The Flyer (The Flyer Series Book 1)

by Frédérick S. Parker

  “Hello? Flyer? Anyone home?” Sabrina was standing in front of me, peering curiously up at me.

  I have to go, I said in the Control, forgetting that she couldn’t hear me. Turning on the spot, I followed the other Flyers back to the settlement. For the rest of the day, Zoboriah invaded my mind. After all this time, it never occurred to me that I might encounter my childhood bullies. Growing up on Earth gave me the illusion of security, that what happened was nothing, but a memory. Gone forever. I couldn’t believe he’d been right there, mere feet away. How long has he been watching me? Did he know I was back? I had the feeling he was planning on approaching me, but hadn’t counted on me recognizing him. I almost hadn’t. If not for that distinct pattern of freckles across his face, I might not have.

  Time faithfully marched on. I continued to work at the Aviation Station and attend the evening bonfires. Jedediah and I grew closer day by day and during one of our meetings, he offered to show me his work in town. Being a Builder, he had assisted in the construction of several of the homes and businesses. I would have liked to see his work, but after my encounter with Zoboriah, I had to decline. I couldn’t go back. I was twice his size for sure, but the tortured kid inside me was still scared. But there was something else too. A part of me wanted retribution and I feared what I might do if our paths ever crossed.

  I didn’t see much of my mother during this time, however, when the Healer was attending to my wounds, I did notice her hovering at the edge of the woods. My whole life she’d always been there when I scraped my knee or got sick. I could see how hard it was for her being unable to help me now. Somewhere in the back of my mind I felt a tug of sympathy, but the anger was still too great. In fact, the more time I spent with the Flyers and got immersed in their world, the more I resented her for keeping me from them. According to Theodora, while there might not have been other Flyer kids for me to play with growing up, there still would’ve been people my own age. Several years ago, her people encountered a group of Flyers who traveled with a number of non-Flyers. That community had children who would have made perfect companions. While it isn’t abundant, in fact very few non-Flyers know about it, there is a form of sign language that was created long ago by non-Flyer parents of Flyer children to communicate not only with their offspring, but also the Flyers they traveled with. When I told my father this, he once again expressed his regrets in not having any say in my future.

  I didn’t think I could adjust to having my wings out 99 percent of the time, but with the Flyers around, it became second nature. In fact, after just a few days, I hardly noticed. It took a while for images of my childhood to stop haunting me (seeing Zoboriah certainly didn’t help), but with time I learned to enjoy my wings’ constant presence. Being able to communicate with people while they were out helped. It wasn’t long before I forgot that I was talking with my mind and not my voice. There were times when Jedediah and I would be interacting and I’d try to respond to him telepathically. I also got so used to the Flow, I would miss it when it was gone. And not having to constantly worry about my wings bursting out was a major relief. In fact, the hardest part of living with the Flyers was not having Aaron by my side. Between sleep, meals, work, the bonfire and catching up with Jedediah, I didn’t have a lot of free time, but my boyfriend still managed to slither into my thoughts. Not only did I miss him terribly, I grew hornier day by day. For a while I tried to resist the urge to masturbate, intending to save my love for him, but when unbidden images of Sabrina started invading my dreams, I stopped holding back. Staring up at the ceiling in my room, I’d idly stroke my cock, wondering where Aaron was and what he was doing. I’d wonder if he missed me as much as I missed him. After I came, I’d make another mark in my notebook, tallying off another day. This is all for you, Aaron. Come tally number thirty, I’ll be waiting outside your window.

  Chapter 20

  Aaron

  What’s the saying? If you love them, set them free. I hate that saying. Setting Uriah free was the hardest thing I ever did. Returning to Earth, I did everything I could to distract myself, but my thoughts were never far from him. I should have gone with two weeks instead of a month. Each day seemed to stretch on forever. I reconnected with my family. Thought about Uriah. Watched TV. Thought about Uriah. Went clothes shopping and oh yeah, thought about Uriah. This is agony! On several occasions, I considered going to his world and telling him I’d made a mistake, but I’d always stop myself. This was for us. This separation would not only help fix him, it would also make our hearts grow fonder. Man, was my heart growing fonder. I was so focus on not thinking about Uriah, I almost forgot about orientation. By the time I remembered, the date was almost upon me. Crap! College is right around the corner and I still don’t have a major! I have no idea what I want to do with the rest of my life. For the brief time we were together, Uriah was my whole life.

