Bohemia Village Voice

The Lesser Spotted Dream Catcher

She sat at her desk blindly staring at the blank screen. She had come into work early, yet she couldn’t remember the drive in, where she had parked, or whether she had eaten breakfast. She’d had a dream. A gorgeous, vivid, all-consuming dream in which she’d been flying on beautiful wings.
Her fingertips reached and touched the horizons. She heard the flutter of her feathers being plucked and strummed by Nature’s breath. The sky was a perfect deep blue; it tumbled, poured itself elastic into the sea, which pulled and pushed in a tempestuous dance. She felt the sun’s energy getting stronger as it climbed higher to its zenith. Then she’d turned so she faced downwards and falling into a spinning dive, had pierced the surface of the sea plunging into its bosom like an arrow.
Melody, her secretary, bustled in. Efficient and prepared. She eagerly switched on her computer, stowed her handbag in the desk drawer and went to hang her coat on the way to make coffee. She noticed Christina’s office was open and popped her head in to see if she would like a cup. The window was wide open and wet footprints pooled on the carpet. Files had been cast around, their paper insides had gleefully been liberated and had floated around the office, roosting in the potted plants, floor, desk and cabinets waiting to take flight again. Christina sat shivering wet in a torn nightdress, staring at her dead computer.
Melody, being disgusted by panic, calmly stepped in, closing and locking the door behind her. She gently called her boss, not wanting to startle her. Christina’s eyelashes fluttered and her gaze moved to her hands, which she held up to her face.
“I had wings, Melody. Beautiful wings,” she said.
Melody frowned in alarm and moved closer, putting a hand on the confused woman’s shoulder. The smell of the ocean was powerful and pervasive. She went to close the window, but Christina stopped her.
“What would you like me to do?” Melody asked. “Shall I call your husband? Or your sister? Christina?”
Christina shook herself, felt herself ruffle inside then become smooth.
“No. Thank you, Melody.” She looked into her loyal secretary’s eyes and smiled reassuringly,
“I’m fine. Sorry to have frightened you. I think I shall take off, I’m not feeling very . . . human today.”
They both chuckled.
“Can you please cancel my appointments, but first make me a cup of tea?”
Melody exhaled, relieved that normality could return. Bolstered by routine, she confidently unlocked the door and went to pull it open.
A strong updraft crushed her to the door, she heard feathers, skin and bone catch, then take control of the air. Delighted papers leaped and pranced around the office and as they reluctantly settled, it was revealed that Christina was no longer at her desk. Melody screamed and ran to the window, looking down at the street far below, but there was no screeching halt of life and no broken body.
Bewildered and afraid, she looked up and through a kaleidoscope of tears she saw a huge white bird spinning and gliding towards the sun and the sea.