Stories Of The Dark

The Fabled Paradise

"No! You can't leave! Wait up!" The magnificent blue bird didn't answer his pleas. They didn't even look his way.

"I've been following you for weeks to reach Paradise. Why won't you look my way? Why won't you answer me?" Not even a chirp back. This bird was supposed to be the symbol of hope in this apocalyptic world. This was supposed to be a new beginning. "Bird! Bird, please don't go. If you leave, how will I find Paradise?"

The small creature turned around. Their small eyes gazed upon his glossy, green ones. They were like this for hours just staring at each other. He didn't like this tension between them. The small, run down shack became uncomfortable with deafening silence. Bird made the first move by puffing their small feathers out. He's been around Bird long enough to know their signal of annoyance. Bird was annoyed. That hurt.

The young boy crossed his arms huffing while he did so. "You can be annoying too, y'know." I've been living in this hell all my life and now that I know there's a land out there, I want to go! I don't want to kill anymore. I'm tired Bird."

Bird turned their head to the side to look out. The land was decimated. The sky had turned red long ago with the water. He wondered what Bird was thinking. Were they close? Were they trying to show the way while he misinterpreted it as Bird leaving? Oh man. If that's the case, then he started this for no reason! No wonder Bird was annoyed.

"Are we close, Bird? Is that what you were trying to tell me?" No answer. Bird stayed in that position until the dark reds and oranges in the sky signaled it was sunset. They looked at him again. This time was different, however, as their black eyes melancholic. "Bird?" They began glowing slightly. It was soft at first before blinding the boy. He threw his arms up to cover his eyes. "Bird?! What's happening?" For once, there was an answer.

"Boy." Who? He opened his eyes to see a young man standing before him. Bird was gone. He frantically looked around the room trying to locate them. "Boy, it's me. I'm who you were calling Bird." Impossible! He looked at the man again. Looking closer, he noticed that he had blue hair, black eyes, and, most importantly, he had Bird's orange marking on his face.

"Bird?" He nodded. "Why now? Why, after all this time, did you decide to transform?"

"I couldn't take lying to you anymore. You are the only human I have that I cherished after all these centuries of demons dominating the land. You've always been different." Bird's black eyes glossed over before steady streams of tears fell. "It's all a lie. A lie I've made up years ago to give humans hope."

He couldn't believe it. A lie? All his life he believed the rumors. He trained to be a weapon, yet Paradise was a lie?

Bird continued speaking. "There is no Paradise. There is only death."