text: Icarus’s eyes gazed down at the pairs of wax wings that were hidden under his bed. They were ready to be secured to his and his father’s body tonight. They were going to escape, finally, after being a prisoner for years upon years. “Icarus? Come here!” Daedalus’s voice echoed off the overgrown stone walls. “Coming!” His own voice bounced back. He stared at the wax wings for a second longer then pushed his mattress over them, protecting them from the watchful eyes of King Minos. He ran around the corner to Daedalus, stopping only when he saw his father’s worried face. “My boy, King Minos is going to be here any second, we have to be ready for his arrival.” Icarus nodded. “We just have to get through his daily checkups and then we will be free.” Daedalus’s face went from worried to anticipated. The pair had been thinking of an escape plan for years, they had gone through multiple fails, which had resulted in King Minos coming in everyday and checking that they are both still locked in their dedicated workshop. But this was different, they had a plan, a plan for escape. When night falls, they will break the window, secure the wings on their backs, and fly into the night. The wings would not melt because of the coolness of the night, but then in the morning they could get rid of the evidence of escape by leaving the wings out to melt into wax. All they had to do was get through this inspection. As soon as Daedalus finished talking, the doors to the room opened, King Minos stood there, looking at the pair with disinterest. He strutted into the room with four of his soldiers at his side, a little overkill if you asked either of the prisoners. “These daily reports of if you are still here are getting rather constant, yes?” Daedalus and Icarus nodded accommodatingly. Minos looked around the room, his brow furrowing. “Have you changed something? It feels...off.” He looked at the pair accusingly. “No Sir, we haven’t changed anything. But we haven’t had our food for today.” Daedalus suggested, his throat bobbing. “Yes, yes your food is coming,” King Minos rolled his eyes, and flicked his hand to one of his soldiers who then left the room in search of food. “As we are waiting for him to get back, we will inspect the area.” He looked at the prisoners with an impish grin on his face, as if he knew they were hiding something. Two of the soldiers started scampering around the room, searching for anything askew. While King Minos and his one soldier stood still, looking at the two soldiers, waiting for them to find something out of place. The two soldiers made their way around the room, checking every nook and cranny, until they finally got to the mattress where the wings were hidden. The pair stood with wary hearts as they looked at the soldier's lift up the mattress, to reveal where the wav wings were hidden/ “Well, well, well, now what is this?” King Minos said as he strutted over to the soldiers that were now unloading the wings onto the floor. “An escape plan? Well, why would you want to leave?” He said, looking at the prisoners with a glee grin. “It’s not what you think it is!” Daedalus called, running over to the wings and looking down at them, Icarus followed. King Minos stared at them, delighted that he could wreck another one of their escape plans. “Then what is it?” Minos asked. Daedalus went quiet for a second, looked around mutely, and then rushed over to the workshop table. The three soldiers, King Minos and Icarus looked at him in confusion. Daedalus muttered to himself as he fitted gloves over his hands. He turned around with a gleeful expression. “Now, what are they?” King Minos spoke with obvious excitement. He was a king, yes, but a boy who likes treasure at heart. Daedalus hurried back to the wings and soldiers, stared at each of them, and then jumped onto King Minos, clawing at whatever he could reach. “Icarus! Get the wings and fly!” Daedalus screamed from on top of the king. His guards struggled to lift Daedalus off of the wailing king. “But, you need to come with me!” Icarus called as he started putting on the wings harness. “I can’t! But, my boy, listen, do not fly too close to the sun or sea!” Escape! Do not look back!” Daedalus finally submitted to the guards' efforts, and as King Minos stood up, a window smashed. They all whipped their heads around to see the fragile body of Icarus with the wax wings secured, staring out into the sea and the sun. Icarus looked back at the occupants, smiled sadly at Daedalus and jumped. Icarus leaped from the workshop’s window, jumping out into the great big sky. With tilted wings he started to soar, higher and higher. He could feel the sun kissing him with burning lips. He could feel the wind carrying him higher. He could practically taste freedom. Icarus raised his hand to the sun, to touch what he couldn’t before. He smiled as he flew, a wide unrestrained smile. For years he was trapped. Trapped like an animal in a cage. But now he was free, free to fly, free to live. Icarus laughed, a laugh that was full of happiness and excitement. Icarus flew down towards the ocean and then back up to the sun. The wax wings started melting. Hot liquid wax trailed his fragile body. Icarus’s smile twisted into shock, a shrill scream left him. He started to plummet, further and further down. His wings burnt to nothing, Icarus had no choice but to fall. Looking up to the sky, Icarus cried out again, his freedom...gone. Icarus struggled against the tides. He sank lower and lower, down into the murky abyss. The air left his lungs, his screams for help turned quiet... Trapped under the waves, Icarus’s body was buried under sand. He was in a cage that he couldn’t escape. He was forever a prisoner. A boy, high on freedom, the sun, a tragedy.