The Starling: Shattered Glass 1

Disclaimer: This is a 100% non-AI-generated book that is already complete. I use punctuation such as em-dashes and words such as “delve,” and am now very self-conscious for doing so. However, I grew up reading books that had these in them, it’s second nature to me.

~Noëlle

Prologue

Along the sidewalks of the Upper East Side, well-dressed men escorted their blushing maidens—ladies of high society who donned extravagant hats crafted by New York’s finest milliners. Exotic canines trod obediently before their masters. So perfectly groomed were they that not a scratch of unkempt nails could be heard atop the rugged pavement. The pungent odor of soot and sewage juxtaposed the immaculate architecture and the ostentatious display of wealth that cluttered the streets and avenues. The city called out like a siren to those with hopes and dreams, allured by its magic and promise of riches.

But beyond the delicate laces, velvet and furs, there lay a darkness that feasted upon innocence. No soul who ventures towards her call expects to meet their death so suddenly, but to achieve one’s dreams, she requires sacrifices. Those unwilling to sacrifice tempt their fate. A game of roulette, if you will…

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The petite, curly-haired sprite had no fear upon her one-and-only trip to the big city. Indeed, it had been the most fun of her life! Seeing a moving picture show! Buildings that touched the sky! Eating her supper in a real restaurant with real menus! She didn’t know what any of the descriptions meant—Basil? Parmesan? Her mama settled on a simple spaghetti for her newly-minted five-year-old. Her papa, though, hardly paid any mind. He kept an eye on everything else. The little girl thought maybe he was just nervous about being around so many people. There were never very many people back home on the farm.

But the world felt so big here. The girl was intoxicated by the magic of the day’s escapades, unable to muster a single worry in her little blonde head. Naive she was, and surreal it all was—especially when a man in the restaurant suddenly pulled out a pistol and with one slow exhale later, two people across the way lay dead. Confused and struggling to understand, she sat frozen in her boosted chair watching the chaos unfold, staring blankly while the air filled with piercing screams. Her wide, sapphire eyes suddenly fixed on the lanky teenage boy running to tackle the assailant. It was like something from her first picture show, only this one had sounds and colors. She hadn’t seen such a tiny little gun before. It wasn’t like her papa’s big one that he used to kill the cows and pigs before slaughter. Maybe it needed to be littler because people were littler than cows?

She sat completely still, entranced by red sprinkles landing on the inky-haired teenage boy’s cheeks while he kneeled on the floor, smashing his fists into the gunman’s face. Her hypnosis was broken when another man yanked her from the small wooden highchair and threw her over his shoulder. Holding her tight, he ran toward the door. Her papa jumped from his chair, causing it to fly several feet behind him as he chased after the man. Her mama screamed her name and ran after them, but she quickly fell far behind. Over the big man’s shoulder, she extended her small hand outward and watched on with wide-eyes, waiting for her rescue. Her papa caught up quickly and threw himself at the man, knocking him off his feet.

The little girl landed hard on the ground, but the new wool coat that she had stubbornly refused to take off at dinner had cushioned her fall. The man’s hat fell from his head and landed beside her. She snatched the souvenir and crushed it into her chest before her sobbing mama caught up with her and yanked the little girl to her bosom. The strange man managed to fight off her father and jumped to his feet, staring back at the little girl once more before fleeing into a busy crowd. Her papa rushed over to his family to check the little girl for injuries.

“That was fun!” The ignorant child grinned as if she’d just been on the adventure of a lifetime. “Why is mama crying?”

Her papa patted her head with a shaking hand and a furious glance over his shoulder. “I never should have brought you here, my daughter. This is no place for you. Let us go home, and never may you return to this terrible city.”