Night Flight

I’m standing on the rooftop. Why am I here? How did I get here? I forget about the how and why for a moment and begin to enjoy the night air.

The late summer breeze feels crisp but comforting. I feel my nightgown flutter against my skin, feel my hair shift across my shoulders. I open my arms wide to absorb it all. Looking up, I see the moon, just over halfway to full. Light clouds drift by and the stars twinkle in the distance.

I wish I could get closer to them. It’s then that I realize, wait, I can.

I move to the edge of the rooftop and begin to lean forward. As I tip over the edge, there is a moment of panic and my stomach drops as if I am on a rollercoaster. Am I right? What if I can’t?

But I can.

I drop briefly, then begin to swoop upwards. I don’t need to flap my arms. I’m like a bird soaring in the wind. Just a look in the direction I want to go, and I head there.

This feels…amazing.

Why haven’t I done this before?

I circle my neighborhood, seeing lights on in some houses, others dark, the streetlights illuminating empty streets.

I want to go beyond my neighborhood, so I think about the forest on the edge of town. I head in that direction. This feels so effortless. I start to explore the possibilities. I dive down toward the rooftops, and just before contact, I swoop back up toward the night sky. I lean left, and circle left. I lean right, and circle back.

I feel so light and free.

Why haven’t I done this before?

I feel the temperature change as I fly over the trees of the forest. The air feels cool and alive. Even in the darkness, I can sense the movement of the creatures of the night below.

I’m not tired, but I feel it’s time to return home. I look in the direction of home and head back. But suddenly things look unfamiliar. Where am I? Where is my home? I start to panic.

With a jolt, I awaken in my bed in a cold sweat.