The Girl Who Could Fly

by Victoria Forester

Joe sighed, thrusting his hand into the pocket of his overalls and pulling out a beautifully carved wooden bird. He handed it to Piper and she took it gently, turning it over reverently.

  “Was gonna be for your birthday,” Joe spoke slowly. “I expect now’s as good a time as any. Made it myself.”

  Tears sprang into Piper’s eyes. “It’s beautiful, Pa. Most beautiful I ever saw.” Piper’s fingers traced the delicate lines on the feathers of the bird that Joe had painstakingly spent hours creating. It was truly a labor of love.

  “We’ll be waiting right here for you when you’re ready to come back to us.” Joe patted Piper’s shoulder awkwardly. He wasn’t used to so much talking.

  Piper nodded through her tears. She felt Dr. Hellion’s gentle hand on her shoulder and allowed herself to be guided away. Agent Agent lifted her up into the helicopter and expertly fastened safety straps across her chest, which firmly held her against the soft leather seats. The next thing she knew, the door was closed and the engine was revving up. It was all happening so fast.

  The helicopter lifted off and Piper watched the strong wind created by the blades blasting against her ma and pa. They stood stalwart against it and waved as the helicopter rose into the sky.

  Piper kept her eyes fixed not on the sky but on the waving hands of her parents. Although she knew that they couldn’t see, she waved back.

  Long after all of the fancy cars had sped away and the dust had settled, Betty and Joe McCloud kept their eyes fixed firmly on the horizon where they’d last seen the helicopter. Neither of them moved for a long time.

  CHAPTER SIX

  THE HELICOPTER flew due north at such a speed that green forests quickly became white with snow. Then the trees disappeared altogether and there was an endless stretch of wintry tundra that reached in every direction as far as the eye could see. Not that Piper noticed any of it. Slumped over in the luxurious leather seat, Piper’s thoughts stayed on the farm, her parents, and how much she missed them already. Dr. Hellion, who was seated next to Piper, reached out and gently squeezed Piper’s small hand reassuringly.

  “I’ve never been away from my ma and pa before. My ma always says she can’t figure where I’ve come from. She says that there wasn’t ever another McCloud like me. Sometimes I thought that was a good thing ’cause I don’t want to be just like everyone else. But then I got to thinking and it got me worried. ’Cause I am a McCloud, and if I’m not a McCloud, then what am I? A person likes to feel like they belong somewhere.”

  “For some people that path to belonging is more difficult than others.” Deep understanding resonated through each of Dr. Hellion’s words. “I promise you I will help you find it, though.”

  “You reckon?”

  Dr. Hellion smiled and nodded. Relieved, Piper smiled too. There was something about Dr. Hellion that was so calm and assured. Everything made sense to her in a way that it never had to Piper, and she longed for that same knowledge. Maybe she’d learn that at the school as well.

  “Roger that. ETA is ten hundred,” Piper heard the pilot say, and she began looking out the window to catch her first glimpse of her new home. Pressing her face against the glass, she scanned the white horizon. There was no end to the icy terrain and they’d already been flying over it for quite some time. After a great deal more flying, the helicopter finally began to slow and then descend by a lonely shack, no larger than a toolshed, sitting all by itself in the middle of the frozen desolate landscape.

  “Is that it?” Piper was disappointed and confused by the shabby structure.

  “Yes, we’re here.”

  With mounting disenchantment, Piper eyed the feeble hovel that looked as though it might be ripped from its earthly troubles by the hungry wind at any given moment. An old rusted sign attached to the structure read GOVERNMENT FACILITY. TRESPASSERS WILL BE TERMINATED.

  When the helicopter touched down, several men in white snow gear jogged out of the shack and quickly opened Piper’s door.

  “Piper McCloud?” The attendant had to yell over the roar of the engine to be heard. Piper nodded and her teeth began to wildly chatter as the subzero temperature jabbed her.

  “I’m here to assist you into the facility.” The attendant snapped free the many safety restraints and guided Piper from her seat.

