Noah and the bird

Day 1

The little green feathered being blinked, turned its head and chirped, then looked at him. Noah continued to stare at the bird. The bird continued to stare back. Blink. Blink blink. Eventually, he felt the bird getting nervous by his scrutinizing stare,(If that was even possible), but he continued to stare back. Noah Waters seriously didn’t know what to do with this animal.  His instructor gave it to him with the instructions “Take care of him.”

He sighed.

“Take care of him.”

He briefly wondered if that’s what they said to Lily before forcing her to kill her dog. 

“Take care of him.” Before you murder him that is. He sighed looking at the animal. His stomach churned as the feathered fellow kept on looking at him, it’s neck craned. It almost seemed the thing trusted him. Which made the thought of killing it worse.

He must be an idiot for talking to it, but he doesn’t know what else to do. Talking to a bird has a calming effect. “Ok Bird, I don’t like you and you don’t like me. The bird stared at him and seemed to be shaking its head That annoyed Noah a little bit because he wanted to come out as important. Coughing he stood up and straightened his shoulders trying to give off an imposing look… to a bird.  “But considering they’re expecting me to kill you… I’m letting you go.”

He opened the cage before he could feel more ridiculous.  the bird didn’t leave. “Tweet tweet” Stare. “Tweet tweet” Stare. This continued for a few more minutes. He felt his eyebrow twitch. ‘This-This-This’ his mind couldn’t really comprehend words right now, rather it was having a hard time.  Opening the cage the bird should have escaped, that was the logical course of action. In fact, most birds escaped by now. the blue sky looked inviting, fresh, and wide. Heck if he was a bird he’d fly into that sky and never look back. The window was open. As if proving his point, a random robin flew to the kitchen sink and began tweeting to his ear. But that green plumed idiot just stared at him.

“Come on you stupid bird I’m giving you your freedom!” But again the bird did not leave, just continued to look at him. Flapping his arms he tried to show the bird what to do. “Fly, Fly, Fly!” Again the bird did not leave. He could have sworn it seemed amused. 

 A feminine voice that was both silky and sweet like the waves then erupts. “Ummm I know we’re part of the hunter’s association, but do you need a therapist?” Lily is there with a smile that says she’s deeply disturbed by him. Mortification colors his cheeks.

“No, No I don’t!” He quickly denies it. Lily doesn’t look convinced. She looks at the open cage and sighs. “You do know they train those animals to stay with you even though you have to eventually…” She stops talking there’s a sadness in her eyes. He looks at his older sister. Seeing the sadness and shame on her face, he remembers that night even though he was only two. Waking up groggy he’d seen his sister, back then only twelve years old. She had come back with blood-stained clothes, her face completely shell-shocked.” Mr. Fluffy” She kept mumbling. Back then he wasn’t thinking, and he had asked her where the puppy was. She looked at him with an expression that told of so much pain and burst into tears. He clenched his fist at the memory and shook his head. This was expected of the hunters. They needed to learn how to kill. And this was the best way. 

But the pain his sister had to endure leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. There’s sadness in her eyes, She looks at him, realization dawns on her face, she comes over and gives him a hug. She squeezes hard, trying to hide back her tears, trying to stay strong. “I’m sorry,” she says. “I’m so sorry.” He realizes she’s begging for forgiveness for something she’s completely powerless to. He clenches his fist as he holds her. There was nothing to forgive, nothing to be sorry for. But she’s begging anyway. She feels like she’s failed him, her tears trickle down his neck, he can hear her quiet sobs. He hugs her back. In a way, he’s failed her too. 

Day 2

Noah Looks at the bird, it looks at him. He opens his mouth, chest puffed out, the green little creature turns his head curious. It Obviously interested in what he had to say, He was ready, he was a big man. His mouth opens he got ready to say something. Only for no words to come out.

It was the same as yesterday. So he decides to just glare at the bird. Its beady black eyes stare right back at him.

“Ok Bird, I don’t like you and you don’t like me.” He was talking to a bird again. He really needed a social life, But then his sister Lily had little to no friends and she was happy. When he pointed this out to her, she kind of looked depressed… The bird kept looking at him. But this time it looked like it was sighing. As if it was exasperated with him. Why the hell would a bird be exasperated with him? Was this thing looking down on him? His eye twitched.

“Listen you damn bird!” Later he would probably see arguing with a bird as a new low, but right now he was too annoyed.  The bird continued to look at him as if he was an idiot. Right now he wondered if he should ask Lily if they could have fried bird for dinner.

“Listen Human.” The bird spoke, it’s voice rough, yet sounding kind of smooth. Like it was a mixture of rough and smooth. It wasn’t a sweet kind of punkish. 

Noah blinks. Then his mouth is wide open. “You can talk?

There is a flash and the cage disappears, the bird morphs getting bigger, losing wings until finally, he appears to be a man with a scandalizing demeanor and spiky green hair. His face says Yo and appears to be a punk. Noah just looks at the man who used to be a bird with an open mouth. After the initial shock thinks one thing: “Please don’t let this be my familiar.”

The birdman then speaks again. “I’m your familiar, not your pet.”

Noah can’t help but internally groan. It must have shown in his face because the next thing he knew the spiky-haired man told him “Thanks kid you’re making me feel welcomed.” 

“You’re not exactly what I thought you’d be when I'd get a familiar.”

Noah’s cheeks reddened. The man laughed. “You’ve got fire kid. I’ll admit that.”

He got angrier. “I’m sorry I thought we only got a familiar after we…” It’s then his anger disappears when he remembers a crying twelve-year-old, he stops abruptly. The birdman as if not sensing the mood or wanting to anger him more threw in his two cents. “Yeah, you’re sister is one messed up cookie.”

“Don’t insult her!”

The birdman then grins his pearly teeth showing, takes a chair, and sits on it backward. His smile is carefree like he has no care in the world. He had the air of a little kid. Infuriating Noah further. How dare this man… slander his sister. He feels his breathing fasten. The birdman looks at him for a moment. This man doesn’t care about what his sister went through, just insulting her...  “They do it differently each generation.” The familiar explains. “Your sister’s generation wasn’t so lucky. I’m sorry for insulting her, I was trying to make light of the situation I guess I came off as insensitive.” 

“Yeah, you did.”  But Noah doesn’t feel as angry anymore. He just sighs. “Why do they do it differently each generation?

“I honestly don’t know kid.”

There’s a long silence.

“So then,”  his familiar says breaking the silence  “it looks like we’re working together.”

Noah didn’t even know the birdman’s name, nor did he wish to, but his familiar was giving him the look of an excited puppy who finally found his home. So he didn’t have the heart to turn him down. Taking the hand that was offered to him he accepted.