𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂

Chapter 1~ Songbirds and Melodies

Floating. I'm floating, or at least it feels like it.

The breeze rustles my dark blue feathers as I flap them gently to keep me floating.

I twitter slightly, producing a beautiful melody. My call is heard, and returned.

I raise my head eagerly, looking for the recipient of my song.

There! A small bird, blue just like me, a couple trees away from me.

I head towards him, relishing the feel of the wind in my feathers.

The bird tilts his head. I fluff my feathers out slightly, trying to impress him.

He tweets out a beautiful song.

My heart flutters. I reply with my own melody.

He picks up a twig in his beak. I understand him.

I pick up another twig and, together, we begin to weave a nest.

Darkness. Everything's blacked out. The last thing I remember is building a nest, with my mate...

Light! At last. My vision fades back, and I'm greeted by the twittering of baby birds.

I look down, and see multiple baby birds, all clamouring for attention. My mate is nearby, watching me and the chicks with fondness in his eyes.

I feel warmth in my heart. This is how it's supposed to be. Always.

I squawk in terror as a loud noise rings out beneath us.

My mate flies up, peeking through the branches to see what's wrong. I see the fear in his eyes.

BANG!

He's falling. He's falling through the air. It feels like time has stopped. My babies have gone quiet. My heart's stopped beating. His feathers are ruffled by the wind as he falls. I barely hear the soft thump! as he hits the ground.

A strangled sound comes out my beak, unlike the beautiful melodies I usually sing.

Forgetting my chicks for a moment, I stretch my wings and launch into flight, flying towards my mate's body.

He's lying there, on the floor, feathers askew. I look around. A tall, two-legged, featherless thing heads towards me with loud noises. It's carrying a long shiny thing.

The featherless creature points the shiny thing at my nest.

A shocking realisation hits me. I left my babies unprotected!

I fly up, but I'm too late. I hear a bang, and the cries of my chicks as they call out for help.

The creature points the shiny thing at me.

I feel a stab of pain, and then-

BBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG

The alarm clock sounds.

I launch up, heavily panting.

"No..." I whisper. "My chicks... My mate... What happened?"

Then reality hits me. I'm not a bird. I don't have the freedom of flying away from my problems.

I'm Rainey Sienna Noble, a 13-year-old girl who lives in Ottawa city, Ontario, Canada. I go to Beaver High, and I wish I didn't. Beaver High is like the classic American high- we're in Canada for goodness sake! We shouldn't have to experience this.

Beaver High has your classic clichés- the popular girls, sporty boys, goth kids, nerds, all those. And then there's the weirdo loner kids.

Hint: I'm a weirdo loner kid. I don't really have friends. I never have, really. I wasn't a liked kid in my elementary school.