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Part Two: The Discovery
Sarah pulled into the extra parking space in her apartment complex,
feeling happy that she got the spot. It
was a first-come-first-serve extra covered parking spot, and often times the
other cars belonging to her various apartment neighbors got to it before she
did.
Yay! I got it this time! she thought happily
to herself.
As she got out of the car, she was idly wondering what she
was going to do with her evening. She
and her husband didn’t have any plans.
Her co-workers had asked what she was going to do, and she didn’t have
an answer. I really need to write, she thought. I am going to work on the fourth chapter of the series I am working on, she decided.
As she was thinking this, she was staring at the ground and passing the other cars that were parked underneath the covered parking area. Sarah always had a habit of staring at the ground ever since she was a little kid. Why, you might ask? Well, so often, Sarah is in her own little world, thinking away about something. Maybe she’s thinking about her day, or maybe she’s thinking of some kind of story in her head, or thinking about the current story she is reading and how she wants to go upstairs and read more, but she should really write instead. In any case, on this particular day at this particular time, Sarah’s thoughts were halted when she happened to catch sight of a baby bird lying on its side on the ground. It wasn’t moving.
Sarah’s eyes widened, her heart dropped a little bit, and she moved her foot—which was raised up in the air, getting ready to land another step—over the small bird so that she didn’t trample it. Sarah thought this poor little guy was dead.
You see, Sarah has a really soft spot in her heart for
animals. She hates seeing road-kill in
any shape or form, and for a second or two, she always mourns the poor animal
that didn’t make it. She had lived in
this apartment for over five years, and she was well aware of the nest up above
that produced new baby birds every year.
She had seen varying ages of bird fetus lying on the ground in years
past, the eggs having fallen out of the nest and smashing on the ground.
This was the oldest looking baby she had ever seen fall, and
she stopped to stare and mourn at its loss.
Something strange happened, though. The little bird’s feet started to move. Sarah’s eyes widened, and it was then that
she saw the little chest go up and down.
It was breathing! With a jolt
that made her heart zing, Sarah realized that this poor creature was still
alive.
It’salive It’salive It’salive!
Went Sarah’s whizzing thoughts.
Straightaway she bent low to the ground, staring at the baby
and watching it. The little guy’s legs
were starting to move a lot more. He was
struggling to get up onto his feet, but she could see that he just didn’t have
the strength.
You poor thing!
Before she could properly think, Sarah’s heart lurched into
her arms, and she gently scooped the baby into the palms of her hand, hoping
against hope that she wasn’t hurting it.
It was then that some part of her brain told her this might not be the
wisest thing to do, but that is also when she felt the baby’s cold body against
her skin, and instinct took over: wise or not, this baby needed warmth, and she
could provide it.
Strangely, the baby didn’t make any sort of sound at being
handled, which made Sarah wonder if he was hurt or just stunned from the fall. Instinctively, she cupped her hands to add
more warmth, and the cute (but sort of ugly) baby opened its beak, asking for
food. Sarah felt awful. She didn’t have any food for this guy, nor
did she even know how to get food, or if she even should.
In fact, she realized she had given herself a tough
assignment for the evening. What was she
going to do with a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest?
She didn’t have the first clue!
To be continued. . . Stay tuned for Part Three on Sunday!
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