  When her feet sank into two feet of snow, Piper instinctively winced. “Dang!” The temperature was so far below zero that the thermometer had hit its bottom mark and stayed there months before. Inhaling actually hurt Piper’s lungs and instantly froze her nostrils. She’d known hard winters, but this cold was like nothing she’d ever felt. It was the type of cold that prevented you from thinking straight.

  “Right this way.” The attendant hurried Piper toward the shack. At that moment any place that provided shelter from the cold became a splendid idea. Piper dashed toward it, thankful when another waiting attendant opened the door to speed her entry.

  Heedlessly thrusting herself inside, Piper entered an entirely new and unexpected world. Underneath the shack’s apparently flimsy exterior was a smartly outfitted lobby with thick, white marble tiles and clean steel walls. A chandelier of glass and steel hung from the ceiling, and at the far side, an elevator door took up an entire wall.

  The clash between expectation and reality froze Piper to the spot. “Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit!”

  A moment later, Dr. Hellion swept inside and approached a panel next to the elevator. She touched it a certain way and it snapped open, exposing a very complex computer. There were flashing lights and buttons and all sorts of other things that Piper couldn’t even begin to imagine the use of. Dr. Hellion, of course, knew exactly what to do with them and expertly maneuvered through a battery of security protocols that included a voice confirmation, fingerprint identification, and retinal scan.

  “Your safety and well-being is of paramount importance to us, Piper,” Dr. Hellion explained, seeing Piper’s bewildered expression. “We don’t take any chances and so we’ve created a security system that will ensure that you remain safe while you are in our care.” A moment later the computer beeped loudly and the doors to the elevator snapped smartly open.

  Dr. Hellion graciously stepped aside and allowed Piper first entry. Piper had never been on an elevator, especially not one as sleek as this. Gingerly stepping aboard, she saw that the entire back wall was comprised of thick glass and the whole ceiling glowed with light.

  “Ready?”

  Piper nodded, scared and excited at the same time. This really was an adventure.

  “Elevator, commence.” The elevator instantly responded to Dr. Hellion’s command. The doors swooshed shut and they dropped downward as the elevator fell at an alarming rate.

  Unexpectedly a voice filled the elevator. “Approaching level one. Single-celled organisms. Minimum-security clearance.” The voice was female and without expression. Piper looked around for it.

  “That’s the computer voice,” Dr. Hellion explained. “You can speak to her just like a normal person and she’ll respond.”

  “Golly!” Piper looked up as though expecting to see the computer above her.

  “Go ahead and try.”

  “Uh, computer, do cows have feelings?”

  The computer did not respond. Several strange blipping sounds came from the overhead speakers.

  “That’s a great question, Piper, but the computer can only help you with questions that are more specific,” Dr. Hellion coached, gently.

  Piper thought about it for a moment before trying again. “Computer, does my black-and-white cow got feelings?” Yet again Piper had flummoxed the computer and the blipping sounds increased.

  Dr. Hellion politely coughed. “Try asking the computer our current location, Piper.”

  “Where am I now?”

  “This elevator is approaching level one in—Three. Two. One second.” On cue the elevator emerged out of the darkness and descended into an incredible underground world. Turning around so that she faced the glass wa
ll behind her, Piper’s eyes snapped wide and then impossibly wider still, and yet somehow could not take in all the mind-boggling sights that lay before her.

  “Elevator, pause,” Dr. Hellion commanded, and they immediately came to a stop.

  The elevator hung directly in the center of a cavernous man-made well. The facility was approximately the size of a mini Grand Canyon, but instead of rock it was all steel, and glass curved in a big sweeping circle around the elevator, which dangled in the middle. In an unprecedented feat of engineering, bridges extended from the curved sides to connect with the elevator, yet appeared to be supported by nothing and were nonetheless completely stable.

  Everything was shiny and white and illuminated by blue glowing light. Huge glass walls made it possible to see exactly what was going on inside each floor from the elevator, while at the same time allowing the inhabitants to look down over a central atrium which was at the very bottom of the well.

