“No, I know not to trust people. But you seem trustworthy.” He prepared himself for the pain she told him about.
“Aren’t you sweet! You barely know a thing about me, and you’ve decided to trust me.”
He smiled again. “I try.”
“Ooh.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “Heartbreaker. Hold on tight; I’m going to show you something the twentieth century invented.” Summer didn’t wait for an answer before dropping into a flat stoop, throwing a couple wingovers as they neared the ground.
Arthur’s eyes widened as they headed for the ground. His grip tightened around Summer. “What are you doing?”
“Careful, darlin’, careful … ” she murmured, flattening out the flight path as objects below grew larger. Central Park came up beneath their feet, and a slow spiral brought them to the upper branches of the trees, then beneath the leaves. Involuntarily, she backwinged, throwing up dry leaves and dust, before settling to the ground in a little copse.
“Actually, I don’t know what an empath is. I just trust you enough not to care.”
She tipped her head to one side. “You haven’t learnt not to trust yet, is that it? Lucky you. Hold on to that as long as possible, darlin’. You’ll get hurt, but the return will be worth the pain.”
“No, I know not to trust people. But you seem trustworthy.” He prepared himself for the pain she told him about.
“Aren’t you sweet! You barely know a thing about me, and you’ve decided to trust me.”
He smiled again. “I try.”
“Ooh.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “Heartbreaker. Hold on tight; I’m going to show you something the twentieth century invented.” Summer didn’t wait for an answer before dropping into a flat stoop, throwing a couple wingovers as they neared the ground.
He smiled and looked at her. “This is amazing. I can’t think of anything else.” Arthur looked back down at the city. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him.
“Arthur, c’n I ask you something?”
“Sure, what is it?”
Summer looked at him very seriously. “How did you know what an empath is? Most people don’t. And you trusted me to use it on you.”
“Actually, I don’t know what an empath is. I just trust you enough not to care.”
She tipped her head to one side. “You haven’t learnt not to trust yet, is that it? Lucky you. Hold on to that as long as possible, darlin’. You’ll get hurt, but the return will be worth the pain.”
“No, I know not to trust people. But you seem trustworthy.” He prepared himself for the pain she told him about.
“Aren’t you sweet! You barely know a thing about me, and you’ve decided to trust me.”
He smiled and looked at her. “This is amazing. I can’t think of anything else.” Arthur looked back down at the city. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him.
“Arthur, c’n I ask you something?”
“Sure, what is it?”
Summer looked at him very seriously. “How did you know what an empath is? Most people don’t. And you trusted me to use it on you.”
“Actually, I don’t know what an empath is. I just trust you enough not to care.”
She tipped her head to one side. “You haven’t learnt not to trust yet, is that it? Lucky you. Hold on to that as long as possible, darlin’. You’ll get hurt, but the return will be worth the pain.”
No slow, easy ascent this time; she tapped the emotion she’d locked away from Arthur and fairly blasted them upwards, motion-generated breeze stripping her hair back from her face. Far above the city she halted, spinning slowly in the cooler air at that height.
“So. How’s this for wish fulfillment, Arthur king?” She laughed a little, looking right into his eyes. “Aught else you want?”
He smiled and looked at her. “This is amazing. I can’t think of anything else.” Arthur looked back down at the city. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him.
“Arthur, c’n I ask you something?”
“Sure, what is it?”
Summer looked at him very seriously. “How did you know what an empath is? Most people don’t. And you trusted me to use it on you.”
“Empath,” she replied, checking the airspace overhead. It was clear, so she took the two of them up, and up some more, until they were hovering at the height of some of the taller skyscrapers. “Look around, Arthur. Look at the glory of the world!”
He looked around and saw that everything looked tiny. The view was breathtaking. “Wow. It’s amazing up here.”
“Want to go farther up?” Summer’s answering smile was full of laughter.
“Sure. Why not.”
No slow, easy ascent this time; she tapped the emotion she’d locked away from Arthur and fairly blasted them upwards, motion-generated breeze stripping her hair back from her face. Far above the city she halted, spinning slowly in the cooler air at that height.
“So. How’s this for wish fulfillment, Arthur king?” She laughed a little, looking right into his eyes. “Aught else you want?”
He smiled and looked at her. “This is amazing. I can’t think of anything else.” Arthur looked back down at the city. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him.
Arthur’s eyes widened when they lifted off the ground. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. He wasn’t able to bring himself to look down. He was actually scared. Truly scared.
“Relax a little. I’ve got you, I won’t let you fall.” Summer tried to make this smile reassuring. “Do you need me to take the fear away?”
Arthur was too scared to even speak. All he could do was nod.
Compared to flying with someone, this was easy. Beyond easy. A tiny thread of calm, weaving in amongst Arthur’s fear, dulling it, cooling it. She locked it up in a little box, not to be released til his feet touched ground again.
Arthur took a deep breath and felt calm. “How did you do that?”
“Empath,” she replied, checking the airspace overhead. It was clear, so she took the two of them up, and up some more, until they were hovering at the height of some of the taller skyscrapers. “Look around, Arthur. Look at the glory of the world!”
He looked around and saw that everything looked tiny. The view was breathtaking. “Wow. It’s amazing up here.”
“Want to go farther up?” Summer’s answering smile was full of laughter.
“Sure. Why not.”
No slow, easy ascent this time; she tapped the emotion she’d locked away from Arthur and fairly blasted them upwards, motion-generated breeze stripping her hair back from her face. Far above the city she halted, spinning slowly in the cooler air at that height.
“So. How’s this for wish fulfillment, Arthur king?” She laughed a little, looking right into his eyes. “Aught else you want?”
Arthur’s eyes widened when they lifted off the ground. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. He wasn’t able to bring himself to look down. He was actually scared. Truly scared.
“Relax a little. I’ve got you, I won’t let you fall.” Summer tried to make this smile reassuring. “Do you need me to take the fear away?”
Arthur was too scared to even speak. All he could do was nod.
Compared to flying with someone, this was easy. Beyond easy. A tiny thread of calm, weaving in amongst Arthur’s fear, dulling it, cooling it. She locked it up in a little box, not to be released til his feet touched ground again.
Arthur took a deep breath and felt calm. “How did you do that?”
“Empath,” she replied, checking the airspace overhead. It was clear, so she took the two of them up, and up some more, until they were hovering at the height of some of the taller skyscrapers. “Look around, Arthur. Look at the glory of the world!”
He looked around and saw that everything looked tiny. The view was breathtaking. “Wow. It’s amazing up here.”
“Want to go farther up?” Summer’s answering smile was full of laughter.
Arthur’s eyes widened when they lifted off the ground. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. He wasn’t able to bring himself to look down. He was actually scared. Truly scared.
“Relax a little. I’ve got you, I won’t let you fall.” Summer tried to make this smile reassuring. “Do you need me to take the fear away?”
Arthur was too scared to even speak. All he could do was nod.
Compared to flying with someone, this was easy. Beyond easy. A tiny thread of calm, weaving in amongst Arthur’s fear, dulling it, cooling it. She locked it up in a little box, not to be released til his feet touched ground again.
Arthur took a deep breath and felt calm. “How did you do that?”
“Empath,” she replied, checking the airspace overhead. It was clear, so she took the two of them up, and up some more, until they were hovering at the height of some of the taller skyscrapers. “Look around, Arthur. Look at the glory of the world!”