A Bird's Life

• Sarah Nixon, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2010

I sway from side to side. I feel the wind softly touch my feathers. The children are playing in the field, I swoop down lower and look at them suspiciously, then go off to a different place.

As I look over my shoulder I see a large peaceful river, next to a majestic mountain. I stop for a while on a low levelled branch which is near a little puddle and a fallen tree. I stop and look at a beautiful sunset.
It’s been a while and the sun is just above another mountain peeking through the trees. I can’t see very well and I’m trying to find my way back home.

My nest is way past the mountain and it’s getting difficult to see. I have to stop and find somewhere to sleep for the night. But everything’s a blur and I’m falling into a deep sleep. I eventually come to the river I saw earlier, but there is something on the rock that I want to sleep on.

As my eyes finally adjust to the moonlight, this figure turns clearer. Finally I see a vicious cat hissing and showing me it’s sharp and frightening jaws. I freak and fly away as fast as I can.

I’m exhausted and need to find somewhere to stay. I fly into something hard. I don’t think it’s a tree but I do know it’s alive. I feel the heartbeat and warmth of its body. It starts to growl and then as quick as a flash it runs after me. I see some orange stripes but can’t identify the animal. Suddenly the animal jumps on me but I manage to get away. I fly quickly but I’m all out of breath and so tired.

I decide to swoop up into the air and glide across the moonlight above the trees and troubles. I calm myself down by concentrating on the upside down world below. I see a tall tree and glide to the very top branch and settle down. I can’t get my mind of what has been going on. I hear an owl and think I might not wake up.

The next morning my wing is damaged and home’s far away. I don’t know where I am. I wake up feeling tired but something stops me from going back to sleep. In the middle of the two magnificent mountains an orange sunrise blooms. Everything turns yellow, the night troubles have faded into the sunlight. I do my morning tweet as I always do at home to make the morning sweeter. I stretch my wings and start flying, my wing’s bent but I can manage it.

Past the lake, through the mountains, and into the city.

I can now see my mum in the nest and a little tiny bird I have never seen in my life. It was my mum’s baby. I fly to the tree and snuggle into the warm embrace of my very own nest. There is no place like home.