***

The sun was raising and seemed an enormous orange invading the sky. On the top of one of the highest buildings in town, the sight was breathtaking and Shane narrowed her eyes, inhaling deeply, savoring the morning until its last drop.

“…She definitely knew what she liked…”, Tasha considered, staring at the sky.

Shane didn’t turn her head, she just nodded, but Tasha didn’t care. On her face, there was the same serene expression that Shane always sported.

They both wore in black. Black pants, black shoes, a black V-neck sweater. A black coat.

“Pajamas?”, Tasha smirked after a while and glanced at her.

The corners of Shane’s lips lifted in a slight smile.

“Yeah. Flannel, with feet”, she confirmed.

“Excellent choice. What else?”, Tasha asked.

Shane blinked thoughtfully.

“In the elevator of the Bradbury Building… a man touched a woman’s bare skin by accident…”, she said quietly, “…but it made her turn and look at him in such a way…”.

Tasha turned to her and arched an eyebrow.

“And they…?”.

Shane chuckled.

“Yes”.

“It was a good day”, Tasha smiled, nodding in approval.

They remained silent for a long time.

“Do you ever wonder what that would be like?”, Tasha asked, eventually. Her voice sounded husky, unsure.

“Touch?”, Shane asked back.

Tasha nodded imperceptibly.

“No”, Shane answered.

“Yes, you do…”, Tasha elbowed her slightly, and Shane scoffed.

“Alright, alright. Occasionally. Yes….”, she sighed deeply, “…Touch. I’m not asking for it every night. Just… uh… twice a week”.

Tasha threw her a knowing look.

”…I am covered in skin
No one gets to come in
Pull me out from inside
I am folded and unfolded and unfolding…”

***

And now they were walking down the street. Weightless and silent, unseen, through the cars packed in a traffic jam. They would walk quietly, pretending not to hear the mental conversations of the people around them. Or just ignoring them.

“Blue eyes…”, a woman in a Chevy thought, staring at nothing, “…He’s never going to leave her”.

“15 minutes…”, a bald man gripped tighter the steering wheel of his Wrangler. He was sweating copiously. “…15 minutes. Everything in this damn city is 15 minutes… It’s never 15 minutes”.

“My ass on a stool all day…”, a girl stuck into her Oldsmobile said to herself, “…And she always gets the good chair…”.

Tasha and Shane strolled quietly.

“The little girl asked me if she could be an angel”, Shane said staring at the sidewalk.

Tasha chuckled.

“They all want wings”.

“I never know what to say”, Shane shrugged sheepishly, and Tasha watched her with raised eyebrows.

“Tell them the truth”, she replied, simply.

Shane stopped mid-step and turned fully to Tasha. She stared at her.

“Angels aren’t human, Tash”, she murmured, “We were never human”.

Tasha’s expression didn’t change, and Shane shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

“What if I just make her a little pair of wings out of paper?”.

Tasha smiled, amused.

“Just tell her truth, Shane”.

“I told her”, Shane objected.

“And how did she take it?”.

Shane sighed.

“She said, ‘What good would wings be if you couldn’t feel wind on your face?’”.

Tasha blinked and her smile turned bittersweet.

“Good question”.

”…I am colorblind
Coffee black and egg white
Pull me out from inside
I am ready
I am ready
I am ready
I am fine”*

*****

SOUNDTRACK:
* “Colorblind” (Counting Crows)

TBC