All Alone | Stanley Uris

Chapter 3 : Baby Bird

✎ 𝓮𝓭𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭

When I was a little girl, my dad helped me take care of a baby bird that had fallen out of a tree. That was the kindest thing my father has ever done for me or any other living creature. It was nice to get to spend time with him and have him teaching me about wild animals. I think that's where my love for them came from initially. It was because animals were a way to bond with a man who was impossible to have a normal conversation with on any other occasion. But when he was talking about animals, he was an entirely different person. 

After I nursed that bird back to health and released it, I found myself doing this all the time. Suddenly I no longer wanted to be a princess, but I wanted to become a vet. I wanted to help all other kinds of animals so that they could live a long life. 

When my dad stopped teaching me about animals, I began to read every book I could possibly find. My favourites though were the ones on veterinary medicine that the library carried. 

I bike to the library and head straight to the bathrooms inside to change my outfit. I always carry a spare change of clothes in my backpack just in case the weather changes or Greta trashes my clothes. Today, I  felt it was getting a bit colder so I changed my outfit into one that is better suited for the barrens. 

Then, I go and browse the aisles. Ah- perfect! Just the book I was looking for on veterinary medicine. I already read the anatomy, sciences, and medical tools versions. 

I walk over to the librarian with the book in my hands.

"Good afternoon miss," I say cheerfully, placing the book on the counter and pulling out my library card.

"Ah, good afternoon Deirdre," She smiles, taking both my card and the book. 

"Did you finish the others already?" She asks with an impressed face when she noticed the book I have.

"Yeah, after this one, I only have one more," I reply proudly.

"Wow," She scans my book and the card. The receipt starts to print.

"How are your parents?" She looks a bit concerned as she asks. I look down, not knowing how to reply.

"The same," I admit after a minute, ashamed.

"You know we will always be here for you," She says warmly and hands me my receipt.

"Thank you," I quickly force a smile on my face. 

I hurry out of the library and walk my bike across the street to the park. 

I hate the same careful look every adult gives me. It's as though they're scared to hurt me with only their words. They pity me and they don't even try to hide it. I'm not something so weak that needs everyone's sympathy and protection. I have protected myself for years and nobody would help so what difference does it make now? Besides, pity isn't something that's fun to constantly feel. Everyone talks to me as though I were a  poor child from some foreign country who doesn't speak English. 

I lean my bike against the tree before I climb up into its limbs. I sit down and make myself comfortable-- well as comfortable as one can be when sitting in a tree. 

When I open the book, the pages are all blank. In a state of confusion, I continue flipping the pages looking for something-- anything. But I find nothing. I look up only to see that the park that was crowded just seconds before is now eerily empty. I shake my head, trying to snap out of whatever hallucination I'm in.

Am I really hallucinating all this? That's impossible, i wasn't exposed to any chemicals or gases. I clean my glasses, hoping it will help, but it doesn't. Everyone is still gone. I climb down the tree and look around with my eyes. I feel so... alone. A noise behind me suddenly makes me jump. I turn and see something pop back behind my reading tree. I slowly walk over like a horror movie antagonist.

"Hello?" I call out as I continue walking over, getting nervous now. I make it to the tree and take a deep breath before looking behind it where I saw someone ducking behind earlier. This time nobody is there. That's odd. When I turn back around, there is a clown in my face.

"What the fuck?" I scream in horror, falling backwards onto my butt. It walks closer as I scoot backwards.

"Deirdre, you never have to be alone with us. Come with me, we all float down here, yes we do!" The clown says and starts laughing like a maniac. 

I can only stare at it, frozen with fear. Suddenly I hear a honk behind me. I turn around and see a car honk at another car. When I turn around, the clown is gone and the park is crowded again. I get up and dust myself off, hoping nobody saw me having some sort of psychotic episode. 

I walk back over to my book and pick it up off of the floor. I flip through it and it has words and charts, diagrams, it definitely isn't empty. I try to shake my fear off. I climb up and into my reading tree again. I calm myself enough into reading my book. I don't know how much time passes exactly.

"Are you going to the barrens?" Someone shouts from below me. I look down and see Stan. As soon as I see him, my face lights up with a smile. He waves and I climb down.

"Lets go," I start to look around, remembering the clown.

"Are you okay?" Stan notices my uneasiness.

"Yeah, lets just go," I shake my head, reassuring him. I just don't know if I can reassure myself.