Posts
April 2011
Things I need want. :)
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| Yes please. :) However, just a bit more color would be nice. :) |
| Seriously considering getting one of these for the dorm. :) |
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| This, but in green or teal.... oh man. Do you have any idea how many letters I would write with this. :D |
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| I'm making these as soon as I get home. :D |
| Yes, Caleb has finally convinced me that iPhones are not evil. I kind of want one now. :) |
| Perhaps. |
Warning: It's a long one. :)
My Great Father's Humor: A Lesson in Vanity
I nearly flew up the stairs clutching the small brown box closely. Another care package from my wonderful neighbor. I made my way quickly through to the coffee shop and took a quick detour to say hi to one of the girls sitting at a table near the couches. As I walked over I fought to suppress the feelings of vanity welling up inside me. I loved the way my pink heels sounded as I walked through the tables of studying students. I loved the white flowy dress I was wearing (it’s the first white dress I’ve ever owned. Thank you Ross. :)), and I loved the way my hair had decided to behave for once. I forced myself not to think of how much I loved my outfit.
I am continuously frustrated by my own vanity. Sometimes I even force myself to believe that I am ugly just to try and counter the feelings of vanity that so often fly through my head.
Anyway, as I quickly made my way over to my friend I was fully prepared to express the overwhelming joy that was coursing through my veins. A sunny day will do that to a person. Well, I walked right up to that person and with a huge smile exclaimed, “I love you.” (It was a girl, so don’t get your feathers in a tizzy). She smiled sweetly up at me and replied, “I love you too.” She then looked at my dress.
“Wow Belle, I love your dress.” The bubble inside grew bigger. “But I think you might have spilled something on it.” Aaand the bubble popped. Mortified, I looked down and noticed a few orange blotches, no doubt from the tomatoes I had eaten for lunch. My first reaction: Be incredibly mortified, and quickly change. My second reaction: Burst out laughing. God has the most wonderful ways of humbling me. I decided not to change, and proudly sported the dress the rest of the afternoon, orange splotches and all. It’s little lessons like these that the Lord uses to teach me every day.
| Laughing at oneself is the best remedy for vanity. :) |
Ecclesiastes, Work, and Joy
I’ve been reading from Ecclesiastes lately. It’s currently my favorite book of the bible. I love reading it over and over. Especially the phrase “All is Vain, All is Vain.” Indeed everything really is in vain done apart from Christ. Somewhere in there it says that when a man toils for himself he will become weary, but when he toils for the Lord he will be rejuvenated and filled with joy.
On the way to awanas (I volunteered one time. I wish I had gone more), Aaron Kamakawiwoole, one of the most godly young men I know, exclaimed with delight, “You know what I can’t wait for?!?! To be able to work in heaven and never get worry.” We all stared at him and laughed (in a very good natured way of course). He replied in ernest, “No! Seriously! Think about! When I get to heaven I will be able to work and work and work all day long, and never get tired or weary. Do you know how amazing that will be?” Now there is an example of a man completely dedicated to the Lord and so completely filled with His joy.
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| 1. I love Pooh Bear right now. :) 2. Mom will totally laugh at me, but I can't wait to work in the garden. :D |
Joy. That’s been my goal for the semester. To be filled with God’s joy alone. I have failed soooooo many times, but God’s grace is new every morning. I am so completely thankful for him. Like………yeah. :) hehe. :)
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| This is my favorite. :) |
Taylor Eckel and I headed out for a 3 mile run down the W&OD trail. The sun shone brightly, and we were both ready for the chance to get off campus and exercize. As we embarked on what was soon to be the most wonderful run I’ve had in the history of running, we turned around and looked at the sky. What a contrast! On one side the sun was shining and cheering us onward. On the other side, the darkest clouds loomed ominously in the distance. Now I’m from Oregon, so I’m used to the clouds and the rain and the fog. However, these clouds are unlike anything I’ve ever seen in Medford. They really are absolutely stunning. They make you want to shout, just from the sheer grandeur of them.
Anyways, we headed out on the trail around 6:00. After running for about 5 minutes, I looked up and saw it. About 100 yards in front of us the rain was coming down in sheets. Closer and closer it came. 75 yards. 50 yards. Suddenly, without warning, rain came crashing down all around us. Now like I said, I’m from Oregon, so I’m used to constant down pour, but the rain here is soooo much different. For one thing, the droplets are at least twice as big, and the second thing, the rain completely strikes you out of nowhere.
