Write to Rank 2023

The Bird

Building trust is the first step in building the perfect betrayal. I just wished that I knew how close betrayal could come from...
  It was an average day, at least at first. My parents ran a delivery service, where their USP was that they could send anything, anytime (as long as it was legal, of course). I also decided that I wanted to help, because at the time the family was struggling for money, and I had no desire to be any more of a burden.
  I'd gotten a call from my mother to deliver something that morning, and at first I had thought that she was joking... but no, there was literally a bird that needed to be delivered. Looking at it in its cage being all calm despite being inferior in size was slightly unnerving, so I looked away.
  What did a client want with a bird this expensive anyway, in a city as crowded as New York? Why did we have a bird this expensive in our storage, other than proof that our slogan was true?
  It didn't matter.
  I just had to get it to the client, and we'd get paid. Maybe we'd finally get out of the debt we were in. And the brid was happy - this would be a simple job. No need to worry about anything.
  It was clear, as I stared at the falcon through the bars, that the high price tag was well deserved. The bird was nothing short of statuesque, with feathers the colour of platinum, eyes like two glittering black opals and a beak an oraz only seen on truly precious creatures.
  But did it make sense that someone would spend all of the thousands that they were on it? No, not really. It was actually a bit silly, unless they were going to genuinely form a genuine bond with the bird, which I assumed they would not. It would die within a few years anyway.
  But, again, I had to remind myself that it wasn't up to me to judge. I put in an earbud so I could listen to directions on my phone, clutched the cage securely with two hands, and then exited the warehouse and walked out onto the street.
  The other people on the streets appeared just as bemused that I was carrying a bird as I was, as each of them stared their equally confused gaze. Awkward gazes and smiles did nothing to hide my embarrassment, so I just started to walk faster, glad we were getting paid more for this.
  But the sniggers and judgements started to bug me, and so when I saw an alley, I didn't hesitate to take a sharp left into it.
  The change was instant.
  The noise died down, and I suddenly felt that feeling of being watched ebb away. My parents had told me not to wander into alleys whether it was day or night, but I'd been into alleys before. I'd done it time and time again. In summary, I'd be fine if I was to just do it one more time.
  This alley particularly was familiar; since it was so near the warehouse I passed (and passed through) it often. The bird continued to remain silent, just stalking the surroundings with its beady button eyes.
  I looked down at the bird, sighed, and then looked up again. That was when I saw the woman on the barrel.
  She was smoking a cigarette casually as she stared at me with dark, doomful eyes. Her hair looked matted as if she had been lying in a puddle before she'd seen me, and her clothes were tattered as if they'd been slashed by knives.
  Her dreading eyes looked into mine as she croaked, "Pretty bird ya got there."
  "It's not mine." I responded.
  After I said that, an uncomfortable tingle entered my stomach, telling me that it was time to go, and my legs started to move a little faster. The bird shuffled slightly and made a small noise that made me hold it closer to my chest. It felt it too.
  "Hey, wait." the woman yelled from behind me.
  And against my better judgement, I turned back to face her, "What do you want?"
  "Can I see the bird up close?"
  I rolled my eyes in my head before turning back to her, as she was now stood up and closer than she was before, her longing gaze giving me that lingering itch again.
  "I'm not allowed to show you," I grumbled impatiently, before adding "Geez." quietly to myself.
  Deciding that I'd had enough of the woman, I turned around and started to walk quickly in the other direction. It would have been a smart decision, that was if there weren't three tall, muscular men stood there now. My shoes scraped along the ground as I stopped myself in one short, sharp movement.
  I sighed under my breath as I turned back to the woman as she glared at me from between two similarly built men.
  "Get the bird."
  And the two walls came in for me, the grim woman following up like bleeding out after getting stabbed. I clutched the bird's cage tighter as it started to panic and squawk loudly, shuffling more as I turned frantically around.
  I groaned and then turned to the bird, "Ya ready? Hold on tight."
  And I kicked off of the ground and towards one of the guys at the exit I was headed towards originally. I slipped my hand up to the cage's handle.
  The satisfying smack sound the cage made against the guy's cheek made me sigh with relief.
  The guy fell to the floor, unconscious, and the bird started panting loudly in fear as things started to get crazy. The other men seemed surprised that I was willing to fight back, but they shouldn't have been. I wasn't the sort of person to back down from a threat like this.
  "You ok, little birdy?" I breathed out quickly as I stared at the panicked bird.
