The Wingless Butterfly by Wajad R. Basha

Nora is coming up to her 16th birthday, and her demanding mother has got her an extreme gift.

Image generated with OpenAI

Nora reached out for the juice cup, but before she could grab it, her mother hit her hand.

"Not now, Nora! We'll be eating soon."

"But I'm thirsty! The food isn't done yet!"

Her mother didn't respond, but she took the cup off the counter and looked at her with narrow eyes. Nora went upstairs to her room, her brows furrowed.

She collapsed on the bed, staring at the ceiling. If only the festival would come sooner. Her crush would be there; she hoped that if he heard her voice, he might ask her out. When she asked her mother if she would come to the festival, she just shrugged and said nothing.

She touched her nose. The hook, as most kids called her. She constantly asked her mother for a way to make it look better using makeup. Her response was always, "Nothing could hide your big nose. Just accept it."

"Come down, Nora. Dinner is ready."

"Coming," Nora said, jumping from her bed.

Downstairs, she snatched the cup and drained it with one gulp. Her mother just stared at her with disapproving eyes.

"Who are you inviting for your birthday?" asked her mother.

"I already told you I don't want to have a birthday party!" snapped Nora, sitting down at the counter.

"It is your sweet sixteen. All of my friends and family are expecting a party."

"So, it is basically for you, not me?"

"Yes."

"At least buy me something to look better for my birthday."

"You will. I already have an early gift for you."

Nora's mouth dropped. The only time her mother had given her something was when she was one year old, and she knew because her mother couldn't stop talking about the party she had made for her.

"You are going to have wings! Butterfly wings," said her mother, her voice rising with excitement.

"Like... a tattoo?"

"No, they are real wings attached to your back. You will not be able to fly with them but you will look so much better and unique."

"What? How and why?"

"It is a new procedure, still experimental. But the wings are so delicate and feminine, and you need that. Isn't that exciting?" Nora had never seen her mother smile so wide.

"You could have got me a plastic surgery for my nose! I don't want wings!"

"Ah, come on, you will love them. I have seen the results on other girls. They look gorgeous."

The next day, Nora's mother dragged her out of bed at 5am. They needed to go to the lab to run some tests before school. The place was far, located at the end of the city. Nora's mother drove to the small parking lot where there were four other cars.

"Are they certified doctors, Mom? This doesn't look like a clinic." Nora's heart was hammering in her ears.

"Yeah, sure. Don't worry."

They entered the moss-covered building, took a few steps, and went right. It was a small waiting room; another family sat there with a little girl. Nora looked at her. She might have been five or six years old. She was looking at the floor, holding her toy lion tightly.

"Hey, what's your name?"

When the girl looked up, Nora gasped. Her eyes were a shade of beautiful light blue, but the white around her irises was extremely red; her eyelids were swollen.

"They've gotten so much better now. I was not supposed to have brown eyes, so they had to change them."

"Didn't I tell you not to talk to strangers about your eyes?" the man next to the little girl shouted. The girl's shoulders sagged and she went back to staring at the floor without replying.

"Nora Walson, you're next," an old woman said, entering the room from the left door. She was wearing scrubs.

"I will be waiting right here. Go on."

Nora went with the old nurse. In the room, there was a dentist's chair, a sofa, chains and practice bars, and an x-ray machine. The nurse closed the door behind them and sat Nora down on the chair. There were straps. Nora's hands started to tremble as the nurse pulled her sleeve up and strapped her arm.

"Don't worry dear. It'll be quick. You won't feel a thing." She smiled faintly and then disappeared behind the curtain. A few moments later, she came back with a syringe.

Nora winced when the nurse inserted the needle into her arm, but instead of taking blood, she injected her with something.

"What are you doing! What is this? I was supposed to..."

Nora couldn't feel anything afterward.

When she came to, her left cheek was numb. She was lying on her stomach, her arms dangling from the sides of the dentist's chair. She moaned; her legs felt numb too, and she couldn't speak.