There we were, running down the trail in the pouring down rain, and in about 3 minutes (maybe even less) we were completely soaked to the bone. It. Was. AWESOME! We ended up running a little bit under three miles, but it was still amazing. As we walked towards the BHC we looked at each other giggling gleefully. We were both soaked, but we only had 20 minutes till the dinning hall closed. Trying to suppress our glee we quickly went through the BHC doors, wet clothes and all. :) They were all setting up for an event tonight, so there were several people in there. Needless to say we got many stares, and rolled eyes. :) We quickly grabbed plates and sat on folded up napkins. Taylor forked down her food while I tried to figure out how to eat mine (it was some sort of chicken tortilla thing. It was really good, just hard to eat; it was slipper). I eventually gave up and settled on an orange. Then it was a mad dash to our dorms to change and then off to a movie night (hooray for Western civ extra credit!!!)  |
| I couldn't pick one. I love all of these. You seriously have no idea how many times I've done the above this semester. I've gotten several looks of patronizing and "poor immature thing" hehe. So worth it. :) |
Last weekend was soooooo amazing.
Thursday: Drove to Ross with Bets and bought an Easter dress, a black and white stripped dress, and a lovely white sweater. Then was dropped off at the blacks and had dinner, made cookies, and watched Annie. :) Then I came back to campus (it was pitch black by now, around 9:30) and played capture the flag. Then it was in bed by 12:30.
Friday: Up at 5:15, and was on the bus at 6 headed for D.C. with Stephen, John, and Caleb. Once there we found our way to our favorite coffee shop (the one on the corner of H and 7th) in Chinatown. After a couple hours of studying we headed out and walked about 5 blocks to Union Station (in the rain), where we met up with Stephen Williams for lunch at chopt. Best salad ever! We then parted our separate ways: Stephen Willaims to his internship, Stephen and John to watch “Atlas Shrugged,” and Caleb and I (who wanted to get back to campus early) to explore the national gallery of art. Oh. My. Word. New favorite place. :) So we got on the bus around 3:40, after a mad 6 block dash (to starbucks and back. We needed coffee). After a great talk we got back around 5:15. I then, very spontaneously ;) decided to go to the Escobar’s for dinner, dessert, and anime. Yes. Anime. :) Ian picked me up, and then we spontaneously ;) (hehe) invited Eric Landstrom along for the ride. Dinner was absolutely incredible, and dessert was equally so. The Escobar’s have the most amazing couch ever. It actually rivals the “holy couch” back home. :) Needless to say, by 12:30 I could barely walk from exhaustion. Everyone obliged, and we went home.
Saturday: Was awakened at 7:00am, not by my own choice (we won’t go into that), and cleaned my room, worked on papers, and got ready for Saturday night. That evening I played at MarketStreet Coffee shop. :) It was pretty fun, and it gave me a chance to play most of my new music. I played for an hour, about 20 songs, all but three of which I had written.
Sunday: Church at Grace; an amazing service about Mary. It’s so awesome when your preacher looks like Tom Cruise. :) Then when we got back, Bets and I went to Taylor Eckel’s house for Easter brunch. We were there till 7:30ish. I absolutely adore that family. :) <3
And that was that. :)
Have a fantastic night. God is so amazingly good. Never forget, that everything little thing that ever happens to us is a part of his perfect plan for our lives. He’s been growing me in sooooo many ways. I know He uses circumstances to change us and lead us to become better for Him.
Blessings,
Belle
These have all made me quite happy. :) |
| This picture makes me so happy. :) Something must have been really happy. :) |
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| "Dance with me darling, we haven't danced since I don't know when." |
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| White House.... again. Caleb hadn't seen it. :) |
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| Can't wait to go back here. :) |
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| At my favorite starbucks in the U.S.: Chinatown, D.C. |
I'll Take An Order of Your Finest Life With A Side of Joy
~Belle Nicole
Humming softly under her breath, Belle opened the large doors that led down to the mailroom. She happily skipped down the stairs as she took a bite into her apple. The resounding crunch filled the air and she giggled quietly hoping no one had heard her. Suddenly, a brilliant idea flew into her head. At the next landing she hopped up on the rail and executed a perfect flight down the stairs. Grinning, she burst through the next set of doors that opened to the mailboxes. Belle was presently surprised to see two little red pieces of paper signifying two packages. Her mind immediately came up with a hundred different guesses at what the two boxes could be. She hastily through the two red strips down on the counter and told the person at the counter. She watched with growing anticipation as he made his way over to her bin. Bursting with curiosity, she held her breath as he slowly reached in and pulled out two medium sized boxes.
