Aviary // Joshler

// CHAPTER TWO

The drive was long, and Tyler was sad. On a typical day in his life, there would be at least one bird nearby at any given point and now was no exception. A hawk, perhaps a kite, seemed to be tailing the car, following along on the winding roads and curves.

"You're the one with the birds, right?" the driver asked, startling Tyler from his thoughts.

"Yeah. Why?"

The driver peered into the rear-view mirror, eyes slightly narrowed. "Just wanted to be sure we aren't being followed by someone who's...on the less friendly side of things."

That sounded a little silly to Tyler, but he said nothing of it as they went on. Eventually, he grew tired--he hadn't slept well last night, and it was mostly quiet in the car. One moment, he was leaning his head against the window...

...and the next, he was opening his eyes to a big, wrought iron gate. The driver pushed a button on the dashboard, and the gates slowly opened. As they drove in, Tyler marveled at the place they had arrived at.

It was simple, but it was beautiful. A large yellow farmhouse-style home sat in the center of this fenced-in place, surrounded by shady trees. To the left, there seemed to be a garden of some sort, not too much unlike the one Tyler had at home. To the right, there was what appeared to be a pond, surrounded by thick grass and some taller trees.

The driver parked the car just outside the house and opened the door for Tyler. Shyly, he stepped out, looking up at the big house in front of him as the driver got his shoeboxes and suitcase from the back. Once the luggage was gathered, the black-haired man led the way up the steps, Tyler following behind as they went inside.

The inside of the house was simple, too, opening into a decent-sized kitchen and dining room. A woman stood over the stove, taking a teakettle off of one of the burners. She turned at the sound of the guests and smiled. "Hello, you must be Tyler." The driver went upstairs with Tyler's luggage as the woman held out her black-gloved hand to the boy. "My name is Miss Lindsey."

Tyler shook her hand shyly, almost mystified by her unusual outfit. She wore a red and black short-sleeved flannel shirt, a smooth black skirt, and high black boots, with the long, black gloves going up nearly under her shirt sleeves. "It's nice to meet you."

He thought he heard whispering, perhaps giggling, from up the staircase, but didn't look to see who was making the sound.

"Would you like some tea?" Miss Lindsey asked, turning to the counter and lifting the teapot for emphasis.

Tyler nodded softly. "Yes, please."

Moments later, they each held a steaming cup of tea in their hands, and they were sitting at the dining room table. It was a large table, likely built for a large family--there was ten chairs total, and briefly, Tyler wondered how many other children were staying here.

"So," Miss Lindsey began. She had some papers on the table, and she was sifting through them as she took small sips of her tea. "Your mother has informed me of the situation leading up to your arrival here."

Not knowing what to say, Tyler just nodded.

"Were you...aggressive, in this incident?" The woman looked up from her papers. "Did you intend to do this?"

The boy shook his head, lowering his eyes shamefully. "No, Miss. I don't control the birds, they just know what I'm feeling and...I guess they reacted to it in the way they thought was best."

Miss Lindsey nodded and set the papers down to give Tyler her full attention. "Would you mind demonstrating?"

Nervousness prickled in Tyler's stomach. His Mama had told him never to use his skills around others. "Demonstrating?"

"Your abilities. Nothing intense," she added to clarify. "Just proof that you really have a connection with these creatures."

Tyler said nothing, but there was a tap at the kitchen window. Miss Lindsey turned to see a large black crow perched on the flower box just outside. It tilted its head, and let out a croak.

"I see." Miss Lindsey smiled slightly at the crow, and it flew away. "Thank you, Tyler." She stood up and brought her empty cup back into the kitchen, setting it in the sink. "I have abilities, too, but I'm not going to demonstrate now if you don't mind." She smiled slightly. "It's kind of taxing. You're free to go, by the way. We'll discuss rules and how we do things around here at dinner, okay? Your room is upstairs; I'm sure the other children will be happy to meet you."

"Thank you, Miss Lindsey." Tyler drained the last few drops of tea from his cup, and went to face the dark staircase.