Anima: The Bird House

Chapter 14

Laying in bed, I tried all manners of positions, trying to find some way to fall asleep. My heart was racing at the thought of what I had just done. I could still feel something in my throat.

I tried my best to get some amount of sleep. Eventually, I turned the lights out and lay on my back, staring at the black void my eyes presented me. There is nothing I wanted more than to try and sleep off what had happened tonight. Maybe it was a combination of the small amount I slept on the couch and the stress, but I felt wired and awake!

I heard a door open, then shut. It was distant, sounding like something downstairs. Shortly after, I heard an upstairs door open, then slam shut. I tried to find my phone lying on the bed, shuffled my arms around, and blindly reached for it. Upon finding the phone, I looked at the time.

"7:45 am"

I had laid in bed for hours, getting no sleep, and the whole house was now waking up. Someone had to find whatever mess I had left behind last night. Water was all over the floor, and dishes were strewn about. It was quiet for a while after, waiting to hear yells or even shouts of my name. But nothing came, just the peaceful silence that filled the night. I gave up on sleeping, climbed out of bed, and stumbled to the light switch. My only guide was the tiny slit of light under the door as I drug my feet slowly, feeling for anything on the ground.

Turning on the light, I could see my image in the mirror. I call it my image, but it didn't feel like myself. I saw a partially feathered monster staring back at me. Its movement perfectly mimics my own, but none of it seemed real. I spent the next few minutes looking over myself in the mirror. Feathers covered my legs with the classic "red" tail hanging behind me. My face had a beak with a small number of feathers filling some of the space around it, flowing down onto my neck. My eyes were yellow circles that gave no visible expressions when paired with my beak.

What would remain of me after the last changes? Sure, by this time, having been dragging the tail along for as long as I have, I would consider it part of me. What's the difference if it happened over a year versus over a few days? Would I even know I became something different, or would my mind be entirely replaced?

I had to stop myself from thinking this way. Like I was told, all I'm going to do is bring it quicker. Maybe I should look forward to the change and embrace my new self. I stood up, straightening my back while looking in the mirror. Looking at myself, I wanted my thoughts to change, but they still seemed alien. But at the same time, I couldn't fully remember what I looked like before my changes.

I coughed, feeling a tickle in my throat. My crop still felt like it contained something, perhaps even stuck inside. I massaged my crop as best as possible, which led to no change in the feeling. That paper probably talked about what to expect, but the crop, raw meat, and lack of chewing were disgusting and barbaric. But if it was going to happen, I may as well know ahead of time.

I opened the door and began walking downstairs. As I rounded the corner heard Nash and Rylie speaking in the kitchen, Rylie was visibly standing at the counter looking down. As I stepped into the living room, Rylie saw me reaching for the paper.

"There's the party fowl. It looks like you made it upstairs," Rylie said.

I nodded, the tickle in my throat causing me to adjust my neck.

"You make this mess last night?" Nash shouted from the floor.

I was about to confess to what happened before Nash continued. "Mouse set off the trap and somehow got out of it. Left a mess of blood on the ground. We should probably find it before it decomposes and stinks the place up."