"She needs to stay here for a few days until the wound is healed. We can't risk a tear. They are completely attached to her spine. Any wrong move or break could paralyse her," said a rough, masculine voice.

Nora wanted to vomit. She forced her eyes open. A glimpse of her mother's purse was in view.

She tried to raise her head or arm, but she couldn't. It was like she was hovering above her body. So, she just blinked, hoping her mother would notice her.

Half an hour had passed, and she finally could raise her arms. Her mother and the nurse helped her up and took her to a room at the far end of the building. Nora could feel the draft on her bare back, the black hospital gown straps dragging behind her. It was still numb, as if detached from her body. They sat her down on a backless bench. The nurse left immediately like she couldn't wait to get rid of her. In this new room, there was no bed, no chairs. Only a small fridge, a long mirror, and the wooden bench with leather straps hanging from the ceiling beside it.

"I didn't agree to this," Nora said in a husky voice.

"This was the only way to make sure you would come and do it. Besides, look at the bright side. You are already done with the hard part. And they look gorgeous on you. Take a look!"

Nora's mother helped her up and went to the mirror. The wings were huge. They stretched above her head and down to her thighs. A deep blue color with black veins and small white dots along the edges of each wing. Nora's mouth fell open.

"I look like a blue morpho!"

"Your friends will be so jealous." Her mother laid her head on Nora's shoulder, staring at the mirror.

Sleeping wasn't easy. She needed to be strapped to the wooden bench and sleep sitting upright. But the surgery surprisingly didn't hurt that much, as the doctor noted that he had attached the wings to broken nerves. However, the room was getting smaller by the minute; the air was stifling. She kept standing by the mirror, staring at her reflection.

"Hey Mom, look! I can move the wings a little bit. See?"

"Yeah! Isn't that the coolest thing ever? In a few days you will get to show everyone else," Nora's mother said as she squeezed her arm for a second, then went back to the bench and continued reading on her tablet. Nora kept staring, the blue hue was all she could see.

The next day, they stepped out of the old building and headed back to the house. Nora struggled to get in the car but her mother carefully helped her fit her wings inside. The road was empty as it was still very early; her mother was quiet the whole trip. Nora sat on the edge of the seat, unable to fasten her seatbelt. Her body jumped with every bump on the road. She dug her nails into the seat and smiled to herself.

When they arrived at the house, Nora went immediately into her bedroom. She took her favorite shirt out of the closet and a pair of scissors. Carefully, she cut two holes and a straight line along the back and added small blue buttons to attach the two halves. When she was done, she took off her strapless top and tried the shirt on. It made her body look slim and shapely. She was putting on her jeans when her mother came in.

"Where are you going? Don't ruin the surprise. Everybody will be here tomorrow."

"I'm just going to see Katie. She is only a few blocks away."

Without waiting for an answer, Nora rushed past her mother and went outside. The wind brushed her wings as she ran to her neighbour's house. She could feel them, flowing behind her back like curtains made of silk.

"Hey, Katie!" Nora waved as she saw her friend sitting on the porch.

"Hey Nora. Is it Halloween already? Why are you wearing a costume?" laughed Katie as she stood up to approach Nora.

"They are real, not a costume. Look." Nora moved her wings in sync. The air blew Katie's hair a little bit while she stood there, her mouth open.

Katie slowly reached out for her, touching the soft, delicate outline of her wing.

"This was my mother's birthday present. What do you think? Cool huh?"

"This is unnatural... Nora. These wings are so fragile. What if you got hurt?"

"What? Are you jealous because I got something special?"

"What are you saying? I'm worried about you!"

"You don't have to... I thought you would be happy for me."

Nora turned around and ran, still hearing Katie's voice calling out to her. She didn't look back; she headed straight to the house and went upstairs to her room. She slammed the door and collapsed on the bed like she always did. Then she screamed as a sharp pain came from her left wing. Her mother burst into the room.

