In the Memory II
A shriek wanted to burst from my mouth, but I forced myself to swallow the pain. “You did well,” the man commended quietly, petting my hair before pulling a strip of fabric from his tattered shorts and wrapping it around my bleeding wound. “There. You can go now,” he said, pushing himself up to his feet. “And make sure you don't get caught again.”
I swallowed hard, staring at his retreating back as he walked away, feeling a strange thumping in my chest that I couldn't decipher. I wanted to call out to him, to ask for his name and thank him for saving my life, but couldn't say anything in bird form.
I took a deep breath, realizing that the dull ache in my side had miraculously healed. I blinked, flapping my freed wing to feel no pain, and a grin spread across my beak. I
