PROLOGUE
My pink skin rubbed inside the egg. A bright light made the interior glow. Dark shapes would often move around the shell. I heard mumbles.
"It should hatch any day now, sweetie."
As the day grew cold, it all turned dark and I couldn't see any shapes, just black. Not that I could see anyway, two large bulges represented my closed eyes. It started to warm up again. I tuned my little ears in to listen to the soft gurgles of what sounded like a stomach.
One bright day, I felt the urge to move, it all got cramped. I twisted slightly, my beak rubbed the shell. But something hard on my beak made a soft cracking sound.
"Honey, I hear something." A deep voice sounded from outside. I wanted out, now. I kept moving my beak, and then ended up hitting it hard. The shell broke in a small section and warm light filled the capsule I was in. I poked my nose out and let out a soft peep.
"Honey! It's hatching!" the same deep voice seemed to glow. It made me happy.
"Oh, it's a miracle! I'm so excited!" a sweet, high voice sung as I kept breaking away the pieces. I was nearly free! I kept hitting the shell, hearing a satisfying crack with every nudge. I was so cramped I couldn't wait to stretch. With another hard push, the top of the egg popped off and I tumbled out onto a rough warm surface. I felt sticky and cold with the air rushing over my little pink body.
CHAPTER 1
I peeped and peeped. The coldness was making me feel heavy, I really wanted to be back in the egg. Why did I have to get out?
"Mum!" I cheeped. I felt her presence, but I couldn't see her!
"Right here, sweetie." She hobbled over to me, her claws scratched on the rough flat surface. I opened my mouth, hungry as ever. She placed mushy seeds into my gob. I swallowed them eagerly, so yummy! I felt my crop beginning to fill up with mushy juices. She covered me with her soft, downy feathers as she lay on me.I snuggled into her and felt warmth seep through my naked body. Where were my feathers? When babies like me were born, we had limited knowledge, only that we knew was of our own kind.
"Mama?" I peeped.
"Yes?" She replied in her soft, enticing voice.
"Where am I?" I asked, letting my stomach graze the ground.
"In a nesting box, as they are called. It's a cave, made of wood, where mothers, like me, come to lay their eggs and hatch their babies." She whispered. Not to disturb the other birds who took cover in the surrounding, 'nesting boxes'.
"Mama? What's wood?" I asked, there was so much to know!
"Wood comes from our owner. She placed the boxes in here, seasons ago. When she had bought her first budgies here to live." Mum replied.
"Oh." I yawned. I rested my large head against her. I listened to her breathing as it slowed into a steady rhythm. The rhythm of sleep.
I woke to a soft pitter-patter of noise. It clanged against the surrounding cage, which I had never seen before. Mum woke during the night to feed, as I chirped pitifully. Dad never returned to the box, it would be just a tad too crowded. Just like me I cracking of eggs and the chirps of new babies just like me. It was all so exciting, but i grew bored on my own. For nights I stayed up late, until the owls started hooting. I stayed up so late asking mum questions, learning.
"Mum?" I asked drowsily.
"Yeah, honey?" She replied, sighing with effort.
"What do i call you besides 'mum' ?" I cheeped. With surprise, mother stirred beside me.
"You know, the other budgies call me, Ami." Mum replied.
"So what do you call me besides 'sweetie' ?" I asked.
"Oh my lord!" Mother squawked. "I haven't named you! Oh my, I'm a horrible mother!" At this commotion, dad flew up to the hole in which birds could enter and leave the box.
"Honey, whats all this racket?" He pressed.
"Pearce! We haven't named the chick!" She retorted.
"Well, then we should right now." He mumbled. "How about... Henry?"
"No," mum reasoned, "I had an uncle named Henry. It just wont do!"
"How about.... Ben?" Dad asked.
"Ooh it's lovely! Ben!"
"Yes, mother?" I replied., happy with my new name. Mum giggled excitedly. She bent down and started to lovingly preen my budding feathers. Ben, it was my first and only name. And I loved it.
CHAPTER 2
Weeks passed and I fledged all my full primaries and plumage. I was beginning to hop outside the box. My whole world just got a heap bigger. Branches and sticks to land on, massive pond for water and bathing. I hadn't even tried yet to glide along the side of the cage, where I could get a footing if I fell.
One day, a tall pink being opened the aviary door. Her only feathers were silky and grey. And only perched on top of her large head. I hid underneath the food container. It was made of a black shiny material. I flapped quietly to adjust my wing as it grazed the side of it. I heard cooing, foreign but I could tell it was friendly.
"Come here lovies, come get some tasty apples." Was the language. Apples. Mum told me about those. They were ' fruits'. Edible and sweet. I let my feathers fluff out in content. But suddenly my hiding place was interrupted, the woman lifted off the shiny stuff and gazed dreamily down at me.
"Well, lookie here." She pulled back her floppy beak in a smile, "a hatchling of the season." She churred with laughter and put her wrinkled hand around me. I chirped angrily. I gently nibbled at her hand and complained with raspy noises.
"Hey!" The woman chuckled. She placed me on her shoulder and I buried for safety into her grey feathers. She chuckled and put her saggy fingers around me. She lifted me up, I wanted to flap and fly away, but I wasnt ready. She placed me gently up onto a high branch.
"There you go, nice and high up, eh?" She laughed., and tossed seeds to the floor. They bounced happily, then settled into the cracks.