  Getting online, I managed to sign up for orientation before the deadline. That was close! Maybe it was a good thing we were taking a break. Had my boyfriend been here (if I can still call him that), I would’ve missed it for sure. That relief, however, was short-lived. As the days continued to multiply, my thoughts wouldn’t leave Uriah alone. I wasn’t lying when I said I was addicted to his sex. Being apart felt like going through withdrawals. Everywhere I looked, there he was; disappearing into a crowd, stepping onto a city bus, smiling from a shop window. He was everywhere. He even commandeered my dreams.

  What is he doing right now? I knew the Flyer with green wings, Jeremiah, wanted him to work at the station, but what else is he doing? Is he visiting the village? Making new friends? All the Flyers were at least in their late thirties so no doubt he’d want to hang out with people his own age. There were probably pretty girls in town. Would he be enticed? My heart filled with dread at the thought of my Uriah, as unique as he is, around a bunch of Dora clones. So far, I don’t remember a single person seeing him who wasn’t instantly intrigued. Females and males alike. I’d given him the option to return. What if he doesn’t? What if he finds someone else? Whenever thoughts like these became too overpowering, I’d retrieve the silver feather he’d given me. It was the only thing that gave me any hope of seeing him again. It also helped convince me that he was real. That he hadn’t just been a mirage, a figment of my lonely imagination. In an attempt to past the time, I started apartment hunting. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I couldn’t live with my parents forever. Plus, if Uriah ever came back, it would be nice if we had our own place.

  When orientation arrived, my parents, my little brother and I all piled into the car. While Matt chatted excitedly about seeing the University campus, Mom went over the classes she thought I should take. She also hinted that I should start looking for a job. “Classes aren’t cheap.” Unbeknownst to her and Dad, I had opened a bank account which currently held a little over $3,000 dollars. I didn’t have a job. Truth be told, before I left Uriah’s world, I took a little gold with me. Just enough to get a head start. I had no intention of living off the precious metals from Antomia, but with summer vacation coming to an end, I knew the job market would be tight.

  When we arrived on campus, we followed the signs for incoming students. Our first stop was the auditorium where various people spoke about the University and what to expect. From there, we sat down with a financial aid advisor to go over our options. Later, they divided us up into groups for a tour of the campus. They showed us the Library, the Bookstore, the Student Union and the Computer Lab. There was also a campus theater a Health Center and a Dining Hall. While we were in the Computer Lab, they had us log in and set up our account. The longer we were here, the more real it felt. While we were being led around campus, I’d see people I knew from high school in their respective groups. People including Tyler, Charles, Brandon and Daniel.

  “Hey!” my ex greeted me when all the groups coalesced at the end of the tour. “How’s it going? Long time no see.” Close behind him were the others.

  “Good,” I replied.


  “What have you been up to?” he asked.

  “Nothing much.” I didn’t want to mention Uriah seeing as we were taking a break. I hadn’t actually told any of my friends I was seeing someone. My relationship had been so different and so deep, I hadn’t really considered divulging it. Now there was no point. Not until Uriah returns… if he returns. After a momentary pause, I considered providing some innocuous comment to fill the silence, but Tyler was already talking.

  “It’s been a while. Where have you been?”

  “Here and there.”

  “Here and where? Summer is almost over and you’ve been nowhere in sight. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you found someone.”

  “I’ve been around.”

  “Really? I haven’t even seen you at any of my parties. What gives?”

  “I’ve, uh, been busy.”

  “With what?”

  “Uh…”

  Charles joined the conversation. “Did you meet someone?”

  I wanted to say no, but my friends were like a runaway train.

  “That would explain a lot.”

  “Who is he?”

  “What’s his name?”