She hastily signed her name, and tucked the boxes under her arm. Bursting out the doors she raced up the stairs, out into the hall, and then another set of stairs into the warm sunlight. Then she went bounding down another set of stairs. As she regained her composure, she took the time to look at the two boxes. Her heart sank. Vitamins. It was then that she had remembered her mom calling to tell her that a shipment of supplements would be coming Belle’s way. That had been a week ago. Sighing, Belle slowed to a normal pace, and as so often was the case when she was disappointed, her mind began to wander to much more fantastical things. It was a matter of mere minutes till she was once again in her room. She thought she might as well open the boxes so she could throw out the cardboard.
Cutting into revealed one large white bottle with a gold label. Amino acid supplements. She tucked the bottle into the black little box she kept on the top shelf. The large white bottle found its way to the large blue bottle and they happily snuggled close. As Belle cut into the next box, to her surprise, little bits of green paper began poking through the cracks. She slowly and carefully cut down the middle. When she pulled back the cardboard flaps she nearly jumped out of her set with excitement.
There, buried under fake grass, were about a dozen Easter eggs, Clementines, a box of goldfish and two brightly wrapped packages. She squealed in delight as she opened first one egg then another. She carefully lifted out the first package so as not to spill the contents of the box. She felt its sides gingerly and tried to guess what it was. A book, that’s for sure. But what book? She tried to think over past conversations she had had with her mother. Perhaps a Tim Keller book? She slowly peeled back the pink and blue and white and yellow striped paper. Again, her heart swelled and a huge smile broke out across her face. The Valley of Vision. It felt like Christmas. Who knew getting a box could bring so much joy to my day.
Thank you so much to my amazing family.
I love you ferociously.
Have a fantastic Easter.
This is a piece I just wrote. I had 30 minutes before bedtime, and I figured it would be relaxing to write something that I actually didn't have to write. :)
Fog slowly crept over the rolling hills and slipped quietly into the sleeping city. Under the darkness it stretched its arms out to embrace one building then another. Through the black and grey streets it meandered, careful to stay away from the bright beacons that lined the asphalt paths. The city lay open and vulnerable to the mysterious creature that slipped soundlessly through. The hungry creature spilled into alleyways, and snuck into all the cracks in its attempt to encompass its meal. As it went on its way, swallowing more and more, it found the small apartment building with the blue door and the brass handle. Taking a detour, it slipped up the cold cement stairs and climbed the wall to the fourth story window closest to the corner. It surrounded the window and slowly peered in through the soft white curtains that dangled daintily around the whitewashed window frame. Just as the fog was about to slip in at the cracks of the tightly locked window, a rosy hand reached out and snatched at it, causing it to disappear on the spot. Suddenly, beams of golden light began to shoot in from every direction, chasing the fog out of the corners and alleys. Bits and pieces tried to hide behind buildings, but the pale gold streamed in around the buildings and then flew the fog, back to whence it had come.
Rosy dawn was now the ruler of the city, but luckily for the inhabitants, she was a benevolent queen. Rather than creep about the buildings and try to suck them into her waiting clutches, she danced down the streets, between the beacons, and into the alleys. Delighted as always to see the bright little apartment on the corner of 6th and H street, dawn twirled and skipped merrily right up the stairs. With a great bound she flew up to the fourth story window closest to the corner and hovered about the window. The curtains did not try to block her out as they had done with the fog, but rather brushed eagerly aside and let her pour through and fill the small bedroom with a lovely warm light.
The small twin size bed was pushed right up against the wall, so the now-golden light had to jump over it in order to enter the room. But once she had permeated the small space, she turned her attention to the young girl snuggled deep under the white and turquoise comforter. Laughing a quiet tinkling laugh, the light gently surrounded the girl.
Wake up. You can dream just as well awake as asleep.
