Jedediah didn’t look pleased, but he accepted this answer. I immediately got the feeling I wasn’t the only one getting half the picture. My father was also surprised to learn that I didn’t have any friends. Whenever he received a negative, Mom would quickly following it with a positive.
Jedediah: “How do you spend your time?”
Me: “Flying.”
Mom: “I do take him into the city from time to time.”
Jedediah: “Do you have any social interactions?”
Me: “Aaron and I hang out.”
Mom: “He has a job that he goes to on the weekends.
Jedediah: “How long have you and your boyfriend been together?”
Me: “About three weeks.”
Mom: “Uriah has had lots of girlfriends over the years.”
“Lenora,” my father finally hissed. “What is the meaning of this?! You took him to Earth so he could connect with people. Now I hear you’ve been keeping him in isolation? How is that any better than if we’d…?”
Mom suddenly cut him off. “Uriah, you probably don’t remember this, but when you were seven, I took you to this abandoned Flyer settlement about ten miles from here. Along the canyon? Well, they’ve started to return. After breakfast, I’d like to take you there. Would that be alright?”
I nodded silently, wondering what my father had been about to say. Whatever it was, she clearly didn’t want me to hear. After I’d had several servings of the stew which was quite delicious, my mother whisked me and my boyfriend out the front door. She suggested that Jedediah stay at the house, but he insisted on coming. As we journeyed the ten miles to the canyon, Mom walked between me and my father almost as if shielding me from him. Is she afraid I’d continue our conversation from earlier? Maybe I should. When I opened my mouth to do so, my mother was already talking. Her voice was light and chipper, but I knew what she was doing.
“Just you wait. Soon you’ll be able to communicate with other people while your wings are out! Can you imagine? Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to talk to someone telepathically. I don’t even know how it works. I mean, is it a network of voices that you can tap into or is it like a phone where you can interact with any Flyer anywhere?” She continued on like this until we reached the canyon. I was so wound up, I was practically crushing my boyfriend’s hand. My boyfriend! I’d been so distracted with everything that was happening, I’d forgotten all about him. Looking over at Aaron, I was relieved to see he hadn’t noticed. He was too busy taking in the world around us.
Right before we stepped out into the clearing, Mom turned and placed a hand on my chest to stop me. “Now would be a good time to let out your wings.”
“Okay.” Taking a deep breath, I relaxed my shoulders and allowed them to emerge. Only seconds after they were free, an avalanche of voices showered over me. It was almost painful. What the…? I began feeling dizzy as the jumble of words bombarded my mind. It took me a second to realize that these were other Flyers. I was hearing their telepathic voices for the first time.
“Honey, are you okay?” Mom asked, touching my arm as my fingers flew to my temples. As the babbling continued, my mind spun faster and faster. Is it supposed to feel like this? Why are their voices making me dizzy?
“Sign to me, Uriah! What’s going on?” I almost couldn’t hear her over the sea of chatter in my mind. A hundred voices and I couldn’t make out a single word. I can’t take this anymore! Retracting my wings, I breathed a sigh of relief when the voices instantly stopped.
“What happened?” Aaron asked, looking just as scared as my mother.
“Their voices. They were in my head. It was too much,” I panted, lowering my hands from my temples.
“It hurt?” Mom looked worried.
“What do you expect?” Jedediah hissed. “He’s never experienced this before. We need to take this slow. Introduce him to just one Flyer to start with.”
“Okay,” Mom said. “I’ll go get one.”
“Let me do it,” he grunted, pushing past her. “I think you’ve made enough decision for now.”
“Come on.” my mother led me back into the trees. “I have no idea how far their voices carry. For all I know you’ll be able to hear them wherever your are on this planet. I wish I knew more about how this works.”
I didn’t say anything. My mind was a million miles away. Honestly, I didn’t except my first telepathic experience to be like this. When I visualized hearing someone in my mind, there was no pain or dizziness involved. How long will it take to adjust? Minutes? Days? Years? Will it always be uncomfortable? Maybe this is something you have to grow up with in order to tolerate.
