Meet The Wind

Amaya sat in the backyard; tears dripped down her face. Her life was an example of unfairness and imprisonment. "I can't believe she'd ask that of me!" She yelled. Amaya had done everything her mother had ever asked, she never said no, and she always did everything with a smile. But making her go to the May ball and as Ryan Sevens date no less was terrible.

Someone tapped Amaya's shoulder, "What?!" she yelled, spinning around expecting to see her mother. However, upon turning around, she was terrified to see a boy. He seemed to be around 18, white hair, an aviator suit, and he was grinning at her. Amaya jumped back screaming, absolutely terrified. The boy moved closer to her putting his finger over his lips and pointed at the house.

Amaya glanced at the double doors, her mother wasn't going to come. The woman was waiting for Amaya to come to her - that's how it always was - and beg for forgiveness. Something in Amaya kicked her usual cold unfeeling personality into place. She collected herself almost as fast as she had been frightened. Her face went virtually expressionless, the only evidence of emotion was her puffy red eyes.

The boy seemed appalled, "I'd like it if you'd leave," Amaya said her voice cold. She'd go ask her mother for forgiveness and they'd go to the party because that's how her life worked. The boy scratched his head, did she forget that she was talking to a floating boy, like he was a whole three feet in the air?

The boy cleared his throat, "Would you like that?" he asked mockingly.

"Of course, I would," Amaya snapped

"Hmm, that's not what I thought, I mean you were just crying, thought you needed a friend, guess I was wrong,"

Amaya's face heated up, "I do not need a friend and you will tell no one that you saw me crying,"

The boy smirked, "And you," he leaned down until he was looking into her eyes, "will tell no one that your feet are not touching the ground,"

Amaya looked down sure enough she was at least a foot off the ground, "Oh my god!" she yelled. She threw her arm out and clung to the boy.

"You still want me to leave?" he laughed

"This isn't possible!"

"A lot of things are possible," a gust of wind lifted Amaya higher into the air, "If you can imagine it," he whispered. The boy's jolly face didn't fall, "You want to go for a ride?"

Amaya looked at the ground now at least 7 feet under her, "What if I don't?"

The boy smirked, "Well, you go to that party with Ryan, and live forever as your mom's puppet,"

Amaya gulped, she had never done anything without her mother's permission in fact today was the only time she had ever disobeyed her. But the word puppet taunted Amaya, "You're not tryna kidnap me, right,"

"No... pinky promise," the boy held out his pinky.

Amaya looked at it skeptically, "What are you, five?"

"I'm surprised you haven't asked me what I am a while ago," the boy took Amaya's pinky himself and shook it. Before Amaya could blink she started zooming through the sky, air filled her lungs - choking her - she began scrambling. The boy tugged Amaya's sleeve "Hey... relax, flying isn't scary unless you make it scary,"

The boy breathed in and then out, and Amaya copied his movements. All at once she stopped feeling suffocated, her breathing became natural and the wind seemed to slow. Beneath her, she could see the houses littering the ground slowly disappearing and a lush green forest forming. Beautiful forage was everywhere something she had only ever seen from a distance. Then she went higher floating until she was above the clouds.

The boy spun around and then flopped onto a cloud, "That!" he laughed, "Was a good fly,"

Amaya touched a foot to the cloud expecting for it to go through but it didn't. She smiled grabbing pieces of cloud and throwing them in the air like it was snow. She grabbed a piece lifting it to her mouth, it tasted like water but felt like whipped cream. "You shouldn't eat clouds," the boy said, "The water in them is quite dirty"

Amaya looked around for a minute then sat next to the boy, "How is this possible?" she asked.

"I don't know, I was born one day I could fly, manipulate the wind, talk to birds," he paused, "guess it's magic,"

Amaya grabbed a handful of the cloud, she was right this shouldn't be possible. "Is this a dream?" she whispered almost too low for the boy to hear her.

"You must have nice dreams,"

"No," she sighed, "This is the first dream I've ever had,"

The boy sucked his teeth, "Wait here," he said before jumping off the cloud into the forest below. Amaya watched as the clouds became pink, orange, purple, and gold from the setting sun. If this was a dream it was one she didn't want to end.

The boy flew back onto the cloud, he held a purplish pink flower that was glowing in the low light. "You probably won't see me again-" he began.

Amaya shot up, "What do you-" The boy put a finger over her lips.

"- I'm not just any random spirit, the wind is very busy, but I'm going to do something special for you," he wrapped the flower in Amaya's hair, "You don't get real gifts in dreams, do you?"

"No," she stuttered unable to stop the panicking blood from rushing around her cheeks.

"Of all the people I've met - which is a lot -" the boy stared into Amaya's eyes, he took a deep breath, "My names Zephyr, you know in case you were wondering,"

"Wait, why does it sound like you're saying goodbye, you still have to take me home,"

Zephyr laughed, a gust of wind scooped up Amaya, and he took hold of her hand, "Of course, I couldn't just leave you on a cloud, it'd make me a terrible person,"

Amaya landed in her backyard, she felt alive for once in her life. As expected her mother had left, and social status would always be more important than her daughter. Zephyr traced her gaze he knew what she was thinking, he felt bad for her but she was the one who had to stick up to her mom. "Hey," Amaya turned her head, a soft pair of lips landed on her cheek, "I think if you wanted, you'd make a great you know independent person,"

"Thanks" Amaya smiled she was sure her head would explode. Sure this was a fantasy she'd only live once but she still lived it. And every night since the one she met Zephyr the Wind Spirit - that's what she calls him - Amaya got a purplish pink flower that glowed in the dark or low light, they never died.