I awake earlyin our small, candlelit prisona stone towerhigh above the sands of Crete.

Father melts hot waxfrom his thick candledripping it on my shouldershis gentle handspress something into place.

Wings!Giant, feathery white wingsunfolding from my bronze shouldersI stand in awe.

Suddenlyguards pound on our bolted wooden doorbreaking the rich silenceI hear loud shouts of rageand sharp paniccuts me like a knife.

A whispered warninga soft shoveI stumble out of the tall windownothing to hold ontoand I’m plummeting towardthe ground and armed guardsmy heart pounds wildlyI squeeze my eyes shutwaitingI’m a heavy stonedropping into the deepdeath abyss.

Thenmy wings snap uptrapping the cold windI glide softlythrough the blue skyI’m alive!

The wind rushes past metangling in my black locksand slapping my flushed faceexhilaration locks awaymy thoughts of dark, suffocating towersand nightmare labyrinths.

I look downthe sea is bluea deep, glittering massof rolling wavesspread forever before meI skim the cool surfacefeeling the tingling spraybreathing in the scent ofsalt and freedom.

Behind meFather whoops loudly“Icarus, my boy! We’re free!”I break into happy laughter, and he smiles.We fly togetherfather and sonbeating our wingsto a lulling rhythmwe claim the vast sky.

I see the suna blinding golden spherehanging high aboveI can reach it!UpI soarhigher and higherleaving Father belowpassing astonished seagullsthe sun burns hotlyand my face glistens with sweatI reach out to the bright light.

Then I feel itthe hard wax softensin the raging heatand tricklesslowly but steadilyscalding my bare skinI’m terrified.

Now I rememberFather’s urgent warningDon’t fly too close to the sun!It’s too late.

Feathersfall around medrifting awaysuspended in midairI flap my arms desperatelyand I scream to my fatherthe harsh sound ofsharpchillingfearbut all he can do is watchhelplesslythe seagulls don’t catch mein their beaksand I sink into theblack, icy depths of the seaall that is leftis haunting silenceand floatingwhitefeathers.