The Humming Bird's Choice

by Samuel J Fox

  The hand slowly falls back down.

  “Now I know most of you probably have a lot more questions you’d like to ask.” He pushes his thin blonde hair back over his ears and adjusts his top button on his shirt. His whole persona is flawless, straight teeth, smooth skin, unrealistic at most. “But we must continue with the Humming Birds anniversary.”

  Then without hesitation King Helfer whistles a gentle tune, the sound so clear you could dance to it. His high pitch notes glide through the room slowly without taking a breath.

  A small humming bird flies into the hall through one of the second-floor windows. The buzzing continues as it hovers in one area of the room and then systematically to another. It flies forwards and backwards in a quick-fire fashion, almost flying too close to the crowd at one point. King Helfer stretches out his arm opening up the palm of his hand, and whistles in one long pitch. The humming bird flies towards him and lands in the middle of his hand. Its shiny green, black and silver feathers reflect off the sunlight that gleams in through the windows, its short legs and long thin long beak makes the bird appear so delicate. Even in the Kings hand the bird is constantly fidgeting, its head darting left and right, and its chest swiftly inflating up and down.

  King Helfer gently strokes the bird with one finger and begins to whisper to it.

  “I think he’s been in this giant greenhouse too long,” Hurk whispers.

  I laugh at Hurk. But am instantly reminded that we’re in one big warm dome, full of plants and jungle, the dense stifling air suddenly crawls up on me at once, causing a sweat drop to trickle down my face.

  The humming bird leaps from the Kings hand and starts hovering around the stone placed in the middle of the wooden stage.

  The King walks towards the razor-sharp stone, which looks like it’s been plucked straight from a mountain, he turns to the crowd and grins, showing all of his teeth at once.

  “As you all know the stone bears the name of every Centaur in the entire city, thousands of tiny holes cover the stone, each one representing a Centaur’s spot in the Hideout. My dear Humming Bird will now decide who will take part by pumping out the nectar that ruins through the stones veins. The time has arrived Centaurs of Steedland, the humming bird’s anniversary will commence!”

  My heart stops, the words hit me in the pit of my stomach, the time I’ve being dreading for months, wishing I could somehow skip the day and find out the result another time. I start to feel sick, and my vision becomes blurry with tears. But I hold it back, I must push through this for my family.

  The fate of my family, Hurks family, lay in the mind of the humming bird.

  Which has landed on the tattooed stone, digging its tongue into someone’s name pumping out the nectar.

  We all watch in silence.

  14

  ‘The thought of King Helfer reading out any of our names feels like a hornet has been let loose inside me.’

  I gasp for air as I forget to breathe from the sheer concentration on the Kings Humming Bird. I watch its wings flap so rapidly it creates a circular shape around it. Right now, nothing will distract me from this moment, even though I’ve despised it since the last anniversary. A coldness inflames my chest causing the hairs on my arm to raise in clockwork fashion. I turn to look at Sparky, his head is tilted to the floor and his eyes are closed shut, he crosses his arms and hunches himself, not letting anyone in if they tried. Monni holds my dad’s hand tightly whilst wrapping his arm around Pell.

  I walk over to Sparky without saying a word.

  His hand wraps around the back of my head.

  “We stick together, brother,” he says.

  I nod back at him and a tear falls from the corner of my eye and we both rest each other’s heads together.

  I’d be nothing without my family.

  The Humming Bird hovers above the Kings Shoulder as he leans in to see the name chosen.

  “Mia Kuhn!” King Helfer announces, my heart still races as I slowly open one eye, and then the other.

  It wasn’t any of us.

  “Mia Kuhn!” He repeats, scanning the crowd to find the first participant. He begins to walk closer to the front row of Centaurs.

  As he squints his eyes looking for the first pawn in his little game, he finally spots a lady in the crowd crying. Her cry isn’t loud, but it sounds deep, like its coming directly from within. As the crowd opens up around her, you can see another Centaur cradling her, who I assume is her other half, in his arms. A slightly smaller Centaur with chestnut brown hair forces his face down to the floor, with his ears covered. As the women kneels down to comfort him, the cries become louder as three guards appear from behind slowly guiding her to the stage.

