sunday_reveries You can fly.
For reference. Characters used with permission and love. LOTS of love.
picture prompt
Cassie woke to a weight in her hand. Her fingers tightened instinctively; something sharp brushed them in response. She forced an eye open only to find herself nearly blinded by sunlight reflecting off white sand. Blinking she focused on the movement that woke her; perched in her hand was a bird pecking at her fingers.
"What are you doing?" The raw sound of her voice startled bird and Cassie alike. Wings fluttered open as he hopped off her hand. Cassie pulled herself up and looked around. She was on a beach, ocean lapped the sand to one side and tropical plants wound their way around to the other. It might be her amazon island...but it might be any island, or any beach. There was nothing remarkable about it at all. And her only companion was the bird who'd settled an arm's length away to watch her. "This isn't the hospital," she addressed it, her voice gaining some strength though her throat was still terribly dry, "and you are not Diana."
Rewarded with what could only be a nod, Cassie's gaze turned thoughtful. It was not without the realm of possibility the bird was Diana, though it was hardly an eagle. Pretty nondescript little bird, dark but for his red belly. She frowned slightly. "You're a robin, aren't you?" The bird did a little dance in the sand. It was momentarily disturbing, but mostly comforting and Cassie smiled. Standing she brushed the sand off her knees and tried to decide where to go. Maybe she shouldn't go anywhere. Maybe there wasn't anywhere to go. She had some vague understanding she wasn't really awake.
"Hey! Where are you going?" The robin had suddenly taken flight, he'd caught sight of a butterfly and made to follow it. Cassie hesitated a split second, but it seemed the best course to go after.
They'd gone barely fifty feet when another young woman appeared from nowhere and ran past her, so swiftly she knocked Cassie over. Righting herself Cassie watched butterfly, bird and athlete disappear into the trees. With a breath she ran after; the animals were lost to her within the forest but with effort she kept the girl in sight. Eyes ahead Cassie tripped over a golden apple. As she'd understood the bird to be a robin she knew the young woman to be Atalanta, who'd run faster than any man in Ancient Greece and whose story had fascinated Cassie when she was a child. She picked up the apple and continued to run until they reached a clearing and the near silence of the beach and wood was replaced with a cacophony of sound.
There's a place that I go. Atalanta was there, already resting at the foot of a lighthouse. The bird and butterfly were there as well, both flying about a statue in the center of the clearing. A young man -- Hercules, Cassie knew without pause -- paced to the side in agitation, and three goddesses spoke in hushed tones just past him. That nobody knows. Two more golden apples sat on the path, one beside a sapling and the other by an empty cafe table. There were other figures without form, they came and went, sometimes obscuring the others. And the darkness is light. Music played from somewhere, a song Cassie knew, every note, just like the stories, and she'd the desire to sing along but could not remember the words. She tried to walk to the lighthouse but no matter how she went it was never closer. The people moved as she watched, but they didn't see her or hear her. Hercules and Atalanta raced, jumping over apples. The lighthouse would dim, but never quite go out. She blinked and Victoria Beckham was seated at the cafe table. The whole scene would change and she knew it, but could not remember how or why from moment to moment. There's only butterflies. She thought to leave but couldn't remember how she'd come.
"It's a healing trance."
Cassie turned, she knew that voice, though she had not heard it in some time. "What?"
Ares chuckled. "A healing trance. Your body is too human, little sister."
"I feel fine," she said, a question in her voice.
"Yes."
"Here."
"Yes."
"But...there...?"
He shook his head. "You are healed. As much as the trance can heal." She pulled her lips in over her teeth to think. Then why am I still here?
Cassie stood straighter and took a breath. "You can hear me." He nodded. "Are you real?"
"I am as real as you are."
She frowned. "That's not actually comforting."
"It is not my place to be comforting, Cassandra." He nodded at the others in the clearing; reminded of her earlier thought she looked for her robin. He was watching her, perched quietly on the statue in the middle. With a glance to Ares she walked toward it to get a better look. She was able to approach.
It was her. Wonder Girl. A statue not unlike Kon's and Bart's. Cassie's eyes narrowed in anger. Fury. "This is wrong." She turned to glare at Ares as if he were responsible.
He met her glare with still more amusement. "Why?"
