Sarah Heatwole

Through the window, I saw a lion towering over the precipice, balanced perfectly atop the iron safety rail at the overlook. “Stop the carriage.” I cried just as we were about to head into the stone tunnel connecting Labyrinth Manor to the town square. The horses whinnied as the driver Mr. McGavock pulled hard on the reins. The spinning wheels squealed to a stop, and I jumped out, drawn towards the lion with an intense attraction.   

“What in heaven’s child?” Mr. McGavock exclaimed. “Don’t you get too close to that edge.” He shook his head and rolled his eyes as he muttered something about always chasing my wild gooses.

I ignored the admonition and slowed my run as I approached cautiously. The lion turned its head and locked eyes with me. The golden saucers were kind. Four muscular legs rose from paws the size of my head. My eyes followed them up to a full body with wings that could span the entire side of our manor house. I never imagined such a creature existed. With the flick of its tail, it opened its mouth and let out an enormous roar. I could feel its hot breath on my cheeks but wasn’t afraid. The wings flared up from its sides to a colossal height. I instinctively backed up, unsure what to do. The roar subsidized. “Come with me.” It smiled, patting a bare spot on its back with its tail. 

Is it safe?

“Am I safe?” It chuckled. “Of course I’m safe. I have no desire to harm you.”  

Historically speaking, lions don’t like humans. They tore the gladiators apart in the arena.

“Haven’t you heard of Aslan?”

Whose Aslan?

“Sorry, I forgot we are before his time.” It vibrated with laughter, causing the velvety mane to swish back and forth.

I looked back at the carriage. Mr. McGavock motioned to me with his hand and pointed at the watch fob he pulled from his pocket. I held up a finger, requesting another minute.

“Why are you hesitating? Don’t be afraid. This will be fun.”

On impulse, I turned and gripped the mane and mounted onto the lion’s back. “Where are we going?”

It pointed with its tail. “You see that small white speck down there?”

I squinted, concentrating hard until I found the dot of white tucked into the landscape. 

“That’s a little lost lamb. It wandered away from its flock. We are going to rescue it and return it to its mama.” 

I smirked. The lion is rescuing a lamb. No wonder I’m not afraid.

“You’re not afraid because I am gentle and kind to my friends.”

You can read my thoughts?

“Pretty neat, right?”

I squealed. “Yes, indeed.” 

I felt the lion smile as it spread its wings wide and leapt off the edge. The ascent took my breath away, and I turned to look back at Mr. McGavock eager to see his disbelief as we took off.

“Don’t look back. He can’t see you. Just focus on this journey, my child. Trust me.”

We rose up into the clouds. A breathless vapor enveloped my body. I rubbed my arms, aware that the temperature had dropped since leaving the ground. The lion’s tail circled my shoulders, rubbing the chill away. Above the clouds, the still blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see.

“What do you think of flying?”

I couldn’t talk against the wind, so I just thought back. It’s wonderful. 

Its tail hugged me tight. “I’m so glad that you came with me.”

What’s your name?

“Judah.”

“Judah”. I whispered, liking the way the name rolled off my tongue. “Will I get to see you after today?”

“Every day. We can fly whenever you want.”

Hooray! Wait till father and mother hear about this.

He circled back and dipped under the clouds. “Hold on tight.” He rumbled.

We took a screaming nosedive. My curly red hair streaked behind me, and I felt the pressure of gravity tug on my cheekbones, but I kept my eyes open, wanting to take in the land that lay below. The speck of white suddenly appeared larger and eventually we leveled out above the bleating lamb. Judah slowly lowered all four paws to the meadow floor. 

“Look how scared it is.” My eyes took in the pitiful creature that had retreated under a nearby bush, crying its little heart out. 

Judah took his tail and in one swish picked up the scared lamb and placed him in my lap. 

“There you go. Now show him some kindness.” 

I stroked the soft fur. “There there, you are safe now.” I whispered in its ear. Its panicked eyes eventually softened, and I felt the spindly muscles relax against me. 

“Are you ready?” Judah looked back over his shoulder.

 I nodded.

We rose again, this time just a few hundred meters, and then came down amongst a circle of sheep. The sheep made such a ruckus at our arrival that I could hardly form thoughts over their noise. 

Judah threw back his head and let out a roar that echoed off the surrounding hills. The sheep fell quiet, then his tail reached back and plucked the quivering lamb out of my hands and gently placed it on the ground. It wobbled for a minute and then bleated, looking for its mother. A few seconds later, the mama emerged into the clearing and nudged the lamb to her side. I touched my cheeks, surprised to find myself crying. 

“Never gets old seeing these reunions.” He said, wiping his own tears away.

“Do you rescue creatures often?”

“All the time.”

“Why do you care so much about them?”

“They are helpless, just like you were today.”

“What do you mean? I wasn’t helpless”

 “You were. You just didn’t know it. Do you want to see? I’ll show you.”

  I gulped and nodded.

 His wings lifted. I looked up at their height and my heart started pounding. What is he going to show me? Maybe I don’t want to see.

“I know you, Allison. You will never be at peace until you have answers. This next part will be hard, but I know a curious mind like yours would want to know.”

He knew my name. How did he know that? Answers to what?

We climbed up in the sky again, and this time followed the road that snaked ahead of us. I made out the tunnel in the distance. He’s taking me back to Mr. McGavok. Soon we hovered above Father’s carriage that lay on its side, along with the unmoving horse. I gasped. “What happened?”   

“An accident. Mr. McGavok lost control of the carriage.”

Broken glass from the lanterns littered the roadway and I squinted, trying to make out the lifeless form whose limbs laid at awkward angles. Orange hair shined against the dark roadway; each ringlet splayed out in a perfect semi-circle. I recognized the tilt of my chin and the slope of my own nose. My eyes widened. “Is that me?”

Judah hung his head. “Yes.”

“If that is me, then how am I up here with you?” 

“I saved you. That’s only your body. Your spirit is here with me. I didn’t want you to feel pain, so I came and got you. Our next stop is heaven.”

“But I only told Mr. McGavok to stop the carriage because I saw you. We didn’t crash.” My brow creased in confusion.

 “You yelled for him to stop because he went too fast around the bend.”

 “Why don’t I remember it?”

 “Because I erased the sad memory.”

I inhaled sharply. “So, I’m never going back to the manor house? What about father and mother?”

“They will miss you terribly, but your heavenly father will take care of your every need, and I promise you will never feel sadness anymore. Plus, you can fly in anytime you want to check on your folks.”

I buried my face in the softness of his mane, clinging to the comfort he provided.

“I knew you before you were born Allison, because I created you. You were meant for a different world. Are you ready for an even grander adventure?”

His nose nudged my chin up. I saw my tear-stained face in the warmth of his eyes. “Let’s go.” I whispered.

He dried my tears with his mane. “There is no crying in heaven. I promise.”