Icarus Ready

By William Propsner

Twelve-year-old Simon loved his comic books. He loved his comic books so much that he had comic hero posters on his bedroom walls. His mom wished that some of the scariest ones were in the trash but she let Simon keep his posters up. She said that they will help his imagination.

Simon was the only child of Tom and Betty Martin. Simon’s dad was a high school coach and Simon’s mom was a teacher. Betty Martin taught history and that is where Simon became interested in ancient heroes.

And Simon had his favorite hero. That hero was Icarus. Simon loved the story of how Icarus did not listen to his father.

Icarus had a pair of wings that his father had made for him that was made of wax and feathers. His father told him not to fly too close to the sun because the wax on his wings would melt and he would then fall from the sky.

Simon would dream about the wings of Icarus and in his dreams, he would be the one flying.

Simon would find himself flying high above the trees and the houses. He would wave to his friends far below him and laugh.

When his mom would wake him in the morning his dream would be over.

“Mom? Why do we have dreams?” he would ask his mother.

“Well Simon, maybe it is how our brains keep us alert when we sleep. Gives us something to do when we are asleep,” would come the answer that he heard from his mom.

“I wish our dreams would come true.” Simon would say.

“Son, maybe you can be inspired by your dreams. Just believe in yourself.”

Simon would think about what his mother had told him about dreams and he would have daydreams and think of ways that he could make his dreams come true.

One day, on a Saturday, Simon came up with a plan to make his dream about Icarus come true.

Simon woke up with more energy than ever. He had his plan in his head and wanted to get started on it right after breakfast.

Simon wolfed down his morning cereal and ran out the back door.

Betty Martin yelled after him. “Simon! You come back in this house and close that screen door without slamming it!”

Simon entered the house with his head down. “Sorry, mom.” He said.

“Now go out that door quietly please.” Said his mom with her hands on her hips.

“Yes, ma’am.” And he turned and quietly went back out the door without slamming it. Then he ran to his garage.

For the last few days, Simon had been collecting bird feathers and slivers of wood. Along with a few stray nails and some glue, and a few long hours sweating in his garage, Simon managed to put together a pair of interesting looking wings.

He made a pair of arm straps from an old belt that his dad threw out and a pair of sunglasses that were at the bottom of a box in his room.

Simon went next door and gathered up his friend Jack.

“Jack, can you come over? I need some help with something.”

“What now Simon? Not another skateboard!” Jack said

“No, not a skateboard. This is better than a skateboard. Can you come over?”

Simon’s friend Jack was about the only friend he had that actually liked him.

Jack was two years younger than Simon so he sort of looked up to Simon.

The two walked back to Simon’s garage and Jack saw what Simon had made.

“What is that?” Jack said in surprise.

“It is wings. I got the idea from Icarus. But these will work.” Simon said with pride.

Jack looked confused. “Who is Ikkamus?”

“Icarus! He was a hero from long ago. Nevermind who he is. All we need to know is these wings will work.”

“We need to get them on the roof of the garage and I need your help. Just to hold the ladder okay?”

“Okay, but when your mom catches us she is going to scream.” Jack scolded Simon as he helped him set up the ladder.

After they set up the ladder against the back of the garage, Simon climbed up the ladder with his homemade wings on his back.

Simon strapped his arms under each wing and looked out over his large backyard. Then pulling down his sunglasses and stepping off the roof, he closed his eyes.

He waited and felt nothing but heard Jack’s voice fading.

“Simon! Simon! Come back!”

Simon slowly opened his eyes and looked around.

“I did it! I’m flying!” Simon yelled into the air.

Simon was indeed flying. He looked down at the ground below him and saw Jack waving frantically at him.

Simon laughed, then realized that he was not moving.

He looked behind him and saw what he didn’t want to see.

You see, Simon had a hero already.

Behind him stood his dad. His strong arms had snatched Simon just as he stepped off the roof. Simon was suspended by the straps of his wings, which were slowly falling apart.

After getting Simon down off the roof, Tom Martin looked at Simon and smiled.

“Simon, Icarus did not listen to his dad and ended up falling from the sky. I want you to listen to me now and promise me that if you want to carry out your dreams, that you will seek me out. Let me be your Daedalus.”

Simon hugged his father and promised.

- Total nr. of readings: 1,734 Copyright © The author [2020] All Rights Reserved. This story may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the author except for personal use.