Eris learns to fly

Note: I was inspired to write this scene from the song “Electrify” by WOLFCLUB. I knew I wanted Eris to learn how to fly on a broom and when I heard the song I could see it happening in my mind. If you would like an audible experience please start the song where indicated: cue song.

“Okay, Cat,” Eris whispered, Cat followed behind as they entered the park in the waning moonlight. “It’s time to learn how to fly.” She whispered but this time with conviction. Cat sat in the grass and licked his black paw.

The damp cut grass squished and crunched under Eris’s sneakers. Leaves on the cottonwood trees rustled in the summer wind and tickled her short pixie cut hair on her face. It was a perfect night to learn how to fly on a broom. She looked around and saw no sign of life. The swing sets and sandboxes were empty. And more importantly, the younger witches who already knew how to ride brooms weren’t anywhere to be seen. Seclusion was Eris’s best friend tonight.

Eris opened her sacred space above her head and reached inside searching for her broom. “Ow, that must be it.” She began to pull the broom out by the bristles, so carefully and gently as to not make a sound, or poke her fingers again. She pulled her phone from her pocket and sat down next to Cat and opened the WitchTube app.

H-o-w t-o f-l-y o-n a b-r-o-o-m

“Hey little witches are you ready to learn how to fly?” Heat swelled in Eris’s cheeks and she turned the volume all the way down on her phone. It was embarrassing enough that she didn’t know how to fly on a broom and the last thing she wanted to be caught doing was watching a children's instructional video on the basics of broom flying. She looked around the park making double sure that no one but herself was out this late at night but the only other pair of eyes she met were Cat’s.

“Meh” he answered.

Assured she was safe Eris returned to her video and read the captions.

A perky young witch teaching the video wore the traditional pointed witches hat and black dress. She created grand gestures with her hands as she discussed the anatomy and historical significance of the broom.

“C’mon, lets get on with it.” Eris skipped to the good part of learning how to fly and turned the volume up just enough so she could hear the instructions with her ear to the phone.

“Now children, the most important part of learning to ride a broom is safety! Never ride your broom backwards, or sideways. And always remember-”

“Ugh”. Eris skipped ahead again.

“So after you have cast your circle,”

“Here we go.” Eris paused the video and placed her broom between her legs, she had made sure to wear shorts that went to her knees just in case the broom shed splinters.

“Cat, get over here I gotta make a circle of safety.”

Cat did not come to Eris. He was in full bath mode now and could not be bothered.

Eris waddled herself and her broom to where Cat was grooming. She closed her eyes and said:

“I call upon my angels, guides and higher self,

My circle protects me and everyone else,

None shall harm and neither shall I,

From the ground and to the sky”

Phone still in hand Eris drew a circle of energy around herself, her broom and Cat. A white shimmery light encompassed them and Eris felt the air change around her. A sense of balance, stillness and security enveloped her. She opened her eyes and pressed play as the shimmer dissipated.

“Set your intentions with your broom. Hold your broom with both of your hands and ask it to activate it’s energy. I like to say, hey broom, let’s go for a ride! Now for this next part be very careful! You don’t want to hit yourself or anyone else.”

Eris looked down at Cat and took a few steps back.

“We are going to spin our brooms around three times! Let’s count together! Are you ready? “

“Hey broom let's go for a ride.”

“One,”

“One,”

“Two,”

“Two,”

“Three!”

“Three.”

Energy flowed through the wooden handle of the broom. Eris could feel the slight vibration and warmth. The stiff bristles moved as gently as grass blowing in the breeze.

“It’s working!”

“Can you feel that, kids? That’s the broom’s energy! This is the only time you will need to activate your broom, it will be ready to fly anytime you want to. And it’s easy! Because you will be using your energy to control your broom. It’s just like walking! Now, are you ready for the fun part?”

“Hey kids! Are you ready for a brand new broom!” A voice abruptly boomed.

“Yeah!” Shouted a group of tiny eager and excited witches.

“Ugh, an ad.” Eris removed her phone from her face and looked around the park. Cat finished grooming and was stalking a moth fluttering in the grass. A cool summer’s breeze refreshed Eris’s face. The sky was full of tiny twinkling stars and the waning moon shone bright in the sky. Insects chirped and the scent of flowing water wafted by. Eris looked up at the stars while the ad droned on about the newest kids broom guaranteed to give your child the best and safest broom ride or your money back. “And parents, we have enchanted the Just for Kidz Broom to fly only as high as 2 feet from the ground so you can rest assured your child is safe! And with our patented slow as a snail pace-”

Eris felt excited and completely alone in the park. There were no lights or houses or dogs barking in the distance. It was just her, Cat and her broom in the darkness. So alone yet peaceful in the black. She could be normal in this place. There was no one to judge her or gawk at a full grown woman trying to learn how to fly on a broom. Eris relaxed her shoulders and took a deep breath. In the dead of night, under the moon and stars, Eris felt safe.

“And here we go!” The cheerful witch resumed, this time with the volume up. Eris, now as eager as the children from the ad, refocused her will on the video.

“Take a deep breath and really feel the energy of the broom. When you feel it in your body, tell the energy to lift the broom and your body off the ground. Go on and try it! Just hover there for a moment. Good job-”

Eris paused the video. As instructed she took a deep breath. She felt the energy of her broom vibrating and creating warmth under her seat. Eris focused on her body, the energy resonated in her muscles and tissue. “Hover broom.” She whispered.

The broom did as told and Eris’s feet were dangling above the grassy floor. “I’m doing it! But this really hurts! Down!”

She and the broom gently placed back down on the ground. “My crotch!” She whined. “Maybe I’m doing it wrong.”