"Nora! What have you done? We need to get to the clinic. Now!"

They both rushed to the car. Blood dripped from where her left wing was attached. As she sat in the car, her wings looked uneven. The left one was drooping downward and she could feel it pulsing. When they finally arrived at the clinic's lonely building, the car seat was already soaked in her blood. Nora's fingers trembled as she opened the door.

"The tear is mild, but you should be careful, Nora. You can no longer throw yourself at anything, even your bed. The wings need to be cared for very gently," said the doctor in a firm voice.

"Until they heal, right?" asked Nora.

"Until forever. You will sleep on your stomach and treat them like a delicate flower. Understood?"

Nora's body shivered. She knew she would have to take care of them, but his tone carried something she couldn't understand.

"Thank you, doctor. We'll be on our way," said Nora's mother as she grabbed her by the arm and stormed out of the building.

The next morning, Nora woke up, her body aching and her eyes swollen. She sat down at the table nibbling her food and staring at nothing.

"Happy birthday, honey! Today you will shine like a star."

"Good morning, Mom. I am not sure I want to."

"Look what I got you. Try this on."

Nora's mother took out a long black gown from a box. It had straps that would go around her neck and leave her back bare. Nora touched the fabric; it was silk. She gasped.

"Mom, this must have cost you a fortune! You didn't have to..."

"Anything to make you happy. Let me help you wash up and get ready for the party."

"But it's still early!"

"No, dear. It is not."

And her mother was right. They spent the morning in the bathroom, trying to clean her body and wings. Nora's legs ached, but she stood still while her mother poured lukewarm water on her wings. She used a bucket as the streaming water from the shower was too strong.

By noon, Nora was exhausted, but she was all dressed up and ready. She looked into the mirror with awe. The black dress cascaded on her body down to her ankles, making her figure look flawless. Her smoky eyes and her hair in a high bun made her look like a dark fairy. Nora slowly moved her wings and took a deep breath before heading out to the backyard.

Everyone stood watching, all gazing at her. Nora's hands trembled. She smiled faintly when suddenly a wave of flashlights blinded her. She blinked. Looking closely, she noticed many photographers stood at the edge of the backyard. Nora went straight to her mother who stood silently on the porch.

"Mom, what's going on?"

"You'll be famous!"

"What?"

"I knew you could do it. You are stronger than you think. Now go talk to some reporters."

Nora walked away from her mother and stepped down from the porch. Lights kept flashing in her eyes like lightning. Then, a sharp pain rose from one of her wings. She looked to her right side and found the edge crumbling, withered. She stepped back and shouted at the mass of people who wouldn't shut up. Silence fell. She looked closely at them but found none of her family or friends. They were all strangers!

Nora gazed at her mother, searching for answers. Then she jerked back toward the sound of their voices.

"How do they feel..."

"...only one who survived..."

"...fifty thousand dollars..."

Nora grabbed the stair frame. Her head spun and she could barely steady herself. She slowly turned to her mother.

"We were going to lose the house..."

"How could you do that to me?" said Nora, running inside. But then, she stopped and screamed as she heard the sound of fabric being torn. The pain hit her, agonizing. She saw that her right wing was caught with a nail in the door frame. Blood spilled from the tear and part of her wing fell onto her shoulder. She stared at her trembling fingers for a moment, then went back outside, facing her mother and the crowd.

She reached for her torn wing with both hands and pulled it. Sharp pain engulfed her mind and she dropped to her knees. Nora didn't stop. She kept pulling until warmth slid down from her back to her thighs.

Her mother yelled and reached for her arm, but Nora managed to let go and grab the other wing. This time, she screamed and tore it with one pull. The crowd's murmuring and flashing lights kept dancing in the background of her mind. Unfamiliar air brushed against her bare back. She stood up, raised her head, and smiled.