SandScript 2021

ADDER’S BINDS
Josie Lugo
Fiction
The pain on her wings returns as
Adder’s mother finishes tightening the
metal binds to keep her wings bound. This
time her mother uses two binds—since
Adder broke the last one in only a week.
Mother stands back to admire her work
and asks Adder to try and move them to
make sure that they are secure this time.
Sirens have overly sensitive wings in order
to detect changes in wind currents, but
while bound she can only move them
up and down slightly, and any chance
of extending them past her shoulder is
impossible.
“Good.” Her mother claps her hands
as if she’s proud with her work. “Now, this
time, let’s try not to break the binds Adder.
Regardless of what you may think, I don’t
have an endless amount and they are
expensive. But if you would simply let me
cut them off like mine you wouldn’t have
to endure this anymore. I know it can’t be
comfortable for you.”
Adder gives her mother a noncommittal
groan and leaves her to put
away the extra bindings and tightening
tools. Just looking at the metal binds sends
a shiver down her spine, so she gives her
mother space to hide them back under
her bed. Having two binds instead of one
is worse than she could imagine. Adder’s
wings are sensitive enough to detect
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even the slightest of currents in the wind
and the metal rubbing against them as
she walks, or even breathes, makes her
back feel as if it’s on fire. Over time, she
had gotten used to one band—not that it
ever became comfortable—but it wasn’t
as excruciating as this new banding, set
just below the original one, both rubbing
against the sensitive feathers of her
wings.
Even though she would like to,
Adder doesn’t blame her mother for the
bindings. Well, she doesn’t only blame her.
Eons ago, Sirens made up the brute force
of the King’s armies and since then they
Rick Spriggs
Life
Ceramic 4”Hx7”L