“Are you okay?” Aaron asked softly, he placing his hands on my waist. I was really glad he was here. I don’t know how I would’ve handled this without him.
“I don’t know,” I murmured, pulling him to me. “I felt like I was suffocating, drowning in a sea of voices.”
My boyfriend stared up at me with his deep green eyes. He didn’t say anything, but I could see how much he cared about me. We had been staring at each other in silence for a minute or two when my father returned. He was accompanied by a woman who looked to be in her late thirties. She was surprisingly short. Around five feet, maybe less. Her hair was a bright carrot red and she had freckles. However, my eyes quickly went to the large wings at her back. They weren’t as big as mine, but her bright orange feathers were very eye-catching.
“I’m back,” Jedediah said, coming to a stop as the Flyer stared up at me with overt amazement. “Obviously I didn’t get her name, but I explained our situation and she’s agreed to help. This is my son, Uriah.”
The redhead gestured at her own wings then pointed at me. She was telling me to let mine out. A little bit nervous, I obliged. Once again I could hear the steady stream of voices, but this time they were more distant.
Uriah, can you hear me? The redhead is speaking to me! I can hear her voice in my head! It sounded the same as if I were talking to someone aloud only her lips never moved. I nodded, looking at her in amazement. There was no pain or dizziness. Just the sound of her voice.
She smiled.My name is Lina. How old are you?
How do I respond? I don’t know. I’ve never communicated with anyone telepathically before. When I remained silent, Lina took a step forward. The top of her head only came up to my chest.
You’ve never used your voice? Your true voice?I shook my head again.Know the words and will me to hear them. It may sound tricky, but it’s fairly straightforward. At least that part is. Come on, give it a try. Say your name.
Uriah. When a large smile spread across her face, I knew she’d heard me.
Perfect. See, that wasn’t so hard. Tell me something else, Uriah.
I’m eighteen and I’ve lived most of my life on Earth.
Lina nodded thoughtfully.Your father told me. I’m sorry to hear that.
At the edge of the woods earlier, the sound of all your voices was overwhelming. My head started to spin. Will that go away? I was so focused on her I forgot all about my mother, my father and Aaron. I also forgot that they couldn’t hear us.
It should,Lina replied, looking mildly concerned. I’ve never encountered a Flyer who couldn’t handle the Flow.
The Flow?
That’s what we call community chatter. What you experienced earlier is the Flow, this between us is the Control. It’s when two or more Flyers share a private conversation.
No one else can hear us?
Nope. If you want others to hear, you have to speak in the Flow.
How do I do that?
She smiled.Baby steps, young one. Now come on. I want to introduce you to the others.
But the Flow or whatever…
The more you listen to it, the less it should hurt. Taking my hand, she lead me back toward the canyon, my boyfriend and parents in tow. As we drew near the wood’s edge the sound of voices increased. This time the steady rise made them far easier to handle. While I still felt a little dizzy, the discomfor
t was tolerable.
Coming all the way out into the open, I got my first real glimpse of the canyon and the settlement along the edge. Over the vast ravine I could see dozens of winged people crossing back and forth. Some of them appeared to have some type of contraption attached to them. There were several small cabins scattered along the edge of the canyon. Couples or groups could be seen entering some or exiting others. Within the trees, friends frolicked merrily. A few feet away, there was a small crowd chattering while they weaved.
Hey, everyone! Lina called out and everyone within earshot or Flow shot looked over. A new comer has arrived! His name is Uriah! To my surprise, everyone who was on the ground came. The couples and groups entering and exiting the cabins, the individuals milling leisurely along the canyon’s edge or in the surrounding trees. Even the small group who was sitting cross-legged on the grass weaving. Within minutes my mother, my father, Aaron and I were surrounded. There were Flyers all around us and something instantly struck me. I towered over all of them. The men and the woman. I was the youngest by twenty years and I was a foot and a half taller than all of them. As dozens of pairs of eyes peered up at me, I began to feel self-conscious. Why am I so much bigger than everyone here? Because I was raised on Earth? Because I consume human food? Mathew was right. I am a giant!
