Flying With Destiny

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 13

(Unkown)

He glanced once more at his digital watch. Anxiety prickled on the back of his neck. It was getting later in the afternoon. If he didn't get this over with soon, he would have to do it after dark. Darkness was unwelcome when it came to his practice. It hid dangers, spies, enemies. If he was seen in action by a local he'd have to... dipose of them. He didn't like extra dirty work.

Movemonet flickered on the edge of his peripheral vision. His eyes immediately zoned in. Target locked, he started discreetely moving in the same general direction as the man. He walked several meters behind the man, careful not to arouse suspicions. The prey turned a corner and headed for the thicker parts of the forest, totally unaware he was sealing his fate by doing so. No one really came this way so there would be no uninvited visitors to witness the deed. Hopefully.

The predator's movements were precise, careully plotted so as not to rustle a single dead leaf or touch a stick. The stalkee stopped and pulled out a camera to take pictures of the evening sun-bathed forest. This was his chance. With a sudden and skillful lunge, he leaped forward and pulled the man to the ground, finding a pressure point and rendering the being unconscious. Too easy! He plan had gone off without a hitch! Now all that was left was the final phase.

Congratulating himself, he leaned down and was about to initiate the process when his phone rang in his pocket. He chuckled as the familiar chorus of "I Hate Myself for Loving You" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts played. He pulled the device from his pocket and answered it. "Hello, Rose," he said happily, staring at his victim's face. He paused. "An emergency? ..... Okay I'll be right there, give me a few minutes. Bye." Something was wrong, Rose needed him right away. He sighed. He would just have to speed the last phase up then. He placed his hands over the man's face and concentrated until he was able to initiate the draining.

(Cally's POV)

Voices.... Where were they coming from? Who was talking? I blinked my eyes only to see complete darkness. The voices continued. My delicate ears strained to decipher what was being said. "... Should be fine.... wing fractured... hard impact..." I could barely make out the words. Wing? Fractured? Were they talking about me? Where was I? Was I still a bird? I struggled to bring myself back to full consciousness. A new voice spoke. "Are you sure it'll be okay? The poor thing looks awful..." I could tell this voice was female, it was gentler and pitched differently than the first which I assumed to belong to a male. The male spoke again. "Yeah, the eagle won't be able to fly for a while... I'd say at least a month. But other than that, it's fine." A month?! Urgh! How was I supposed to get home?!

I slowly opened my eyes a slit so I could see the people without them noticing I was awake. There was a girl on my left and a boy taller than her on my right. I tried to take in the scenery without moving my head. Small trees, vines, bushes, and all sorts of plants were all I could see. Where was I?! Suddenly the pain made it's way from my right wing to my brain. A squawk erupted from my throat before I could stop it and the two immediately looked at me. The waves of pain I felt were enormous; there was no way my wing could only be fractured! My head moved to look at it. Hmm... There wasn't any blood or bones sticking out, and it looked fine. Why did it hurt so much? Maybe it was because the accident had happened when I wasn't in human form?

"Hey, birdie, you're okay," the girl cooed, trying to soothe me. I don't need soothing, I need answers! I can't talk to them as a bird, and I definitely can't shift with them around.... I can't risk letting them know about my ability. The boy glanced at the digital watch wrapped around his wrist, then back at the girl. "Hey, Rose? Is it okay if I stay here with you tonight? It's dark and you know how my neighborhood is," he said. The girl just nodded, still looking at me.  

"What are we gonna do with this poor bird? We can't leave it out here all alone..." Rose looked thoughtful. "We should bring it inside! It can live in my room with me!" Her face lit up and she smiled at me. I cooed softly in agreement. She picked me up gently and started walking towards a glass door that I'd just noticed. We were in a greenhouse! That must be it... Wow, for a greenhouse this place was really well taken care of and large. It was practically an enclosed forest. Outside, the building was surrounded by a small clearing, which appeared to be surrounded by an expanse of woods.  

I hadn't realized just how late it was until we were walking the long distance back to Rose's house. It had to be after 9pm and it was almost completely dark. We finally arrived at the back of her house after traveling through the woods on a narrow trail. I gazed at the house in awe. Before my eyes stood a tall and proud five story mansion with decorative lights plastered all over the outside. Balconies were scattered across the face of the building, overlooking the woods, which I was certain had to be a lovely view.

I sighed as Rose opened the huge back door, gently cradling me, and continued to maneuver through her home, the boy following close behind. I close my eyes and drifted off to sleep as we boarded an elevator. I'm safe, I thought. At least for now.

*The next morning*

I awoke to find myself laying in a makeshift nest made up of comfy pillows. I blinked several times and looked around the huge room. Against the wall opposite of me sat a King-size bed with a canopy. It was covered with an exquisite comforter in the prettiest shade od blue I'd ever seen. The pillows were huge and looked extraordinarily comfortable. On either side of the bed were large windows, covered with tapestries of the same design and color as the bed comforter. To my right sat an entertainment system with a giant flat-screen TV and speakers mounted to the wall with couches of the same brilliant blue sitting in front. The entrance/exit to the room was to my left. The door was crafted from a very rich brown wood carved in intricate designs which were highlighted thinly with gold.

As I admired the quality of the room, the door opened and in walked Rose. She was carrying a large bowl that she brought over to me. The girl smiled as she knelt down next the the little table I was resting on. "Hey there! Are you hungry?" I nudged the bowl to show that I was. "Well, I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I brought a couple of different things. Let's see, we have some varieties of nuts and berries, and freshly caught mouse," Rose said, tilting the bowl so I could see the contents. Ew, a mouse? Oh, right! I'm still an eagle, they eat things like that. I didn't exactly feel like eating a poor mouse, so I opted for the nuts and berries and began to devour them right from the bowl. Rose laughed at my ferocious eating after I was done.

Suddenly Rose's phone went off, and she answered it quickly. "Hey, T! The bird's fine - awesome, in fact," she paused. "Sure, I'll meet you there in twenty." Rose hung up the phone then turned to look at me. "I have to go meet T for something, I won't be back for a few hours, so I'll have someone come check in on you, okay?" She smiled at me, then got up and quietly left the room. She was going to be gone for hours, and I couldn't fly... I could try to get out of the house and shift, but I don't think that would work very well... Besides, I didn't even know if shifting would worsen my injury. I sighed. This was going to be a long day.

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Hey guys! Sooooo sorry for taking so long on this... It's been like... months.... I just didn't know how to do the next chapter.... But anyways! Sorry this is short, but I needed to introduce a couple of new characters.

Think you know what's going on? Comment! (: