Flight

Creative English writing assignments are awesome. For this one, we were supposed to choose a scene from one of the Greek myths we read and expand on it. I chose the escape scene from Daedalus and Icarus.

Icarus's sharp blue eyes mirrored the clear sky as they peered over Daedalus's shoulders. His father stood over a beautiful pair of bird wings, baring silver feathers that glinted and glowed in the dazzling sunlight. The boy's lips parted in awe, curving steadily into a smile.

"Icarus," Daedalus said anxiously, clutching his son's thin arm, "do not be reckless. If you fly too high, the sun will scorch your feathers. And if you fly too low, the sea will wet them. Just follow me and you will be safe."

Icarus nodded indolently, his eyes pointed at the wings. He noticed how smoothly their feathers rippled, like long grass in a meadow. The cream coloured wax bound them together seamlessly. His father's voice droned on, but he was not listening. He longed to be airborne, to streak through the air as fast as lightning. Daedalus strapped the valiant wings onto his son, doing the same to himself with his own pair. A hyped Icarus was ready for liftoff. Like a peregrine or an eagle, he would soar determinedly through the air. He barely noticed the kiss on the cheek or the pained expression on his guardian's face. All he knew was that there was only one way to go: up.

Daedalus jumped into the air, flapping his wings forcefully. He began to rise, levitating far above Icarus. The boy mimicked his father. He bent his legs and pushed up, waving his arms madly. His movements were uncoordinated and quickly found him back on the ground. Icarus frowned and tried again, watching enviously as his father hovered in place, several feet above him. He crouched down slightly, put all of his strength into his legs, and made a tremendous leap into the air.

Takeoff.

He didn't need any reassurance to know he had done it. The magical exhilaration of flight flooded through his body. He became light-headed with excitement and every nerve in his body tingled. His arms waved naturally, and all worries left his mind. Daedalus swept forward, and Icarus followed exuberantly.

The wind whistled wildly through his ears, whipping his matted hair across his face. Its cooling effect was offset by the furnace of a sun, slowly creeping to its zenith. Icarus watched excitedly as farmer's fields and little wooden cabins slid by on the earth. The toy houses and miniature people made him feel much grander.

The rugged green land transitioned into a smooth blue blanket, shimmering beautifully in the light. Icarus could smell the salt from the sea; he could almost taste the sharp flavor in his dry mouth. He weaved up and down through the patchwork clouds, flipping, spinning, and diving. Like an acrobat in the air, he somersaulted down before pulling back up, meeting his father. Daedalus looked back at him and smiled. "We're almost there."

Icarus sped into the sky with joy, spiraling as high as he could go. The beaming sun doused him with light, forcing his eyes to squint, but he did not care. At least not until he noticed the feathers dripping off of his wings…