Reflections Of Angels

Blown Away

"What are you doing?" Lila asked, wandering down the long garden lawn. Billy was under one of the trees, looking up at the branches above and jumping up and down, bending at the knees to really launch himself up in the air.

"I'm tryin' ta fly."

Lila giggled. "That's silly. You can't fly."

"I can!" Billy nodded. "I did last night!"

"You was dreaming!" She snorted.

"I flew up to da ceiling!" Billy insisted.

"I had a dream I was sleeping on the ceiling once." Lila informed him. "I dreamed I was a little bat flying around at night and hanging upside down. I have lots of funny dreams." She chuckled, nodding vigorously that it was true. "I dreamed that there was a giant peeping through my window with his big eyes! And I had a dream where Mina ate bugs! And once I dreamed that Uncle Travis was going to give me a parrot for my birthday, but he didn't!" She looked somewhat disappointed by that. "And I once dreamed that you and me was gettin' married." Both children looked at each other, pulling faces of revulsion before falling apart into giggles.

"You have weird dweams." Billy laughed.

"I know." Lila grinned. "Daddy has weirder ones. He talks in his sleep."

Billy's eyes opened wide. "Does he?"

"Sometimes." She nodded. "I hear him when I go into his room for a cuddle."

"Wot does he say?"

"Uh... Itsa secret."

Billy pouted, then turned back to the tree and began jumping again, trying to reach the high branch.

"You're still trying to fly?"

"Yeth."

"But Billy, you can't fly!"

"I can."

"You can't! You don't have wings!"

"I don't need wings." Billy insisted. Closing his eyes, he tried to remember how it had happened last night. He had flown- it wasn't a dream, he was sure. He remembered what it felt like; hanging weightlessly in the air, sailing on the air currents and soaring through the open sky- light and wild and free.
Suddenly, in the still tranquility of the garden, he felt the wind stir.

***

Mina crashed through the door of Declan's office, making him jump from where he was sitting at the desk, writing. "William is stuck up a tree and he wants you to come and get him down."

"Shit." He swore, leaping to his feet. "How'd he do that? Don't tell me, its this ridiculous flying thing again."

"Don't look at me, I'm just the messenger." Mina said, trapping a spider on the windowsill in her hands.

She walked besides him as he strode out of the room, heading downstairs and out into the garden. They quickly found the children down the far end of the garden.

"Daddy!" Lila shrieked as she saw him approach. "Billy got blown away up the tree!" Clearly in great alarm, she pointed; Declan looking where she directed.

"Holy..."

"Look how high I am!" Billy shouted, perched on a branch far above their heads at the very top of the tree.

Craning back his head, Declan had to shade his eyes from the sun. "How'd you get up there?"

"The wind blew him!"

"I flew!"

Lost for words and unsure what he was meant to think, Dec glanced at Mina, who shrugged; before turning his gaze back to Billy. "Well... Can you fly back down?"

"Uh... I'm not really sure how to do that."

"Excellent." Dec muttered sarcastically.

"Sir, you're just going to have to get him down." Mina said calmly.

"That's easier said than done."

"I'm sure you'll figure out a way." She smiled imperiously.

"Can somebody help me get down please?" Billy called out.

"We're working on it!"

"Coz... Et's weally high!" Billy was starting to sound freaked out now, which was the last thing they needed; if he panicked, he could very likely fall.

"He's scared, Daddy." Lila informed, looking scared herself.

"I'll get a ladder." Dec decided. "...Although I don't know if it'll reach that high."

"No, don't leave!" Billy shrieked as Dec began to turn away, stopping him in his tracks. "You can't leave me here!"

"I'm not, I'm just... Uh... Mina, can you get a ladder?"

"Yes sir." Mina looked mildly frustrated, but turned and headed towards the garage.

Up the tree, Billy clung to the trunk, trying to ignore the slight swaying of the tree. The ground seemed very far away.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye he noticed movement along the tree bark; and looking, he saw a familiar long, green snake worming her way along the branch. Gently, she butted her head against him, sliding across his lap. Feeling emboldened, Billy slid along the tree bough after his Grandma, scrambling across to the next one as he followed after her. Slowly she guided him from branch to branch, one step after the other first across and then gradually down onto the ones below.
Step by step, bough by bough, he scaled the tree down, following the safe trail she picked out for him- until suddenly strong hands were around his waist and guiding him safely onto a sturdy steps of a ladder. "You're alright, I've got you." Declan reassured him, guiding them both down to the firm ground.