The Flight

The Flight

Tommy ran through the woods, dodging ruts and roots, his breath coming in little puffs. At last he came to the spot where the magic box sat. He knew it was magic because it had suddenly appeared here in this place that nobody knew about but him.
He crawled inside and laid on his back, bending his knees and resting his well-worn sneakers on the smooth side of the box. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. He knew that if he did this hard enough he could fly like the astronauts he’d learned about in school.
Tommy could hear his father tripping through the woods. He slid into one corner of the box and curled up. Closing his eyes again he silently began the magic chant. He knew that if he did this long enough he could become invisible like the magicians did on T.V. He chanted faster as he father’s approach became louder. He was out of time. His father reached though the box’s opening and dragged him out. He was swearing and slurring his words like he usually did after work.
Tommy became a Ninja like he’d seen in his comic books and tried to wiggle out of his father’s grip all the way back to the house, but it didn’t work. He tried to remember exactly what he’d done wrong this time, but he couldn’t. When his father finally tossed him into the living room he stopped struggling and focused on the picture of his mother. He knew that if he did this, she would save him. She would walk in and say that she had lived with the angels long enough and things would go back to the way they were. But she didn’t come.
Darkness came. Darkness so black that Tommy couldn’t see his own hands. He was invisible, like the magicians on T.V. Darkness so thick it surrounded him and lifted up. He was flying like the astronauts. He saw her. Mom was with the angels, but she wasn’t coming home. She reached out to him, but he couldn’t get to her. He fell back into darkness.
Tom woke up to the white hospital walls. He was alone, like he always knew he would be. Someone had left a candy bar and some Ninja comics on the night stand for him. Tom ignored them. He rolled over slowly and waited for his dad to come get him.