  I assume that’s Mia.

  Not only has she been chosen to compete in a game which involves fighting for her life, but she’s has been made to stand in front of everyone to witness her being chosen, like a huntsman’s kill framed on the wall.

  “Congratulations Mia,” King Helfer proudly says. “You are the first to be chosen by the Humming Bird.”

  King Helfer then whistles and the Humming Bird returns to its place, hovering around the stone, its tiny body whizzing back and forth you can hardly tell it’s there.

  My dad nods at me with a gracious smile as I turn to see him still standing there next to Monni and Pell.

  The entire hall is filled with the same constant tone until the bird decides what name to break into next.

  I wonder if the Humming Bird knows why it’s sticking its long tongue into the stone, deciding the fate of everyone’s life around it. To the bird, it’s simply doing its daily job of sucking out nectar of its food supply.

  The buzzing sound of the Humming Bird suddenly stops and I feel my heart starting to pound against my chest again. So hard that I can see the left side of my chest quickly pulsing, my palms become so sweaty that I have to wipe them off on my shirt.

  “Jessy!” The King bellows into the crowd, and instantaneously Jessy appears and walks towards King Helfer on the stage.

  “I’m proud to serve you, King Helfer,” Jessy says whilst reaching out to shake his hand.

  “Well,” King Helfer says as he raises his eyebrows, eyeing Jessy up and down. No creases are left on his forehead when he stops examining Jessy, he’s a young King after all. “Glad to have you up here, Jessy.”

  King Helfer proceeds to shake his hand.

  Jessy’s persona is all an act, and he will suck up to anyone with more courage or a bigger personality than he does. My mum once told me the more you change yourself to fit another’s view of a perfect Centaur, you will lose sight of the things that mean dearest to you. Those are the things that define how you become unique and different to everyone else.

  I look at Sparky and then to my dad, Monni, Pell and Hurk to remind myself I have everything dearest to me all around me.

  The Humming Bird returns to the stone after the Kings whistle and begins sucking the rich nectar from the engraved name of the third Centaur.

  The King announces the third name and I feel my body turn into stone. I know my expression doesn’t change and I just stare at King Helfer who stands on stage knowing that his fate is safe for another day. I hear muffled voices around me but I don’t focus on any conversation in particular, I just focus on not falling to the floor.

  King Helfers repeats the name again, “Where are you? Zach Sun!”

  Hurks dad.

  I turn to where Hurk last stood, but now he’s gone, I can see him through the dense crowd pushing Centaur guards away from grabbing his dad. He screams and punches in desperation, but they’re too tough for him and two guards grab Hurk while his dad is nudged towards the stage.

  King Helfer greets Hurks dad with a hug, “Your dad is in good hands, Hurk.”

  How does he-

  My trail of thought is destroyed from the deafening shouts from Hurk, who never gets angry at anyone.

  “Dad!” he screams. “Please don’t leave me, please let me take his place
!”

  Hurk is an only child and his mum moved away when he was young, leaving a two-man army.

  “Don’t you dare say things like that Hurk!” Hurks dad shouts back. “I’ll be fine son, you’ll be fine, remember what we spoke about?” Hurks dad rests his hand on his chest, slamming it down a few times. “Never forget that Son!”

  King Helfer nods at one of the guards and they proceed to escort Hurk out the hall. I want to follow them but not yet, there are three more spaces and I must stay until the end.

  “Where are you taking my son!” Hurks dad demands.

  King Helfer swiftly turns and strokes his cheeks with his thumb.

  “He’s fine Zach, we must continue with the anniversary.”

  +++

  The anniversary continues with the Humming Bird repeatedly sucking the nectar from inside the stone, revealing the next Hider.

