An oval bowl of brackish water melts into an open, tasteful spread of pebble, algae and mud. The late afternoon sun grants me an over-bright, unhindered view of the mountains beyond the gleaming blue/green/black surface. A stern, cold wind blows in from the west; offering a steady flume of reliable motion. It felt strong as it teases between primaries and ruffles the coverts. In all...a perfectly suited day for a feathered creature to ease into the sky. My lean, trying confidence boasts that, today is it! Pinions loosen, I crane backwards -- turning and studying the feathers for imperfections. Once my pre-flight check is complete (and the discarded feathers have been dealt with) I push both arms further apart. At first, the joints resist my urge into motion. Up, down. Rinse, repeat. Muscles twinge, resenting and acting wholly argumentative. I frown, but keep on.

Mini me watches from her shadowy habitat – offering encouragement in her own twisted way. This is a perfect place to refresh, she smiles, somehow looking both amused and approving within my figurative mind space…meanwhile an anxious lump rises into the folds of my throat. If we fall from the sky, the water will break it. However true that was...her comfort and 'logic' leave me feeling less comforted.

I square up, brows narrow....my heart thuds expectantly...lungs suck in a deep drag of that thin, mountain air.

Ears flick back. Now! My hindquarters explode, all four toes extend; shoving, digging hard into the mossy loam! Jaws clench as my wings unfurl and send those feathers streaking across the floor. Every muscle is dedicated, working and pumping fluidly – warmly even. The biting current strengthens, whisking against my neck, tangling my hair into a messy array. My tail lashes, striking the top of either hip as it sways. Panting, I push from the ground just as the soggy bank-side rises to meet me – gravity barks, pulling on these tender, underused joints. Toes curl inward, anticipating that inner warmth. But it isn’t enough! I thrash hard, harder! Every fiber is straining, reaching for the sky! Water drags the tips of my feet and snaps at the low thrum of either wingtip.

Just as I begin to rise, a sharp and sudden cramp floods in from my screaming pectoral muscles; it races and tingles up the joint. Cringing, receptive to that sudden ache, I wince and unintentionally slow the next down stroke. My hopes sink, while my little heart thrums into overdrive....that tiny adjustment proves fatal to my goal...it was all the mistake it took for the water below to become my unhelpful landing pad. That sickening feeling of falling is brief, I drop from the sky like a feathery rock and plummet straight into the icy pool.

Woosh!

Chilly water rushes in to consume every inch of hot, milky liver flesh. The sudden chill forces precious air to evaporate in the form of a gasp. Useless waterlogged feathers bobble, dunking as they struggle to hover upon the surface. At the point of impact, my legs had common sense to kick out…yet, my courage suffers a sour, terrified stroke of fear when nothing but murky emptiness meets me. Willpower snaps into motion; I paddle with these thin legs and send every ounce of energy into the next stroke. Water tickles upward, clinging to the hairs inside my nose -- some of it drains down the back of my throat. A tight, disgusting sneeze rivets through my entirety – followed by a fit of coughing. These lungs are moaning, burning! Eyelids pinch, shielding my core from the frigid torrent. The shore wasn’t far...but it felt like an eternity…seconds later the sandy, vine covered bottom appears just as my sudden influx of energy begins to panic.

OC: Open for any <3