by Justin Sloan
Brooke nodded. Roy turned, cheeks red.
“I think it’s best if you go,” Momma Swallow continued. “Your mom is probably worried.”
“But—”
Momma Swallow held up a wing. “We need family time, all of us.”
Roy turned away with a nod. Brooke took to the sky, looked back, and then fluttered off into the night. She soared, nowhere to go, no friends. Lights from windows of apartment buildings blinked ahead and she found herself gliding toward one. The place looked familiar, though she wasn’t exactly sure where she was. She landed on the roof and wrapped her wings around herself for warmth. She couldn’t go home yet anyway. There was too much sorrow there. She was starting to wonder at the real purpose of her becoming a bird, or whether there even was a purpose.
Wisps of clouds covered the stars above. She stared into the sky, eyes unfocused, questioning. Something approached, a dot in the sky, and Brooke prepared to flee. She strained her eyes and, to her delight, she saw it was Roy. He drew close and landed beside her.
“I thought your mom wouldn’t let you come?” Brooke said, hopping around him in excitement.
“She went to sleep,” Roy said. “So I snuck off.”
“Won’t you get in trouble?”
“Hey, it’ll be worth it. We’ll make it the best night ever!” Roy flew into the air.
Brooke watched with a tilt to her head and then followed. When she caught up with him they soared through the air, appreciating the moment of peace.
Roy glided closer to her and cocked his head. “And you, what’s your mom think about you being out?”
Roy turned slightly so his right eye could look at her. In his eye’s reflection, she saw herself as a bird and lost herself in the moment. She considered his question with a long stare into the clouds above that blocked out the stars.
Finally, she said, “I was looking for someone, I thought.”
She flew along beside him, confused but enjoying the moment. It was amazing to look down at the top of trees, to see Mount Rainier from this angle. She thought she could even make out her house in the distance.
“Sometimes I feel trapped,” she said.
“Well,” he motioned to the open sky surrounding them. “Now you’re free as can be.”
She smiled as best a bird could. “Yeah.”
They soared on, circling higher. The wind in her wings felt like a cool breeze in her hair, but instead of just over her scalp it was over her entire body. She turned her attention to a gap in the clouds where the moon seemed to smile down at them.
“Come on!” she yelled and flew straight for the moon.
Roy followed and they darted around each other, playing, enjoying their freedom and the rush of falling, twisting, and soaring. Laughter filled the night air.
When they had exhausted themselves, Roy led the way to land near a river. He led her to a sidewalk and then hopped to a bench. The bench seemed humongous to Brooke, its seat blocking out the night sky above her.
“This’s my favorite spot in the whole world,” Roy said.
Nearby, a massive tree moved, and then another.
Brooke sat back, amazed to see they were a person’s legs. She hopped out from under the bench and looked up to see a man lifting his legs to lie on the bench. The man spotted the birds and he smiled a toothless grin. He tossed some bread crumbs and Roy darted for them.
With his mouth full, the swallow looked back at Brooke. “Come on and eat, they’re amazing!”
“A homeless man’s crumbs? I like stir-fried veggies, maybe some ice cream when I’m lucky.”
Roy stared at her without comprehension. “This is the best we get, else it’s insects, or worms.”
“Ew!”
Roy looked at her with confusion as more crumbs flew down from above. He started to move, but paused. “Come on, you first.”
She hopped forward, tilted her head to better see a crumb. Dirt covered its side, but her stomach rumbled. She hopped away and looked at the lake about fifty feet away, the city lights past it.
“Maybe I should go,” she said.
“You have a better spot?” Roy hopped to the bread crumbs and continued to eat after a burp. “Show me.”
Brooke giggled. “Roy, I don’t think you can come with me. We—we’re different. You know that, right?
He turned from her and she thought he was just eating, but when he talked, his voice cracked. “Don’t go.”
Feeling bad, she returned to the bread and took a bite. Roy watched her for a moment before hopping over to share the bread crumb.
