Flight: A Short Story
By: Alyssa Pennini
Damien sped through the buildings, narrowly dodging passerby as he fled. He had stepped outside, pocketing his latest acquisition when they had come from nowhere, appearing in a split second, giving no notice. The tingle over his skin, like tickling feathers, was the only inkling, the single tip off that danger approached. He had only had enough time to glance over his shoulder before he bolted up the sidewalk.
The men wore street clothes in a single shade of black, allowing them free range of motion while in pursuit. Outnumbered, Damien’s only saving grace was his knowledge and experience evading capture.
“There’s no way they should have found me,” he muttered as he ran. Being a skilled thief, he was unlikely to leave any evidence or trail to follow. And he’d been laying low as of late. “They shouldn’t have found me.”
Ducking behind a group of pedestrians, he made a quick right down an alley and risked a quick look back. When he saw the way was momentarily clear, he let out a small sigh. But it only lasted a quick second before the prickling erupted once more, alerting him to his chasers’ return. Speeding up, he exited the alleyway and straight into the street narrowly avoiding a collision with multiple cars.
Heart pounding, he made it across the street and turned left, wanting to keep his actions unpredictable. Damien wound his way up the street, staying close to the walls. With every corner turned, a feeling of safety would set in briefly but only for a minute before the tingling started up again.
“Why the hell did I turn left? Uphill instead of down. Never go up. Never, ever go up. Such an idiot,” he murmured.
A trickle more fear set in as the air cleared, becoming fresher as he moved further out of town. The space was becoming more open, less places to hide and a sinking feeling firmly took hold in his stomach. But he never slowed; there was no other option. Though he stole expensive items on a regular basis, he knew without a doubt that the only truly important thing is his life was his freedom. That was the only priceless thing in this world.
He let his mind grow blank, senses dulling to a light buzz in the background as he relied on instinct to escape. Making choices was predictable and that was the last thing he needed, so he let his body be his guide and told his mind to take a backseat.
It didn’t take long before the faint sound of the ocean reached his ears, but he paid it no mind. The buildings grew sparse, the ground evened out, and before he knew it, Damien was faced with open land that led to a cliff overlooking the ocean. His feet slowed as his mind caught up, the fear returning tenfold.
Glancing around, he found no reasonable options. He had come to the end of the line, but he still moved in the direction of the edge. He would not get caught, no matter what. He knew the moment they arrived without turning, the hair on the back of his neck standing at attention, the tingle spreading over his skin like wildfire.
They made no noise and finally Damien moved, slowly pivoting to face them. There were more than he thought, all advancing on him evenly in a semicircle, making sure there was no way he could slip by. Without thought, his feet moved, leading him backwards towards the cliff edge. If he was going out, it would be by his terms, no one else’s.
The group in black matched him step by step, until there was no more space for Damien to move. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed a steep drop to the ocean waves below crashing against the rocks. There was no way he could survive the fall; it was impossible.
Well I’ve had a good run, he thought to himself. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before facing the group one last time. They were still moving, closing the distance step by step. A smirk graced Damien’s face, giving them pause, before he raised his arms and fell backwards, disappearing over the edge.
His followers wasted no time making the remaining way to the edge, but what they found surprised them all. The man they were chasing was nowhere to be found, instead a single bird flapped its wings, flying to the horizon beyond, free at last.
