A Foot Off The Ground
I was inspired this by the lovely Donna Munro at a flash fiction workshop to write a creepy little short while attending the Ghost Town Writers Retreat. Equipped with strange pictures, we were told to choose one. I sat by this one of a levitating girl and began writing the story from the moment I sat down.
Angela Gibbons caused her family a fright from the moment she was conceived. While in her mother’s womb each week would go by, causing her mother very unusual symptoms. Little Angie was born on August 17th, 1972 at 11:23pm. Hours later, when the nurses did their nightly rounds at exactly 2:15am, they found the babe floating exactly one foot above her assigned crib. Once they were brave enough to approach the child, no amount of force could ground her. As quickly as she rose, at 2:16am she lowered gently back to her bed. And so it was every single night.
Later it was realized, after months of studying the phenomenon, Angela Gibbons consistently levitated exactly one foot from where she lay at exactly 2:15am for exactly one minute. For months they tried to tie her down, but no matter how heavy, everything they attached to her would levitate exactly one foot off the ground at exactly 2:15am for exactly one minute every single night.
When Angie grew to be seven years old, she pleaded with her parents to remove the rope from her while she slept. The heavier the object, the more tired she was the next day. It was affecting her studies at school. They reluctantly agreed, but someone had to stay and watch over her every night at exactly 2:15am for exactly one minute. After a month they were comfortable that she would go no higher than exactly one foot from her bed and allowed her to sleep without watchful eyes.
For three years Angie lived as a normal child aside from her nocturnal flights. Until she disappeared. With the doors and windows locked tight, no one had any idea where little Angie could have gone. Authorities, being privy to her odd condition, did not spend much time or resources searching for her. They checked her tree house, the neighborhood park, and her friends’ houses, all of which were unfruitful.
It was not until years later when her parents were preparing to sell their home after giving up hope for her return. A few friends of the family came to help them repair damage on the roof where they found Angie’s shoe hanging from the highest point of the chimney just out of sight from the ground.