Clipped Wings

Chapter 3

We arrived back at his quarters, and he removed our gloves. On the lounge, I hadn't noticed earlier, but a lit-up television was facing it. An expensive television, one of the first ones to have a flat-screen. William strode over fluidly to the lounge and plopped down onto it, leaving me standing around awkwardly, again.

"You're welcome to sit with me, or simply look around for the twenty minutes we have if you'd like?"

How did he always read my mind? I nodded but wandered off to explore my new home. I glanced at the television and noticed he was watching a comedic soap opera with an Avian actor. I only watched from afar for a few minutes, but it was enough to become disgusted and turn away. An Avian lived with a 'funny' family who made sarcastic jokes and goofy movements, but the Avian was walking around on all fours like a cat or dog. The father then genuinely kicked the Avian- No, the Avian actor, and said something which caused a laughing sound effect to play. But with the revealing clothing handlers always made us wear, I could see he'd been kicked hundreds of times with all the bruises he bore. I wished they were make-up.

William's quarters were huge. 7 different doors led from the primary room, and each had something inside. A whole room dedicated to billiards, a miniature library, a private bathroom, a wardrobe that filled the room with his neatly hung clothes, a room filled with art and rich paintings with a single chair, another which seemed to be a spa and one last room that appeared to look a little like a laundry, however, it had hanging harnesses, leashes, food, bowls and was that a bag of my feathers!? I entered the room and realised it was a grooming room of some sort. I thought he owned a pet but quickly realised it had to be me. A deep stab went through my stomach as I stared at pinned measuring tapes, shampoos for my wings, another cage in the corner, and packets of fresh food. It was the dog-walking materials that stung the most. Is this what William meant by 'I'll take you around the palace daily, allow you to visit everything?' There was even a large pet bed, which honestly looked more comfortable than the cage. When I couldn't look anymore, I slipped out and back over to William on the lounge.

"May I please sit with you?"

William straightened up moved over to give me some space.

"What do you think?"

I wanted to ask him about the last room, but I kept silent in fear he'd get upset at me for questioning.

"Big."

The show was different now, but the maid of the house was an Avian with her wings lopped off, you could only tell she was an avian because of the feathers in her hair. But I noticed William wasn't watching, he was reading a book. I tried to make out the cover by leaning in an angle so that the light would shine on the gold letters, but William held it up to show me. Training Techniques. He quietly closed his book and turned to me.

"Jay, have you got anything on you or at your old residence that could help us find out more about you? Like a birth certificate or a license of any kind? Something with your name, age, parents, where you were born, blood type or registration."

I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, I have nothing... When she left me on the street at 5, She didn't give me anything... My old handler won't have any documents either... My 'mother' probably burned them to say she had nothing to do with an Avian and she could live burden-free..."

"I'm sorry..."

"Please, it's okay... She's just a human that had an affair with her husband's Avian and had me, I was a mistake, an accident."

"No, you weren't... Perhaps your 'mother' didn't know about how endangered you were, I bet she would have changed her act if she knew she was getting paid by us for taking care of you."