  “Holy cow,” Piper squealed and reached for something to steady herself. “As I live and breathe, I swear I couldn’t imagine up a place like this even if I tried all my days and nights. Look how them walls is all curved! Like we’re in the center of a glass circle. It’s so shiny, it near hurts my eyes to look at it.”

  The lights of the facility were reflecting off of the glass of the elevator onto Dr. Hellion’s face, and her excitement for the place was palpable. Indeed, Dr. Hellion suddenly seemed to be a girl herself and looked at the facility as though she were seeing it for the first time too.

  “I remember when I made my first trip down here and I knew right away that I’d found not just a home but a whole world that were special. It’s so clean and bright and everything makes sense here.” Dr. Hellion pulled her eyes away and smiled at Piper. “Every time I leave I can’t wait to return. Doesn’t it take your breath away?”

  “It sure does,” Piper agreed.

  “There are many extraordinary things here, Piper.” Dr. Hellion smiled. “That’s why you’ll feel right at home. Starting on level one, we have single-celled organisms, and as we descend you’ll notice that each level has more and more complex life-forms. On level two we have horticultural specimens and plant life. Level three, insects. Level five, marine life. Level seven is the aviary, and so on and so on. Everything you can imagine, we have it. Unparalleled facilities, cutting-edge technology, and the best minds in the world all under one roof.”

  Dr. Hellion placed her hand on Piper’s shoulder. “I hope that you’ll be as happy here as I am, Piper.” Sighing, as though she wished they could stay looking down at the facility forever, Dr. Hellion finally tore her eyes from the glass. “Watch carefully. There’s so much to see. Elevator, commence.”

  “Level one,” the elevator reported a moment later as the elevator fell. Piper kept a keen eye on the glass elevator window, and through the large glass walls of the first level saw scientists hunched over telescopes and other pieces of equipment that Piper couldn’t even begin to imagine the use of, let alone put a name to.

  “Level two, entry granted. Horticultural specimens. Minimum-security protocols in effect,” the computer reported.

  A moment later Piper caught glimpses of laboratories filled with exotic plants, arboretums with vast rows of shrubs and trees, and facility staff carefully tending and monitoring it all. One particular scientist caught Piper’s eye as he leaned forward to smell an exceptionally beautiful rose. Suddenly the rose’s petals pulled back to reveal a mouth with sharp, thorn-like teeth. The rose fiercely lunged forward and bit into the scientist’s nose. Although she wasn’t able to hear, Piper could see the poor scientist yowl in pain.

  “Look there!” She pointed for Dr. Hellion to see but the elevator dropped down another flight.

  “We have special task forces that carefully monitor the globe to identify and locate any species that requires our assistance and protection. That way we can ensure its safety and, in the cases of some of these life-forms, the safety of the rest of the world,” Dr. Hellion continued.

  Piper watched as scientists gathered around a large insect. The insect suddenly gave itself a mighty shake and unraveled wide wings from beneath its many legs. Its wingspan was extraordinary, perhaps five feet, and adorned with incredible patterns. The patterns started to move and change hypnotically, and the scientists were beginning to fall asleep. Even Piper began to sway back and forth.

  “Amazing!” Piper shook herself awake.

  “The entire facility has been created as a ‘smart building,’ meaning that it has sensors that can detect and answer your needs. The computer voice can assist you with a lot of things, including giving you access to a wide variety of information.”

  Unexpectedly, the elevator came to a stop and a research assistant embarked, holding a glass specimen cage that housed a tiny black cricket. Piper moved closer and the cricket stood up on his back two legs and looked right at her. Intrigued, Piper leaned inward.

  It was the cutest cricket she had ever seen and he was just as interested in her as she was in him. He moved to the side of his cage next to her and even took one of his tiny legs and put it up against the glass. Piper was entranced. This was like no other cricket she had ever set eyes on and she could have sworn he was sizing her up too. The spell was broken when the elevator stopped and the cricket and his handler disembarked. Unlike the other levels, the windows on the fourth floor were frosted over so it wasn’t possible to see inside.