“Why this place?” she asked.
“It’s where we come to remember. Where we last played with… with my dad.”
“What happened to him?”
“I don’t….” Roy closed his eyes and Brooke thought she understood. Could he be going through the same thing as her?
She eyed the bright star above. “My dad said he would be back. That star, right there. He said when I looked at it, I’d know he was looking at the same star…. He promised.”
Roy looked at her, knowingly.
“I don’t understand,” Brooke said, staring into the sky. She felt her eyelids growing heavy, her wings exhausted from so much flying. “I don’t know what to do anymore. Maybe,” she yawned, “I need to go home. My mom probably misses me.” Her eyes slowly closed and she ruffled her feathers. “Like your mom misses you.”
Chapter 5: Sunrise
The next morning Brooke awoke to see Roy beside her, the reds and blues of pre-sunrise shining on his sleek feathers. The light glimmered on her necklace. It was time to go home. What an adventure the night had been! She hopped away, but looked back as Roy’s eyes opened. The hard part was thinking that she wouldn’t see him again. With a farewell nod, Brooke flew off into the sunrise.
As she flew, the trees below slowly changed from their dim blue of night as the orange and yellow rays of sunlight rose over the foothills in the distance. Leaves blew with the wind, a yellow one nearly hitting Brooke.
She saw her house and began to glide down. How had the time passed so quickly? The morning light hit the sky just over the hills, changing it from purple to a shade of blue. The shadows below Brooke melted away and a sliver of sun peeked over the hills as she pushed herself toward her window.
Brooke flew into her room and dive-bombed her pillow. She recovered, still in bird form, and fluffed her feathers. The room still looked way bigger than it should have, and her wings were still wings. She shook the necklace onto the sheets and waited. Fluffed her feathers again. Nothing. Why wasn’t she changing back? She flew around the room to land before her mirror, flustered to see those red feathers still covering her body. The sun shone through the window. It was light out, full-on morning now. She gulped, truly worried, as she hopped over to the note that had drifted to the floor. There it was, the words “Be back by sunrise” staring up at her. Had she messed it up? Ruined the magic, and now she was stuck like this? A tear fell down her beak and hit the paper.
A knock came from the door.
“Brooke,” her mom called through the door. “It’s time to get up.”
“No, mom,” Brooke said as she rushed to put the necklace back on, hoping it would work its magic. “Don’t come in!”
After a pause the doorknob turned and her mom said, “Is that a bird chirping?” She entered and shrieked at the sight of the bird.
Brooke flew around her mom in an attempt to get close enough to tell her what had happened, but her mom kept waving her hands to shoo Brooke away.
Her mom began to wave Brooke toward the window. “Get out, get out!”
“But Mom!” Brooke called.
Her mom’s hands came too close, nearly colliding with Brooke—“MOM!”
A meow came from the doorway and Brooke barely had time to react as Oreo pounced on the bed and reached up for Brooke. Brooke dodged Oreo’s claws, too close for comfort. She flew to the window ledge. Oreo pounced in pursuit, his paws grasping t
he ledge. As Brooke leapt up, Oreo clawed, forgot to grip the ledge, and fell with a loud MEOW!
Brooke’s mom appeared out of nowhere with a pillow and Brooke retreated through the window. She turned back as her mom slammed the window shut. Flapping in front of the glass while she stared in at her mom, Brooke was flabbergasted. This couldn’t be happening! She tried to call out to her mom, to tell her what a mistake she had made by leaving in the first place, that she missed her, but her mom just sat on the bed with her face in her hands. Oreo rubbed against her leg, eyes on Brooke as she landed on the windowsill and pecked at the glass.
After a moment, Brooke’s mom stood and left the room. Brooke leaned against the window, her head spinning, as she tried to figure out her next move. Oreo stared back from the bed and licked his lips. For the first time, she found herself not quite liking that cat.
The front door creaked open and her mom came running at Brooke, flapping her arms wildly. “Get out of here, you stupid bird!”
