Wings Over the City

More about Wings Over the City

Before Mollie could protest, Percy had already gently grabbed him with his claws and lifted him into the air. Mollie gasped as the world beneath him shrank—the cars, the people, even the flowers in the park. Higher and higher they rose until they glided over the bridge.
The wind rushed, and Mollie clung on, but soon fear gave way to wonder. The bay lay below them, the city sparkled. The bridge was a red ribbon between sky and sea. Tears of joy gathered in Mollie's eyes.
Percy nodded. "Every living being deserves to see the world from a new perspective, Mollie. Even a mole like you." Mollie hesitated. A mole with a fear of heights isn't a cliché—it's reality. But Percy's gaze was calm. Not urgent. Just there. Like a promise. "You don't need to hold on," Percy grumbled, and closed his powerful claws around the handle of Mollie's backpack. "I've got you." Then they took off. The wind whistled stories around their ears. Below them, the city grew, spreading out like a carpet of dreams: streets like veins, cars like beetles, and there—the bridge. Golden Gate. Not golden, but shining. A radiant arch over the water, as if someone had cast an idea in steel. Percy floated above it, his wings beating powerfully. Mollie's legs dangled free, his heart pounding wildly, between fear and joy. "What if I fall?" he cried. "Then I'll catch you," Percy called back.He laughed. And there it was again—that feeling of being more than just what you think you are. Below them, a cargo ship glided into the bay like a lazy whale. Flags fluttered, seagulls screeched, and a child waved from a convertible, as if he had sensed that something extraordinary was about to happen. "San Francisco is crazy," Mollie thought. "But somehow it fits." After a lap, Percy gently brought him back. Mollie shivered with happiness. "I'll never forget this day," he whispered. The landing was soft, but Mollie's knees still trembled. He took a deep breath. Sea, wind, adventure. "Thank you," he said quietly. Percy blinked. "This is what wings are for." Then he spread them again and disappeared among the clouds and the cries of seagulls. Mollie watched him go. A tiny dot in the sky, but somehow larger than everything. She adjusted her sunglasses, dusted herself off, and moved on, sitting down on a bench. After a while, he started walking and headed toward the city. Toward the unknown. With wings in his heart.