The man walked into the shop, it wasn't a pet store. There were dogs, birds, snakes, and even fishes. Yet this wasn't a pet store. Why not you ask? Because nothing in here was meant to be owned by a human. Though the man was here. The shop owner looked at him, though he was blind, and spoke in a low growl.
"What business do you have here'?"
"Looking for a pet. A friend," The man began, pausing to look around, "That little blue bird there. What about that?"
The owner growled and did not look to where the man pointed.
"A friend is not something you can buy. If you do that they may take more than you have." The old man spat.
When the man did not reply the owner continued.
"How much are you willing to pay?"
"How much do you want?" The man quickly countered.
The old man did not respond. He stroked his grey bear with his old, black, hand. He then laughed a little before standing. He felt around the counter and the wall before reaching the cage the bird sat in. The little one was alone with no other animals around it. The man took the cage and thrust it in the direction of the man.
"Free of charge." The owner coughed out.
The man said nothing and took the bird. He bowed before exiting the shop.
The next day he didn't sleep. He stayed up all night, watching the bird. It returned his gaze with an icier one. The man was not sitting down he was just squating in front of the cage which sat on the floor.
"Now that I've aquired you as my own you'll be my friend, yes?" The man asked, shaking at the hands.
He reached toward the cage in a trance like state. There was a sudden knock that the man was surprised came. He didn't appear to be expecting company yet he went to answer the door. Though when he opened it there was no one there. Yet the knock continued as if the door wasn't closed. A steady persistence rising to a deafening bang. The man staggered back before slamming the door. The knock stopped, as if the door hit the thing delivering it. The bird made a slight noise, like that of a sneeze. The man turned to face it in time to see it had left its cage. The little blue bird had grown to the size of an eagle and was growing steadily. The man was shocked and backed away to the wall. He screamed as the bird, now encompassing almost the entire room, neared him. It opened its large beak and crunched down an him. The man made no sound as the bird gulped him down like an earthworm. He then shook as if to dry himself like he was covered in water and began to shrink back to his tiny size. There came a knock at the same time, but it was just one. Then the door fell as if it had been smashed with a battering man. The old man from the shop staggered in, cane and all, before nearing the bird. He lowered his finger and the little creature hopped onto it. He then placed the bird back into the cage and shut the lock gently.
"Good little bird. Let's go back now. To be ready for the next poor, lost, soul." The old man rasped.
He then took the bird by grabbing the top of the cage and left, leaving only a blue feather behind.