The girl rolled over and faced the wall in protest. At that the light was done playing games and burst out into its full magnitude. The girl rolled onto her back in defeat unable to ignore the somewhat obnoxious presence. With that the rosy creature was satisfied and flew out her window, only to be replaced by the full fledged morning in all it’s radiant glory.
The new day had begun.
Housekeeping:
1. I had hoped to have time to finalize the new editions to my blog, but as I dive head first into paper season, I think it would be foolish to spend too much time working on this blog. With that being said, I will still hopefully be making additions as soon as finals are over. :)
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| This is where we had the ball. :) |
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| Here Mom. :) |
A Question:
Ever since I've gotten on campus my dependence on lists has grown immensely. There's always so much to do! The best way for me to organize it in a way to ensure that it gets done is to write daily, weekly, and monthly lists. These lists don't just pertain to school. I have a running joke with Betsy about my life. ;) Basically, I have this tiny little 3x5 notebook that I fill with my schedules, eating patters, workout plans, and overall life improvement goals. For instance, one entry reads:
7:30 - 8:00 Wake up and get ready for school
8:00 - 8:45 Fellowship with Chelsea
9:10 - 1:40 Classes (grab quick lunch)
1:50 - 2:30 Meet with Dr. Mitchell
2:45 - 3:45 Spinney Lecture #6
3:45 - 4:15 Theology Homework
4:15 - 5:15 Spinney Outlines #1
5:15 - 5:45 Dinner
5:50 - 6:50 Spinney Outlines #2
6:50 - 7:50 As You Like IT
8:00 - 11:00 Rehearsal
11:00 - 11:45 All Quiet On The Western Front
12:00 REGISTRATION
Well, last night, my friend posed a very interesting question:
"Do you go from struggle to struggle throughout the day? Thinking 'ok, I need to tackle this struggle and once I have I can move on to tackling the next struggle' OR Do you view the Christian life as one continuous struggle, and each day is just another day in that struggle?"After thinking about it for a minute I decided that I viewed struggles more along the lines of the latter. He wasn't so sure and was convinced that I partitioned my struggles out in list form (in my mind) in the same way I dealt with everything else. However, five minutes before curfew was not the time to open this can of worms. So we (I) decided to think about it and talk later. :)
So it's today, and I've been thinking about it and honestly, I don't think I abide in either of these mindsets. Here's one of the major errors with this question. It assumes that I'm always focusing on my struggles. This is really not the case at all. I think there is something very skewed with viewing life as merely a series of struggles - or even one long struggle. The Christian walk is a struggle that has already been overcome, and we, as children of God, are victorious. The Christian walk is filled with stumbles, but just because we know we will stumble does not mean we should focus on stumble that's sure to come. Likewise, we should't view the walk as one perpetual stumbling forward. Christ is always beside us. If we are looking at the ground we will be blind to our helper and miss the whole point of the walk, and in so doing, make the biggest stumble of all. Instead, we should fix our eyes on Christ and gain strength, encouragement, and balance from him.
So those are my rather disconnected thoughts on that subject. You'll have to pardon the lack of fluidity. :)
Love you ferociously!
Blessings
I don't profess to be any more knowledgable than any one else, but after a good deal of thought and two wonderful conversations (both of which were revealing and confirming), I have decided to share two things:
*This pertains specifically to my friends back home in the homeschool community.
Dear Guys: Do not despair!!! Don't think that just because girls are going "off the market" sooner than expected, that your prospects for marriage will quickly diminish. God has a perfect plan for your life and for your spouse. Trust me. It will be better in the long run if you wait. God's timing is always perfect. "The right girl at the wrong time is the wrong girl."
Dear Girls: I'm not completely sold on courtship or dating or specific formula for relationships, but one thing has been made very clear. Our sole purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. I understand that each person has different convictions, but these are mine (a dear friend helped to articulate this): I will only enter a relationship if I am serving God better in it than if I were single. What's the point of a relationship if it detracts in any way from my relationship with God? There is none. Unless it is made perfectly clear that being with a particular person is more glorifying to God than being single, I am going to serve God and bring glory to him in the best way I can with the years that he gives me while remaining single (as hard as that may be).
(Lord willing, God's plan for me is to get married..... I very much want to get married. :P :) But I can bring just as much glory to Him and devote just as much, if not more, time and energy to him, if I'm single).
