Set Free

By FITH FITHIAN

Cody "Long Legs" McCully was born into a life surrounded by adventure in the outdoors. His small, but close-knit, family called a small forest cabin home, where Cody took refuge in his tree house built by his father, Rex. When Cody and his lifelong friend Ryan discover a b

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fith Fithian
• Release date: Oct 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9798868921841

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Front CoverBook 1

SOARING BEYOND LIMITS: SET FREE

Copyright©2022 Fith Fithian

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author.

I would like to acknowledge and express my gratitude to my friends and family, both past and present. Friends are like tree branches; some flourish for a season and then pass, while other principal branches last a lifetime. I may have said goodbye to past friends, but nonetheless, they have helped direct me to where I am today. As for family, they are always there and need no further explanation. Finally, I give all the credit to the big guy upstairs. John 3:16.

I hope you enjoy the book,

Uncle Fish.

 I dedicate this book to all those I love, and you know who you are.

 Never regret thy fall, O Icarus of the fearless flight. For the greatest tragedy of them all is never to feel the burning light.

-OSCAR WILDE-

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

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CHAPTER  ONE

Weaving in and out of the trees and kicking up dirt, Cody cruised off the ramp his dad had helped him build when he first picked up mountain biking.

His legs had quickly outgrown the rest of him, earning him the nickname Cody Long Legs when he was only five years old. When he got on his first mountain bike that same year, a beat-up orange, black, and white Huffy, the embarrassment of the name no longer mattered. His legs were his superpower. Now, at ten, Cody was prepping for his first youth downhill race.

The outdoors was where Cody felt the most comfortable. It was his place of escape, a refuge from the busy world at school and home. After Cody made a few more laps on the small track he’d set for racing his friends, he leaned his Huffy against the tree to run in and grab some water.

From inside, Cody heard the quiet, muffled chirp of the parakeets his mom and dad loved having in the house. The sound brought Cody’s original plan straight back to the front of his mind.

He snatched the blanket off the cage, revealing the two bright yellow parakeets he had grown to know and love. Staring at these birds brought up a sense of longing and desire that he struggled to put into words for his parents to understand. Setting the birds free was more of a need than a simple desire that Cody dreamt of throughout the day.

Quickly, Cody peeked out the window, checking for any sign that his parents might have come home early. Once he was satisfied that he was alone, he bounded down the steps back to his two yellow friends in their cage.

Cody had opened the cage and taken both the birds out to play before, but this time was going to be different. He unlatched the door and took them delicately into his hands.

Say goodbye to your prison, little birdies. The world is yours now, Cody whispered softly enough that he was surely the only one to hear.

Outside, he set them on a branch underneath the treehouse he played in every single day since his dad had built it for him when he was nine. He loved this place so deeply that he knew the birds would too.

The birds simply sat there, staring right back at Cody. The confusion would have been obvious to any observers, if there were any.

Go on! Don’t you understand? You’re free!

Cody shooed the birds off their branch, forcing them into flight. They took a few steps along the branch and hopped over to a new one, seemingly unable to take the full leap to freedom.

This time, Cody channeled his most directive voice and said to the birds, Go ahead, little birdies! Fly! Get on out of here!

The birds leaped off the branch, more out of shock than anything. This ten-year-old boy had only ever shown them love. Now, he seemed angry, shouting at the birds to go. Whether it was fear or forceful love that did it, Cody would never know, but the birds took off into the sky.

He watched as they fluttered past his treehouse into the canopy of the towering spruce, fur, and pine trees he had grown up playing in. Slowly, the birds got smaller and smaller until he could no longer make them out amongst the swaying branches of the trees around them.

Cody didn’t want his parents to know it was he who had set these birds off to a better life, so he ran inside before his mom could get home from work and catch him in the act. He slammed the cage door shut and threw the blanket back on top of it, attempting to make it look as if no one had touched it that day.

To make it all seem a bit more natural, he ran to his treehouse refuge and began scrambling up the massive ladder toward the trap door that let him in. Halfway up the ladder, Cody paused to look out and see if his parakeet friends had tried to come back home. Seeing nothing but the leaves of the trees rustling in the wind, he was satisfied that they had found a new perch.

Cody scrambled up through the trap door and went immediately to his secret stash of snacks. He reached for his favorite, a candy bar he had been saving since last Halloween. This seemed like a time to celebrate.

It had taken Cody’s dad a year to build this treehouse for Cody’s ninth birthday. He wanted to create a space where Cody could get out, feel independent, and live amongst the trees. He had seen the spark in Cody’s eyes when he went outside, even at a young age. Building a treehouse had felt like a small thing to do to keep that spark alive.

This home amongst the trees was more than a few old planks of wood thrown up with some nails and glue. This refuge was built to live in with electricity, functioning glass windows, and a hatch door that locked securely enough to keep any curious bear on the outside. Ever since his dad finished building the fort, Cody spent almost as many nights sleeping out there as he did inside the house.

Aside from his treehouse, Cody had his bike. With these two things, he could stay happy forever.

