I woke up to pain. It was like growing pains but all concentrated and on my back. It wasn’t unbearable but it wasn’t comfortable either. I rolled over and moved around a bit.

I was stuck. I couldn’t move.

That was when I started freaking out, was I bound? I could see the light but my eyes were still blurry. I couldn’t tell where I was. I had fallen to what felt like the ground.

I heard hurried footsteps. It sounded like socked feet on tile. Then I heard my name.

In what sounded like my roommates voice. I realized I had a towel over my eyes and was keeping me from seeing. I then realized I was completely wrapped in towels and Kyle was kneeling next to me trying to unwrap me. He got me out of my trap that I had created for myself.

When I was finally free, I managed to sit up and got some water from Kyle.

I was slightly embarrassed of my freaking out and my eyes flicked around the room. Not looking really at anything.

I looked over at Kyle. He gasped. I was instantly scared. What was wrong? I was so worried something else had been completely changed for the worse. I asked him what was wrong in a small scared voice. He whispered “Your eyes”.

I was surprised. I had expected something much worse. But I still need to know what he meant. To my relief he pulled out his phone and offered it to me.

I looked at my face. It was normal except for the silver and red eyes that peered up at me. They looked so unnatural I couldn’t believe it.

I didn’t even know what to do. I felt Kyle’s arms wrap around my shoulders. He was so gentle, I just collapsed into his warm embrace.

It felt like I was there for hours, I think I might’ve cried once or twice. After what felt like a wondrous eternity, I stood and stretched.

That was probably a mistake. Blood flecks flew everywhere when I stretched out those horrid wings.

Kyle looked at me with concern. He stood next to me. He said in a caring voice “We should probably wash off the blood, don’t you think?”

I nodded in agreement and walked off to the bathroom. I heard Kyle follow me.

When I got to the bathroom I realized I couldn’t reach my back. Kyle had walked into our tiny shared bathroom behind me. He looked at me and asked “How do you want to do this?”

I replied with “I- I can reach them, you’ll have to do it.”

He nodded and grabbed a cloth from below the sink and dampened it from the sink.

He turned to me in the cramped space and gently started wiping to blood away.

It felt like picking at a scab. Not painful, but not pleasant.

It took a while for Kyle to wash all the blood from my back and at the base of the wings.

Then he moved on to the outer parts of the wings. It felt amazing when he brushed his hands along the top of my wings. For whatever reason it felt amazing. Better than any other feeling I have ever experienced.

While he cleaned my bloodied wings it was my time to think.

I thought about what I planned to do. I couldn’t go to work like this.

I couldn’t go out with this monstrosity on my back.

I couldn’t do anything. I started to hyperventilate, Kyle noticed immediately. He stoped cleaning and turned me to face him. He held up my head and looked into my startled eyes.

He said “What is it? Are you in pain?”

He wanted to know if I was in pain? How could he be so calm about all of this?!?

I was freaking out and he looked the same as he always did when he was slightly worried about something.

It was simply amazing how calm he was.