fast. In fact its not going anywhere. Fall it might. Fly it will not.’

‘I know that.’

‘And you’re still going to build it?’

‘Sometimes one need not see something to believe. It may not be the thing. But it represents something great. It may not fly, but I would want to believe it can.’

‘That doesn’t make any sense.’

‘It makes perfect sense. Just like you keep making those futile attempts to irritate me and never show it, but I know how much you love me.’

‘I…I…uh… you’re a moron.’

‘Where are you going? I have tissues here!’

‘You’re a sleeze Nick.’

‘Love you too Jenny.’

It was a quiet evening; the enormous French windows enabled William to get a better view. His eyes first scanned the skies as they always did. The seamless sky was completely clear apart from the few stranded wisps of milky clouds. Butterflies fluttered in and out of his perfectly maintained garden. In the distance was a dense forest, serene and apparently concealing a million secrets. Snow clad mountains capped with fog stretched over the horizon. He shooed a tiny brown bird sitting on his window to see it open its wings and soar through the space.

He closed his eyes and saw a brilliant flash of red light. He could suddenly feel immense heat all around him; he longed for the snow-clad mountains. Something stung at his legs but he couldn’t get rid of it.

Elisa entered the room just then. She fretted over him not noticing the beads of perspiration on his forehead. She had initially agreed to come to this remote place just so that she could make some fast and easy money to go to college; and anyway how difficult could it be to look after a crippled 28 year old! But there was something about this boy that drew her to him.

He was a tall, fair, dark haired, strongly built boy. He never spoke much unless it was absolutely essential; however, he wrote – page after page, book after book. But she noticed that he had been unusually silent since last night. Elisa didn’t find anything wrong in what had happened; it all felt just perfect, like it was just destiny waiting to take its course. But clearly, William thought otherwise. She didn’t want to be the first one to bring up the topic so she waited for him to speak. He did, eventually.

Now, William wasn’t the one to beat around the bush or indulge in niceties, so he got straight to the point. “Elisa, what happened last night is not going to get you anywhere. I am saying you because I can anyway not get anywhere from here in this wheelchair. I have lived my life and I shall die here. But this life will just stagnate you and it is not something that I would be proud of. I am very thankful that you looked after me for so long. With all your dues, you have my lifelong gratitude too. I think it is now time that you leave this house and create your own place in the world out there.” Before she could reply, he wheeled himself out.

After a few hours, William returned to an empty house. He went straight to his room where he picked up a pen and closed his eyes. This time, however, he didn’t see the war, the fire, the crash; he now just flitted through the calm clouds with Elisa by his side. He opened his eyes and smiled slightly as he put his pen on a paper and began writing…

scissors, glue and
concentration;
patience and some
motivation

Henry doesn’t
talk a bunch,
puts in his teeth
to eat his lunch

then gets wheeled
to his room,
his glue and paint,
familiar fumes

over London,
over France,
see if Jerry
wants to dance

iron crosses
swarmed like flies,
one by one
dropped from the skies

Drove a schoolbus
fifty years
flak guns ringing
in his ears

then went home
to model planes,
Corsairs, Hellcats
in his veins

we lost a lot of boys,
you bet;

a few still up there,
flying yet.

It was extremely quiet as I glided through the white clouds. Emerging from them I could see the ploughed fields below. They were far below and looked like a fluffy quilt of green and brown cotton. The contrast between sky, cloud and earth were a beauty that was a privilege to behold.

Posts on this prompt:

Celestial Lessons 001: Black Hole or Shining Star? by THREE

The Last Stop by Lost Addiction

Universes In His Head by T.M.Riddle

Apocalypse by Kreation

Contact by The Wakeful Tree

6th Dimension by Yamini Murty

Homesick by Mithun Mukherjee

What the Universe Feels Like by Elvie

Roddy’s Night Out by Ric

The Last Stop by z3phyr

Just Another Day At Work by Rohan

100% Chance Of Rain by blistertoe

Twilight Zone by Sarah Hina

Note Left Under A Picnic Table Near The Griffith Park Planetarium by Joaquin

Just Another Day At Work by Rohan

Immortal by Shruti

Now and Forever by Kits

Acknowledged by Aniket