With his feet kicked up and his body slowly sinking into the treehouse’s beanbag, Cody popped open the window and took in the world around him. He thought about how depressing it would be to be trapped inside at all times. He could feel the pain, not only imagine it. He felt as if a massive weight had come off his shoulders now that his parakeet friends were no longer trapped in a cage, unable to fully spread their wings.

Cody had spent what seemed like a lifetime sitting in this exact spot, dreaming of flying. Birds flew by the window and often landed on the sill, giving him a brief moment to sit in awe and imagine a life in which he could launch himself through the sky with nothing to worry about.

A tickling on his arm alerted him to a large green caterpillar making its way toward his shoulder. He gently scooped the caterpillar into his hands and brought it up close to his eyes. He grabbed the magnifying glass that was always within arm’s reach and examined the caterpillar closely.

One day, you’ll get to fly. Just be patient, little guy.

He set it down on a leaf in the tree next to the window, and the caterpillar immediately began to eat.

Just as Cody was imagining himself forming a small cocoon, preparing to fly, the sound of his mom’s car pulled him back to the present. Immediately he was nervous she would know he let the birds out.

To act normal, Cody slid down his escape slide and ran to greet his mom. Before Cody could make it to her, she was already on his case about leaving the front door open.

Cody! We live in the middle of the forest! I don’t know what I’d do if I came home to a black bear rifling through the fridge!

I know, Mom. I’m sorry. But wouldn’t it be cool if the bear came and made us dinner? Cody replied, instantly regretting coming out of his treehouse.

His mom let out a long sigh. I’ve told you a million times. The door needs to stay shut. We can’t have all the woodland creatures come in and start expecting fresh fish in the fridge.

Even if I took care of them?

Yes, honey. Even then. Now grab the eggs out of the front seat and help me put these groceries away.

His mom could be tough on him sometimes, but Cody’s dad always assured him that it came from all the love she had for him. It sure didn’t feel that way at times.

As Cody absent-mindedly walked into the kitchen, he heard some chirping from above, reminding him of the birds he had just set free. A good reminder to act normal.

Cody Robert McCully! Close that dang door behind you, or I’ll have you dressed up as a bellhop with no choice but to stand there and do nothing but close it!

Yes, ma’am, Cody replied as he whipped around to shut the door.

Hey, Cody…where are the birds?

Cody froze in place. His mom must have followed her ritual of unpacking groceries and then immediately feeding the birds.

Slowly, Cody turned around to face his mother.

The birds? I don’t know; I thought I heard them this morning. But they have been awfully quiet. I’ve been up in my treehouse. Why? He tried to put a convincing sense of confusion and curiosity into his voice, unsure if she would buy it.

You didn’t happen to…let them out, did you?

Cody tried to put on his best surprised face, but he could only imagine she saw pure guilt. What! No way! I would never do that.

With an obvious sense of disbelief, Cody’s mom looked him up and down as she slowly walked toward where he was standing.

How about you head up to your room with your cereal and wait until your dad gets home? Maybe up there, you’ll be able to figure out what happened to the birds, she said with what Cody perceived as a menacing tone.

But, Mom! I want to go back outside!

Go, Cody. Before I have to tell you again.

Cody took his box of Lucky Charms cereal and bolted upstairs to wait for his dad to get home.

Cody stared out of his bedroom window, hoping he would see the yellow feathers of the parakeets flutter by so he would know they were safe, but he saw nothing. The blue skies were beautiful, but he was looking for something else.

Along with a sudden crisp breeze of air, one of the parakeets fluttered in and landed immediately in front of Cody on his windowsill. The bird cocked its head and stared directly at him as he stared right back.

I don’t care if I get in trouble. You’re obviously happier than I am, stuck up here in my room.

He nudged the bird back off the windowsill, encouraging it to fly back out to the world. The parakeet seemed to resist, but eventually took flight and was out of sight before Cody could register what just happened.

One day, I’ll be able to get away. I’ll fly away, just like you. He recited the quiet vow he always made to the birds flying by his window.

He watched the bird fly back and forth across the open air and pictured himself flying next to the bird. Sleep crept closely in as he sat daydreaming until the rumbling of his dad’s old Ford Ranger jolted him back to this world.

The rattling siren on top of his dad’s truck made it impossible to miss. Once it rolled into view, the forest green Park Ranger logo made it even more unmistakably his. Cody loved that truck, but today it was a sign of him getting into trouble, so he ran to hide underneath the covers. He always pretended his covers could be a shield to hide him from the trouble his shenanigans got him into. Even though it never seemed to work, he kept on trying.

Rex McCully, dressed in his park ranger uniform, walked towards the front door with his lunch bag in one hand and truck keys swinging in the other. Even with his slight limp, he always gave off a rugged yet peaceful aura everywhere he went.

Without a word, Rex gently kissed his wife on the cheek, even before setting anything down.

Good evening, my love, he recited with a sense of routine that hadn’t lost its importance.

Nicole McCully showed an obvious sign of comfort from the moment her husband walked in the door. Her entire demeanor shifted with his presence, allowing her to smile at her husband of ten years.

How was work? she asked, giving him her full attention.

Long, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, Rex replied. "The harder days just mean that the park needs me more than usual, and I’m happy to protect it. How was your