  “What’s he look like?”

  “Why haven’t you introduced us?”

  It was several seconds before I managed to get a word in. “Guy, there’s no one. I’ve just been…”

  “Come on, Aaron,” Tyler said, cutting me off. “I know you. I can tell when you’re holding something back. If you’ve been having a summer fling, that’s perfectly understandable. We just want deets.”

  I really didn’t want to talk about Uriah, but under pressure, I caved. “Fine, I have been seeing someone, but I don’t know where it’s going. He’s… complicated.”

  “Aren’t they all, honey,” Tyler replied. “What’s he look like? Show us some pics.”

  It was only then that I realized I’d never actually taken any picture of Uriah. Weird. After coming out of the closet, taking pictures with my boyfriends and posting them all over social media was a must. Now I didn’t have a shred of photographic evidence that my boyfriend and I dated.

  “I, uh, I don’t have any.”

  “Seriously?” Charles made a face. “Is he that ugly?”

  “No, I just…” Uriah was like no one I’d ever been with. His presence was all-consuming. During the time I spent wrapped up in his arms, it never occurred to me to digitalize his image. When we first meet, I was pre-occupied guarding my heart, then after I let him in, nothing else mattered. Perhaps I got sucked into his simple ways. Technology wasn’t really a part of his world (both literally and figuratively), so it wasn’t a part of mine.

  “It’s okay, Aaron,” Tyler said, patting me on the shoulder. “I’m sure he has a great personality.”

  I knew he was being patronizing, but I didn’t really care. Now that they mentioned it, I was glad I didn’t have pictures of Uriah. I imagined my friends like vultures going into a feeding frenzy if they caught a glimpse of my maybe-boyfriend.

  “Yeah, whatever,” I muttered, my hands diving deep into my jean pockets.

  “What’s it like dating an ugo?” Brandon asked in his soft, shy voice.

  Over the last few months I’d been trying to get away from my superficial ways, but I couldn’t stand the thought of my friends thinking Uriah was unattractive when he was the exact opposite. “Look, he’s not ugly, okay.”

  “Then why no pics?”

  “Let’s just say I was too busy doing other things.”

  “Ooh,” Charles crooned, looking intrigued. “Paint us a picture.”

  “I don’t kiss and tell.”

  “Since when?” Tyler interjected.

  “Since now.”

  My ex studied me for a second before folding his arms across his chest. “So, where is this mysterious boyfriend of yours?”

  “Elsewhere.”

  “That’s specific.”

  Now I was starting to regret opening my big mouth. I could already see the doubt in Tyler’s hazel eyes. “He’s at home.”

  “Okay, give him a call. I’d love to meet him.”

  I did have Uriah’s number, but I knew he wouldn’t pick up. I considered calling anyway just to humor my ex, but I changed my mind. I could already tell he thought Uriah was made up and making an unanswered call wouldn’t change that.

  Seeing my unease, Charles quickly stepped in. “I’m sure he’ll introduce us when he’s ready.”

  “Yeah,” I said, smiling at him. “Uriah’s kind of shy.”

  “Uriah?” Brandon mused, looking intrigued. “Sounds exotic.”

  “You could say that.”

  Tyler looked momentarily irritated, but within a nano second, he was smiling again. “You should bring him to my party next week. That’s sure to get him out of his shell.”

  “I don’t know about that.” I knew what he was doing. A part of me actually considered tracking down my maybe-boyfriend and dragging him to Tyler’s party just to shut him up, but I couldn’t do that. As much as I would like to put my ex in his place, I would have to wait. I expected him to comment on my reluctance to bring Uriah, but he’d already moved on. In no time at all, Tyler was chatting merrily about some new shoes he’d purchased or wanted to purchase. I was only half listening. Talking with my friends had brought me back to reality. After all that time with Uriah, I hadn’t realized how out of touch I’d become. I need to get reacquainted with the real world. By the time my family and I were back in the car, I was looking forward to college.