Dear All: As I mentioned earlier, there is no perfect formula for relationships. Don't base your hopes on what you see in other relationships, but rather base your hope on God's perfect plan for your life and for your loved one. Just like there is no perfect formula, there is also no perfect age. Now of course we hear this all the time, but it is always helpful to be reminded. Just because someone is courting or dating at a very early (or late) age does not mean that suddenly that is the perfect age in which to enter a (hopefully @least somewhat purposeful) relationship. Don't let your standards for a relationship be based on your surrounding culture. Rather, always go back to scripture. It is there that you will find your ultimate guide to glorifying God (which after all is the chief end of man).
I'm sure many of you already know this, or understand this, but I think it's always helpful to have it reiterated. God bless you all.
<3
This week has been interesting to say the least. At the beginning of the week my energy built, I began to heal in more ways than one (I’ve been sick for the past 5ish weeks). But last night I had the biggest wake up call I’ve had since December. Ironically, I was just crawling into bed. Let me give a bit more context.
Rehearsal has completely swallowed my life this past week. By no means is that a bad thing, but if you’ve ever had something completely swallow your life you know how draining that could be. Nonetheless, I was so filled with joy. I’m sure the gorgeous weather added to it. I distinctly remember walking down the sidewalk and suddenly breaking into skipping and spinning just randomly. I got the silliest looks and headshakes from my friends, but I didn’t care. I was so joyful. I was convinced I had finally broken free of the chains of guilt and sorrow. The Lord was truly filling me with Him to the point of bursting. Let me tell you, it’s an absolutely amazing experience…
So then what the hec happened last night?
Almost immediately after the show closed, exhaustion began to slowly creep through my fingers and make it through my body. This wasn’t entirely abnormal; what was abnormal was the path that this little creature took. It climbed past the invisible wall that separates physical from emotional and seeped into my heart and mind. This feeling completely changed my outlook. Suddenly everything became unbearable. Suddenly everything I was so sure of came crumbling into the pile of unresolved rubble that it had been the previous weeks. Dismayed for a couple hours, I simply let this turmoil work within me as I kept on a false exterior. After a slightly relieving conversation with a friend, I was determined to get back to that state of being filled with God. I was convinced all I had to do was focus on the blessings and wonderful things in my life.
As I climbed into bed, I breathed a quick prayer: “Lord give me strength.” Then it hit me.
I’m still seeking fulfillment outside of God.
I thought I had replaced previous idols with God, but I had only replaced those idols with different ones.
We were not made for this world. We were not made to find ultimate fulfillment in the things of this world. However, we have this innate desire to be filled by something; anything. Some find their fulfillment in people; some find it in money. Sometimes it’s deeper than that. For some, fulfillment is only reached when that person feels loved by someone else; not necessarily in the romantic sense. If I’ve learned anything over the last few years, it’s that nothing lasts but God.
However, as I was crawling into bed, I realized I hadn’t been finding ultimate fulfillment in God. What I thought was God, was only another idol, another source of ultimate happiness, but I still lacked the true joy that comes from God. Now, I know that God has filled me this week with a very unnatural joy, but I still am seeking other forms of joy. I’m still not finding my ultimate peace and security in God.
So where do I go from here? Honestly? I don’t really know. I thank God for revealing my folly to me before it affected anyone else. I thank God for the new joy and hope that comes each morning. I thank God for his majesty and his love; the only love capable of making me feel completely whole. I will thank Him over and over and over.
You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With a song of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You, I will trust in You
Let the weak say, “I am strong,
In the name of the Lord”
I will trust in You
My room is filled with flowers right now. Now that's something that brings me joy. :) I love flowers!!!!! :D :D :D
| Whoever gave me the daffodils: Thank you so much! <3 |
Played around with thoughts:
Bubbles and streetlights and trees that won't grow up,
Stars and the moon that's too close for comfort,
Wind that threaten to blow up the card house,
And rain that threatens to wash off the chalkboard
Washing me away...
A movement, a rush, the faintest of smilesA hope and a light a trust that’s beginningA pencil is missing, a sentence unfinishedThe writer has left his story to wither awayHow does it end?
Chorus: I'm fine, I'm fine, and everything's right I swearAlright? Alright. I may be lying, but who's to knowWho will care....
