The Land Where Songbirds Sing

Chapter Two

Happiness is not having what you want
It's appreciating what you have
- Unknown

CHAPTER TWO
Peyton Russell

The sound of trickling water should normally be soothing, but not for Peyton. All she wanted to do was live in the city, not trapped in this warped woodland.
Above her, she could hear the sound of a songbird.
What one is that? She thought. I don't even know. Or care... but Father would be disappointed.
She looked up, and saw a brown bird with cream-colored feathers on its stomach. Its song was a string of melodies that would softly bend to hit high and low notes.
"Ugh," Peyton hissed in annoyance, realizing the pattern of the feathers was the one of a nightingale.
She stomped away on the forest floor. The songbirds above her fluttered away quietly, startled by Peyton's sudden mood.
As she was stomping through the woods, she heard an ear-piercing scream, the scream of her annoyed father calling her name.
"Peyton!" her father shouted, "Time for dinner!"
Peyton grumbled under her breath at the sound of her father's voice, and yelled, "Coming!"
As she stomped through the green mist of leaves, she thought about how unfair it was that her father wouldn't let her live in the city. If she lived in the city, she could have everything! She could have friends, places to eat, more food options, and anything! Besides the occasional trip to the city for clothes, she didn't ever go there. And she only owned a few normal items. She had store-bought clothes, headphones, and she was able to convince her father to buy her a phone, but her father only allowed music apps. No social media, no games, no nothing, besides music.
She glared at the two pines that were in front of her house in hatred. She wished she could live in the city, without any pine trees, weird animals, or tricking streams.
She entered the house to the smell of mushroom soup, and she wrinkled her nose, disgusted.
Her father glared at her and snapped, "Sit down and appreciate that you have food to eat."
"Fine," Peyton said with an attitude, and sat down on the tawny brown chair.
She picked up a wooden spoon that her father had carved years ago, and dipped it into the creamy misfortune.
"So," she said awkwardly, "About the city.."
"No," he snapped, "You will never live in the city. Ever. The forest, it's the most beautiful thing you'll ever find. Appreciate it, Peyton. You can find beauty if you look for it."
"What beauty?" Peyton snapped, "The song broken nightingales, just waiting for the opportunity to live somewhere else? The trees who get tired, and drop their leaves, because there's no reason to keep them?"
"That's just the cycle of beauty!" her father snapped, ""Trees will lose their leaves so they can grow new, prettier ones! And a nightingale's song is not broken!"
"Why can't I live in the city? It's beautiful there, and there's people!" she yelled.
"There's people here too! Savanna comes almost every other weekend to visit!" he yelled.
"Yeah, but we don't interact that much! Savanna just owns a cabin here, and now she mostly brings her friends when she visits! She won't have time for me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
A rough surface slapped across her face, and Peyton stumbled back as her cheek redened. A few tears streamed down her face, as her father stood in front of her, his bulky shoulders tense and his face locked in a furious state.
"I don't have time for this, I have to go hunting," her father growled, shoving her beside to reach the door. "Go to your room!"
"Fine! I hate you! I hate this stupid house!" Peyton shrieked, and in a blink of an eye, she dashed up the stairs that led to her room.

*~•~*

Nothing else ever seems to hurt...
Peyton sunk into her bed, getting lost in the lyrics as the music blasted through her heart.
Like the smile on your face...
She closed her eyes as a single, glistening tear stripped down her face. If only she could live a day, at least in the city.
When it's only my memory...
The melodies of the music seemed to strike a nerve in her heart, as the lyrics reminded her of her mother.
It doesn't hit me quite the same...
Tears streamed down her face, and she kept clearing her eyes to be able to see past the blurry barrier of salty sorrow.
Why'd you have to leave me, Mother? She thought. Why'd you have to leave me with Father?
She clutched her pillow, so tightly that if it was alive she would have accidentally squeezed the life out of it.
Her thoughts, a whirlpool of sadness, kept getting longer and sadder at every spin.
Sadness assumed her lithe body, and sent her into a deep, dreamless sleep.

*~•~*

She sat on a dark oak log that overlooked the city, and her fingers trailed back and forth against the mossy green surface. Songbirds were chirping above her, tweeting happily as she heard more fluttering. She didn't understand why songbirds, specifically the nightingale, could be so happy, even though there was probably plenty to be sad about. She sighed, looking forward. The city horizon was out before her, big, beautiful, and dreamy.
Whenever she'd visit the city, she felt like she could do anything. Ever since she was a little girl, she remembered always running off to the city of dreams. Her mom had always laughed, and her father wasn't always happy about it, but as long as her mother was happy he was happy. But then, she was gone. Her father told her she got sick and couldn't stay, and Peyton was devastated. Her relationship with her mom was very strong, stronger than Peyton and her father's.
Oh mom... she thought, I miss you so much. Why'd you leave?
Peyton zoned out, thinking about nothing. After a few long minutes, a little red squirrel walked over to her hand, and sniffed at it curiously.
Peyton yelped, before realizing it was just a squirrel.
The squirrel beside her looked up at her with a friendly look on its face, and gently put its little paw on her hand. Soon, the squirrel had climbed up Peyton's shoulder, perched there like a parrot a pirate would have, and looked out towards the bright city horizon with Peyton.