JD Devine

By: JD Devine

From sunup to sundown, he remained tethered to his desk, fingers pounding away at a keyboard, helping build someone else’s dream. His heart ached for something greater, something beyond the tedious routine that had become his existence. But freedom felt like a distant myth, a story told to children who hadn’t yet learned the harsh realities of adult life.

During his rare moments of respite, Henry would stare out the office window, watching birds slice through the air with effortless grace. He envied their freedom, their ability to soar above the city’s suffocating grip. When his boss’s sharp voice cut through his daydreams, demanding he return to work, the weight of his reality seemed to crush him a little more. Every keystroke tightened the chains of his corporate bondage.

That night, as he lay in bed rehearsing tomorrow’s burdens, moonlight spilled through his open window, casting silver patterns across his room. The summer breeze carried with it something different—something wild and ancient. As Henry watched the treetops dance with the moon, a strange sensation washed over him. Energy rushed through his body like lightning, igniting a fire deep in his soul. He sat up, his senses suddenly alive with an otherworldly clarity.

The transformation began without warning. His bones shifted and rearranged themselves, sending waves of pain through his body. But as the agony subsided, he found himself wrapped in a cloak of feathers—an unshackling of his soul that brought an inexplicable joy rather than fear. His bones elongated as magnificent wings stretched to their full span. Where once stood a man bound by society’s expectations, now perched a hawk, majestic and free.

With his heart soaring, he launched himself through the bedroom window into the night sky. His wings cut through the air with a power he had never known, each beat carrying him further from his earthly troubles. The city stretched out below him in every direction, a tapestry of lights and possibilities. From this height, he could see beyond the concrete and steel, past the chaos and noise, to a world unlimited by human constraints.

For hours, Henry danced among the stars, his wings carrying him to places he’d only imagined. He discovered forests, fields, mountains, and streams—a world of untouched beauty that existed just beyond the city limits he’d never dared to cross. The exhilaration of flight filled him with a joy so pure it brought tears to his eyes, had hawks been capable of crying.

As dawn approached, he felt the pull of his human form calling him back. With a heavy heart but grateful spirit, he turned toward home, his wings beating a steady rhythm through the pre-dawn air. He savored every moment of his final flight, knowing this gift of freedom was temporary but the impact would be permanent.

The first rays of sunlight touched the city skyline as Henry glided through his window, his body returning to its human form. Despite the pain of transformation, a profound peace settled over him. The hawk’s gift had left an indelible mark on his spirit—he had tasted true freedom, and there would be no returning to his chains.

As the morning traffic began to buzz below his window, Henry’s alarm blared its daily wake-up call. But instead of responding to its demand, he silenced it with a decisive click. His heart now beat in rhythm with the hawk’s wild spirit. He gathered only what he truly needed, leaving behind the trappings of his former life without a backward glance.

Where before he had seen no path to his dreams, now he understood that freedom wasn’t about finding an existing path—it was about having the courage to create one. The hawk had shown him that transformation was possible, that the sky wasn’t a limit but an invitation. As Henry walked away from his apartment, he carried with him not just hope, but certainty. He would build a life worthy of the freedom he’d discovered in flight, one where his spirit could soar as high as his wings once had.