Chapter 4: A messanger destroys my muffin

Dad’s head snapped towards where I was pointing. My eyes darted from the creature that was flying to my now getting pale dad, who’s eyes seemed to be wanting to come out of the socket. Dad’s lips were trembling like palm leaves in the breeze and in an instant, cold sweats appeared on his forehead. I scrunched my eyebrows to the certain creature which was inching to our window to get a better view. However, what I saw was something I’ve never seen.

The creature was a bird. It was a sparrow, but definitely not an ordinary one. With its body decorated in golden feathers, its head was red, with one or two orange-reddish fringes poking out. Its beak was bright orange, the colour reaching in its chest and trailing down at the bottom. Dark brown colour crept from its claw to the entire leg.

Well, that’s the most chromatic bird I have ever seen.

The bird soared in our room and simply landed right in the middle of the table on top of the muffins. Is it me, or the bird’s golden eyes shimmered from time to time?

Dad opened his mouth, but closed when he couldn’t produce any sound. His hands were shaking like aspen leaves and his gaze was fixated on the bird, not blinking and clearly horrified.

Mom kept her composure. She calmly took the whole scenario in-a very colorful bird standing on my precious muffin while craning its neck at us in a judging manner.

While I sat there, half dumbfounded, half amused. If there were any other teenagers, they would’ve screamed and ran away, or call the 999, or at least take a snap in their phone to post in Instagram. Like dude, a crazy rainbow bird on a breakfast table? Hell yeah!

But I didn’t do any of them. Let’s just say-curiosity got the best of me as I sat there, unfazed, observing every little detail of the bird. It attracted me like a magnet. Weird, right?

I’m just like this.

I looked at the foul’s eyes. As we made ‘eye contact’, it blinked rapidly.

“Kliffto,” mom spoke in a steel cold voice. Bird’s head snapped at her. I sighed at relief. That eye contact pressed me, not going to lie.

“Kilffto,” mom called again. Just who the hell is that? “What are you doing here?” To say that I was astonished would be an understatement of what happened next.

The bird’s mouth opened, and a voice came out from it (yes, from it, undoubtedly). It was a young girl’s voice. Sweet and a bit shrilly, which reminded me of the ending of winter and the starting of spring.

“Oh, Sally,” the voice said with a tint of humor and amusement. “14 years passed, and this is how you greet me? I’m really hurt by your behavior,” the voice said, though there was no sign of grief or hurt in it.

Mom sighed and put her hand on her head. “Don’t start a melodrama here. Just say what you want and leave.”

The bird (namely Kliffto) blinked a little. Then started talking (I was still wondering what species of bird can talk), the pitch of humor tingling in its voice- “Why, Sally, don’t you remember the deal? It’s time,” its voice turned cold suddenly, “She leaves,”

The bird turned its head to meet my eyes with its menacing gaze. its golden eyes challenging me in an unknown battle.

I was about to finally open my mouth but before I could bat my eyelashes, a dreadful pain surged up from my toe to my head. Heat like striking metal, spread down my spine. All of a sudden, I felt like someone was squeezing my ribcage. Hitching breath, I clutched on the table. My vision went on a blur and ringing sounds filled my ears. Right before passing out, I heard- “Ten hours left from now. Pack the things and give her farewell,” Kliffto’s voice chortled, “You won’t be able to see her again.”

Someone cried and something broke before my vision turned black.

2 hours later

I slowly squinted my eyes and as the yellow hue of the sunshine hit them smoothly.

Where am I?

It took me a moment to realize that I’m on the exact spot in where I had passed out. I opened my eyes ad hissed at the pain in my head. After opening my eyes, the question came in my mind for the second time-

Where am I? Also, what the hell happened to this place?

The entire kitchen could be compared with the remains of The Waterloo War or maybe The WWE Championship where wrestlers often break one or two chairs on each other’s back. Broken glass pieces were poured all over the floor, not sparing an inch. The dining table was a mess. Foods, cups, empty plates were scattered around on it helplessly. A lantern-which me and my father had bought when I was seven- which had hung over in our kitchen for like eternity-was rolling on floor shattered in four pieces (I counted). Literally what-

“No, Sally. Never. I will not hand over my daughter to some random bird or send her to that god-knows-where training centre ”.

“Our daughter, Celestian.” I could hear mom’s voice. It was full of pain and regret. “And if we don’t do what spring wants, she will cause harm to Julia. You don’t want that, right?”

“You’re being heartless!” dad said stubbornly.

“I know, I know, but listen; we-"

“Mom,’’ I called in a weak voice. Ouch. “Dad.’’

The voices stopped. I heard sounds of something brushing, then mom and dad appeared. Both of them were a quite a sight to see. They had worn gumboots and safety gloves. They walked over the shattered pieces of glasses with the boots and slumped in the chairs beside me.

That’s when I knew something was definitely up.

Mom’s eyes were puffy and swollen. Her hair was messy and is that a scar on her forehead? Dark bags covered the skin under her eyes. It looked like she had aged 10 years after I fainted.

Meanwhile, dad looked like he had fought with someone. His clothes were ripped in various places. He seemed to look like a madman. Dad had more cuts and scars on his face. He was taking deep breathes and cold sweating.

“What actually happened to both of you?’’ I asked, mildly surprised and mostly worried.

They didn’t respond.

“Mom? Dad? What happened? Why are you injured?” I demanded.

“It’s nothing, honey,’’ mom smiled faintly. “Just a few cuts, that’s all. ” Really?

“What about you?” mom asked.

I scrunched my eyebrows. Sus.

“Nothing-just a headache.” I winced.

“Well, let me give you an icepack then,” mom got and rushed to other room, leaving me and dad behind. I looked to dad to see that he had pressed his hands to his forehead. Dad looked like like a defeated man who had given up on everything. My heart swelled at this.

“Dad,” I called softly. “You know what happened, don’t you?”

I waited for a reply for a while.

Then dad spoke- “Julia, the things which happened and will happen to you was not your choice. It’s your destiny, face it,” he chuckled humorlessly. “We don’t come to this choosing a role or something. The roles are always given to us. We are always put in a certain mould, with or without our dismay. That’s the rule.”

“I’m sorry.”

Dad’s voice came out as a whisper at the end. Then he went to rest his head against his folded hands on the table, indicating the end of this conversation.

Tick-Tock-Tick.

Nothing was heard for a while.

I was left there, completely baffled. I couldn’t fathom anything. Why was dad apologizing? Why was he saying these so suddenly?

Mom was injured, but both of them weren’t worried about it.

And Kliffto.

Was I hallucinating? Then what’s with this mess? Or was I still dreaming?

God, please help me.

“Da-‘’ I was interrupted by mom. She came back with an ice pack in her hand. Mom gave me the ice pack while glaring at dad (man, scary,) saying- “I heard everything. Why are you acting like she is going to commit suicide or something?”

Dad shrugged. I pressed the cold cloth filled with ice cube on my forehead and released a low hiss. Dang, that hurts.

“You tell her.” I looked up at the sudden voice. It was dads. He had arisen his head and was looking at mom.

Mom heaved a sigh.

“Do I really have to?” she asked.

Dad nodded and folded his arms. Mom looked at me.

“Jul,” mom called sadly. “I think I need to explain you some-no, many things.”