The following story by Amaani Jetley ’22 earned a 2019 Scholastic Art and Writing Gold Key Award for Flash Fiction.
Skye
Attempt 1-
You walk out onto the green field to find just what you feared. Golden hair locked among green roots of the grass, dress floating like a graceful cloud, a hand enclosed around some precious object. She gazes into the blue, as if searching the sky, but no breath escapes her lungs. Wings fold over her broken heart as she rests in the grass. You try to reach her, but she is already flying away.
Attempt 2-
You run into the field. She stands there, perfectly still, back turned. Horror fills your lungs, suffocating your voice. You watch soundlessly as she raises something to her lips. A faint smile forms. She falls to the ground.
Attempt 3-
You catch her again, staring into the sun. You call her name. She turns, surprised. She waits for something, but dread burns through your throat, and fear chains you to the ground. She smiles. Her hand raises to her mouth. She is lost to the sky.
Attempt 4-
You call her name. She turns around, caught unaware. You tell her to stop. She smiles. You yell at her to stop. Her hand raises upward. You scream.
Attempt 5-
You call her name. She turns. You forget the chains at your feet and run to her, begging her to stop, but she is faster than light. She slips out of your hands.
Attempt 6-
She stands there once more, back turned. You run at her and manage to grab both of her hands. You try next to open her clenched fist. She yells, demanding you leave her alone. She is strong, but your desperation is stronger. You pry her hand open and snatch what’s inside. A tear lines her perfect face. You look at the object in your hand. It’s an empty bottle.
Panic clutches your heart. You whip your head around, dumbfounded. She is flying into the sun.
Attempt 7-
Her back is facing you, challenging you to come forward once more. Your heart heaves, but you manage to call her name. She turns once more. You ask her why.
The moment is too beautiful, she replies.
Attempt 8-
You cannot take it anymore. You break down, tears flooding your vision, your cry echoing through the field. She turns, frowning slightly. She lowers her hand and makes her way towards you, golden hair dancing through the pleasant wind.
You can cry over a lost cause, she says, or you can find beauty in the moment.
You look up, dazed. She dissolves into light.
Attempt 9-
You walk onto the green field to find just what you expected: A perfect angel, staring up into the timeless sky. You look at her broken heart and smile. You lie next to her and take in all of the swirls of blue that have been crammed into now. The clouds dance above you, putting on a most spectacular show. You hone in on one that seems to have a most peculiar shape. It’s almost as though it’s her, waving.