Ready to Fly

An Ending of Joy and Sorrow

Chase thought of the green bird from the far away land, Xenaria and tried to imitate its actions. Chase decided he would become a perfect child for his parents. He created a checklist of things to do to keep his parents happy. It read:

To Do List!

1. Do all my chores without being asked

2. Spend time with mom and dad

3. Bring my grades up

4. Don't fight with Abby

5. Lastly, say nice things to everybody

A week after creating the list, Chase lay on his bed thinking about all the nice things he had done. He remembered his neighbor Donna's tight hug when he told her that her petunias were looking lovely. He remembered his father's proud smile as he enjoyed Star Wars with him. He also remembered how pleased his mother was when he brought home his report card with straight As.

Even with all of his hard work, his parents still fought regularly. He daydreamed again about the bird, hoping to ease his mind.

The bird walked the blue terrain back to its home, followed by a few more hatched eggs. He paused his journey to admire a waterfall, when he stumbled over a rock and smashed his beak.

All of a sudden purple birds flew out of the sky and began to attack the Esah. They all pounced at him at once, slamming his feathers onto the ground. The Esah scooped the remaining eggs from under his wing out and cawed at the hatched fledglings to hide in a bush with the eggs.

There they lay, those last few eggs, in a bush, will such untapped potential, exposed to the elements, in close range to the enemies.

All at once the purple beasts pecked at the green Esah until it lay cold, and unmoving. They flew off, and only the carcass remained.

Chase sat up with a jolt to a tapping at his shoulder, it was his mother.

"Chase, your father and I have tried to work out our problems but it's just not happening. We've decided to get a divorce, but don't worry; we both love you kids more than anything. You'll always be safe and sound," she wiped a few tears away from the corners of her eyes, hugged Chase, and exited the room.

As Chase sat on his bed, trying to comprehend the enormous news that had been shared with him, he realized the land of Xenaria may not be real, but the lone bird was.

Chase realized he was the bird's eggs, sitting there on his bed, unclaimed, with such potential.

After that realization, Chase overcame his own troubles -- though he didn't know it yet. He was the little lost bird, struggling to find his place. Ready to fly.