"I'm not --" She stumbled over the words for what she was not. "--a Titan!"
Now he laughed outright. "Of course not." He stood over her, towering, a head and a half taller than even her statue. "You are a daughter of Zeus."
Cassie set her jaw. The robin flew off the statue. "Right." She turned and with a crack lightning filled the sky and hit the statue right down the middle. Wonder Girl disappeared but as the dust cleared Arrowette had taken her place. "No!" The word was ripped from Cassie's throat. Lightning flashed again and the second statue cracked...and was replaced by another. Tabby, eyes to the sky and dressed as Cassie had never seen her. Crack! Donna, holding a child. Crack! Kara, in too familiar a pose. Crack! Mia, surrounded by apples. "Stop it!" Crack! Kon. Crack! Kon and Bart. Crack! Kon and Bart and -- "Stop! Stop! Stop!" Cassie shut her eyes tight and hit blindly. Crack! She opened her eyes to see Diana. Wonder Woman. In the same pose of the first statute. Hers. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please stop..." Crack! Ares. Cassie stopped still. He deserved to be a statue. Not for a hero. But for a memory. She wiped tears away and shook her head. Crack! The statue crumbled into rubble.
"You understand." Quiet pride had joined the amusement in his voice.
She nodded, watching her robin fly over to the stones. The butterfly met him and they danced. "I'm not the statue."
Cassie woke to a weight in her hand. Her fingers tightened instinctively; she heard a sharp intake of breath in response. She clutched at the hand holding hers.
"Cassie...?" Tim. At his voice, her eyes flickered. Others were moving now, she heard a door open and close, seemingly simultaneously. Bart. She forced her eyes open. Figures came slowly into focus. In the middle, Cissie. Bart, returned with Diana and Donna and someone who must be a doctor. To one side Mom and a wall of flowers. To the other, Tim, holding her hand. And his hand on Tim's shoulder, Kon. She could hear more voices in the hall, but in here all were quiet, watching her, waiting for her to speak.
I'm sorry
I should have
Don't cry, Mom
I didn't think
I thought I'd imagined you
I'll do better, I promise
I love you
I'm sorry
She swallowed. "I'm thirsty."
picture prompt
Cassie woke to a weight in her hand. Her fingers tightened instinctively; something sharp brushed them in response. She forced an eye open only to find herself nearly blinded by sunlight reflecting off white sand. Blinking she focused on the movement that woke her; perched in her hand was a bird pecking at her fingers.
"What are you doing?" The raw sound of her voice startled bird and Cassie alike. Wings fluttered open as he hopped off her hand. Cassie pulled herself up and looked around. She was on a beach, ocean lapped the sand to one side and tropical plants wound their way around to the other. It might be her amazon island...but it might be any island, or any beach. There was nothing remarkable about it at all. And her only companion was the bird who'd settled an arm's length away to watch her. "This isn't the hospital," she addressed it, her voice gaining some strength though her throat was still terribly dry, "and you are not Diana."
Rewarded with what could only be a nod, Cassie's gaze turned thoughtful. It was not without the realm of possibility the bird was Diana, though it was hardly an eagle. Pretty nondescript little bird, dark but for his red belly. She frowned slightly. "You're a robin, aren't you?" The bird did a little dance in the sand. It was momentarily disturbing, but mostly comforting and Cassie smiled. Standing she brushed the sand off her knees and tried to decide where to go. Maybe she shouldn't go anywhere. Maybe there wasn't anywhere to go. She had some vague understanding she wasn't really awake.
"Hey! Where are you going?" The robin had suddenly taken flight, he'd caught sight of a butterfly and made to follow it. Cassie hesitated a split second, but it seemed the best course to go after.
They'd gone barely fifty feet when another young woman appeared from nowhere and ran past her, so swiftly she knocked Cassie over. Righting herself Cassie watched butterfly, bird and athlete disappear into the trees. With a breath she ran after; the animals were lost to her within the forest but with effort she kept the girl in sight. Eyes ahead Cassie tripped over a golden apple. As she'd understood the bird to be a robin she knew the young woman to be Atalanta, who'd run faster than any man in Ancient Greece and whose story had fascinated Cassie when she was a child. She picked up the apple and continued to run until they reached a clearing and the near silence of the beach and wood was replaced with a cacophony of sound.