I'm not especially morose. But when someone writes a song it's usually a tiny tiny thought or feeling blown up to larger than life proportions. :)
Hello my friends. :)
1) I now have 26 followers. Hoorah! I know people read my blog without being official "followers" but to have 26 people who actually are willing to declare their following publicly is quite encouraging. Especially since I've had this blog a little under a year. :) Thank you all kindly. :)
2) As you can see, there are some changes that are being made to the overall design. Over the next few days things are going to be in flux so please be patient. If there is anything you really like, or anything you really don't please feel free to tell me. The goal of this redesigning is to make things a little more organized; spring cleaning if you will. :)
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| via forthedream |
Love you all!
Rejoice in the Lord. Again I say rejoice! - Philippians 4:4
I just want to take the time to say I a few things. First, people. Wow..... and again... Wow..... I've been sick (sometimes off; mostly on) for a little over five weeks. Last week especially was extremely tough. However, the sicker I got, the more people loved on me and showed me how much they care. Thursday evening, I walked into my hallway only to discover that my door was covered in pictures, and notes saying "I love you" "Press on" and my favorite: "Spinney tests aren't so hard." :) Then dear Chaedon was kind enough to get me a travel set of tissues. Then, I walked into my room and found a huge box of tissues and a new water bottle sitting on my desk. I have continually been blown away by the love and care that has been shown me. I also appreciate the gentleness and patience. I love all my dear friends at PHC, and the ones back home who have been encouraging me and helping me with life. I love you all sooo much. :)
The Lord is my joy
The Lord is my strength
The Lord is my hope
The Lord is my all
He fills me with his love
He fills me with his strength
He fills me with his hope
He fills me with him
- Me
The Lord is sovereign. He has a perfect plan for me, but he also has a perfect plan for my friends. I am not the most important part of his plan for other people; he is. I've slowly (and painfully, as most things are always learned) realized that God has a perfect plan for my friends, and sometimes, that plan means taking them away from me, and sending them somewhere else; to someone else. I've always known that God has a perfect plan for me, but so often, I have forgotten that God is orchestrating others lives in a perfect way for them. This has given me a huge amount of comfort especially over the last few days. The Lord has been filling me with so much joy, and so much of Him.
That's such a scary word; obsession. My whole life I've worked at NOT being obsessed with things, that to actually seek to be obsessed is a bit daunting, but at the same time, it's so amazing. I'm actually allowed to seek something for complete and 100% fulfillment. Only God can meet that need. Only God.
P.S. I adore flowers. I wouldn't mind if I randomly got some. :) Not roses, but any and all kinds. :)
P.S. Don't be dismayed, it does have a redemptive ending!
"When she awoke the first thing she noticed was the stillness that enveloped her. A peaceful quiet crept slowly over her and wrapped her in its loving arms. For a few moments, Elle lay suspended in this dream like state of peace and calm. Then suddenly, a dull ache shot through the stillness and shattered the fantasy and once more Elle remembered where she was; why she hurt. Once more, tears sprang to her eyes as soft sobs rang from her heart. Yet still she had not the strength to move. And so poor Elle went on in this fashion for many days. Sleeping, waking into a fantasy, then being thrust back into the cruel reality of pain and hopelessness. As the days went on the fantasies became shorter and shorter, and the dull reality grew longer, till the point where Elle no longer woke up to a false sense of hopefulness but rather the dull bite of life sinking it’s vicious claws into her lungs and heart, stopping her breath; stopping her heart.
It was after a particularly long slumber that Elle awoke and beheld two shoes. They were black and shone as ebony. Attached to the boots were a pair of legs, and to those legs a torso, and to that torso a head. To the head was attached a face, and in that face lay the deepest, largest, greyest eyes Elle had ever beheld. These two eyes starred down at her, and out of the creature’s mouth came a crisp “tut-tut.”
I do so hate to see such a young pretty thing in such distress. If only there was a way I could help the pathetic thing.
Elle grimaced at the voice. It was not a harsh or cruel voice. But it was icy and gave her chills; chills that did not throw themselves upon her, but rather slowly wrapped their fingers around her legs, pulling up her body till it reached her soul. The tall creature continued to stare down at her, and she, unmoving, starred right back at him. Suddenly, the large grey eyes lit up in such an extraordinary way that Elle wasn’t sure if she wanted to cringe or laugh.
