Free Interlude- Brandon by Terry Schott Page B

deliver your next lesson.”
    Brandon looked at the owl in confusion. “How will I talk to her?” he asked.
    The sloth laughed gently. “You will speak to her silently with your mind.”
    ‘That’s right,’ a voice replied inside Brandon’s head.
    ‘Hi,’ Brandon said.
    ‘Hello, young walker.’ Owl said. ‘Are you ready to learn your new lesson?’
    ‘Yes, I am.’ Brandon replied.
    Owl stretched her wings and gave them a playful flap. ‘I will be teaching you to fly.’
    Brandon smiled with delight . ‘Is it very difficult? To fly? ’ he asked.
    Owl’s rich laughter echoed in his skull. ‘Flying is easy,’ she said. ‘It’s landing that seems to be the tricky part.’
    Brandon wasn’t worried about getting hurt, so he nodded eagerly and waited for instructions.
    ‘Flying is accomplished with your mind; the wings and body help you steer and adjust your speed,’ Owl said. ‘The power that you used to hold the rats in the air is the same force you will need to fly. Step one is to hold yourself so that you float in the air.’
    ‘That’s it?’ Brandon was surprised, he thought it would be more difficult.
    ‘Yes that’s it,’ Owl said. ‘Birds don’t have large brains. If it required too much effort to fly they would never get off the ground. Now go ahead and jump up into the air, and then hold yourself up there before you fall back to the ground.’
    Brandon stuck his tongue out and bent his legs. Then he jumped upwards and tried to summon the glow to hold himself in the air.
    He failed at his first and second attempts. On the third try, he got a slight grip, and hung in the air for a moment before he fell over and landed with a thud. After a few more attempts he was sweating and slightly frustrated. Owl nodded encouragingly while sloth sat watching him with an amused look on his face. After a few more unsuccessful attempts, Brandon sat on the ground panting and looking seriously at Owl.
    ‘How ya doing?’ Owl asked.
    Brandon grinned suddenly. ‘Pretty good,’ he said. ‘I think I’ve almost got it.’
    ‘I think so too,’ Owl agreed. ‘Once you’re able to float we will fly around for a bit. It’s much easier to fly than it is to float.’
    ‘Really?’
    ‘Oh, yes.’
    Brandon stood up and dusted himself off. His brow knit together in concentration, he jumped straight up into the air as high as he could… and floated steadily in place, a foot or so above the ground. He let out a whoop of triumph and smiled at Owl.
    The sloth nodded in satisfaction and moved its hand in a circular pattern. A tingling sensation began to spread over his body, and he transformed into a large owl. Brandon hooted and flapped his wings.
    ‘That’s much better,’ Owl thought . ‘Now we can fly. Follow me, youngling.’
    Brandon flapped his wings hard and shot upwards into the sky close on the heels of Owl. She led him on a fast chase through the air, zipping left and right between the trees as they sprang up. Brandon didn’t think; he let his body do the work and enjoyed the experience.
    A short time later Owl flew up above the trees and waited for Brandon to catch up to her. Brandon came up beside her and stopped quickly. He used the energy of the glow to help hold him in place.
    ‘What do you think of your new ability?’ Owl asked.
    ‘I love it!’ Brandon replied . ‘I don’t want this to end .’
    ‘All things end,’ Owl said. ‘This experience will last for a while, though. Let me know when you get tired.’
    Brandon spotted a dark shape rising quickly towards them from the ground. Before he could ask Owl about it, the shape reached them. It was a man dressed in black garbage bags. He had a long black beard and even longer hair which were both windblown and uncombed. The man was dirty; it looked like he must live in a garbage dumpster. His feet were encased in heavy black army boots which didn't appear to have any laces to keep them on, and on his hands he wore shiny red gloves; Brandon