Icarus Dream

It was a hot one
Inside the white canvas portable hangar it was little better
Where the Lear sat with no engines
It's pylons sticking out of an armored cocoon that we'd started to wrap around the fuselage
Stub mounts for the left and right rocket engines tacked in place with Clecos
I'd wanted to have the boy go inside the airframe to shoot fasteners
But the heat had been oppressive
I'd been afraid he'd pass out

So I'd had the brilliant idea to spray water all over the canvas
I was thinking that just like when you pour water on yourself on a hot day
That the evaporating water would make it cooler inside

I was wrong

The eldest Mormon boy and I had had to go take a break in the trailer at that point
For the tent interior had turned into a bit of a sauna
The water having about the opposite effect I'd wanted
But the air conditioning in the trailer was nice
We drank some iced tea
I dropped off for a nap watching Dog and the boy wrestle on the floor with a chew toy

While I slept I dreamed

I dreamt I was Icarus
I was assembling my wings
From plans my father had given me
In my white tent
In the desert
With Dog by my side

I had boxes of feathers
And they were huge
I have no idea what kind of bird they could possibly have been from
But I handled the XXXXL feathers with care
So as not to split the joined fibers as I patiently poured hot wax
Bonding them to my wooden framework
Which was something like a wood backpack frame
With 'bones' of wings extending out either side

I continued until the pair of wings was finished
Stepping outside to check the wind while the wax cooled
My homespun exomis and himation flapping gently in the warm wind
Dog walking slowly with me nuzzling my hand for attention
Taking a knee next to him
I scratched him behind the ears
I told him not to worry about me when I flew away
He looked at me with his deep dark eyes
And blinked

Abruptly I was back in the tent with my wing assembly
Picking it up
Checking it's balance
Putting it on
I tightened the leather cinches tightly
And turned to the door
Slowly walking outside
Careful not to brush the sides of the tent with the delicate feathers

Out in the wind
It was hard to keep my feet
The long black wings catching every gust
And trying to bowl me over

Turning my face into the wind
I started running
All too soon the wind captured me
Soaring me upwards at a sickening pace
Then ebbing
Dropping me a few feet before blowing hard once again
I looked below me
Dog was running beneath me
A small black figure on the pale sands and scrub
Pacing me
But falling behind
Growing smaller and smaller

I climbed steadily
Ever upwards
I hear a slight popping sound
Looking to my left
I catch the flicker of a large black feather falling away from me

Suddenly I remember what happened to Icarus

I awaken flailing in my chair
The Mormon boy's hand on my shoulder
Saying over and over again
It's ok
Just a dream
It's ok
Just a dream

Dog licks my hand

It's been an hour
Time to get back out there
That plane won't finish itself