  “Haye Dol!” King Helfer shouts into the crowd and a small middle aged Centaur appears. She wears thin glasses with oval lenses. “Thank you, Haye.”

  +++

  “Casey Haram!” The fifth member of the Hiders is revealed, a young man approaches the stage holding a photo frame, however too far for me to see the photo inside.

  As Casey approaches the stage, a young girl leaps into him from behind and hugs him with her delicate arms. Her hazel hair lays on top of her fair skin, slightly paler than most other Centaurs.

  She pulls away from Casey and stares at him, she lets out a small whine and wraps her arms under his armpits and squeezes so tightly it begins to look uncomfortable. I can’t help but stare at her, her face is so pretty and cute. I’ve never seen a Centaur like her before.

  Girls are always on my mind, I occasionally picture myself in relationships with girls I begin to gain an interest in. But before my eyes, the unrealistic imagination disappears into thin air. Commitment has never been my strong point.

  King Helfer coughs to hurry the process up. His heart must be colder than ice, I spite him as much as I could to anyone.

  My heart begins pounding yet again, subconsciously telling me it’s nearly over, one more name is to be plucked from the stone. I can’t help but shiver from the adrenaline running through my veins. The thought of King Helfer reading out any of our names feels like a hornet has been let loose inside me.

  I feel my dad’s hand rest on my shoulder from behind, Sparky glances over at me just as King Helfer continues to whistle for the last time this year, only to be repeated in another ten years’ time.

  I smile at Sparky.

  The buzzing stops, and I hear the Humming Bird whiz over our heads and out the window. So quickly I hardly see it move. A warm pulsating feeling runs from my head to hoof.

  I wipe away the tears and bow my head towards the floor, with my eyes shut tightly, waiting.

  My dad’s hand squeezes tightly on my shoulder, the warm presence calms me and I know I’m not alone, although I feel like someone’s missing.

  “The final Centaur to be chosen to compete in the decillion Hideout is, Sparky Solokite.”

  15

  ‘Even in a room full of people, I’ve never felt more alone in my life.’

  I feel my heart stop for a brief second, like it skipped a beat and I’ll never get it back. Nothing ever seems real until it happens to you. You never feel pain until you’ve been hurt, I feel so much pain right now.

  My brother has just been plucked from the stone like it was nothing, deep down I never thought it would be possible. There was always a little bit of hope inside me, a small chance that we would get away with it one more time. Hearing the only name I thought would never come out of the Kings mouth just happened in front of me.

  I can only breath through my nose, I feel too scared to open my mouth, so I shut it tight. My chest rises quicker and quicker with every second. Everything around me looks, sounds and feels unreal, like I’m in a dream, the sounds have just blended together forming a chaotic ringing noise in my ear.

  I look around for Sparky, but I can’t focus, can’t see or feel where I am. Without realizing, my arms are tucked under my armpits and I remember that I’m surrounded by Centaur whose names are unknown to me. They all share the same experience as I do, but feel different about it. The Centaur next to me, an elderly lady, does not feel how I feel right now, and never will. A younger boy stands to the right of me, picking away at a scab on his elbow. He’ll go home tonight the same Centaur, to carry on his next days like normal. A dream which I believed was possible.

  “Sparky Solokite!” King Helfer shouts.

  A cold shiver runs through me like a spear, I bow my head and shut my eyes tight to block out the world around me.

  I imagine my mum standing in front of me in my bedroom when I’m poorly. Steam rises from a bowl she holds close to her chest. The smell of boiled carrot and potato with a hint of pepper waft in the air. Piles of laced blankets lay on top of me, nearly trapping me under. She rests the bowl on the side of my bed and sits on the edge. Her warm smooth fingers graze my forehead and down my cheeks, the sensation calms me.

  The same warm sensation runs through me and I feel safe again, I’m never alone when I think of my mum besides me.

  I open my eyes and a cold breeze passes through me, the smell of fragrant flowers and warm undergrowth pierces my senses. Fear rises in my mind when I think Sparky being dragged away.

