Golden Wings

Chapter 5- Present Day, The Blue.

I sat alone in my room, worried.

Kalie's fine. I told myself. She's just ashing. But as much as I told myself that, I couldn't believe it.

"Miss, it's so late! You should be in bed, asleep." I hadn't noticed Amy when she came in, and she chided me while I sat on my bed, staring at the wall. She climbed on my bed, and pulled my hair from its mess, braiding it. She sighed when finished, "Claire, we all have pets that go missing, they all turn up eventually."

"Kalie is not just a pet," I whispered. "She's the only way I was able to talk to Kyle." I lay down and turned my head away from her.

"Yes, I-" She sighed. "I know. But, miss, please. Try to get some sleep.

"Mmh," I grumbled, as she pulled the covers up to my chin.

Amy sighed and left the room, her dress swishing behind her.

~

"Kyle? What are you doing?"

I walked into the garden, the soft moss cushioning my feet. Colours of red and white and yellow glowed from the bushes around me. A small pond trickled in the corner, and birch trees created a roof over our heads. Kyle was on the side of the garden, crouched down beside a rose bush.

"Clares! Come over here!" He called, beckoning me with a flick of his blond hair. I rolled my eyes and walked toward him, only to be stopped in my tracks by what I saw.

"Kyle?" I asked shakily. "Is that... That's not... That's a phoenix!" I knelt down beside him, getting grass stains on my white dress. "How did you...?"

Kyle looked and me, grinning lopsidedly, and shrugged. On the ground was a small, shining, golden bird. It looked up at us and cawed, flapping it's tiny wings meticulously. "What should we call him?" He asked, looking at me sideways.

"What do you mean? How do you know it's a he?" I asked, poking him.

"Look at his markings! And how bright his feathers are!"

"Kyle... That- that literally means nothing." I picked the phoenix up, stoking its head. "Kyle, your 'he' is a 'she'."

"What? How do you know?" He exclaimed.

"Look at the shape of her head, and the curve of her wings." I pointed these out, making sure that Kyle was actually paying attention. "That's feminine. And the tufts on her neck are also a trait that male phoenix's don't have." I put her down, ruffling her little feathers as I did so. "She's also brighter," I smirked.

"But you said that doesn't matter!" He burst, wrapping his hands around my waist.

"Hey!" I laughed, trying to elbow him. After a little tussle, we lay on the grass together, watching the phoenix feel around with her talons.

"So what should we name her?" He put emphasis on the word to annoy me.

I shoved him lightly, watching the small bird explore. "I don't know! Kyle, how can you expect me to just come up with a name?"

"Because that's what you do."

I sighed, thinking. "Kalie," I said after a moment.