The Red Bird

Chapter 6-The Red Bird's Emotions Fly

I woke up on the floor. Someone's hand was on my shoulder.

I looked up to where the arm was and found out that it was someone on the couch.

I sat up (after struggling for a little bit) and saw Scott looking at the ceiling. He turned his head and smiled. 

"I'm glad you decided to get up!" he said, picking his arm up and placing it on his chest.

"Same to you," I replied, climbing on the couch and sitting next to him.

He smiled, but then his smile turned into a look of concern. He reached up and gently touched my neck with his finger. "What happened?"

"Oh, you don't remember?" I asked, shuddering at his touch. I don't really like my neck being touched, and especially now that it hurts from the collar.

"No! I would like to think I'd remember if you tried to pull something like that!"

"What?" Then I got what he was thinking. "No, no, no! I would never! It was the scientists! They put a collar on me and I guess it cut into my skin..."

He nods as if he remembered it now. "Well, I'm glad you're okay," he says.

I smile and turn into a cat so I could fit on the couch better. I then decide that his stomach would be a better seat and curl into a ball on him. He pets my back as I close my eyes and fall asleep.

I wake up from my purrrfect snooze (see what I did there?) and find that the house is absolutely silent. I never really liked it to be completely quiet, and usually Gladys or Heather is making some sort of noise, so this worries me a bit.

I stand up and look around. Everything looks fine, but no one is here.

I look down and see that even Scott isn't here. How he managed to pick me up without me waking up is a mystery...

I decide to explore a bit and see where everyone went.

I first go to the kitchen. There's a random cupcake on the counter, which is strange because Gladys refuses to "reward us for our squirrelyness" and Heather couldn't bake to save her life. I move on after staring at the suspicious cupcake for a while.

I then go turn on the TV, because the silence is killing me.

I find that there's another Thinning today. They usually don't do them so close to each other. I sit on the couch and watch, trying to figure out who they're "killing" this time.

One of the girls kinda looks like Heather, and one of those guys looks a bit like Scott... 

They have the victims turn around and I discover that it is Scott and Heather, as well as Dr. Price. My blood turns cold and my breath gets caught in my throat.

Before I can even react, they shoot them. But this time is different. Something that I'd never seen at a Thinning appears like and sticks out like a sore thumb.

Blood.

They're bleeding, and they're dying, and I can't save them this time.

I notice in the corner of the screen that there's a heap of bolts and metal parts that are sparking. I don't need to be a genius to know that it's Gladys.

I try to turn off the TV, but for some reason it doesn't work. Instead, the screen flickers to an image of the Queen. She smirks and starts laughing.

"You thought you'd get away with it, didn't you?" she says.

I just stare wide eyed.

"Answer me!" she barks.

"Uh, I-"