Hello, Uriah! I heard multiple voices chime in my head.
Hello. I responded timidly.
Lina touched my arm. You’re going to have to speak up. Only I can hear you. Remember, will them all to hear you.
Hello. I repeated, this time focusing on the entire group of eager faces. It’s nice to meet you all.
It’s nice to meet you too!
In an instant, I was being bombarded with dozens of names. Everyone was expressing his or her eagerness to meet me. Very quickly my head started swimming again.
People, people!Lina said, looking around at all the excited faces.He’s new at this, remember? We don’t want to overwhelm him. There will be plenty of time for proper introductions later. For now, I think a tour is in order.
A tour? I asked as she led me through the crowd of spectators.
Yes. I want you to see first hand how our people live, what a Flyer community is really like. I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I think it’s high time you saw for yourself. Something about her words suggested that this was long overdue and I found myself wondering just how much Jedediah told her about me.
She gestured around us.What do you know about this settlement?
Only that it’s been abandoned for years.
As we moved along the canyon’s edge, weaving between the many huts and cabins, Lina filled me in.This settlement used to be one of the busiest transit hubs in this region. I’m assuming your mother told you that while there’s a High Ruler in the palace, Flyers are the pinnacle of circulating information.I nodded. That’s not all we did. While our roles greatly diminish in his or her absence, we still serve a purpose. The planet is covered with thousands of canyons such as this one. Without us, the circulation of goods would be virtually impossible. Thanks to us, inter-regional mail is possible. Over the last few decades our jobs have dwindled extensively, but we still serve a significant role.We had arrived at a slightly larger building that reminded me of an old-time train station. Beyond it was a series of runways. On the closest one, three Flyers were strapped to a chariot-like carriage. It contained two wingless people. After a brief pause, the three Flyers started running toward the canyon, their wings spread wide as the chariot sped behind them. Right before they reached the edge they took flight, their passengers gasping in delight as they soared high over the ravine.
Lina came to a stop and turned to face me.This is what we do. Without a ruler in the palace, the demand for transportation has decreased, but there is still work. With the imminent arrival of the new ruler, that is quickly changing. But that’s only a fraction of what we are. Most Antomolites can’t appreciate our way of life. All they hear is the silence, but we have a language and culture. We don’t have the spoken word, ways to read or ways to write, but we have art and we have music. We love and care for each over. We hope, we laugh and we dream. We have our own stories, passed down from father to son and mother to daughter.
I don’t see any children. This was one of the first things I’d noticed.
A great sadness came into her eyes.For the last three decades, most Flyers were too afraid to conceive. Without a High Ruler, the child would almost certainly be born into a different genetic group. In our community, we try to do what’s best for our children and raising a child with whom you cannot speak is difficult, if not impossible. It’s even harder for us than say… a Builder or a Teacher. I knew she was referring to my parents.You may have been silent, but you could still hear their voices, thus learning the spoken language was possible. If born into a different group, our child would be surrounded by silence with no way of learning how to speak, read or write… Well, no practical way. The sadness slipped from Lina’s face and she gestured to a woman about her own age standing a couple feet away. This Flyer had violet feathers and golden blond hair. But all that is behind us. Lana is my twin sister and she’s about one month pregnant. We don’t know for sure, but with the new ruler on the way, there’s a good chance her baby will be one of us. At this, everyone whooped and cheered, clapping their hands together.If everything goes as we hope, soon you will no longer be the youngest Flyer on Antomia.
After that, introductions started. One by one everyone approached me. Some were satisfied with just giving me their name, their eyes brimming with joy while others shook my hand or gave me tight hugs. The acceptance was overwhelming. I might have dwarfed them in size, but they accepted me with open arms. I had never received this level of acceptance before. It was everything I could do to keep the tears out of my eyes. One of the men introduced himself as Jeremiah. He said he was in charge of the transportation operation and he couldn’t wait to get me strapped to one of those chariots.We usually have two or three Flyers per carriage, but you could easily carry one on your own!