  I snap out of the trance and swiftly turn my head towards where I last saw Sparky. The crowd must have moved while my eyes were closed. I push past Centaurs who stand in my way and all I want to do is reach Sparky before it’s too late.

  After shoving past a tightly packed crowd I finally reach my dad, who kneels onto the floor sobbing into the palm of his hands. Monni stands behind him, who stares blankly into the distance with both hands resting against each other up by his lips. Sparky is nowhere to be seen so I turn and run back into the crowd, who are all in an uproar of shouting or crying.

  “Sparky!” I shout as hard as I can until my throat burns. “Where is Sparky, where is my brother!” I start shouting at random Centaurs within the crowd, grabbing them by the shoulders.

  And then I see him, on the stage next to King Helfer, who has his hands held out, but Sparky doesn’t touch him.

  I can’t let this happen, not to my brother.

  I take off through the crowd. My eyes don’t leave Sparky, I am locked onto him and will do anything to reach him. As I approach the wooden stage that seems to stretch for miles, a line of guards stand in unison preparing for my arrival. A mountain wouldn’t stop me getting to Sparky right now, let alone King Helfers personal guards.

  Before they can grab me, I charge straight through the guard standing in the middle. As he falls I push off another guard’s head to help propel me onto the stage. I land on all fours but stumble over, using my arms to hold me up I instantly run to Sparky and hug him.

  “Listen Felix,” Sparky pushes me back and grabs my head with both hands, his eyes sharp and determined. “Felix, look after yourself, you might be chosen to retrieve the stone if I don’t make it.”

  I can’t help but cry, tears pour from my eyes like a waterfall. I don’t even bother to wipe them away.

  “But Sparky, I need you here. I need you here with me, I can’t do it without you,” I mumble the last few words.

  “You mean you need me to take Peach out for a walk every night,” he says, grinning. I force a smile and I notice tears building in his eyes. “Be brave Felix, I love you brother.”

  He brings my head closer to his for a few seconds before the guards reach us and pull us apart. I swing my arms and try to force myself free from their grip, but they’re too strong.

  “I volunteer!” I shout at the King. “I volunteer to take my brothers space!” The words fly out of my mouth so quickly I hardly realise I’m saying them.

  The guards stop dragging me away and wait for the King to reply. The hall is silent, everyone waiting to hear what the King will decide.

  “You are a courage
ous young Centaur, aren’t you?” King Helfer says. “My my, your family must be so proud to have you up here, on stage volunteering for your brothers’ position. The other Hiders would sure love you to be on their side. It’s just a shame, isn’t it?”

  I stare at the King,

  “A shame?”

  “A shame that the rules don’t allow for voluntary participation. My humming bird has decided who will take part in the Hideout, now get off my stage.”

  My heart sinks again.

  They drag me off the stage, far enough that I can see all the Hiders now lining up behind King Helfer, shoulder to shoulder.

  He raises both arms into the air with his hands spread apart, “Let the Hideout begin!”

  The entire hall erupts into cheers and shouts.

  Even in a room full of people, I’ve never felt more alone in my life.

  16

  ‘I guess this was the new toy King Helfer was talking about.’

  An hour slowly passes by as we wait for the hiders to walk into the underground arena. A harsh sickening feeling brews inside me and I know it won’t disappear any time soon. We all stand behind a low stony wall, which surrounds the entire main arena section, which about fifteen meters from the floor. A large hole above lets in a huge ray of sunlight to light up the arena, any parts which remain dark are lit up with torches hanging from the walls. The arena section we surround is known as the Discussion, in which all six Hiders plan their strategy. Not once has any team of Hiders managed to create a plan clever enough to outsmart the Hunter.

  Hurk joins us without anyone realising. Since he disappeared during the anniversary I didn’t think I was going to see him again. I edge towards him and pull his head to my chest, words nearly fall out of my mouth but I decide to stay quiet. There is nothing I can say right now that will make him feel any better, not until the Hideout is over.