Prompt: Your silver feathers shine diamond bright.
"If you're going to keep that bird locked up like that, it's feathers will lose their shine! We can't have such birds in our house!! Let it out for a minute. Don't forget to tie its leg to a ribbon and let it back inside soon. Do you understand??"
"Yes ma'am.." I nod.
This is the city of Ping. It is far, far away from other villages - so far, it is almost just a legend.. and so the people around here stick together in close-knit, family-like groups. Sometimes, it gets too stifling. The only way out of groups like that, was my way. No one could ever imagine coming out of "family"... I just.. had a little fight, and yayy, wish granted.
So, I went up to the richest people in town and started working. I was to take care of the birds they had. In this place, having a bird is a status symbol. The birds' feathers GLOW if they're taken care of. That glow can be shown off. There isn't really a reason..
Hunters look for the birds, capture them and bring them back to the large houses where they are caged.
A few years ago, there were many many birds. Now, the one in this house was the only one left...throughout our country. There was just one..
The birds were beautiful. Since the day I had started working here, I loved the bird. It made me sad that I had to be the one to tie its legs, lock its cage and let it out for a few minutes..
I wanted to free him.
______________________
It was a dark night. The moon was hidden behind fluffy clouds and the village was dark..unlit, except of course by the bird's feathers in the large house. Ping was celebrating "The days of Ignorance". They believed that ignorance was bliss. During these celebrations, no one in town was allowed to light up their homes at night. No light. Not even to smoke a cigarette. If, during the mornings, there was any sunlight, the windows were to remain closed and the blinds drawn. As little light as possible was to be let in.
These were two days..two very precious days for the common thieves. They would sneak up and take away whatever they wanted from the unlit homes. The rule, was that, the next morning, if the villagers noticed something missing, and found it in possession of someone else, they had to keep mum. Feign ignorance.
I saw a perfect opportunity to let the bird free, on the first day of the days of Ignorance..No one would notice at night and they wouldn't be allowed to talk about it after the celebration! Well, there was at least ONE good thing about the village... Why I even wanted to let it free, I didn't know. It somehow just didn't seem right that a creature as beautiful as the bird was imprisoned.
Every single time I let it out on a leash, it looked at me, pleading for me to set it free.
This time, I finally would.
With the pleasant thoughts of how pleased the bird would be, with my favor, I went slowly to the golden cage where the bird was kept. I winked at it and motioned with my finger for it to stay quiet. It was one intelligent bird...
I slid the latch open and reached inside, untying the silk ropes around the bird's legs. I stepped back and opened the window and motioned for the bird to fly away.
It trotted slowly to the edge of the cage and spread its wings. Giving me a grateful look, it took off into the dark night, taking the glow and the light of the village with it.
I watched as it soared into the sky, bright against the inky sky, among the stars. The scene filled me with happiness. But I couldn't just stay here. I knew that the mistress wasn't supposed to talk about the now missing bird, but they sure could act upon it... And, my mistress had horrific ways...
That night, just after I let the bird free, I grabbed the golden cage and ran for my life. I now, would have no job. If I had to get by, I had to sell the cage. The bird had to do me SOME good?....
I sprinted down the spiral stairs as fast and quietly as I could. When I found myself out of the castle, I made my way to the edge of the forest that separated our area with that of the other villages.
I was going to leave Ping...
I was leaving Ping...
______________________
I ran into the forest, the thorns and twigs pricking every part of me. Stumbling on rocks, struggling with the cage, I ran and ran and ran from Ping.
Who wanted to stay in a village that celebrated the days of IGNORANCE, for heaven's sake!!
I ran till my feet bled and I was out of breath. I then climbed a tree, dragging my precious gold cage with me. Hugging it, I fell asleep on the branches.
In the wee hours of the morning, while I was descending the tree, I heard a beautiful sing-song squeak. I was almost sure, it was the bird I let free, that I turned around, looking for its shiny feathers. And there it was!
The bird had returned to me. It had come back!
Upon taking a closer look at the bird, I noticed a small roll of paper tied to its left leg. I went and slowly untied the string and opened the paper.
There were very few people who could read and write, throughout our small country. I, luckily, was one of them. Whoever must have written the note must have known that I could read...
Here, writing was a form of secretive communication. If someone else had to know something, someone had to tell them orally...
The piece of paper read:
I know who you are and what you are doing.
I know you left family. I did too.
I also know why you left. I know, because I did. I am guessing that we had the same reason.
I know you know how to read. So, hear me, now.
This is a very precious bird, and as you might know, the very last in our country. But just because it
is the very last in OUR country, doesn't mean it is the last in the world.
Send me a confirmation that you have read this and then I shall tell you further.
- Y
What did that mean? Did that mean that this person knew me? And, if yes, then that would mean that I was being spied on... which doesn't make sense, because I am just so plain!
My mind was buzzing with questions, but I decided that I'd first write back to mysterious "Y".
I searched for berries. I found some orange ones and crushed them. Dipping my finger in the paste, I smeared a crude "Yes" on the back of the paper and tied it back on the bird's right leg. It promptly took off into the morning. I sat atop the tree once more, waiting...
The sun rose up in the sky and according to my calculation, it was some time around noon, when the bird returned with a larger bit of parchment. I quickly reached out and untied it. It read:
Go back home. Go back to where you were.
No one has noticed your absence, yet. Even if you are a little late, you can reason that you were out, flying the bird. It is no use trying to cross these woods alone...
Maybe next year.. I'll try to be around to help you with it..
Go back.
- Y
This time, the note left me a little puzzled.
I quickly decided that I'd return home, but leave the bird free in the wild, regardless of the consequences.
I started sprinting towards Ping, again, heeding the note.
It was midnight, by the time I got back. The village was still in the dark. I sneaked up back into the castle and pretended to sleep, waiting for morning to bring with it, the many accusations and punishments.
The shrill scream of my mistress woke me up from a deep, but troubled sleep.
She screamed at the top of her lungs for me. I ran up the turret as fast as my legs could carry me. I saw her standing near the golden cage. The golden cage that I had replaced, the night before.
She turned towards me, furious. I was confused. She wasn't supposed to act like that. She wasn't supposed to 'know'..
"How DARE you leave the door of the cage OPEN?! Do you have any idea how disastrous it would have been, to lose the bird? It is the only status we have, left! You stupid little girl!! The bird could have flown away!"
Flown away? I let it free! The bird wasn't here anymore!
"I..I..Am.. s-sorry, ma'am.."
"Alright. Now just let the bird fly for some time and shut the door. CAREFUL, OKAY?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Was she seeing things? The bird WASN'T HERE!!
My mistress moved away from the cage, walked gracefully to the door and swept out of the bird's room.
And then, I saw that the bird was right there in the cage.
Either it had returned or.. someone caught it and brought it back!
I went to it and noticed a small piece of parchment tied to its leg. Another note!
I untied it and opened the piece. There was a hasty scribble..
Don't question the turn of events. The bird told me that it would miss you terribly.
It said, it didn't want to be without you. I tried reasoning.
It said it loved you too much.
It nudged me to write this part of the note:
"I love you, nameless. You took great care of me. I am, after all, a tame bird.. Not wild. I cannot
survive without help.
Love will keep me locked up in this beautiful cage. Thank you for everything you tried to do."
Burn this note.
- Y
With trembling fingers, I went to the nearest fireplace and crumpled the note and flung it into the depths of the fire. Without another look at the bird, I ran down the tower, crying.
A/N:
I like how the story has turned out.. *blush* *blush*