There's a place that I go. Atalanta was there, already resting at the foot of a lighthouse. The bird and butterfly were there as well, both flying about a statue in the center of the clearing. A young man -- Hercules, Cassie knew without pause -- paced to the side in agitation, and three goddesses spoke in hushed tones just past him. That nobody knows. Two more golden apples sat on the path, one beside a sapling and the other by an empty cafe table. There were other figures without form, they came and went, sometimes obscuring the others. And the darkness is light. Music played from somewhere, a song Cassie knew, every note, just like the stories, and she'd the desire to sing along but could not remember the words. She tried to walk to the lighthouse but no matter how she went it was never closer. The people moved as she watched, but they didn't see her or hear her. Hercules and Atalanta raced, jumping over apples. The lighthouse would dim, but never quite go out. She blinked and Victoria Beckham was seated at the cafe table. The whole scene would change and she knew it, but could not remember how or why from moment to moment. There's only butterflies. She thought to leave but couldn't remember how she'd come.
"It's a healing trance."
Cassie turned, she knew that voice, though she had not heard it in some time. "What?"
Ares chuckled. "A healing trance. Your body is too human, little sister."
"I feel fine," she said, a question in her voice.
"Yes."
"Here."
"Yes."
"But...there...?"
He shook his head. "You are healed. As much as the trance can heal." She pulled her lips in over her teeth to think. Then why am I still here?
Cassie stood straighter and took a breath. "You can hear me." He nodded. "Are you real?"
"I am as real as you are."
She frowned. "That's not actually comforting."
"It is not my place to be comforting, Cassandra." He nodded at the others in the clearing; reminded of her earlier thought she looked for her robin. He was watching her, perched quietly on the statue in the middle. With a glance to Ares she walked toward it to get a better look. She was able to approach.
It was her. Wonder Girl. A statue not unlike Kon's and Bart's. Cassie's eyes narrowed in anger. Fury. "This is wrong." She turned to glare at Ares as if he were responsible.
He met her glare with still more amusement. "Why?"
"I'm not --" She stumbled over the words for what she was not. "--a Titan!"
Now he laughed outright. "Of course not." He stood over her, towering, a head and a half taller than even her statue. "You are a daughter of Zeus."
Cassie set her jaw. The robin flew off the statue. "Right." She turned and with a crack lightning filled the sky and hit the statue right down the middle. Wonder Girl disappeared but as the dust cleared Arrowette had taken her place. "No!" The word was ripped from Cassie's throat. Lightning flashed again and the second statue cracked...and was replaced by another. Tabby, eyes to the sky and dressed as Cassie had never seen her. Crack! Donna, holding a child. Crack! Kara, in too familiar a pose. Crack! Mia, surrounded by apples. "Stop it!" Crack! Kon. Crack! Kon and Bart. Crack! Kon and Bart and -- "Stop! Stop! Stop!" Cassie shut her eyes tight and hit blindly. Crack! She opened her eyes to see Diana. Wonder Woman. In the same pose of the first statute. Hers. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please stop..." Crack! Ares. Cassie stopped still. He deserved to be a statue. Not for a hero. But for a memory. She wiped tears away and shook her head. Crack! The statue crumbled into rubble.
"You understand." Quiet pride had joined the amusement in his voice.
She nodded, watching her robin fly over to the stones. The butterfly met him and they danced. "I'm not the statue."
Cassie woke to a weight in her hand. Her fingers tightened instinctively; she heard a sharp intake of breath in response. She clutched at the hand holding hers.
"Cassie...?" Tim. At his voice, her eyes flickered. Others were moving now, she heard a door open and close, seemingly simultaneously. Bart. She forced her eyes open. Figures came slowly into focus. In the middle, Cissie. Bart, returned with Diana and Donna and someone who must be a doctor. To one side Mom and a wall of flowers. To the other, Tim, holding her hand. And his hand on Tim's shoulder, Kon. She could hear more voices in the hall, but in here all were quiet, watching her, waiting for her to speak.
I'm sorry
I should have
Don't cry, Mom
I didn't think
I thought I'd imagined you
I'll do better, I promise
I love you
I'm sorry
She swallowed. "I'm thirsty."