  The bird made a feeble little tweeting sound in response.
  "I won't do it again, don't worry." I reassured it, "Just hold on again."
  And I sent the cage sliding between the next guy's legs. He looked at the cage sliding, and when he looked up again he was greeted by my foot headed towards his stomach. The man fell back just like the first man and into another one, leaving the pair in a satisfying heap beside my bird.
  Well, not my bird. The bird. The bird which probably was thanking me a lot in its head right now. Those martial arts lessons I'd begged my mother to let me do were really coming in handy right now.
  I slid on over to the bird and lifted it up to my face, "Was that fun?"
  I chuckled to myself and then shook my head. I looked at the open alley exit to make sure there were no more goons, all the while the bird screeched below me. Deciding I'd had enough, I looked back down at the bird.
  "What is your problem? I only swung you at one guy." I teased the bird as it continued to pierce my brain with its screeches.
  The bird looked behind me.
  I frowned.
  And then it spoke to me, "There's a guy right behind you!"
  I turned around just in time to dodge the man, and then I turned back to the bird. She had a voice like a wise, old woman. Not like a bird. Birds didn't talk. They couldn't talk. There was no way this was real.
  "What on earth are you?!" I choked, frozen into place.
  "Go!" she spluttered in response, "I'll explain later!"
  Before one of the other guys could work up the courage to come after me, I bolted out of the alley and into the public eye of the bustling New York City streets. The crowds parted because I made them; my shoulder was good at persuading.
  The newfound distance gave me time to ask again, "Ok, now tell me what you are."
  "Who I am, Yenn. Not what."
  She knew my name. I cleared my throat and gave her a sidelong glance before asking again, "Fine. Who are you? And better question - how do you even know my name?"
  She stared at me darkly before answering, "I'm a mage and I'm trapped in a bird's body."
  And so, it seemed, I'd finally lost it. It had been a good run. I'd met some good people. I'd helped my parents with their business, and you can't put a price on the happiness you give, I guess. Maybe I'd never been beyond New York, but that was ok. That wasn't really that important.
  "Stop staring blankly at me, you imbecile! Your life is in great danger!" the bird-mage groaned frustratedly.
  I stared at the bird, not thinking or feeling anything.
  I coughed and spluttered, and then wrestled out the words, "But this is ridiculous!"
  "There are a lot of things more ridiculous than talking birds." the bird scowled.
  Well, that was true. For example, mages in bird's bodies, which she seemed to have completely ignored in her snapback. But I knew, deep down, that I should help the bird, not necessarily because it was real or because it particularly deserved it, but because it was the right thing to do. Maybe.
  But there was no time to make an informed decision. I just had to go with what I had.
  "What do you even want me to do?" I scowled and sighed, defeated.
  "Get me out of here. Also, thank you." she replied, that whispering tone making me feel young and stupid like how I once was.
  And my heels forced me forwards quickly as the people from the alley forced themselves through the crowds behind me. I shouldn't have stopped - they were gaining on me! Dang it. This is why you always think ahead, Yenn, don't make rash decisions.
  Think ahead. Think ahead. Think ahead...
  Oh, the train station! It was near here, I knew it, but I couldn't remember exactly where it was. Would I even be able to push through the crowds to get there in time?
  The square was large but still packed with people. The buildings on all sides were a fence, trapping me in like an animal. Like the bird. Everyone had their own agenda, and none of them were going to drop it for me.
  And so I had to shove my way through even more people.
  Maybe I was trying too hard, but there was no way I was going to stop now. I'd come too far.
  And then everybody stopped.
  Someone had fired a gun into the crowd! Everyone ducked apart from me, those people from the alley...
  And my parents? My own mother was holding the gun. She stared at the crooks with a burning, spiteful hatred in her eyes. A warm feeling flooded through me. She probably shouldn't have done that, but I still appreciated that she and father came to save me.
  Surely enough, behind me, the strange people from the alley turned and ran away behind me.
  "Thank you." I breathed, smiling gratefully.
  As expected, she didn't reciprocate my care, instead shouting angrily, "I told you not to go into alleys, son! I expect better of you."
  I shook my head in shame, "I'm sorry, you were right, I should never-"
  "Now hand over the bird."
  What?
  "If they can't take it from you, then I'll have to do it myself."
  Father took a step back as my mother's eyes started to glow. Now, everybody had the same agenda - run. I grabbed the bird tightly and took a few steps back.
  "No..." the bird gasped, "It can't be..."