This is me

Chapter 3: Adventures in a new house

They took me in another dark box. I cornered myself, scared again until things got calmer. We had reached some human home, and the first thing I heard was the scream of shrill excitement from one of the horrifying dwarf humans.

"Yeah, there is your animal! Put it in the cage so that the dog does not catch it like the previous one!"

"Parrot! Parrot!" the boy crooned.

He opened the box, and I saw his face and huge smile with a missing tooth. He grabbed me like I was an object and yanked me out. He put me in front of a hideous, wet-nosed, ugly animal. Ugly dog!

"This is your new friend, the parrot Paco!"

Paco? Is that a name?

"When do we play, Paco?" the animal stammered.

He growled at me, and the tiny human creature threatened him not to eat me. He immediately withdrew me and showed me another predator.

"Mica, this is Paco. Your new friend," he introduced us.

"Hello," she greeted me, and I could see her fangs.

This was anti-parrot! I can't live with two predators: a dog and a cat? I would die!

"Now I will show you your house," said the boy, and he put me in a cage.

Home Sweet Home. Yeah sure. My eyes went wide at the sight of whole corn, all for me. I was starving, so I started eating. The dog and the cat looked out.

"Don't even think that that cage will keep you safe," said the dog.

I ignored him, and he withdrew.

I must get out of here, I thought. I looked at a window. If only at some point they were careless, it could go out there.

"You won't be thinking of going out the window," the cat scoffed.

"I will not tell you what I plan," I replied, turning my back.

"Whoops! And I wanted to help you."

I looked at her.

"Why would you want to help me? You are a predator."

"Because I'm bored," she murmured as she stretched.

"Surely you want to make me come out and eat me..."

"Silly, of course not. Here I eat better things. I don't want an animal as feathery as you."

I didn't know whether to let myself be convinced.

"What happened to the previous parrot?" I wanted to know.

"Hunter bit him," she replied as she licked her paw. She sat down and continued narrating. "It was almost dark, and he wanted to escape just like you, but Hunter still hadn't fallen asleep. So, he flew into that window and YUMMY! Hunter grabbed it with his muzzle."

I saddened.

"I must wait for him to sleep well," I barely mumbled. The cat stood up.

"Let me know. I'll watch him sleep."

"For real? Thank you," I answered, full of hope.

"You're welcome," she purred as she glanced at me sideways in a silent, sinister retreat.

Well, she was a predator. She must have caused that fear.

***

"Parrot Paco!" the girl screamed.

"Oh, here it comes again..."

She slammed me out of the cage in the middle of my mealtime and put me on the floor, along with two more toys.

"Here are the three models!" she announced.

She ran over and caught Mica, put a gruesome headdress around her neck. When I saw her well, her face formed the center of a flower, and her expression was pure hatred towards the miniature human.

"The models will parade in front of Judge Mica. Let the first pass!"

She pulled her rag doll and paraded her in front of the cat, who was not paying attention, while I thought of the girl being eaten by all the predators I knew. She gave me a push, and I had to parade in front of Mica so she wouldn't give me another blow.

"Children, come eat!" the boss human yelled.

That human constantly screamed. The children ran and left us alone. Mica brushed off the flower headdress with some difficulty.

"Sick girl," she growled.

"If you don't like it, you could go," I suggested.

"I already said no, here I eat well."

"Kids, what did I tell you about leaving the parrot out of the cage?!"

And so began another yelling session.

***

"Parrot Paco!" The boy yelled.

"Somebody saves Me!"

He took me out of the cage and put me on one of his toys. I overlooked which one. I sighed. I looked to my right side and saw Mr. Bear inside a toy truck. I looked to my left and saw Barbie in her pink car, Max-steel on his superbike, and Mega man on his wheeled ship.

"Oh no..."

"Ready for the race...!"

I looked down; I was in the remote control super racing car 3000.

"GO!"

"Aaaaahhhh!" I screamed like crazy.

I was going full speed. The boy encouraged me even though he was the one handling the toy. Barbie took the lead and was ruffling; the girl was not going to be amused by this.

"Mr. Bear will win if he continues like this," announced the boy.

Unfortunately, Mr. Bear's truck tripped over another toy and was thrown, flipping over, and rolling on the ground in a violent accident. Mr. Bear was knocked unconscious on the side of the racetrack.

Barbie passed by my side, moving ahead again, until the living room door opened out of nowhere and the pink car crashed hard, sending Barbie to a better life.

I could even almost see the impact of her in slow motion.

"What is the parrot doing in your racing car, Martin?!" It was the boss.

Max-steel passed my other side, and Hunter lunged at him, grabbing him in his jaws and dragging him away. I could see him shake him from side to side as he pulled him out.

The boy had been distracted, and I was on my way to bump into the sofa. Suddenly my car took a sharp turn, and I was thrown. I rolled on the floor and ended up under the couch. I was kind of dizzy for a few seconds.

"Where's the parrot? I won't buy you another one."

"It's under the couch, Mom." The child looked out. "Hey Paco, come..."

I turned my back on him.

"He doesn't want to," he complained.

"Why did you scare him then!"

I heard they were retiring. This could be my chance to run away.