  “Will I get to know about all these other things I’m seeing?” Piper wanted to see and touch everything.

  “That might be difficult. Many of them are dangerous and most of them are being carefully studied. Unless we know all about them, it’s not safe to risk your welfare or theirs.” Piper was clearly disappointed by this answer and Dr. Hellion relented, adding, “Why don’t we see how things go and, based upon your progress, perhaps certain exceptions can be made.”

  Piper grinned. Maybe she wouldn’t need to travel around the world after all. It seemed like everything she was looking for was right there under one roof. There wasn’t a place Piper could set her eyes where a startling and amazing thing wasn’t happening. She caught glimpses of a fish that had fur like a leopard, a snake with wings, and something that looked suspiciously like a unicorn.

  “Level thirteen. Humanoid life-forms. Maximum-security personnel only.” The elevator had dropped to the very bottom of the well and could travel no farther when the doors swished open.

  “Welcome to your new home, Piper.”

  Piper’s feet found their way onto the highly polished stone floor and she looked about in wonder.

  The thirteenth level had three tiers, each with a balcony that overlooked the atrium where Piper was standing. A magnificent fountain dominated the atrium and unusual plants and trees created a sense of division between small sitting areas and tables. It looked exactly the way Piper would have imagined a very grand hotel. It was all very clean and quiet, but also empty.

  “Where is everyone?”

  “The residents are currently busy. Why don’t I show you around and then you can join them?”

  Piper nodded excitedly and followed Dr. Hellion on a tour down brightly lit halls, past a huge library, through a gymnasium equipped with everything from a swimming pool to a trampoline, rooms that Dr. Hellion called “learning centers,” spacious lounges, a science center, playrooms with brightly colored toy trunks, and finally, a gourmet kitchen where the aroma of fresh-baked cookies made Piper’s mouth water.

  In the housekeeping quarters, a seamstress was on hand to expertly sew together a uniform that would fit Piper’s exact measurements. Dr. Hellion allowed Piper to select from a huge wall filled with fabric bolts of every color. It didn’t take Piper long before her eye was caught by a beautiful sky blue material made of the softest cotton. Before she knew it, she was standing before a large mirror in her uniform, which consisted of a full-skirted sky blue dress with a white collar and white kneesocks. In addition to this, her wild tangle of brown hair
was liberated from the two tightly woven braids and held back by a blue ribbon. The whole getup was very dainty and feminine, and for a girl accustomed to overalls with multiple patches and church dresses that had serviced generations of McClouds, Piper felt a mite conspicuous as well as a bit gawky.

  “While it’s necessary to have uniforms, we like to honor each student’s individuality by allowing them to choose their own material and color,” Dr. Hellion pointed out as she walked with Piper to introduce her to the class.

  “This is a mite tight around the arms.” Piper moved her arms about, noticing how the dress was snugly fitted about her shoulders. “Can I use my old clothes to fly in?”

  “That’s a great question.” Dr. Hellion paused, turning seriously to Piper. “You know, Piper, I’d like to ask you a few questions about your flying.”

  “What about my flying?”

  “Our agents interviewed many of the people in Lowland County who were at the baseball game and saw you fly,” Dr. Hellion began carefully. “Do you know what they said about your flying?”

  Piper shook her head.

  “They said that it scared them. Some of them said that they didn’t want someone flying around them, that it was dangerous and a threat to their safety. One girl, I think her name was Sally Sue Miller, said that she wouldn’t ever want to be friends with someone who could fly because she can’t fly and it would make her sad to be around someone who could.”

  “She said that?” Piper’s face went hot with embarrassment.

  Dr. Hellion nodded. “What do you think about that?”

  Piper shrugged, too upset to respond. She tried to blink away the tears that were welling in her eyes.

  “Piper, I care about your well-being. I want you to be happy and joyful but I wonder if flying is really bringing true happiness into your life.”

  “But I love to fly more than anything,” Piper protested.

  “Of course. I’m not suggesting that you don’t. I’m asking you to think about your life as a whole: about your parents, about your community, and about other people. Do you think flying is a good thing for them?”