Brooke flew into a nearby tree and watched as her mom walked about below with her hands cupped around her mouth. “Brooke! Are you out here? Brooke!”
“Up here Mom! I’m here!” Brooke called. She knew it was no use.
Her mom paused and gave Brooke a thoughtful look. She shook her head and pulled out her cell phone as she went inside. Brooke stared at the closed door. The sun had risen over the trees now, casting golden beams through their branches.
The door opened and her mom came out again, then turned back to the open door. “I don’t care what you were doing, now you are helping me find your sister.”
Paul showed up at the door in his favorite hoodie. “I’m sure she’s fine, just like last time. Just like every time.”
“Paul!”
Paul followed his mom out with a roll of his eyes. But Brooke couldn’t watch it anymore. She had to find answers. Her only friend, Roy—maybe he could help?
Brooke flew off as her mom and Paul approached the tree line. Her first thought was to try the tree from the night before, the one where Momma Swallow and Roy had brought her. She found it quickly enough and flew from one branch to the next, but the nest was empty and there was no sign of any birds. She repeatedly called for Roy, but after no answer came Brooke let out a yell, screaming at the sun. In her moment of need, no one was there for her.
She found herself gliding toward the forest floor, her feathers dampened by the morning dew as she landed on the grass. But she didn’t notice the glistening blades of green, the sparkling dust. All she saw were the blurred images of tall trees surrounding her. Brooke spun in a circle, tears flowing, hopeless and lost. Her head swam. Her emotions became too heavy and she fell to the ground in tears. She curled up where she lay, still sobbing, her head under her wing.
The sound she least expected carried on the wind from nearby—laughter.
She lifted her head and wiped a tear. “Hello?”
The laughter stopped. Then came the sound of a splash, followed by more laughter. Brooke stood and wiped her eyes with her wing, then hopped toward the sound.
“Is anyone there?” she said gently.
After no response came she hopped over, past several trees and under a small bush, until she saw a fountain in a clearing.
At the ledge of the fountain stood a little white mouse with long whiskers, standing as if ready to dive. Water sprayed up from the sides of the fountain, and in the middle a statue of a woman poured water from a vase. Brooke watched as the mouse ran to the edge with a shout and cannonballed into the water. A moment later he emerged and spat water into the air with a laugh. It was certainly his laugh she had heard a moment before.
At this point Brooke’s curiosity got the better of her and she flew over to watch from the ledge. The little mouse did a backstroke, seemingly without a care in the world. He floated by, eyes closed, hands on his round little belly, with a perfectly pleasant look on his face. It almost brought a smile to Brooke’s beak.
Suddenly his eyes popped open and he saw her. With a yelp, the little mouse sunk into the water. He surfaced, stared at her with bulging eyes, and yelled, “Stay away!”
She wanted to tell him not to be scared, but he had already paddled to the middle of the fountain, swimming like a dog with water splashing everywhere. He reached the slippery stone and tried to climb away from her. It was too wet and he fell, got up, and fell again. This time he pulled himself to the fountain and found his footing, his soaked fur hanging matted against his body. Brooke couldn’t take it anymore and burst into laughter.
The mouse turned, wide eyed, and fainted straight into the water. For a moment longer Brooke’s laughter carried through the crisp morning, but slowly faded as the mouse’s head didn’t surface. She hopped forward, eyes searching.
“Little mouse?” Brooke giggled nervously. “Hello?”
Her smile faded. The mouse wasn’t coming back up.
Chapter 6: Timmy the Mouse
No one, human or otherwise, was within sight, and Brooke realized it was up to her to save this mouse. After all, she had been the one who frightened him, though she couldn’t understand why. With a deep breath, she dove into the water. Sure enough, the little mouse lay unconscious at the bottom. She grabbed him with her wing and pulled him up. When she broke the surface she pushed the little mouse up onto the ledge with her wings. With a great effort, heavy with all the water, she followed.
