The Trip Unfinished

As the air was  getting colder I  knew migration was near. I am not going to lie,  I am really scared to migrate, because this is my first time doing it. We do not travel alone, we combine with another flock to go to the same destination, for safety reasons of course.

 As we all lined up,  the leader of our flock, the oldest  and wisest, which was my Father yelled, “Take off begins in three minutes”.

 “Yes sir”, yelled all of us birds. As the three minutes were wearing thin everybody lined up in the traditional migration line. Which was my father leading with me behind him and all of the younger ducks who have never migrated before behind me, and  the elders in the far back so nobody gets left behind. 

The whole time we were lining up I couldn’t stop  thinking about all of the fun times I had playing with my friends in the trees and fields. 

“The time has come” shouted my father. “ We are migrating to a new land so we can grow as a flock and not be swallowed by this cold winter”.

Everybody started flapping their wings, and we were off. I started rising higher and higher until by body fed off of the cold breeze in my wings.  I have never felt so free in my life.

After traveling for what seemed like hours, we had finally landed in our resting area, and the place where we joined with the other flock. 

When everybody landed my father yelled, “We have met our resting area for the night, the second flock of ducks should be coming soon so be ready”. 

As I layed down my wings seemed to flop on the ground like wet noodles. They were sore and raw from the hours of constant flying. While laying down my eyes started to close slowly. Soon I was asleep. After sleeping for what seemed like an eternity I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

“Ummm, are you ok?” asked an unfamiliar  voice

“Ahhhhhh”, I yelled as I jumped from the spot I had been resting. “Who are you and why did you wake me?” 

The voice said “ Sorry to scare you, I am Everly. I am a member of the second flock that is migrating for the winter.”

“ It’s ok,” I said. “I am Jackson Junior, my father is the leader of the first flock.”

My eyes were still adjusting to the harsh light, when I realized how beautiful Everly was. As I stared at her in awe she asked “ Is something wrong?”

I said, “No everything is perfect,” as I tried to hide my blushing. “ You are perfect”.

“ I am far from perfect”, she said “ but thank you”. “ Also I woke you up because we are leaving in 2 minutes”. 

“Two minutes!” I shouted as I rushed to the line.  As I was getting ready to take flight I saw Everly was not in the line. 

“Everly”, I yelled. But no response. “Wait,” I yelled “ We forgot somebody we can’t leave without her.” 

But nobody could hear me over the loud flapping of everybody's wings.  I couldn't leave her there that would be so wrong. So I stayed. I dropped from the sky and hit the ground with a loud thud. 

“Everly, I am coming”. I yelled shakily.  

The voice that was once soft and quit became loud and cried “Help me please”.

I ran through the thick brush to find Everly lying on the ground with her wing caught in a fence.  

“Jackson” she said through a face full of tears. “ You stayed for me, why?” 

“Because” I responded “ I would never be able to let go of the thought that I could have saved a life and I didn’t, so I stayed.”

“Thank you for staying with me,” she said as she struggled to get out of the fence. 

“Let me help you” I said as I rushed to her to help.

Finally after several minutes of struggling Everly was finally able to get out of the fence.

“Let me help you up,” I said, stretching out a wing.

As I helped her up, her beautiful blue eyes met mine. And we stared at each other for a second, and then we kissed. When we kissed, I could see the pain in her eyes slowly turn into joy. 

Everly giggled and said” I am not trying to ruin the moment but I think we should catch up so we don’t get lost.”

“You are right” I said as I scrambled to the line the others left. 

Everly stood behind me and we started flapping our wings. The whole time we were flying all I could think about was that kiss. My first kiss to be exact.

“So tell me about yourself,” Everly said.

“Well my name is Jackson, I love eating berries and my middle name is Ron”, I responded.

“ Ron?” she asked while giggling. “What a terrible middle name”.

I laughed and said “ I couldn't agree more”. 

The whole time we were flying we kept making jokes and telling our  childhood stories to each other.  For the first time in a lifetime i had finally felt like i was in love. And i was not going to bottle it all inside so I told her how i flet.

“ I know we just met but I feel like I love you.” I said very nervously

“ Me too,” she responded  in a way that almost felt like a relief. “ We met an hour ago and it feels like I have known you my whole life.”

I smiled and before I could say anything I heard a shot ring out and a hot sharp point run through my body.

“Jackson” yelled Everly. 

I wanted to respond but I couldn’t. I hit the ground like a sack of potatoes and yelled out in pain. When I looked up and saw Everly flying to the ground to help me I also saw a man with a gun pointed to the sky.

“ No Everly leave, don't stay they will kill you too,” I yelled through a mouth full of blood.

As Everly came closer another blood curdling shot rang out.  And then I realized she had been shot too. 

I tried to get closer to her and I said “ Everly why did you stay?”

She responded with “ I would never be able to let go of the thought that I could have saved a life and I didn’t, so I stayed”. 

I reached my hand out and we cried. Soon the tears in our eyes were whipped away by death.