The Story of Tiberius

Chapter 34

Startled as he saw the floor coming closer and closer, Tiberius noticed that Rosa had flown up into the air and landed on the stair railing, a terrified look in her eyes. Without a moment's hesitation, the young hawk launched himself into flight at the last second. His talons outstretched, he almost missed the railing but fortunately got a firm grip. Finding his footing upon the slanted surface, he breathed a sigh of relief. Shaking himself, he looked around for Alfred, finding the old man at the bottom of the stairs. Apparently, he probably slipped and fell.

He also wasn't moving.

Worry clenching his pounding heart, Tiberius flew down to Alfred's head, Rosa hot on his tail. He gently nudged his owner's hand, hoping for a response. There was none. Shaking, his little sister whimpered, "Is he alright?" Lifting his head, the hawk murmured while shrugging his shoulders, "I don't know. I can tell there's a heartbeat but he's not responding." Glancing back down at their owner, he let out a small and quiet shriek. Alfred still made no reactions, causing the hawk siblings to worry even more. Rosa was crying at this point. Nuzzling his sister reassuringly, Tiberius murmured, "Stay with Alfred, I'm gonna get some help." Nodding her head quietly as tears ran down her already wet face, Rosa mumbled, "Hurry."

"I'll be back before ya know it," Tiberius replied. Spreading his wings, he headed for the door that separated the stairway to the apartment building's rooftop from the seventh floor hallway. Grasping the door knob in his talons, he opened the door with one twist and flew into the hall. Approaching the first apartment door he saw, he began to scratch at the base of it and shrieked, calling for help. No answer came, hinting the residents weren't home at the moment. Panic starting to rise inside of him, Tiberius went to the next door and did the same thing. Luckily, now someone opened it up. It was a girl about ten years old. Confused, she called over her shoulder, "Mom, Dad! There's this weird bird at the door! Can I keep it?"

"Sweetie, get away from there!" the little girl's mother cried, fear in her voice. The child's father came and grabbed the child while trying to shut the door with his foot at the same time. Eyes widening, Tiberius continued shrieking, wanting them to follow him towards the roof stairway. Behind him, some of the neighbors opened their doors to find out what the ruckus was all about. One young boy snuck out of his apartment without his parents noticing since they were watching what was happening in front of them. In a desperate attempt to get them to follow, Tiberius tried entering the family's apartment. Screaming in terror, the mother grabbed the nearest thing she could find. With a frying pan fresh off the stove while the food fell to the floor for the family dog to eat, the woman used it like a bat and whacked the young hawk in the face, the edge of it catching him on the right side of his beak.

Knocking his head against the door frame, Tiberius could vaguely hear a young boy crying out, "Mommy, there's someone over by the stairs!" Hearing the sound of footsteps heading towards the stairway, the hawk blacked out...