  When Tyler’s drag party rolled around, I considered sitting it out. I hadn’t been to one in a while, plus with my friends begging for details about my boyfriend, I felt kind of awkward. I knew Tyler didn’t believe Uriah was real. How can I show up alone? All the way up until five o’clock I had no intention of going to Tyler’s party, but then Brandon texted me:

  -You coming?

  -Hadn’t planned to.

  -Any chance you’ll change your mind?

  -Why? What’s up?

  -Kind of hoping you’d come with me. You’ve been away for a while. I’d like to catch up. Plus, I’m itching to meet your new boyfriend.

  -Uriah won’t be coming.

  -Why not?

  I hesitated before replying.We’re taking a break, but it’s open ended. I actually don’t know if he’ll come back.

  -In that case, you could definitely use a pick-me-up.

  -I don't know...

  -Come on, it's the 4th of July.

  -Okay.

  I didn't relish the thought of going to Tyler's drag party, but I also didn't want to be alone. In my present state, Brandon was ideal company. With him by my side, maybe night would be bearable. I only hoped I had something to wear. Arriving at Brandon’s house, I was feeling confident until I was in my stars and strips stripper outfit. I quickly started having misgivings. For the past few weeks, I’d been working out, tying to get back in shape and while I’d managed to lose a few inches around my middle, there was still a good deal of pudge left. Looking in the mirror, I tried sucking in my gut. Yeah, that’ll get exhausting quick. With any luck no one will notice.

  When Brandon and I arrived at the party, it was already in full swing. There were partygoers everywhere. Music was blaring and lights flashed. Tyler is barely tolerable sober. When he’s drunk, I can’t stand him. Around eight o’clock he was wasted. I’d had a few drinks myself so I was feeling good, but not good enough to handle my drunk ex.

  “Hey, Aaron,” he slurred at one point. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

  “He couldn’t make it,” I replied over the music.

  “Oh, really? I’m starting to wonder if he even exists.”

  “He’s real.”

  “Then why have we never met him?”

  “I told you, he’s shy.”

  “Shy my ass. You don’t go for shy guys. Come on, Aaron. I know you. We used to fuck, remember? I know what you like.”

  “I think you’ve had a litt
le too much to drink,” I said, taking a big swig of my own beverage. If I had to put up with him all night I was definitely getting hammered.

  “You’re one to talk,” Tyler slurred. “You’ve been drinking like a fish all evening.”

  “Not like a fish.”

  “You shouldn’t be drinking at all,” Tyler said with a sly smile, his arm dropped around some guy dressed as Tinker Bell.

  “Why not?” I grunted, not sure what he was getting at.

  He gestured to my midriff. “I mean, aren’t you carrying your imaginary boyfriend’s baby?”

  As the alcohol relaxed me, I’d forgone sucking in my gut. With my skimpy outfit, my belly fat was now on display for all to see. With the excitement of the party, I’d actually managed to forget about it. My face flushed with both anger and embarrassment. I wanted to turn the other cheek, but I couldn’t. Not when everyone within earshot laughed at his cheap shot. I knew most of them, including Tyler probably wouldn’t remember this in the morning. Hell, I might not either, but I didn’t care. I hadn’t seen my boyfriend in I can’t remember how long and I needed to vent.

  “Say whatever you want about me, Tyler. My so-called imaginary boyfriend loves my body. And as for you knowing what I like, he knows what I love.” With that I hurriedly left the party. On the way out the front door, I grabbed my coat which wasn’t necessary in the warm night air, but would hide my attire from judgmental eye. Calling a cab, I waited on the curb, fighting the tears that wanted to break free. I have a pretty high tolerance for jackassary, but from time to time I can’t believe Tyler and I were ever intimate.

  By the time I got home, I was completely drained. I enjoyed catching up with Brandon, but I wasn’t sure it was worth all that. Pushing my friend from my drunken mind, I went down the hall to my room. As I searched blindly for the light switch, I wondered if Tyler was right and I had had too much to drink. I could already feel my mind loosening its grip on consciousness. That’s fine. Let the darkness swallow me up. When I dream, I dream about Uriah. God knows I needed him tonight.