Peregrinate

[ per-i-gruh-neyt ]

Verb

1. To travel or journey, especially to walk on foot

Let’s Write…

** Either a story beginning, a story ending, a piece of flash fiction, a poem—inspired by the word, peregrinate, where does it take me? Where does it take you?

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Landril’s foot slipped, and he dropped to his hands and one knee while his other leg dangled in the air. 

 “What the…” he said, his heart racing. That never happened before. Landril composed himself and found his footing, stepping down to his fallen foot, which was now firmly holding him up in the sky. 

 Landril looked down at the cities below, the tallest building some several hundred feet underneath him. Walking the skies was an ability he could explain to no one, but to him, it was as easy as walking on concrete. His left foot slipped again, and this time his whole body fell. 

 Ten feet down, he slammed hard into the air, catching himself, like falling upon an invisible floor. 

 “What is happening?” Landril said, fear coursing through his veins. 

 The skies were never a place he found fear, but where he found freedom and even escape. He didn’t wait to try and understand and began walking down, aiming for the top of a skyscraper. 

 Landril tried to make sense of the lost footing and falling as he walked like descending a staircase. He felt it happen before he fell and braced himself as the sky became soft. Landril focused, and eventually, there was solid air beneath his feet.

 He hit hard, and his knees buckled from the plummet. Landril staired at the skyscraper top. Maybe 200 feet away, he estimated, and he began to run. He raced down the invisible staircase in the sky that he created with each step. 

 Landril was ten feet above the skyscraper when his trusted ability gave out again. Slamming into the top of the building, he groaned from the pain. A relief of safety filled him, and worry about everything else. 

 “What’s happening?” 

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Notes/Thoughts/Ideas

 Well, since yesterday was Star Wars day, May 4th, the idea of “sky-walkers” came to my mind here! Not like flying, but literally the ability to walk up and down and across the sky. Of course, there has to be something that goes awry! 

 There’s a cool World to explore here with his ability and if there are more “sky-walkers” or if he’s the only one. Then, the mystery element of why are his powers fading all of a sudden? Does he get them back?

 It could be this man, Landril, loses his powers entirely, and he’s literally brought down to Earth. What would that feel like? How would he deal with it? How would others deal with it? 

 Lots of cool directions we could go with this, but I like the psychological element this beginning opens up. 

What do you think of Peregrinate?

 Would people console him if he lost his powers, or do you think they’d feel relief to know that this man isn’t so special after all?

Leave your thoughts, your own story beginning/ending, flash-fiction, or whatever in the comments! Where did peregrinate or my story take you?

If you liked this story, check out my podcast of short stories, More Than A Story.

Today’s word is from Dictionary.com.