I know what I’ll do! I’ll give the little thing a gift. After all it’s the least I can do.
The creature stepped back and instructed Elle to rise. Elle lay dumbfounded, and stared stupidly up into the man’s face. The eyes slowly began turning from grey to coal. It growled again at her to get up, and still she lay cemented to the ground, to weary to move. With a burst of shocking force, the man’s boot found it’s way to her ribs. Crying out Elle sprung to her knees and held her aching side. The man’s grimace turned slowly upwards to cruel smile. Reaching into his bag he pulled out a small vile. Throwing it at her he commanded her to drink it, assuring her that she would feel better afterwards. Elle was so stunned by the blow that she acquiesced and drank the contents of the vile in its entirety. Elle gasped as the liquid rushed through to her lungs and flew straight to her heart. At first, afraid that he had given her poison, Elle’s hand flew to her heart as if to stop the liquid from working, but no sooner had she done so when she noticed that suddenly, the ache in her heart, and the pressure in her lungs had subsided. Shocked, Elle looked to the man with big inquisitive eyes.
The man, quite satisfied with her obedience, nodded in approval.
Now comes the best part.
He chuckled gleefully as he once more reached into his bag and pulled out a beautiful set of wings. Elle gasped. These wings were even larger than her own, though a good deal darker. She reached her hand out as if to take them, but the tall man in the black boots with the black eyes merely laughed and pulled them out of reach. Elle, confused, shrank back and held her knees to her chest waiting for the man to make the next move.
Now, my sweet, the man cooed in a deceptively sweet voice these wings are not just
Ordinary wings. They’ll allow you to fly higher than you have ever flown, and faster too.
But they only work for a certain time. You understand?
Elle didn’t but she nodded just the same. If only she could get those safely on her back she could fly away from this man, and this forest, and everything she had ever known. The man smiled and threw her the wings, instructing her to have fun. Then with a few steps he vanished into the woods. Elle greedily grasped at the wings and clutched them to her heart. She then gingerly and with great pain attached them to the raw braces where her old wings had formerly been lodged. She stretched her new wings out wide; flexed the muscles in her back to test them. They seemed to work perfectly; almost. They were a good deal heavier than the ones she had had before, and were much harder to manage, but Elle blocked this out and forced herself to only focus on flying out of the forest as fast as she could.
This proved to be more difficult than she had anticipated, for, no sooner had her feet made it off the ground, when the wings would suddenly pull her down again. Still she persevered only to fall down again and again. Finally she decided to just give up and bring the wings back to the man. However, when she tried to remove the wings they suddenly took on a life of their own. Now terrified, Elle tugged and tugged at the wings in a desperate attempt to rip them off, but the harder she tugged, the deeper they sank into her back. It was not especially painful, only terrifying. She sobbed in desperation, as she tried to rip the wings off. Suddenly, an idea sprang into her mind. Reaching up to the tip of the wing, she broke off a small piece. Delighted, she began breaking more and more off, until (as earlier) only the stumps were left. No sooner had she done this, when suddenly the wing grew back; stronger and heavier than it had been at first. Elle screamed in anger and desperately at the wings as best she could, but it was to no avail. The wings continued to grow back, stronger and stronger each time.
Elle groaned and fell to the ground. She tried to breathe deeply; tried to calm herself. But it was no use. Looking up her eye caught a small pool nearby. She awkwardly hobbled over and sank down beside it, burying her muddy bruised arms and cut hands in the cooling water, but as she did so she happened to catch a glance at her face and she nearly cried in terror. As she bent over the pool, she saw, starring back at her, a face unlike any she had seen. The once bright sparkling eyes were dull and sunken. The once soft full cheeks were nothing but bones and covered in grime. And the wings! Oh the wings that had once allowed her to soar high above everything else (she could hardly remember the time now). The new wings were ugly, horrid, menacing, and vile atop her shoulders. As she looked into the creature that she had become, all hope for rescue slowly dripped out of her. Standing up she wandered out of the small clearing. No more than ten feet from the clearing, the ground simply dropped hundreds and hundreds of feet down. Elle shuffled to the edge of the rocky cliff, and slowly sat down. Forlornly she stared into the deep abyss. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath. Then exhaled.