Story 4

As I said earlier, here is part 4 of the story. In case you've all forgotten what the fucks been going on (I know it's been a while) here are links to the first three parts: Part 1, 2 and 3.

Four: Sunset

Ella and I flew and flew, the landscape flowing below us, with the waves cresting and falling under a pale blue sky. We held hands and spun each other round until we both got dizzy, stupid grins across our silly faces. Everything felt right. I got better and better, and I was soon able to keep up with Ella’s speed all on my own. She smiled at me from across the sky and mimicked applause. She flew across and clung onto my back; I looked back at her in surprise. She gave me a knowing smile and I felt her soft breath in my ear, “Take me faster, Alex. I want to see what you can do...” I looked back at her again in slight disbelief, but she simply gave me that same look, watching me intently. I turned my head round again and started to increase my speed. I felt the air currents rushing along the lengths of our bodies as we got faster and faster. My heart was racing, but when I looked back to check on Ella she seemed not to notice our by now ridiculous speed. She whispered again, “Good boy, now take me down.” I complied and took a large arc around to the beach, descending slowly.

We landed gently on the soft sand and Ella jumped off my back. I turned to face her. She gave me an encouraging smile and said “Well, that was certainly... impressive. I am proud of you Alex.” I replied, “Err, thanks. Y’know, for the whole teaching me to fly thing as well...” I was blushing as I mumbled this, but Ella’s smile only widened. “Don’t mention it, it was fun!” she exclaimed, grinning. Ella turned then and started skipping away across the sand, humming to herself. I simply stood there in wonderment at this frankly incredible girl who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. She turned back to me again when she realised I was still standing there. She looked a little puzzled and said “Aren’t you coming?” I looked back, slightly confused by this. She seemed to know what I was thinking. Then Ella said something which would change my life forever. “I’m going home. Want to come with me?”

I had no idea what ‘home’ meant for Ella. She looked anomalous wherever she went; or to put it more simply, she stuck out like a sore thumb. I guess this was another reason why I liked her. She was different, unique. I had never come across anything like her before, not even in dreams. I looked back at her in surprise, not quite knowing what to say. She looked at me expectantly, as if she was waiting for a certain response. I asked, hesitantly, “What... What happens if I don’t come with you?” She looked solemn then and replied “In that case... I suppose this is farewell...” She turned again and started walking away, not the happy skipping of before but a slow and gloomy walk. At that point in time, thoughts were flowing through my head as if they were liquid. I had so many questions to ask Ella, so many things left to do with her. There was no doubt for me that Ella was brilliant and the journey home with her seemed so tempting. Was it worth leaving my home for her? I had no idea to be honest, but everything about Ella compelled me to go on... I couldn’t think clearly at all. My pulse was racing from the flight and my thoughts were coming at me so fast I hardly had any time to put them into any sort of logical order. How could I say no to her, really? So that was how, on a winter’s day under a pink sunset on a Bournemouth beach, my life changed forever. I never looked back.