1. Alexa Raquipiso
Vaughn
English 101
July 29, 2015
Stolen Flight
I watched them steal my feathers and wanted revenge. The larger one and the smaller one
– they collected my plumes with glee, oblivious to my gleaming eyes above them. The two made
my beautiful feathers into ugly, thatched wings and strapped them to their backs; they began to
fly. Furious, I spread my own wings and pursued them. I am known as a king among birds – the
Golden Eagle, fierce and ferocious. How dare they steal what was mine!
I chased them over dark crashing waves and lush islands, though they never noticed me.
This only infuriated me more: wherever I went I was always feared and treated with respect, not
ignored. As I watched them, I noticed a weakness. The smaller one seemed rebellious to the
bigger one’s wishes. He dropped when told to soar and rose when told to sink, all while openly
mocking the larger one. Such petulance, I thought to myself. Surely this could be used against
them… and then my plan was hatched!
I raced to catch up to the small one. “Hey you!” I squawked at him.
He slowed to look at me. “What do you want, little bird?” he sneered.
“Oh, I’m just so jealous of your wings!” I exclaimed. “They look so strong, and surely
better than mine!”
“Of course they are,” he said through a cocky grin, “see how big they are? I can do
anything with them, whatever I want!”
“Can you fly as high as I can?”

2. The smaller one didn’t immediately reply. He seemed conflicted – his eyes darted
towards the larger one, but the suggestion I sowed in his mind had already taken root. He shot up
into the sky laughing, ignoring the larger one that called after him.
“Don’t stop!” I screeched at him, “Let your wings graze the sun!”
The smaller one only kept laughing as he neared the giant flaming ball, praising someone
named Helios. But he was too close now. Those makeshift wings couldn’t survive the heat; they
wilted and shed from his back. His praise soon turned to screams as he followed my feathers
towards the dark waters, disappearing beneath them with an ungraceful splash.