The last Flyer to introduce herself was a middle-aged woman. She looked about forty-five or fifty. Her wings were a delicate pink, so much so that for a second I thought they were white. When she approached me, she took my hand, her shimmering silver eyes peering up at me with an unexpected sadness. It was profound, carved deep into the very depths of her soul.
It’s so good to finally meet you, Uriah. My name is Theodora. Her voice in my head was strong and full of emotion. Everyone had expressed their own level of excitement, some did even look a little sad, but this was different. She was gazing up at me the way you look at something you lost years ago and have finally found.
It’s good to meet you too, Theodora. My words were casual, but my heart was racing.
I’ve waited so long for this moment.She was still holding my hand, her fingers trembling.Honestly, I was beginning to think it would never come.
Do you know me?
Yes… well technically no. When I last saw you, you were only a couple months old. Your mother, her name is Lenora?
I nodded. The crowd immediately began murmuring. Several voices became very faint while others disappeared completely, yet somehow I knew they were still talking. When I cast Lina a questioning look, she gazed sadly up at me.
That is the Control. Now I understood. I could hear it in her voice. When she'd addressed everyone earlier, while her voice did sound louder, it was also open, inviting, free flowing. Now it was soft, private, controlled. She was speaking so only I could hear her. Most everyone around us was sharing what I’m guessing were private conversations about me. My mind instantly filled with questions. What are they saying? Why did Theodora and my mother meet? Why did Lina suddenly look so sad?
What’s going on?I asked, turning my attention back to the redhead.Why are they talking about me?
Lina didn’t answer. When I cast my mother a questioning look, uncertainty crept into her eyes. After looking back and forth bet
ween me and Theodora, she suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Time to go, Uriah.” I shook her off. She was definitely hiding something. I wanted to know what.
Why did you meet with my mother? I asked Theodora. I was speaking to her privately, but she responded in the Flow.
It’s not my place.
Please tell me. I need to know!I said, switching to the Flow.
It’s complicated.
Un-complicate it.
The middle-aged woman took a deep breath and let it out. After glancing briefly at my mother, she began to speak.Most people, at least most Flyers in this region, know who you are.
Why?
Because you are the miracle child. You were born during the Absence. That doesn’t happen very often. My mother was always calling me her miracle child. I didn’t realize others saw me that way too. Heck, I didn’t know others knew about me. I guess in a community where people not only fly, but communicate telepathically, word spreads. Theodora continued.Rumor has it, she used a genetic suppressant and raised you on Earth.
That’s true.To my surprise, the whole group shuddered in disgust.What?
Lina spoke up.In the Flyer community, a genetic suppressant is considered a slap in the face. I don’t know what the human equivalent is, but suffice to say, we abhor the blatant rejection of our genetic group.
We never understood why your mother didn’t send you to come live with us.Theodora said.In our community, you would have been loved and cared for. You would have been accepted. We all waited eagerly for your arrival, but you never came.
What do you mean my arrival?
Tears welled up in her eyes.Sweet, Uriah. My husband and I were planning to adopt you. Everything was arranged, but at the last minute your mother backed out.
It felt like the ground had fallen out from underneath me. More questions than I could count flooded through me. I felt on the verge of passing out. My mother had planned to put me up for adoption? Why? Because I'm a Flyer? Because she didn’t want me? What happened? Why did she change her mind? What would my life have been like had she sent me away? My mind switched to all the years I’d endured mean jokes and cruel taunts. All the hurtful names and painful rejection. Even in on Earth, I was never completely normal. Especially after the genetic suppressant started wearing off. My mother had told me she’d brought me to Earth for a better life. Knowing what I know now, I was starting to seriously doubt that. As new flames of resentment billowed in my chest, my gaze shifted back to my mother. When I looked upon her face, I saw the terror in her eyes.
The Flyer (The Flyer Series Book 1) Page 18