It was his birthright as far as he was concerned. He couldn't let common sense keep him from becoming what he was meant to be. "There's no backing out. I have to do it, and I have to do it now."
The young man was great-great grandson of aviation pioneer Orville Wright. Like generations before him, the boy was given no middle name. Instead, he was given a first name of distinction and character - Falcon. As soon as he was able to read, Falcon Wright studied his namesake and was given a Peregrine Falcon of his own which he named Peter. After long days of training, the two would relax by the ocean cliffs just beyond the forest. Falcon would stare out across the waters and wonder what it would be like to fly far beyond the deep blue that bordered his simple side of the world.
The young man was great-great grandson of aviation pioneer Orville Wright. Like generations before him, the boy was given no middle name. Instead, he was given a first name of distinction and character - Falcon. As soon as he was able to read, Falcon Wright studied his namesake and was given a Peregrine Falcon of his own which he named Peter. After long days of training, the two would relax by the ocean cliffs just beyond the forest. Falcon would stare out across the waters and wonder what it would be like to fly far beyond the deep blue that bordered his simple side of the world.
One evening, Falcon returned home to find a book he had never seen before. Fragile and wrapped in cloth, the book was waiting for him at the foot of his bed. It was a gift from his mother to celebrate his upcoming birthday. The book belonged to his late father Icarus and was now being passed down to him. Pulling back the cloth and wiping away the dust, in very faint lettering WRIGHT was written across the cover. Carefully turning the delicate pages, he soon came to the realization that his family wasn't who he thought they were.
Standing on a cliff, with his back to the ocean, Falcon stood with Donald on his forearm. "Buddy, I've got to do this." He removed the bird's hood and Donald flew past the trees and into the forest. "Goodbye," he said with a quiver in his voice. Falcon turned to face the water. Pulling a piece of paper from his pocket, he unfolded it and began to read it aloud. "The Art of Flight." For generations his family's legacy had been synonymous with air travel, but according to this book the Wright family had the power to fly. No airplane, no artificial wings, the Wrights had the unique ability of human flight. "I'm gonna die. Oh god, I'm going to die."
Standing on a cliff, with his back to the ocean, Falcon stood with Donald on his forearm. "Buddy, I've got to do this." He removed the bird's hood and Donald flew past the trees and into the forest. "Goodbye," he said with a quiver in his voice. Falcon turned to face the water. Pulling a piece of paper from his pocket, he unfolded it and began to read it aloud. "The Art of Flight." For generations his family's legacy had been synonymous with air travel, but according to this book the Wright family had the power to fly. No airplane, no artificial wings, the Wrights had the unique ability of human flight. "I'm gonna die. Oh god, I'm going to die."
Falcon stuffed the paper deep into his pocket, wiping the sweat from his palms in the process. He stepped to the edge of the cliff, the jagged rocks below warning all who dare approach that the ocean was dangerous and unforgiving. Swallowing his fear, so much terror remained that the boy screamed until he could no longer breathe. He then collapsed to the ground and wept.
Pulling himself together, Falcon again approached the cliff's edge. It was now or never, and he had dreamt of flying his entire life. It was his birthright as far as the boy was concerned. Falcon struggled to not let common sense keep him from becoming what he was meant to be. "There's no backing out. I have to do it, and I have to do it now." Taking one last breath, Falcon backed away from the edge. He took a look at the forest behind him, and with a running start Falcon leapt off the cliff.
"This was the worst decision ever," he thought to himself, hurtling towards the waters that crashed against the sharp cracked earth below.
No comments :
Post a Comment