Flying High

• Zeke Bautista, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2016

It all started with the little Magpie. Lying down on the ground, unconscious. I had too much of a heart to just leave it there. I approached cautiously and picked it up from the ground. I put my chest up to its heart. I could still hear its heartbeat. Thank goodness! I brought it into the house. “Mum! I found a magpie outside! It's unconscious, but not dead!” I called. “You have an active imagination, Liam!” Mum replied. “Mum! I'm serious! He’s in my hands!” “Let's see it!” I ran through the kitchen, past the bedroom and into the lounge room.
When I showed it to her, she looked like her eyes were going to pop out of her head! “Well,” Mum said after what seemed like an HOUR, “I hope it wakes up soon. It looks starved!” When I looked at the bird again, it did look real hungry and just like that, eyes popped open! The Magpie looked around nervously. It gave a little cry. It looked awfully hungry. “We need to get some formula for baby magpies!” I said. We drove to the pet shop and got some formula.
It was late night-time, and the magpie was asleep again. I was looking at the night sky from my window. The Stars seemed to be talking to each other. Still, I was worrying about the magpie. What if I was too late? What if it escaped and got eaten by predators? So many questions! After a long time, I drifted off to sleep. No sooner had I shut my eyes then... “Ring ring!” It was time to get up. And there was the magpie, sitting on my bedpost.
It hopped around on the blankets for a bit and then it made its way up to the window. It pecked on the window as if it wanted to go out. That’s something to think about… What if it DOES want to go out? Of course! We need to get it back to its family! I looked at the clock. What the heck? It’s 6:30 in the morning! What’s happened to my alarm clock? The alarm rang at 6:25? How?! Maybe the magpie did it? I looked around for the magpie. It was pecking on the alarm clock, changing the time back.
This was obviously no ordinary magpie. I needed to get it back to its nest. When it was 8:00, I started up the tree where the nest was, one hand holding the magpie, the other holding on to the tree. I was 3 feet off the ground when… SNAP! The branch broke! I tried again! I was only a bit away from the nest. I put the magpie next to the nest. It chirped happily and hopped in. I went back down the tree. Every day now, I see the magpie flying past my window, as it is now a bit older. It flies by as if it’s saying “Thank you. Thank you for all you’ve done for me.”