Stardust and Neon Lights [Volume 1]

episode 1 (Isabelle)

Copper Bridge, 6:45 a.m.—

"What are you doing?"

Isabelle Coleman's head snapped around at the sound of Kyle Carter's suspicious voice. She discreetly slid the packet of sunflower seeds into her large skirt pocket.

"Nothing," she said innocently, whistling a tune that came to her mind.

"Don't give me that," he said with narrowed gray eyes. "Look at this flock of pigeons gathered around you. Do I look blind to you?"

She hastily stomped her shoe on the ground, causing most of them to fly off in alarm. "They just happened to settle here. I didn't do anything. Anyway, I'm surprised you're here this early."

Her childhood friend was unimpressed. "Don't try to change the subject. I've told you at least fifty thousand times to stop feeding the pigeons—when are you ever going to listen to me? Are you going to wait until you end up like Lydia?"

Isabelle's loud groan broke up the peaceful atmosphere in the park as she rubbed her face in blatant annoyance. "Stop, Kyle. When are you going to stop lecturing me like you're my mom?"

"I don't," he said, a hint of indignation in his voice.

"Besides, doesn't anyone feel bad for Lydia? Everybody uses her as an example of what not to do—poor girl will never be the same again, and people just can't leave her alone," Isabelle said, crossing her arms.

"I'm sure she would be glad that people stopped making the same mistake she had after hearing her story."

Lydia Chesterman was a resident in their hometown who had turned into a cautionary tale two years ago. Like many of the children and teenagers, she loved interacting with the many birds that resided in the area. One day during her extensive feeding sessions, she attracted a pigeon infected with the dreaded Avian Manifestation Disease and fell ill within the day.

Something that was unprecedented in all the townspeople's previous experiences with the AMD happened—it resulted in a grave physical deformity in Lydia, causing a beak-like protrusion to form from her lips. Typically, one fell ill with a fever and other mild symptoms upon infection and recovered over the course of a week, so this was unheard of.

The week that Lydia was diagnosed with it and began developing the so-called beak, the whole town fell into great panic and children were forbidden from visiting playgrounds by their parents, who were fearful the same ill fate would befall their beloved children.

Lydia had quickly become a freakshow for many residents in the town, and her parents had her withdrawn from school to take care of her at home.

All the children who were prone to wandering about outside were thoroughly and repeatedly warned by their parents to stay away from any wild birds they saw, using poor Lydia's plight to scare them.

"Nope," Isabelle said, "I'm pretty sure she's sick of being used as an example by every single person on earth."

They began walking along the old stone bridge that led to their school.

"Not every pigeon is going to be safe to feed, Isabelle."

She sighed as the familiar words fell out of his mouth. "I know that, okay?"

"If you knew that you wouldn't be doing this almost every day," he began, and she knew he was on the verge of launching into another long nagging session.

"Yeah, yeah, you're such a nag."

Just to incite further protest from him, Isabelle yanked out the pack of sunflower seeds from her pocket, pulled out a handful of seeds, and waved it in the air. She whistled twice, causing Kyle to look over at her.