BaBOOM!! The giant mahogany doors of the midtown library BURST open! Wind rushed out as if an airlock had been opened and thousands of loose pages of thousands of manuscripts rushed out into the busy "T" intersection. Clara stood confidently arms spread in the doorway amid the swirling cyclone of paper with the appropriate amount of sass for someone who had just discovered she could fly.
A few passersby had started to gather around the spectacle as they discovered the rain had stopped and closed up their umbrellas. The papers settled into the fresh layer of rainwater as they gently coated the damp cobblestone. Clara smirked through her hipster-chic coke bottle glasses as she folded up a particularly old looking piece of parchment with strange ancient tribal symbols on it and slipped it into her bra.
She looked out into the busy city street. Mirrored skyscrapers reflected the purple sky of a golden sunset. Clara took a deep breath her chest filled with the fresh afterglow of the spring rain.
One step at a time the click clock of her heels quickened. Her smart red floral spring dress flapped to keep up as she ran into the intersection. A cab honked as it screeched to a halt, a woman barley held onto her groceries as Clara dashed past.
Her heels clicking faster and faster until suddenly, the clicks were less frequent, and the clacks almost non-existent. She cleared 4, no, 5, maybe even 6 feet with every stride. Gracefully gliding on the tiptoes of her fashionable stilettos she was barely touching the pavement. Her skirt billowed up and down like a gracefull jellyfish as she gained height and distance with every effortless bound.
People were definitely watching now. Everyone trying to snap cell phone pictures of the "gazelle girl" she mused to herself. Clara looked down and was amazed to discover she had just leaped over an expensive sedan. The cute boy in the car pushed his glasses up and blushed as he was now well acquainted with of the color of Clara's panties.
She smirked coyly as she had better things to do than be embarrassed, and kept moving. This time when she expected to make contact with the pavement she felt as you do when you miscalculate the number of stairs you are climbing and her foot was met with nothing but air. Clara stumbled as best as one can while floating 4 feet in the air and tumbled over trying to get her bearings. Being carful this time not to let the whole in on her choice of underwear.
While she drifted by her hair and cloths were unaffected by gravity and looked as if she was underwater. Her natural inclination was start "swimming" witch kind of worked, but not really. A she clumsily managed to right herself she was met face to face with a Mack truck driver. Their eyes locked with surprise as he choked on his coffee and slammed on the horn. Clara closed her eyes tight as she braced for impact with only one thought in her mind "UP". Clara blasted skyward bursting the surface of the nearby puddles in an explosive splash.
The truck rushed past underneath her finally coming to a stop a few car lengths down the street. The driver snapped opened his door and cranked his neck up to see Clara just a small dot high in the sky. Everyone around was gasping and pointing upward.
The wind rushed softly through Clara's hair. Her eyes still closed tight she felt the warm sun as she neared the tops of the skyscrapers. She found the courage to open her eyes and was rewarded with the most glorious sight! The sunset over the skyline was magnificent the whole expanse of the city splayed out glistening golden below her.
She got a little freaked when she looked down to wave at the tiny people, she was by no means afraid of heights but this was different! Once again trying to achieve equilibrium she quickly realized that her near miss with the truck was the key to navigation and orientation. "Be one with the sky!" she said aloud, she had made an important connection and made a mental note. "So that's what it means! It's not like swimming at all, you just think where you want to go and you go there!"
She couldn't help but let out a laugh as she flipped with amusement very pleased with herself for figuring out this whole flying thing so quickly. "Piece of cake." She imagined herself doing a sassy hair flip and he spent the next few hours soaring gracefully around the city practicing her fantastic new skill.
She visited her favorite landmarks and hotspots from her new vantage point high above. As if in a dream her reflection rushed by she flew low and fast, inches above central park pond leaving two giant plumes of water in her wake as her rush of air cut through the glimmering smooth surface. She hoped it would be a beautiful and unforgettable sight for the two lovers canoodling on the nearby bench.
As it got darker the city sparkled. Clara swiftly floated by a jet-black office building punctuated by the occasional lit windows. In one office a sharply dressed group popped open a bottle of champaign no doubt celebrating the success of their new mobile app startup.
The man's glass overflowed with bubbly, his brow furrowed in complete confusion, his mouth knotted up as he continued to pour looking out the window to see Clara casually kicking back outside the 56th floor. She drifted by and giggled as she pointed to his glass now spilling all over his shoes and the carpet.
He quickly came to his senses and tipped the bottle back up as they all rushed toward the window in amazement. Again scrambling to unlock their smart phones and ready their cameras to record the spectacle.
Admittedly Clara would do the same in their position but she gracefully floated upward out of view just in time waving goodbye. She didn't really care if people saw her but she wished to remain anonymous, at least for now.
The air was chilly up here but Clara was mesmerized amid a thousand points of light dancing around her in the endless reflective corridors of skyscrapers. She decided to end her night with a dash strait up the entire length of the Empire State building. She overshot the top whizzing past the observation deck to a chorus of gasps and awes and was happy to hear a little boy shout out, "Look mom its BatGirl!"
Clara started towards home, happy to never have a use for the subway or hail a cab ever again. She discreetly passed over a few local cafes, just out of view above the well-groomed treetops. She sailed past at a whispers pace while people sipping wine below would barely feel a breeze. The leaves would softly rustle as she silently displaced the air above them.
She arrived on her street satisfied and a bit tired from all the excitement. Slowly descending her arms stretched out in a gymnast dismount position her bright red heels met the speckled surface of her brownstone walk up. She took her first steps on solid ground in over 6 hours and wobbled slightly regaining her land legs.
She looked behind her, happy to know she would never have to clime all those damn stairs in heels again! Clara paused and wondered how she might best pay thanks to her ancient ancestors for the gift they had given her, and in moment of panic she fumbled to find the old folded up piece of parchment. She let out a sigh of relief as she slipped it out from her bra and kissed it. That was for another day she thought. As she unlatched her front door. But right now its time for a safe landing in her bed.