A Declaration To The Feathered Imagination: Book 1

Chapter 5

Caelob went to the side of the classroom building, running to a gate that led to a walkway on the outer side of the school. he threw the book over as he climbed the higher set of gates that blocked his path to freedom. From above he saw a few birds fly down to take the book as it sat in the grass.

"No way!" he shouted as he hopped over. "That book is mine!"

Successfully the birds flew way to avoid Caelob's leap from the gate, landing in front of the book snatching it, at the cost of something giving way in Caelob's right ankle. In a shriek of pain he tumbled down the grassy hill, missing the walkway and landing into the dried up creek. Caelob ran through the creek as best as he could, limping along the rest of the way, the crows tailing just behind him.

"I don't think I'm gonna make it," he panted.

The crows were getting closer, Caelob hid under a bridge that ran over the creek. Clenching to the book tightly, he thought about the only friends that he had as the noises of beaks and talons began to tear the bridge away.

"If only there was a way, that we could be friends again," he quietly said accepting his fate.

Caelob looked at the book one last time and quickly turned to the page with the bird woman and the scrawl.

Quietly he chanted the words on the sticky note,

...faye the raven...
...faye the raven...
...flap your wings...
...make our haven...

...faye the raven...
...faye the raven...
...flap your wings...
...make our haven...

...faye the raven...
...faye the raven...
...flap your wings...
...make our haven...

The sky grew dark from the flock blocking out the light, the sound of flapping and angry caws burst his ears. High wind came from above, blowing the sticky note and feather into the midst. Caelob closed his eyes, digging his head into his chest as the noises shrieked from overhead. Slowly the noises got softer and softer. Then, silence.

"Am...I...Dead?"

Caelob looked up, the feather hadn't gone too far but the sticky note was forever gone. The birds quietly crowing amongst themselves. Confused he sat deeper under the bridge. It was then he heard heavy footsteps coming from above. The steps went down to the grass, then to the dried up creek, till Caelob saw a pair of legs, carelessly strolling, a click of tennis came with each step they took. On the other side a crow nipped Caelob's collar making him gasp. Shooing it away, he looked back to where he saw the legs, they were gone. As Caelob took a sigh something yanked him from the other side. He cried out locking his eyes shut and holding on to the book for dear life. A figure stood above him, Caelob felt four eyes glaring at him.

"Well, what do we have here?" The figure said. "It seems we caught our thief!"

CAW

Caelob kept his eyes shut, he began to cry as he laid petty on the ground.

"I'm sorry," he stuttered. "I didn't mean to take it. All I wanted was to make an imaginary friend that would help me and take care of me. I don't have any friends to call my own and that's why I chose to take it because I wanted to make a friend that I could call my own."

He raised the book in front of him offering it back, holding his shame and tears that hid behind it.

"I was going to ask but I saw the crows and I panicked an-"

"Hey you!" A voice said in a distance.

Caelob's eyes opened startled. Blurry and salted with tears, he lowered the book and caught the glimpse of a girl looking in the direction of the voice. Likely in the same grade he was and slightly same height as well. Dark eyeglasses complimented the brown in her eyes, grey spots implanted on her cheeks. Her hair drenched in a mid length shag that matched her faded dark clothing, dark feathers had seemed to emit from her body.

"You there, come back!" the voice shouted again.

Caelob looked in the direction of the frail voice, still in pain from his ankle.

"I'm over here!"

In the view, a middle aged woman appeared, fatigued and out of breath.

She panted, "Stop right there mister. What do you think you're doing?"

Caelob, looking up at her, his hands still clenching to the book, felt it was time to come clean.

"I'm Caelob, I wanted to make an imaginary friend. I'm sorry if I took your book to do that."

"Why did you stop running?" she asked."

"Your friend stopped me."

She looked at Caelob confused.

"What are you talking about?"

Caelob looked back at her.

"Your friend. The one with the-"

He turned around, there was nobody there, all that existed was the glimpse of her in his mind. Caelob got up to look.

"No way mister! Don't you dare make accomplices out of your red handed scheme to me young man."

"What?"

Caelob looked to the side where he saw the girl standing. She was gone.

She was right-"

Caelob fell, a small shout came from his voice.

"My god sweetie," she cried. "You're hurt."

Caelob looked at his self pity of a wound.

"It's not that bad," he muttered. "I'll be fine."

"No, you won't."  The lady stammered back.

"I just, have to walk it off-"

Caelob fell a few steps in. The middle aged lady caught him in his stumble.

"Here here, I got you sweetie."

She looks at the injury.

"You sprained it, must have been from that stunt of a jump you pulled."

She helped Caelob up.

"I can help with your leg you know."

"My mom's gonna kill me." Muttered Caelob.

"I can help with that too hun," she whispers. "Come here."

She gently lifted Caelob off his legs, dazzled by her strength and by how tall she actually was.

"Wh-where are we going?" He stuttered.

"I know a place where we can fix you up."

"Is it far from here miss?"

"Not too far."

Caelob looked behind her stride, a shadow of coos and feathers followed her giant steps. A small race of the heart thumped in Caelob's chest, echoing on the giant of a woman."

"Don't mind them," she smugged. "They're just old friends of mine."

"H-how long have you known them..?"

"A long time." She chuckles. "Do you often ask a lot of questions?"

Caelob mumbled embarrassed.

"How bout I ask you one hun?"

She did a funny whistle, from the back of the flock a little fowl landed comfortably on her shoulder. Caelob's eyes widened by its familiarity.

"H-hey you're that bird from-"

The woman chuckled, "So you can see him."

"You mean only certain people can?"

"Well, only if he lets you."

"So then," Caelob thought about it for a minute.

His thought was interrupted by the house that lay upon a hill just at the end of the creek. Modern, like the rest, but the windows had a very harvesting glow.