When she had shaken herself dry, Brooke leaned over the mouse with her beak near his pink little nose. His beady eyes popped open and he flailed his arms wildly.
“Stay back, stay back!” he yelled. “Don’t eat me!”
“Eat you? I just saved you!”
“Saved me from you!”
“What?” She shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense!”
He leapt to his feet, a little paw pointed at her. “That’s exactly what you’d want me to think!”
“What? But I—”
“You came to eat me, but seeing my daring escape in progress you tricked me into falling, then saved me, only so you could trick me into letting you eat me, ADMIT IT!”
“But I—I just….” The tears tried to force their way back up again and Brooke’s beak trembled. “I just wanted to go home, but I didn’t make it back by sunrise. Now everything’s ruined!”
“So you’re not trying to eat me?”
“What? No!”
The mouse went to all fours, timid. He licked his paw and wiped his ear with it. “Oh.”
Brooke continued to sniffle while the mouse stared. His nose twitched and his ears perked up.
“I didn’t mean to upset you, okay?” the mouse said. “Come on, let’s give this a second try. I’m Timmy.”
She looked at him and sniffled. “Brooke.”
“And you promise you have no intention of eating me?”
“Promise.”
“Not even the smallest nibble, right?”
“Of course not!”
Timmy’s worry seemed to vanish and he wiped his brow with his paw. “Whew, well that’s a relief, I mean, when I saw you... Hey, wait a minute, why not? I’m not good enough for you?” He stepped forward, paw pointed accusingly. “I’m not good enough for the great tastes of Brooke, the mighty bird? Come here, take a glance at this.” He held his round belly, showing off. “You can’t tell me that wouldn’t make a good meal, am I right?”
“I—I….” Brooke didn’t know what to say.
He paused, jaw open at her sad expression. “Ah shucks, you look miserable, kid.”
She sniffled in response.
“I think I have just the thing.” Without a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed her and pulled her into the water.
She fluttered around, recovered, and then stared at Timmy in disbelief. Her feathers had to be sticking up like a bad hair day. He splashed lightly. She glared at him. He splashed again, and then she splashed back. She splashed with a giggle, and then an all-out laugh. They continued to play and laugh and everything was going grea
t.
Moments later they were floating on the water, just enjoying themselves. For the time of year, it was surprisingly warm. Timmy wiped a tear of laughter from his cheek and smiled at Brooke.
“This is it,” he said. “The most perfect place ever.”
He laughed, rolling in the water. Brooke followed, splashing around and giggling like a little girl again. The light glistened off the water, casting rippling turquoise reflections on the statue. A water minnow landed beside them and Brooke splashed for it. It jumped into the air and more landed around them. She and Timmy played with catching them until once again they needed a rest and found themselves floating in the water.
“It’s amazing,” Brooke said.
“It’s a great place to come when you need to forget,” he replied.
She floated close to him; the sun glimmered on the water around her. “Timmy?”
“Yeah?”
“My dad used to take me swimming in the summers. Ocean Shores was my favorite.” Brooke dipped her head into the water for a moment before shaking it off and turning back to the sky. “There was a super sunny day, when I wanted to try to swim on my own. I nearly didn’t make it. My brother saved me, and I remember all of them—Mom, Dad, and Paul—they all held me so tight that day, like they’d never let go.... Timmy?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t wanna forget.”
Timmy turned his beady mouse eyes to her and nodded. “My daughter would love you.”
Brooke splashed water at Timmy playfully and he spluttered, caught off guard, and grabbed the side to catch himself.
“You have a daughter?” Brooke asked.
Timmy smiled, but something was different in his eyes. He kicked off from the wall and swam past her. She stared, wondering about the sudden change, when a shadow crossed over Timmy. Unfortunately, she thought she recognized that shadow. She looked up to see dark clouds gathering above, and the outline of birds.
“Uh-oh,” Timmy’s eyes shot open.
“Uh-oh is right!” Trollay’s voice came from above.