it all started with the fall.

the story remains the same, but for the sake of understanding everything, i will tell it, once again.

icarus was his name.

he was the boy who dreamt of flying away. he was the one who always smiled when he gazed upon the sun, and felt longing when it was replaced by its sister moon. he was the one who decided to fly away.

when his father gave him those beautifully crafted wings to escape, he had smiled like he never had in his life. the words his father said, "don't fly too close to the sun, son. or else the wax will melt," icarus had not heard. he was too busy admiring the softness embracing his fingers, relishing on being so close to liberty, so close to his love.

when he spread his wings, side by side with his father Daedalus, he couldn't help but laugh. he closed his eyes and felt the warmth so close to his skin. he gazed below him and saw the sea. he gazed up and saw the sky. with a smile, he flew higher.

for him, the taste of freedom was the sweetest and most euphoric taste he had ever known. for him, the wind ruffling the feathers felt like the hands of the gods, guiding him in the right direction. for him, the sun was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, he had ever felt. after all, in just that short moment, it had become his lover already.

so higher he went.

higher.

the story remains the same.

because eventually, icarus flew too close to his sun. he knew he was going to burn, but he just wanted to be closer, to feel the thrill in his veins. his eyes were wide in inebriation at the sun's power. he never felt the melting wax getting stuck on the skin of his back, his legs, his feet, as he began falling into the sea below.

he just felt the heat of the sun, the gaze of its eyes on him, and he knew that was the end.

the wolrd seemed to go farther and farther away (so far away), slipping from his very own fingertips. he felt cold, no longer surrounded by the sky. he tried to reach upward, to hold on to the sun, to the clouds, to the birds passing by, but he couldn't.

he was meant to fly alone all along.

he could hear his father yelling above him, a chorus of his name. but he couldn't focus on anything else except the oncoming sea, and the inevitable goodbye he must do.

he could feel his wings tearing, and he felt a pain inside. just for a moment.

he heard wailing, cries of his father that remained engraved in his mind as he fell into the sea, the feathers all spread like a litany of flowers in a garden.

but he smiled as he fell, because at least he got to see the sun up close. because at least he got to taste freedom. because at least he got to fly.

and so icarus smiled slightly as he fell, thanking apollo for this chance to live (his father should not have warned him of flying too close to the sun; he should have warned him about not falling for the golden boy with eyes filled with dreams and smiles full of warmth).

and that is the story of icarus, the boy who burned trying to reach his dreams.

icarus, the boy who fell for the sun

never to be seen again.

 

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(he had just wanted to be with the sun)

 

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if they ever try to stop your dreams by reminding you of icarus, smile.

because people often forget that his hands were just as scarred and rough as his father's were. because people often ignore talking about the sparkle in his eyes or his brilliant mind.

because he taught us that falling for something you love is not bad, so long as you don't mind getting burned.

 

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yet, the moral of the story is- don't fall into yourself, or you'll fall from grace

(if only icarus had known)

 

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you are probably wondering, "what does icarus have anything to do with their story?"

to this, i will tell you- everything.

the truth is, icarus was not simply a character i included to create a metaphor. he is not included for the lesson he teaches. he is not included for the tragedy he showed us.

i included him because he was human.

i included the story of icarus because he showed the pain we all felt when our dreams fell down. i included icarus to help you find the answers within yourself (did you ever really want to fly? or was freedom all you desired?) i included icarus to tell you a story about you, and me, and the people around us.

perhaps this is confusing to understand, perhaps my explanation is not good enough, perhaps you simply just want the blunt answers to all the questions you have.

if that is the case, then i only ask for one thing: time.

everything will come full circle when you begin to read the other stories. the answers will come slowly, but they will come. slowly. you will start to comprehend whose story i am actually trying to tell, and why i'm telling it.

with time, you will come to learn who i am.

remember, i told the story of icarus because he was one of us. he, too, was the epitome of a fallen angel.

the only question is, do you know who the sun was, is? because remember, the sun, too, falls each night, surrendering to the night only

the answer is right there.

all that is left now is for me to keep writing everything that has happened, and for you to help me tell the story.

and with time, you will learn our story.

our tragically beautiful story.

 

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"Never regret thy fall, O Icarus of the fearless flight. For the greatest tragedy of them all. Is never to feel the burning light." -Oscar Wilde