Eris rewatched the video and each time she went up, she came right back down. “It’s like a broom wedgie Cat! Who thinks flying on a broom is fun! Do I just get used to it?”

Cat watched thoughtfully but offered no commentary.

“Sigh, what am I doing wrong?”

And over and over and over again Eris tried. Each time the same outcome, a lift, a hover and a broom wedgie. Hours passed and Eris became frustrated and upset. She threw her broom on the ground and sat on the grass next to Cat.

“What am I doing wrong?” She nearly shouted. Cat, once again, had nothing to say. From pelvic to tail bone Eris throbbed. “There’s no way boys can do this.” She thought. She slumped in the grass, tears on her face and defeat in her heart.

“I must be missing something.” Eris opened her phone again and watched the video.

(Cue music)

“ When you feel it in your body, tell the energy to lift the broom and your body off the ground. Go-, feel it in your body, tell the energy to lift the broom and your body off the ground,lift the broom and your body off the ground.”

“Oh!” Eris had it, or hoped she did. “Lift the broom and your body!” She grabbed her broom and hucked it between her legs, this time, she was sure she was going to fly. And not have a wedgie.

Eris took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She felt the energy of the broom in her hands. A shift of energy left her head and shimmied into her body, from her head to her toes she felt a vibration and pulsation. The sensation encapsulated her entire being and she became one with the broom. “Lift.” She said gently, and up Eris and the broom went.

Eris opened her eyes to see her feet once again dangling below her. A force lifting herself and her body into the air, gently, as if she was made of air herself.

“Oh thank the stars!” She shouted. “No wedgie!”

“Here’s a tip little witches, remember to lift your body and your broom otherwise you will experience and intense wedgie!” The video continued.

Eris rolled her eyes and turned off her phone.

Hovering just a few feet above the ground, she slowly began to make figure eights in the wind. Cat watched as she wooshed by.

Eris smiled and her insides tickled. “This is what freedom feels like!” She thought. Tears of happiness rolled from her eyes. She swallowed and wiped her nose on the back of her hand. “Let's go higher.” she thought, and higher she went. Above the trees, swingsets and play gingerbread houses she soared until she spotted Cat sitting patiently where she left him. She spiraled down with her new found confidence.

“C’mon Cat!” She paused low enough for Cat to hop on the bristles and climb onto her shoulders, taking his usual spot as neck warmer.

“Ya ready? Hold on!”

Eris spiraled high into the night sky, her heart thrilled with fear and courage. She gripped her handle tight and leaned forward.

“Faster.” She whispered. And the broom obeyed.

The wind rushed over her body and tears creeped out of her eyes. Cat squinted his round gold eyes and gripped Eris’s shirt with his claws.

A fluffy white cloud was Eris’s target and it was getting closer and closer until she burst through.

“Woo hoo!” She sang as she righted her broom. Cat blinked and released his breath, his little heart beat pounding with excitement on Eris’s shoulder.

Eris looked down at Witchville below her feet. Her body was shaking with excitement and her heart was practically jumping out of her throat. She took several deep breaths swallowing the cool summer air.

“Oh my stars!” She laughed. And laughed. And laughed! She had never been so afraid and so excited in her life. The town was unrecognizable from above and Eris worried for a moment that she wouldn’t know how to get down. But it was just like the video said, she was using her energy to move the broom wherever she wanted to go. And now she wanted to see her school. Eris pulled her phone from her pocket and pulled up her BPS (Broom positioning system) app that she had been waiting to use ever since she decided to teach herself how to ride a broom.

W-I-T-C-H U-N-I-, the rest auto-filled. A pink beam lit a path in front of her showing the way to her school.

Eris looked at the choices on her phone: straight forward route (fastest/easiest), scenic route (lower to the ground/slowest), fun route (tricks, technical/will get to destination eventually).

With no hesitation she chose tricks, technical. The pink line in front of her changed into loops and spirals that snaked all over Witchville.

Her heart was alive and racing as she rode this feeling all over her city doing barrel rolls and loop d-loops. A crescent moon smiled upon the couple and the stars sparkled with approval.

In Cat’s heart a spark began to grow. This seemed all too good to be true. Soaring high in the sky with his best friend he filled his lungs with the night, breathing in star dust and magic. Wanting to feel the sensation for himself he sat on Eris’s shoulder then gingerly walked down her body and stood on the broom handle. He looked back at Eris who was looking at him. He balanced with perfect ease on the broom handle. She gave him a little kiss on his head as they came up over the lookout of their city. Eris stopped in the sky to marvel at the beauty of her sparkling city below and nestled right in the center was Witch University.

“Wow”, she said to Cat, “it’s so beautiful.” Just then, the sun peaked its head behind the horizon bathing the sky in a pink glow. Eris and Cat felt the warmth on their faces. The view was stunning. The two sat in awe of this glorious sunrise. A new day for Eris as a witch who could ride a broom. She kicked her legs over to one side and Cat padded his way to her lap.

Eris and Cat looked at each other, without words the couple knew how amazing and special this night was. Eris and Cat learned how to fly together. A new sensation spread in Eris’s chest, it was warm and soft and just as thrilling as she looked into Cat’s eyes. She remembered what emptiness had felt like, but that had all melted when she brought the sick, black mass home with her. Gratitude for Cat sent sparks of love that seemed to fill the air around her.

Cat purred and slow blinked at Eris, his paw kneading the air. He felt it too.

They had both been lost and lonely in their past. But those feelings seemed like another lifetime because right now they were filled with love and awe.

The sun rose silently, the stars said goodbye, and the two friends watched as the night turned into a sparkling day.