Chapter 1
On one of the hottest afternoons of the month, when the sun was blistering enough to burn everything down into ashes, a high school girl in her uniform dashed across the dense cropland of wheat, regardless of her legs getting spiked by the prickly weeds on ground, further away from her school. Eyes fixed upon the sky. Her pleated chestnut brown sleek hairs turned rumpled, for the winds were quite bold today. The weather’s too extreme for someone to be running through fields. However, this young lady had lost something too high of a price to let go.
That little fluff of feathers!! Thought the girl, that adorable thief! I was being so nice to it, but did it have to steal my letter I took days to make?
Her lungs were sure out of air after chasing a mere bird which seemed to blissfully soaring along winds. But now that the flying thing is no more in her sight, she determines on halting. But oh, her body collapses the moment her legs stay still on ground, just under an oak tree’s delightful shade.
The soil happened to suck in the leftover energy inside her immediately when she collided with the ground. She sought to climb on to her feet again, but, dang, they already went numb and she could barely wiggle a finger.
An intense sigh left her lips.
It’s pretty pleasant to her to lie under shade against a raging ball of fire enlightening the blazing sky. Between the vast but quiet fields of wheat, her panting body stretched out and not a minute after she’s dozy already. A warm, abrupt breeze with all speed interrupted her attempt to yawn, causing the crops to sway along with it.
It feels as if it was January just yesterday, but see, it’s July already. This year sure is passing by like greased lightning.
She stretches her arms up over her face. “Oh! they’re tanned.”, she whispers to herself in surprise. Releasing a loud gasp, she slackens and lets them back down wide on the wet grass.
However, the place is only peaceful at a distance. The mind of the girl, though, is going through a twinge of remorse.
Writing letters is my way out of my cluttered feelings, but when it comes to rewriting the same letter, it makes me wanna flip a table! Everything was going nice until that little flying creature boldly landed on the table and snatched away my precious writing like nothing. Furthermore, I had to leave school midway. How am I supposed to explain all this to the home teacher?!
Another loud gale shakes the old oak tree’s branches.
Despite that, I was the one who dropped peanut butter on the paper. That being so, it’s not entirely the bird’s wrongdoing. It must’ve been hungry. Such a mere situation like this must not upset me…. Right?
She inhales the little unobserved flowers surrounding her. Those were gently dancing on the ground, besides secretly healing the girl. Her eyes start out to narrow and shut slowly down.Though, in no time they flicker open when she realizes she spotted a flying creature carrying a crumpled piece of paper between its claws, heading straight into the woods ahead of fields.
Then, of course, she wouldn’t let it disappear twice and hence, her feet naturally gave it a chase.
The letter…
It is too crucial for the girl. But does she know her desire to get it back is pulling her into the woods called the forest of oddities? Is she aware of the rumors that have been spreading like a virus for the past few weeks?
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Ah! I sensed it from the start!
The high school girl stares over a low branch of a tree, to be genuine, the tiny bird stuck to the branch, grasping someone else’s property.
I knew the bird was a tame animal! It has a collar around its neck. A wild bird would never dare to steal human belongings.
Well, since it’s a pet, I assume we can exchange views with each other.
The bird stared back into her soul from up there, unbothered, until the young lady proceeded with imitating the bird’s voice, having in her mind that it may drop the letter, seeing how helpless she is. She takes steps closer to the low branch, still making obnoxious noises, where the bird sat.
“TWEE… TWEE! Please drop the paper in your claws. TWEE… It does not belong to you. TWEE.”
The birdie might have considered it a disrespect, so it attempted to flee instead. Although, it was too late to flap its wings and got wrapped inside the young girl’s long fingers in a snap.
“Gotcha!” she struggles to get the bird’s fragile wings together, while they keep slapping them on her wrist. Nevertheless, the little creature was gotten in control shortly and tied around the girl’s fingers. And from then it fell as quiet as a mouse, panting in terror, eye balls shaking. The only parts visible were its tiny head and claws.
Hmm, it’s a star finch, I see. I’ve never seen a star finch from such a close distance. It looks so charming, just like an art. Such a shame, it’s under the grasp of a human.
“First off, I am going to take back what’s mine.” She carefully plucks the letter from its grip and shoves it inside her skirt’s pocket.
“Now let’s see what your name is.” the collar had the finch’s name inscribed on it, as she guessed. “Gach- Gachagua? Ooh, fancy.”
The sweet scent expelling from its body and the catchy collar spells that it belongs to an expensive family. Really? They apply perfume on their pets? Jeez. What about global warming?
The bird is well trained. Maybe it can return home on its own if she lets it go.
I shall let it go.
She turns the bird’s face towards hers and lashes out before releasing it. “I will lose my hold on you now that I have my letter back, but you better not take advantage of your skills to steal things again. Your owner did not train you for this, right? You have no clue how important this piece of paper is to me.” its eyes turn glassy and feet go about jostling as if it doesn’t want her nasty hands on its fragile wings for another second. “Fine, go straight to your owner. Farewell.”
Taking a top flight in a hurry, the bird went away toward the Sun. The girl looked it off until it vanished in the clouds, then pulled her eyes back into the dull forest.
The next few seconds met with silence.
“Guess who doesn’t remember the way back.”
Hey readers, oh my god!! You are reading my story?! :D
